During 2004, WCV's use of technology was the source of great acclaim for the organization following the receipt of two important awards. In June 2004 the Wildlife Center of Virginia received the coveted 21st-Century Achievement Award from the Computerworld Honors Program for visionary use of information technology in the category of Environment, Energy & Agriculture. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems nominated the Wildlife Center's contributions to the global information technology revolution and its positive impact on society. The Center was recognized for its e-learning technologies used to educate students in Africa and South America while monitoring domestic wildlife for new disease epidemics.

The Center had also been honored by the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council receiving the Innovative Technology Application Award, sponsored by Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology. WCV was one of ten programs nominated for the award, which recognizes the use of innovative technology in a non-technology related industry.

Indeed, technology continued to be a big part of the Center's operations. Internal communication and information sharing are now a mouse click away, thanks to a very sophisticated internal computer network. Weekly staff newsletters, policy updates and general notices are distributed and electronically stored for easy access. The Center continues to work with its primary technology partner, NTELOS, our regional telephone/internet/cellular service provider, to push the envelope on the application of new communication and information technologies.

In 2004, the Center began testing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, well in advance of the development of this service in local markets. One third of the Center's telephone lines were converted to VoIP. The Center has become an important test site for NTELOS in their evaluation and refinement of new technologies and new services for the marketplace. In return, NTELOS is helping the Center make strides in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs.

WCV President Ed Clark now uses soft phone technology to stay in touch with the office during his frequent domestic and international travels. Through this technology, using his laptop computer and a headset, he can send and receive telephone calls via the Internet just as though he were sitting at his desk at the Center. This eliminates the often staggering expense of international long distance calling and the difficulty of securing telephone and/or cellular service. Even in remote places around the world, Internet service is becoming ubiquitous. The Center is on the leading edge of using this technology to conduct its business more effectively.

Plans are underway to convert the Center's entire telephone system to the new VoIP technology, and integrate voice and data messaging. Soon, it will be possible for Center staff to log onto the Internet and receive both email and voice messages. Through such technological advances, the Center is finding ways to use its limited resources and the contributions of its supporters more effectively and much more cost-efficiently.

In 2004, the Wildlife Center :

•  Received awards from the Computerworld Honors Program and the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council for the use of technology in the advancement of our mission

•  Was featured in IQ magazine (Cisco System's technology publication for small businesses) for our innovative uses of information and communication technology

•  Upgraded the services and features of the internal information network, including SPAM filtering, security firewall and remote servicing capacity

•  With the help of NightLight Design, redesigned the Wildlife Center's website, www.wildlifecenter.org

•  Began using digital photo-microscopy to capture and share microscope images, enabling consultations with experts and instruction of students anywhere in the world

•  Converted all WCV training programs to computer presentations

•  Upgraded financial management software to better track and manage income and expenses at the Center

•  Continued to use videoconferencing for instruction of postdoctoral veterinary students

•  Began using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map cases and other information about Wildlife Center patients

•  Used Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to precisely locate sites where certain WCV patients were found which helped researchers conduct follow-up studies of potential environmental toxins