|
NASHVILLE TECHNOLOGY
COUNCIL (NTC)
News of Nashville
Technology
Wednesday, December
10, 2003 (No. 22)
Visit the Nashville
Technology Council News Summary Archive.
Next edition:
Wednesday, Dec. 17,
2003.
UPFRONT:
* * * Vote Now... in
NTC's Middle Tennessee IT Business Confidence
Poll:
Q: How do you think Information
Technology businesses IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE will
fare during the Jan-Feb-March quarter of 2004,
COMPARED WITH results in Oct-Nov-Dec 2003?
Express your opinion and see results here.
New Technology
Director for Tennessee: The Department of
Economic and Community Development is recruiting
the state's first ECD Director of Technology. The
job description is posted
here and candidates
may submit their materials for consideration via
E-mail to Paula
Davis, ECD's assistant commissioner
for policy and administration; or, via the Office
of the Commissioner, Department of Economic &
Community Development TN Tower Building 312 Eighth
Avenue North, 11th Floor Nashville, TN 37243-0405.
For background on this initiative, please see the
NTC News Summary of Oct. 15, 2003, here.
WebMD Envoy gets new
leader, NashvillePost.com,
Dec. 9, here.
WebMD extends MediFax-EDI stock purchase review
period, Dec. 1, 8K filing, (reported
NashvillePost.com, Dec. 4), company statement (see
SEC Filings) here.
The City Paper, p. 11, Dec. 10, here.
The Tennessean, 1E, Dec. 10, here.
Oct. 22 corporate release re proposed
purchase, (see Releases) here.
Metro area's 'Disease
Tracker' database helps Metro Health, Vanderbilt,
others track illness trends, medical
purchases, The City Paper, p. 1, Dec. 10, here.
Nashville's IMUSIC
Group masters the art of
instant-burning CDs for fans as they leave live
concerts; bands that own their music are
advantaged, Tennessean, 1A, Dec. 3, here.
In Dickson, Renaissance
Center's3D
University Animation
Director and 3D
Buzz founder Jason Busby is
gaining global attention for 3D and education
for Renaissance Center and 3D Buzz. Busby offers
tips for using sofware-development tools for
video-game development via New York Times, Dec. 4,
here. Earlier xsibase interview with
Busby (1/03), here.
BellSouth tops Yankee
Grp report on satisfaction among Technologically
Advanced Families, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 9,
here. BellSouth release, Dec. 9, here.
PalmGear opens China
route, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 9, here. Tennessean, Dec. 10, here.
Cinram International
Inc., DVD and VTape manufacturer opens
distribution center in La Vergne, still mum on
whether it will seek state incentives, The City
Paper, p. 11, Dec. 10, here. Tennessean, Dec. 3, here.
Cinram Intl hub chooses Nashville over Memphis
& Louisville, Memphis Bus. Journal, Dec. 9,
here.
Schneider
Electric/Square D outsource to Keane
effects Nashville staffing, Release, Dec. 8,
here.
RIAA file-sharing
assault targets Nashville resident,
Tennessean, 12/4, p1A, here.
Automated
clearinghouse designer Goldleaf Technologies in
Brentwood is market leader
among community banks; spent more than $1 million
converting ACH to Web-based system, Nash. Bus.
Journal, P. 1, Dec. 5, here.
TappedInto.com merges
with Streamlogics of Toronto; Streamlogics
accelerates U.S. entry, Nash. Bus. Journal,
Dec. 5, here. TappedInto.com moves off Music
Row, City Paper, Dec.
3.
Image Microsystems
will refurbish Dell Inc. computers, Dec. 3,
The City Paper, here.
DigiScript's Edward
Pearson and 100 investors change leadership,
business plan in bid for success, Nash. Bus.
Journal, Dec. 5, p. 11, here.
Technology Partners,
Education Networks of America (ENA)
remain in investigative spotlight, Tennessean,
Dec. 4, 4B, here.
Nashville improved to
6th place nationally (up from 15th) in Top 10
Digital Cities ranking. Nash. Bus. Journal,
Dec. 8, here. City Paper, p. 1, Dec. 9 here.
Digital Cities release here.
A decade after going
public, Tractor Supply's technologies are key to
tracking weather, managing inventory,
achieving profits, Tennessean, Dec. 7, here.
