Lixar is gearing up to participate in the 44th Canadian Ski Marathon.

Lixar is looking forward to participating in this year's Canadian Ski Marathon on Feb 13 and 14th, 2010. As the Gold Sponsor of the CSM for the past 5 years, we look forward to this event and look forward to signing up and participating each year. Lixar employees, clients, families and friends sign up to complete a section or two or take the plunge and ski the full 160 kms.

This year, Lixar will be registering the largest team in its history as a Gold Sponsor with the event. 54 skiers will wax their skis, hit the trails early, and glide, climb and tuck their way to accomplish their personal bests. The beauty of the CSM is that there are no winners or losers. The start and finish times are set by each participant. Each section has its own personality and varies in the degree of difficulty and distance.

This year's motto is "Keep on Movin!". Lixar's CEO Bill Syrros knows this all too well as he completed his Coureur de Bois Bronze last year. When asked what his philosophy was for completing the marathon, his reply was simply "Keep on movin' regardless of what your mind or body tells you. Just keep on movin, stay positive, refuel, hydrate and have fun."

So whether you complete 15km, 30km or the full 160km, you are 5, 15 or 75 years old, the Canadian Ski Marathon is a great adventure for you. To emphasize this, Don McLeod, original co-founder of the CSM will be flying in from New Zealand to participate in this year's CSM -- he's 92 years of age.

To find out more about the Canadian Ski Marathon please visit www.lixar.com or www.csm-mcs.com or to register for the 2010 Canadian Ski Marathon please visit www.csm-mcs.com/registration.

Lixar I.T. President, Emmanuel Florakas receives Young Achiever Award from Ottawa U Telfer School of Management.

Emmanuel Florakas, President and CFO at Lixar I.T. Inc. has been recognized for his outstanding contribution to the world of business, the community and his alma mater at the 2009 Telfer School of Management Alumni Association Gala of Excellence held on September 26, 2009.

Mr. Florakas was specifically named the recipient of the Young Achiever Award which was created to honour individuals under 40 who have been able to achieve greatness in their lives within an exceptional period of time.

“The school of management is important to me. The commitment shown by many of my professors and the faculty has helped direct my path and guide my successes. To them, I say thank you.” Emmanuel Florakas.

Emmanuel graduated from the schools Bachelor of Commerce and Masters in International Business in 1995 and 1997 respectively and then proceeded to work briefly at the Canadian Commercial Corporation before starting Lixar in 1999. Emmanuel's passion for international business can be seen with his client-base in the United States, UK, France and Australia. Emmanuel enjoys international relations and travel but he also recognizes the importance of supporting activities at home. He has been an active Ottawa U undergrad committee member and part-time professor of Entrepreneurship. Understanding the importance of education, Emmanuel has spear-headed the Lixar Scholarship for Honors School of Management students.

“Everyone at Lixar is very proud that Emmanuel received the Young Achiever Award” said Bill Syrros, friend and Lixar business partner. “Emmanuel has achieved his success through determination and his commitment to the company, his colleagues and the community. Congratulations Emmanuel, well done!”

For more information about the Young Achiever Award, please visit http://www.telfer.uottawa.ca/content/view/1587/64/lang,en/. For more information about Lixar, please visit www.lixar.com.

Lixar sponsors Halifax Pop Explosion

Lixar is proud to announce that it will be sponsoring the Halifax Pop Explosion at the Champion level. The Halifax Pop Explosion (HPX) music festival will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia from October 20 to 24, 2009.

To help the HPX reach its web objectives, Lixar will be creating some web value-add elements and scalability to the HPX site which will make it easier for attendees to find out what is happening where and when.

“Opening our Lixar East Coast office was a highlight for us last year. We wanted to mark our commitment to the East by getting involved and supporting an event that our East Coast team would be into.” said Bill Syrros, CEO, Lixar I.T. Inc. “Music is really important to us. We have professional web technology developers who work at Lixar by day and are incredible musicians by night. We think that's pretty cool.”

The Halifax Pop Explosion will host about one hundred and thirty bands in almost two dozen venues, as well as the Music Matters Conference. This year's line up looks better than ever with the Crystal Antlers, Mates of State and Cadence playing, to name a few.

