| Month | Date | Topic, Speaker and Organization | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 22 |
How I Made A Million Dollars in Consulting (and If You Believe That, I Have a Bridge For Sale)
Jim Ussailis, National Wireless, Inc. |
Past |
| October | 27 |
Planning and Delivering a Successful Online Seminar
Lisa Neal, eLearn Magazine |
Past |
| November | 17 |
Financial Issues for Consultants and Contractors
Christopher Gullotti, Canby Financial Advisors, LLC |
Past |
| December | 07 |
Writing Business Plans (this is a TUESDAY)
(joint meeting with Boston Entrepreneurs Network) |
Past |
| January | 26 |
Learn How to Configure and Secure Your Home Network
Jeff Goldberg, Qualware Instructional Services |
Past |
| February | 23 |
How to Streamline Your Software Development Projects with Eclipse
Jason Wilson & Steve Greffenius, Pathfinder Solutions |
Past |
| March | 23 |
Fixed Price vs. Per Hour: Securing an Income as a Consultant
(panel) |
Firm |
| April | 27 |
Model Driven Architecture
Peter Fontana, Pathfinder Solutions |
Firm |
| May | 25 |
Using Copyrights and Trade Secrets to Gain and Protect your Edge in Business
Robert Adelson, Engel & Schultz LLP |
Firm |
| June | See July for Annual Social Event | (tentative) | |
| July | (12) | Annual Social Event | firm |
| August | Nothing Scheduled | (tentative) | |
| September | 28 |
Topic
by |
(tentative) |
| Next Steering Committee Meeting - (see bottom of this page) |
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Jim is one of our own. He is a long-time Consultants Network member and one of the people who has been successful in the consulting and small manufacturing business. He has explained the practical realities of consulting at various organizations and universities.
Unlike the man in the TV infomercial who claims to have become fabulously wealthy selling real estate and will tell you how you too can become rich if you send $400 for a videotape and 3-ring binder, Jim actually earns his living in this business and is sharing his knowledge and experience for free.
If you are just getting started in consulting, or thinking about it, you will want to hear this. If you are an established consultant this advice can help you survive and succeed. If you are an ‘internal consultant’ within a large company this information can help you to leverage your position or your groups position.
Jim has also recently completed an SBIR project and will discuss the pros and cons.
There will be time for questions and answers afterwards. Jim will also answer microwave and RF questions, and probably questions on any other topics in which the audience is interested.
Jim is the founder of National Wireless, Inc. (www.nationalwireless.com) located in Florence (Northampton), Massachusetts.
National Wireless designs, develops, and manufactures RF and microwave circuits, receivers, transmitters, and antennas.
A speciality is ISM (Industrial, Scientific, & Medical) band wireless products.
Jim can be reached by phone: (413)586-5111, fax: (413)586-4422,
or e-mail: Jim@nationalwireless.com.
The NEW MEETING LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN, 727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA. Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Consultants are often looking for ways to reach a broad audience, and what better way to do this than to present online. To have an effective webconference, the biggest hurdle is learning how to prepare and present differently to be effective. Many of the skills that work in person need to be refined to be effective online. Presentation materials play a more crucial role online since it is the main thing the audience sees. The level of interactivity in an online seminar should generally be higher since people are more likely to multitask when online than in person. There are many technologies for webconferencing, and determining which to use, which features within a particular product, and how to orchestrate and manage a seminar are challenging. In this session, you will learn how to:
Dr. Lisa Neal is Editor-in-Chief of ACM eLearn Magazine, www.eLearnMag.org, and an e-learning consultant whose clients include Aptima, Drexel University, AFS, and the National Institutes of Health. She has set up online seminar series for clients including the Cognitive Science Society, whose seminar series is in its third year. She was project manager for Plimoth Plantation's Online Learning Center, www.plimoth.org/olc, which won a Best of the Web award for Innovation at the Museums and the Web 2004 Conference. Lisa is also an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at Tufts Medical School. She is a frequent conference speaker and tutorial instructor. Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Harvard University. Lisa can be reached by email at lisa@acm.org or by phone at 781-861-7373.
The NEW MEETING LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN, 727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA. Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Consultants, contractors, and self-employed professionals face unique challenges. Unlike corporate employees, self-employed engineers have at least two jobs: being an engineer and a business owner.
