We hope you can join GSI at Interface 2010, the industry's leading security and disaster recovery conference offered today. Interface is a single-day IT conference addressing the advances in information security, disaster recovery, business continuity, data storage and regulatory compliance. The conference is put on by Face-to-Face Events, and will truly hold up to that name. Interface prides itself on educating, as opposed to selling, and provides the optimal setting for “B2B matchmaking” and quality face-to-face time.

GSI will be exhibiting at the conference, so please stop by our booth to learn how we can help with your security and business needs. GSI's security and disaster recovery expertise is second to none. We were the first hosting company in the world to meet the stringent security criteria imposed by the payment card industry (PCI) in 2004, by becoming 100% PCI DSS compliant for managed services. Since then, we have helped numerous clients achieve and maintain their own security compliance, and we continue to perfect our processes and ability to address the critical security needs of our clients.

Interface will be held Thursday, May 13, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is by invitation only, so please contact Kristine Hansen, our business development manager, to RSVP. She can be reached at khansen@gsihosting.com or (816) 222-1210. Also, you can check out the events page on our website to RSVP: http://www.gsihosting.com/events

For more information about Interface 2010, you can visit http://www.f2fevents.com/. We look forward to seeing you there and hope everyone has a safe and secure day!

Congratulations to GSI's own Candace Sheldon, who was honored with being the "Most improved woman 50 or older" in Ingram's 2009-2010 Fittest Executives and Fittest Companies Challenge.

Candace joined up with three other GSI folks – Mark Hotalling, Jerad Riggin and Adam Ward – to compete in Ingram's challenge, which ran from October 1 through the end of 2009. The competition was based on the belief that a "top-down corporate emphasis on employee fitness could help achieve bottom-line results with a fitter work force." During the three-month challenge, participants were armed with detailed measurements of their own health metrics, and focused on their primary areas of concern, such as losing weight, or improving blood pressure and cholesterol levels, aerobic capacities, strength and flexibility measurements.

Candace earned the "most improved" stature due to her improvement in all categories. She attributes her success in the program to both eating healthier and exercising regularly. She and her teammates committed themselves to working out in GSI's exercise facility 4-5 days a week – specifically following the P90X workout regimen. Candace also eliminated sugar, flour products, and alcohol from her diet – instead snacking on fruits, vegetables and more protein-rich foods. She followed the guidance of a nutritionist and also hit the tread mill every evening after work. And the results were great – she lost 9 pounds during the competition (even including the holidays) and another 6 since then. Not only that, but Candace is now seriously motivated to continue her fitness routine.

Candace signed up for the Ingram's challenge as part of GSI's corporate team, motivated by the thought of getting in better shape and losing a little weight, as well as the desire to set a good example for her GSI co-workers in promoting wellness. The support of her teammates, she says, made it easier to achieve positive results. Just like the premise GSI stands on as a company – that the support our GSI ServerHeroes lend one another enables us to collectively achieve great things for our clients.

"If you really decide you want to do something and are diligent in your approach, you can achieve anything," says Candace. Simply enough said, but a lesson for all of us in our personal and professional lives. Candace's success brings home the reason why I'm proud to work for a company like GSI with dedicated co-workers like her – true to GSI's tagline, "Let's get it done right," we have the desire to achieve, and we take the extra measures to do so.

Further Reading

• Ingram's Magazine, Feb 2010 > Fittest Execs/Companies
• Ingram's Magazine, Feb 2010 > Fittest Execs/Companies > Most Improved Individuals

If you aren’t already familiar with Accelerent, but you are interested in a fantastic avenue for getting to know the KC business community, I’d like to share some information with you.  GSI is a member of Accelerent, which is essentially a corporate business development organization made up of C-level execs in the Kansas City area.  Currently, the organization has about 35 members, consisting of a wide variety of companies in the KC area.  While they continue to recruit new member companies, they are also diligent about making sure that no two member companies are from the same industry.  This is a great practice as it means that the group represents a broad spectrum of industries -- and also creates a tighter relationship among member companies without the presence of a competitive factor.

The organization hosts about 9 or 10 breakfasts throughout the year for its members and guests.  We get together, listen to a featured speaker (always someone truly inspirational with their amazing achievements) and spend time meeting corporate executives from our area – an excellent opportunity to learn more about their businesses, as well as educate others about our own.  At the last breakfast, we had more than 300 attendees – a prime opportunity for corporate networking and opening up doors for new business! 

The next Accelerent breakfast is Friday, January 22, at 7:00 a.m. in Overland Park, KS.  Peter Vidmar, the former Olympic gymnast, will be the featured speaker – and I’ve been told he is wonderful.  You have to be either an Accelerant member or an invited guest to attend.  So if you have even the slightest interest in coming, please do so, as my guest. (Please email me to RSVP.)

Now for the particulars.  Prior to the actual breakfast, there is an Expo from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.  This is where introductions take place.  If you’d like to see a list of attendees, let me know and I can send you a list of those who have RSVP’d so far.  The next step would be for you to let me know if there is anyone on the list that you would like to meet (yes, I’ll make sure that happens!).  Obviously, you are welcome to roam the room and make your own introductions, which I also suggest.

If this is of any interest to you, email me at khansen@gsihosting.com and I can do the registration for you.  In addition, you are welcome to invite up to three clients of your own.

I sincerely hope that you – or any of your coworkers or clients you invite – decide to join us.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Come on out to Union Station this Wednesday from 3-6 p.m. and join GSI at the KC Biz Live 2009 Business Showcase (hosted by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce)! Admission is free to the public and cocktails will be available. It’s a great way to network with other businesses in the area.  GSI will have a table, so please stop by to hear all about what we can offer you.

GSI delivers customized, scalable and innovative solutions for managed hosting, data security management and regulatory compliance requirements. If you are looking for an enterprise-class data center to fulfill your managed services or colocation requirements, then come talk to us and "Let’s get it done right" together.

Please see details about the event here:
http://www.gsihosting.com/events/

Hope to see you all there!

Coming up next week is the annual PCI Community Meeting in sunny Las Vegas, and we hope to see you there! With many years of solid security experience under our belt, we have many exciting things to share with you about security and how we help companies big and small achieve and maintain PCI DSS compliance. So please take a moment to stop by the GSI booth on Wednesday, September 23, to visit with us. You'll walk away knowing the facts about what an experienced compliant services provider can and should be able to do for you.

Please see details about the event here:
https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/news_events/community_meeting_09.shtml

We look forward to meeting you!

As a silver sponsor of the Head for the Cure Run/Walk, GSI's team will participate in this important event on Sunday, August 30. The Run/Walk is being presented by VML and the Head for the Cure Foundation, which benefits the Chris Anthony Brain Tumor Research Fund, Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative, and Solace House. You can read about Chris's story at the following website: http://www.headforthecure.org/headforcure.aspx?pgID=866

Thousands of walkers, runners, friends and family will come out on Sunday and celebrate the lives of individuals affected by brain cancer. Having been acquainted with VML for years, GSI is honored to help sponsor this worthwhile cause.

Come join us and the many other participants for a beautiful morning and a wonderful cause this Sunday, August 30, at 8:00 a.m. at Corporate Woods. Visit the official site for more information: http://www.headforthecure.org/headforcure.aspx?pgID=909

Hope to see everyone there!