System Soft Technologies, Bits & Bytes April 2016

April 2016 Volume 6, Issue 2 Connecting the SSTech family

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 1

IN THIS

ISSUEConnecting the SSTech family

Notes from the India Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Important Corporate Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Immigration News: The SKILLS Visa Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
It’s Tax Time! April Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Reminder: Complete ADP Timecard Weekly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
USPAAC Honors Sreedhar Veeramachaneni. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Special Request: Update Your Skillset! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
SSTech Corporate Offices Go Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Social Security Retirement Information: What Those Annual Statements Really Mean. . . 10
VR Headsets: An Immersive Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
An Accidental Holiday Omission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Safety is a State of Mind: Spring Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Career Fair at UTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Bits ‘n Pieces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Movin’ On Up: Tampa Office Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Help Us Find the Missing Piece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Professional Training Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Welcome to System Soft Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Discounts Coming Soon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Monthly Celebrations: Birthdays and Anniversaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Corporate Headquarters Atlanta Office Virginia Office Dallas Office Toronto Office India Office
3000 Bayport Drive 6 Concourse Parkway 2551 Dulles View Drive Swarna Jayanthi Complex
Suite 840 Suite 2950 Suite 350 5850 Granite Parkway 180 University Ave 3rd Floor, Suite 306
Tampa, Florida 33607 Atlanta, Georgia 30328 Herndon, Virginia 20171 Ameerpet, Hyderabad 500073
Ph: (727) 723-0801 Ph: (770) 391-0801 Ph: (703) 870-7407 Suite 970 Suite 4801 Ph: 23735579, 23735589
Fax: (813) 289-5359 Fax: (770) 391-0849 Fax: (703) 870-7467 Fax: 23733369
Plano, Texas 75024 Toronto, ON, Canada

Ph: (254) 647-0801 Ph: (416) 619-4491

Fax: (214) 436-4677

Bits & Bytes is designed and edited by Danielle Fernandez and published by System Soft Technologies. All rights reserved. No part of this publi-
cation may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. While every care is taken in gathering information
for this book and ensuring its correctness, the publishers disclaim responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions.

PAGE 2 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

Notes from the India Office

The India office has had a busy new year and would like to share
their experiences with the rest of the SSTech family!

Cricket Match Jose Panicker battling it out with Avinash Thipparthi
On February 27th, System Soft Technologies – India held a team
outing with a game of cricket at MCH Cricket Ground in Hy- Ajay Penumaka and Ramana Lu-
derabad. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, and our staff kalapu, best batsmen of the match,
members did not miss this opportunity to exhibit their cricket- and Maruthi Pendem
ing skills. The atmosphere was electric and everyone played their
hearts out in what transpired to be a day to remember.

The best performances of the match were

• Ajay Penumaka and Ramana Lukalapu for best performance
in batting

• Murali Krishna and Ziyauddin Mohammed for best perfor-
mance in bowling

The teams pose before the match. From left to right: Kiran Veeramachaneni, Monthly Event: February 2016
Ajay Penumaka, Sridhar Rudri, Ziyauddin Mohammed, Ravi, Someshwar, On February 29th, the SSTech India employees got together for
Maruthi Pendem, Muzeeb, Murali, Krishna Kasibhatta, Nahid Ahmed, Jose their monthly end-of-the-month event. It was fun filled eve-
Panicker, Ramana Lukalapu, RamaRaju Rudraraju, Avinash Thipparthi, ning, with all staff participating in various fun games, celebrat-
Kumar Adabala ing birthdays, and recognizing the Employee of the Month. The
team wound up the evening with some banter and chitchat over
refreshments and drinks.

Nahid Ahmed at the batting crease, bowling by Ramana Lukalapu

Above, Mercy discusses the rules of the team game with Krishna Kasibhatta
and other participants.

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 3

Krishna Kasibhatta and Maruthi Pendem hand over the Monthly Achieve- The ladies snap a selfie at the Pinkathon. From left to right: Hemalatha Dug-
ment Award to Madhu Badiginchala girala, Mounika Yarlagadda, Mercy Kiran Annavarapu, Kiranmai Ramiset-
ti, Prasanthi Ponnaganti, and Radhika Mukkala
Pinkathon
The women of SSTech India participated in the Pinkathon, a 3 SSTech participants pose
kilometer run held on March 6th in Hyderabad. The Pinkathon for a team picture. In the
is India’s Biggest Women’s Run, organized by the United Sisters back row, from left to right,
Foundation to create awareness among women of the issues that are Hemalatha Duggi-
impact them the most. rala, Mounika Yarlagadda,
Prasanthi Ponnaganti.
It was an exhilarating experience to be part of this significant Sitting, from left to right,
event that is raising awareness of issues that are of potential sig- are Mercy Kiran Annavar-
nificance for women. apu, Radhika Mukkala and
Kiranmai Ramisetti.

