By Wendy Sanacore
After several months of work, TxMQ, a national Enterprise IT Staffing & Solutions company based here in Amherst, was notified that they reached IBM’s prestigious Premier Business Partner Status. This status was awarded on October 5, 2012 after aggressive efforts led by Wendy Sanacore, IBM Program Lead, Manager of Marketing & Special Projects.
This distinguishes TxMQ as one of only five IBM Premier Business Partners based in the Buffalo area, and the only one with authorization to resell the WebSphere brand family as well as the Datapower SOA appliance family.
IBM uses the Premier Partner program to recognize technology providers who maintain excellent customer relationships as well as remain up to date on technology, technical skills, product information and teaching. By obtaining Premier Partner Status, TxMQ has realized an ongoing commitment to partnering with IBM and providing valuable solutions to our clients.
“TxMQ is fully committed to IBM and our efforts to promote and support the IBM product lines moving forward.   We are particularly focused on our efforts selling and supporting IBM’s WebSphere brand family and DataPower SOA appliances.  We feel the achievement of Premier Partner status sends a strong message to our customers that we have the best team of client managers and subject matter experts to meet and surpass our clients’ technology expectations,” said Chuck Fried, TxMQ’s President and CEO. “We are excited to leverage this new relationship and see the growth that it has already brought to TxMQ. We’re looking forward to a great 2013,” added Sanacore
TxMQ is a full service solution provider.
In addition to this partnership designation, TxMQ is also an approved IBM WebSphere Core and DataPower/CastIron reseller. As a full services solution provider, TxMQ can now handle the full sales cycle from the sale or re-licensing of WebSphere products to the subject matter experts to support and implement it after the sale is complete. WebSphere users no longer need to look in two different places for sales and support; with TxMQ, it now comes bundled in one package.
ABOUT TXMQ
TxMQ provides flexible IT solutions across all divisions and departments within a company. Known as a leading staffing agency, TxMQ provides placement of permanent and contract professionals within a wide variety of skill sets. In addition, TxMQ’s IT solutions can take the headache out of any IT challenge

by Corey Switzer-Kruss
This week we popped lunchtime champagne to celebrate something pretty cool that a few incredibly hard-working TxMQ’ers  have accomplished for the good of the company.
We FINALLY received word, after over a year of hard work and collaboration and paperwork and follow up and more paperwork and waiting that TxMQ has been awarded a GSA Contract!!
Normally you’d get this good news from my co-blogger, Wendy, but SHE has been a driving force behind this initiative along with Mel and Chuck. It’s not Wendy’s nature to be self gratuitous, so I’m taking over with the praise.
I salute the three of you!  What an incredible feat!
Now, because I always try to keep my blogs educational (sometimes I accomplish this better than others) I will ask the rhetorical question, WHAT IS A GSA CONTRACT?
In short, a GSA contract allows a business like TxMQ to to do business with the federal government and all of its agencies. A business cannot work with the federal government without a GSA contract in place.
Why is this exciting? Well – no one knows for sure how much money the federal government spends on this or that, but we are acutely aware of the fact that the spend is large, VERY LARGE. This GSA has opened the door to the “federal bakery” so that we may attempt to munch on a piece of the pie.
In Chuck’s words, it “allows us to extend industry leading practices in staffing to the federal sector”.
Nicely put Chuck!
SO – contractulations guys! (Do you see what I did there? That’s called a Portmanteau just in case you have been wondering since the title)

