Saratoga.com logo
Saratoga.com logo
  • Places to Stay
  • Things To Do
  • Food & Drink
  • Events
  • Businesses
  • Travel Guides
Saratoga Business Journal
  • Home
  • New Businesses
  • Business News
  • Business Reports
  • Business Briefs
  • Business Registrations
  • Personnel Briefs
  • Contact Us

Category Archives: Cyber / Tech

Habitat For Humanity Changes Its Model To Build Condominium Units In Queensbury

Posted onDecember 12, 2022

By Andrea Harwood

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties is working hard to expand the traditional one- and two-family homes  model they’ve been utilizing for years. 

Its new project is called Fairfield, a 25-unit, mixed-income development project intended to do that.

The property is located on Baybridge, off of Bay Road near SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, at Fairfield Properties. 

“Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to start moving beyond our standard operating model of single family residences. We want to support as many humans as possible. To do that, we need to think beyond one or two homes a year,” said executive director Adam Feldman.

The condo project is intended to create more home-buying opportunities to more low- to moderate-income families in the area. Standard condominium models of separate ownership of individual units and joint ownership of common areas, such as stairways and yard spaces ,will be followed. Owners receive a deed in the same fashion as purchasing a single-family property.

This is not the first time a Habitat for Humanity affiliate has executed a project like this. Habitat for Humanity Sarasota in Florida successfully created a 72-unit mixed-income condominium development intended for home ownership in 2002. 

The development of the Fairfield property will create owner-occupied units between $175,000 and $350,000, all varying in floor plan and square footage. Roughly 30 percent of the units will be sold to low- to moderate-income Habitat for Humanity partner families.

Read More

GlobalFoundries Will Work With Purdue University On Tech Development, Education

Posted onDecember 12, 2022

Purdue University, with its semiconductor workforce development and R&D programs, and Malta-based GlobalFoundries have entered  into a strategic partnership to strengthen and expand collaboration on semiconductor research and education. 

The announcement was made in a ceremony in late November with Dr. Mung Chiang, president-elect and executive vice president of Purdue University, and Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GlobalFoundries.

“Purdue launched the semiconductor degrees program (SDP) earlier in 2022, continued to grow world leading research in semiconductors, and welcomed multiple companies to our new Discovery Park District. We are excited to partner with GlobalFoundries to crystalize our offerings into programs relevant to the foundation of digital economy,” Chiang said. “We are intensifying our efforts not only to scale-up the talent pipeline, but also to create the depth of innovation expertise needed to advance U.S. leadership in semiconductors.” 

The agreement “underscores the widespread appreciation of how GlobalFoundries’s feature-rich chips enable many of the devices and technologies humanity relies on every day, and ever-growing recognition of the strategic importance of semiconductors to global supply chains and economic security,” Caulfield said. “To accelerate this forward momentum, GlobalFoundries is proud to partner with Purdue on jointly advancing semiconductor research and development, working together with Purdue’s talented faculty and students.” 

For GlobalFoundries, the partnership with Purdue will be overseen by GlobalFoundries Labs, which leads the company’s research and development efforts to advance GlobalFoundries’s differentiated technology portfolio in partnership with leading academic, government, and industry collaborators. 

Read More

Small Businesses Must Be Aware Of Ransomware And Problems It Can Cause

Posted onDecember 12, 2022
Craig Stephenson, senior cybersecurity analyst at Tech II Business Services.
Courtesy Tech II

By Christine Graf

 In 2021, an estimated 37 percent businesses were the target of ransomware—a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. 

The price tag for these worldwide attacks was a staggering $20 billion. The dollar amount is expected to reach $265 billion by 2031, experts say.

In order to combat ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has partnered with members of the private sector. Through a program called InfraGard, they work together to protect the country’s critical infrastructure. 

Craig Stephenson, senior cybersecurity analyst at Tech II Business Services in Saratoga Springs, is a member of InfraGard. Tech II provides managed information technology services to small and medium sized businesses.

According to Stephenson, cyberattacks represent a clear and present danger to all companies regardless of size.

 “We are being inundated on a daily basis by bad actors from around the world. They are trying to steal the intellectual property from businesses or trying to get money from them. The FBI put together an unclassified video, and it’s an eye opener on how China is specifically and systematically trying to attack the United States in regards to stealing intellectual property.”

When it comes to ransomware, Stephenson said what he calls the “human firewall” is to blame for most attacks. 

Read More

$50 Million Available In NYS For Firms Developing Cyber Safety Programs

Posted onDecember 12, 2022

New York state has opened applications for $50 million to strengthen safety and security measures at nonprofit, community-based organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission. 

The funding is the greatest amount ever available through the program, state officials said. Nonprofit organizations that have previously received grants may now apply for new security projects, and for the first time, cybersecurity projects will be considered for funding. 

The state also announced $46 million in federal funding for 240 nonprofit organizations across the state facing an increased risk of terrorist attack. This critical funding will assist in strengthening the security of their facilities, as well as enhance overall preparedness.