Important Corporate Information

The following individuals can be contacted should you 2016 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
require assistance from the SSTech corporate team:

PAYROLL TIMESHEETS
Durga Yalamanchili Mona Gandhi
(703) 870-7407 x417 (703) 870-7407 x412
[email protected] [email protected]

HR/IMMIGRATION RECRUITING
Trupti Trivedi Mahi Puvvula
(727) 723-0801 x305
(727) 723-0801 x319 [email protected]
[email protected]

BENEFITS
Trupti S. Kapoor
(703) 870-7407 x422
[email protected]

PAGE 4 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

Immigration News: The SKILLS Visa Act

In March 2016, DHS published amended F-1 nonimmi- “Application for Employment Authorization,” requesting a
grant student regulations on OPT for certain students with 24-month STEM OPT extension and such application is
STEM degrees from U.S. institutions of higher education. adjudicated before May 10, 2016, then the student’s Form
The amended regulation, which provides for an extension of I-765 will be treated as a 17-month extension request
the OPT period by 24 months (a STEM OPT extension), and will be adjudicated in accordance with the 17-month
will go into effect on May 10, 2016. STEM OPT regulations.

STEM OPT Extension Overview Thus, an F-1 student who has a Form I-765 filed and ap-
The STEM OPT extension is a 24-month period of tem- proved prior to May 10, 2016, will be issued an EAD that
porary training that directly relates to an F-1 student’s pro- is valid for 17 months, even if he or she erroneously re-
gram of study in an approved STEM field, and effectively quested a 24-month STEM OPT extension.
replaces the 17-month STEM OPT extension previously
available to certain STEM students. Students with existing 17-month STEM OPT EADs on
May 10, 2016, are not required to transition their extension
Eligible F-1 students with STEM degrees who finish their by requesting an additional seven-month period. EADs
program of study and participate in an initial period of indicating a 17-month OPT extension that have been
regular, post-completion OPT (often for 12 months) have issued and are valid prior to May 10, 2016, remain valid
the option to apply for a STEM OPT extension. until expiration (unless terminated or revoked under 8 CFR
274a.14), and the student, the student’s employer and the
STEM OPT Extension Qualifications student’s DSO must continue to abide by all the terms and
To qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, an F-1 conditions that were in effect when the EAD was issued.
student participating in an initial period of regular post-
completion OPT must: Who the Transition Plan Covers
To ensure a smooth transition, DHS is providing basic
• Have a degree in an eligible STEM field from a Student and transition information and will implement a transition plan
Exchange Visitor Program-certified school that is accredited that covers two categories of eligible F-1 students:
when the student submits their STEM OPT extension ap-
plication to USCIS. • Students with 17-month STEM OPT applications pending
on May 10, 2016.
• Pursue their STEM OPT extension through an employer
that is enrolled in USCIS’s E-Verify employment eligibility • Students with existing 17-month STEM OPT EADs on
verification program. May 10, 2016.

• Select a STEM OPT employer that provides the student Who the Transition Plan Does Not Cover
with formal training and learning objectives. Students whose 17-month STEM OPT extension expires
prior to May 10, 2016, or who have less than 150 days re-
• Work a minimum of 20 hours per week per employer. maining on their 17-month STEM OPT extension EADs
on the date that they are able to properly file their STEM
Transition Plan
The 17-month STEM OPT regulations remain in effect (continued on page 4)
through May 9, 2016. The 2016 final rule’s STEM OPT
24-month extension is effective beginning on
May 10, 2016.

DHS will continue to adjudicate 17-month
STEM OPT extension applications until that
date. Any 17-month STEM OPT EAD that
is issued before May 10, 2016, will remain valid
until the EAD expires, is terminated or revoked.

Consequently, if a student submits a Form I-765,

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 5

The SKILLS Visa ActConnecting the SSTech family(continued from page 3)

(continued from page 3) Form I-983 Overview
The 2016 final rule that reinstates the 24-month STEM
OPT extension are not covered under the transition plan. OPT regulations increases the educational benefits that F-1
These students are ineligible to benefit from the 24-month students receive from their practical training experiences by
STEM extension for purposes of practical training associ- requiring the submissionof a formal training plan.
ated with their most current degree and are therefore not
covered under the transition plan. The formal training plan must clearly articulate the STEM
OPT student’s learning objectives and affirm the employer’s
To become eligible for the 24-month STEM extension, commitment to helping the student achieve those objec-
students who are not covered under the transition plan tives. To fulfill this requirement, a student and their em-
would first need to earn another qualifying STEM degree ployer must complete and sign Form I-983 and submit it to
at a higher educational level. the student’s DSO.

Students whose 17-month STEM OPT extension EADs STEM OPT students and their employers are subject to
remain valid after May 10, 2016, and who are either ineli- the terms and conditions of the 24-month STEM OPT
gible or chose not to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension regulations, the Form I-983 instructions and the
extension, must continue to follow all the terms and condi- completed Form I-983, effective as of the employment start
tions that were in effect when their 17-month STEM OPT date requested for the associated STEM OPT period, as
employment authorization was granted. indicated on the Form I-983.

