From Technologies Management, Inc.- Adieu 2013 and bring on 2014!!!

Article|December 30, 2013

From: Everyone at TMI to bring in the New Year.

For: All those with whom we shared 2013.

“Larry Barnes, a long-time client, friend and Texas PUC staff expert, has joined the ranks of the retired effective December 18, 2013. I will miss his friendly banter, self-effacing humor, and wicked wit. Spain will never be the same after that cowboy gets there! “

Connie Wightman

“For over 20 years, I have seen our clients grow, merge, exit the business, enter new lines of business, start new enterprises. Thanks to those of you who continue take us with you to your new endeavors. Your success is still our primary objective and we hope 2014 is your best year yet.”

Rick Johnson

“Congratulations to all who have made 2013 the year of their retirement, especially Lois Meerdink from the Oregon Public Utility. From insight on general telecommunications compliance to CLEC Regulatory Compliance, Lois has been a tremendous source of guidance for Technologies Management Inc. throughout the years! Best of luck in your new endeavors!”

Alex Fernandez

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every Commission Staff member with whom I have come in contact and/or has provided assistance with applications, tariff revisions, telecom regulatory consulting, and tariff research and compliance filings over the past years. There is, however, one individual who I would like to nominate “Person of the Year”….. Todd Mitchell at the FCC. Todd has always gone above and beyond. Happy Holidays to you all and I am looking forward to many more years of joint collaboration!”

Iris Mennens

“It’s hard to believe that 2013 marked my 20 year anniversary at TMI and from the gray hair I see in the mirror, I know it is a fact. To all the Commission Staff and employees that I have worked with who have retired and to my clients (some who have worked with me for the entire 20 years), I say thank you. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Here’s looking forward to 2014!”

Tom Forte

“As the year winds down and the final Secretary of State annual reports and telecom compliance report filings are submitted for 2013, it’s gratifying to look back at what we at Technologies Management, Inc. have accomplished on behalf of our clients. Thanks to you all for allowing TMI to address your regulatory compliance reporting needs. Happy Holidays to you and yours.”

Phyllis Miller

”Once again, the FCC has managed to surprise me by what they did or did not do. 2013’s surprises included acting on inmate calling service rates 10 years after the original petition was filed, actually reversing a bad USAC decision, therefore clarifying what is reported on the Form 499, and annoyingly “furloughing” their website during the government shut-down. Let’s hope the Wheeler FCC has more good surprises in store for us in 2014, like maybe finally deciding whether interconnected VoIP is an information service or a telecommunications service. After all, 2014 will make 10 years since that proceeding began!”

Amy Gross

“This year I’ve taken a real interest in the many ways to harness energy for our use. Living in a state without electric competition, and seeing what states with that competition do via their energy compliance reports, has opened my eyes. Sources like fracking are all over the news now, and I was somewhat grossed out that we use landfill gas to create energy. Every little bit we save is less we have to generate and even I have become a bit greener with my power usage!”

Kimberly Geuder

“As 2013 comes to an end and we reflect upon on all that has taken place, the one thing that remains constant from one year to the next is change – and in the world of Inmate Calling Services, change is no exception. With all the comprehensive developments taking place in the institutional industry, I look forward in working with our clients and providing insight on new tariff filing requirements and any telecommunications compliance issues that may arise in the upcoming year. Happy Holidays!”

Laura McGrath

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that an FCC Commissioner would find a way to link the SyFy Channel movie, Sharknado, to our Nation’s need for reliable mobile emergency alert systems. Thank you, Commissioner Pai, for your “tweet” of July 12, 2013. I will continue to follow you on Twitter for Technologies Management, Inc. and can’t wait to hear more from you in 2014!”

Jennifer Durst-Jarrell

“Can you believe it? The year is almost over… Looking back on it with all of the compliance reporting challenges out there, I would like to take this opportunity express our many thanks to Solix, Inc. for their support. We look forward to the continued working relationship in the upcoming year.”

Trish Kirby

“TMI Compliance fills my day, especially telecommunications compliance and daily contact with staff at State and Federal Agencies, as well as, Program Administrators of those funds for which we provide compliance and reporting services could be a tedious task. However, that activity has been made easier because of those dedicated people who have extended extra effort to provide their assistance. I am thankful for each and every one of them and look forward to more opportunities to interact again in 2014!”

Pat Atkisson

“Although reports such as the FCC Form 477 and FCC Form 555 are electronically filed as opposed to mail-delivered, we processed many reports and filings in 2013. This has kept our vendors extremely busy and we’re appreciative of their hard-work and dedication, especially Doug Stutes of DEX Imaging and Michelle Allegra of UPS. Your commitment to success has made our jobs here at TMI that much more enjoyable. We look forward to continued success in the years to come. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!”

Keith Rice

“As our Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Rate Analyst, I am extremely proud of our continued transition to web-base html applications, databases, and still more online publication access. Super fast and accurate results and ease of use mixed with virtually no paper, it’s like magic. Maybe even Holiday Magic? And so are my co-workers who make it all happen. FYI- we recycle our cans, too.”

Ken Yeager

”With each passing year more Commissions choose to go “green” and change their tariff filing requirements from paper filings to electronic uploads. In addition to being a welcome relief to our overworked copiers, it is a reminder of how every piece of paper we do not use preserves the environment for our future generations. Looking forward to even better things to come!”

