BETHESDA, MD, April 24, 2013 – Industry Retail Group, Inc. (IRG), a leading provider of retail-centric broadband-based applications and services, recently hosted a round-table discussion with retail leaders and offered their insights into why multi-site retail chains are gravitating toward IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) networks and away from MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) networks. IRG offers both network topologies and will design, implement, and manage either, depending on the customer’s specific needs.

MPLS can be delivered over broadband services like Ethernet, T1 or DSL connection, and is used to create private Layer 3 networks to efficiently implement flow control, traffic shaping, or queuing in support of differential service on the network. Gabriel Martinez, IRG’s Chief Technology Officer stated, “Both MPLS and IPSec have inherent strengths. As retailers set out to change the in-store customer experience, the demand on the communication infrastructure to support feature-rich applications changes as well. Thus, costly T1 access no longer satisfies the need for speed and performance. With the exploding prevalence of super-high-speed and low-cost access technologies, that bottleneck is removed. Customers now have a tremendous amount of flexibility and portability with other topologies that can take better advantage of this new wave of network enablers, such as IPSec VPNs.”

IRG’s IPSec VPN design delivers reliable primary and secondary Internet access into the store locations. This solution offers end-to-end managed WAN network solutions based on a secure, encrypted Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s), designed to effectively and efficiently meet retail customer requirements. Security is top of mind for retailers – protecting customer data, financial transactions, and other confidential data. Offering customer Wi-Fi is now commonplace, mobile POS is on the rise, and customer-facing broadband applications are proliferating every day. Retailers are attracted to bolstered security more inherent to IPSec. Further, IPSec is very secure, scalable and stable, allowing the focus of the infrastructure to return to the applications and the customer experience and away from the network itself.

“Security, speed, performance and reliability are foremost to our clients,” said Mike Luzio, IRG’s CEO. “Retail chains are looking to run more broadband-intensive applications, and these attributes are mandatory. A shortfall in any respect can spell a lost sale for our customers, and we simply do not tolerate that. IRG’s MNS solutions have been in a state of continual demand for a very long time now as retailers’ interests align behind the customer experience – an interest we too, share.”

Martinez added, “This is not a sweeping recommendation for every multi-site retailer to switch from MPLS to IPSec. Our engineers can evaluate, advise, and tailor solutions based on what’s most effective for our clients.” For more information on IRG’s IPSec offering, including Unified Threat Management services, please visit http://www.industryretail.com/managed-services/ipsec/.

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Cleveland, OH – March 22, 2013

MCF Technology Solutions, a leading developer of platform-based technology solutions for companies worldwide, including the Fortune 50, announced its selection by L’Oréal Professionnel Canada to create a cloud-based tracking system for field staff and resources.

L’Oréal Professionnel Canada needed a way to manage resources and schedules for educational and training sessions held in its salons and other venues across Canada. The educational and training sessions are key to the company’s growth, so it needed to improve productivity in this division. About 75 field staff had been manually tracking these events using a spreadsheet system. By nature, the spreadsheet system did not allow for collaboration or real-time updates, which cause scheduling conflicts and misinformation.

Alain LaRoche, Director of Professional Development, shared, “Getting our solution from MCF Tech was so easy. They understood our challenges and delivered the functionality we needed. It’s simple, accurate, and dramatically increases our efficiency in this division.”

MCF Tech leveraged the QuickBase platform and developed an efficient system for tracking events, staff, and other resources. Due to the mobile nature of L’Oréal Professionnel Canada field staff, the solution was developed to ensure it could be easily accessed and updated from any device with an internet connection. Furthermore, L’Oréal Professionnel Canada needed an online database that tracked availability and other pertinent information of contractor artists across Canada. The solution addresses this requirement, and links specific resources to each client account, including training sessions, products, purchase history, expense reports, and other details.

L’Oréal Professionnel Canada field staff typically work from home and travel to client sites across designated provinces and markets. The company previously considered other cloud-based solutions, but chose MCF Tech because of its ability to create a tailored technology solution for the company’s unique challenges. The new solution eliminates tedious manual processes and guesswork, and brings better insight to the state of the division.

MCF Tech CEO Govind Davis stated, “It’s an honor that another global brand has entrusted us to develop a technology solution for them. L’Oréal Professionnel Canada is forward thinking in its technology and understands the need to implement cloud-based solutions for improved business. Our solution gives L’Oréal Professionnel Canada competitive advantage as they increase productivity and collaboration. We look forward to this continued relationship.”

