Beantown Web

If you are interested in previewing the latest innovations on the Internet and mobile devices, check out the next gathering of the Web Innovators Group.

This 23rd installment (WebInno23) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

• Book of Odds | the missing dictionary that tries to answer the question people ask almost daily: "What are the odds of that?"


• Epernicus | a professional networking platform designed to connect research scientists with their real world scientific networks, enabling them to find the resources they need to advance their work.


• BatchBook | simply provides a handy place for you to store your contact information and keep it organized in the way that makes sense for you.

Side Dishes

• Clickframes | build web apps with a single source of truth for every member of your team


• BetterLesson | create, organize and share your curriculum


• Baydin | Life’s too short to hunt for documents. Let Baydin do it for you!


• TheIdeaStartup.com | a new approach to business plan development


• Confidant Solutions | easily capture, manage, and secure your family’s information online


• Happn.in | shows you what people are twittering about in your city


• Tripleseat Software | provides a web based sales and event management solution restaurants

A special break-out session will also be facilitated, "An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Bootstrapping PR."

Details

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 700 hundred pre-registrants to determine if this networking event is right for you. To learn more about how you can use this networking event to connect with others check out an introductory video from the last WebInno event.

Registrants are encouraged to join the Boston Web Innovators Group on LinkedIn and connect with more than 1,000 members.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fast growing companies emerge, even in a slow economy. More than one million employees work for the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States. These companies have a median annual revenue of more than $10 million.

This is the third is a series or articles about fast growing companies in a down economy. The previous two features were the following:

• Fastest Growing Startups | Q2 2009‏
• Fastest Growing Companies | Fortune 100‏

For the second year in a row, technology is the place to be. More companies are in the "IT Services" category than any other category, accounting for more than 13 percent of all fast growing companies.

The 5,000 fastest growing private companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine. The metro areas with the most fast growing companies are as follows:

1. New York
2. Washington, DC
3. Los Angeles
4. Atlanta
5. Chicago

Fast growing companies need bright, energetic workers to help maintain their momentum. You can access an interactive Inc 5000 list and see which companies are growing the fastest in your city or state.

Fast Growing Companies in Massachusetts

Listed below are the 100 fastest growing private companies in Massachusetts:

[ NOTE: Simply log into your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon next to the company name below to identify the LinkedIn connections you might have within that organization. ]

1. Kiva Systems | Woburn
2. Ahura Scientific | Wilmington
3. NWN | Waltham
4. Nexcelom Bioscience | Lawrence
5. Innovative Foods | Wilmington
6. CJ Environmental | Sharon
7. Mediaspectrum | Burlington
8. Kaydon Group | Taunton
9. Senior Whole Health | Cambridge
10. Johnny Cupcakes | Weymouth
11. eIQnetworks | Acton
12. 2Is | Walpole
13. Reveal Imaging Technologies | Bedford
    
14. Rapid7 | Boston
15. Zipcar | Cambridge
16. Orbis Clinical | Woburn
17. Watermark Environmental | Lowell
18. DestinationWeddings.com | Framingham
19. BackOffice Associates | South Harwich
20. Plenus Group | Lowell
21. eClinicalWorks | Westborough
22. Acronis | Burlington
23. AutomatedQA | Beverly
24. Smart Destinations | Boston
25. Blue Cod Technologies | Marlborough
26. Universal Mind | Westfield
27. XMLaw | Braintree
28. Cambridge NanoTech | Cambridge
29. Planet Shoes | Waltham
30. AgilePath | Newburyport
31. Reflexis Systems | Dedham
32. MindLeaf Technologies | Bedford
33. Apps Associates | Westford
34. Exclusive Concepts | Waltham
35. Pro-Teck Services | Waltham
36. NuView Systems | Andover
37. Pongo Resume | Northborough
38. SEI Boston | Boston
39. HUB Technical Services | South Easton
40. ExtensionEngine | North Andover
41. Globoforce | Southborough
42. Communispace | Watertown
43. IneoQuest | Mansfield
44. Bullhorn | Boston
45. Neighborhood Diabetes | Woburn
46. Waveguide | Chelmsford
47. S4 | Burlington
48. Odyssey Systems Consulting Group | Wakefield
49. Quantech Services | Lexington
50. Senate Construction | Shirley
51. Treeline | Wakefield
52. Atalasoft | Easthampton
53. PepperDash Technology | Allston
54. Observant | Waltham
55. Oasis Systems | Lexington
56. LightWedge | Newton
57. WorldAPP | Braintree
58. Infoscitex | Waltham
59. Glance Networks | Arlington
60. TalentBurst | Framingham
61. Graduate Leverage | Waltham
62. Everon Technology Services | Boston
63. Preserve | Waltham
64. Veroxity Technology Partners | Bedford
65. Crowe Paradis | Wakefield
66. Syrinx Consulting | Waltham
67. Massachusetts Technology | Allston
68. Beacon Partners | Weymouth
69. Atlas Travel International | Milford
70. VoIP Logic | Williamstown
71. SOURCEntra | Framingham
72. Isis Maternity | Needham
73. Daymark Solutions | Littleton
74. Integration Partners | Lexington
75. AgencyPort Insurance Services | Boston
76. Beacon Hill Staffing Group | Boston
    