Join us on November 17 for a discussion with financial advisor Chris Gullotti about financial issues for consultants and contractors. The session will be an open discussion on the most important questions you have about your money, including:
Christopher P. Gullotti, MSFP, is a financial advisor with Canby Financial Advisors, LLC,
www.canbyfinancial.com,
an independent financial planning and investment management firm in Framingham, Mass. He earned his Master of Science in Financial Planning, with high distinction, from Bentley College and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire.
Chris has been published in the Journal of Financial Planning and has appeared multiple times on local television discussing the role of the financial advisor. He is an active member of the Financial Planning Association. Chris lives in Sudbury and enjoys coaching his children’s soccer and little league teams.
Chris can be reached at 508-309-1351 and at
cgullotti@canbyfinancial.com.
The NEW MEETING LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN, 727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA. Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
Joint E-Net/C-Net Meeting -- TUESDAY, December 7, 2004
This is the traditional annual joint meeting between C-Net and E-Net. Current C-Net members are entitled to attend this meeting at no charge. All other non-E-Net members must pay the normal $20 fee at the door. See the Boston E-Net website (www.boston-enet.org) for details and directions to their meeting location.
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, January 26, 2005
As the first scheduled CNET general meeting of the new year, this talk will focus on
delivering practical tips that are equally of value to consultants, small businessmen, and
home users alike. This talk will include an interactive discussion of setting up a small
network, either wired or wireless, with an emphasis on demystifying LAN terminology,
providing some protection against hostile Internet attacks, sharing resources such as
printers, and Internet sharing techniques for multiple computers to share a single Internet
connection.
Possible subjects for discussion include:
Jeff Goldberg, of Qualware Instructional Services, is a long time innovative user of
UNIX and Internet services. Mr. Goldberg currently develops and delivers customized
corporate training classes along with very flexible scheduling, to avoid project disruption,
in the fields of IT operations, operating system and computer languages. Specialties
include UNIX Fundamentals, Perl and Shell Scripting, Linux/UNIX System
Administration and TCP/IP Networking, Web Technologies such as Visual Basic, Java
Script, PHP Apache, C++, Java and SQL Database Access, Computer and Network
Security. Individual once-a-week classes are available when in-house corporate training
is not a viable option, just visit
http://www.consultme.com/training.
If you would like a proposal for a reasonably-priced in-house course, or just need
more information on anything mentioned, e-mail to
training2005@qualware.com
or contact Mr. Goldberg at 781-229-1530 x2 (Qualware) or
j.goldberg@ieee.org .
Meeting LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN,
727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA.
Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
See Map
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Model Driven Architecture offers big gains for embedded systems developers, but the problem of integrating the tools required for MDA has not yielded a simple solution. Developers need a UML editor, a transformation engine, a compiler, and a code debugger. A model-level debugger and hardware simulators also aid the process. Eclipse, an open source framework, can solve some of these integration problems and streamline the development process. This presentation explains how Eclipse helps embedded systems developers with design, model transformation, debugging, and system deployment. Jason Wilson is a senior software engineer with Pathfinder Solutions. A highly creative and diligent engineer, Jason handles Java development, testing, and integration of Pathfinder's development tools with Eclipse. Steven Greffenius is the technical publications manager at Pathfinder Solutions. An outstanding writer and teacher, he can communicate technical material clearly and concisely. Active in the Boston Consultants Network since 1997, he joined Pathfinder in 2004. Learn more about Pathfinder Solutions at http://PathfinderMDA.com
Meeting LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN,
727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA.
Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
See Map
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Should you bill your clients by the hour (or day), or provide a fixed price for a project?
Please join us on Wednesday, March 23rd as the IEEE Consultants Network hosts a panel discussion about one of the most important, and controversial, aspects of a consultant's practice - how to bill. Craig Goldman, CoAutomation Inc., will start the session with a short dialogue about why he feels professional consultants should offer their services at a fixed price. Afterwards, he will open the discussion to a panel of leading CNET members who will offer opposing, supporting and other opinions. We will end the session with a generous allotment for audience questions and comments regarding this topic as well as other issues related to billing and collecting. It will be a great night filled with war stories and remarkable tales of success.
Meeting LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN,
727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA.
Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
See Map
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Software engineers have worked hard to find new ways to develop high performance systems more efficiently and reliably. One of these new methods is Model Driven Architecture (MDA). This presentation explains how practicing engineers can use MDA to develop complex software systems. Peter Fontana, President of Pathfinder Solutions, explains what MDA is, how to use it, and what benefits your software development team can expect from it. Among other things, you'll learn how MDA helps your team to:
Pathfinder Solutions develops MDA tools for software engineers, and works closely with the Object Management Group to develop industry standards. For more information about Model Driven Architecture, please visit http://PathfinderMDA.com
and
http://omg.org.
