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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions & Relocations, Who's Hot, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, R&D / Intellectual Property, Trends, Commentary, Events Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dallas Airline Requests Gates at Dulles In Brief...
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Induslogic Closes $12.5 Million Funding VIENNA--Induslogic, an outsourcer of product development services, has raised $12.5 million in Series B funding - some of it from WestBridge Capital Partners, India's leading venture capital fund. Induslogic, which partners with technology companies to create a dedicated virtual extension of their teams offshore, will use the cash infusion to expand marketing and sales initiatives as well as acquisitions. Said Sumir Chadha with WestBridge: "We see a trend away from [companies] looking to create their own offshore captive development centers and see more and more companies leveraging partnerships with outsourced product development firms. Induslogic is well positioned as a leader in outsourced product development." More. In related news, Induslogic has agreed to acquire Nagpur, India-based, Lambent, a provider of mobile product engineering services. The transaction will strengthen Induslogic's Mobile Center of Excellence. More. Mobile 365 Messaging Surges 40 Percent CHANTILLY--Mobile 365, a provider of mobile messaging and data services, continues to experience surging demand. The level of its short messaging service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) traffic increased to 8.4 billion messages in the 1Q of 2006 -- 40 percent year-over-year. More. Lonski to Speak on Database Indexing at Progress Exchange | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nysmith School Buys the Defywire Mobile Guardian HERNDON-Defywire, wireless and mobile software provider, has sold its Mobile Guardian wireless solution to the Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon. Mobile Guardian gives administrators secure access to critical student information -- such as emergency contact information, pick-up/drop-off information, class schedules, and emergency medical information -- on mobile devices. A new module, Student Pick-up, incorporates commercial off-the-shelf wireless devices with bar code scanners to verify authorized vehicles and release students only to approved guardians. More. Athena Wins Flight-Control Contact for Morphing UAV WARRENTON--Athena Technologies, Inc., has won a contract from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company to design the flight controls for Lockheed Martin's Morphing UAV. The program, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, will develop ground-breaking technologies that can radically change the shape of an aircraft's wings in flight in order to rapidly accommodate new missions. More. Anystream to Supply Technology to Scripps STERLING--Anystream, a developer of cross-platform publishing products for media companies, has signed up the Scripps Networks as a customer for its Agility production suite to create broadband television content from its premium cable network inventory. Agility enables round-the-clock, automated creation of all broadband video available on Scripps' ground-breaking on-line content sites. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--Argon ST, Inc., has won a contract potentially worth $30 million to provide sensor systems development and production delivery to a unit of the federal government. More. FAIRFAX--ManTech International Corporation has won a contract potentially worth $13.25 million over five years to help to shorten the repair time and lower the life-cycle costs of the Joint Strike Fighter. More. 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 | Deal Makers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hampton Firm Heats up the High-Precision Temperature Market HAMPTON--Measurement Specialties, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of sensors, has agreed to acquire two companies in the field of high-precision temperature sensing. One transaction, for $38 million, will add Galway, Ireland-based BetaTHERM Sensors; a second, for $14 million, will add YSI Temperature, of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The combined acquisitions will establish the basis of a newly formed product line that will generate annual pro forma sales of $36 million and EBITDA of $7.5 million. Said CEO Frank Guidone: "Temperature sensing is the most commonly measured physical characteristic, and has been a gap in our technology portfolio." More. Smithfield Beefs Up its Ham Business SMITHFIELD--Smithfield Foods, Inc., has acquired substantially all of the assets of the Cook's ham business from ConAgra Foods, Inc., in a $260 million transaction. Cook's, based in Lincoln, Neb., generates $330 million a year in sales of traditional and spiral sliced smoked bone-in hams, as well as corned beef and other smoked meat. Said COO C. Larry Pope: "This is a significant step in our goal of utilizing internally all of the hams from the hogs that we process." More. Dollar Tree Acquires Deal$ Stores CHESAPEAKE--Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., the nation's largest $1 discount variety store chain, has completed its acquisition of 138 stores and related assets of the Deal$-Nothing Over a Dollar chain owned by SUPERVALU INC. Dollar Tree paid $30.5 million in cash for store assets, leasehold rights and intellectual property, plus another $22.2 million for inventory. Said CEO Bob Sasser: "Not only will we be expanding our presence in the Midwest and Southeast regions, but the Deal$ acquisition