Connect South Carolina & IT-oLogy Announce Formal Partnership
June 17, 2014
Announcement Comes at Annual Connections 2014 Summit Highlighting Latest Developments and Best Practices in IT, Technology, and Broadband
COLUMBIA, SC – Connected Nation President/COO Tom Ferree took the stage at the IT-oLogy Theater Wednesdayduring the second annual Connections 2014 summit, illustrating for almost 200 attendees the past and present of the Connect South Carolina program, but the announcement shared with IT-oLogy president Lonnie Emard during the “future” segment could certainly be considered the highpoint of the entire presentation.
Connect South Carolina and IT-ology have agreed to formally enter into a partnership that will, for IT-oLogy, expand public funding for broader, scalable program impact and expand reliable, private funding for long-term sustainability of the Connect South Carolina program.
“Since we’ve started here in South Carolina, we’ve long enjoyed great support from IT-oLogy and hope to reciprocate with our services,” said Ferree. “We are moving into a period where our federal grants have taken us this far over the last four years, and with all we’ve accomplished, we cannot rest; our mission is not complete. We’re moving forward, and with that, a strategic partnership with IT-oLogy is critically important to maximize every opportunity that we have in this great state of South Carolina.”
This partnership also intends to:
- Elevate IT-oLogy’s profile among the state broadband community while aggressively expanding its rural footprint in South Carolina
- Create value beyond Connect South Carolina’s existing grant work through a stronger state-based expression of Connect South Carolina’s economic and community development programs to key stakeholders in public and private sectors
- Support long-term sustainability for both organizations
“When we look at the supply chain for talent with digital skills that can be applied in business, this partnership triggers some key things,” said IT-oLogy President, Lonnie Emard. “Connect South Carolina adds to the content package delivered to rural communities, and IT-oLogy broadens the access to populations of new talent.”
“We’re so grateful for this partnership to usher in a new era of our mission, to incorporate IT-oLogy’s programs, and to start to begin to answer the questions and help remedy issues in the communities in South Carolina,” said Ferree.
Photo: Connected Nation President/COO Tom Ferree (left) & IT-oLogy President Lonnie Emard shake hands at Connections 2014 after announcing the formal partnership between Connect South Carolina and IT-oLogy.
About Connect South Carolina: As the State Broadband Initiative grantee, Connect South Carolina is leading the effort to increase high-speed Internet access, adoption, and use to ensure South Carolina’s competitiveness in the connected global economy of the twenty-first century. Connect South Carolina is a public-private partnership designated by the state to work with all broadband providers to create South Carolina’s first interactive map of broadband coverage. This work serves as a foundation for addressing remaining service gaps while also engaging state, regional, and local leaders in workforce development activities designed to bridge South Carolina’s digital divide. For maps, research, or to get involved with efforts in your community, please visit: www.ConnectSC.org.
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About IT-oLogy: IT-oLogy is a national non-profit collaboration of businesses, academic institutions, and other organizations dedicated to growing the IT talent pipeline and advancing the IT profession. IT-oLogy has three major initiatives: Promote IT (K-12 schools), Teach IT (Higher Education) and Grow IT (Professionals and Businesses). For more information about IT-oLogy, visit www.it-ology.org, or contact Rachel Barnett at [email protected] or803-354-5735.
