Say Something

by Harvey Mathews, SAO President

Oregon's Legislature has passed the halfway point; now is the critical time for your voice to be heard by our elected leaders.

When was the last time you said something meaningful and true? A personal story, a compelling argument, a visceral response…? Very little in our personal, professional or communal lives encourages honesty, yet this is what defines the quality of our interpersonal relationships.

An unusual place where this is especially true is in the state capitol. Every day, legislators hold hearings and listen to intentionally murky testimony by the usual cast of lobbyists, agency directors and special interest groups. Eventually those involved may become so jaded that public testimony can be easily ignored and seen as a hindrance to the process.

However, just one businessperson willing to tell their story of frustration, success or hope can cut through this hazy malaise and obtain significant mindshare – I have seen it. In effect, due to the lack of involvement from actual businesspeople, you can speak for hundreds in your industry just by virtue of showing up.

So get involved. The SAO has several pieces of legislation that we are supporting, supporting with amendments, opposing, or watching carefully that you can speak to with authority - plus we have expert staff that will give you tips to ensure your success.

Share a story, make an argument – be a citizen with a voice. Just say something.

HIMSS: Developing Healthcare Information Technology in Oregon
by Linda Barney, founder and owner of Barney & Associates

A number of businesses, information technology organizations, and software developers are working on health IT standards and ways of using technology to solve issues in healthcare. See how you can get involved with the Oregon chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) to help define and implement an effective health IT strategy.


Technology and Your Business
By Sean Campbell, Principal Technology Evangelist, Campbell Solutions

Founders of technology-based companies often rush out to acquire the latest and greatest technology that they believe will save the company time, dollars or both. But these must be evaluated as business decisions. Just because you can personally implement a technology does not mean that it makes sense to do so for a portion or all of your business. Are you making the right technology decisions for your business?


Legal Implications of the Linux Foundation
By Ariel Rogson, attorney, Marger Johnson & McCollom

The recent formation of the Linux Foundation by the merger of the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Software Group brought together two groups with similar, though not identical, goals and methodologies. Recently, I spoke about the merger, its implications for Linux in general, and its implications for users of Linux, with Diane Peters, who is general counsel for the Linux Foundation and was previously general counsel for the Open Source Development Labs. Peters also is a new member of the Boards of Directors for the Software Association of Oregon and the Software Freedom Law Center.


SearchFest 07: Professionals Learn How to Maximize Web-Site Effectiveness
By Kate McPherron, technology evangelist

Two SAO writers attended SearchFest 07, a full-day conference dedicated to search-engine marketing. In this article, read about using blogs to increase communication, build community, facilitate feedback and engender trust; the secrets of search engine optimization copywriting; and issues related to usability, search visibility and accessibility for international Web sites.


SearchFest 07: Using Search in Your Marketing Mix
By Chris Wain, marketing consultant

Search marketing has become a critical ingredient of the marketing mix. It is highly targeted, measurable and cost effective. Our second SearchFest 07 article offers insights on using search techniques as key elements of your marketing strategy to drive sales and extend the reach of existing campaigns.


Biomedical Informatics at Oregon Health & Science University
By William Hersh, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, OHSU

Biomedical informatics is the field concerned with the acquisition, storage and use of information in health care and biomedical research. While some research and educational programs are technology-driven, others look at information and technology in the context of how they are used by people and in organizations. The biomedical informatics program at OHSU is world-renowned in both research and education.


Software as a Service (SaaS)
By Ed Carroll, Agilis Solutions

The term "software as a service" (SaaS) refers to software companies that are deploying their products over the Internet as a service, such as SalesForce.com. In a SaaS model, a company hosts its application/product and the customer deposits its data into the company's database. Then the customer uses the company's application via an Internet browser. There are some interesting implications when selecting a SaaS business model, so please read more and enjoy the journey.


An interview with Walden Rhines, CEO of Mentor Graphics
By Chris Ciufo, group editorial director, Open Systems Publishing

Chris Ciufo, locally based editor for OpenSystems Publishing, recently interviewed Mentor Graphics CEO Walden Rhines for a supplement on programmable logic: FPGAs and reconfigurable computing. This reprint offers insight into one of Oregon's technology leaders.


Marketing Globally – The Pre-launch Checklist
by Scott Goddin, Portland US Export Assistance Center

For software firms, the challenge and opportunity of selling internationally presents itself as soon as they establish a web page. Key to a successful international strategy is an evaluation of a firm's commitment and capabilities to support the significant efforts required. A great marketing staff cannot succeed without engineers who can tweak code to foreign requirements; finance and accounting personnel who understand foreign payments, currency and tax issues; a legal staff knowledgeable about intellectual property issues and contracts; and management commitment to grow the firm through sales in international markets.

Thanks also to our Board of Directors

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