The STEM OPT extension rule is in response to a court STEM OPT students may participate in entrepreneurial
decision that vacated the 2008 DHS rule on procedural ventures where the student is an employee. However, they
grounds. The rule includes changes to the policies an- may not act as their own employer or as the signatory for
nounced in the 2008 rule to increase the educational the employer for the purposes of the form.
benefits provided by STEM OPT extensions and oversight
of STEM OPT. Watch the “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students,” Tu-
torial for a guide to completing the Training Plan form:

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/form-i-983-overview

For more information about STEM OPT extension eligibility requirements and the application process, visit:
https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employment/stem-opt

STEM OPT Stats

Over the past decade, employment in high-tech occupations - science, technology, engineering
and math - has consistently outpaced total job growth by a ratio of 27-to-1.

Demand for high-skilled workers will continue to grow. Employment in high-tech industries is
projected to grow 16.2% while STEM occupations are projected to grow by 13.9% while total
jobs are expected to increase by 13.3.%.

The SKILLS Visa Act Will allocates up to 55,000 green cards to foreign students of U.S.
universities with advanced STEM degrees. Additionally, it provides up to 10,000 green cards
for foreign entrepreneurs who can attract investment from venture-capital firms to establish
businesses that will create five jobs or more.

PAGE 6 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

It’s Tax Time! April Updates

IRS Form 1095-B Sent to Fully Insured Subscribers Tax Filing Assistance Available
United Healthcare has sent Tatiya Accountax, Inc., has extended their annual offer of assis-
IRS Form 1095-B to all tance to SSTech employees again. Contact Hemant or Neetu Jain,
employees covered under CPAs, at (516) 742-4145, fax (516) 908-4378, email askcpa@
the System Soft Tech- tatiyacpa.com, or visit www.tatiyacpa.com.
nologies Group Insurance.
Form 1095-B is used to Languages spoken: English, Hindi and Telegu.
report certain information

to the IRS and to taxpayers about individuals who are covered by
minimum essential coverage and therefore are not liable for the
individual shared responsibility payment.

Please keep the form in a safe place as you will need it when you
file your 2015 Tax Return.

You must report medical coverage to the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) when you file your taxes. If you do not report medical cov-
erage, you may have to pay a fee to the IRS. To prove your United
Healthcare coverage to the IRS, you must submit Form 1095-B
which is being sent to you.

Reminder: Complete ADP Timecard Weekly

As of December 2015, SSTech officially upgraded to a new version of
the ADP portal for timecard entry/access. Unless advised differently,
all employees are now to required complete their ADP timecard on a
weekly basis at https://workforcenow.adp.com.

If you have not already done so, click the “Register Here” button and
follow the on-screen prompts to complete registration. SSTech’s regis-
tration code is “sstech-adpnet.”

To complete your timecard entry, log in to the system using your
credentials and click the “MYSELF” tab. Move your cursor to “Time
& Attendance” and then select “My Timecard.” Enter the hours you’ve
worked per day (for a total of 40 hours a week) in the appropriate
fields. Then, once you are finished, be sure to scroll down and save your
timecard entries.

As a reminder, all full-time employees are expected to work a 40 hour
work week. If you work more than 40 hours in the week, you will need
supervisor approval before filling out your time card.

Timecards should be filled out on Fridays for the entire week.

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 7

USPAAC Honors Sreedhar Veeramachaneni
Connecting the SSTech family

In celebration of the Year of the Monkey, the USPAACC Asian American Business Certification
US Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce-South- Since 1989, USPAACC’s Asian American Business Certi-
west hosted their 15th Anniversary Asian Lunar fication program has provided corporate and government
New Year Good Fortune Banquet on January supplier diversity and small business programs with quali-
30th. Guests were served a ten course Chinese fied and quality suppliers they seek. Recognized by Fortune
banquet, enjoyed a thrilling traditional Lion Dance, and put on corporations, the certification is as thorough and complex
their dancing shoes for an evening of fun. as other well-known minority certification processes con-
ducted by other national organizations, including NMSDC
The event also included a Top Ten Outstanding Asian American and WBENC.
Award presentation, which puts the spotlight on the outstanding
achievements of Asian American-owned businesses. Our es- Below left: USPAAC-SW Chamber President Grace McDermott
teemed CEO, Sreedhar Veeramachaneni, was recognized for the presents Sreedhar with his award.
significant contributions he and other Asian American entrepre-
neurs have made to the community and the economy. Below right: Sreedhar (center, back row) poses with Ms. McDermott
and other honorees.
On behalf of the entire SSTech family, our most sincere and
profound congratulations go out to you, Sreedhar!

Special Request: Update Your Skillset!