The HPX continues to reach diverse audiences and provides considerable exposure for new and innovative talent in genres from hip hop to punk, from folk to indie-rock. The festival is one of Canada's most important musical events, with an impact felt around the world. To find out more information about the Halifax Pop Explosion visit www.halifaxpopexplosion.com or Lixar visit www.lixar.com.

GridPoint Acquires Lixar's Energy Business

Lixar's Solutions Provide Sophisticated User Interfaces and Support Multiple Protocols and Devices

ARLINGTON, VA – June 29, 2009 – GridPoint, Inc., a leading smart grid company, today announced that it has acquired Lixar's energy business, an Ottawa company providing energy management solutions that offer sophisticated user interfaces and support multiple communications protocols and devices. The acquisition enables GridPoint to enhance its enterprise-class software and establish a Canadian presence.

“We welcome Lixar's talented software developers, whose work has been very well-received by the market, and look forward to collaborating to serve the needs of our utility customers,” said Peter L. Corsell, CEO, GridPoint.

Lixar's energy efficiency and load management solutions easily integrate with a utility's grid management systems and support a number of protocols, including INSTEON, Modbus, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave and X10, to control a wide variety of home automation and customer premise devices.

Lixar provides utilities and their customers with highly sophisticated and flexible user interfaces that can be easily customized to meet the individual needs of both the utility and end user. The interface's online personality helps educate and guide users via voice and text about how to use the system and achieve their energy goals and also facilitates communication with the utility. Other unique features include the ability to update energy profiles and control real-time events through smart phones, including iPhone and BlackBerry devices. Additionally, conservation tips and energy efficiency advice are provided via streaming video to help the consumer manage energy use.

Lixar also offers a transformer monitoring solution that monitors temperature, voltage, power and current and provides data-rich reporting about location and status. It alerts both the utility and its customer to a problem and automatically takes action, such as disabling the transformer to prevent damage, based on pre-programmed rules.

“Lixar's software will enable GridPoint to integrate enhanced features into our platform, in addition to offering solutions to the Canadian market,” said Michael J. Carlson, who leads GridPoint's Smart Grid Operations and its new Ottawa offices.

GridPoint recently released GridPoint Platform 3.0 and announced that Hometown Connections, the utility services subsidiary of the American Public Power Association (APPA), selected GridPoint as its exclusive smart grid software platform provider to public power companies. GridPoint also intends to continue many of the IP equipment and system integrator partnerships that have been developed by Lixar to distribute its technology throughout North America.

“GridPoint is a truly visionary company and is poised to become the leader in the smart grid software space,” said Bill Syrros, CEO, Lixar.

GridPoint Platform 3.0, a standards-based open platform, allows utilities to progressively integrate and customize smart grid solutions, including energy efficiency, load management, renewable integration, storage management and electric vehicle management. The platform delivers these solutions through the integration of distributed energy resources, including plug-in electric vehicles, solar panels, advanced storage technologies, and household devices such as thermostats, electric water heaters and pool pumps.

About GridPoint
GridPoint, Inc., an established leader in smart grid technologies, implements intelligent software solutions that are transforming the electric power grid. Allowing utilities to incrementally adopt and customize solutions to better measure and control energy efficiency, load management, renewable integration, storage management, and electric vehicle management, GridPoint's solutions benefit utilities, consumers, and the environment alike. Enabling these solutions is the GridPoint Platform, an open architecture which integrates distributed energy resources and allows utilities to adapt smart grid solutions to their unique requirements. By delivering the actionable information and flexible tools to monitor and control energy, GridPoint increases reliability, efficiency, and savings. On the Net: www.gridpoint.com.

Media Contact:
Suzanne Lauer, GridPoint
703.862.3137 or slauer@gridpoint.com

Read more:

• Renewable Energy News Syndicator
• GreenTechMedia
• Washington Business Journal

Exciting 'Green Project' Job Opportunities

If you are looking for an exciting and innovative cutting edge 'green project' challenge, Lixar is looking for:

• Database Administrator (DBA) – You will be part of a team to develop leading edge EDW, ODS/ODM enterprise class databases.
• Embedded Developers – You will be part of our Product Development team. Working with the Embedded Team Lead you will be part of team to develop leading edge embedded applications.
• Java Developers – You will be part of a team to develop leading edge Java applications.

