(Charlotte, N.C.) Mariner proudly congratulates Javier Guillén for being honored as a Microsoft® Community Contributor. The Community Contributor Award (http://www.microsoftcommunitycontributor.com/) honors those who voluntarily contribute time and energy to improve the Microsoft Online Community for others. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C. and Chicago, IL) Celergo, a leading provider of consolidated global payroll services, today announced that it has received $15 million in expansion funding from Frontier Capital. Frontier is a private equity firm providing growth equity to technology enabled business services companies. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) Four of Mariner’s Business Intelligence Consultants will lead informational and training sessions for in SQL Saturday #70 Columbia, SC on March 19, 2011. The popular Saturday events replicated in cities across the U.S., provides a full day of free information and training from 8:30am to 4:00pm. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) William E. (Bill) Pearson, III, Microsoft SQL Server MVP (Most Valuable Professional), thought leader, speaker and Mariner associate consultant, will once again lead an informational and training session for SQL Server Saturday attendees. Following up his recent events,   SQL Saturday #66 (Colorado Springs, CO) and SQL Saturday #47 (Phoenix, AZ), Pearson provides insight to attendees of SQL Saturday #65 in Vancouver on February 26, 2011, the first SQL Saturday conducted in Canada. (more…)

(Greensboro, N.C.) The Cemala Foundation has awarded a grant of $32,500 to HandyCapable Network (HCN) to provide 185 computers to economically disadvantaged families of Guilford County elementary school students. Delivery of the computers, planned for Oak Hill Elementary School, will go to families that do not own a computer. Distribution will begin on Tuesday, February 22, at 4:30 p.m. at Oak Hill Elementary School. At that time, the first 50 computers will be delivered. Subsequent distributions, 50 computers at a time, will occur on March 30, April 13, and May 3. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) Mariner has retained its Microsoft Gold Partner status for the eighth year in a row. The revised Partner Network requires companies to earn each competency separately requiring a greater number of certifications and customer references.  Mariner has retained Gold for the Business Intelligence competency and added Silver for Data Platform competency. (more…)

(Beijing and Tokyo) Lenovo and NEC Corporation (NEC) announced a strategic relationship that creates a joint venture between the two companies and forms the largest PC group in Japan. The agreement aligns NEC, Japan’s number one PC company, with Lenovo, the fastest growing top-five PC maker in the world*. The new joint venture gives both Lenovo and NEC a unique opportunity to grow their commercial and consumer PC businesses in Japan, the third largest PC market in the world, through a stronger market position, enhanced product portfolios, and expanded distribution channels. (more…)

(Morrisville, N.C.) The Research Triangle Park’s local business advocacy organization, the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce, has announced that Lenovo President and Chief Operating Officer Rory Read will deliver the keynote address at the organization’s 20th Annual Meeting on Thursday, February 24. Headquartered jointly in Morrisville and Beijing, Lenovo is a $16 billion enterprise with 23,000 employees, over 1,700 of whom are based in Morrisville. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) Jackrabbit Technologies, a leading provider of web-based solutions for child activity centers, has partnered with Softerware, the maker of EZ-CARE2 to offer EZCare Online to single- and multi-site childcare providers and before & afterschool programs. EZCare Online, which is already in use in many daycare programs across the country, allows center directors to manage their busineses using a comprehensive and flexible, web-based application. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) William E. (Bill) Pearson, III, Microsoft SQL Server MVP (Most Valuable Professional), thought leader, speaker and Mariner associate consultant, will once again lead an informational and training session for SQL Server Saturday attendees. Following up his recent event, SQL Saturday #45 (Louisville, KY)), Pearson provides insight to attendees of SQL Saturday #57 in Houston on January 29, 2011. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) William E. (Bill) Pearson, III, Microsoft SQL Server MVP (Most Valuable Professional), thought leader, speaker and Mariner associate consultant, will once again lead an informational and training session for SQL Server Saturday attendees. Following up his recent event, SQL Saturday #61 (Washington DC), Pearson provides insight to attendees of SQL Saturday # 45 in Louisville on January 22, 2011. (more…)

(Charlotte, N.C.) Dr. Gregory Firn, Superintendent of the Anson County Schools, will be featured in a webinar hosted by Mariner and Microsoft on January 20th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (see registration information below). School and district leaders are invited to participate in “Improving Student Achievement and District Operations with SeeChange™ Performance Management System.” In this webinar, the second in a series of five, Dr. Firn, will share the improvements in operations, student achievement and institutional and teacher effectiveness gained from Mariner’s SeeChange™ Performance Management System. In addition, David “Fitz” Fitzgerald, Mariner’s Vice President of the Education Group, will present a behind-the-scenes view of the SeeChange™ Data Foundation, the underly (more…)