 Since 1982, The Rochester Group has designed data management solutions that enable businesses to make faster and more informed business decisions.
To stay on the competitive edge of its rapidly changing industry, The Rochester Group (TRG) needed targeted training that would more closely align the company with two of its strategic technology providers: Sun Microsystems Inc. and Oracle Corporation.
"Training makes our company much more competitive," says Robert Miller, President, TRG. "It expands our portfolio and allows us to reach through new relationships into the marketplace."
| Three months after putting together the application, the company was awarded a grant for nearly $55,000. |
As is true for many businesses with tightened budgets, however, prioritizing funds for training is not always possible when the return on investment is not immediate. To secure the necessary funds and keep the training on track, TRG looked into a NYS grant. "Jim Kegelmeyer, president of ServerWare Corporation (a reseller for Sun and Oracle technologies), told us about a NYS grant available through RochesterWorks!" says Carl Provenzano, Director of Human Resources for TRG. Because the grant targeted "high priority" industries such as IT/MIS Business Services, TRG's business needs aligned directly with the grant's requirements.
"We called RochesterWorks! Business Services Manager Claudia Gately, and she educated us on the Building Skills in NY State program and its #32-I grant," explains Provenzano. "She laid out the program in a logical way, and gave us invaluable pointers and insights on how to put together a comprehensive and strong case. She was outstanding." Three months after putting together the application, the company was awarded a grant for nearly $55,000.
Through the grant, about a quarter of the company's 70 employees are receiving specialized on-site training in three areas:
- Sun Microsystem's JAVA Enterprise Systems (JES),
- Sun's Lighthouse Identity Management technology (which addresses corporate HIPPA, Sarbanes Oxley and security concerns), and
- Oracle 10G training to gain Oracle Certified Professional status.
"These are strong technologies that represent significant growth opportunities in the market," says Miller. "This training not only increases employee satisfaction and skills, it also gives TRG an opportunity to participate in new revenue flows that we probably wouldn't have been able to access before."
The company expects to finish its training by the end of the first quarter, after which it will be more closely aligned with Sun and Oracle technologies. Thanks to the grant, TRG will be able to leverage these new skills to reach more customers and to maintain its position as an innovator in the industry.
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