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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 Winning Business, Innovations, R&D / Intellectual Property, People, Trends, Other News, Commentary, Events, Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sponsors:  Legal Services  Investment banking  Email Marketing Experts Partners:  B2B Marketing Research  Virginia Technology Conference Partners:  The Boomer Project  National Association of Women Business Owners  Virginia FREE  Searchable Business Database  Virginia Technology Alliance |
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Great Wolf to Expand Williamsburg Lodge WILLIAMSBURG--Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., a Madison, Wis., operator of family resorts featuring indoor waterparks, will expand its recently opened Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg with the addition of 100 additional guest suites and three new waterpark rides. Said CEO John Emery: "We have seen strong acceptance of this product and our brand in the marketplace since the resort's opening in March. These factors, coupled with the strength of our forward bookings at the property, have convinced us to move ahead quickly with additional rooms and related waterpark attractions." Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2005 with completion expected in fall 2006. More. Netezza Launches Federal Division MCLEAN--Netezza Corporation, a Framingham, Mass., provider of data warehouse appliances, has launched a federal division and opened an office in McLean. Netezza's NPS data warehouse appliance integrates a relational database, server and storage into a single unit that delivers 10 to 50 times the performance - at half the cost - of traditional data warehouse systems. Said CEO Jit Saxena: "Government agencies face the same challenge that exists in the private sector -- analyzing fast-growing volumes of mission-critical data quickly to arm their people with the real-time information they need to make rapid, informed decisions." More. Inxight Sets up Shop in Reston RESTON--Inxight Software, Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif., provider of enterprise software solutions for information discovery, has opened a new Washington, D.C.-area office. The company, which boasts more than 100 government customers, combines data classification, extraction and visualization software that provides early warning systems and alerts. More. Online Service Markets Self-Published Authors RICHMOND-Interactive Design & Publishing has introduced an online service that helps self-published authors market and sell their work on the Web. Services include typesetting, cover design, digital printing, website design, e-commerce and press release distribution. Editing and proof reading are available as add-on services. Said founder Archie Miller: "Anyone can print your book for money, but ID&P can help you market it and provide the means to sell it online. More. In Brief... HERNDON--iDirect Technologies, a developer of bi-directional satellite-based broadband IP solutions, has opened an office in Singapore to support its growth in the Southeast Asia market. More.  Nemacolin Woodlands Resort:The ULTIMATE VIP Conference Package Sunday-Thursday, June 2005, Sept 2005-May 2006 Golf on our PGA-rated Mystic Rock. Indulge in relaxing treatments at our world-class Woodlands Spa. Or strengthen your organization with our team-building activities... Just three hours from the Virginia/DC area.
$599+tax per night based on single occupancy, one conferee per room Golf on our PGA-rated Mystic Rock. Indulge in relaxing treatments at our world-class Woodlands Spa. Or strengthen your organization with our team-building activities... Just three hours from the Virginia/DC area. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CDW-G to Standardize Software Across 16 Naval Bases HERNDON--CDW Government, Inc., has been awarded a three-year agreement potentially worth $11 million to deliver Microsoft software to the U.S. Navy. CDW-G will provide Microsoft software for 28,000 Navy desktops and 884 servers in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. By consolidating software purchasing, the Navy estimates that it will save about 25 percent of its current software expenditures across the OCONUS Navy Enterprise Network. More. N.E.T. Bags NATO Contract Extension DULLES--N.E.T. Federal has won a contract extension from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to continue to upgrade NATO's global communications network. The latest deployment, which includes up to 46 equipment sites, aims to improve communication efforts and network management for mission-critical applications. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--CGI-AMS Inc. has been selected by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to implement its AMS Advantage 3 enterprise resource planning solution to manage the state's $21.4 billion annual budget. More. HERNDON-MorganFranklin Corp. has won a contract to support Team SAIC in providing accounting and financial services related to the Financial Improvement Plan for the Department of the Navy. More. HERNDON--Guardian Technologies International, Inc., a developer of intelligent imaging informatics, has won a contract to install a pilot system for automatic threat detection software at the Simon Bolivar Caracas International Airport. More. COVITS 2005 to Feature Security Luminaries Tom Ridge, Dr. Robert Gates and Frank Sesno RICHMOND--Virginia Secretary of Technology, Eugene Huang, has announced that Tom Ridge, the former Secretary of the Office of Homeland Security, Dr. Robert Gates, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Frank Sesno, CNN Special Correspondent, will participate in the Commonwealth of Virginia's Information Technology Symposium (COVITS) on September 19, 2005 at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia. VCU is the co-host of this year's conference. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WellPoint Completes Acquisition of Lumenos ALEXANDRIA--WellPoint, Inc., the Indianapolis-based medical insurance giant, has completed the acquisition of Lumenos, a pioneer in consumer-driven health care plans, for $185 million in cash. Lumenos will remain headquartered in Alexandria and Chip Tooke will continue in his role as CEO. Said Tooke: "At Lumenos we created something that has had a positive impact on thousands of consumers' health care. Now it is time to move to the next level, enrolling millions into consumer-driven health care plans. And our partnership with WellPoint will enable us to do that. It is just what is needed to maintain the momentum." Lumenos packages Health Savings Accounts, which allow unspent funds to accumulate in the account, with catastrophic insurance and a negotiated provider network. More. AMF, Qubica Form Global Joint Venture RICHMOND--AMF Bowling Products and Italian-based Qubica Worldwide have agreed to form a 50/50 joint venture, QubicaAMF Worldwide, creating one of the largest manufacturers of bowling and amusement products in the world. The new company, which will employ over 600 people, will have worldwide headquarters just outside of Richmond, and a European headquarters in Bologna, Italy. Said AMF President John Walker: "We're going to shake things up. We will work with our customers to grow their business and ours, and provide the tools to make bowling centers one of the premier entertainment destinations in the world." More. SRA Reels in Galaxy Scientific FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., a provider of IT solutions to the federal government, has agreed to acquire Galaxy Scientific Corporation, a New Jersey firm specializing in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) and related fields. The company has more than 450 employees, many of them in Crystal City. Said SRA CEO Renny DiPentima: "Galaxy meets our very strict acquisition criteria. ... It strengthens each of our three business sectors and greatly enhances our geographic footprint, technical capabilities, and customer portfolio." More. Online Resources to Acquire Integrated Data Systems CHANTILLY--Online Resources Corp., an outsourcer of Internet financial services, has agreed to acquire California-based Integrated Data Systems, a technology provider to over 50 credit unions, for $5 million in cash and stock, plus assumption of $300,000 in debt. The acquisition provides Online Resources with added distribution, specialized Internet banking applications and enhanced professional service capabilities. More. Millennium to Acquire Albemarle First Bank RESTON--Millennium Bankshares Corporation has agreed to acquire Charlottesville-based Albemarle First Bank in a transaction valued at $29 million. Albemarle operates three branches in the Charlottesville metro area with $125 million in assets. Millennium runs seven branches with assets totaling $425 million. Said CEO Carrol C. Markley: "Entering the Charlottesville market area through this partnership will result in a community bank franchise that serves three of Virginia's most dynamic markets" -- Reston/Washington, D.C., Richmond, and Charlottesville. More. Pharmacy Association Purchases Quality Assurance System RICHMOND--The National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, LLC, has purchased the pharmacy quality assurance system developed by Pharmacists Mutual Company Quality Commitment, Inc. Pharmacists use the system to reduce prescription errors by generating reports that help identify the root cause of problems. Said CEO Becky Snead: "This program allows the pharmacists to track over time when a near miss/error occurs, and provides them with the tools to engage the pharmacy staff to change work systems to reduce and/or eliminate repeating those events." More. In Brief... MCLEAN--Gannett Co., Inc., a national newspaper and broadcasting company, has acquired the stock of PointRoll, Inc., a rich media marketing company. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From Celebrity Endorsements to Celebrity Safety Announcements DULLES--Independence Air, a low-fare airline operating out of Washington Dulles International Airport, has found a way to get passengers to pay attention to those boring, pre-flight safety announcements: Hire celebrities to read witty scripts. In between commentary on emergency exits doors and flotation devices, comedian Richard Lewis quips, "My plan in an emergency is to keep handing out $20s until I'm out of the plane." Other readers include Allison Janney, of "The West Wing" fame, and David George, the FLYi Guy, Independence Air's own baggage handler turned standup comic. Listen to their shticks here: Allison Janney Richard Lewis Dave George More. WiTopia Introduces Secure WiFi Solution RESTON--WiTopia.Net announced has introduced its SecureMyWiFi solution that secures wireless networks and encrypts users' wireless data, whether employees are home-based or located in offices around the globe. Said Co-founder Bill Bullock: "The portability of corporate and personal data on laptops, PDAs, and Smartphones has opened up a new security hole for businesses and individuals. With HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, zombie PCs, and identity theft grabbing headline after headline, businesses cannot just concern themselves with securing data on the company LAN. They also need to address the employee who broadcasts unencrypted proprietary data over an unsecured wireless network at a public hotspot or in their home." More. ABEO Introduces Wireless Ethernet Networks HERNDON--ABEO Corporation has introduced the latest version of its AgilAIR integrated, wireless Ethernet networking solution that enables enterprises to quickly design and implement secure wireless networks. New features include an increased range of almost a half a mile per network node, up to 25 megabits per second throughput, improved network security, and more. More. In Brief... RICHMOND-Agencyfinder, an advertising agency search service, has partnered with Adweek to launch a service dubbed the "Adweek Agency Namefinder" that will allow marketers to search for and retrieve information about particular agencies. More. WILLIAMSBURG-GuideStar has expanded its searchable, not-for-profit database to include all tax-exempt organizations registered with the IRS, more than 1.5 million organizations in all. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EVMS Receives $24 Million to Test HIV-Fighting Gel NORFOLK-The CONRAD program of Eastern Virginia Medical School has received two grants totaling $24 million to evaluate the effectiveness of a contraceptive gel that could reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development will share the cost of the multi-year phase III trials in India and four African countries. If the "microbicide" gel proves effective against the spread of HIV, it could save millions of lives in countries where the disease now runs rampant. More. t/Space Demonstrates New Air-Launch Technology  RESTON-Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space), a developer of space vehicles, has demonstrated a breakthrough in how to safely launch future passenger-carrying rockets using a carrier aircraft. The company drop-tested dummy boosters from an aircraft using a technique that allows the rocket to cross behind the aircraft, greatly enhancing safety. Said President David Gump: "We went from brainstorm to booster drop in just 135 days. Program manager Marti Sarigul-Klijn proved that his computer simulations were dead-on correct each time the aircraft dropped the dummy booster." More.
