Technology Committee

Wanting to stay on pace with our business members, in early 2007 the Palms West Chamber of Commerce made it a top priority to obtain dollars that would secure an upgraded membership system and hardware, plus allow for a website redesign. Also during that time, the budget process allowed the Board of Directors to make a permanent commitment to technology by creating a communications/IT staff position within the organization. Within a few months, an anonymous donor stepped up with a contribution of $25,000, which provided the necessary capital to begin the process.

Leading the effort is the Palms West Chamber of Commerce's Technology Committee. For those looking to relocate, the website offers community profiles, plus key areas of interest such as education, healthcare and houses of worship. Visitor information includes listings of hotels, restaurants, shopping venues, cultural centers and more. Our members, whether they are new businesses or established businesses in the area, can find useful information about the chamber, including upcoming networking functions, local and county facts and demographics, community events and advertising opportunities.

It has taken the efforts of many people to make so many changes in a short period of time. Dave O'Keefe, president of Your Computer Guy and an active Technology Committee member, donated a Dell server with Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition installed, along with the hardware installation and data migration. "All information will now reside on the server rather than on individual personal computers," O'Keefe explained. "The result is that staff members will have remote access to their computers and files when working from home or while out of town. We expect remarkable efficiencies to come about from this infrastructure overhaul."

With most of the major changes completed in 2007, the Technology Committee plans to spend a majority of 2008 assisting in training, and refining the new systems put in place. "As with any new technology, there is a learning curve," Tomchin said. "We will be working closely with Chamber staff during the first half of the year to maximize the efficiencies and capabilities of our capital investment. After that, we will be looking for the next big thing to introduce to the organization."