Laroche added, “Our field staff are more connected and better equipped to make smart decisions. We expect to use MCF Tech for future solutions, as they understand how to improve business with technology.”

About MCF Tech
MCF Technology Solutions is a full-service Web 2.0 PaaS provider and the world’s largest Intuit QuickBase solution provider focused on solving complex business problems for many of the world’s leading companies, from the Fortune 50 to Main Street.

The MCF Tech team has leadership experience in Operations, Manufacturing, Distribution, Sales, Marketing, Logistics, Global Supply Chain, Real Estate and Project Management; combined with a deep IT competency and experienced AGILE Development. It leads with a “business first” philosophy and understanding the application of technology in business. Companies interested in learning more about cloud-based technology solutions should visit www.mcftech.com or contact sales@mcftech.com.

About L’OREAL
L’Oréal Canada, headquartered in Montreal, is the leader of the cosmetics industry in Canada. It is wholly owned by L’Oréal Group – the most important cosmetics company in the world – and its operations include the manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of its cosmetics, skin care, sun protection, hair care and hair color products.

L’Oréal Canada’s success rests, above all, on the daily commitment, enthusiasm and passion of its 1,200 employees. Their beauty expertise and passion are communicated by offering Canadian consumers 25 prestigious and world-renowned brands.

Each brand benefits from the considerable investments in Research made by L’Oréal Group. The 674 patents filed by L’Oréal Research in 2009 represent the Group’s commitment to deliver innovative and particularly effective cosmetic products to consumers worldwide.

The Group’s Research efforts, unique in the beauty industry, permit each brand to benefit from formulas specifically adapted to the needs of women and men worldwide, across all markets and distribution channels in which L’Oréal operates.

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Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) February 08, 2013

MCF Technology Solutions, a leading developer of platform-based technology solutions for companies worldwide, including the Fortune 50, announced its partnership with Intalio the top provider of solutions for businesses to build modern, agile cloud applications. The partnership leverages the expertise of both companies. MCF Tech specializes in development and implementation while Intalio brings the platform for the MCF Tech solution. Both deliver project management solutions to large enterprises worldwide.

The two companies recently launched a post-production, planning and operational solution, Global Release Management, or GRM, for media companies. GRM is based on the Intalio|Create platform and provides a complete solution for media post production execution with Gantt-based project management and social style collaboration across distributed teams and divisions. The solution can access data from enterprise-level applications and external teams, and seamlessly integrate project details into GRM. The solution delivers increased visibility into project status, resources, accomplishments and challenges—and for less cost than competing solutions.

Govind Davis, CEO of MCF Tech shared, “The technology we develop is greatly affected by the platform it uses. We’ve selected Intalio|Create to be the platform for many of our enterprise class solutions. The platform not only makes our cloud solution perform well, but it easily scales with our clients’ businesses. Further, it allows for rapid application development and a user friendly experience. The integrity of our platform is just as critical to us as our own technology solution.” The company states that implementing an enterprise project management solution on the Intalio|Create platform is especially advantageous, because it creates a full range of a capabilities and is the only technology a company needs to integrate the solution into its own enterprise system.

“Our partnership with MCF Tech makes sense – not only from a relationship standpoint, but also from a technology standpoint,” said Raj Jain, Intalio CEO. “Intalio|Create powers the robust solutions developed by MCF Tech. Together we can deliver very powerful and reliable project management solutions. Businesses can entrust their most critical business projects to our collaborative solutions.”

Primary Capabilities of Enterprise Project Management include:

• Portfolio-based management: Provides visibility into all tasks across an entire project.
• Social collaboration: Integrated within a project workspace to improve knowledge sharing.
• Gantt-based: Interactive project management interface, similar to Microsoft Project but easier to use.
• Asset Linking: Linking of asset dependencies within a project to allow re-purposing of assets.
• Based on Intalio|Create: Actively integrates with internal and external systems.

GRM is an enterprise project management solution that helps media companies surface dependance between assets and tasks. Teams can efficiently manage tasks and meet timelines by surfacing dependencies for assets. If one person’s task is delayed in a particular division, all affected timelines are immediately updated in real time. Other divisions have that same degree of visibility and are able to make decisions and adjustments accordingly. The solution connects all divisions efficiently.

“Being socially collaborative, this enterprise project management solution reduces e-mails and increases collaboration across teams and divisions. Moreover, teams spend more time on productive tasks, not managing information flow,” added Davis.