In Brief... ASHBURN--The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has issued Telos Corporation a process patent, protecting all use of the company's automated certification and accreditation techniques. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Payne Joins iDEFENSE as COO RESTON-iDEFENSE has appointed Joseph P. Payne, former CEO of e-Security, Inc., and eGrail, Inc., as president and COO. With a multi-lingual network of more than 200 contributors in more than 30 countries, iDEFENSE delivers insight into the cyber underground to security professionals in the government, banking and retail sectors. Said CEO John Watters: "The market continues to validate our research and insights: Cyber threats are spiraling out of control and they're driven by criminal intent, often with worldwide reach. The hard-dollar damage of a single incident is soaring; as result, companies are making proactive intelligence a top priority." More. In Brief... VIRGINIA BEACH--Channel Blade Technologies, a developer of turn-key Web solutions, has named David Rayne as chief operating officer. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Retail sales in Virginia grew 7.9 percent for the year ending April 2005 after posting 6.4 percent year-over-year growth in March. The pace of retail sales growth in Virginia has picked up over recent months since falling to 6.2 percent in December 2004. For the year ending with April 2005, retail sales growth in Virginia advanced at a pace slightly below the United States pace of 8.9 percent. For details and forecasts of retail sales across Virginia, as well as a list of Chmura Economics & Analytics (CEA) products and services, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. Cyveillance Tackles Phony Canadian Pharmacy Sites ARLINGTON--The vast majority of websites purporting to be Canadian pharmacy sites look shady, according to research conducted by Cyveillance, a provider of online risk monitoring and management solutions, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cyveillance analysis discovered approximately 11,000 sites that were designed to appear as Canadian pharmacy sites. Of those, only 1,009 actually sold prescription products, and only 214 of those exhibited any data suggesting they were hosted by a Canadian Internet Service Provider. Over half of the sites registered in the United States and dispensing drugs were registered to a single firm. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Virginia Launches Online Certifications for Minority-Owned Business RICHMOND--Becoming a certified small, woman- or minority-owned business in Virginia just got easier, thanks to a new online service now available through the Commonwealth's official Web site at www.Virginia.gov. The automated system is designed to make certification and recertification more accessible and more convenient for these businesses to compete for the $5 billion the Commonwealth spends each year on goods and services. More. Diebold Closes Danville Plant DANVILLE-Realigning its manufacturing operations in North America, Diebold, Incorporated, will close its plant in Danville by the third quarter of 2005. The facility, which employs 110, opened in 1997, assembling modules for automated teller machine (ATM) components. Diebold, based in North Canton, Ohio, said its new ATM line is more efficient to produce and requires less manufacturing capacity. Said George S. Mayes, Jr., vice president, global manufacturing. "For Diebold to remain competitive in a cost-driven global marketplace, it is critical that we consolidate our production activities wherever possible to make better use of our manufacturing infrastructure." More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Our Fearless Economic Forecast The good news: Virginia's economy and tax revenues will grow far faster than the national average. The bad news: So will state spending. More. |
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Kaine's Warner Problem Mark Warner has accomplished so much of the Democrats' roads-and-schools agenda that he hasn't left Tim Kaine much room to maneuver. Although Gov. Mark R. Warner probably never intended so, his recent statements on transportation and public education have subtly undercut Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, his preferred candidate in the 2005 gubernatorial election. Warner has said that the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program is now financially viable, and he has suggested that he has achieved substantially full funding of the Standards of Quality for public schools. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VA Newswire is a free, email-based weekly newsletter that covers news and events from around the state. If you have any news, events, job openings, or office space availability that you would like to include in next week's newswire, email jim@vanewswire.com. Click here for a free subscription. Click here to unsubscribe. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
