GSA Technology Council

Duke Energy has received confirmation from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that its combined construction and operating license (COL) application for the proposed William States Lee III Nuclear Station has been approved and docketed for the next stage of review.”Our nuclear development project team spent more than 21 months working on this application to ensure quality information was provided for both the safety and environmental aspects of the project,” said Bryan Dolan, Duke Energy vice president of nuclear plant development. “The NRC’s acceptance of our license application confirms that, based on an initial review, it is technically sufficient for the NRC’s more comprehensive review,” Dolan added.

Duke Energy submitted the 8,000-page COL application for the Cherokee County, S.C., site in December 2007. It uses generic portions of TVA’s Bellefonte COL application, the Westinghouse AP1000 reference application, developed by TVA and NuStart Energy Development of which Duke Energy is a member.

The Lee Nuclear COL application will now enter the detailed NRC review process, which includes requests for additional information, visits to the proposed plant site and opportunities for public input as the NRC prepares an environmental impact statement and safety evaluation report. The NRC will publish its review schedule within 30 days.

In addition to its work on the proposed Lee Nuclear Station, Duke Energy is moving forward in North Carolina with construction of an advanced 800- megawatt coal unit at Cliffside Steam Station and licensing and permitting new gas-fired combined-cycle peaking units at its Buck and Dan River steam stations. Duke is also constructing an integrated combined cycle (IGCC) plant that transforms coal into a synthetic gas to produce electricity in Indiana. The utility continues to pursue additional energy efficiency and conservation measures and is evaluating renewable generation options to meet customers’ future electricity needs.

Duke Energy’s Carolinas’ operations include nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides nearly 21,000 megawatts of safe, reliable and competitively priced electricity to more than 2.3 million electric customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.

via Duke Energy

Cary, NC and Clemson University — SciQuest, Inc., the global leader in helping academic and research-centric organizations realize the potential of strategic procurement, today announced that Clemson University has selected SciQuest’s full suite of eprocurement solutions as the foundation for its entire source-to-settle procurement process. More than 4,800 users across the University will utilize the new eprocurement system.

“Clemson is redefining the term ‘top-tier research university’ by combining the best of two models: the scientific and technological horsepower of a major research university and the highly engaged academic and social environment of a small college,” said Brett Dalton, chief financial officer of Clemson University. “We searched for an eprocurement solution with a proven track record generating savings and greater efficiencies through a strategic and user-friendly approach to procurement. SciQuest emerged as the best choice to provide that service for us.”

Researchers’ procurement needs are unique in that they make unforeseen, ad hoc purchases of disparate materials and chemicals as experiments evolve. Scientific protocols demand uniformity, consistency and a fast response-all factors that challenge one-size-fits-all eprocurement systems and traditional, paper-based processes.

Functionality and features within the SciQuest solution as well as its extensive online catalog of scientific suppliers address these unique aspects of the research environment. With an all-inclusive eprocurement system in place, researchers can spend more time finding cures and uncovering new discoveries, and less time searching for and ordering the specialty supplies they need to complete their work.

With SciQuest eprocurement, all users, including researchers, will simply login to the application, browse the extensive electronic marketplace of suppliers, and compare and select the items and services they want to buy-all in an intuitive, Web-based shopping environment that brings campus-wide purchasing together in one system. The solution suite will also automate and streamline purchase order placement, tracking and management, allowing Clemson to securely distribute orders electronically to its suppliers through a single integration point.

Through eprocurement, Clemson can harness the full value of pre-negotiated contracts and volume discounts as well as negotiate additional strategic contracts where needed. SciQuest makes it possible to more effectively steer purchasing towards contracted specialty suppliers, such as small and minority- owned businesses and suppliers that satisfy environmental and sustainability goals. The University’s financial departments will also attain real-time visibility into institution-wide spending, ensuring that purchasing decisions are strategic in nature and help to advance the University’s mission.

An added benefit of implementing the SciQuest system is that it will now be easier for suppliers from across the state of South Carolina to vie for business with Clemson University. Suppliers will be able register at a single access point in the SciQuest system-ensuring that all can easily compete in the competitive bidding process.