GOVERNMENT:
Forrester Research,
META Group, Jupiter Research and Gartner, Inc.
submitted proposals last week in response to the
State OIR's RFP for IT Research and Advisory
Services is due Friday (12/5), RFP
317-03.109.
National Science
Foundation grants for advancing IT applications
for e-Government. Full proposals due March 1,
2004, program solicitation here.
This week, National
League of Cities convention participants examine
Metro/Davidson consolidation; some attendees
cite computer software differences as impediment
elsewhere, Tennessean, Dec. 9, here.
XO-Nashville GM Jeff Lovejoy comments on
telcom deregulation, Nash. Bus. Journal, Nov.
28, p. 16, here. RBOC future analysis, New York
Times, Nov. 24, here.
TENNESSEE IT
PRIORITIES --
Today's quarterly meeting of the State OIR's
Information Systems Council (State Data Center, 9
a.m.-2 p.m.) is expected to include updates on
TennCare systems, HIPAA, Network Infrastructure
policy, ERP update, Website/eGovernment update;
approaches to state funding of regular 4-year PC
hardware refresh cycles; RIM/Blackberry initiative
update. State Chief Information Officer Richard
Rogenhaugh told the NTC Roundtable Thursday
(12/4), that OIR must often say "no" to some new
solutions, because "we've got to play catchup
first," placing immediate emphasis on such things
as developing standards, policies, procedures;
TennCare priorities; standardizing and integrating
platforms; network security; filling basic
government-wide requirements for PCs; aggressive
IT training (including CyberAcademy); ERP (steering committee has been
formed); project management training, and other
tasks. Meanwhile, new RFPs for RIM/Blackberry
(data, data/telephony, push-to-talk), Pagers, new
desktop scheduling software, tablet PCs, are on
the horizon. Today's ISC agenda.
ISC roster here.
Related State IT news:
State OIR Chief
Rognehaugh expects new TennCare IT system to be in
place by statutory deadline of Dec. 31, Knox.
News Sentinel, Dec. 4, here. F&A Commissioner Goetz says
he's hopeful, but not counting his chickens;
report says EDS missed mandated deadlines, must
pay liquidated damages; Governor may lay out
'radical' reform in January, The City Paper, Dec.
5, p. 1, here.
Also: Goetz told Gov. Bredesen during 2004-05
budget hearings (11/20) that he's working to
ensure all IT positions that can be converted to
employee from contractor status are converted by
Dec. 31. Governor also asked Goetz to report
during roughly next 90 days on how the state could
standardize GIS applications. Budget-hearing
streaming video (Win), here.
Tennessee Education
Lottery Corporation invitation to bid on Financial
Accounting System Products and Services,
issued Dec. 5, deadline, Dec. 19. ITB here.
Lottery request for
qualifications for Web hosting services, due
Dec. 12, details here.
State of Tennessee
RFP
317.05-020 Electronic
Payment and Processing Services, issued Dec.
5, preproposal conference Dec. 17, LoIs Dec. 19,
deadline Jan. 26, 2004.
Further information on
current State RFP's: see News Summary of Dec.
2,here.
VENTURES /
INNOVATION / ENTERPRISE:
Baker,
Donelson,
Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz recognized
by National Law Journal for growth, Tennessean,
3E, Dec. 10, here.
Avondale
Partners LLC
lead manager for secondary offering planned by
Vitran Corp., Toronto transportation/logistics
firm, Tennessean, Dec. 4, scroll here. Vitran Rel., Nov. 26, here.
Relegent signs
'Discovery Hospital' deal with Discovery
Communications, City Paper, Dec. 4, here.
Asurion finalizes Nashville headquarters
lease, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 4, here.
SCB Computer
Technology (CIBER) loss of Kentucky contract
pushed it into red for quarter, Commercial
Appeal, Dec. 5, here. SCB swings to loss, Memphis Bus.
Journal, Dec.
4.
Protiveris acquires
Oak Ridge sensor-technologies license, Dec. 3,
Release.
Knoxville's
Provectus Pharmaceuticals
biotech play gets $500K from NY and Israeli
investors, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 6, here. Provectus strikes deal with
Newfound, rel., Dec. 8, here.
WEST / EAST TN
& THE
REGION:
MTSU Poll: Tennessean express greater
confidence in economy, Tennessean, Dec. 6,
here.
East TN: Economy suffering, Knox.
News Sentinel, Dec. 4, here.
