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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions, Relocations & Launches, Who's Hot, Who's Not, Who's Winning Business, Deal Makers, Innovations, R&D / Intellectual Property, People, Trends, Other News, Commentary, Employment, Events, Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. |
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| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches  |
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Siteworx Relocates, Continues to Hire RESTON-Siteworx, a design and Web applications firm, has moved to a new, larger location in Reston where it can accommodate recent additions to the staff, as well as anticipated addition of six or more Web developers and information architects in the new few months. Said Jeff Ellsworth, vice president of sales and marketing: "Getting into a larger space is really indicative of where this company is going," More. Techead Launches Tulip Solutions RICHMOND--Techead, a staffing solutions company, has spun off a new Internet application development company, Tulip Solutions LLC, to focus on a tool that tracks the time that employees and contractors spend on projects, in an affordable, secure and easy-to-use Web-based environment. Said President Phil Conein: "Tulip was designed as a result of numerous conversations with our customers, who told us that they were looking for a simple, easy to use application. TULIP, or Time User Log In Program, provided a real business solution that was based on real business experiences." More. In Brief... RICHMOND--Virtus Marketing, a third party sales, customer service, and market research consultancy, has launched Virtus Interactive, an online advertising division that provides small and midsized businesses with website design and development, search engine optimization, and Internet yellow page directory listings. More. NORFOLK--The Employment Guide, a weekly employment publication with more than two million circulation in 57 major metro areas, is expanding its circulation into Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M. More. CHARLOTTESVILLE-- Garrett/Piedmont Hawthorne/Associated, a provider of comprehensive services for the business aviation industry, will open a $1.2 million hangar facility at Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in June. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... |
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The Boomer Project 
National Association of Women Business Owners 
Virginia FREE |
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Netuitive Closes $5 Million in Financing RESTON--Netuitive, Inc., a developer of real-time analysis software for business service management, has closed a $5 million Series C round in financing led by Thomas Weisel Venture Partners. As part of the financing, TWVP's Ido Sarig will join Netuitive's board. Said Sarig: "BSM is one of the hottest segments in the software industry, and continues to realize rapid adoption based on its ability to simplify complex decision making that involves multiple people, systems and business units." More. eStara Hits 3 Million Push-to-Talks RESTON-Usage of eStara's Push to Talk service, an application that connects online buyers and merchants, has exceeded 3 million unique users. Through eStara's VoIP technology, visitors to a website simply click a Push to Talk button and, using their own PC's microphone and speakers, speak to a sales or customer agent in real-time. "Increasingly companies are realizing that cross-channel communication problems are losing them money and driving customers to abandon transactions," said COO John Piescik. "Putting a traditional telephone number on your website just creates a data black hole - eStara gives clients actionable data with every call that produces higher transaction conversions, greater long-term value and happier customers." More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Not... |
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Searchable Business Database 
Virginia Technology Alliance |
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Vulture Watch: Philly Law Firm Sues BearingPoint ALEXANDRIA--Philadelphia-based Spector, Roseman & Kodroff, P.C. has commenced a securities class action lawsuit against BearingPoint on behalf of stockholders between August 14, 2003 and April 20, 2005. The complaint, filed in the U.S. Circuit Court, eastern district, alleges that BearingPoint issued false and misleading statements by failing to disclose that the company had materially overstated its net income by approximately $250 - $400 million, inflated earnings, failed to prepare financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and lacked adequate internal controls. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... |
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In Brief... ALEXANDRIA-Avineon, an IT services company, has won a task order valued at $6 million over two-and-a-half years to provide life-cycle software development and maintenance services for a Public and Indian Housing financial analysis system. More. RESTON-MAXIMUS, a government services company, will provide an integrated case management solution to enforce child and spousal support payments in the province of Ontario. The four-year contract is valued $5.78 million (US). ARLINGTON--System Planning Corporation has won a contract from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company to supply a radar imaging system for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deal Makers |
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In Brief... WILLIAMSBURG--MHI Hospitality Corporation has agreed to buy the 292-room Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, which overlooks the St. John's River in Jacksonville, Fla., for $22.0 million. More. CHANTILLY--Mobile 365 joined forces with PORTA, the leading mobile operator in Ecuador, to offer Short Messaging Service (SMS) connectivity to its almost three million PORTA brand wireless subscribers. More. CHANTILLY---Mobile 365 has teamed with Colombia Movil, with 1.5 million subscribers. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations |
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AOL Relaunches Netscape Browser DULLES--America Online has launched Netscape 8.0, which automatically adjusts safety and security settings to help protect users as they explore the Web. The Web browser seamlessly switches between the rendering engines used by the Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers to help ensure maximum compatibility on known/trusted sites and maximum safety on unknown or potentially dangerous sites. If a user visits a Web site using Netscape 8.0, the browser automatically checks to see if the site is on a constantly-updated "black list" of thousands of suspected virus, scam, or spyware sites or a "white list" of more than 150,000 Web sites that have been certified as legitimate by VeriSign and TRUSTe. More. Baby Einstein Founder Launches Child Safety Videos ALEXANDRIA--Julie Clark, creator of Baby Einstein, and John Walsh, host of "America's Most Wanted" and co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, have launched The Safe Side, a series of child safety videos. The DVD features Safe Side Superchick, a zany host who teaches kids important messages that empower them to stay safe in a variety of situations. Ten percent of gross proceeds will be donated to NCMEC. As the mother of two, a former teacher, and creator of the Baby Einstein line of child-enrichment videos and products, Clark discovered that children learn best from something they enjoy. "The Safe Side series is an upbeat and wildly funny show that children can relate and respond to," she said. "It's important to take this most serious of topics and make it something engaging and meaningful for children." More. i411 Deploys Search Technology in Netherlands HERNDON--i411, Inc., a search-technology provider, has deployed its i411 Discovery Engine in the Netherlands, enabling "lightning-fast, interactive searches" for Internet users looking for local merchants. Said CEO Iqbal Talib: "iLocal aims to satisfy the high expectations of consumers in the Netherlands while providing visibility for business advertisers. The … business model caters directly to local merchants -- far more so than simple priority placements and conventional pay-per-click advertising." i411's Discovery Engine presents users with categories and subcategories of information rather than just individual results ranked by keyword relevance. Conducting free-text searches similar to popular search engines, users can refine their searches to locate specific businesses that offer the products and services they seek. More. C2C Building Green Housing ROANOKE--C2C Home has begun construction on the first of several environmentally friendly and affordable houses in Roanoke. The first was designed by Ekaterina Kohlwes modeled on the principles laid out in William McDonough and Michael Braungart's book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Noted Kohlwes: "Residential houses are the greatest consumers of embodied energy and contributors to landfill waste. This house offers one example of how we can address these issues." More. ESCOM Attacks Zombie Spam OAKTON--ESCOM Corporation, a developer of electronic mail protection, has introduced an upgrade to its ASMTP software that employs a patented client filter to deal with client-based "zombie" attacks, estimated to be responsible for as much as 2/3 of all spam. Said President Al Donaldson: "Zombies are responsible for almost all pornographic spam. …Client zombies are essentially untraceable, so they're ideal for distributing the worst kinds of spam, phishing scams, and new generations of viruses. … ASMTP 4 stops client zombies because it can dynamically distinguish clients from actual mail servers, and block direct client connections." More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property |
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Hokies Study Mathematical Reasoning in the Blind BLACKSBURG--Francis Quek, director of the Center for Human Computer Interaction at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, has received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study embodiment awareness, mathematics discourse and the blind. The term "embodiment awareness" conveys the way a listener comprehends communications through gesture, gaze, posture and facial expression. Blind people, lacking the ability to access information visually, typically lag sighted students by one to three years in mathematical reasoning, which is rich in the spatial imagery revealed in gestures. Quek proposes to remedy this problem by giving blind students the use of tactile devices that can provide elements of embodiment awareness. More. GMU Profs Probe Protein Pathways MANASSAS--Using a new type of proteomic technology, scientists at George Mason University and the National Cancer Institute have identified a hyperactive network of cancer cell proteins that may lead to a strategy to boost the survival rate for children suffering from a highly aggressive form of childhood cancer. "This is the first time that proteomic technologies have been used to predict which patients will respond to therapy and why," explains Emanuel Petricoin III. "But proteomics can go beyond a prediction and help us understand which pathways to pursue in patients who, based on that prediction, are destined to fail conventional therapies." More. |
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| Back To Top | People |
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Corbett Resigns from BearingPoint MCLEAN-Joseph Corbett, CFO of BearingPoint, Inc., has resigned through "mutual agreement" with the company after only four months on the job. He will be succeeded temporarily by Harry You, the newly appointed CEO. An aggressive search for a permanent replacement is underway. Said You: "I want to thank Joe for his hard work in setting BearingPoint in the right direction to sounder financial reporting and controls." Added Corbett: "Harry and I together decided that the challenges facing BearingPoint require that Harry have a CFO of his own choosing," said Corbett. "I wish BearingPoint all the best in the future." More. Astronaut Jim Voss to Join Transformational Space Corp. RESTON--Veteran astronaut James S. Voss has accepted an appointment as Vice President for Space Exploration Systems at Transformational Space Corporation LLC (t/Space). At NASA, Voss had been deputy for flight operations in the Space Station Program Mission Integration and Operations Office. t/Space is working on a contract to help NASA develop its Moon-Mars exploration plans and to begin design of a Crew Exploration Vehicle. More. In Brief... CHANTILLY--Blue Ridge Networks, a provider of secure communications products and managed VPN services, has appointed Gregory A. Washenko, former director of finance for America Online Inc., as vice-president of finance. More. MCLEAN--First Avenue Networks, a wireless carrier's carrier, today has hired Joseph M. Sandri, Jr., in the dual capacity of senior vice president and president of the solutions division. More. |
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| Back To Top | Trends |
