Accomplishments during 2009-2010:

• We now have a wonderful new Web Site, which went live in time for the High Holidays. It was decided that our original domain (templebethel-maine.org) was too long, so we introduced a new domain (tbemaine.org) as we transitioned to the new website. Kudos to Liz Rose-Cohen who did an incredible amount of work gathering information to initially populate the website. There are lots of Web site features that we haven’t even started using yet.
• TBE now has a second server to supplement the main server, with the ability to take over in the event of a disaster.
• The building-wide firewall was upgraded to a newer version, on a newer pc.
• An attempt was made to introduce wireless internet to portions of the building using donated equipment. While it works for many of our members, some are not so lucky.
• Skype was introduced to some of the TBE PC’s to allow our President to attend meetings while she was out of town – with both video and audio.
• Dov and Ellie (at Levey), teamed up to apply for a grant that ultimately brought an interactive SMART Board to one of the classrooms. It has been used for Levey and TBE Hebrew School lessons as well as several events (Saturday night at the Movies, and some adult education classes).
• Our mobile multimedia system has been used to provide audio and video for several events around the building.
• It’s been a challenging year keeping up with the physical (office re-arrangement) and staffing changes in the TBE office.
• We are hopefully closing in on the problem that is causing some members’ emails to the TBE office staff to be returned as undeliverable.   Sometimes, waiting a while and trying again would be successful. If it happens to you…please let the office know!
• It started with the Rabbi trying to share her calendar information with the office staff as well as her Palm PDA. It morphed into both Jodi and the Rabbi being able to sync their calendars and email with their iphones and other members of the staff.
• One of the two Laptops donated by Steve Blattner is being used to control the new SMARTboard, while the other is being used for various tasks from board meeting note taking to projecting videos and Powerpoint presentations.

Projects for the Upcoming year:

• Correct problems connecting to the internet wirelessly, and expand to the rest of the building.
• Activate new features on our website, including giving committees and members the ability able to share files, and discuss their business privately. Fine tuning and publicizing other website features like the yahrzeit email notification service and facebook-like feature.
• The ability to listen or download/listen to locally recorded tropes, and perhaps torah portions and haftorahs, online through our website.
• Automate software updates and backups.
• Computers recently donated by Charlie Dibner will be cleaned and readied for use for various projects in the Temple. These might include setting up a computer lab in one of the classrooms, an intranet wiki server to give the staff quick access to requested information and a hot-backup for a failed PC.

The TechTeam includes: Tom Berman (chair), John Barlock, Ken Silver, Jay Baker, Steve Blattner, Maurice Leavitt, and Jon Freedman. If you would like to be more involved in the work of this Team, please contact Tom.