GSA Technology Council

The New Ideas Dream Team, a coalition of representatives from SC Launch!, New Carolina — SC’s Council on Competitiveness, FastTracSC, ThinkTEC, InnoVenture, and other organizations around the state, announced today that the 2007 New Ideas for a New Carolina statewide business idea competition is now officially taking submissions. South Carolina entrepreneurs can submit their ideas for a business from March 28 through April 15, 2007 at http://www.newcarolina.org/new-ideas.

The winners will be announced at the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit in Charleston on May 7, 2007 with awards presented by Bobby Harrell, SC’s Speaker of the House and avid supporter of the New Economy. This year’s contest will provide twice as many cash prizes to South Carolinians who will be competing within specific business categories and have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite idea. The Grand Prize winner will receive $3000 seed money for their business idea, a scholarship to FastTrac entrepreneurial training programs, tickets to the Innovation Summit and access to a Dream Team of Mentors to help the winner cultivate the ideas. The Dream Team consists of business leaders throughout the state, representing a variety of disciplines, who have committed to giving counsel to New Ideas for New Carolina winners.

There will also be winners in up to 12 different business categories, each receiving $1500, a scholarship to FastTrac and tickets to the Innovation Summit. The runners-up will receive $500. Lastly, the contest will feature a College Student category, also eligible for the Grand Prize, and a People’s Choice Award in which South Carolina citizens can vote online for their favorite idea out of the Top 10 ideas in the Wild Card business category. The college contestants must have a valid college email address and ID to enter. Awards are provided by the presenting sponsor SC Launch!, The Palmetto Leadership Council and BB&T.

Entering and winning the 2006 New Ideas for a New Carolina contest resulted directly in Jon Oliver getting investment capital to launch Drujoli Inc., which manufactures Swifturf, a recycled product replacement for sod grass, manufactured from all organic products. He says, “After winning the New Ideas contest, an investor sought me out. I tested Swifturf for him at a place where he said nothing would grow. Well, it grew and it looks like Ireland there now.” Oliver secured the investor and is now in phase two of his business development plan, ready to start importing the necessary products, manufactured in SC, and making it available to landscapers and the general public by Q2 2007.

Dan Wooster’s love of technology began in high school when his math teacher introduced him to the process of solving math and physics problems through programming a computer. It was love at first sight as he quickly realized this machine would do anything he could tell it, as long as he learned how to speak its language.

Dan loves looking for ways to build new or modify existing software systems to help meet the needs of computer users. In his spare time he enjoys racquetball, skiing, ping pong, billiards, and restoring his TR6. Recently, he spent time in China and is currently learning Chinese.

Dan has led the Computer Science department at Bob Jones University since he joined the faculty in 1981. His areas of interest include software development and computer networking. At the undergraduate level he currently teaches Computer Science II, Microprocessor Architecture, Operating Systems, Computer Science Seminar and Special Topics. In the MBA program he teaches a unique approach to E-Commerce in which he combines the best of his undergraduate computer science majors with the MBA students to design and build e-businesses in a competitive platform. Dan also heads up several computer programming teams which compete annually in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest. (http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/)

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dan helped develop the first BJU website (including the first version of The Linked Word Project), promotional multimedia CDROM, and campus multimedia kiosk.

He also founded a software development, Internet hosting and e-commerce business – The Worthwhile Company, Inc, where he serves as Chief Technology Officer. He and his wife Karen have a daughter Sara and two sons, Joseph and Jonathan. He especially enjoys helping ministries and outreach organizations make effective use of computer and Internet technologies.

Education: B.S., Bob Jones University, M.S., Bowling Green State University

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KEMET’s SPICE (Simulation Program for In-Circuit Emulation) software allows design engineers to simulate the effects of the company’s capacitors over frequency, temperature, and bias, thus helping them determine the most appropriate capacitor for their application. The new release offers several new features, including:

• View and compare responses for up to ten different part types at one time


• Build a complex filter by selecting multipliers for each part type involved


• See the cumulative impedance response for all elements combined in the complex filter


• View the effects on one device at multiple DC bias conditions or multiple temperatures (up to ten each)


• See voltage coefficients for MLCCs

A direct link to the KEMET SPICE software is provided on the KEMET Web page.

via Kemet
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The U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. today issued an order enjoining Vonage from using certain VoIP technology named in its patent litigation with Verizon. The order is not immediately effective, however, and Vonage is confident its customers will see no change in their phone service.