If you are a team performer who works well with others and strives for perfection, please visit our careers section to review the full job descriptions.

Please send your resume to hr@lixar.com to be considered.

Lixar - SOS Children's Villages Soccer Day Growing

Lixar loves its soccer – U20, World Cup, you name it, Lixar loves it. With a staff roster from the many corners of the world (Kosovo, Greece, Russia and Jamaica among others) players come together each June to represent their home countries and play "football" – the great equalizer and the universal game for fun.

The 4th Annual Lixar – SOS Children's Villages Soccer day will be held on June 18 at Ottawa U Sports Stadium, Ottawa and on the Halifax Commons, Nova Scotia. Between Lixar clients, staff, and friends over 10 teams will join forces to raise funds for orphaned and abandoned Children in Rustenburg, South Africa. Children supported by SOS programs are given a chance for a life filled with hope and opportunity.

"It is exciting to see how Lixar - SOS Children's Villages Soccer Day has grown from only two teams in 2006 to ten teams in 2009. Even though Halifax and Ottawa Lixar offices will be vying for the Soccer Day title - everyone will come out a winner as we combine forces and support SOS Children" said Bill Syrros, CEO Lixar I.T. Inc.

To learn more, please visit Lixar at www.lixar.com or SOS Children's Villages Canada at www.soschildrensvillages.ca.

Lixar Employees count down the days to Ottawa Race Weekend

Lixar staff members are ready to lace up their running shoes during this year’s Ottawa Race Weekend. Over 35 event registrations have been submitted for the two day event on May 23 and 24, 2009.

“Participating in the ORW has become a Lixar tradition. This is the 5th year that we have submitted a team entry. The aim is not for our staff to compete against each other but to challenge themselves by completing the distance that makes sense for them and to be happy with their personal accomplishments.” said Emmanuel Florakas, President, Lixar I.T.

Lixar management has also taken up the challenge and will be participating in the 10km distance. “We created the “Lixar Run for Fun” night to train together, focus on our personal goals & have some fun.” said Bill Syrros, CEO Lixar I.T.

Applause goes to every Lixar member participating in the ORW with a special mention to Lixar runners Michel Boudreau and Lorie Mills who will be participating in the already sold out Ottawa ½ Marathon and Matt Ellis who will be participating in the Marathon distance. They have been training hard and we certainly wish them well as they prepare to complete their distance.

For information on the Ottawa Race Weekend please visit http://www.ncm.ca.

Lixar's Hiring Java and Embedded Software Developers

If you are an Embedded or Java Developer and are interested in pushing the pulse of innovation, Lixar is looking for enthusiastic Embedded Software Developers and Java Developers to become part of our team.

Cutting Edge Green Project Opportunities:

Please send your resume to hr@lixar.com to be considered for the Java and Embedded Software Developer positions.

Doug Mills appointed to Director of Lixar East Operations

Lixar is pleased to announce the appointment of Doug Mills as the new Director of Lixar East Coast Operations effective immediately.

Lixar's East Coast operations centre, which is located in Nova Scotia offers a full suite of services - from Business Development and Sales, to Technical Analysis and Architecture, Design and Development, and 24/7 full-scale Client Support.

Mr. Mills joins the Lixar East team with over 15 years experience in the Telecommunications and Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry with most recent experience at Lixar Ottawa and Bell Canada.

“I am looking forward to returning to Nova Scotia with my wife Lorie-Ann and our two children.” said Doug. “The Maritimes offers us the perfect mix between business vibrancy, family enjoyment and outdoor fun: sailing, fishing and kayaking.” Prior to Doug's move to Ottawa in 2000 he was a member of the Aliant team in Nova Scotia.

As the Director of Lixar East Coast Operations, Mr. Mills will showcase Lixar East's suite of web technology services and superior customer support. Lixar's Business Practices model offers the highest industry standards while at the same time the greatest amount of flexibility.

From concept & idea to working system to post deployment support, Lixar provides the service or application that makes business systems more efficient, ultimately saving Lixar clients time and money.