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Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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Henrico Employment. The preceding chart displays employment growth for Henrico County alongside growth in Virginia. Throughout most of the 1990's, employment growth in Henrico exceeded that of the state; however, the county's growth dropped dramatically during the 2001 recession and has tended to fall below the state pace since that time. For the year ending with the third quarter of 2004, employment in Henrico County advanced 0.3 percent compared to 2.8 percent growth in the state. Employment trends in regional labor markets are often the best overall measure of economic performance. While statistics relating to output growth, such as real gross domestic (state) product, are considered the most comprehensive performance figures for states and the nation, this data is not available for localities. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. Federal Security Spending to Reach $7 Billion by FY 2010 RESTON--Federal information security spending will grow 20 percent over the next five years from $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2005 to $7.3 billion in fiscal year 2010, according to a report released today by INPUT, a provider of government market intelligence. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, information security has become the single most critical component of information systems investments across all federal agencies and programs, causing a steady increase in IT expenditures. Said Chris Campbell, senior analyst, federal market analysis: "We're seeing the focus on information security gain momentum as homeland security initiatives have begun to normalize. Over the past few years we have seen a rise in crippling network viruses and federal agencies are realizing their current systems are not enough to fend off attacks and breaches." More. Imports Account for Nearly 9,000 Virginia Jobs RICHMOND-Research sponsored by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership indicates that 8,940 jobs exist in Virginia by virtue of pass-through international imports - cargoes that are landed here and shipped to users elsewhere in the United States. International imports landed in Virginia amounted to $24.9 billion, with pass-through imports representing the largest category, valued at $18.7 billion. International imports that remained in Virginia for final production and/or consumption amounted to $6.2 billion. "Often lost in the national debate about the trade balance are the benefits of import trade in states with major air and seaports," said Robert Chase, principal of Chase Economics and author of the study. "Virginia represents an outstanding example in which international import trade has become a significant source of economic vitality. Virginia's economic landscape of distribution warehouses, transportation infrastructure and domestic shipping services testifies to the growing impact of international imports." More. |
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| Back To Top | Other News |
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Distance Learning Connects Chatham with Boston CHATHAM- Fifteen students and English teacher at Chatham Hall, a girls boarding school in Pittsylvania County, launched a new class this spring, "Understanding the Islamic World through Film," with the help of Boston-based professor Olga Davidson of Brandeis University. Connecting through her laptop, Davidson leads discussions of films the students have watched each week. Chatham Hall's distance-learning system, which was designed by AE Systems, marks the first time non-technical teachers have been able to use a touch screen controller to send and receive streaming MPEG4 video over the Internet. More. Flexcar Expands Arlington Service ARLINGTON--Flexcar, a Settle-based provider of car-sharing services, has increased the number of vehicles in Arlington County--to 21--as part of a public-private partnership launched a year ago with the County. The program exceeded expectations and has been renewed and expanded. Flexcar provides subscribers with on-demand access to a fleet of diverse and environmentally friendly cars and trucks, including gas-electric hybrids; members reserve the vehicles for hourly use. In March, 2004, Arlington invested significantly in a car-sharing program, dedicating on-street parking spots, outreach and promotion. Pilot project survey results, corroborated with evidence from studies in North America and Europe, show that car sharing has allowed members to reduce their car ownership, encourages more transit trips, reduces the number of cars on the road, reduces the number of vehicle miles traveled, and provides for a much more efficient use of parking spaces. More. Virginia Agency Sued for Procurement Discrimination RICHMOND--E&E Enterprises Global, Inc., a minority-owned government contractor, has filed suit against the Virginia Department of Education for discrimination in the agency's solicitation for services under Gov. Mark R. Warner's "Education For A Lifetime" initiative. The suit alleges that the agency discriminated against E&E by requiring the firm to fulfill requirements that not required of the non-minority bidder, and disqualified E&E once it was apparent that E&E was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Statistics for the Virginia Department of Education for this same period show that the agency awarded over $75 million in contracts to non-minority-owned businesses compared to awarding only $17,000 in contracts to minority-owned businesses. More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary |
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"The Shelter Crisis Massive housing subsidies and dysfunctional human settlement patterns make a volatile mix. We're witnessing the worst housing bubble in the history of the United States. The inevitable bust will be painful. More. |
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Fright of the Creative Class Richard Florida is back. He says there's a global competition for creative talent, and the U.S. may be squandering its edge. But don't panic: Much of his analysis doesn't hold up. Last week, I stumbled into Keith Simmons, CEO of XTerra Wetsuits, seller of high-performance wetsuits for triathletes. Sipping coffee and reading the newspaper outside a neighborhood Starbucks, he was back in town for a couple of months after having moved to San Diego. Although the XTerra headquarters remained in Richmond, he'd moved his personal residence to the West Coast to be near the center of his industry. More. |
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| Back To Top | Employment |
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| Back To Top | Events |
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Hosting an event? Post the details in our weekly events listing. Click here for our listing guidelines. |
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