At System Soft Technologies,
we work hard to combine the
right people with the right
processes. It’s part of what
separates us from the competition. That’s why it’s essential to make sure we have your most up-to-date skillset information saved in the
portal. The most current information is critical for the Recruiting department and the teams who develop RFP responses, as it helps
ensure we find and match the best candidates for the job.

Things to ensure you’ve updated: • Skills • Resume • Other Qualifications
• Certifications

For a helpful tutorial on updating your portal profile, visit https://apps.sstech.us/site/office/profile/skillset.html.

PAGE 8 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

SSTech Corporate Offices Go Social

March was Meet your Corporate Team month on the SSTech Facebook page, and
every week we recognized hard working Corporate Team members at each of our
branch locations.

In the top photo, you’ll find a large representation of the staff at our Corporate
Headquarters in Tampa, which houses our fantastic Recruiting, Contracts, Ac-
counting, Key2Options, Solutions, HR, and Management teams.

Back row: Michael Prevatt, Andrew Vincent, David Gonu, Kishore Kolupoti, Chris Schuette,
Michael Malizola, Ryan Teneyck, Brent Savard, Jaden Connors, and John Quisch.
Middle row: Jolene Nichols, Lisa Rau, Kathleen Sabatula, Carla Jiminez, Elizabeth Haverfield,
Caitlin Callahan, Alec Greider, David Quisch, Ananth Vekatachalapathi, and Teresa Figueroa.
Front row: Linda Johnson, Gabrielle Perdomo, Trupti Trivedi, Krystina Martinez, Sudha Pisi-
pati, Jamuna Vyas, Danielle Fernandez, Jennifer Candiano, Olga Crow, and Satya Regula.

The second photo is a group of staff from our Virginia Office, home to our Ac-
counting, HR, Solutions, Recruiting, Immigration Services, and Billing superstars.

Back row: DurgaPrasad Yalamanchili, Rahul Karnati, Zahraa Tawfeeq, Renee Gustafson, Seh-
rish Khan, Parul Sapra, Pallavi Kaushik, Bhavyashree Reddy, Moshami Patel, Elwora Ahmed,
Jyothirmayi Kanuri, Sudharani Bandaru, Anuradha Adhikari, Raj Shrestha, and Devon Wright.

Front row: Harsha Tilokani, Manju Balakrishnan, Mona Gandhi, Trupti Kapoor, Komal Ha-
lankar, and Amutha Shanmugaraja.

The third photo is some of the staff from our Atlanta Office, which is where you’ll find
our Immigration Services, Business Development, Solutions, and Recruiting VIPs.

Back row: R.Raju, Ronald Hahn, Rayna Stefanova, Falguni Patel, and Pritesh Patel.

Front row: Sridevi Yarlagadda, Anuja Kotha, Neha Desai, Sethupathi Baskaran, and Nanda
Ragala.

The fourth photo is a sampling of staff from our Dallas Office, which is comprised
of our irreplaceable Sales, HR, Recruiting, Solutions, and Management teams.

Back row: Hemalatha Reddy, Sundar Nagarajan, Avinash Velagapudi, Venkata Daruri,
Krishna Gaddala, Sahitya Konduri

Front row: Deepa Muvva, Neeraja Kilaru, and Mubeen Abbas.

The fifth and last photo is a representation of our staff in our India Office, which is
home to our very dedicated HR, Accounting, Developer, Analyst, and Java teams.

Far left: Praveen Vaishnav, Venkata Durga Valluri, Avinash Thiparthi, and Ragava Ram.

Inside the walled office space: Naheed, Prashanthi, Muzeeb, Ramana Lukalapu, Satish Kammi
Reddy, Ajay Penumaka, Purna Chandra, Murali Krishna, Maruthi Pendem, Sadasiva Reddy,
Srinivas Veeraboina, Venkatesh Gorantla, Ziyauddin, Joel, Siva Reddy Dondapati, Raja Uppala,
Madhu Badiginchala, Nizamuddin, HariKiran Veeramachaneni, Ravi Tellapuri, Sreedhar Rudri,
Krishna Kasibatla, Ravi Thota, Krishna Rao, Sita Rama Raju, and Mahesh Bairi.

Far back: Bhanu Thummala, Laxman Madicherla, Kumar Adabala, Ravi Pusuluri, and Jose
Panicker.

In addition to our in-office staff, we also have an amazing group of remote employ-
ees who support all of our home offices.

A big THANK YOU to everyone for all of your hard work!

