http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry101215-090000
"SEBO has been recognised as a leader in technolgy and has always delivered products and services with the highest level of standards and customer satisfaction" says Bob Kitella, Director of Information Technology, "and some key people that have contributed to our success have earned the right to be recognised for their commitment and achievements. It was time for me to hand the torch down to a trusted friend and business associate. I am more than confident that Rob Moen as a principal along with Sean Renwick, my partner and co-founder of SEBO, will continue to represent what we built at SEBO, to the highest level of standards that our customers have come to know and expect, now under the Coterra banner, and I wish them continued success!".

For more information about Coterra Integration and the products and services that the offer, please visit their website at www.coterra.ca.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry100320-080000


The information about the release can be found at http://www.openbsd.org/47.html.

The song was written, arranged, and sung by Bob Kitella. Guitar by Tim Campbell. Keyboard by Bob Kitella and Jonathan D. Lewis. Bass, additional programming, mixing, and mastering by Jonathan D. Lewis. The song can be found at http://www.openbsd.org/lyrics.html#47.

If you would like more information about the OpenBSD project, please visit their website at http://www.openbsd.org. A direct donation to the project can be made at http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry100127-080000
It is no secret that SEBO is a supporter and sponsor of the project, and every release is a good thing because of all of the great technological enhancements that come with the releases,  but what makes this release so special to us is that our own Director of Information Technology has written the song that will be provided for this release. 

Bob Kitella will be turning 47 years old on the same day that OpenBSD 4.7 is released, and he also shares the birthday with Theo de Raadt who will be turning 42. We are bound by the cone of silence at the moment, so we can't share too much information about OpenBSD 4.7 right now, but it is rumoured that Bob may also be singing the song. 

As we get closer to the release date, more information will be provided, but we are hoping that this release breaks some records in product sales and donations because of how much this project means to Bob, and SEBO. 

For more information about the project please visit www.openbsd.org.  

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry100105-210000
In the history of the World Juniors Hockey, the USA won Bronze back in 1986 and 1992, Silver in 1997 vs Canada, Gold in 2004 vs Canada, Bronze in 2007, and played one hell of a game to win the Gold vs Canada in 2010. That is 6 medals in total.

In the history of the World Juniors Hockey, Canada has won Silver in 1977, Bronze in 1978, Gold in 1982, Bronze in 1983, Gold in 1985, Silver in 1986, Gold in 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1993 through 1997, Silver in 1999, Bronze in 2000 and 2001, Silver in 2002 through 2004, Gold in 2005 through 2009. and a Silver in 2010. That is 26 medals in total. OH Canada, need I say anything more? Be Proud!

I am proudly wearing my jersey. Team Canada, you boys played one hell of a game tonight, and came back in the 3rd to tie it up and head to over time, and kept this country on the edge of our seats. Thank you so much for some great hockey, and doing us proud. This is the most wonderful time of the year isn't it :)

And not to take anything away from the USA for some amazing hockey tonight. You boys played well, were well organized, disciplined, focused, and incredibly fast! Nice Win USA! I look forward to watching you next year!

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry091015-200000
We were fortunate to have Shannon as a contractor to SEBO in our early days when we created the company, and Shannon proved to be a valuable resource who represented our company with the highest degree of ethics and integrity.

Everyone who had the pleasure and honour of knowing Shannon will feel the loss, but we will keep her spirit alive with our memories. We extend our deepest sympathies to Shannon's family on their loss.

Goodbye Shannon, and Thanks again for everything.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry090622-080000 SEBO Systems, QHR Technologies and Clinicvault unite to create CLOUDWERX DATA SOLUTIONS INC.

SEBO Systems Inc. (“SEBO”) is very pleased to announce today that it has entered into a joint venture with QHR Technologies Inc. (“QHR”) (TSX-Venture: QHR) to create Cloudwerx Data Solutions Inc. (“Cloudwerx), a new company dedicated to providing data hosting and data storage services and solutions to a variety of service sectors.

QHR currently provides data hosting and data storage services through its subsidiary Clinicvault Inc. (“Clinicvault”) which complements SEBO’s existing data hosting and managed services division.