Peter Fontana is the founder and President of Pathfinder Solutions. His pragmatic focus on field-tested solutions makes Pathfinder unique, and a leader in the practical application of Model Driven Architecture. His extensive experience and results-oriented approach has helped Pathfinder customers achieve quick, substantial returns on their MDA investment and sustained success for their software development projects. Prior to founding Pathfinder Solutions, Mr. Fontana held senior technical and management positions at Cadre Technologies, Raytheon, Computervision and USAFGL. He holds a BS/CS with Scientific and Engineering Applications focus from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
- Plan the system at the outset and throughout the product development cycle
- Estimate time to completion for each phase of the project
- Manage system complexity as software requirements change
- Integrate system components easily and quickly
- Reduce the time required for testing and maintenance
- Promote reuse of software components across platforms
- Make every team member more productive
- Improve the overall quality and reliability of the delivered system
Meeting LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN,
727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA.
Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
See Map
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Copyrights and Trade Secrets - Key Commercial Asset
Copyrights and Trade Secrets can be an important assets that can add value to your business, service or product. They are also an important protection for work of your creation or customer information, know-how and other business information developed over time or in current use and proprietary to you. If properly used they can give you an edge or enable you to keep your edge over your competition in business and serve as a low cost, practical barrier to entry.
For example, say Sam Smith develops a novel program or product, sells it over the internet or through distributors or reps and later finds his program and materials copied and marketed by his largest competitor. Copyright filings for program materials and software code would allow him to sue for infringement. If the program or information were protected by trade secret agreements with proper vigilance, recovery for breach of those contracts would also be possible. This could include action against a former employee or contractor who breached properly developed trade secret protections Smith had previously put in place, and potentially treble damages against the competitor that wrongfully obtained and used the information.
Prior copyright and trade secret protection in both cases could have put competitors on notice, and given key rights to the owner / developer when rights were violated, both against competitor and also against former employee in the later case. Existence of such rights can take on its own value as a business grows.
Less Costly Barrier than Patents, but Practical IP Protection
The best protection for inventions is utility patents, which offer a 20-year monopoly from date of grant. Even those who do not copy or independently develop are barred from use unless they license from the patent holder.
However, to gain patent protection, the invention must be a “useful process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter” or improvement of the same. It cannot be obvious and must be an advance over prior art, with the application filed within 1 year of first publication, public use or offer for sale. It must be fully disclosed and can take several years and generally $7,000-12,000 in filing and legal fees, and, after PTO vetting, may prove be too narrow to protect against infringement.
Thus, if the invention is not intended for mass marketing, or if disclosure, time delays or costs or patent requirements raise concerns, then, copyright or trade secret protection may offer cheaper and more practical intellectual property protection.
Copyright Filings - Benefits; Protections for all kinds of Works
Copyright is the exclusive right to copy and control publication of original expressive work fixed by the author in a written work, sketch, computer code, audio or video recording, architectural work or other tangible medium. Thus, copyright protects the expression but not the idea itself and bars against copying but not independent development.
Federal filing within 3 months of publication or prior to infringement is needed to gain statutory damages and attorneys fees in later infringement actions to defend works. Forms TX, VA, PA, SR and/or others are used depending on work and a deposit of materials is needed, but filing costs and expected attorney fees are a fraction of patent costs – generally, less than $1,000, even with compilation and serial filings, and sometimes even less than $500, with registration secured in months not years. Yet, duration is longer than patents – author or joint author’s life plus 70 years, or 35 years from author’s transfer, or 95 years from publication in case of “work for hire.”
Copyright protection for computer source and object code is also possible, where disclosure in the form of Copyright Office deposit blots out most of the source code.
Trade Secrets – Any Edge in Business, but Vigilance Essential
A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device or compilation of information used in one’s business which gives owner an opportunity to obtain advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.
Thus, while trade secret have the broadest scope in information covered, with novelty or even expression not required, they are the hardest to safeguard because they must be kept confidential and vigilance is needed.
State law and court decisions which uphold trade secrets look to these elements:
Trade secret protection involves confidential information agreements with employees, contractors and sometimes distributors and clients as well - those with access to the information and further programs internally to demonstrate care and protection afforded information. Attorney’s fees for such work may be $1,000 or more, but still far less than patent costs, and well worth the cost if key information is later pirated and legal action is needed against a formerly trusted associate. Duration is as long as secret is maintained. Some continuing trade secrets, have existed for centuries! (c)2005 Robert A. Adelson, Esq.