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 9

Social SecurityConnecting Retirementthe SSTech family Information:

Once every one to five years, every former and current American When you receive your Social Security Statement you should:
worker aged 25 and older receives a statement in the mail that
summarizes the estimated benefits they will receive upon their 1. Read it.
retirement or death. You will learn about the social security program, including the
status and the future of it. You will how much money you can
In addition to these automatic mailings, workers of any age can expect each month when you retire or if you become disabled.
also request them from the Social Security Administration. You will learn how much money your family members will get if
you die early. You will find out if you will qualify for Medicare
The purpose of these statements is to help with your long-term benefits at 65.
financial planning, to ensure that your information is correct, and
to inform the public of disability protection and death benefits 2. Check it for errors.
allowed to a family. Check your statement for errors in the spelling of your name, ad-

Sample Social Security Statement: dress, date of birth and your social security
number. You also need to examine your
earnings record to make sure it has been
reported correctly to ensure that you will
receive the correct benefits when you
retire.

3. Use it to plan for your future.
Since your social security statement will
tell you how much money you can expect
to get based on the age you retire, it will
help decide know how much more money
you need to save, or other goals you will
need to meet for a comfortable retirement.

For example, if your statement says you
will receive $1,761 a month, but your cur-
rent budget is $3000 a month, they your
investments will need to provide another
$1239 a month. Perhaps you also can plan
to lower your expenses by paying off your
home, and eliminating other expenses
to get your monthly budget closer to the
amount you will receive.

4. Put it somewhere safe.
Keep your social security statement in
a place where you will easily be able to
find it. You can keep a copy in your safe
deposit box, or perhaps store it with your
yearly income taxes.

PAGE 10 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

What Those Annual Statements Really Mean

An Important Notice Can A Former Spouse Claim Your Social Security?
When reading your social security report you may see a rather Q: I divorced my wife 23 years ago. Now she wants to claim my
serious notice. There is a disclaimer that basically says the future Social Security. Can she do that, and will I get less as a result?
of social security is in danger, and they may end up paying 25%
less benefits than promised. A: If you were married for at least 10 years and have been
divorced for more than 2, your ex may qualify for benefits based
This is something to keep in mind when saving for your retire- on your work record. To collect, she must be at least 62 and can’t
ment. have remarried; you must be of retirement age as well. But don’t
worry: Your own benefits won’t be reduced as a result.
To help you decide how much money you should be putting
toward retirement, there are numerous calculators online that you
could use. The following will help you determine:

• How much to save for retirement
http://www.calcxml.com/calculators/retirement-calculator

• How to tell if your current retirement savings are enough
http://www.calcxml.com/do/ret03

• When you should start saving for retirement
http://www.calcxml.com/do/sav05

Electronic vs. Paper Statements

In 2011, the Social Security Administration began phasing out the paper version for millions of others shortly thereafter.
mailed annual benefit statements to most workers to save an
estimated $70 million a year. The agency said people could get the Now, the paper mailings go out every five years to American
same information by setting up my Social Security accounts at its workers age 25 and older who are not receiving Social Secu-
website. rity benefits and who haven’t registered for my Social Security
accounts. After age 60, people will get the printed statements
https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ annually.

In February 2012, after consistently low registration numbers for You can still create a my Social Security account by visiting the
the online service, the SSA reinstituted hard copy mailings for URL to the left.
people age 60 and older. Congress required the agency to revive

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 11

VR Headsets:Connecting An Immersivethe SSTech family Experience

What is Virtual Reality? On the Market
Wikipedia defines Virtual Reality as a system which replicates an Today’s (and tomorrow’s) VR devices break down into two cat-
environment that simulates a physical presence in places in the egories:
real world or an imagined world, allowing the user to interact in
that world. Virtual reality artificially creates sensory experiences, 1. High-end headsets driven by a powerful computer (or gam-
which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell. ing console) with an advanced graphics card (usually with a
headband or some method of attaching them to the user’s
But is it a new concept? head).

The original concept of “artificial reality” or Virtual Reality was 2. Lower-quality handheld headsets which have their imagery
described as early as 1938 in a collection of essays by Antonin generated by a smartphone. Some have to be manually hand-
Artaud called “la réalité virtuelle”. Not long after, interest in ar- held up to the eyes, others include a headstrap.
tificial reality and 3D-looking or “stereoscopic” images led to the
development of the “View-Master”. The most notable of the devices
in the first category is the Oculus
View-Master Rift. The company, Oculus VR,
First introduced in 1939, was infamous for the fact that its
the View-Master became a initial R&D money was raised on
staple of toy collections in the well-known crowd-funding
homes around the world by Kickstarter website. Oculus gained
the 50’s and 60’s. the support of the development
community by making a free dev
Before that, though, in the kit available early on. The design
1940s, the United States Old print advertisement for View-Master has matured, and it is due to be
military recognized the shipped this quarter of 2016.
potential for using View-Master products for personnel train-
ing, purchasing 100,000 viewers and nearly six million reels from Even more notable is that, in Oculus Rift side and user views.
1942 to the end of World War II in 1945. Film (picture) discs for
the View-Master were produced as late at 2009. March of 2014, Facebook bought

Oculus for $2 billion in cash and stock, demonstrating both Face-

book’s belief in the concept as commercially viable, and beyond

that, to seek a merging of social media experiences and virtual

The Lead Up reality. (The exact outcome of this direction is a long way off, of

Beginning with the development of “Pong” in course.)