Clinicvault and SEBO have signed management agreements with Cloudwerx and, effective immediately, Cloudwerx will begin to operate these respective business units and commence efforts to migrate the combined customer base into Cloudwerx.

SEBO will continue to provide professional IT consulting services, commercial data storage and IT products along with Telecommunication services independently of Cloudwerx.

View the public press release at www.qhrtechnologies.com.

Highlights:

• Professionally managed Data Centre operations in Calgary, AB and Kelowna, BC
• Enhanced product and service offerings with rapid introduction of new technologies
• Multi-sectored customer base including Healthcare, Petroleum, Financial and Hospitality
• Multiple EMR vendor hosting for Healthcare Practitioners

Specific to the healthcare sector, combining our existing customer base will enable Cloudwerx to manage over 500,000 patient records with over 600 system users utilizing a variety of EMR and EHR software. We remain EMR agnostic, working with various EMR software vendors to enable them to provide hosted and on site solutions to their various customers.

Cloudwerx will maintain hosting operations in datacenters in Calgary, AB and Kelowna, BC and transition customers from Clinicvault’s Lethbridge, AB hosting facility. The availability of two primary datacenters in two distinct geographic centres will enable Cloudwerx to offer enhanced data protection and business disaster/continuity services to customers.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry090408-080000 Hitachi IT Operations Analyzer will provide you a cost effective management solution that will monitor your environment, identify problems, and provide root cause analysis to assist in problem resolution.

This product has been over 2 years in the making, and what makes this different from competitive products like Solar Winds, Tivoli, etc., is that it was designed with ease of use and simplicity in mind. Here are some of the key features of the product:

- Agentless Architecture
- Multiplatform and Multivendor
- Unified Interface
- Simplified Network View
- Root Cause Analysis
- User-Defined Alerting

Hitachi is so sure that you will see the benefit and value of this product, that they are offering a Free 30 Day Trial. Dowload the product today and in no time, you will start seeing how the IT Operations Analyzer will let you take back control of your environment!

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry090309-090000
Yesterday, while I was having Dim Sum, a good friend of mine told me about Kiva, which is an online community that exists for the purpose of lending money to needy people around the world that would not normally be able to get a loan from the big banks.

The concept is quite simple – you buy Kiva credits, then look at the list of people that are requesting a loan through local field partners, pick the ones you want to lend money to, and loan money to them in $25 increments. As the loans are being repaid, you can then re-loan, or withdraw your cash. You can pick the sector, geographic location, etc., that you want to loan to. Kiva calls the recipients of the loans the “entrepreneur”.

So we all become members of a “micro-lending” organization, share the risk with multiple people on a case by case basis. Where this differs from charitable donations is that your recipients are not asking for a hand out – they are hard working people, asking for a loan to help them help themselves. So, it is almost like a perpetual donation that has the power to continually change lives. If the loan defaults, and you view this as a donation anyway, you still have played a role in changing lives.

Something worth mentioning at this point is that this is not a money making venture – you don’t make any interest on the loan. There is also no guarantee that loans will not default, obviously, and given the state of the present economy, the odds are probably higher that your loan will default, but if you do this expecting to lose, then anything else is gravy. Since Kiva started in 2005, they have had a default rate of 2.2%, which is very low if you compare it to North American statistics.

So what’s the point of this whole thing? In theory this is like making a donation, but rather than donating to an organization and hoping that your charity is getting to your desired recipient, you are in control of where your money is going. When you loan to an entrepreneur, you are one of multiple members that also have loaned money to fulfill the loan request. You don’t just give the money away, you actively manage it, since the money is repaid, and you get to re-lend it again.

Here are some interesting statistics, in spite of a worldwide economic crisis. In the past week:

- $1,111,375.00 was lent
- 15,574 lenders made a loan
- 5,108 new lenders joined
- 3,434 entrepreneurs were financed
- 1 loan was made every 16 seconds

At a time when we are going to be seeing economic times as bad as the 1930's, Kiva presents the opportunity that you hear about, but never believe - "One person can make a difference!".

