Context & Continuity

Press Release: CENTERBEAM COMPLETES NEXT PHASE OF CORPORATE-WIDE QUALITY INITIATIVE

SAN JOSÉ, CALIF., May 31, 2005 – CenterBeam today announced it has completed the next phase of its corporate-wide quality initiative, training its staff in the fundamentals of Lean Six Sigma Quality methodology. Completing this phase of training is the next step in a continuous quality improvement program led by CenterBeam’s president and chief executive officer, Kevin Francis.

About 15% of CenterBeam’s staff has graduated as Lean Six Sigma Black Belts, Green Belts or Champions and 100% of the staff has been provided with training on Lean Six Sigma basics. “Today, everyone at CenterBeam is focused on constant process improvement. Everyone understands at least the core concepts of Lean Six Sigma and is integrating this discipline into everything they do,” said Mr. Francis.

Press Release: ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDATION: CENTERBEAM “COMPANY OF THE YEAR”

Company Recognized for Exemplary Community Efforts, Executive Leadership

SAN JOSÉ, CALIF., May 24, 2005 – Today, CenterBeam announced it has received the Entrepreneurs Foundation’s “Company of the Year Award.” The award recognizes and celebrates CenterBeam’s “exemplary community efforts” and notes “executive leadership's integration of community into its business practices.”

Diane Solinger, executive director of the foundation, said, “CenterBeam was selected to receive the Company of the Year Award on the basis of its exemplary community efforts in 2004 and in particular, how its executive leadership integrates community into CenterBeam’s business practices.

Saint John Telegraph Journal, 5/6/2005: Francis nabs top KIRA

BY KEVIN BARRETT

FREDERICTON - It was a big night for Kevin Francis and the gang at CenterBeam in Saint John.

First off, Mr. Francis, CenterBeam's president and chief executive officer, was named the industry person of the year during Thursday's provincial Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement awards at the Delta Fredericton.

And CenterBeam, a highly technical operations support centre based in Saint John, won another category for employment growth in New Brunswick for its efforts in 2004.

"It is a special honour for me to be named KIRA's IT person of the year, because it is recognition from a community that has meant so much to me for so very long," said Mr. Francis, a Sydney, N.S. native who was named to his current role in May, 2002.

"By building CenterBeam's North American Solutions Center in Saint John, we're tapping the area's rich vein of IT talent and doing our part to revitalize the city's downtown."

Housed in CenterBeam Place, the company announced plans to launch a Saint John office last April, pledging 300 jobs, with the support of the provincial government, over three years.
Currently, there are approximately 60 employees working in Saint John but company spokesman Brian Johnson said in an email interview that total could jump to almost 100 this year.

The company, a leader in IT outscoring services, was named the Best Place to Work by Computerworld, and it has gained a reputation as a place where engineers can practice their profession using the best tools in a professional setting.

The company, whose headquarters are based in San Jose, California, partners with other organizations to deliver strategies to manage basic technology infrastructure. It provides readily accessible support service and back up services.

"Our success continues to be built on the foundation of our dedicated employees," said Mr. Francis. "I'm happy to know our work is making a difference."

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Inc. magazine, May 2005: State of the Art

The May 2005 issue of Inc. magazine includes a supplement focused on technology for midsize companies. The name of the supplement is “State of the Art.” This is from the introduction to the supplement: “When it comes to technology, midsize businesses have often found themselves in no-man’s land – too big to get by with off-the-shelf solutions, too small to get special attention from vendors. But that’s beginning to change…” The supplement covers these technologies: voice over the network, security, software as a service, outsourcing, and software integration.

Each section includes a side-bar story about one specific vendor in each of these technologies, sections called “What’s Hot.” CenterBeam was selected as a “hot” outsourcing company that can “help you cut costs, boost performance – and keep the focus on your core business.”