1972, the videogame business, with its focus There also have been a few other important entries in the
computer-driven headsets category, including the HTC Vive and
on high quality, immersive graphics, drove Sony’s “Project Morpheus” (named after Laurence Fishburne’s
well-known character in The Matrix), which, powered by a Play-
interest in Virtual Reality. This was advanced station game console, was later dubbed called “Playstation VR”.

by leaps and bounds with the development of

gaming hardware devices like the Sega VR Virtual Boy
(1991), Nintendo Virtual Boy (1995), and
These and others like them vary in resolution, head-movement
the Nintendo 3DS (2012). Interestingly, the Virtual Boy became tracking capabilities, FOV (width or the overall Field Of View)
and other technical factors, and will range from about $400 to
noted for problems relating to vertigo, nausea and eyesight issues over a $1000 at retail.

with children 6-12, and was subsequently taken off the market for

these and financial shortcomings.

With these and other early-stage products, as well as a large This, of course, puts them out of reach of really large numbers of
amount of attention paid to the concept in science fiction (for ex- early adopters.
ample, William Gibson’s Neuromancer) and film (Brainstorm, The
Lawnmower Man, The Matrix), came the advent of more expen- A Second Category
sive and much more sophisticated Virtual Reality devices. Designers quickly figured out that by using the graphics power of
most newer-model smartphones, the cost of a VR headset could
be drastically reduced!

PAGE 12 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

Written by Michael Malizola, SSTech Senior Technical Writer

That’s exactly what Samsung has Made of Cardboard
Cardboard may be the lowest-tech gadget in the history of
done with the Samsung Gear VR, modern consumer electronics. Its ingredients include about half
a pizza box worth of cardboard, two magnets, a couple pieces of
(which uses Samsung smartphones Velcro, two lenses and a single rubber band. With the addition of
a smartphone loaded with the right apps, the Cardboard becomes
as its graphical output device). A a handheld virtual reality viewer. When you first see a Google
Cardboard unit in person, it’s hard to believe it can do anything
consumer version of the Gear VR, impressive. Then, once you look into it, the experience is surpris-
ingly impactful, exciting and almost physical.
which was developed in partnership

with Oculus VR itself, was released Samsung Gear VR

in November of last year on Ama-

zon and many other electronics outlets for $99.

At this time, there are now nu-

merous entrants into the low-end

VR headset marketplace, includ- How Does the Cardboard Work?
Google Cardboard places the smartphone at the optimal distance
ing units by Archos, Homido, and away from the lenses. Then, by using compatible apps, the lenses
create a 3D effect when held up to the user’s eyes. As the head
even a brand-new version of the is moved around, the images will respond as if the user is stand-
ing in the same place as what’s being displayed on the screen. For
View-Master, the View-Master View-Master VR example, the Street Vue demo lets the user explore the streets of
VR (which, interestingly, is being Paris while viewing the surroundings in a virtual reality that reacts
to the user’s actual position in space.
distributed by major toy manufacturer Mattel and selling for about

$20).

Google Shows Interest There’s also a small, but
Google established a dedicated Virtual Reality division that was
headed by Google ten-year veteran, Clay Bavor. In June 2014, curious magnet on the
after months of design work, Bavor announced that the company
had built a virtual reality headset almost entirely of cardboard. side of the ‘box.’ An
This new product, Google Cardboard, is just one of several VR-
related initiatives Clay and his boss, former VMWare CEO Diane ingenious design aspect
Greene, are heading up.
of Google Cardboard,

it’s actually a button that,

when moved, acts as if Google Cardboard’s magnetometer button
a finger has been pressed
By January 27, 2016, Google
somewhere to the screen. That is accomplished through the use of
announced that approximately
the phone’s magnetometer (which is normally reserved for com-
5 million Cardboard devices
pass functionality), which senses and controls the phone while it’s
have shipped. The company sees
inserted within the Cardboard.
this consumer acceptance and

the market penetration of VR

in general as a positive busi- Fabrication

ness driver. Further, Google Google Cardboard So how do you construct or buy your own Google Cardboard?

says people are actually using If you’re interested in building and/or owning your own Card-
board-type VR device, there are a few different options.
their Cardboards, too. More than 25 million Cardboard apps have
1. Opt for a base-level DIY job.
been downloaded from its Play Store, which, according to Google, There are numerous web sites on which you can get the
template for the “box” itself. Add in a pizza type cardboard
means that users have tried an average of five different experiences. box for the base structure, a few parts (lenses, magnets, rubber
bands, etc.) to make it work, a lot of perseverance and accurate
While the most popular app for the device is Chair in a Room, a cutting, and a smartphone, and you’ll have roughly the same
surprisingly unsettling first-person horror game, Cardboard apps experience as the much more expensive alternatives.
range from rollercoaster simulators to field trips visits to well-
known global monuments. This variety — not to mention the fact 2. Buy the kit from Google.
that they priced the Cardboard to help gain broad acceptance of This eliminates the tedious cutting of the cardboard, plus the
the smartphone-driven VR technology — reflects Google’s intense
dedication to the promotion of Virtual Reality on both the hard-
ware and software fronts.