“Hate has no place in New York, and we will continue to support organizations that are most vulnerable to vicious and violent attacks,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “With this new round of unprecedented funding, these at-risk facilities will be able to fund safety precautions, including cybersecurity projects, to protect vulnerable people from those who would lash out against them due to their ideology, belief or mission.”

Officials said the announcement came as hate and bias incidents persist throughout New York and federal authorities have warned of security threats in neighboring states targeting faith-based institutions. Hate crimes adversely and disproportionately affect entire communities, not just the intended targets. 

While the number of hate crimes reported to police in the state represents a small fraction of total crime, these incidents traumatize and instill fear in the greater community. New York state tracks these incidents separately from other crimes so trends can be monitored, and steps can be taken to prevent them from occurring in the first place, officials said.

Read More

Local Company’s Technology Allows People To Make Digital Purchases Using Ring Finger

Posted onDecember 12, 2022
The Quontic Pay Ring is a payment technology that allows customers wearing the ring to conveniently wave their hand near a contactless terminal to make retail purchases.
Courtesy of BankWise

BankWise Technology, a Saratoga Springs developer of advanced custom programming for banks, announced that it has provided the system development, integration, and support for the nation’s first wearable payment ring launched by the award-winning digital bank Quontic. 

The Quontic Pay Ring is an innovative payment technology that allows Quontic customers wearing the ring to conveniently wave their hand near a contactless terminal to make retail purchases. Officials said the process is like tapping a credit or debit card and can be used worldwide at any payment terminal that accepts contactless payments. 

The launch of this product required significant development effort to integrate the systems, streamline the operational processes and implement the safeguards necessary to both deliver the rings and to ensure their usefulness once deployed, according to BankWise. It provided the code and systems to manage key components of the product including customer authentication, ring ordering, sizing and fulfillment, ring activation, inventory management, integration with the bank’s core system, and customer communication updates via email or SMS on the pay ring’s order status.

Read More

ReWire Group Earns Certification As Vendor For National Minority Supplier Counci

Posted onDecember 13, 2021

ReWire Group, an energy advisory group in Saratoga Springs, has earned a new certification as a vendor for the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).  The NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and connects them to corporate members.

With more than 500 national corporate members that represent some of America’s largest public and privately-owned global companies, NMSDC is a key resource for procurement and purchasing agents in private and public organizations.  

NMSDC acts as a vital conduit between buyers and suppliers seeking to bolster diversity and minority business opportunities. In addition to public and private members, many hospitals, universities, and other regional buying institutions are local members of NMSDC’s 23 affiliated Regional Councils.

“As our business has developed and built a regional network of customers, ReWire is constantly seeking opportunities for collaboration and growth,” said Lee Evans, a partner in the company. “The NMSDC will further open that door to regional and national sales channels for our business, helping us to connect with buyers throughout the New York/New Jersey region as we offer competitively priced options that fulfill MBE procurement standards.”

Read More

Making At-Home Work Stations Secure Helped Businesses Operate During Pandemic

Posted onDecember 13, 2021
Mike Tompkins is the IT director at myTechs in Clifton Park.

By Christine Graf

In the early days of the pandemic when non-essential businesses were forced to close, companies relied on information technology professionals to help keep their businesses running. 

According to Mike Tompkins, IT director at myTechs in Clifton Park, his company’s staff responded quickly in order to meet the need of customers. In addition to providing support and help desk services, myTech offers IT consulting, security, project management, virtualization, and disaster recovery.

“One of the biggest initial things that came up was how to support people to work from home because you do have people’s personal internet that they are using and maybe even their home computers in some instances,” he said. “We worked to make sure that employees are working safely when they aren’t in the office.”

Some customers had to purchase equipment and upgrade infrastructure, while others already had the necessary systems in place. Supply chain issues made obtaining IT equipment difficult. Tompkins said prices have increased 5-10 percent. 

“For the last few years, work from home has sort of been on the horizon,” he said. “A lot of our customers were working on this before COVID even hit because they wanted some kind of solution for employees who work out of state or are traveling constantly. We were already ramping up for this without knowing what was coming.”

During the shutdown, myTechs operated drop stations where customers picked up equipment. Everything was sanitized and only one person was allowed into the room at a time. 

“We did things like sending laptops home and making sure they had a nice workspace setup with two monitors in some cases,” said Tompkins. “We set it up for most our customers so that they felt like they really were working in their office and not just sitting at their dining room table doing work.”

When it came to ensuring data security, myTech employed the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections. A VPN provides an extra layer of privacy and anonymity. 

