Information technology professionals around Richland County and surrounding counties have the opportunity to collaborate on ideas and technology thanks to the North Central Ohio Regional Information Technology Alliance (NCORITA).
Created by Bill Danuloff, retired V.P. and CIO of Gorman-Rupp Company, NCORITA’s mission is to create educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networking and advocacy for economic development within the Mid-Ohio area. Danuloff said the organization originally began approximately 35 years ago as a way for IT professionals to share ideas and solutions regarding mainframe computers.
“People moved away from that over the years, so that dissolved,” said Danuloff, until approximately three years ago. “I suggested starting an IT user group to share solutions and things we’ve done so others don’t have to face the same problems.”
Members of NCORITA meet on a monthly basis to discuss specific topics, sometimes hearing from a guest speaker. Past topics include content management and collaboration, keeping up with the ever-changing technology landscape, and desk operating systems. Pat Wischmeier, IT director of Gorman-Rupp Company, said the group has hosted guest speakers from Dell and MT Business Products in the past.
“It’s an open discussion sometimes. Other times it’s a presentation from a vendor, and we often ask people for specific topics to talk about,” said Wischmeier. “Usually four or five people from my team attend, and I think they usually walk away with something. It’s really good to hear other companies and how they’re applying technology. You might hear one good idea and say wow, that could really help us out here.”
In addition to monthly meetings, NCORITA hosts an annual conference in October hosting approximately 150 people and 30 technology vendors. Wischmeier explained the conference features a keynote speaker as well as a handful of other speakers touching on different topics. The next NCORITA conference, scheduled for Jan. 15, 2015 at the Kehoe Center in Shelby, will surround the theme of mobile technology.
“This whole thing on mobile is an eye-opening thing when you think about the security around mobile devices,” said Wischmeier. “It may make you think twice about what you put on your mobile device when you look at what’s out there and the capabilities people could have if they hacked into stuff.”
Wischmeier noted the group is not exclusive to IT industry professionals, as many students from North Central State College, The Ohio State University Mansfield and Ashland University are also involved. He stated NCORITA members often collaborate with local schools to help develop their curriculum based on industry needs.
“We’re really trying to get students involved in IT, because there is a shortage of IT people and we’re really finding it a challenge to hire good, quality people down in this area,” said Wischmeier. “It’s getting awareness out there and letting people know you can have a good career in IT, you can make good money and have a long-term career and advance, and those are all things we want to let students know.”
NCORITA currently has approximately 100 members, but the group is always looking to grow. Danuloff stated his goal was to have representation from every company’s IT department in the area.
“Every company has an IT department; if it’s small they get the benefit of bigger companies, and bigger companies should be members to strengthen the IT community in this area,” said Danuloff. “The more members we have, the more it benefits all of us. Synergy of an organization like this only strengthens it.”
For Wischmeier, the networking opportunities available through being a member of NCORITA have been the most valuable.
“I’ve been in IT for 32 years or so and it’s changed so much, so it’s great to get out and listen to what other companies are doing,” said Wischmeier. “It’s about sharing our experiences and what we know works and doesn’t work. It may save somebody a lot of time and money.”
For IT professionals interested in joining NCORITA, membership information can be found on their website.
“Every company has an IT department; if it’s small they get the benefit of bigger companies, and bigger companies should be members to strengthen the IT community in this area,” said Bill Danuloff.
