Name: Kevork Derderian

Webpage: www.continentalofficeplaza.com

Phone: 847.376.2001

Email: rhd@colltd.com

What does your company do? Continental Offices Ltd. is a multi-disciplined, full-service real estate firm with a broad range of in-house capabilities – property management, tenant relations, construction management, leasing and marketing.

How long have you been in business? Over 40 years; Continental Offices Ltd. was founded by Roland E. Casati in 1971.

Who is your target market? Commercial Property owners. We currently manage and lease Office and Apartment buildings as well as manage construction projects related to both. For our own account we manage the Regency Office Plaza, www.regencyofficeplaza.com, and the Continental Office Plaza, www.continentalofficeplaza.com.

What sets you apart from your competitors? Continental Offices is committed to a high level, results-focused response to every client and tenant.  We attribute our capabilities to our good fortune of having starting in real estate as building owners.  As a result, we view the real estate business from the owner’s perspective; have the experience to respond to our changing customer needs and a spirit of innovation to help us anticipate those needs.

What is the best way to get in touch with and receive information from your company? Kevork Derderian, President, 847.376.2001. We welcome you to visit our offices anytime at 2340 South River Road, Suite 300, Des Plaines, Illinois, 60018.

What is your favorite part about your job? Finding solutions, real estate or otherwise.  Getting to know our tenants and clients as people so we can better serve them and their businesses.

What is your favorite… book/ movie/ food? My favorites are always changing.  Great food evolves every year with the innovative chefs that Chicago is so lucky to have.  Right now I find the book “Mastery” by Robert Greene very interesting.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Anywhere with my wife Rolanda – 38 years of marriage is no better place to be.  2nd choice – Tanzania along the Serengeti Border.  More species of beautiful animals than anywhere else in the world.

How has working with ADAR helped your business/organization? We have worked with the founders as SOLUS before they opened ADAR IT.  We have always respected the fact that they have looked out for our best interests first and have helped us with many solutions over the years.  ADAR IT’s highest priority is the safety of our data and the security of our systems; as well as making sure we have the fastest, smoothest, interface possible.

2012 has been an explosive year for Private Cloud Computing. Small and large businesses alike are beginning to utilize the cloud in a variety of different ways. From CRM software, to hosting their entire servers and desktops, the private cloud has been embraced by businesses worldwide. With the huge growth and adoption that the private cloud has seen this year, here are 5 must-know facts about this technological phenomenon.

 
Fact 1: According to the Aberdeen Group, Private clouds provide 12% (or more) of cost savings vs. the public cloud while simultaneously reducing costs by 38% “per application on security & compliance-related events.” This translates into huge savings for large and small businesses alike, which can now allocate their spending to different departments while keeping equipment and best practices up to date.  The private cloud allows C-level users to control what documents are visible and accessible to employees. If, however, you are using the public cloud, all of your data is exposed and you don’t know who is looking at what. Also, private clouds allow for dedicated firewalls that you control entirely, instead of a public cloud where the firewall can be changed or updated & can interfere with your work.

 
Fact 2: Private cloud computing also saves money on purchasing hardware such as servers and desktops. The private cloud allows for the IT department to increase or decrease server space as needed instead of buying extra “just in case.” Also, servers and desktops wear out. This means that technology like CPU’s & disk drives will be in need of upgrading too before the whole server is tossed when it’s between 3-5 years old. Private cloud computing allows for a lower cost of ownerships as none of the equipment is physically located in the office and can be scaled as necessary.

 
Fact 3: Private cloud adoption has made working from home easier & is pushing business owners, of large and small capacity, to adopt private cloud practices. As Globalization becomes more of a reality for the 21st Century, private cloud computing allows users to access their cloud desktops & information remotely and securely while being at home or around the globe through virtualization. Virtualization is the act of creating a virtual version of things like a desktop, server, or operating system.  This technology allows users to have access to their desktops & the information on the company server through a laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or when in the office, just a smart monitor.