Here are a few links to more information about Kiva:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiva.org
http://www.kiva.org/
http://www.kiva.org/about/risk/overview

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry081104-210000
On a global scale, this is probably what was needed for the Americans to regain respect in the global theatre, and is something that clearly demonstrates the desire and necessity for change.

The road ahead for stability will no doubt be filled with challenges, and as Canadians, we look forward to what the future holds.

Our congratulations go out to President Barack Obama for running a winning campaign that not only inspired the popular vote of the American population, but the entire planet.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry081018-160000 "Login - Logout: Is it costing you Time & Efficiency in your Exam Room?". After reading the article, I posted a lengthy comment because I felt that there were things mentioned that needed some clarification, but they have not posted my comments yet, so I am posting them here because I feel that everyone needs to be informed in order to make a decision to deploy this type of technology.

As the videos below this article will show, we have extensive experience in deploying Sun Ray in an ASP/hosted model, so we know what we are doing, and what we are talking about when it comes to running a secure datacenter, and deploying Sun Ray technology. I am going to quote Tom's comments, with my responses below.

TOM: There are numerous solutions that deliver the same capability referenced in the video. Sometimes referred to as "persistent sessions," but also as "follow-me computing," among a host of other references.

BOB: It is true that there are similar types of technology that offer "Smart Card" or "Token" based solutions, however the key difference is that in order to "hot desk" between workstations, thin clients, etc. a session disconnect/reconnect is required. With the Sun Ray, when you "Hot Desk", your session is resumed (not reconnected). The other solutions are more focused on "single signon" or security, not about streamlining workflow. Also, the "card readers" are an add-on to a PC, so you are trying to compare a "thick client" device to something that is integrated, and was designed to be a secure thin client. It is not the same.

TOM: * Technical Compatibility - Does the complete solution "fit" with the EMR to be used, as well as other technologies and applications in use in the environment.

BOB: The Sun Ray Terminal requires a Sun Ray Server (SRS) to get it's intelligence. Without the SRS, it is a "dumb terminal". Once it has a connection to the SRS, it is basically an X-station attached to a Solaris server. From that point, it can be connected to Windows devices using RDP (via the Sun Ray Windows Connector), or other flavors of Unix using X, or an X session on the Sun Ray server itself. The Sun Ray is an Ultra Thin Client device, which has USB ports and a serial port. Certain devices do not work well with Sun Ray (USB Scanners, Microphones for dictation software, some USB Printers), and this is related to availability of device drivers for Solaris, and/or limitations of what can be carried over an RDP session. If for example you want to use Dragon Naturally Speaking for dictation, this will not work over a Sun Ray terminal. The Sun Ray terminal does not have an operating system (unlike most Thin Client devices), however there are ways around USB limitations, one of which is a network attached USB hub.

TOM: What about its impact on remote accessibility? ­Does it support flexibility in multi-factor authentication, which seems to be continually evolving in various markets in Canada.

BOB: The user does not connect to the Sun Ray terminals when gaining remote access (from home or external to the clinic). For the most part, remote access is achieved by remotely connecting directly to your application server, so whatever multi-factor authentication that is supported by the application server will work regardless of the desktop technology. Also, we have several users that have a Sun Ray terminal at home, and connect via a VPN connection to the datacenter to gain access to their application server.

TOM: * The "complete" solution - Have you considered all facets of your professional and personal life in looking at the solution? For example, if you use a PDA or Smartphone that synchronizes with your desktop applications (think Palm, BlackBerry, etc.), how is this supported given that the solution is based on thin-client technology?

BOB: This is a valid statement, and as previously stated, there are certain devices or peripherals that do not function well or at all using a Sun Ray. If your PDA's are not capable of wireless synchronization, then you may require a local desktop or laptop at your clinic, for things like PDA Syncrhonization, dictation, USB scanner support, etc. As Tom recommends, it is a good idea to have the discussion with the EMR vendor to find out any caveats or limitations.

TOM: * ­Network Bandwidth - Have you considered the impact on bandwidth requirements? Some studies have indicated that use of thin-client technology may require massive amounts of bandwidth?

