Dr. Thomas Anderson, a radiologist at Somerset Hospital, lives at Hidden Valley - just nine miles from his office. But the technological separation is far greater.

Cambria is the first county in Pennsylvania to set up the high-tech, state-of-the-art system. It is expected to become a revenue-producer for county government.

It wasn't all that long ago when just one computer on the Pitt-Johnstown campus had Internet access. That was only in the early 1990s. Now, 50 percent of UPJ's classrooms are described as "tech ready" and most students can access the Web from the comfort of their own dorm rooms.

The information superhighway has revolutionized and improved home health care and countless other businesses in addition to changing the way people can do their jobs.

With technology as its middle name, it seemed natural to incorporate the latest environmentally friendly advances into construction of Greater Johnstown Technology Park.

Some old dogs can learn new tricks just fine - especially if it means the future financial health of their businesses. That's what Ebensburg leaders are learning through an updated Web site for area businesses.

Mike Danchanko remembers the days when Ford Motor Company's Web page was literally just one page. Those days are gone forever.

Only six months after launching JohnstownBusiness.com, the Greater Johnstown-Cambria County Chamber of Commerce Web site that features about 700 local companies has proven its worth.

Continuous progress in medical science has been helping people to live longer, and advances in other areas are helping them to live better.

JWF Industries is investing up to $3 million or more on major capital improvements to its equipment and facilities on Iron Street, downtown Johnstown.

Most industries plan for how they expect to be affected by technology. The defense and aerospace industry thinks about how it will affect technology.

Dave Angeletti smiles each day because he’s been able to remain in Johnstown – not only because he’s been able to find employment here, but gainful employment in his chosen career path.
That doesn’t mean that the 40-year-old, an executive vice president at Conference Archives in Johnstown, has always physically worked in this region. At one point during the 1990s, Angeletti more often than not found himself traveling many miles while working for himself.

Getting around with the help of global positioning systems should become commonplace in the next five years, predicts Ron Aldom, executive director of Somerset County Chamber of Commerce.

Mike Hruska, 32, is a full-time entrepreneur, a professional musician and an amateur illusionist. But a psychic capable of accurately predicting the future, he’s not – at least not yet.

Technology has introduced ATMs, debit cards and online transactions to the banking industry. Future technology will have to address the safety of these features.

Thanks to the power of the Internet, local government is becoming more user-friendly.

While many communities have been ravaged by declining manufacturing and staggering job losses, Matt Wilks is directing his United Industrial Electro-Mechanical Services in a direction that bodes well for the future.

Online listings now enable potential buyers to see not only an exterior photo of a home, but also take a 360-degree virtual tour of the interior with just a click of a mouse.

As more people discover the advantages of online learning, providing the proper technology is becoming a must for learning institutions that want the best for students, said Leah Spangler, Learning Lamp Inc. executive director.

The use of technology should only increase on farms in the Cambria-Somerset region during the next five years.

When Mike Stohon returned to his native Cambria County a few years ago, he was astounded that the region was struggling to achieve the advances in technology he had witnessed while working at high-tech jobs, including one in Houston.
“In every single case, it’s almost as if information technology was behind the curve,” Stohon said.

Tracking criminals is getting a little easier. Somerset County 911 plans to upgrade its ability to trace cell-phone calls.

Technology is a tool that can cut an easier path for businesses and their customers to follow.

With the possibility of podcasting and downloadable books, area libraries are feeling the new tech sizzle.

How can I prepare my business for the future of the Internet? This is a question that all business owners should be asking themselves.

The difficulty in finding drivers who know how to read an atlas may be an indication of how much the trucking and logistics industry has changed in recent years. Trucking has gone high-tech.

Jim White’s Ebensburg-based software company, Folx, fits every qualifying parameter to enjoy the benefits of the Greater Johnstown Keystone Innovation Zone.
The only problem was, White didn’t realize it.

Johnstowners should be proud and amazed when they finish reading this year’s Tribune-Democrat Progress Edition. High-tech has led our diversified economic renaissance in ways I couldn’t imagine even a decade ago.

Mind-boggling advancements in technology gave me plenty to write about during my years at The Tribune-Democrat.