For our series Handshake 2.0 Takes on The Cloud, we asked experts on cloud computing:  "From your point of view, what are - or will be - the benefits of cloud computing for small-to-medium businesses?"

David Catalano of digital services agency Modea answered:

"The traditional method of IT infrastructure planning requires businesses to make investments in anticipation of future needs. Cloud computing may allow businesses to dynamically scale key parts of their IT infrastructure as needs dictate. Cloud computing may result in the near elimination of up-front infrastructure costs and on-going fixed costs such as bandwidth allocation. The benefit is 'pay-for-use.' Businesses pay incrementally more for cloud resources only when they require it."

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You can learn more about Modea on Handshake 2.0.  On Twitter, you can follow @David Catalano and @Modea.

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We're compiling links to Handshake 2.0's entire cloud computing series on our introductory post.

Catherine Fong contributed to this post.

From Anne Clelland:

Mansi Trivedi of digital services agency Modea explains with clarity and creativity the business use of Twitter in her slide show Twitter 101.  She combines thought-provoking statistics, defintions, and how-to advice effectively and attractively for all to access on SlideShare. Mansi graciously gave me permission to post my favorite slide:

I just did that!

You can learn more about Mansi Trivedi in our Handshake 2.0 profile and more about Modea on Handshake 2.0.  You can follow Mansi Trivedi on Twitter, @media_reveries , and Modea, @Modea.

From Z. Kelly Queijo:

For Mansi Trivedi, finding a new job was as easy as 2.0.

A self-proclaimed “Facebook semi-addict,” Trivedi discovered Modea, a digital services agency located in Blacksburg, Virginia, through a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) alumni group on Facebook. Intrigued by the company's work and clientèle, she contacted Modea and, on April 3, 2009,  became an official associate planner and account executive for the company.

“That's the beauty of Social Media/Web 2.0,” says Trivedi.  You don't only live in a physical zip code; we all travel longitudes of distances every day.”

A native of India, Trivedi's trek from Bombay to Blacksburg included several moves along the way.  After earning her B.A. in mass media/advertising from the University of Mumbai and a master's degree in communication strategy from the VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, Virginia, her work took her to Michigan, New Jersey and, until just recently, New York.

Along the way, her passion for writing and design led her to create many innovative blogs:

2009 in pages:  www.mansitrivedi.com

Everyday observations: www.mansitrivedi.wordpress.com

The idea of being displaced, a collective storytelling experiment: www.dsplaced.com

I'm a design geek: http://dailydoseofdesign.tumblr.com

Mansi Trivedi is also on Twitter:  @media_reveries.

“I would like to think that what I did outside of work did play a big role in helping me find a home at Modea,” she says.

She also attributes to VCU's graduate program help in shaping her growth as a writer and designer. “The VCU Brandcenter truly influenced me in what I am today. The school had a huge effect on me in terms of challenging the easy answers and not making just ads. That's the thing about advertising.  We need to embrace the idea of  'new' and immerse ourselves in popular culture to be able to develop communications that connect well with consumers.”

Before her move from New York, Trivedi wrote about what it was like to stand very still on a sidewalk in Soho and take in all the motion of the city for just one moment, sharing with her readers a small slice of  life in the Big Apple.  She wrote about being real with Modea for Advertising Age. 

I've warned Mansi that, except on home-football game weekends, the pace here in Blacksburg is a bit slower than city life and comes with a lot less glam and fewer limos. She's okay with it and says she's looking forward to being able to “wrap my head around the town and get to know the Blacksburgers and Hokies!”

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Z. Kelly Queijo writes about business and technology, people and their passions.  She is a frequent contributor to Handshake 2.0.  You can follow her on Twitter, @zkellyq.

From Richard Hammer:

I'm a technology adopter and tend to integrate new technologies into my life easily. I guess there are advantages to being the Director of Web Application Development at Modea ( @Modea ) which make that a little easier [wink].
 
When Twitter was launched, I was suspicious, as the business model was based on instant, seamless communication about the where's, what's and why's of everyday lives:  where the hottest new dance club was; what bars were having drink specials; where this movie star was last seen eating dinner; basically sharing detailed updates on some of the mundane details of life. At its heart, micro-blogging at its best.
 
