April 15, 2010

National Broadband Plan Sets Course for Internet Availability for All Americans

When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was tasked with developing a National Broadband Plan, it was doing more than writing a report. It was drawing up a blueprint for the nation’s economic and technological future.

With so much at stake, the FCC drew input from individuals, groups and agencies from across the nation as it designed the National Broadband Plan to guide implementation of broadband Internet access for everyone in the United States.

For the production of the 400-page report, the FCC also sought outside assistance, looking for an accomplished contractor with the skill and experience to handle a project of this magnitude. It chose OmniStudio.

	The FCC’s National Broadband Plan lays out the course for the implementation of broadband Internet access for all Americans.

“This was a really exciting opportunity because we were asked to produce the report in Spanish as well as in English,” said Patricia Wheelock, vice president of print communications at OmniStudio. “We are also creating e-pub versions for people reading it on their computers, 508-compliant audio files and a version in Braille.”

“Receiving the contract for this project showed the importance and value of bringing on a good team that was capable of handling the diverse pieces of this very complex production effort,” Wheelock added.

Additionally, the FCC was able to tap into Omni’s expertise in 508 remediation. Federal law requires agencies to make information available to people with disabilities, including converting written documents into audio versions for those with visual impairments.

“We were pleased to bring our expertise in 508 compliance to this project by converting the plan to both English and Spanish accessible PDFs,” said Wheelock. “It was another example of where we were able to work closely with the FCC to realize its vision while also helping it comply with a key government regulation.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 17, 2009, allocated federal funds for a number of economic stimulus programs as well as for the development of the plan.

Brown Bag Lunch Series Back!

Omni is pleased to present the first three workshops in its 2010 Brown Bag Lunch Series. This series is an exciting venue for professionals to increase their knowledge about common and not-so-common communications, interactive and design issues.

Best of all, these sessions are free! You bring lunch, and we’ll supply drinks.

Our spring seminars, held from 12:30 – 1:30 PM, include:

Social Media 101 Harness the power of social media with a better understanding of Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Designed for social media novices, we’ll explore the most popular social networking sites and address how you can use social media sites to publicize your nonprofit’s activities and position your organization in the social media sphere.		Friday, May 7
Understanding Content Management Systems and How to Choose One Finding the right content management system (CMS) for your organization is critical, and Omni’s interactive experts will share their insights into selecting a superior CMS. We’ll focus on two highly regarded CMS products—Drupal and WordPress—while outlining the key decisions clients must make before selecting a new CMS.		TBD
From Tweets to E-blasts, Tell Your Story Briefly but Powerfully With e-communications, you only have a few moments to catch your audience’s attention. How do you stand out from the crowd? Make your message short. Make it powerful. Whether you’re writing e-blasts or e-newsletters, learn to write with brevity and authority in this hands-on workshop. Bring your paper and pen!		Friday, May 21

For more information, or to RSVP for a class, please email aflashenberg@omnistudio.com. There is limited seating, so it’s first come, first served.

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