77. Late July Snacks | Barnstable
78. Decision Resources | Waltham
79. Compressor World | South Easton
80. 21st Century Biochemicals | Marlborough
81. Strictly By The Book | Fall River
82. BOC International | Boston
83. Accounting Management Solutions | Waltham
    
84. Beacon Application Services | Framingham
    
85. Boston Interactive | Charlestown
86. Integrated Design Group | Boston
87. Safecore | Burlington
88. SmartPak Equine | Plymouth
89. Metatomix | Dedham
90. Parietal Systems | North Andover
91. OmniPresence | Marlborough
92. Verndale | Boston
93. Iatric Systems | Boxford
94. Cape Medical Supply | Sandwich
95. Chiller Technology | Woburn
96. K logix | Brookline
97. Merchant Warehouse | Boston
98. Dennison Lubricants | Lakeville
99. Tri Wire Engineering Solutions | Tewksbury
100. The Brookeside Group | Acton

The Next Step

Remember, if you're trying to land work at one of these companies, take the advice offered by the 8th annual Sources of Hire Study:

"We continue to advise job seekers to NEVER apply to a company without first networking to an employee in that firm for a referral. The difference in probability of getting “up to bat” is too large to ignore."

If you believe you can excel in a fast growing organization, then tap into your LinkedIn network to gain an introduction into that organization and explore ways in which you can add your unique value to their operation.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to a sortable, searchable list of the 100 fastest growing private companies in Massachusetts along with an interactive map detailing their location. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, September 15, 2009

OK. Let's get the bad news out of the way. An unemployment rate approaching 10% is not the most positive news to hear during a Labor Day weekend.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the news may be even worse:

The underemployment rate for August was 16.8 percent.

"Underemployment" is a broader measure that includes capable Americans who would like to work full-time, but have to settle for part-time opportunities, and those who are too discouraged to even look for work.

What follows are a few thoughts on how Web technology professionals can to get out from under the underemployment shadow.

Forward Focus

Let's look forward by focusing on what industry experts are saying.

The AIGA Design Leaders Confidence Index reveals that demand for design services is improving. This finding marks the second consecutive quarterly improvement reported by more than 300 design leaders working in various types of practices.

The ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index reveals that search firms are expecting an improvement over the next six months in placing workers in leadership positions. Just seven percent of recruiters are "not confident" that the market will get better during this period.

The Spherion Employee Confidence Index registered its highest level in more than 18 months as workers who have jobs are growing increasingly confident in the improving strength of the economy.

Boston Market

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston have been recalculated for September. An analysis of job postings at Monster.com reveals that job opportunities remained stable during August despite the perception that late summer is a slow hiring period. Half of the Top 20 Technologies show an increase in job postings in early September over early August.

The Top 20 List is located in the right-hand column and is dominated by database and programming skills. One newcomer to this month's Top 20 came about as a result of feedback from an executive recruiter. He stated that he was was experiencing an increase in demand for "UI Designers."

A search on this term landed it at #20 with 75 job postings. According to Wikipedia, "The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible." Job seekers with design skills may want to add "UI (user interface)" to their professional bios and social profiles.

Training Opportunity

The best training opportunity in September begins this week with FREE online Ajax training. Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a Top 10 Web technology in terms of job demand in the Boston technology marketplace. JavaScript and XML are also Top 10 technologies. With more than 100 job openings mentioning Ajax in job descriptions, and nearly twice as many mentioning JavaScript and XML, few technologies will grab the attention of recruiters than Ajax.

Free Ajax training is offered by Sang Shin, technology evangelist at Sun Microsystems. This 18-week course will guide you through some of the following topics:

• Ajax Basics
• JavaScript Basics
• Libraries and frameworks (Dojo, Prototype, jQuery, etc.)
• and much more

Participants receive a certificate upon successful completion during the first quarter of 2010. To learn more, access Ajax and Web 2.0 Programming (with Passion!) Online Course.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an expanded list of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, September 07, 2009