Agilysys Donates Movie Tickets to Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Agilysys, Inc. a provider of innovative information technology and hospitality software and services, is donating 500 AMC movie tickets to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in conjunction with its rGuest ™ 'World Premiere' product launch, held during HITEC 2014 in Los Angeles.

Each time a HITEC attendee visited the Agilysys booth and viewed the rGuest demo, a movie ticket donation was made. The tickets will be distributed among Boys & Girls Clubs located in most of the U.S. locations where Agilysys maintains an office — Atlanta; Bellevue, Wash.; Las Vegas; and Santa Barbara, Calif.

"We are grateful to Agilysys for giving our kids a fun and memorable experience," said Carolyn Brown, executive director of Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara. "More than 60 percent of our members live at or below the poverty level, so it's a treat for them to see a movie in a real theater."

In the Las Vegas area, the movie tickets will be given to teen club members who helped raise approximately $20,000 for the organization by selling fireworks the week prior to the Fourth of July. "These dedicated young people worked very hard to raise money to help fund field trips, leadership events and programs for the coming year," said Ken Rubeli, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. "A night at the movies will be a great reward for them as well as a way to show our appreciation for their efforts."

"We are pleased to play a role in bringing happiness to some of the kids in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America," said Michael Buckham-White, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Agilysys. "We are especially gratified to work with an organization that does so much to promote the welfare of children and teens in need, giving them a helping hand and enabling them to reach their full potential. Through this donation, we affirm our corporate commitment to giving back to the communities where we live and work and encourage our employees to do the same."

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America have enabled young people in need to achieve great futures as productive and responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing fun, friendship, caring adult mentors and high-impact youth development programs that emphasize academic success, healthy lifestyles, good character and citizenship. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is headquartered in Atlanta.

About Agilysys

Agilysys is a developer and marketer of proprietary enterprise software, services and solutions to the hospitality industry.

Bellevue's G2 Web Services Names Allison Guidette as CEO

G2 Web Services recently announced that Allison Guidette has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. With deep understanding of Big Data, software, and services businesses, Guidette is uniquely poised to lead G2 in its next stage of service to the fast-evolving payment processing industry.

Guidette brings more than 15 years of general management experience in information and technology for professional services clients. She most recently honed her commitment to customer-focused innovation and service as managing director of the large law firms business at Thomson Reuters.

Her appointment at G2 is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to leverage its unique data, systems, and client base to help solve industry problems. “G2 enjoys the proud legacy of a decade of leadership in the payments market,” commented Jon Dick, Managing Director of Primus Capital. “As our global clients’ needs quickly evolve with the market, Allison’s professional management expertise and deep commitment to client engagement and innovation will ensure that the business stays at the forefront of risk management innovation for the next decade as well.”

With rapid growth in the micromerchant market, an explosion of new payment methods, and the near-instant globalization of merchants in the payment system, clients require a central, global, and standard measure of merchant risk. Guidette’s unique combination of entrepreneurial zeal, problem solving skill, and big business and data analytics experience, position her perfectly to deliver this standard to market.

G2 remains committed to its core business of providing world-class data solutions for the merchant acquirer market and continues to heavily invest in product and operational enhancements to improve client experience. Concurrently, G2 is introducing new products that respond to client demand for faster assessment of business counterparty risk and other compliance and regulatory risk challenges facing the payments industry. The G2 Compass Score, a comprehensive risk assessment tool, is one example that enables users to predict merchant and ACH originator risk and profitability in near real-time through API or portal delivery.

Guidette commented on her appointment: “I am honored to lead G2 at this time in its rich history and energized by the company’s strong relationships with more than 300 financial firms, global footprint, and proven results. I look forward to working with our clients and the G2 team to continue to enhance existing services and rapidly innovate frictionless risk management solutions into the decision-making process.”

Guidette will be working out of G2’s Bellevue, Washington headquarters.