The court announced its intent to hear stay argument in two weeks’ time. At that time, the court intends to render a decision regarding the stay, as well as making the injunction effective. If the court denies the stay, Vonage will seek a stay through appeal from the Federal Court of Appeals. Vonage is confident it will be able to obtain a stay through appeal.

“We are confident Vonage customers will not experience service interruptions or other changes as a result of this litigation,” said Mike Snyder, Vonage’s chief executive officer.

The company has drafted its notice of appeal of the March 8 jury verdict and will file that notice at the appropriate juncture in the court proceedings.

“Our fight is far from over,” Snyder said. “We remain confident that Vonage has not infringed on any of Verizon’s patents – a position we will continue vigorously contending in federal appeals court – and that Vonage will ultimately prevail in this case.”

Snyder continued, “Despite this obvious attempt by Verizon to cripple Vonage, the litigation will not stop Vonage from continuing to provide quality VoIP service to our millions of customers.”

“Our appeal centers on erroneous patent claim construction, and we remain confident that Vonage has not infringed on any of Verizon’s patents – a position we will continue to vigorously assert in federal appeals court,” said Sharon O’Leary, Vonage’s executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary. “Vonage relied on open-standard, off-the-shelf technology when developing its service. In fact, evidence introduced in court failed to prove that Vonage relied on Verizon’s VoIP technology, and instead showed that in 2003 Verizon began exploring ways to copy Vonage’s technology,” she added.

The company is focused on growing its business by investing in the rollout of new technology and features, and continuing to grow its customer base. Vonage’s accomplishments continue to validate its business model and strategy. The company has achieved 19 consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth, doubled revenues to $607 million in 2006 alone, and added nearly 1 million net subscriber lines last year.

via Vonage
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Wilmington, NC based Port City Java announces it has opened a new cafe located at 933 South Main Street Greenville, SC. This is the 5th Port City Java the company has opened in the Greenville, SC market. The first unit opened in 2003. The company currently has another site under construction in the Greenville Market.
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Long-time South Carolina business, Fluor Corporation, contributed $10,000 to the Aiken, S.C.-based Southeast Universities Nuclear Reactors Institute for Science and Education (SUNRISE) Consortium becoming a full industry member of the organization. Other members include universities such as Georgia Tech, University of South Carolina, Virginia Tech, University of Tennessee, North Carolina State, Mississippi State, and University of Florida. Associate members include S.C. State and the Economic Development Partnership.

SUNRISE has recently incorporated as a Section 501(c)(3) not for profit organization to support the advancement of nuclear education in the southeastern U.S. Specifically, SUNRISE is organized and will be operated to enhance the quality of nuclear education and research and other services in the region for the purpose of supporting the development of the next-generation nuclear workforce, nuclear technology, and advanced nuclear research.

Mel Buckner, chairman of SUNRISE, said, “I am excited and grateful for Fluor’s support in this new endeavor. Fluor joining SUNRISE as a full member shows their leadership and dedication in the nuclear industry.”

“Fluor has a well-known corporate history and long tradition of supporting worthy causes in South Carolina,” said Ken Smith, Senior Vice President of Fluor’s environmental & nuclear business. “As we see the nuclear industry evolving yet again, we want to make sure those students in the region have access to the best knowledge about the nuclear industry.”

Fluor came to South Carolina in 1934 with five employees. Now 74 years later, Fluor has completed more than 1,250 projects in South Carolina and Georgia worth over $15 billion. Fluor Corporation is one of the world’s largest publicly held engineering and construction firms. Fluor Corporation and its employees, through its philanthropic arm, the Fluor Foundation, have donated more than $115 million (US) globally along with tens of thousand of volunteer hours to socially responsible causes.

Source: Fluor Corporation
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Force Protection, Inc. has today announced the purchase of a separate and secure building in Summerville, South Carolina for research and laboratory testing of its armored vehicle technology. The company’s ownership was effective March 22, 2007.

Force Protection produces the world’s most advanced mine protected vehicles that have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. It continues to expand in its role as the nation’s leader for counter improvised explosive device (IED) research and blast protection technology innovation.