Read More

Saratoga County Agreement With Verizon Brings Wireless Service To Four Rural Towns

Posted onDecember 11, 2020December 14, 2020

Saratoga County has entered into an agreement with Verizon Wireless to bring wireless communication services to four communities in the Adirondack Park near the Great Sacandaga Lake.
The expansion of Verizon Wireless services will provide access to wireless phone and high-speed data services to Verizon customers including residents, visitors and first responders.
“I am proud to announce the agreement between Verizon Wireless and the County of Saratoga to bring Verizon cellular and Internet access to the communities of Edinburg, Day, Hadley and Providence,” said Preston Allen, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman.
In the past year, Verizon worked with the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services to develop new wireless facilities in northern Saratoga County targeting rural communities, roads and recreational areas along portions of Great Sacandaga Lake and Sacandaga River.
County Emergency Services Commissioner Carl Zeilman said Verizon Wireless has co-located communications equipment and an antenna on existing county-owned communication monopoles and towers in the towns of Providence, Edinburg, and Day. Construction to co-locate equipment on the county-owned monopole site in the Town of Luzerne in Warren County is set to begin shortly.
The 4G LTE Verizon wireless voice and data services, which are either new and significantly improved, will be expanded into these areas including several miles along County Route 4 (North Shore Road) and County Route 7 (South Shore Road), and into the Hamlets of Edinburg, Batchellerville, West Day, Day Center, Lake View and Hadley.

Read More

Communications Technology Like Zoom Is Helping Business People Meet During COVID

Posted onDecember 11, 2020December 14, 2020

By Jill NAgy The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dynamics of how offices run and how business meetings are held as companies work to meet health and safety standards. “Everyone’s jumping on the Zoom,” said Rose Miller, head of Pinnacle Human Resources, an Albany company with an office in Saratoga Springs. Miller is quick...

Read More

Business Report: Protect Your Biggest Investment

Posted onDecember 11, 2020December 14, 2020
Michael Cruz is president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

By Michael Cruz
When working on annual planning, we often look at the company’s strengths and its weaknesses. Most often, I see “our people” as a strength. I often see “bench depth” as a weakness.
My advice always is to build on your strengths. Then, do what is reasonable to mitigate your weaknesses. There is one simple thing you can do to reduce that bench depth pain. Invest in the people you already have. We already know that it costs less to keep our customers than it does to acquire new ones.
The same is true about the people that work for you. Hiring is difficult, it is expensive, and it is not a 100 percent solution. Many years ago, I worked for a very fast-growing software company. When I joined it, the company’s sales were $18 million. When I left, seven years later, sales topped $450 million.
One of the most stunning attributes of that industry was that we were all fairly young and inexperienced. We were a young company and we were a young management team. We worked to figure out our weaknesses and we brought in experts to address them. And that personal growth kept me loyal to the company even when I was offered more money to leave.
I outlasted every person that joined the company when I did. Many others quit. When asked why I stayed, I said the growth afforded me opportunities. Remember, it is cheaper to keep customers.
It is also cheaper to keep customers than it is to replace them. The same is true of employees. They are harder to find than customers. They are hard to train. The whole process is expensive. You want to keep your better employees. And your better people want to stay. They want to grow with you.

Read More

Posts navigation

1 2 Next
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
View the Latest Virtual Edition

Categories

  • 50-Plus
  • Banking
  • Banking / Asset Managment
  • Building Trades
  • Business Briefs
  • Business News
  • Business Registrations
  • Business Reports
  • Commercial / Residential Real Estate
  • Community Services
  • Construction
  • Construction Planning
  • Corporate Tax / Business Planning
  • Cyber / Tech
  • Dining Guide
  • Economic Development
  • Economic Outlook 2016
  • Economic Outlook 2017
  • Economic Outlook 2018
  • Economic Outlook 2019
  • Economic Outlook 2020
  • Economic Outlook 2022
  • Economic Outlook 2023
  • Education/ Training/ Personal Development
  • Entrepreneurial Women
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environment / Development
  • Financial Planning / Investments
  • Fitness / Nutrition
  • Health / Community Services
  • Health & Fitness
  • Health & Wellness
  • Healthcare
  • Holiday Guide
  • Holiday Shopping
  • Home / Energy
  • Home / Insurance
  • Home & Real Esate
  • Insurance / Employee Benefits
  • Insurance / Medical Services
  • Legal / Accounting
  • Meet The Chef
  • New Businesses
  • Non-Profit
  • Office / Computer / New Media
  • Office / HR / Employment
  • Office/ Technology/ E-Commerce
  • Outlook 2021
  • Personnel Briefs
  • Retirement Planning
  • Senior Living / Retirement
  • Summer Construction
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness
  • Women In Business
  • Workplace / Security / Legal
  • Year-End Tax Planning

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
Connect With Us

Follow, like and subscribe to Saratoga.com on social media

Account Sign In Submit An Event
Saratoga.com logo
  • Home
  • Places To Stay
  • Things To Do
  • Food & Drink
  • Events
  • Real Estate
  • Businesses
  • Guides
  • Contact Us
  • Blogs
  • Sweepstakes
  • Advertising
Visit Saratoga.com For Everything Saratoga
Full-Service Internet Marketing: Search Engine Optimization, Website Design and Development by Mannix Marketing, Inc.
Mannix Marketing, Inc. is headquartered near Saratoga Springs in Glens Falls, New York
Saratoga.com All Rights Reserved © 2023
Disclaimer & Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Copyright Policies

We strive to insure accuracy on Saratoga.com however accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Information is subject to change.
Please alert us if there is any inaccurate information here.

Having trouble using this site? Accessibility is our goal, please contact us with site improvements.