Video: Everything Channel's Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders Program Brought Teens...

Video: Everything Channel's Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders Program Brought
Teens Seeking IT Careers Together with the Solution Provider Community to
Learn, Network and Become Microsoft Certified
Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders Program Took Place at XChange '09

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Everything Channel, a
division of United Business Media, hosted the Channel@Work: Future Tech
Leaders program, which sponsored 20 teens, aged 15-18, from Iowa, North
Carolina, New York, Maryland and Washington, DC seeking careers in information
technology (IT). Sponsored exclusively by Microsoft, the program enabled teens
to participate in Microsoft training and certification courses and network
with the Solution Provider community. The Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders
program took place as part of XChange '09 from August 17-20 at the Gaylord
National Hotel in Washington, DC.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/everythingchannel/36495/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090827/NY67040)

Everything Channel partnered with The Framsyn Initiative, a community based
training program that provides training and certification to teens seeking
careers as IT professionals, and NY-based Solution Provider, Dicyn Solutions
to create the Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program.

On Sunday, August 16, Howard Burnett, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for
Health and Human Services of Prince George's County, MD; Nancy Hammervik,
SVP/Managing Director, Everything Channel Events; Dino White, President and
CEO of Dicyn Solutions and Chairman of The Framsyn Initiative; Eric Martorano,
Director of Channel Strategy, Incentives & Partner Marketing at Microsoft; and
Sonja Williams, Program Director, Channel Events, Everything Channel
participated at an event welcoming the students to the Channel@Work: Future
Tech Leaders program.

"On behalf of Prince George's County, I would like to thank Everything
Channel, The Framsyn Initiative, Dicyn Solutions and Microsoft for investing
in our children. Corporate support of public education is key to educating our
students. The Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program gives these students
valuable training, networking opportunity and life-long enrichment," said
Burnett.

Students from the following schools participated in the Channel@Work: Future
Tech Leaders program: Queens Grant Preparatory High, Mint Hill, NC; East
Mecklenburg High, Charlotte, NC; Southwest Onslow High, Jacksonville, NC;
Junius H Rose High, Greenville, NC; Charles Herbert Flowers High, Sprindgale,
MD; Henry F Wise High, Upper Marlboro, MD; Bard High School Early College, NY,
NY; Pikesville High, Pikeville, MD; Tall Oaks High, Bowie, MD; Largo High,
Largo, MD; Eleanor Roosevelt High, Greenbelt, MD; Don Bosco Cristo Rey High,
Takoma Park, MD; Earnest E Just, Jr. High, Upper Marlboro, MD; and Friendship
Collegiate Academy, Washington, DC.

Each teen left the program having begun the 70-282 Microsoft Small Business
Specialist exam as well as additional Microsoft trainings. In addition to the
certification, the students had the opportunity to experience a leading
technology industry event, the Everything Channel XChange '09 conference, the
largest channel event of the year, which attracted over 1,000 attendees. The
four-day event brought together over 250 qualified Solution Providers and
leading industry vendors in diverse technology areas. Additionally, the
students were involved in a system build with technology from Microsoft,
Intel, Samsung, Eastern Data, Ranvest Associates, Graymar, Systemax, GST and
Advanced Concepts, which was conducted by XChange Board Member, Bob Nitrio,
President, Ranvest Associates. At the end of the program all of the technology
vendors donated the technology to the students.

In addition, each student was assigned a mentor when they arrived at the
event. The mentors provided information about the event and IT careers.
Mentors included: Robert Mackenzie, RM Compufix; Jane Cage, Heartland
Technologies; Anvar Alfi, Alfi Computers; Richard Eckhardt, Systemax; Josh
Smith, Biohazard Computers; Peter Illari, Accelbus; Cami Parks, Eastern Data;
Patrick McNicholas, Maverick Computers; Don Allison, Media 2 Play; Nick
Lebedeff, Cygnus USA; Andrew Sampson, Sampson & Associates; Andrew Heitner,
Comm-Works; and George Gould, TOGG.

On Tuesday, August 18, during the Microsoft keynote entitled "Harness the
Power," Eric Martorano presented each of the students with a certificate for
their participation at the Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program.

"The Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program was a fantastic experience for
the students as well as the conference attendees. We were thrilled to offer
this learning environment to these students as they prepare for future careers
in IT," said Hammervik. "Everything Channel and our parent company, United
Business Media, are strong supporters of the local community and we were very
pleased to host this program and help make a difference in the lives of
teenagers looking to work in the field of IT. Additionally, the nonprofit
angle as a part of the XChange events has resonated with event sponsors. Our
sponsors are showcasing their technologies to the IT community as well as
volunteering their time and assisting these nonprofits to help make a
difference in the local communities."

"Microsoft is proud to have been the title sponsor for the Channel@Work:
Future Tech Leaders program," said Martorano. "It was inspiring and
motivational to see how investing in our youth, through this innovative
program, encouraged these young adults to further their technology career
aspirations. At Microsoft, we are dedicated and committed to technology
advancement and the unlimited potential it brings to all people."

White added, "It was an unbelievable experience to work with Everything
Channel in putting together this event, sponsored by Microsoft, in support of
these amazing young men and women. What they take from their attendance here
will be the glue that will bind them together and make career memories that
will last a lifetime."

Additionally, the Intel Channel Organization donated components and provided
support to the Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program.

In addition to the Channel@Work: Future Tech Leaders program, Everything
Channel's XChange event has partnered with the New Orleans Area Habitat for
Humanity, Dress For Success as well as local food shelters to support local
communities in need.

For additional information about XChange '09, visit:
http://www.everythingchannelevents.com/xchange09.

About Everything Channel (www.everythingchannel.com, www.channelweb.com)
Everything Channel is the one-stop shop for managing and accelerating
technology sales. From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales,
Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth
of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience
loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an
extensive database. Everything Channel provides innovative field sales and
marketing solutions to arm the sellers of technology with the resources they
need to achieve measurable and significant results.

About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information
distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization
of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve
professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from
journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated
events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in
more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these
communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business
and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

SOURCE Everything Channel

Allison Cohen of Everything Channel, +1-516-562-7870,
Allison.cohen@ec.ubm.com