GSA Technology Council

UCI Medical Affiliates, Inc. is pleased to welcome Nancy Wilkes as Vice President of Practice Management Technology. Wilkes will be responsible for billing, information systems and payer relations at UCI.

Dr. Michael Stout, President and Chief Executive Officer of UCI Medical Affiliates, Inc., said, “Our goal was to find a leader in the industry-an experienced and capable professional. That is just what we received when Nancy joined our team. Her expertise with our CPM and eEDI software will allow us to achieve even greater levels of productivity and efficiency for our patients.”

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and SC Launch! introduce InnovationLink, today. InnovationLink is an online portal that allows South Carolina universities and colleges to tap into real-world research projects in order to assist government entities and private enterprise.

“Through this portal, SC Launch! is supporting an environment that contributes to the Knowledge Economy by allowing students and professors to engage in meaningful research programs to advance government and business initiatives,” SCRA® CEO and acting president of SC Launch! Bill Mahoney said.

Benefits of the InnovationLink program for South Carolina students include a source of ideas for academic research and projects; a real-world experience for career development, and a source of potential employment after graduation. The program benefits teachers and professors by reducing the burden of identifying student research projects. It also adds another method for them to stay current with business and industry. InnovationLink helps South Carolina retain a knowledge-based workforce, brings a potential entrepreneurial pipeline and implements the recommendations made in state-level economic plans. The portal, at http://InnovationLink.sclaunch.org, currently houses four initial projects submitted by SPAWAR. Universities may enroll in the program to work on research projects that address specific needs. Officials at SC Launch! anticipate additional research postings by both government entities and private enterprise.

“InnovationLink will become a repository of potential projects that will deliver short term and long term results for those involved,” Mahoney said. “This tool will promote South Carolina’s efforts to create and retain a knowledge-based workforce that is research rich and skilled in devising scientific solutions.”

SPAWAR officials agree that the program will promote collaboration that has tangible benefits. “InnovationLink is an important step in creating a solid collaboration environment between SPAWAR Charleston and the state universities and colleges. The end result is that students work on real-world challenges that enable our soldiers and sailors to effectively and safely accomplish their missions,” James Ward, Executive Director, SPAWAR Systems Center – Charleston said.

“InnovationLink is an integral part of the SC Launch! mandate to promote cooperative research efforts between the private sector and South Carolina universities and colleges. It will also strengthen the partnership between higher education and business and industry,” Mahoney said.

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.

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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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