Author /Speaker, Robert Adelson, Esq. – Prominent Boston Business Attorney
Robert A. Adelson, the author of this article and speaker, is a corporate, tax, contracts and intellectual property attorney and partner in the 7-attorney firm, Engel & Schultz LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, MA 02110, 617-951-9800,
radelson@engelschultz.com ,
website www.engelschultz.com .
Mr. Adelson’s firm is a general practice business-oriented law firm, with other attorneys who specialize in litigation, real estate, tax compliance, estate planning and family law, areas which compliment Mr. Adelson’s work in business law. All seven Engel Schultz attorneys have over 20 years law or business experience.
Mr. Adelson has been a business attorney since 1977. He began his law career as an associate with major New York City law firms, first Wall Street firm Dewey Ballantine and later the Park Avenue firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, before returning home to Boston in 1985, where he has been a partner at several medium and small Boston firms. Over the last 12 years, Mr. Adelson has been with two different Boston firms before joining Engel & Schultz in 2004; however, he maintains positive relations with these two former firms, so that attorneys and resources of those law firms are available to Mr. Adelson along with those of his present 7-attorney firm.
Robert Adelson’s clients are early stage technology-based companies, consultants, senior executives and key employees, and family businesses. His main practice areas include the following:
Mr. Adelson is a graduate of Boston University with a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta. He received his J.D. degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, where he was a member of the Law Review and his LL.M. degree in taxation from New York University.
Mr. Adelson is a frequent lecturer for entrepreneur and professional groups. He has written numerous published articles, including articles in the Boston Business Journal, Mass High Tech, Family Business Magazine, Darwin Magazine, Genetic Engineering News and The Culpepper Letter (serving the software industry). Mr. Adelson is a member of the Massachusetts and New York Bars, and a member of the Executive Board of the IEEE Boston Entrepreneurs Network and the Advisory Board of the 128 Innovation Capital Group. Mr, Adelson’s work as an attorney has been recognized in articles in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald and in a chapter of the book End of Shareholder Value, published in 2000.
Meeting LOCATION is the SHERATON LEXINGTON INN,
727 Marrett Road (Rt. 2A) in Lexington, MA.
Take exit 30B off Route 128 to Route 2A (WEST). The hotel is on the right side.
See Map
The Consultants Network meeting starts at 7:00 PM. No pre-registration. Casual dress.
FEE:
No charge for Consultants Network members.
$7.00 Non-members (at the door)
Information: E-mail: cn.boston@ieee.org, Web: http://www.boston-consult.org
Go to main Consultants Network page
Please join the Boston Consultants' Network and the
Boston Entrepreneurs' Network on our
3rd Annual Sunset Cruise and Networking Evening on Boston Harbor.
The evening is an enjoyable, casual wrap-up of the CNET/ENET 2004-2005 season for members, guests and ENET speakers whose insightful comments and presentations you've enjoyed throughout the year. We always have a large turnout, so make your reservations today!
The M/V Harbor Belle is a beautifully designed replica paddle wheel steamship with an intimate, yet comfortable venue for hosting sunset cruises and networking events on Boston Harbor. Her main deck is climate controlled for year round comfort. The M/V Harbor Belle is berthed at Rowes Wharf, behind the Boston Harbor Hotel on Atlantic Ave., Boston.
Board at 6:45 p.m. Cruise 7:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., Network Dockside until 10:15 p.m
Price includes hors d'oeuvres & cash bar.
Directions and Parking: Park in a nearby lot
(click here for parking and directions)
or take the MBTA "T" Blue Line to Aquarium or Red Line to South Station.
Please note: due to "Big Dig" construction, directions might
change as roads are opened and closed.
Allow extra time and check directions before driving to Boston.
Next Steering Committee (Volunteers) Meeting: June 6, 2005.
Meetings are normally (unless other wise stated here) held on the FIRST Monday
of the month at the Yangtze River Restaurant, Depot Square, Lexington
(off Massachusetts Ave. at Lexington Center)
and begin at 6:30PM sharp.
Meals are subsidized.
ALL ARE WELCOME to attend!!
BECOME INVOLVED - GET MORE BENEFIT FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
Go to main Consultants Network page
Write to:
IEEE Boston Section Consultants' Network
P.O. Box 373
Lexington, MA 02420-0004
or E-mail:
cn_info@qualware.com
Copyright 1996-2005 Return to I.E.E.E. Boston Consultants' Network