ABL TECHNOLOGY ONLINE  
JULY 27, 2010
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Sprint Clears 35 MHz of Spectrum for Broadband Use
Sprint, where Matt Carter is President of 4G, has completed the transition of 35 MHz of broadcast auxiliary service spectrum across the U.S. The conclusion of the $750 million project, begun in 2005, establishes a new, more efficient spectrum band plan that clears the way for millions of consumers nationwide to gain faster and cheaper access to innovative new broadband services.  Meanwhile, Frost & Sullivan awarded Sprint the 2010 North American Customer Value Enhancement Award in Consumer Location-Based Services.

QuickStart Honored as Microsoft Partner of the Year
QuickStart Intelligence, where Hicham Semaan is CEO, has been recognized by Microsoft as its Windows 7 Training Partner of the Year, awarded for QuickStart's work in building awareness and excitement about Windows 7 before its release, training partners and customers on how to manage and deploy Windows 7, and for its continuous effort to get the message out about the new operating system through awareness campaigns and events post-launch.

Microsemi Gets $22M Production Order
Microsemi Corporation, where Jim Peterson and Russ Garcia are senior executives, has received a $22 million production order for customized GPS modules that utilize the proprietary anti-tamper process technology Microsemi gained with its recent acquisition of White Electronic Designs Corp. The modules will be used on military platforms, including missile guidance, secure radio communications and precision-guided munitions designed with GPS capability.

LA Dezign Creates Success for Law Firm
LA Dezign, where Jason Ciment is CEO, was chosen by Fenton Nelson, LLP (FN), to re-brand the healthcare law firm with a new, professional and sophisticated web-site to match FN’s brick-and-mortar credibility - ranked in the first tier for administrative and regulatory law firms by U.S. News & World Report 2010. With the new web site, FN has seen a boost in its search engine optimization rankings and a significant increase in business through the Internet. Says Jason: "Type 'HIPAA Lawyer' in Google and see the first-page ranking that's driving new leads to FN's business."

Decision Toolbox CEO to be Live on OC Radio Show
Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, will appear on CRITICAL MASS: The Radio Show with Ric Franzi and Doug Gfeller, on August 4, 4-5 pm Pacific, where she will discuss running a virtual company, recruiting in a challenging economy, and her forthcoming book, "The Bite Me School of Management," scheduled to debut in September. To tune in live, visit OCTalkRadio.net. A podcast of the segment will also be available at dtoolbox.com.

Cornerstone Teams with Language Solutions Provider
Cornerstone OnDemand, where Adam Miller is CEO, has formed a strategic partnership with digital publishing (dp), a global leader in online language learning solutions, in which dp e-Learning modules and language course bundles will be distributed to Cornerstone clients worldwide.

Auto-Graphics Chosen in Wisconsin, Mississippi
The Auto-Graphics, Inc. subsidiary of Agent Information Software, where Paul Cope is President, announced that Blackhawk Technical College in Wisconsin has selected AGent VERSO as its integrated library system, utilizing a Software as a Service hosted delivery method.  Meanwhile, the Mississippi Library Commission has fully implemented AGent VERSO.

Alvaka Earns CompTIA's Security Trustmark
Alvaka Networks, where Oli Thordarson is CEO, recently announced that it maintains a companywide security accreditation through CompTIA’s Security Trustmark. To attain this, companies are independently audited by IT security experts who assess their security policies, capabilities, practices, and processes in areas such as business continuity planning; access management; incident management; personnel security; security awareness and training; data protection; technical infrastructure; partner management; physical and environmental security; compliance; and service delivery.

INSIGHTS FOR ADAPTIVE BUSINESS LEADERS

Berkus Blogs on: Outside Directors
In "Outside Directors are a Price of Investment," Member Dave Berkus shares that, almost always, professional investors will require at least one seat on the corporate board - to watch over the company’s use of invested funds and to help grow the company in value. "The combination of restrictive covenants in the investor documents and the new dynamic of board members with an agenda make for a change in the culture of the corporation, certainly one for the CEO," says Dave.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ROUND TABLES

8/5 - Orange County Round Table
8/6 - San Gabriel Valley Round Table
8/13 - West Los Angeles Round Table

