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Expansions & Relocations, Who's Hot, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, R&D / Intellectual Property, Trends, Commentary, Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lockheed Martin Opens Knowledge Creation Lab HERNDON-Lockheed Martin has opened the Knowledge Creation Laboratory, which will centralize "knowledge discovery, analysis and information access" to expedite the global war on terror. By "infusing raw intelligence data with purpose and meaning," the lab will help solve government problems related to the war on terror and homeland security. Future connectivity via the company's Global Vision Network to other Lockheed Martin labs, including the Center for Innovation in Suffolk, Va., will enable distributed collaboration, assessment and experimentation. More. And a reality check... Robert David Steele Vivas, a proponent of Open Source Intelligence, criticized the Lockheed Martin lab as a "mirror image" of the Open Source Center at the Central Intelligence Agency, arguing that both are inadequate to the task. "We are unimpressed. ... World War III is about the hearts and minds of teen-agers. It is about coming to grips with what distributed humanity knows, thinks, feels, and loves; and then using IO to achieve favorable outcomes. There isn't a beltway bandit around that understands that reality." More. Luna Expands Blacksburg R&D Facility BLACKSBURG--Luna Innovations Incorporated, a developer of innovative technologies in molecular technology and sensing solutions, is consolidating and expanding its Blacksburg-based research and development offices. The company, which will take 31,000 square feet of laboratory and manufacturing space in the Blacksburg Industrial Park, expects to add 20 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months. Said CEO Kent Murphy: "With the leasing of this fantastic facility, Luna is able to bring all of our Blacksburg operations under one roof. We are committed to growing right here in the New River Valley, as well as continuing our expansion to our new corporate headquarters location in Roanoke." More. In Brief... HERNDON--Command Information, a solutions provider for next-generation IPv6 Internet technology, has opened an office in London, England. More.  Try Something New!Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Only three hours from Washington, D.C. - closer than the Homestead! Closer than the Greenbrier! Luxury accommodations. Fine dining. Boutique shopping. Golf. Shooting clays. Off-road driving academy. Paintball. Rock climbing. Great for a business getaway, even better for a family escape. Look for our spring specials in an upcoming edition of VA Newswire. For details, contact us at (742) 329-6154 or visit our website here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Court Square Ventures Raises $118 Million CHARLOTTESVILLE-Court Square Ventures has closed its second venture capital fund, Court Square Ventures II, with total commitments of $118 million. The fund will focus on early-stage opportunities at the intersection of communications, information technology and media technology. Court Square will build a focused portfolio of 12 to 15 companies. More. FlatBurger Raises $1.75 Million VIENNA--FlatBurger Inc., a company that supports software developers working in hybrid software environments, has secured an investment of $1.75 million, which will be used to complete product development. The investment is the company's first outside financing. FlatBurger will focus efforts initially on serving the needs of the community of software developers growing around DotNetNuke, an open framework for creating professional Web applications. More. VCampus Raises $2.3 Million in Private Placement RESTON--VCampus Corporation, a provider of e-Learning services, has completed a $2.3 million private equity placement through the issuance of preferred stock to two current shareholders. Said CEO Nat Kannan: "We made major progress in transitioning the company away from a largely commodity-based hosting business in 2004 to a more sustainable high-value courseware publishing and delivery business in 2005. The new courseware now accounts for approximately one-fifth of our revenues. ... Progressively, we are signing the right kind of deals with the right partners that have global brand name recognition like the CFA Institute and (ISC)2." More. In Brief... VIENNA--Echo Healthcare Acquisition Corp., formed last year to make acquisitions in the healthcare industry, has generated gross proceeds of $50 million through an Initial Public Offering. More. WILLIAMSBURG-Acquisitions Corporation has raised $10 million through the issue of 15 percent senior notes due 2007. Business Intelligence... Tailored to your unique needs Do you know what your competitors are doing - or are you a step behind? Do you know what new technologies and business models might impact your business - or will you be caught napping? Do you know when your prospects are ripe for buying your product or service - or will someone beat you to them? VA Newswire is offering a new product - market intelligence packaged in a newsletter format and customized for you... the information you need, and no more. No white noise, no chaff. Our editors do the work for you. For more information about our business intelligence services, click here. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ANNANDALE-REI Systems, Inc., has won a contract from NASA potentially worth $9.2 million to support the agency's Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bad Mood: Dollar Tree Withdraws Toxic Rings CHESAPEAKE-Dollar Tree Stores, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has voluntarily withdrawn about 580,000 glow-in-the-dark mood necklaces and rings that contain high levels of lead and pose a serious risk of lead poisoning to young children. No poisoning incidents have been reported. The products were manufactured in China. More | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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RCN Closes Megacable Cable, Reduces Debt HERNDON--RCN Corporation, a provider of total communications service, has sold its 48.93 percent interests in Megacable, S.A. de C.V. and Megacable Communicaciones de Mexico S.A. in a deal valued at $350 million. RCN will apply after-tax proceeds of $300 million to repay debt, resulting in an anticipated $30 million per year in annualized interest savings. The deal, combined with a moderate increase in capital spending, should allow the company to achieve positive free cash flow in the second half of 2006. More. Performance Fibers to Acquire INVISTA's German Operations Marina Power Sold to Eaton CACI to Acquire AlphaInsight Corporation In Brief... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nydree Unveils Breakthrough Floor Adhesive LYNCHBURG--The Nydree Group, a manufacture of acrylic-impregnated wood flooring, has introduced UP-28, a breakthrough in flooring adhesive technology. Said executive Joseph Tomasko: "An antimicrobial agent is dispersed throughout the adhesive, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew and fungus that may cause odor or discoloration. Plus, once UP-28 is cured, the adhesive is waterproof. It uses proprietary technology and hydrophobic ingredients that provide advances in moisture resistance and cohesive strength." More. AMC Integrates Call Center Software with Oracle RICHMOND--AMC Technology, L.L.C., a provider of call center solutions, has adapted its Multi-Channel Integration Suite version 5.0 to work with Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM. Now PeopleSoft Enterprise customers can enable full telephony functionality including agent login and work modes, softphone controls, caller identification, and screen population of application pages. More. In Brief... RESTON-QuadraMed Corporation has released QuadraMed Outcomes Management, which enables users to evaluate relationships between staffing and outcomes to optimize valuable nursing resources and manage patient safety. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TNS, Mars Collaborate on Vending Machine Transactions RESTON--Transaction Network Services, a provider of services for transaction-oriented applications, has forced a "strategic relationship" with Mars Electronics International, a unit of candy bar manufacturer Mars Incorporated, to provide vending customers the ability to purchase items via cash, coins, debit or credit cards. MEI serves "unattended payment system" markets in bottling, vending, gaming, retail and transit. Said MEI executive Jeff Jordan: "The complementary electronic payment capabilities of TNS expand the access of operators and bottlers to cashless vending technology, which we view as a growth opportunity." More. Worried You Might Not Make it to the Stones Concert? Insure Your Tickets! RICHMOND-World Access, a provider of travel assistance and service, has joined TicketsNow to offer the first wide-scale insurance for U.S. consumers buying sports, concert and theater tickets online. Event Ticket Insurance provides TicketsNow customers a full refund of the total purchase price, including shipping fees and taxes, if they cannot attend the event for covered personal, medical or travel reasons. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FAIRFAX-George Mason University has joined with Boston-based PerkinElmer, Inc., a health sciences company, in a five-year research collaboration to develop an innovative approach cancer detection and risk stratification. The alliance initially calls for the creation of a new proteomics technology to accurately measure and detect specific protein fragments found in human blood, which are potential biomarkers for disease. More Dangers from the Depths NORFOLK-You thought Jaws was bad? There may be a lot worse dangers lurking in the ocean - like vesivirus, a virus linked to hepatitis. Scientists from the Eastern Virginia Medical School suggest that oceans may harbor natural reservoirs of the vesivirus, infecting and sometimes causing health problems in seals, sea lions, whales, and perhaps fish, shellfish and other species. In general, the marine environment is "a relatively under-explored potential reservoir of human pathogens," the researchers said in their study. More. In Brief... ASHBURN--Innocoll, Inc., has initiated a Phase IIA clinical study of its Bupivacaine collagen sponge for the management of post-operative pain following moderate/major abdominal, gynecological, thoracic or orthopedic surgeries. More | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ValueOptions Taps Hill as CEO NORFOLK--ValueOptions, a behavioral healthcare company, has appointed Barbara B. Hill as CEO. Founder Ronald I. Dozoretz will continue as chairman, setting the strategic vision for the company and developing key business initiatives. More | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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CHICAGO--Virginia has the second best business climate in the United States, according to an independent study conducted and published by Pollina Corporate Real Estate, Inc., a corporate site relocation expert. While many states are losing ground to global competition due to poor efforts at keeping jobs and attracting businesses, the report praised Virginia's "pro-business policies that result in job growth." More. Federal IT Spending Increases to Slow RESTON--Federal government information technology (IT) spending will grow from $75 billion this fiscal year to $93 billion by fiscal year 2011, according to initial findings from the five-year Federal IT Market Forecast released today by INPUT. Said James Krouse, acting director, federal analysis: "The federal government is acting more and more like a private sector business. They are cutting costs, reviewing opportunities closely, and conducting cost-benefit analyses for their IT investments. This is a new era in government spending practices." More RESTON--State & local information technology spending is expected to grow from approximately $50 billion this year to $72 billion by fiscal year 2011, according to initial findings from the five-year State & Local IT Market Forecast released today by INPUT. More RICHMOND-Read the fine print in your contract before you go on a recreational cruise, warns Access America, provider of travel assistance and insurance. More than 11 million people took a cruise in 2005. "Accidents, illness, crime, severe weather and tight connections can affect your cruise experience," warned executive Both Godlin, "but travel protection gives peace of mind, financial protection and assistance." More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Space Adventures to Launch First Arab National into Space VIENNA--Space Adventures, Ltd., a space tourism company, announced that Adnan Al Maimani, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, will be the first person to launch from the future commercial spaceport to be located at Ras Al-Khaimah International Airport. Since announcing the development of the spaceport, said CEO Eric Anderson, "we have received thousands of inquires from individuals in the Gulf region, specifically the UAE, who are interested in commercial spaceflight and want to fly." More. In Brief... RICHMOND-The Computer Solution Company has joined Microsoft, Apple, Intel, the Florida House of Representatives and other organizations as a founding member of the Open XML Formats Developer Group, a community for developers to exchange information with each other regarding the usage of the ECMA-developed Office Open XML file formats. ROANOKE--Mario Industries, a Roanoke lamp manufacturer, has been awarded $1.528 million in compensatory damages in a lawsuit accusing Renaissance, Inc. of Roanoke and its executives of conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, interference with business expectancy, and two other counts. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Culture Wars in the Valley Perturbed by pornography, abortion, out-of-wedlock births and other signs of moral decay, the Blue Dog has begun attending the Family Forum's Capstone program More. |
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Imagine a private company running a bus every morning from, say, Fredericksburg to Crystal City. Instead of 12 rows of seats, imagine there were 10, creating enough room for passengers to flip down a tray, airline style, where they could comfortably rest their laptops. Imagine there were electric sockets where they could plug in so their batteries wouldn't run out. And imagine that the bus, using technology that exists today, provided broadband Internet access so passengers could download e-mail, check the news and do everything else they normally did in their first hour at the office. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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