 
Fact 4: Private Clouds Computing allows for faster disaster recovery and lower downtime.  The Aberdeen Group reports that the average downtime for a non-cloud operation is 8 hours per year, while average downtown of private-cloud operations is 2.1 hours per year. The private cloud is 4 times faster than a no-cloud system! In fact, 66% of businesses that use cloud, do so for the ability of quick disaster recovery & easy back up says the Aberdeen Group. Should an emergency take place, the private cloud allows users to not only work from remote locations, but secures their data so that none of it is lost. Aberdeen group reports that with private cloud, there are 25% fewer incidents where data is lost, or is exposed to unauthorized users. With less downtime, your company stays more productive & looses less money.

 
Fact 5: Private cloud allows for better customer service. Datamation.com states that those who deploy the private cloud “…reported a “significant improvement” in areas like service quality, operational efficiency and business outcomes. Successful cloud projects generally enjoyed high visibility among C-level or line-of-business executives.” Private clouds allow users to access their data quickly and efficiently, providing their customers with whatever information is needed with no lag time.

 
Adar IT is a pioneer in bringing the benefits of private Cloud-based IT to small-midsize businesses. Adar’s depth of knowledge and experience creates a seamless, reliable, secure and cost-effective solution for its customers. The complete combination of private cloud-based software, servers, desktops, hardware and support brings a Fortune-500-level infrastructure without the need for an expansive IT department. The result is improved productivity, data security, work flexibility and financial savings that enhance business performance.

 
For more information about how  Adar’s private Cloud IT solutions can help your business, please contact Dan Feinstein, Director of Sales and Marketing at dfeinstein@adarit.com, or call 877.860.0700

There is little or no security – FALSE. With a private cloud, your data is stored in multi-million dollar redundant data centers that have more physical and virtual security than your office or home space. From 24/7 physical monitoring, biometric fingerprint scanners, to man trap doors, firewalls, encryptions, and back-ups, the data center is an incredibly safe and protected space. A data center is constantly being monitored, not only by the staff employed at the center, but also the Adar IT staff. For more information about data center and cloud security, check out our blog here.

It’s expensive – FALSE. You’re only paying for what you use. This means that your IT system is easily scalable, where you can increase or decrease users and resources on demand. For example, a company hires a part-time employee. A Cloud IT environment allows the employer to add a Cloud Desktop for the months the user is with the company. So, instead of purchasing a desktop and software for a part-time or seasonal worker, a Cloud Desktop becomes more economical, and when the employee leaves, the cost of the desktop leaves with them. Also, you never again need to purchase or maintain servers, desktops, or core software. Doing away with upfront hardware and licensing costs can transfer into significant cost savings for your company.

The cloud is “untested” technology – FALSE. Cloud technologies have existed for over a decade and in different many forms! Whether you’ve been using Google Docs, Pandora, Flickr, or any other kind of online storage, you have been using the cloud. Also, cloud computing originally began as “mainframe” computing. Larger companies have been using cloud technologies for a while. It’s only recently that these technologies became cost-effective and readily available to small and midsize businesses. To read more about how the cloud evolved, check out our blog here.

Cloud computing is the next bubble – FALSE. The cloud computing market is expected to reach anywhere between $100-160BILLION by 2014. There has been a 100% growth in Small Business cloud adaptations between 2010 and 2011. Even though cloud computing has been around for many years, its penetration into the business sector has been fairly recent. As virtualization and cloud computing continues to find new applications within the business world, the cloud will only expand. To see a variety of infographics on cloud computing, check out our Pinterest page here.

Cloud computing replaces the IT “guy” – DEPENDS.

For the company providing the Cloud IT services, like Adar, they need IT professionals to run the infrastructure and support all the technology needs of their customers.

For small companies that have a business owner or some other non-IT person wearing the “IT Hat,” cloud IT providers, again, like Adar, can become their full service IT department.

For companies with an overworked internal IT staff, cloud options can offload a lot of the onsite troubleshooting and ongoing hardware maintenance. This frees up the IT staff to focus on implementing technologies that can help grow the business.