Enterprise project management by MCF Tech is not a prepackaged SaaS solution, but rather a highly customizable application tailored to the needs of each company. Companies interested in learning more about enterprise project management should visit http://www.mcftech.com or sales(at)mcftech(dot)com.

About MCF Tech
MCF Technology Solutions is a full-service Web 2.0 PaaS provider and the world’s largest Intuit QuickBase solution provider focused on solving complex business problems for many of the world’s leading companies, from the Fortune 50 to Main Street.

The MCF Tech team has leadership experience in Operations, Manufacturing, Distribution, Sales, Marketing, Logistics, Global Supply Chain, Real Estate and Project Management; combined with a deep IT competency and experienced AGILE Development. It leads with a “business first” philosophy and understanding the application of technology in business.

About Intalio 
Intalio – The Modern Way to Build Business Applications. Intalio’s suite of products enables businesses, large and small, to rapidly build business applications that are cloud-scalable and mobile-enabled to support an agile response to their market. Our standards based software can be found powering over 1000 businesses including some of the largest in the world including Deutsche Bank, General Electric, NTT, Irish Revenue Commission, Singapore Airlines, Facebook and Google. Intalio is headquartered in Palo Alto and has over 100 partners and world class investors. To learn more about building modern applications, visit http://www.intalio.com.

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Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) January 11, 2013

Industry Retail Group, Inc. (IRG), a leading provider of retail-centric broadband-based applications and services, announced the debut of its new SecureView, Cloud Security and Analytics for Retailers. The company will hold product demonstrations at the 2013 National Retail Federation’s 102nd Annual Convention and Expo — Retail’s Big Show. The Expo will take place from January 13-16 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The company has offered the SecureView product for several years, however, the technology, hardware, and resulting business intelligence are completely new, making this in nearly every respect, a brand new product.

Utilizing a new or existing broadband connection, IRG will deliver a technologically-advanced, cost-effective security solution tailored to the retail environment. SecureView Cloud Security and Analytics not only promotes the safety of retail associates, facilities, and other assets, it helps to mitigate losses and risks. As an added competitive advantage, this new solution being offered by IRG can leverage the video data to perform customer behavioral analysis, providing traffic and statistical data for a retailer’s marketing efforts.

Mike Luzio, CEO of IRG, stated, “IRG’s product offering is in a constant state of evolution. Providing physical security is just the beginning of our SecureView Cloud Security and Analytics suite of services. The information it provides helps retailers make smart decisions – in marketing, operations, loss prevention, facilities management and more. We look forward to sharing its capabilities at the upcoming NRF’s show.”

As with all IRG products, SecureView is fully managed and can be added in tactical modules to a retailer’s broadband connection. It is ideally suited to the retail environment where stores are geographically dispersed. Access control solutions are cloud-based and centrally managed, effectively providing a cohesive enterprise solution for distributed stores and offices.

“Security is top of mind for retailers – we hear about this challenge constantly,” shared Joe Manzari, COO of IRG. “We’ve developed a solution that works seamlessly with our other products and addresses the many challenges presented in the retail environment. To say SecureView will help a retailer leverage its broadband is an understatement.”

Industry Retail Group will be exhibiting at booth number C539 in the Expo Hall. IRG invites its current customers and other interested retailers to visit them at the expo in their brand new exhibit space, styled like a New York City urban loft. Guests are invited to relax in the lounge area or use a new Apple iMac to check e-mail.

About Industry Retail Group
Industry Retail Group, Inc. (IRG) is a Gartner-recognized, and VISA PCI DSS validated, provider of customized managed network services, offering a comprehensive portfolio of broadband and broadband-centric services targeted to retailers and other multi-site companies. Additionally, IRG is an industry leading, highly specialized, yet agile, single-source purveyor of managed IP communication, application and turnkey professional services; plug-in IRG applications such as Hotspot and Enterprise Wi-Fi solutions, Mobility, Hosted VoIP, and IP-based Video Surveillance to further help Clients leverage their broadband investment in a scalable, yet secure manner. IRG’s growing client base includes Fortune 1000 retailers, quick-serve restaurants and convenience store chains.