“The reason our vehicles have an unmatched record for troop safety in the field is simple,” said Force Protection COO Raymond Pollard. “We have the finest engineers with decades of experience producing technology that has proven to protect and save lives in the face of explosive threats. This new building will house future breakthroughs in our vehicle designs as well as provide an effective platform for familiarization training with our vehicles before they are deployed.”

Force Protection’s Buffalo and Cougar vehicles have led the way in countering IEDs, land mines, and road side bombs that have accounted for more than half of U.S. combat deaths. Credited by engineers, explosive ordnance disposal teams, and other first response units with saving lives, the vehicles have withstood in excess of 2,000 explosive attacks.

About Force Protection

Force Protection, Inc. manufactures ballistic- and mine-protected vehicles through its wholly owned subsidiary. These specialty vehicles are protected against landmines, hostile fire, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs, commonly referred to as roadside bombs). Force Protection’s mine and ballistic protection technology is among the most advanced in the world. The vehicles are manufactured outside Charleston, S.C.

via Force Protection
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EarthLink has selected Accton Technology Corporation to manufacture handsets for the company’s Wi-Fi phone initiative. EarthLink Wi-Fi phones will allow consumers to save money by making high-quality phone calls over the Internet using a wireless handset. EarthLink is beta testing phones on the company’s municipal wireless network in Anaheim, Calif. “What separates our Wi-Fi phone from others is its ability to work over EarthLink’s municipal Wi-Fi networks,” said Steve Howe, EarthLink’s senior vice president of voice. “This means that EarthLink is now bringing cheap phone calls using the Internet to the world of mobile – a major breakthrough. We expect that many people who use cell phones today in our municipal Wi-Fi markets will want to switch to a Wi-Fi phone to take advantage of the significant cost savings.” He added that EarthLink’s Wi-Fi phones round-out the company’s full suite of Internet voice products, which also include trueVoice, a low-cost telephone service, and DSL and Home Phone Service, which combines low-cost phone service with ultra-fast high speed Internet.

“We are very pleased to partner with EarthLink,” said Ken Lu, president of Accton Technology. “Providing Accton’s SIP-based Wi-Fi phone to EarthLink proves that Accton’s VoIP design and manufacturing quality meets different next-generation voice service standards and provides the great cost saving to consumers.”

EarthLink Wi-Fi phones will allow consumers to make Internet phone calls from a wireless handset to any traditional landline, cell phone or VoIP phone. The handsets will work directly on EarthLink’s municipal wireless networks and can also connect via a wireless router attached to the user’s wired home broadband network. Service and the phone handset will be free during the Anaheim beta test. Anticipated price plans for the consumer roll-out after the beta test include:

$14.95 a month for 500 anytime outbound domestic minutes, and free, unlimited inbound minutes. $24.95 for unlimited domestic minutes. $100 one-time charge for equipment, including the Wi-Fi phone handset and a cradle that functions as a charger and a Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g router inside the home. EarthLink will provide consumers with a complete Wi-Fi phone solution for an easy and smooth installation. EarthLink’s Wi-Fi phone package comes with a handset and a cradle that acts a charger as well as an indoor Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g router. The cradle is plugged into a power source and a broadband Ethernet connection. When consumers are in the coverage area of the cradle or any EarthLink municipal wireless network, the phone will automatically be connected to EarthLink’s voice network.

via Earthlink
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Chris Kearney, President and CEO of the SPX Corporation, and his wife Susan have committed $1 million dollars to support charitable causes in North and South Carolina through the newly- created Chris and Susan Kearney Fund. The fund will be managed by Foundation For The Carolinas.

The Chris and Susan Kearney Fund will be established as an individual donor-advised fund. Donors provide an initial contribution of $10,000 or more to create a donor-advised fund at the Foundation, which currently holds more than 1,000 such funds. Donor-advised funds allow a donor to be actively involved with the Foundation in recommending how the fund’s grants are distributed.

“Susan and I are committed to making a difference in the Carolinas. We believe it is important to give back and help our region grow and prosper,” Chris Kearney said. “I have always challenged our associates at SPX around the globe to be involved in their local community. I am pleased to be leading that effort here.”

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX Corp. is a Fortune 500 multi-industry manufacturing company and a leading global provider of flow technology, test and measurement solutions, thermal equipment and services, and industrial products and services.

“We are pleased that Chris and Susan have decided to join our family of donors,” said Michael Marsicano, President and CEO of Foundation For The Carolinas. “This gift has the ability to make a lasting impact in the region.”

via FFC

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