By Wendy Sanacore
T Minus 21 hours until the Tough Mudder…
I’m sitting at my desk mentally preparing for this weekend’s Tough Mudder challenge in Toronto. For those of you who don’t know what the Mudder is, it’s a mud obstacle course designed by the British Special Forces to test strength, stamina, team work and drive. You can see more here, www.toughmudder.com
10 miles, 19 obstacles and beer and orange headband awarded at the end. What could be better?
As I read all about the Mudder, people say so many times over that it isn’t physical strength that’s going to get you through it, it’s mental determination and just outright grit. How else do you face the side of a slippery, muddy ski slope and begin climbing it, only to get to the top and need to scale a cargo net or crawl through a small black tube or something else of the sort?
Am I going to want to quit halfway through? Of couse. Will I? Heck NO!
So I write this blog for a couple reasons and perhaps it may seem a stretch for you to understand how I am aiming to tie it into work, but we’ll get there.
REASON #1: I’m just so freaking excited that it’s hard to keep my mind on work so I decided to make work about what I am excited for, so I write this blog.
REASON #2: I’ve several times mentioned the balance between work and personal life and working for an employer who understands this balance. Finding that employer is so important and money can’t always be the driving factor behind staying at a job. I trained for this Mudder on my lunch hours. Because I have a flexible employer (who by the way, also pays my gym memberships as well as the fee to this Mudder thing), I was able to get to the gym, do my running and complete my circuit cardio workouts. I had a baby 2 years ago and with a little one at home, it’s extremely difficult to make the time to get to the gym before and after work, so I go smack dab right in the middle. And I am so thankful for that opportunity. You don’t have many people who have the ability to do that mid-day. My boss, Chuck Fried, understands the balance of work/life and is an avid athlete himself, so he knows what it’s like to face down a challenge and hit it head on. In fact, he encourages it, hence the company paying for any organized event its employees would like to participate in. And actually, we’re all participating together in a run again on September 8 called the Finn McCool. That one is a 4 mile mud run and 3 of us from the office are running it with friends and family.
REASON #3: You’re only as strong as your mind allows you to be. Training is physical, sure, but the mind is the tool that’s going to push you through when you think you can’t go any further. But that applies to every day work life, and not just physical challenges. When you hit a wall at work, what do you do? The most successful people won’t just sit back and pout, they will find a way around it. (Or in the Mudder’s case, over it…)
Take your daily work obstacles and make them a challenge. You don’t know the answer to something or something seems out of your comfort zone? Look it up, ask some questions, do some research, try something new. Don’t let it stop you there. Push your mind through and allow yourself to reach new heights.
I’m not in any way, shape, or form saying the Mudder is going to be a cake walk, but I do know that when I cross the finish line (after running through a force field of wires delivering up to 10,000V of electricity) I’m going to be proud of my effort. My blood, sweat and tears will be left on that course. I’m encouraging you to leave your blood, sweat and tears in your work every day. It’s going to make you a better employee and a better person!
OK, now that I’m finished with that…T-minus 20 1/2 hours.

By Corey Switzer-Kruss
Whenever I’m having a blogging brain freeze I know I can turn to Popular Science (www.popsci.com) for a good tech story!
Today’s little tidbit of information reminds me of movies like Back to the Future II where Michael J. Foxx and Christopher Llyod travel through time in their souped-up Delorean DMC-12 to the year 2015 only to find that the future was filled with hover-craft skateboards.
Back in 1990 we really hoped that hoverboards were in our future, but in 2012 (a mere 3 years from the future of 2015) we know it’s just not gonna happen.
Why the anecdote?
Here’s why; whenever I think of the future I dream of cars that drive themselves. You just plug your destination into a GPS and press “GO”. The car’s internal computer can access speed limits and accelerate/decelerate accordingly, there are sensors that will brake the car in traffic, and you can kick back with a beer (b/c you’re not driving!!) and enjoy the ride. THIS is my perfect future (haha).
So when I read the article entitled Europe Will Require New Vehicles to Include Autonomous Self-Braking System I leapt out of my seat! Is one of my “back to the future” dreams being realized?!
Now, not everyone is as psyched as I am about this new technology. As a matter of fact, people feel that it’s taking too much control away from the driver. I personally think it’s an experiment that will either epically fail (if the technology is forced into these cars before all the kinks are worked out, this is certain to happen) or usher in a new age of automotive awesomeness and safety on the roads. Remember when cars were only manufactured with a manual transmission? I don’t; too young. BUT, today cars are only manufactured with a manual tranny by request. I believe the natural evolution of vehicles has ultimately been leading to this space-aged point. Perhaps in 40 years we won’t even need Driver’s Licenses because we will all be passengers in our own cars.
According to the European Commission, this AEB (autonomous emergency braking) system will begin with installation in all brand new commercial vehicles by 2013. It’s expected that passenger vehicles will follow suit shortly thereafter. Oh Europe – you’re so hip. Can you please start commissioning your engineers to design a hoverboard next?