To learn more about Lixar East, please contact Doug Mills at dmills@lixar.com or visit www.Lixar.com.

SharePoint - Lixar Support and Customization

Can't find the documents you're looking for? Can't seem to find a meeting time that works with everyone's schedule? Then it's time to get organized and to do a little Office Spring Cleaning.

The Microsoft SharePoint is a tool made to make life easier. You will be able to find documents in seconds, communicate and connect with your peers who may be working off-site, and create an information flow that keeps things current and processes consistent.

If you haven't heard about SharePoint, it is an information portal for small and enterprise level business. The system was created for site collaboration and communication. The SharePoint enterprise portal is composed of both SharePoint and Windows SharePoint Services.

According to Microsoft, SharePoint is the fastest-growing product in the history of Microsoft and is listed, by Forrester, as the number 1 portal product.

SharePoint solutions allow companies to store and locate files in a central site. Managers, employees, and other company stakeholders can store files and do searches through the SharePoint enterprise portal.

Team organization becomes easy - coordinate calendars, send notices, make announcements, track development, and update templates; real-time information at your fingertips.

Lixar is one of the few companies in Ottawa with the expertise to support SharePoint.

Lixar offers support in:

• Architecture and Implementation
• Training
• Custom Development
• System Enhancement

Lixar's in-house SharePoint customization team can integrate your current system and database with the SharePoint Server 2007 platform's scalable architecture.

"The bottom-line is that you don't have to be using only Microsoft products for this system to work." said K. van der Starren, Lixar Manager. "Our expertise enables us to create an information portal with compatible web services and company information tools that keep internal and external business communications and processes simple; organized. For companies who already use Windows Server 2003 or higher, additional licenses do not need to be purchased to use SharePoint."

Lixar recently implemented a SharePoint system for a client with offices located in France, Africa, and Montreal, the development team located on the East Coast and the project development team located in Ontario.

The beauty of SharePoint is that it eliminates multi-location complexity. Company representatives can be located in multi-locations and still be able to communicate and collaborate. A single site to ask questions, get information and find documents in a secure environment - keeps everyone on the same page. Business made simple.

If you would like to learn more about Lixar and SharePoint Support, please contact sales@lixar.com.

Auto Racks - an E-commerce Success Story

Can you believe that in 2001 only 6% of small businesses used e-commerce as a part of their business strategy?

Certainly, there have been some e-commerce gains since then. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians have become more experienced online, with 54% reporting five or more years of Internet use in 2007, up from 45% in 2005.

For the small business entrepreneur, knowing that there are many computer savvy Canadians who are capable to navigate the web for the perfect product is essential. More importantly, Canadians are becoming confident and comfortable to make online purchases.

Ottawa based Auto Racks President John Pundyk understands the importance of e-commerce. In 2001, he gave Lixar the green light to develop a dynamic website with an on-line e-commerce presence. His approach paid off, his overall business sales increased and e-commerce sales have been steadily growing ever since.

Auto Racks opened its doors in 1996 and has been able to provide rack solutions for avid travelers, skiers, bikers, and kayakers, not just in Ottawa but also across Canada.

"Back in 1996, there was huge demand for rack systems, and there was no store out there that specialized in it. We wanted to provide top quality service for the best racks on the market so we essentially opened the store out of a small garage and haven't looked back." John Pundyk President of Auto Racks, "We're really excited about our online service. It means that more people can get out and enjoy recreational adventures...they don't have to stay home because of a missing rack piece or an "out of stock" rack system. We can ship any system anywhere in Canada – from coast to coast & shipping is free".

For Lixar, Auto Racks is a small business e-commerce success story. Lixar continues to develop websites for local Ottawa-based companies such as George's Marine and Sports (www.gmas.ca), Brightwell Technologies (www.brightwelltech.com), and the Canadian Ski Marathon (www.csm-mcs.com), among others. Services to these companies include:

• design and development in all known programming languages,
• hosting and on-going web site maintenance,
• online catalogue, ordering, account management and e-commerce functionality.