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 13

VR HeadsetsConnecting(cthoenStSinTeucehdfafmroilym page 9)

kit gives you all of the other miscellaneous parts in one order. Describe the process from initially purchasing the Cardboard online
through the “construction”.
3. Go upscale. The one I have took 10 minutes to assemble, start to finish. It was
Purchase a more expensive smartphone-based device (like the that easy.
Samsung Gear VR).

VR Comes to SSTech The Google Cardboard kit comes with everything you need for assembly.

Karim Gaber, one of the corporate Once you had the Cardboard assembly complete, did you mount the
recruiters at our headquarters in Tampa, smartphone and play with it much?
FL, considers himself a self-made Yes! I immediately tried a few iOS applications.
“Gadget Guru.” And that’s a fitting title,
since he got his own Google Cardboard
at the end of 2015.

Below is our interview with Karim...
who tells the story in his own words.

What interested you first, the general subject of virtual reality or
that Google had this thing called the Cardboard?
I’ve always been interested in new technology and I believe VR
is really going to take off in 2016. I was reading an article about
how a doctor used Google Cardboard to save a child’s life and
thought it was really interesting because usually, technology in
its early stages lacks applications. But VR, however, started with
actual uses.

What did you know prior about virtual reality?
Since 2013, I’ve followed the Oculus Rift’s development and any
news about VR, but that was my first exposure to the technology.

From a business point of view, what would you guess was the
motivation behind a big company like Google offering this basically
super-cheap unsophisticated DIY product?
I believe it was intended as strong encouragement to the devel-
oper community to invest time and ideas in this technology.

What prompted you to order the Cardboard from Google? What has been your overall experience with viewing the available
I was really interested to trying it, and I went the Google route apps/visuals for it?
partially because I also own a Google Glass developer kit, which
of course is a completely different technology. Unfortunately, there still aren’t a really good number of useful
applications. One exception is the New York Times….they offer
In either case, when new tech becomes available, I’m always going a great app that lets you watch all of the presidential candidates
to try to get my hands on it! on VR. I thought this was really interesting, and I hear the Wall
Street Journal is doing something similar.
Did you look at the really cheap alternative of just downloading the
pattern, and making it out of a pizza box from scratch? Outside of that, Insidious is a horror app, and is by far the best
I looked at it but the cheap price of a ready-made product (the one I’ve tried. Discovery (Channel) also has a great nature/explo-
Google Cardboard) made my decision. Plus, the DIY approach is ration app, and another really up-and-coming app is VR Roller
fairly difficult to assemble. Coaster.

PAGE 14 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES

opment of VR games, there will be plenty of apps available.

Can you foresee yourself watching content that involves an ex-
tended length of time with a “visor” device that’s fitted to your head,
similar to the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR? Like a game or
movie?
Yes, definitely.

Experience the real life sensation of a 3D roller coaster There is a lot more to this topic that we couldn’t dive into at this
point, but, suffice it to say, Virtual Reality is destined to become
With any of the apps you have tried, did you ever experience ver- an important part of modern entertainment. There are so many
tigo or nausea when using the Cardboard: possibilities when it comes to applications — not just in gaming
No that didn’t happen to me or anyone who tried it that I know or entertainment, but medical (3D remote surgery could be more
than just a pipe dream), travel and exploration (think of all the
So would you say there’s a lot of room for more content for the Card- places you can’t physically get to yourself !), social interactions…..
board and all the other cell-phone/app based devices out there? the list goes on.
I believe once the gaming community really gets into the devel-
Special thanks to Karim Gaber, our Gadget Guru, for being such a
good sport for this article. We hope to look in on his next project!

An AccidentalHoliday Festivities Holiday Omission

When the last issue of Bits & Bytes was published, photos from the Atlanta office’s
holiday celebrations were inadvertently omitted from our company-wide collage. Our
sincerest of apologies for the mistake!
Here are a few shots from their office festivities.

Right: Falguni Patel, Rayna Stefanova, and Neha Desai strike a pose with the office tree and
a snowman buddy.
Bottom left: Sethu Baskaran, Pritesh Patel, Falguni Patel, Rayna Stefanova, Ronald Hahn,
Ram Raju, Neha Desai, Anuja Kotha, and Sridevi Yarlagadda.
Bottom right, front row: Anuja Kotha, Neha Desai, Falguni Patel, Rayna Stefanova, Sridevi
Yarlagadda, and Sethu Baskaran. Back row: Ronald Hahn, Pritesh Patel, and Ram Raju.