Marco Menzes

Cloud Support Engineer

Marco has been working in the technical field for over 15 years. At Adar, Marco maintains the IT infrastructure, provides customer technical support, handles incoming ticket requests and monitors the network.  Prior to joining the team, Marco worked in hardware and software technical support as well as technical training.

Marco holds received his bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Sao Judas University in Brazil and his Masters in Computer Science from DePaul University Chicago.

In his free time, Marco enjoys running, biking, playing soccer, and watching sports.

Name: Froum & Garlovsky

Phone Number: 312.380.5450

Email: info@froumgarlovsky.com

What does your company do?

Froum & Garlovsky LLC is a law firm that focuses on estate planning, probate, trust administration and related legal services to clients all over Chicagoland.  We help families and individuals carefully plan for their future and for the tax-efficient distribution of their assets to loved ones and favorite charities.

How long have you been in business?

Both of us have been working with clients in tax and estate planning for nearly 15 years.  Earlier this year we decided to merge our practices. We saw the opportunity to join our two law firms as an excellent way to bring an even greater level of service to our clients throughout the area. We have now expanded our geographic reach and found a way to better provide quality legal services.

What is your target market?

We work with families having modest assets on up to those who are extremely affluent.  In particular, our services can provide tremendous benefit to owners of closely held and family businesses.

What sets you apart from your competitors:

Due to the nature of this area of the law, we understand the need to combine a high level of legal skill with personal sensitivity and compassion.  As a result, we provide individualized attention from the beginning to the end of the planning and administration process.

What is the best way to get in touch with and receive information from your company?

We welcome your phone calls to 312-380-5450 and emails to info@froumgarlovsky.com.  To learn more about us, we invite you to view our website at www.froumgarlovsky.com.

What is your favorite part about your job?

When clients tell us that we’ve set their minds at ease because of what we have done for them!

What is your favorite food?

Lizzy Garlovsky: Thai food.

Ted Froum: Pastrami on rye with a river of golden mustard.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Any quiet, sandy beach.

What’s your favorite part of working with ADAR?

Adar IT makes our jobs easier by smoothly implementing and maintaining our technology.  The truth is you guys do a great job so you make me want to recommend you to others. It easy for me to see why others so enthusiastically referred me to your shop. You folks do great work at a fair price, and with tremendous professionalism!

Remember when storing personal data and media was a chore? Floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, and USB storage devices cluttered our desks at home.  Thanks to cloud services, these troubles are a thing of the past.  From documents and music, to photos and finances, your personal data and your personal life can be organized and put on to the cloud.  Below is a list of some of the cloud services available for your personal data.

Music –Digital music has been around for years now, but where do you put it? Physical media is a thing of the past and even an iPod has become unnecessary. Why? Streaming music services are abundant on the cloud.  Services like Spotify.com, Pandora.com, and GrooveShark.com allow you to create playlists of existing music on the web and stream it to your PC or mobile device.

Photos and Video – Digital media has become increasingly important in our lives and the quality of it has improved over time. YouTube.com and Vimeo.com are excellent cloud services where high quality videos can be instantly uploaded and stored. When it comes to photos, services like Picasa.com, Flickr.com, and Shutterfly.com help us keep our photographs constantly accessible from the cloud.

Documents – Google has long been a pioneer of cloud services for personal life, and documents are no exception.  Google Docs (docs.google.com) is capable of hosting documents. Documents such as spreadsheets, presentations, or regular Word docs, can be edited and saved on the cloud. Other services like Zoho.com have comparable document hosting and editing on the web.   Microsoft has recently released Office 365, a cloud based version of their popular Office suite of software.

Storage – We are always in need of general file storage to make all of the above happen.  The cloud once again has us covered.  Dropbox.com and Apple iCloud ensures that our files are synchronized across all of our computing devices when connected to the internet. Google Drive integrates with existing Google cloud services to give direct access to cloud hosted files. Microsoft SkyDrive does the same for Microsoft related services.