"Lixar provides complete service offerings from beginning to end: from concept, research, design and development, implementation, integration and support", said Bill Syrros, CEO, Lixar I.T. Inc., "So whether you have an idea without a system or a system without a business solution, Lixar has the experience, expertise, solutions and support to save you time and money, and to create on-line e-commerce opportunities."

For more information about Auto Racks, please visit: www.autoracks.com.

Lixar designs new Ford Hot Shots online game for Canadian Curling Association Curlers

The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) and Ford Motor Company of Canada launched on December 9 a new online curling game which was designed and developed by Lixar. To develop the game, Lixar integrated Flash, XML, and ASP.

The game is the online version of the Ford Hot Shots, the curling skills competition which has been conducted for the past 14 years at the Canadian men's and women's curling championships. The Ford Hot Shots Online Game closely mirrors the on-ice skills competition, which has proven so popular at the Hearts and Brier. Of course some video game elements have been added to enrich the online experience.

Stated by Glenn van Gulik, Director of IT with CCA, "Participants must execute six basic curling shots... Hit and Stay, Draw the Button, Draw the Port, The Raise, Hit and Roll and Double Takeout. Points are awarded depending on the success of each shot, along with bonus points generated for curling over the Ford logo in this special online version. Upon completion of the game, which only takes about three minutes to complete, your total score will be recorded and registered."

In less than 2 months since the game's launch, it's being well received by its audience. Over 300,000 games have been played! Even though it only takes 3 minutes to complete a game, the average player usually spends 10 - 12 minutes per session enjoying the virtual curling experience.

"This was an exciting project for Lixar. It's always fun working with the CCA team and there was a tremendous sense of accomplishment with this game for all parties involved." Emmanuel Florakas, Lixar President

To play the new Ford Hot Shots Game online, please go to hotshots.curling.ca or visit the Canadian Curling Association website at www.curling.ca.

Lixar thanks the Ottawa Food Bank

Lixar would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ottawa Food Bank, Chris Cline, Event Coordinator and all the volunteers who helped to fight community hunger this past holiday season. Their tireless work to meet our community's needs is appreciated and invaluable.

The food bank has helped to make us aware of the need in our city. As the Ottawa Food Bank has stated:

"Sadly, the hunger problem in our city is worse than ever - 40,000 people seek monthly assistance through food programs supported by The Ottawa Food Bank, and 40% of those receiving assistance are children."

While we agree that it is a daunting problem, it's amazing what a difference it makes when we all pitch in.

Thank you to Lixar staff and clients who participated in the Drive Away Hunger Campaign by donating approximately $1000.00. With over 265 corporate and community based participants in the Drive Away Hunger Program, this year's combined total of all contributions topped 60,000 pounds of food and $35,000.

Lixar expands to Nova Scotia

Lixar looks to the East Coast to expand its web technology services by hiring up to 50 full-time jobs in Halifax over the next six years.

"Nova Scotia's talented workforce, geographic location, and competitive environment offers the perfect nearshore location to support Lixar's growth." said Emmanuel Florakas, President, Lixar I.T. Inc.

As part of Nova Scotia Business Inc.'s strategy to grow the IT sector, the agency worked with Lixar to support its expansion to the province.

"Lixar represents a growing number of technology companies choosing Nova Scotia for their growth plans," said Economic Development Minister Angus MacIsaac. "Through NSBI, we're helping create exciting career opportunities for skilled young Nova Scotians."

Nova Scotia's nearshore advantage will help Lixar become more cost-efficient and competitive in the global marketplace.

"Nova Scotia's nearshore advantage is a valuable asset to any company with international growth plans," said Stephen Lund, president and CEO of NSBI. "Lixar is exactly the kind of company we want in our province."

Lixar Photo Gallery helping to support the CMHA Ottawa photovoice project

Lixar is pleased to officially launch the new Lixar Photo Gallery which will be housed in Lixar headquarters located in Ottawa, Ontario.

The new Lixar Gallery will highlight Lixar's own talent by displaying employee photo collections each month. Each collection will consist of ten, twelve by sixteen photographs. Expert and amateur photographers are invited to participate in this initiative.

"The Gallery is an exciting launch for Lixar" said Bill Syrros, CEO, Lixar "...a great opportunity to show staff talent and personality while supporting a worthwhile cause at the same time."