Saturn's role within
General Motors is in flux, Tennessean, Dec. 8,
1E, here. Saturn Union agreement may
evaporate, Bloomberg via Tennessean, 1E, Dec. 10,
not on
web.
COBOL 'Spaghetti' at
top of Cook Systems menu: Memphis firm forms
Regeneration partnership with BluePhoenix
Solutions, Commercial Appeal, Dec. 6, here.
British Informa Group AGRA
Division acquires Sparks Cos., Inc., Memphis
commodities data and analysis firm, Commercial
Appeal, Dec. 6, here.
Memphis' Interactive
Solutions wins Kemmons Award for Emerging
Business, Commercial Appeal, Dec. 6, here.
Skyline Exhibits'
management reports success, moves to larger digs
in La Vergne, Tennessean, Dec. 3, here.
Memphis to join cities
with '211' social-services answer-line,
Commercial Appeal, Dec. 7, here.
U.S. House budget
proposal would give UT-Knoxville role in renewable
energy, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 9, here. However, Senate postpones budget
action til January, Wash. Post, Dec.
10.
Chattanooga will receive federal funds for
Enterprise Center and Connect-the-Valley
tech-commercialization and jobs-creation
initiative; fuel-cell technology trials will be
one focus, The Chattanoogan online, Dec. 5,
here. Also, Dec. 6, p. 1, Chattanooga
Times Free Press, (sub and search), here.
Knoxville/Etowa's
NuMarkets
spreads eBay-linked franchise, Knox. News
Sentinel, Dec. 8, story here and NuMarkets profile here.
Tech savvy and Web
exposure draw Eaststate firms into international
trade -- ready or not! Knox. News Sentinel,
Dec. 7, here.
Pilot Travel Centers
partners for infrastructure with Idleaire
Technologies and Truckstops.net, Knox. News
Sentinel, Dec. 9, here and Dec. 10 here.
Oak Ridge Y-12
facility now supporting NASA Jupiter mission,
Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 8, here.
Memphis
video-conference facility provides access by hour,
Comm. Appeal, Dec. 10, here.
EDUCATION:
State's technology
centers may not be able to absorb applicants
spurred by Tennessee Lottery Scholarship
Program, The City Paper, Dec. 5, p. 1, here.
EDS contributes
funding for Nashville State Community College
diversity scholarships, NSCC release, Dec. 8,
here. EDS Release, here.
RESOURCES:
The NTC Software
Developers Roundtable's new steering committee
will meet in mid-January. Membership criteria
are being finalized, with emphasis on
representation from NTC Member firms that develop,
market and license software. For further
information, write here.
Available: National
Science Foundation grants for
Information-Technology Research in support of
National priorities for advancing science and
engineering; exploring economic prosperity and
vibrant civil society in an environment of
distributed-information systems; and, national and
homeland security. Letter of Intent required Jan.
14, 2004; Full proposal deadline, Feb. 24, 2004.
NSF Requirements, here.
NTC forms Legal
Committee: A committee of
NTC member-attorneys, chaired by Chris Sloan of
Boult Cummings Connors and Berry PLC, began
producing briefing papers on topics of importance
for technology executives and those who support
tech firms. The first briefing paper, with others
soon to follow, was posted earlier this year on
the NTC Legal
Corner webpage, here.
Sloan and NTC President David Condra recently met
with other Legal Committee members to discuss
expanding the committee's roll, including the
possibility of the committee regularly producing
programs discussing legal topics of interest to
NTC members. One program under discussion would be
targeted toward issues most important to companies
that develop, market and license their own
proprietary software. The other members of the
committee are Randy Michels of Stitles &
Harbison, Adin Lara of Miller & Martin, Jason
Epstein of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell
& Berkowitz, and Derek Hughey of Bass, Berry
& Sims. For further information about Legal
Corner or about the Legal Committee, write Sloan
here.
ISSA VP Rasmussen says corporate
execs are 'all over the map' when it comes to
cybersecurity, warns technology, alone, cannot
counter threats, transcript from Dec. 5 online
discussion, Washington Post, here. Corporations under pressure at
CyberSecurity Summit, New York Times, Dec. 4,
here.
Nation's IT execs meet
again Dec. 17 with Congressman Adam Putnam
(R-FL-12) to discuss corporate self-governance on
security issues. Related background: NTC News
Summary of Nov. 11, here. Also related, Knoxville News
Sentinel, Dec. 8, here.