BOB: I am not sure which studies Tom is referring to, but having actually deployed Sun Rays in a colocated or ASP model, we have clinics that have 20+ concurrent users running over an ADSL or Cable internet connection. If the quality and reliability of your internet connection is good, the performace will be good, and you will have a good "end user experience". If you have a poor or unstable internet connection, you will not be a happy user. This is true regardless of any technology in a remote environment (desktop, thin client, ultra thin client, etc.). And if you are running in a pure ASP model, plan on having a backup connection in case your primary connection experiences problems.

TOM: * ­Support - Is the solution - the total solution including all considerations above - supported by the EMR vendor, or would you be creating a finger-pointing quagmire by implementing the technology which the EMR vendor doesn't themselves support?

BOB: We work closely with vendors, and there is no finger pointing. At the end of the day, it is all about customer support and satisfaction - if we can't mutually work towards the same common goal with the vendor, we do not engage in a partnership with them. If anyone is experiencing finger pointing with their solution providers, it may be time to shop around!

TOM: * ­Cost - What is the cost of the total solution? Not just the workstation, but the total solution, including supportability.

BOB: When you add up all costs for licensing, management, consulting, support, power consumption, etc., you will see that the total costs are cheaper using Sun Ray in a managed service offering. Sun Ray has been around for several years, and is a proven technology - you probably have not heard about it until now.

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

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With the new Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage 2000 family, you can optimize your application performance, reduce your administrative costs and simplify your storage - all at once.

Easy to set up and administer

* Eliminates requirements to set preferred paths from hosts to storage
* System self balances workloads across both controllers
* “Single pane of glass” to integrate and manage multiple Hitachi systems
* Simplified RAID group placement using SAS backplane architecture
* Helpful documents and web portal

Unsurpassed Reliability and Data Availability

* 99.999 percent data availability with no single point of failure
* Nondisruptive microcode updates
* Hot swappable major components
* Dual-battery backup for cache
* Flexible drive sparing with no copy back required after a RAID rebuild
* In system and remote site data replication options
* RAID-6 dual parity support for enhanced reliability when using large SATA and SAS drives

Cost-effective performance

* Full-duplex, 3Gbps SAS drive interface that can simultaneously send and receive commands or data on the same link
* 16 concurrent disk I/O paths provide up to 4800MB/s of total system bandwidth
* Hitachi Dynamic Load Balancing Controller automatically balances loads to eliminate bottlenecks for outstanding performance

Tremendous scalability

* Ability to add capacity, connectivity, and performance as needed
* Concurrent support of large heterogeneous open systems environments with up to 512 virtual server ports and 2048 LUNs
* Scale performance to 400,000 IOPS
* Data-in-place upgrades from AMS2100 to the AMS2300 or the AMS2500
* Mega LUNs, up to 60TB, enable set-it-and-forget-it provisioning

Highly Flexible Systems

* Intermixed SAS and SATA drives can share the same tray to save cost
* Multiprotocol support for both Fibre Channel and iSCSI host interfaces
* Combine with Hitachi High performance NAS for simultaneous block and file access

You can read the full story from Hitachi Data Systems.

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry081011-060000 South Calgary Primary Network, and describes our goal to improve the quality of health care by providing better accessibility to patient information.



In the second video, you will see how SEBO has implemented "Follow Me Printing" that allows users to "hotdesk" between Sun Ray terminals, and have their default printer automatically change for them. This allows the users to click the "Quick Print" button, without having to select which printer they want to print to - our software knows where you are (which Sun Ray terminal you have your card in), and it sets your default printer behind the scenes.

What's important to understand is that the user does not have to disconnect and reconnect the session for Windows to recognize that the default printer has changed (which is normally what needs to occur) - the default printer is actually changed as soon as the card is inserted, and before the user sees the screen. This functionality is possible as a result of custom code that SEBO has developed.




Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

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"We believe that Veeam products are a great addition to our products and solutions because they are affordable, powerful, and simple to use", says Bob Kitella, Director of Information Technology. "There is almost no time at all required to learn these products because they are so straight forward and intuitive".

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry080728-140000
In 2006, VMware began providing VMware Server (formerly known as the VMware GSX Server) for free. This is a desktop or small business class virtualization platform that runs on top of either Microsoft Windows, or Linux operating systems.