“We are pleased that Clemson University selected our eprocurement solution suite as one of the pillars to reach its goal of becoming a top-tier research institution,” said Stephen Wiehe, president and CEO of SciQuest. “The signing of Clemson University is further validation of our market leadership in the research-centric and higher education markets. We strive to provide customers with the solution they need to deploy eprocurement within the context of their changing business and resource requirements. We look forward to helping Clemson reach its goals by freeing the campus community to focus on their mission, not the administrative tasks required to attain the goods and services they need.”

More than 60 of the best known colleges and universities, including 14 of the top 20 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2007 ranking, use SciQuest’s eprocurement solutions. Additional customers include nine of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies and other research-centric organizations, such as research centers, research hospitals and specialty surgery centers.

via SciQuest

RadarFind’s Real Time Location System (RTLS) allows hospitals to deploy the indoor tracking system as part of their overall infection control efforts.

RadarFind’s unique asset tag provides status information in two ways. First, when a staff member moves a simple slider switch to indicate that a medical device (such as an infusion pump) is available, in-use or needs cleaning, the tag communicates this information to the RadarFind server, which displays that piece of equipment as green (available), yellow (in use with a patient) or red (needs cleaning) on RadarFind’s locator maps and reports. Second, because the tags themselves include a color-coded bar, staff have a visual cue on each tagged device to quickly determine that equipment is disinfected and available for patient use.

“The ability of our system to provide real-time status information about medical equipment sets it apart from other systems and allows RadarFind to play an instrumental role in hospital infection control efforts,” said Terry Kane, M.D., chief executive officer for RadarFind.

RadarFind was developed after two years of intensive, physician-guided research and development focused specifically on the needs of hospitals. RadarFind offers clear advantages over other systems in the marketplace in terms of superior technology, accuracy, ease of installation and affordability.

Designed to seamlessly integrate with existing hospital infrastructure and operations, the system requires no new wiring and operates independently of a hospital’s critical IT network. RadarFind’s readers (locators) plug into existing hospital-grade electrical outlets, with the outlets still available for other electrical devices. These readers communicate with advanced ID tags affixed to equipment and the intuitive tracking software simply displays information on hospital staff’s screens.

via: RadarFind

Scientists around the world are using JMP Genomics from SAS to explore the very foundations of life, applying its powerful analysis and visualization capabilities to vast data sets common to genomics research. In 2007, its first full year on the market, this comprehensive desktop genomics software gained new customers, established important commercial partnerships and introduced a new release that includes capabilities for advanced DNA analysis.

HOW IT’S USED: JMP Genomics enables researchers to uncover meaningful patterns in their genetics, microarray and proteomics research data:

* North Carolina State University graduate student Youssef Idaghdour used JMP Genomics to show that lifestyle affects human gene expression – and thus disease patterns. Idaghdour’s team collected RNA samples from Bedouin nomads, isolated farmers and city dwellers in his native Morocco.
* Researchers working with a sweeping FDA-sponsored study of DNA microarray technology are using JMP Genomics in their quest to advance personalized medicine. SAS hosted more than 100 members of the MicroArray Quality Consortium for a two-day meeting last May.
* A University of Texas researcher is studying plant genomes to learn why some plants tolerate drought better than others. JMP Genomics’ microarray capabilities let Tom Juenger, PhD, analyze huge SAS data sets and examine “23,000 genes at once instead of one or two at a time.”

SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS: In June, JMP Genomics introduced version 3.0, adding capabilities for predictive modeling and whole-genome SNP analysis, as well as 3-D graphics and the ability to distill vital findings from huge data sets. In November, release of JMP Genomics 3.1 introduced copy-number analysis capabilities – the ability to examine the number of copies of a particular gene in an individual’s DNA – with import engines for copy number data from Affymetrix and Illumina, leading microarray manufacturers.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS, LICENSING PLANS: Through JMP Genomics, SAS has partnerships with Affymetrix, Illumina and life sciences solution vendor Ingenuity Systems. New academic pricing and licensing options make JMP Genomics more affordable for classroom use. Campuswide and department licenses were offered for the first time in 2007. Under a campuswide license, JMP Genomics is at work in three NCSU colleges: agriculture and life sciences, natural resources, and veterinary medicine.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “It’s the most flexible and powerful software available, in my opinion, for this type of analysis,” says Susan Dorsey, PhD, University of Maryland, whose research is aimed at finding treatments for chronic pain. “I can upload raw data from a variety of Affymetrix platforms, including gene-level data from microarrays, exon-level data from exon arrays and SNP data from a 500K array.”

via: JMP
WHAT’S NEXT: JMP Genomics 3.2 will be released this spring.

Hosted Solutions announced today the addition of its second Enterprise Data Center in the Charlotte market to support the company’s continued growth. The new facility will add an additional 7,600 square feet of raised floor space, increasing Hosted Solutions’ data center capabilities to serve clients and provide a world class hosting environment.

The new uptown facility will provide a full range of secure colocation, managed hosting, performance monitoring and management, data backup and storage, security, and disaster recovery solutions to customers located in Charlotte, South Carolina, and nationwide.

“We are very excited to announce the opening of our second Charlotte data center,” said Rich Lee, founder and CEO of Hosted Solutions. “The Charlotte team has worked tirelessly to position Hosted Solutions as a leader in this marketplace, and we are proud of our continued success. The opening of Charlotte’s second data center is a testament of Hosted Solutions commitment to grow strategically in our current markets while giving our customers the personal relationship of a small company and the resources of an enterprise organization. Hosted Solutions is dedicated to delivering the highest standard of infrastructure, security, and performance to small, medium, and large businesses throughout the United States.”

The new Charlotte data center was acquired to meet the growing demand for top-tier hosting facilities, and to allow Hosted Solutions’ customers future scalability to grow their business on reliable infrastructure. The enterprise Charlotte data center uptown facility features robust and redundant electrical systems and HVAC infrastructure, multi-provider network access, advanced physical security, and next-generation building automation systems. The new facility sets new standards for security, reliability, and service, and was specifically chosen to expand Hosted Solutions’ ability to deliver innovative and custom data center and managed services solutions.

Hosted Solutions’ new Charlotte data center features true carrier neutrality enabling the company to meet its 100% network availability guarantee and ensure business continuity for its customers’ mission critical data and applications. The company’s high standards for security and redundancy provides customers with a robust and resilient hosting platform that will help grow their business, reduce cost, and achieve regulatory compliance.

via: Hosted Solutions

The SpecMetrix® coating measurement systems have been selected as the winner of the Innovation Award For Instrumentation by Finishing Today Magazine in its 2007 Innovation Awards Issue. These prestigious Innovation Awards are presented annually to recognize the year’s hottest innovations in the global product finishing and coatings markets.

According to Finishing Today, “These awards recognize the greatest achievements in new technology in materials, processes, instrumentation and equipment.” The editorial team at Finishing Today selected SpecMetrix® technology for the Instrumentation Award stating that “No other technology can measure such a broad thickness range over so many different substrates.”

“We are honored that Finishing Today has recognized the tremendous impact that our SpecMetrix® coating measurement technology is beginning to have on the coatings and finishing industry,” said Greg Frisby, CEO of Sensory Analytics. “Our breakthrough non-contact coating measurement systems are helping beverage container, consumer packaging and aerospace manufacturers to optimize their coating quality while reducing product costs.”

All Sensory Analytics systems give users precise, real-time coating measurement results without the need for destructive testing or sample coupons, and with no harm to the coating itself. The patented systems, integrated with proprietary SensorMetric™ software, are being used in quality control laboratories and on the production floor to automatically capture and store real-time coating and film measurement results as part of a manufacturer’s quality assurance process.

hhgregg, Inc. has today announced that it will be conducting a conference call to discuss its operating results for its third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2007 on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Interested investors and other parties may listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by logging onto the Company’s investor relations page at www.hhgregg.com. The call can also be accessed over the phone by dialing (877) 604-9670. Callers should reference the hhgregg third quarter earnings call. A replay of the earnings call will be available on the Company’s website through March 14, 2008.