Ten Questions Job Seekers Should Ask in an Interview

Many job seekers walk into an interview ill-prepared, expecting the employer to ask all the questions. Contrary to popular belief, the most important questions of the interview might be those that you, the candidate, ask.  Ford R. Myers, Career Coach, Speaker and Author of "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," (John Wiley & Sons, http://www.getthejobbook.com) says, "Asking smart questions will help the job seeker sound articulate, well-prepared and genuinely interested in working for the organization."To find out as much as possible about the prospective employer, Myers suggests job seekers include the following 10 questions in the interview process:

1.      Can you give me more detail about the position's responsibilities?
2.      Where do you see this position going in the next few years?
3.      How can I most quickly become a strong contributor within the organization?
4.      What are the most challenging aspects of the job for which I am being considered?
5.      How will my performance be evaluated, and at what frequency?
6.      What particular aspects about my background and experience interest you?
7.      What makes you think I will be successful in this job? What causes you concern about my candidacy?
8.      Now that we've had a chance to talk, how does my background measure up to the requirements of the job? To the other candidates?
9.      Where are you in the hiring process? What's our next step?
10.     If I don't hear from you within (time period), may I get back in touch with you for an update?

"It is always best for job seekers to prepare thoroughly for an interview by studying and practicing both the answers and potential questions. The time one invests in this process pays off with more - and better - job offers," says Myers.

For more information and other useful tips for achieving career success, visit http://www.getthejobbook.com .

ABC Announces 2014-2015 Board of Directors and Officers

[caption id="attachment_9578" align="alignright" width="263"] Mark VanWell - Chair of ABC Board of Directors[/caption]

Mark VanWell - Chair of ABC Board of Directors

Mark VanWell, VanWell Masonry Inc., was elected as the Chair of the Board of Directors; Chair-elect is Jamie Creek with Synergy Construction, Inc.; Vice Chair – Government and Labor Affairs is John Noble, Washington Commercial Painters; Vice Chair – Membership is Mike Schultis, Schultis Sundberg Inc.; Vice Chair – Professional Development is Dawn Lanz, Sea-Tac Electric, Inc.; Secretary-Treasurer is Dan Case, Peterson Sullivan LLP; and the Immediate Past Chair is Amanda Grindle, Saybr Contractors, Inc.

Other directors are: Ryan Brown, System Heating & Air Conditioning Co.; Anthony Christoffersen, Tradesmen International; Jeff Harding, Premier Builders, Inc.; Travis Hull, Mechanical & Control Services, Inc.; Clarke Jewell, Olympian Precast, Inc.; Glen Kuntz, S.D. Deacon Corp. of Washington; Scott Rhodes, Rhodes Architecture; Greg Tozer, Express Construction Co., Inc.; James Walsh, Finishing Systems; and Jason Wandler, Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP.

ABC of Western Washington represents more than 300 companies and their nearly 15,000 employees from both open shop and union contractors, professional service firms and suppliers. Its membership includes general and subcontractors as well as associated firms that are dedicated to promoting the free enterprise system through improved business conditions, increased training and safety and promoting positive employee/employer relations.

Peter Diamandis Launches Global Learning X-Prize!

I just got an e-newsletter from Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Planetary Resources, Peter Diamandis and feel the need to share it with our readers:

I'm writing to tell you about the boldest XPRIZE I've ever launched.

...and I want you involved.



There are nearly one billion illiterate people on Earth.

Two-thirds of them are women.

250 million of them are children.

These are kids who can't read, write or do basic math.

And there is a HUGE cost to society here: 250 million minds are going to waste.

We know from hard research that educated populations have lower growth rates, are more peaceful and add to the global economy.

The best way to create a more peaceful and prosperous world is to educate these kids.

But how?

To meet the demand of 250 million illiterate children would requiretraining over 1.6 million new teachers by 2015.

There is NO WAY to teach enough teachers and build enough schools.

The old way just doesn't scale.

It's time to stop thinking linearly...

So here's a solution. It's the MOST important XPRIZE we may ever launch.

It's called the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE.

We are challenging hundreds (perhaps thousands) of teams around the world to build a piece of software that can take a child fromilliteracy to reading, writing and numeracy in just 18 months.

Imagine such software preloaded onto every phone and every tablet.

Imagine software that incorporates A.I. as the facilitator -- providing on-demand, personalized knowledge and learning when and where it is needed.

This isn't designed to replace teachers. It's to create an educational solution where little or none exists.