IRG has a simple objective: to provide retailers and other multi-site organizations with the premier suite of broadband-enabled network services that will help provide a competitive advantage while keeping costs in check. Through the managed integration of leading edge technology components such as DSL, Cable, Fiber, Wireless, and traditional access, IRG is able to provide the most comprehensive network coverage and bandwidth availability to meet each client’s unique business requirements.
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Poland, OH (PRWEB) December 19, 2012

Anatomical Concepts, Inc., designer and manufacturer of industry-leading medical devices, custom-fit and custom-fabricated orthoses for both upper and lower extremities, has expanded its campaign to warn medical professionals about the risks of using PVC-based plastics in orthotics.

A direct mail campaign was sent to hospital administrators throughout Ohio, and the company is planning to expand the campaign to other regions of the country. Additionally, the company’s product advertising this year included the statement, “Anatomical Concepts does not use PVC-based plastics, nor Kydex®, nor Latex in any product, which, when heated, can pose health risks to both medical professionals and patients.” This has raised awareness to the dangers of PVC-based plastics in orthotics.

Further, the company has produced a Hospital Product Safety Checklist, available upon request, and appropriate for all medical facilities working with orthotics. The checklist includes these items:

• All brands of orthopedic braces are free of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).
• Suppliers of these products have informed you whether their products contain PVC.
• Suppliers have informed you that heating these products to attempt improving functionality can contribute to the real danger of releasing the carcinogen Dioxin into your facility.
• You’ve considered products that fulfill your physicians’ prescriptions, in line with Medicare allowable fees, that contain no PVC.
• Your purchasing department has been informed of these health concerns and legal risks. Profit should never be the ultimate goal, especially when these health risks are clearly documented.

William A. DeToro, CPO, LPO, President of Anatomical Concepts, shared, “Medical professionals are realizing that as an industry and as professionals, we can no longer ignore the documented dangers of using PVC-based plastics in orthotics. The health risks to patients and the orthotists who fit them is alarming, not to mention the legal implications that could follow.”

“Purchasing agents should look for materials that are structurally sound, easy to adjust, free of PVC-based plastics, and produce better patient outcomes,” advised Joe Whiteside, CO/LO, Vice President and Clinical Director of R&D. “All these criteria can be met in numerous orthotic devices, and well within Medicare allowable fees.”

The company’s previous announcement, “Risks associated with the use of PVC-based plastics in Orthotics,” can be downloaded from the Anatomical Concepts, Inc. website. The article may be downloaded in PDF format from the Anatomical Concepts, Inc. website at http://bit.ly/pvcplasticsinorthotics.

(See full Citations at http://www.anatomicalconceptsinc.com/use-of-pvc-based-plastics)

About Anatomical Concepts Inc. USA
Since 1990, Anatomical Concepts has developed industry-leading medical devices, custom-fit and custom-fabricated orthoses for both upper and lower extremities. Anatomical Concepts Inc. is the manufacturer and distributor of the V-Vas™ Knee Orthosis (KO) and Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis (KAFO). It is a team of practitioners, designers, and manufacturers utilizing advanced technology to develop superior products that not only deliver effective outcomes, but present ease-of-use for the medical professional. The company is the original concept developer of the PRAFO® Orthosis, its patented design for the orthotic management of the ankle foot that minimizes undesired contact with the boney prominences of the ankle or foot.

Anatomical Concepts is headquartered in Poland, OH, and provides medical devices, services, and consulting both nationally and internationally. The company’s innovative product line has inspired the procurement of over seventeen US product patents and or trademarks. Providing solutions for medical professionals and helping to improve patient outcomes is still the driving force behind the corporation. Anatomical Concepts, Inc. products are FDA registered and also carry the CE marking. All products, including the ELLIOTT™, are designed, manufactured, and trademarked by Anatomical Concepts, Inc.

To learn more about Anatomical Concepts’ range of products, learning resources, and events, please visit http://www.anatomicalconceptsinc.com or call (800) 837-3888.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families. The NTSB provides a fair and impartial adjudicatory process for appeal of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate actions and denials, as well as some civil penalty actions through proceedings before the administrative law judges and appellate review of the judges’ decisions. The adjudicatory process is managed by the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) and General Counsel (GC) offices within NTSB.

Client Challenge

Due to the nature of the agency’s core mission to investigate transportation accidents and incidents, the NTSB investigators frequently operate in remote locations. In response to a recommendation from Aviation Safety Regional Investigators, the NTSB needed to obtain virtual fax services to support the agency’s investigative and support staff.