Third Quarter Comparable Store Sales Rise Three Percent and Company Reaffirms Fiscal Year 2008 Earnings Guidance

For the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2007, comparable store sales growth was 3.0%. The comparable store sales gain came on top of a 5.6% comparable store sales gain for the prior year’s fiscal quarter.

Jerry Throgmartin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented “We were very pleased with our execution during the holiday season and the third fiscal quarter. We expect the quarter ended March 31, 2008 to be a more challenging quarter given the general economic environment and slowing traffic patterns. We will continue to execute on our store growth plan and will be focused on delivering a superior customer purchase experience.”

The Company reaffirmed its earnings guidance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 which was given on November 14, 2007. Diluted net income per share, as adjusted to exclude a $0.41 loss on the early extinguishment of debt arising primarily from a debt refinancing completed in connection with the Company’s initial public offering, is expected to range between $0.95 and $1.03 for fiscal 2008.

About hhgregg

hhgregg is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home appliances, mattresses and related services operating under the names hhgregg® and Fine Lines®. hhgregg currently operates 85 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), has announced that Peter Hermann has been named as the new CEO and President.

According to Bob Hawkins, 2007 chairman of the NCTA board of directors and vice president of N.C. Operations at EMC Corporation, “The executive committee conducted an exhaustive search over the last several months. Peter was selected from a noteworthy group of leaders from across the nation. He brings several decades of national service, executive leadership and association management experience to the helm. We are so pleased to have someone of his caliber leading the North Carolina Technology Association.”

Hermann was formerly president of Hermann Associates, Inc., a Kansas City-based consulting and facilitation firm serving the strategic planning, business and leadership development needs of associations, closely held businesses and entrepreneurs. Prior to founding Hermann Associates, Inc., he served as executive director and CEO for ARMA International in Lenexa, Kansas for nine years. His strategic leadership helped position the association as the preeminent records and information management professional organization. During his tenure ARMA membership grew to 10,000 members in 125 chapters throughout 50 countries, and revenues doubled to $6 million. Prior to his work with ARMA, Hermann served as the first executive director of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). He led the growth of CFMA from a start-up position to one of significant presence in the construction trade association arena with over 7,000 members in 75 chapters.

Hermann said, “This is an exciting time to join in the growth of The North Carolina Technology Association. NCTA is continually evolving to enhance support for member companies of all sizes and the broad technology industry. NCTA is simply unparalleled in the services and influential opportunities we offer. We actively connect business decision-makers, educate government officials and advocate on technology issues. Plus we provide unique educational and executive networking events that are not offered anywhere else. NCTA is the most valuable technology association I am aware of. I am enthusiastic about leading NCTA to empower our members to achieve full actualization for themselves and their companies.”

About NCTA

The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is a not-for-profit, membership-driven trade association and the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina. NCTA is the intersection of leadership and technology, fueling the growth of North Carolina through Executive Engagement, Public Affairs, and a Knowledge Workforce. For more information, visit our website at www.nc-tech.org.

Mobile Aspects has announced that the Carolinas Heart and Vascular Institute (CHVI) at Carolinas Medical Center has expanded their use of iRISupply™, a clinical resource management system that manages medical devices and supplies through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The cabinet-based system was initially deployed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory suite to store, track, and manage the utilization of high cost items such as Drug-Eluting stents and PTCA balloon catheters. The organization has now expanded its use of the system by deploying twenty-six units to manage those items for additional cardiac catheterization laboratories while also managing pacemakers and ICDs for the electrophysiology laboratories.

With these additional units, CHVI will complete a broader deployment of the technology to support efforts to increase charge capture accuracy, eliminate product expiration, and optimize on-hand inventory levels to support organizational improvement initiatives. Through the initial implementation of iRISupply, CHVI was able to identify an opportunity to improve charge capture accuracy and product utilization by nearly $65,000 annually.