If there was one tool to create a more peaceful and vibrant world, one tool to empower humanity, this would be it.

I want to URGE you to check out this XPRIZE and get involved.

Do you have kids? Nieces, nephews, younger siblings?

Would you like access to the most powerful learning software ever created for your local elementary school?

If you do, then get involved and get access. Please check it out here.

This may be the most important and bold issue I've ever attempted to tackle.

Join XPRIZE in this mission. Let's Change the World!

All the best,
Peter

Taste Washington Announces 2015 Dates

Nation's largest single region wine and food event expands and adds new events

SEATTLE – Visit Seattle and Washington State Wine invite wine lovers to mark their calendars; Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, will take place March 26-29, 2015, at various venues throughout Seattle. Now in its 18th year, Taste Washington promises a full weekend of activities, from an exciting new celebration targeting the under-40 wine lover to the signature Grand Tasting, which features hundreds of Washington State wineries, food from top Pacific Northwest restaurants, chef demonstrations and more.

The weekend begins Thursday, March 26, with the Red & White Party, an elegant, upscale evening with Washington State’s celebrated wineries pouring special selections from large-format bottles. The fun continues with The New Vintage, an upbeat event aimed at the next generation of wine lovers with a backdrop of music, dancing and tasty bites. The weekend culminates March 28 and 29, with two days of educational seminars led by top wine writers and sommeliers and the Grand Tasting at CenturyLink Field Event Center.

Details on winery participation, featured chefs, seminar topics, hotel packages and tickets will be available soon at tastewashington.org. Taste Washington is produced by Visit Seattle in partnership with Washington State Wine.

About Taste Washington:

Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 70 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 2015 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Airlines; the premier sponsors are Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card and Muckleshoot Casino; and the event feature is Stella Artois. Taste Washington attracts more than 5,000 wine and food enthusiasts to the Seattle area. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit tastewashington.org.

About Visit Seattle:

Visit Seattle, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County’s official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. For more information, visit visitseattle.org.

About Washington State Wine:

Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and every wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, Washington State Wine provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, Washington State Wine is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. For more information, visit washingtonwine.org.

iPhone 6 Available Today, Apple Announces Record Pre-orders for iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus Top Four Million in First 24 Hours

Apple recently announced a record number of first day pre-orders of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the biggest advancements in iPhone history, with over four million in the first 24 hours. Demand for the new iPhones exceeds the initial pre-order supply and while a significant amount will be delivered to customers beginning on Friday and throughout September, many iPhone pre-orders are scheduled to be delivered in October. Additional supply of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available to walk-in customers on Friday, September 19 at 8:00 a.m. local time at Apple retail stores. Customers are encouraged to arrive early or order online from the Apple Online Store(www.apple.com) to pickup in-store or receive an estimated delivery date. Both models will also be available on Friday from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, additional carriers and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday.”

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK beginning this Friday, September 19 and in more than 20 additional countries beginning on Friday, September 26 including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the biggest advancements in iPhone history, featuring two new models with stunning 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina® HD displays, and packed with innovative technologies in an all-new dramatically thin and seamless design that is still comfortable to hold and easy to use. Both models are better in every way and include: the Apple-designed A8 chip with second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance and power efficiency; advanced iSight® and FaceTime® HD cameras; ultrafast wireless technologies; and Apple Pay™, an easy way to simply and securely make payments with just the touch of a finger.*

The new iPhones include iOS 8, the biggest release since the App Store℠, featuring a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience with new Messages and Photos features, predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType™ keyboard and Family Sharing. iOS 8 also includes the new Health app, giving you a clear overview of your health and fitness data and iCloud Drive℠, so you can store files and access them from anywhere.

Pricing & Availability
Every customer who buys an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup to help them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.

iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 64GB model and, for the first time, a new 128GB model for $399 (US) with a two-year contract.** iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $299 (US) for the 16GB model, $399 (US) for the 64GB model and $499 (US) for the new 128GB model with a two-year contract.** Both models will be available from Apple retail stores, theApple Online Store (www.apple.com), and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, additional carriers, and select Apple Authorized Resellers including Best Buy, Target and Walmart.