Tactical Digital Solution

Tactical Digital implemented EasyLink’s popular Fax2Mail service. The virtual fax service enabled NTSB investigators and support staff the convenience and flexibility of sending and receiving fax transmissions within the email system. This includes fax to email and email to fax. During the course of a typical investigation, the investigators receive artifacts from various parties and benefit from the convenience of receiving those artifacts as PDF documents via the virtual fax service. Additionally, the NTSB uses the concept of group fax accounts and group email accounts to receive and monitor FAA alerts and notifications by region. All members of each particular email security group have access to view the notices and take appropriate action. In addition to the Regional Investigative Offices’ use of fax and email group accounts, group accounts are also used for public input (FOIA, Public Inquiries, NTSB Training Center, notice of appeals, and various safety forums). The business case involves the convenience of receiving faxes as PDF documents and leveraging technology in order to allow groups to monitor and act upon incoming alerts, notifications, and public inquiries.

Benefits

• Eliminated capital costs, telecom charges and ongoing maintenance with a 100% cloud-based solution.
• Fax2Mail uses industry-standard 128-bit encryption to secure all sent and received files.
• Solution is environmentally friendly and reduced carbon footprint with less paper, toner and other supplies.
• Fax2Mail creates digital versions of paper faxes that can be sent, received, edited, and archived within email accounts.
• The Fax2Mail service delivered enhanced messaging reliability, availability and security.

Quick Facts

• Number of NTSB accounts: 440
• Number of fax machines replaced: 20
• Monthly volume of pages: 2000
• Reason selected EasyLink (actually Tactical Digital)
• Competitive Bid process.
• Not requiring any significant hardware or software modifications on the part of the NTSB to begin service
• Offering an uncomplicated, multi-tiered pricing structure
• Free 30 day archival
• Fast initial startup schedule
• A simple procedure for using the service
• An overall sound security posture

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Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) October 25, 2012

Industry Retail Group, Inc. (IRG) , a leading provider of retail-centric broadband-based applications and services, announced its participation at the 2013 National Retail Federation’s 102nd Annual Convention and Expo — Retail’s Big Show. The Expo will take place from January 13-16 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Expo Hall will host over 450 vendors and 25,500 attendees from over 78 countries, in 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. Retail’s Big Show has, since 1911, been the preeminent show for retailers worldwide. It provides unmatched opportunities for education and thought leadership, networking, and resourcing new technology products and services specifically focused on the retail industry.

“NRF has proven, time and time again, to be a key event for IRG and our retail customers. This year IRG will be showcasing our new Second Generation Vault Project Management Portal. This cloud-based solution far exceeds anything in our industry. We’ll be releasing more details on the Vault soon, but suffice to say this solution will deliver greater insight to our customers, improve efficiency on both ends, and bring even greater wow factor to our own customer experience,” said Mike Luzio, CEO of IRG. “This marks the sixth straight year we’ll exhibit at Retail’s Big Show. As always, we look forward to connecting with our clients and meeting new retail industry leaders.”

Industry Retail Group will be exhibiting at booth number C539 in the Expo Hall. IRG invites its current customers and other interested retailers to visit them at the expo in their brand new exhibit space, styled like a New York City urban loft. Guests are invited to relax in the lounge area or use a new Apple iMac to check e-mail. Free attendee passes, a $500 value, can be obtained courtesy of IRG at the company’s website.

Luzio added, “It’s always our privilege to connect with new retail professionals, and to present why many of America’s top retailers choose IRG to help them leverage their broadband. Our team is excited about this event as our business is all about building great relationships, and our clients know that.”

About Industry Retail Group
Industry Retail Group, Inc. (IRG) is a Gartner-recognized, and VISA PCI DSS validated, provider of customized managed network services, offering a comprehensive portfolio of broadband and broadband-centric services targeted to retailers and other multi-site companies. Additionally, IRG is an industry leading, highly specialized, yet agile, single-source purveyor of managed IP communication, application and turnkey professional services; plug-in IRG applications such as Hotspot and Enterprise Wi-Fi solutions, Mobility, Hosted VoIP, and IP-based Video Surveillance to further help Clients leverage their broadband investment in a scalable, yet secure manner. IRG’s growing client base includes Fortune 1000 retailers, quick-serve restaurants and convenience store chains.

IRG has a simple objective: to provide retailers and other multi-site organizations with the premier suite of broadband-enabled network services that will help provide a competitive advantage while keeping costs in check. Through the managed integration of leading edge technology components such as DSL, Cable, Fiber, Wireless, and traditional access, IRG is able to provide the most comprehensive network coverage and bandwidth availability to meet each client’s unique business requirements.

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