SMARTech Corporation

SMARTech Corporation, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a "leading provider of advanced Internet hosting, network and applications solutions for business. SMARTech delivers services via secure state-of-the-art Internet Data Centers, high-performance content delivery network, and its world-class technical professionals," its website states.

SMARTech is a member of AirNet Group, Inc..

Coptix Inc. (web), another Chattanooga-based company, "provides backup DNS hosting for Smartech/Airnet." 

Web hosting
In March 2004, SMARTech CEO Jeff Averbeck told Dave Flessner of the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the company had "dedicated six Web servers to handle the business" and he was already "negotiating for more broadband capacity to handle the growing demand for electronic political information." 

In August 2004, SMARTech hosted the Republican National Convention in New York City. 

The company also hosts the Bush-Cheney '04 Inc. campaign web site www.georgewbush.com, which now redirects to the Republican National Committee's website www.GOP.com. Another web site that redirects to the RNC is GOPteamleader.com.

The reverse IP for RNCHQ.ORG includes 120 domains.

Also see WHOIS for RNCHQ.org and GOP.org.

E-mailing
In September 2004, SMARTech's CEO, Jeff Averbeck, told Business 2.0 Media that the company was "running the Republican websites, [saying], 'Politics today is getting people to get up and do something.' More than 1 million volunteers and 6 million e-mail and letter-writing activists have signed up for the Republicans this year over the Web.

"All those people make a good test bed for sophisticated database marketing techniques. 'When we send out an e-mail,' Averbeck says, 'I can tell immediately how it was received -- whether it was opened, forwarded, or discarded. We have code in the e-mail that shows me.'"

2004
In the 2004 election cycle (2003-2005), the Republican Party paid:
 * SMARTECH CORPORATION $2,275,081 (153 expenditures) for internet services, computer consulting, email programming, website services, web hosting, email services, wireless services, internet consulting, domain registration, and network consulting.

2006
In the 2006 election cycle (2005-2006), the Republican Party paid:


 * SmarTech Corp. $8,539 (2 expenditures) marked "Paid for by transfer from RNC"
 * SMARTECH CORPORATION $3,320,066 (245 expenditures) for equipment, domain registration, web hosting, web services, email programming, data storage, internet connection, internet services, in-kind phone services, computer programming, database programming, license fees, video services, online video streaming, software purchase, training, office supplies, airfare, transportation, meals & lodging, sales tax, etc.

In the 2006 election cycle (2005-2006), the National Republican Congressional Committee paid:
 * SMARTECH CORPORATION $2,228 (41 expandirues) for "Generic Web Hosting".

2008
Information is not yet available for the 2008 election cycle (2007-2008).

Campaign Supporter
In August 2004, SMARTech was listed among those contributing between $2,500 and $5m to the New York City Host Committee, which organized the Republican National Convention. 

Other Political Campaigns

 * Bloomberg for Mayor 2005 NYC Inc.

Leadership

 * Jeffrey Scott Averbeck, president and CEO

Contact Information
801 Broad Street, Suite 220 P.O. Box 11181 Chattanooga, TN 37401 Phone: 423 267-8853 Toll Free: 866 664-7684 FAX: 423 664-7680 Web: http://www.smartechcorp.net Web: http://www.st3.com/ (redirects to http://www.smartechcorp.net) General email: info AT smartechcorp.net

Location: In March 2007, the business records for SMARTech showed the corporation formed in February 2002, the registered agent as Jerre B. Mosley, an attorney, and the principal office as 705 Windy Way in Signal Mountain, TN. 705 Windy Way is the address for CEO/President Jeff Averbeck. 

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration misuse of government agencies controversy
 * Bush administration U.S. attorney firings controversy/e-mail controversy
 * GovTech Solutions
 * Vets for Freedom/Vets for Freedom: Website

General Info

 * Coptix in the Wikipedia.

2004

 * Dave Flessner, "Chattanooga Takes Center Stage In Connecting Voters For President," Chattanooga Times Free Press (TennValleyCorridor.org), March 19, 2004.
 * "State company will be Web host of GOP convention," Associated Press (The Tennessean), August 3, 2004.
 * Andy Sher, "Airnet Hosts GOP Internet Sites in 2004," AirNetGroup.com, August 22, 2004.
 * AlphaPatriot, "Tennessee Tech," TN4W.com, August 24, 2004.
 * Erick Schonfeld, "Future Boy. Technology Equals Democracy" (ZoomInfo cache file), Business 2.0 Media, September 3, 2004.
 * Ashlee Vance, "Republicans put $1.5m behind internet push. Attacking Kerry's Mormon love is not cheap," The Register (UK), October 7, 2004.
 * Stacy Cowley, "Bush campaign Web site blocks overseas visits," IDG News Service (ITworld.com), October 10, 2004.

2006

 * John Stauber, "Is 'Vets for Freedom' A Republican Front Group?" PRWatch, June 7, 2006.
 * luaptifer, "Ken Blackwell Outsources Ohio Election Results to GOP Internet," ePluribus Media/Daily Kos, November 7, 2006.
 * intranets, "Ohio's election website still sent real-time results to GOP mirror," ePluribus Media, November 9, 2006.

2007

 * BloggerJohn, "Rove's 'Dirty Tricks' Email Servers," Daily Kos, March 17, 2007.
 * Thread: "So SMARTECH, company that hosts gwb43.com (owned by RNC), ALSO hosted the OHIO ELECTION RETURNS???" DemocraticUnderground.com, March 21, 2007.
 * Thread: "So what exactly have we stumbled onto with the SMARTech Corp nameserver?" DemocraticUnderground.com, March 22, 2007.
 * Josiah T. Roe, "Zeroing in on Karl Rove spoof photo," Chattanooga Times Free Press, April 3, 2007. Note: Roe is executive v.p. of Coptix.
 * Michael Davis, "Morphing a conspiracy?" Chattanooga Times Free Press, April 4, 2007.
 * Lambert, "Rove Photo Fake Artists and Disinformation Experts Pose with Bush," Corrente Wire, April 4, 2007. See Coptix spin at Blogtopia.Coptix.com.
 * Tom Hamburger, "Party-issued laptops now a White House headache. Democrats say a private e-mail system was used in violation of federal rules," Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2007.
 * Paul Kiel, "Does Anybody Know Where My Policy Laptop Is?" TPMmuckraker, April 9, 2007.
 * Tom Hamburger, "E-mail system may hurt White House. Democrats want to see messages sent by the RNC's backup paging, computer network," Los Angeles Times (Houston Chronicle), April 10, 2007.
 * Michael Horowitz, "Helping Henry Waxman," MichaelHorowitz Blogspot, April 13, 2007.
 * Steven Rosenfeld and Bob Fritakis, "Network Hosting Attorney Scandal E-Mails Also Hosted Ohio's 2004 Election Results," Free Press (AlterNet; OpEdNews), April 23, 2007: "Did the most powerful Republicans in America have the computer capacity, software skills and electronic infrastructure in place on Election Night 2004 to tamper with the Ohio results to ensure George W. Bush's re-election? ... The answer appears to be yes."