Also, Homeland's Tom Ridge says tech groups must
collaborate to avoid federal controls over
security, AP via Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 4.
Wall Street Journal, Dec. 3, here.
The Cybersecurity Summit workplan, ITAA summary,
Dec. 4, here.
Terrorism: Markle
Foundation
urges creation of decentralized information
network to improve communications among
responders, Washington Post, Dec. 2, here.
Dept. of Homeland
Security among federal agencies earning an
" F " for
computer security,
Washington Post, Dec. 9, here.
Project Management
Institute announces Nashville board;
Produce Alliance announces technology and
other execs, Tennessean, Dec. 6, scroll down here.
e-Commerce: Foul weather drives buyers to
the Web, AP in Commercial Appeal, Dec. 9,
here.
Outsourcing the CIO
function? An Information Week report,
Dec. 8, here.
Monitoring Metro and
State Requests for Proposals and Bids
State of
Tennessee:
Tennessee Lottery, here.
Lottery procurement policies, here.
Capital Projects
Management,here.
University of
Tennessee:
University of Tennessee
purchasing, here.
UT contracts list, here.
TN Board of Regents IT
Contracts, here.
Cities/Counties:
Metro Nashville/Davidson
County, here.
City of Memphis, here.
Shelby County, here.
City of Chattanooga,
here.
Scheduled
Events: Asterisk ( * ) denotes new or
revised item.
* (Dec. 10) Deloitte
& Touche report on "top mega sites in the
region" for Memphis Regional Economic Development
Council, event details here.
(Dec. 11) AITP
Nashville chapter meeting, Dr. Sonny Reynolds
(humor). Register, here.
* (Dec. 16) (new date)
Project Management Institute, Nashville
chapter, Holiday Mixer, 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 pm.
Holiday Inn Select, 2613 West End Ave. $15
members, $20 non-members; late $20 for members,
$25.00 non-members. Visit here
for details and registration.
* (Dec. 17) Technology
2020, Annual Holiday Luncheon, (Change of
Speaker) U.S. Rep. Zach
Wamp, 11:30 a.m. $10 members, $20
non-members, $5 students. For speedier check-in,
pre-pay online and have a printed name badge
waiting for you at the door. RSVP@tech2020.org
or (865) 220-2020 Travel directions.
(Dec. 18) Project
Management Institute, "Holiday Mixer," 11:30
a.m.- 1:00 pm. Holiday Inn Select, details here.
(Dec. 18) Michael
Moberly, founder, Knowledge Protection Strategies
(Memphis), "Collaboration for Comprehensive
Enterprise Security, Intellectual Property
Protection and Risk Management"; InfraGard
Mid-TN Chapter meeting. Meet and greet begins 1:30
p.m. Massey School of Business, Belmont
University. Details and directions, here.
* (Jan. 6) Gov. Phil
Bredesen addresses Memphis Chamber's Frontline
Politics series, details here.
* (Jan. 8) AITP
Nashville, "Legal Aspects of Web Development,"
Bill Welch, ITT, details on this and future
meetings in 2004, here.
* (Jan. 8) Nashville
Technology Council Tech Roundtable, Shaun
Carrigan, President & CEO, NetContent Inc.
Social, 5 p.m.; Dinner, 6 p.m.; Introduction and
Program, 6:45 p.m. Details to be announced, here.
* (Jan. 12) Northeast
Tennessee Technology Council and ETSU Regional
Economic Development Collaborative program on
"Information On Business Partnership Opportunities
with Oak Ridge National Laboratory," 1:30 p.m.,
MeadowView Conference Center, Kingsport.
Presenters include Alex Fischer, Director of
Technology Transfer and Economic Development and
Dr. Terry Payne, Manager, Economic Development and
Partnerships Technology Transfer and Economic
Development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL). No charge, registration requested. Details
here
and reservations here.
(Jan. 27) Tech After
Hours networking event returns, Jan. 27th!
Cohosted by NTC/WilliamsonWorks, Cool Springs
Marriott, from 4:30 p.m. Events details, here.
Exhibit info, write here.
Registration, here.
Nashville Technology
Council
For information about
Nashville Technology Council programs, services
and sponsorships:
For previous editions
of "News of Nashville Technology," click here.
|
|