Margeaux Pennywell

“I was so pleased to reap the benefits of our membership in ARMA International. This group helps keep my Administrator/Document Management Team informed of the latest technology trends and applications, as well as the legislation and regulations that affect our daily records/business challenges. I have been an active member of this organization since 2010 and continue to find the information that they provide essential as it relates to guidelines, standards and best practices in records management. Happy holidays to all members and associates.”

Ricardo Lattimore

“This year a long time client of Technologies Management, Inc., Cheryl Capps, has retired after 40 years! While I have enjoyed working with everyone in her group, Maria Cataldo and Frank Mancino have stepped to the plate to fill her very large shoes. I am looking forward to supporting them with everything from regulatory consulting and tariff research to tariff maintenance and even more in the New Year!”

Lorri Wright

“I was fortunate enough to celebrate 20 years at TMI in 2013! After so many years of telecom tariff monitoring and competitive rate analysis, it was a nice change of pace to research energy resale regulations in various states. I look forward to watching energy competition grow across the nation as it did for telecommunications in the 1990’s.”

Karen Ritter

“Wow – Lifeline Prepaid Wireless made a big splash in 2013! Here at TMI we are processing lifeline regulatory compliance reports with the FCC, USAC, and all of the states. The FCC Form 481 debuted in October, and provided collective value for the federal and state recipients. The 481 is due July 1st in 2014, but hold on – here comes the Form 555 in January!”

Craig Neeld

“My telecommunication career began in 1982 ~ just after divestiture (I was very young)! Every time I thought my job was getting routine, some major change had us all scrambling to keep up. As TMI has expanded into the world of energy, I found shifting my telecom skills over to the world of competitive energy challenging. Energy is a whole other world of multiple acronyms and regulations! 2014 will be interesting, for both industries, to be sure.”

Frances Martens

“Technologies Management, Inc. surprises me every year with more and more innovative solutions for me to utilize. Especially when I look back at how the FCC has changed filing requirements for reporting Form 477 data and how much easier TMI has made this process. Don’t get me wrong, for some carriers this filing may top the list of dreadful regulatory obligations every six months! Whether sending Census Tract information, VoIP Subscriber Counts, or other complex requirement – we can handle it! Happy Holiday Wishes To All This Season!”

Marie Simpson

“Two and a half years ago, when I was getting my Masters degree in Human Resources, I couldn’t have imagined that I would be applying my skills to this energetic consulting firm that provides regulatory support to the telecommunications and energy resale industries. Wow – Happy Holidays and let’s look forward to an exciting 2014 at TMI!”

Jessica Garcia

“As we close out 2013 and look forward to 2014, I’m reminded why I love my job – change. Status quo is easy, but it is change that challenges, makes us grow, and drives us to develop the best solutions and strategies. This year brought more changes in special access and lifeline reforms. While telecom deregulation continued its slow and steady pace, 2013 also took me further into the world of competitive energy markets. Which new markets will open up for electric competition? Will roof top solar fees become more common? What new billing and consumer information requirements lie ahead? How will ever increasing consumer privacy concerns impact net metering, call records and other customer information requirements? Sure, there are days where status quo is appealing, but it is the thrill of “what’s next” that makes me look toward 2014.”

Ann Marie Kemp

“Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all our clients!”

R.H.

“The 30-year old Intercarrier compensation mechanism known fka Switched Access reached an important milestone in 2013 when complete intrastate/interstate rate parity was achieved (well, for Terminating traffic anyway). That’s been a clear policy objective from the beginning, but I know losing that revenue made 2013 a little less joyous for some carriers. For 2014, the regulatory focus shifts a bit toward Special Access and the FCC’s massive data request!”

Carey Roesel

“Regulatory changes adopted in 2013 are likely to have profound effects on the institutional operator service industry for years to come. From the FCC’s new interim rate caps to the new operational requirements in Illinois and New Mexico and from the revised rate caps in Louisiana to the extensive rule changes proposed in Alabama, the industry is being faced with new challenges as it seeks to remain profitable while still being in telecommunications compliance. 2014 should be eventful – – Happy New Year to all!”

Robin Norton

“The launch of TMI’s new website in 2013 has given me (and others here) a new medium for communicating with our clients and regulators: the BLOG! Having never been a BLOGGER before, I’ve found it liberating to report on regulatory developments in a less formal and sometimes more creative style than normal. Where else but in a blog could we have used an animated mouse on a hamster wheel when reporting on the FCC’s inexplicable decision to furlough its website during the government shut down? Or written about the impending release of 2014 499 instructions in the form of a takeoff on “The Night Before Christmas” poem? I can’t wait to see what grist for the blog mill 2014 will bring!”

Sharon Thomas

“TMI believes in building team member relationships outside of the office. I enjoyed the time on “The Farm” with coworkers where the interaction was on a more personal level (Fun!). The camaraderie from the outing filters back into the workplace and helps make TMI one of the best working places there is.”

Jackie Gilchrist

“As we ring in the New Year with another “Auld Lang Syne” ringing in our heads, I’d like to take a moment to fondly look back at all the FCC access reform filings I made between May-July. Ah, the sweet smell of accomplishment! I couldn’t have done it without my fellow TMI associates who kindly helped me meet the tariff filing deadlines of bringing terminating access charges in compliance with the FCC access charge reform order. Ready to do it again in 2014? I say, “Bring it on!”

Grace Stanley