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 15

Safety is a State of MindConnecting the SSTech family
A monthly column dedicated to the safety and well-being of the SSTech family. by Sudha Pisipati

Spring signals the break from the cold, dark days of winter, beg- • When choosing a sunscreen, look for the words “broad-
ging you to run outside and have some fun in the sun. Keep your spectrum” on the label - it means that the sunscreen will
family safe by following these tips from the American Academy protect against both ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A
of Pediatrics (AAP). (UVA) rays. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen and reapply
every two hours or after swimming, sweating or towel drying.
Sun Safety for Babies You may want to select a sunscreen that does not contain the
• Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct ingredient oxybenzone, a sunscreen chemical that may have
hormonal properties.
sunlight. Move your baby to the shade under a tree, umbrella
or stroller canopy. Dress babies in lightweight clothing that • Zinc oxide, a very effective sunscreen, can be used as extra
covers the arms and legs, and use brimmed hats. protection on the nose, cheeks, top of the ears and on the
shoulders.
• It is okay to apply a small amount of sunscreen on infants
under 6 months if there is no way to avoid the sun. Remem- • Use a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The addi-
ber it takes 30 minutes to be effective. tional benefits of using sunscreen with SPF 50+ are limited.

Sun Safety for Kids • Rub sunscreen in well, making sure to cover all exposed areas,
• Select clothes made of tightly woven fabrics. Cotton clothing especially the face, nose, ears, feet and hands, and even the
backs of the knees.
is both cool and protective.
• Put on sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors - it needs
• Try to find a wide-brimmed hat that can shade the cheeks, time to work on the skin.
chin, ears and back of the neck. Sunglasses with ultraviolet
(UV) protection are also a good idea for protecting your • Sunscreens should be used for sun protection and not as a
child’s eyes. reason to stay in the sun longer.

• Apply sunscreen to areas of your child’s skin that aren’t cov- Pool and Beach Tips
ered by clothing. Before applying, test the sunscreen on your • Children and adults should never swim alone.
child’s back for an allergic reaction. Apply carefully around
the eyes, avoiding eyelids. If a rash develops, talk with your • Provide touch supervision. This means that an adult is within
pediatrician. arm’s reach anytime your young child is in or near water.

• If your child gets sunburn that results in blistering, pain or • Be aware that pools and beaches in other countries may not
fever, contact your pediatrician. have lifeguards, and pools may have unsafe drain systems.
Supervise children closely.
Sun Safety for the Family
• The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. • At the beach, stay within the designated swimming area and
ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard
Try to keep out of the sun during those hours.
• Be aware of rip currents. If you should get caught in one,
• The sun’s damaging UV rays can bounce back from sand, don’t try to swim against it. Swim parallel to shore until clear
snow or concrete; so be particularly careful of these areas. of the current.

• Wear commercially available sun-protective clothing, like • Seek shelter in case of storm. Get out of the water. Get off
swim shirts. the beach in case of lightning.

• Most of the sun’s rays can come through the clouds on an • Watch out for traffic – some beaches allow cars.
overcast day; so use sun protection even on cloudy days.

P©AG20E1156S YSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLPOAGGIEES16





In addition to the open work areas, the new office provides stafff iwth plenty of
conference room space and a colorful, airy breakroom with a view.

Bottom left and right: Staff is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the new
office with a pizza party sponsored by Sreedhar.

© 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES PAGE 19





Welcome to System Soft Technologies!
Connecting the SSTech family

The System Soft Technologies family would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new employees!

Lizbeth Villafane Laurie Sutherlin
Asset Extraction Assoicate Account Executive

Tampa, Florida Dallas, Texas

I’m married and have plenty of nieces and nephews. Dallas has always been my home, except for when I at-
We also have a pet iguana named Fuse. I love music tended UT-Austin and the few years I lived in Califor-
and reading books, and I’m an arts and crafts ma- nia. I have one beautiful daughter who is a freshman
niac. I also love sports and used to run track in high at Texas A&M. I’m very proud of her and we are very
school. Basketball is my favorite to play and watch, close besties. I am passionate about animal rescue and
by far. have to two rescue dogs at home that have my heart.
I have been in IT for 16 years and love learning about
new technology and “making things happen.” I enjoy
helping people; walking my dogs; seeing my daughter,
family and close friends; going to the movies; snow
skiing; and working out. I like to eat healthy but have a
sweet tooth, which can be a problem!

Discounts Coming Soon!

Are you planning upcoming travel to India?
Our corporate profile with Etihad Airlines is officially being
activated during the first week of April.
Associates can contact the Corporate Office to request assistance from SSTech’s
Travel Coordinator, who will work with our dedicated representative at Etihad
Airways in checking discounted rates.

PAGE 22 © 2016 SYSTEM SOFT TECHNOLOGIES