There are several different implementations of virtualization software that are worth mentioning, like Sun Microsystems VirtualBox, Xen, and Qemu, all of which run on a Host Operating System.

ESXi is an operating system of it's own, which was designed to allow you to run multiple operating systems concurrently on the same physical hardware. Some of the significant features are Virtual SMP (up to 4 processors per virtual machine), Virtual Switches with full 802.1q VLAN support, VMFS just to name a few. Have a look at all of the Features of ESXi to get an appreciation of what you can expect at a price you really can afford!

For more information, go to the VMware Press Release, or Download ESXi from VMware and take it for a test drive.

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry080522-090000
"When you have a team that is lead by Mickey Wei, and the strong relationship with the HDS Calgary office, you have the formula for success", says Bob Kitella, Director of Information Technology. "Data is our business, and we take pride in our experience, expertise, service, and approach to designing robust solutions".

SEBO Systems Inc. is a Gold Channel Partner of Hitachi Data Systems, with a proven track record ranging from Simple Modular Storage up to Enterprise Class Storage (USP). There is no customer too big, or too small for us!

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.
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Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry080228-154829
We wanted to jazz it up and add some eye-candy for our visitors. We hope you enjoy!
-SEBO team

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry070517-090000
"The key component to doing this with minimal downtime was by using InMage for file level and block level replication", says Bob Kitella, Director of Information Technology. "Our approach was to keep our downtime to a minimum, and as a result, our only impact was email, which was dependant on DNS changes propogating around the internet. Once we knew that all new incoming email was going to the new servers, we only had to backup the mailboxes and restore them at the new location"

We are a big user of VMWare, so moving the virtual machines was very easy. We moved the luns from physical into vmdk files, transferred the files to the new server, then moved them back from vmdk files into physical luns again. This allowed us to get the operating systems of our virtual machines over to the new facility without the need to rebuild them. For the data luns of the virtual machines, we used InMage for the file and block level replication, so once we knew that our RPO was 0 minutes, we halted the virtual machine on the old server, and ran off the new server. All of the data was there, so we were already live.

"The hardest part of this move was moving some of the old hardware - the Hitachi subsystem isn't light", says Sean Renwick, Director of Operations. "That was the painful part. To move our environment as easily as we did is a testament to the tools, and our planning and approach. We use what we sell and support, so for us, we know we made the right choices with who we have partnered with and represent".

"We also used this as an opportunity to upgrade our infrastructure", says Bob Kitella. "We decided to acquire an AMS200 to complement our WMS100 for a few reasons. We have grown as a company, and we have been extremely happy with the WMS100 - but we are now at the level internally where a tiered approach makes sense. We have never run as fast as we do now, using the faster fiber channel drives for the high activity data, including exchange and our SQL servers, running MS SQL, MySQL, and Filemaker server. We now have a mix of raid groups including raid 1+0 and 5 on our fiber channel, and raid 6 on our SATA. The performance of our Sun servers is amazing - we now have the showcase that we can let our customers see, which is the perfect environment to demo and let them experience hands on what we have to offer".

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

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"We are very excited about this, because in a competitive market place in Calgary, we were presented with the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to deliver", says Bob Kitella, Director of Information Technology. "Our team has enough background, depth, experience, and expertise to prove why SEBO Systems Inc. is a leader in Information Technology solutions and services."

Evoco specializes in web-based project management software and document management solutions that accelerate their customers pace of expansion by increasing the profitability and productivity of their customers volume-build projects. Evoco's online services enable project collaboration, business process automation, document and print management.

Established in 1999, Evoco is trusted by more than 50,000 users including Fortune 500 companies in retail, telecommunications, health care and other owners of capital projects. Evoco's customers measure the value they deliver in cost savings, project efficiency and the scalability they achieve for their businesses.

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

]]> http://www.sebo.ca/pressroom/index.php?entry=entry070423-080000 we mean business", says Chris Kitella, Senior Data Specialist.

Backing these servers is a brand new Hitachi AMS200 SAN boasting over 4 TB of raw storage on 10,000rpm fibre-channel drives. Once our migration is complete we will also have our WMS100 running as second tier storage. This will bring our total amount of storage to 10.5 TB of raw capacity.

Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.

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