“Our initial implementation of iRISupply within the cardiac catheterization laboratory allowed us to evaluate the unique capabilities of deploying an RFID-enabled technology that will improve medical device and supply utilization,” shared Dennis Chadwick, Technical Supervisor for CHVI. “With our expansion, we are anxious to realize the assistance the technology can provide towards our goals of improving our medical supply and device utilization processes.”

The iRISupply system is part of the Mobile Aspects One System of CARE™ solution, which employs identification and information technologies to automate processes for clinical resource management by healthcare providers.

via: Mobile Aspects

Peak 10 Inc. has announced that it will open a new data center in the Greater Cincinnati region. The 22,000-square-foot facility will be based in West Chester, OH.

“Peak 10’s expansion into Cincinnati aligns with our business strategy of scaling our business through select new market development and consistent organic growth,” said David Jones, president and chief executive officer of Peak 10. “Peak 10 will deliver world-class managed services and skilled, around-the-clock data center support services to high-growth, small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton region. We have experienced tremendous success because of our local business focus and continued investment in each of the markets we serve. We have been in nearby Louisville, KY, for more than three years and currently have customers in Cincinnati; therefore, this was a natural expansion for our company.”

Peak 10 Cincinnati is the company’s third new market expansion in 2007, having completed two acquisitions earlier in the year. In February, Peak 10 entered the Richmond, Va. market and in August, the Atlanta, Ga. market. Concurrent with its new market entries, Peak 10 has deepened its commitment to existing markets with major capacity and infrastructure expansions in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC; Jacksonville, FL; and Nashville, TN.

“Our continued drive to enter new markets and expand in established ones is owed to our experienced and dedicated management team and their commitment to scale the business in a disciplined manner, leveraging our strong balance sheet and rising cash flow,” said Kevin Brandon, Peak 10 board Chairman. “Peak 10 has positioned itself for continued growth and is the market leader in delivering high availability enterprise-class data center and managed services to SMBs.”

Peak 10’s expansion success reflects the significant trend in the SMB community to outsource IT infrastructure; increasing awareness of the need for business continuity and disaster recovery services; increasing demand for managed IT services; and meeting regulatory compliance requirements. Peak 10 allows customers to cost-effectively manage and accelerate their growth, due to the importance of having a trusted and scalable infrastructure partner.

The company’s strategic focus is to continue to invest in its market operations, expand its geographic footprint and enhance technical capabilities, operating scale and engineering expertise to build and maintain strong customer relationships. “Peak 10 continues to bring its disciplined business model to new markets like Cincinnati, while enhancing its footprint and service delivery capabilities in existing markets,” said Jeff Spalding, Peak 10 executive vice president of market operations. “As a result, we continue to expand our scale without diminishing our core value proposition – strong local market presence and customer service.”

Doug Moormann, vice president of economic development for the Cincinnati USA Partnership, the regional economic initiative directed by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, said Peak 10’s entry into Cincinnati USA underscores the region’s Cincinnati USA’s attractiveness to technology companies.

“We’re excited to welcome Peak 10 to our region as we work to further expand our base of IT firms in Cincinnati USA,” Moormann said. “Our central location, top-flight international airport and quality of life are very appealing to technology firms that are looking to employ top talent.”

West Chester Township, a fast-growing, northern suburb of Cincinnati, also applauded the announcement.

“West Chester welcomes Peak 10 as they join a long list of technology-rich companies successfully doing business in our community,” said West Chester Township Administrator Judi Boyko. “Peak 10 is an example of how a homegrown company can grow to national proportions and present new opportunities for technology advancement, as well as continuing education and support to students and professionals.”

Peak 10 enables companies to increase revenue growth, improve service levels, meet regulatory compliance, and lower costs by maximizing internal IT resources and ensuring the security and high availability of complex technology infrastructure. The company operates 12 data center facilities in nine strategic markets with a growing customer portfolio that includes Global Knowledge, Rivals.com, Pergo, Churchill Downs, LendingTree and the Jacksonville Jaguars.