The collection will be displayed for 4-6 weeks and then, another Lixar talent will have an opportunity to show their artistic creations.

Each collection will be auctioned at the end of the exhibit period. The proceeds will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Ottawa's photovoice project called Working with the Whole Picture.

This year in Ottawa, 10 people with mental illness were asked to explore and capture their view, feelings, hopes and barriers related to work on film. Unemployment rates are extremely high for people living with serious mental illness and yet the importance of work for recovery and for improved quality of life is well recognized.

The group has titled their project "Working with the Whole Picture", and it covers the themes of stigma and discrimination, personal and external barriers to work and hopes and aspirations for work.

"The exhibit explores the challenges facing people, but it is also very hopeful and conveys the determination of the photographers as they pursue their work goals", commented Lisa Jamieson, the CMHA coordinator for the project.

The group intends to organize a full schedule of exhibits and presentations of their work over the next year, presenting it to policy makers, employers and the general public. The first public showing of the Working with the Whole Picture collection will be displayed at the IPO Gallery located at 110 O'Connor Street, from January 8 to February 6, 2009.

The CMHA Ottawa is a non-profit charitable organization that has been operating in Ottawa for more than 50 years. CMHA offers a wide variety of direct client services for more than 1,000 individuals per year who have serious mental illness and homelessness. For more CMHA Ottawa information please visit www.cmhaottawa.ca.

Eleanor McCain uses Web to sell E-music

The music down-loading revolution is certainly not new but it is changing the way that musicians conduct business. More and more artists are eliminating the middle man by promoting and selling their own songs and albums on-line and on their own sites.

Eleanor McCain, too, wanted to realize the Web's opportunities to promote and sell online her recently released album and MP3 songs from, Bundle of Joy.

Lixar worked with Ms. McCain to ensure that the on-line application had the right balance of administrative site control and functionality. Lixar integrated and implemented a system with both.

The e-commerce site would allow for Eleanor to upload images and new songs with ease and also provided an environment for future on-line growth.

The viewer can listen to various music song samplers, purchase one, two or multiple MP3s and/or purchase the entire CD.

Technically speaking, Eleanor McCain's site went from a mostly static HTML site and converted to PHP5, mySQL, E-cart and a secure payment system to create a dynamic and secure site from beginning to end.

To listen to Eleanor McCain's newly released album Bundle of Joy, please visit her website at www.eleanormccain.ca.

Lixar employees lend support at the Ottawa Mission

Thanksgiving is a time that friends and family come together to celebrate and give thanks. Ahead of this weekend's holiday, a number of Lixar staff recently visited the Ottawa Mission to volunteer some of their time.

The Ottawa Mission works to meet the needs of the homeless and those at risk of being homeless everyday. On average, the Ottawa Mission serves over 1100 dishes per day or 414,500 dishes to hungry clients each year.

To support the Mission in lead up to Thanksgiving, Lixar employees signed-up to serve breakfast and prepare food. On September 29th and October 6, Lixar teams met bright and early to offer their time to support and serve the many faces of hunger and to give back to the community.

Here's how Karl Hollands and Trevor Brimson, Lixar Developers, described their experience:

"This morning I was fortunate to be able to spend 3 hours in the kitchen of the Ottawa Mission working shoulder to shoulder with other new and seasoned volunteers preparing food for the many citizens of Ottawa who benefit from the services of the Mission.

Our coordinator, Megan, was wonderful in making us feel right at home and getting us to work right away. It was a very gratifying to contribute to a very worthy cause and to have the chance to chat with wonderful people I would otherwise likely have never met and who share a desire to give back to our community." said Karl Hollands

"I found my time at the mission to be well spent. I know it's a very worthwhile cause that needs all the help it can get. The people we helped today value greatly that which we take for granted every morning, a good meal. I hope we can do this again in the future" said Trevor Brimson

On Thanksgiving Monday, October 13th, The Ottawa Mission will be providing a special meal to hundreds of men, women and children. They expect that over 2400 meals will be served. To learn more about the Mission or the Mission's Thanksgiving meal, please visit the Mission website at www.ottawamission.com