No matter what your needs may be for storing and organizing your personal data, the cloud  has a service and solution for you.   Thanks to the cloud, your data is no longer held captive by a single physical device. All you need is an internet connection and your data is accessible anywhere in the world.

                                       Name: Ultimate Exposure Tanning Centers

Phone number: 312.666.5327

Email: info@chicagotans.com

What does your company do? 

Provide Vitamin-D  – Tanning.

How long have you been in business?

28 years.

Who is your target market?

Anyone who wants to look  and feel great!

What sets you apart from your competitors?

 Our commitment to education – Smart Tanning.

What is the best way to get in touch with and receive information from your company?

Visit our website (http://www.chicagotans.com/) that will direct you to one of our 35 locations.

What is your favorite part about your job?

The industry is always changing and working with my staff!

What is your favorite… book/ movie/ food?

Book, hum, I really only read kids books to my 2 daughters right now, [I love] Italian Beef.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Not sure, but somewhere warm where I will be waited on.

What’s your favorite part of working with ADAR? 

Between our 35 locations, we have a fairly complicated IT system which we heavily rely on, so it was critical to find an IT partner who took the time to truly understand our needs.

ADAR’s team did a fantastic job understanding our unique requirements and moving all of our systems to their Cloud. ADAR’s responsive and knowledgeable tech support  team has been outstanding since the transition. Bottom line, ADAR makes things easy for me to get my job done!!!

Dan Feinstein

Director of Sales and Marketing

Dan joined Adar IT’s leadership team in 2010, bringing more than eleven years of successful sales, marketing and managerial experience to the organization. Working with small and midsize businesses in multiple industries, Dan ensures that Adar IT understands a client’s unique needs and delivers a solution that provides maximum business value and continual improvement.

Before joining Adar, Dan was President/CEO at U Productions, a new media production company. Other roles include Manager of Business Development for CCM—a worldwide technology and strategic marketing firm, and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for CB LLC, where he developed a new product market for the Canadian version of Facebook.

Name: Elm Services

Phone Number: 877.303.ELMS

Email: inquiries@elmservices.com

What does your company do?

ELM Services, LLC is dedicated to the needs of the mortgage servicing industry exclusively.  Our industry pros have deep knowledge of default servicing, loss mitigation, and regulatory compliance.  We have a full staff of proven Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and project managers who get results in the face of immense complexity.  Further, we have a critical core competency in the assessment of processes for compliance and efficiency.

In addition, ELMS has a budding business focus on Foreclosure Claims Processing for firms looking to outsource that function.  We provide value-added claims processing in areas such as FHA Part A & B, FHA Loss mitigation and partial claims, FHA (HECM) Reverse Mortgages, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and MI foreclosure claims.

How long have you been in business?

ELMS began offering services in 2009.

Who is your target market?

ELMS provides consulting and project management services to all segments of the Mortgage Servicing industry.  The largest servicers rely on ELMS for complex project management, business process analysis, and audit preparedness.  Smaller firms utilize the experts at ELMS for regulatory compliance, operational improvements, and outsourcing of some processes.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

The ELMS unique value proposition is the use of experienced industry professionals providing thought leadership, project management with a focus on integrity, quality, and leadership in all we do.

What is the best way to get in touch with and receive information from your company?

8595 College Blvd, Suite 160

Overland Park, KS 66210

inquiries@elmservices.com

1-877-303-ELMS

What’s your favorite part of working with ADAR?

Our favorite part about working with ADAR is their attention to detail.  They contribute to keeping ELMS running smoothly.  ADAR staff is very quick to respond to issues and stay on task until the issues are completely resolved.  We have enjoyed working with ADAR and getting to know their amazing staff of highly trained employees.

Rita Polevoy

Social Media Coordinator

Rita is the person behind our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube outlets. She is responsible for finding new information that keeps readers and customers informed about the latest cloud computing scoop. Rita also contributes to the blog that is run on Adar’s website. Previously, she worked as a marketer for a promotional company.

Rita graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a degree in Anthropology. In her free time she enjoys working out, traveling, reading, and spending time outside.