What it has become [and has the possibility of becoming] is a completely different story and I would like to share one of several experiences:
 
Like so many people out there, I have a house on the market for sale. I transplanted my family from NoVa to Blacksburg, Virginia last spring to take advantage of an amazing job opportunity. The house in NoVa is empty, but utilities are still on to make it "show" friendly.

A number of weeks ago, we had a bitter cold stretch connected to an ice storm. Needless to say, the house lost power for several days and the pipes became frozen and burst. I'm fairly handy at sweating copper pipe, so I trekked up to see what could be done. As it turns out, we had not 1 frozen pipe break, but 18, and the recently installed commercial tile floor in the basement was destroyed.
 
I posted a status update on Twitter:

"The good news is it's not a total loss; the bad news is it's more than I'm able to get done in a weekend. I'm in good hands with Allstate."
 
Not 5 minutes later ... I see an @reply ... from @Allstate.

"@FireByDragon I'm glad!"
 
I @reply, thinking this is quite a unique opportunity, given the context of my status update and my unfamiliarity with corporate entities monitoring Twitter:

"@allstate Me too!!! Happy customer since '92. History: 3 rentals, 2 homes, 7 cars, 2 trucks, 3 motorcycles and an RV. Thank you!"
 
@Allstate's response:

"@FireByDragon Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you had a good claims experience."
 
Now I am impressed by Allstate's use of this medium. They are monitoring the Twitter stream and providing positive customer service in this brave new medium.

Two weeks later, @Allstate offered this direct message, DM, communication and me as a reference:

"@[Twitter User] Sorry, was out of office when you asked earlier about Allstate insurance. Try @FireByDragon Or. DM me for more."
 
There are those out there who might make these points:

1. It's alarming to think someone else is monitoring your information stream.
2. It's more alarming that they would be bold enough to interject themselves in that information stream.
3. It's even more alarming that they would make a referral...even within a context.

Maybe my work history and experience make me unique, but I go the other way.

Here is a brand and a company that, in my opinion, gets it. Here is a visible, public social medium where people are sharing publicly their views and thoughts on anything and everything in their lives. Communities are sharing their experiences and current state of consciousness. Consumers are expressing opinions, both positive and negative, about the world around them and how they interact with it. It would be a missed opportunity for any brand to ignore this medium.  Listening and being aware of what is being said about their band, allows them to, in some cases, actually do something positive and nurturing about it.
 
Hats off to @Allstate. They are truly adopting this medium as a brand marketing tool and have a positive plan in place moving forward. They are ahead of the curve.

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Handshake 2.0 - on Twitter @handshake20 - follows Richard Hammer on Twitter @FireByDragon.

Cory Donovan, Executive Director of the NewVa Corridor Technology Council, encourages attendees of the NewVa Tech Expo 2008 to use the forum as an opportunity to practice elevator pitches.

On a previous Handshake 2.0 post, I offered an elevator pitch model from Geoffrey A. Moore.

On Inside VT KnowledgeWorks, I wrote about Concept Camp and how director Jim Flowers would only give each aspiring CEO one minute for an elevator pitch.

David Catalano of Modea left this comment:

"You give a whole minute!?!"

I e-mailed him for his advice on an under-one-minute pitch and he offered it generously.  Here's an excerpt from David Catalano's 8/31/08 e-mail to me offering another way for business leaders to craft their elevator pitches:

"Modea is a rapidly growing digital agency. We provide strategic advertising and marketing services to Fortune 1000 clients such as Newell Rubbermaid and T-Mobile. These services include online promotions, email marketing management, web development and social networking strategies. We are successful by combining our unprecedented service with tangible bottom line results."

"If you read that at a New Yorker’s pace it comes to 21 seconds. I’ve established what we do using my own terminology (digital agency), clarify it with words that my target market will understand (strategic advertising and marketing services), established credibility by mentioning Fortune 1000 clients and giving recognizable brand names. Finally I go on to list specifically what these services are and why I feel that we are different from other companies. See, it’s taken me more words to explain what I said than me saying it in the first place!"

Thanks very much, David!