By Wendy Sanacore
More than a year ago, a malware virus took over many personal computers. To control the virus spread, the FBI realized they couldn’t just turn off the malicious servers last year because all victims would lose their Internet service. Instead, the FBI set up a safety net by bringing in a private company to install two clean Internet servers to take over for the malicious servers to users would not suddenly be without Internet access.
On Monday, however, the temporary Internet system they set up will be shut down. About 64,000 computers are most likely still infected in the United States and more than 277,000 worldwide. And most victims don’t even know their computers are infected.
To check whether a computer is infected, users can visit this website run by a group brought in by the FBI: http://www.dcwg.org.
Q: What can I do if it appears that my PC is infected?
A: Make sure you have updated, working anti-virus protection, and educate yourself about how to use the scanning and cleanup tools that come with the top consumer anti-virus products. Keep in mind that malware is designed to resist detection and cleanup. Many types can only be eliminated by installing a fresh copy of the Windows operating system.
Q: What happens if I’m cut off?
A: You will have to contact your Internet service provider for help reconnecting to the Internet. Insist on guidance to also delete the malware, or criminals will continue to control your machine. Google and Facebook have created special warnings for this particular case. And Internet service providers have plans to try to help keep victims online. Comcast, for instance, has sent out e-mail, letters and Web notices to customers whose computers appeared to be affected.

By Wendy Sanacore
As of September 30, 2012 IBM will be discontinuing WebSphere Application Server V6.1 support for the following products:

• WebSphere Application Server V6.1
• WebSphere Application Server Express V6.1
• WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment V6.1
• WebSphere Application Server for Developers V6.1
• WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition V6.1 for Novell SLES
• WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition V6.1 for AIX
• IBM HTTP Server for WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition V6.1 on Novell SLES
• IBM HTTP Server for WebSphere Application Server Hypervisor Edition V6.1 on AIX
• IBM WebSphere Application Server for System i Version 6.1.
• IBM WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Version 6.1

IBM Software WebSphere related support lifecycle Dates

To view the details of all IBM software Support lifecycles, click here.

*Note: WebSphere typically maintains a version for around 5-6yrs. If you are running WebSphere V7, it is not too early to start planning for Migration to V8.

Schedule Your WebSphere Application Server V8 Migration Today

Don’t get caught without WebSphere Application Server V6.1 support. It’s time to upgrade your application environment and migrate to WebSphere Application Server V8, and it’s never to early to plan ahead for a V7 migration as well.
Call 716-636-0070 to schedule a scoping call with one of TxMQ’s consultants to help you with your migration project. Your needs are going to be individual depending on your current versions and applications. While your company may upgrade to version 8, it may be necessary for you to run version 6.1 concurrently until all applications have been updated.
A certified TxMQ subject matter expert can help you determine the best solution for your migration needs.
Here are some basic migration questions you can be prepared to answer for your TxMQ consultant when you’re beginning the upgrade process.

1. What WebSphere software is installed?
2. Is the WebSphere in homogenous or heterogeneous environment(s)?
3. What JDK are you currently using?
4. Is your JDK compatible with WAS V8? (WAS V6.1 runs on JDK1.5 and WAS V8 requires JDK 1.6)
5. Are you running secured or unsecured?
6. What is your JEE deployment process?
7. Do you use JACL or Jython for WebSphere administration?
8. Have you configured a WebSphere V7 or V8 sandbox environment?

WebSphere Application Server V8 was released in June of 2011. It is a Java EE compliant application server with an integrated OSGI applications support.
Here’s what’s new in WebSphere Application Server V8.
*Note: In some cases, a migration to WAS V7 may be a viable option depending on the size of the migration.
Call 716-636-0070 (29) or email wendy@txmq.com if you’re interested in speaking with a subject matter expert regarding your WAS V8 migration.

By Wendy Sanacore
I get a lot of inquiries about where techs can get online WebSphere training. May consultants ask me about it because TxMQ is a staffing firm with a particular specialization in WebSphere.
We don’t offer personalized, individual training. We do however offer a fantastic WebSphere Message Broker 7 workshop for companies. The course is designed to provide general technical knowledge for application architects and developers. If you want a full description of the course, please click here.
However, if you are searching for online WebSphere training, I can point you in the direction of IBM’s online course.
The specially designed self-paced virtual course provides the same deep content training as classroom training while saving you time and expenses.
For more information on the IBM WebSphere Education Self-Paced Virtual course, click here.
And as a shameless plug for TxMQ, we are always looking for the next great WebSphere Consultant. If that’s you, please contact us immediately and send your resume over. We probably have your next engagement waiting for you right now!