New York Consultants Establish a Consortium to Help Companies Recover From World Trade Center Disaster

    NEW YORK, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A consortium to provide business and
information technology management assistance to companies devastated in the
World Trade Center attack was launched today by a NYC management consultancy
with sponsorship from major media and industry organizations.
    Called the "World Trade Center IT Mobilization"
(http://www.xb5.com/wtcitm), the consortium is being created for the sole
purpose of helping companies affected in the disaster get back on their feet.
    XB5 Partners, a NYC-based consulting firm with expertise in helping
companies rebuild IT departments, is mobilizing a task force of senior-level
management consultants with skills in all areas of technology and operations.
    All services will be offered without charge to any NYC firm or
organization needing short-term support as a result of the disaster.
    Penton Technology Media, the producers of the major trade show Internet
World; the New York eCommerce Association; AlleyCat News and advertising
agency LLKFB, a member of the DAS Group of Omnicom, are all sponsors of the
consortium.  LLKFB will be providing facilities and telecommunications
services.  The other sponsors will use their mailing lists to help obtain
volunteers and/or let their members know of the resources.
    "The World Trade Center housed 430 businesses from 26 countries.  Firms in
surrounding buildings also suffered damage.  If you count firms that lost
their technology infrastructure or data centers, as well as telecommunications
links, the number of affected firms and organizations is staggering," said
Michael Drapkin, CEO of XB5 Partners and chair of eCommerce Management for
Columbia University's Executive IT Management Program.
    "We want to get these companies back online as soon as possible and help
them begin to implement long term solutions. It is simply our way of helping
in the best way we know how," said Drapkin.

    Donated services will include:

    - Assessment of systems damage and development of recovery project plans
    - Disaster recovery
    - Project management
    - Day-to-day operations (IT, sales and marketing, manufacturing,
      distribution)

    Those interested in volunteering should be able to assist in any of those
areas.
    To access this assistance, call 212-419-8510, ext. 911 or [email protected].
To volunteer, call 212-419-8510, ext. 500 or [email protected]

    About XB5 Partners
    XB5 Partners is a senior-level NYC IT and management consultancy providing
services to mid-range to Fortune 500 companies.  Michael Drapkin, CEO, is also
chair of eCommerce Management of Columbia University's Executive IT Management
program and a former senior technologist for Avalanche and Razorfish.  Lewis
Ross, president, is a former director of Cap Gemini, a vice president and
director at EDS and vice president of Chase/Chemical Bank. Ilene Anderson,
partner, is a former partner at Ernst & Young and former regional manager for
Deloitte & Touche.

     Media Contact:

     Wendy Marx
     Marx Communications
     203-969-7522
     [email protected]

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