includes some excellent store locations, along with a seasoned and dedicated sales force that provides great customer service." More. Union Bankshares Buys Prosperity Bank BOWLING GREEN--Union Bankshares Corporation has completed the acquisition of Prosperity Bank & Trust Company, a three-branch community bank in Springfield, in a deal valued at $36 million. The transaction brings total Union Bankshares assets to $2 billion. More. Charlotte Firm Buys Hanover Medical Office RICHMOND--Cogdell Spencer Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., has acquired the Hanover Medical Office Building One. The aggregate purchase price of the Hanover property and a building in California was approximately $36 million. The Hanover property, Spencer Cogdell's first entry into the Richmond market, was designed to bolster the company's relationship with hospital chain Bon Secours. More. Hollingsworth Buys Petersburg Industrial Property PETERSBURG-Binswanger, representing Ingram Book Group, Inc., has sold a 232,000-square-foot building on 19 acres to Hollingsworth Companies, a developer of industrial site locations. Wal-Mart has been leasing 87,500 sq. ft. of the building and will remain a tenant for the next few years. In a separate transaction, Rehrig Penn Inc., a pallet repair and resale company, has signed a lease for approximately 87,500 sq. ft. in the building next to Wal-Mart, one of its primary customers. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--Analex Corporation, a provider of professional services to the federal government, has sold its SyCom Services, Inc., subsidiary, a provider of staff-augmentation services, to Ameri-Force Craft Services, Inc., of Florida. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Adapts Web to Mobile Phone Screens DULLES-AOL has unveiled new mobile information and location services, including a mobile browsing service that adapts Web pages for mobile screens. According to a new AOL survey, 52 percent of adults keep their cell phone turned on all day, everyday, and 40 percent of those aged 18-29 are likely to drop their landline once and for all. The report reveals that more than 30 percent of adults want to search and browse the Web from their cell phone, while 47 percent say that mobile maps and driving directions are a "must have" on the next phone they buy. More. Crutchfield Launches Digital Drive-Thru for iPod Accessories CHARLOTTESVILLE--Crutchfield, a marketer of consumer electronics products through catalogs and websites, has launched a "digital drive-thru" service on its website. The proprietary knowledge base enables consumers to easily identify the exact accessories and techniques required to connect an iPod, or any other portable digital music player, to any car stereo system. Given the wide array of digital music players in use and the thousands of different car stereo configurations that exist, connecting those devices to a car stereo system and can sometimes challenge the average consumer. More. SWsoft Launches SiteBuilder HERNDON--SWsoft, a developer of server automation and virtualization software, has released SiteBuilder 3.0 for Windows, a browser application that creates and edits websites. This major upgrade offers blog functionality, a photo gallery, desktop interface and other features. More. Group Logic Upgrades File-Transfer Solution ARLINGTON--Group Logic, a provider of enterprise file transfer and connectivity solutions, has released a significant upgrade to its MassTransit enterprise-class file-transfer solution. Among the its 50 enhancements, MassTransit 5.0 extends visibility into the entire file transfer process through an enhanced web-based log interface. Said IT Manager Mike Otto: "We expect the latest version to improve our competitive edge, compress time-to-market and eliminate costs." More. JGS Introduces Ad Hoc Contact Center Services ARLINGTON--The JGS Group, specialists in reimbursement intelligence and strategies for the medical device industry, will deploy ad hoc contact center services for medical device companies in the midst of a recall. The new service will provide toll-free telephone and e-mail contact centers where device manufacturers can refer customers and physicians during a recall to obtain billing and reimbursement information. More. Frontline Upgrades Bluetooth Protocol Analyzer CHARLOTTESVILLE--Frontline, maker of a Bluetooth protocol analyzer, has introduced an upgrade that allows engineers to gain an immediate insight into data transfer inefficiencies when developing and testing Bluetooth products. This will shorten product development time and help users drive products to market more quickly. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dave Matthews Band to Sell Music through iTunes CHARLOTTESVILLE-Dave Matthews Band has cut a deal with Apple that will make the entire Dave Matthews Band catalog available on the iTunes Music Store. Said Dave Matthews: "We're excited to offer Dave Matthews Band fans our entire catalog on iTunes for downloading to their computer or iPod. After releasing 'Stand Up' on iTunes the band received such great feedback that we decided to make all of our music available on the iTunes Music Store." Dave Matthews Band has sold more than 35 million albums in the United States alone and over 12 million concert tickets, making the band a top album seller and concert draw year in and year out. More. In Brief... MCLEAN-immixTechnology, Inc., a reseller of enterprise technology to the federal government, has been selected by Platform Computing, Inc. to make Platform's grid computing software solutions available to federal customers. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dahlgren Tests Defense against RPGs DAHLGREN-The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center has completed a test of the Trophy Active Protection System, a defense against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), one of the most effective weapons of Iraqi insurgents. Mounted on a Stryker eight-wheeled combat vehicle, Trophy detected, tracked and defeated an inert incoming RPG while the Stryker combat vehicle was on the move. Said Marine Corps Col. Wade Hall, transformation strategist: "Our mission is not to discover the 100 percent solution, but to find the best solution that can meet warfighter needs today. Currently, the warfighters' only counter to the RPG threat is armor, more armor and more armor." More. Hokie Engineer Develops Corn-to-Ethanol Technology BLACKSBURG--Y.H. Percival Zhang, a biological systems engineering professor, has developed a pretreatment process that could reduce the cost of produce ethanol fuel from corn. Instead of converting corn kernels, which have significant value as food, Zhang uses corn stover - leaves, stalks and cobs -- as a feedstock. His process separates the easy-to-convert sugars from the hard-to-convert lignins and cellulose in the cell walls. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In Brief... ALEXANDRIA--TranTech, Inc., an IT services firm, has appointed Paul G. O'Brien as COO responsible for managing the firm's business development, program performance, and administrative activities, as well as leading the achievement of TranTech's strategic growth goals. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Winchester job growth. This chart displays employment growth for Winchester MSA alongside growth in Virginia. Since 1991, employment in Winchester has tended to expand more rapidly than in the state as a whole. For the year ending with the 3Q of 2005, Winchester experienced the fastest employment growth among Virginia metro areas -- 4.4 percent compared to a 2.5 percent increase for 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, these data are not available for localities. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Norfolk Southern Establishes Delmarva Unit NORFOLK--Norfolk Southern Corporation has established a marketing and operating unit in Delaware and Maryland to improve customer service, increase operating efficiency and develop new business. The Delmarva Business Unit, which will operate 191 miles of track with 115 employees, is headquartered in Wilmington, Del. Based on a business model implemented in eastern North Carolina, the unit "incorporates the flexibility and local focus of a small railroad, supported by the industrial development and technological resources of a major carrier," explained CEO Wick Moorman. More. VCU Surgeons Implant New Artificial Heart RICHMOND--A cardiac surgery team at Virginia Commonwealth University has performed the first artificial heart implant on the East Coast. The CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart, or TAH-t, is the only total artificial heart approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and VCU is one of only three hospitals in the United States certified to implant the device. The TAH-t is a modern version of the Jarvik-7 Artificial Heart of the 1980s. Survival rates have increased dramatically because of major therapeutic advancements to reduce the occurrence of strokes and life threatening bleeding. More. Anthem Awards $12 Million to Virginia Hospitals RICHMOND--Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia will award 41 hospitals around Virginia an estimated $12 million for improvements in patient safety and health outcomes through the company's Quality-In-Sights: Hospital Incentive Program. The program rewards hospitals for consistently following patient safety and clinical guidelines developed by national health care experts. More. Carilion Deploys Wi-Fi to Three Hospitals ROANOKE--Carilion Health System will install InnerWireless Inc.'s Medical-grade Wireless Utility in three of its 10 non-profit healthcare facilities, including its largest facility, the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke. The technology will enhance Wi-Fi coverage for existing clinical applications, handheld devices and PDAs such as BlackBerries, and will improve cellular applications used by the hospital staff. Carilion also plans to use the system to improve two-way radio communication for its security personnel, implement the use of VoIP phones and pursue RF location solution options for asset tracking. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Warner Watchdog To most Virginians, Mark Warner may be out of sight and out of mind. But the Blue Dog faithfully keeps tabs on the former governor's national ambitions. More. |
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Pod People By stringing disconnected pods of development along our main roads, local planning policies force Virginians into their cars and aggravate traffic congestion. We are all pod people now. No, we haven't succumbed to the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But we Virginians have undergone a bizarre metamorphosis of our own making: We have embraced the life of the pod. One of the distinguishing contributions of the United States to world civilization is the elevation of pods, in the form of retail strips, office parks and cul de sacs, as the as the basic organizing units of our physical environment. Through planning and design, we have segregated the pods into three types -- residential, commercial and retail -- strung them along roads like gourds off a vine, and hermetically sealed them off from one another. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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