Users Unwilling to Pay for Twitter, Other Services
A study released by the Center for the Digital Future, at the USC Annenberg School of Communications, finds that 0% of Twitter users polled would pay for Twitter. 49% of Internet users have used micro-blogging services like Twitter, the study found, but there was a "strong negative reaction" to paying for online services, despite users also finding Internet advertising "annoying."
     The study - part of the Center's 2010 Digital Future Project - also found that 61% of Internet users believe that only half or less of online information is reliable, and 14% believe only a "small portion or none" of the information found online is reliable, one of the lowest levels of trust since the long-term study started in 2000. (socaltech.com TechNews, 7/27/10)

U.S. Gov't Legalizes “Unapproved” iPhone Apps
The Library of Congress has just legalized code-breaking on Apple's smartphone, meaning users can now download non-Apple-approved apps with a “completely clear conscience.” The new ruling comes as an exemption to a 1998 federal law that bans consumers from working around technical barriers that companies impose to prevent unauthorized use of their products. Realistically, these new rules are probably more ceremonial than anything else. But symbolically, the Library's decision tacitly confirms that the smartphone app market has become larger than any one company, and should function freely, without the threat of legal action hanging over it. (switched.com, 7/26/10)

SoCal Venture Deals Up: PwC-NVCA
According to the latest numbers from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, investments by VCs in Southern California were up, both in terms of deals and dollars in 2Q10. Southern California saw $857.3M in 91 investments, up significantly from the $451.8M and 69 deals for 2Q09. Quarter-to-quarter growth was also good, going from $627.4M and 80 deals in 1Q10. Nationally, VC deals in the U.S. totaled $6.5B, the strongest quarter since 3Q08. Los Angeles saw $407.2M in 45 deals, Orange County saw $279.5M in 21 deals, and San Diego saw $170.6M invested in 24 deals. SoCal’s venture totals were significantly boosted by clean technology, and more specifically, financing for electric car manufacturers. Investments in the Industrial/Energy sector, which includes those manufacturers, was the single biggest area for investments in 2Q10 in SoCal, totaling $231.1M.
     PwC and NVCA’s numbers show that so far this year, $1.48B has gone into SoCal companies, second only to the $4.48B invested in Silicon Valley. SoCal has pulled ahead of New England, which has seen $1.37B in investments so far in 2010. (socaltech.com TechNews, 7/16/10)
     Nationally, the strongest VC investment sectors in 2Q10 were: Healthcare at $2.4B; Information Technology at $1.9B; and Energy and Utilities at $1.1B. In Orange County, the strongest sectors were Clean Tech at $56M; Medical Devices at $46.4M; and Semiconductors at $44M. (jan.ocregister.com, 7/17/10)

Projects Target Energy Alternatives, Conservation
The U.S. Department of Energy said it is awarding up to $122M over five years to a team which will develop "revolutionary methods" to generate fuel directly from sunlight, a project being led by the California Institute of Technology and including participation by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, SLAC National Accelerator Lab, and UCs Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Irvine and San Diego. The new Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis will work on an effort to simulate nature's photosynthetic apparatus for energy production, looking to create a solar-energy-to-chemical fuel process from the lab into commercialization. (socaltech.com TechNews, 7/23/10)
     Meanwhile, after 11 months, Southern California Edison (SCE) has installed its one millionth smart meter, with plans to install 5M for both residential and small business customers by the end of 2012. Many utility companies are pushing smart meter installs to provide customers with more information about energy usage, potentially resulting in lower electrical bills, to reduce peak demand on their systems, and stave off the need for additional power plants. SCE says it hopes to reduce demand on the grid by about 1,000 megawatts via the meters. (socaltech.com TechNews, 7/13/10)

X Prize to Reward Oil Cleanup
On July, 29, the X PRIZE Foundation will launch a multi-million-dollar, privately-funded Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE, designed to inspire entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists worldwide to develop innovative, rapidly deployable, and highly efficient methods of capturing crude oil from the ocean surface. At the press conference, speakers will discuss the goals and objectives of the prize, team rules for entry, amount of the prize purse and announce the competition benefactor. (XPrize.org release, 7/22/10)

Women Encouraged to Pursue Tech, Science Careers
The Association for Women in Technology has tripled its scholarship awards to three $2,500 scholarships aimed at Southern California women pursuing technology and science-related education. The group's mission is to increase the number of careers for women in the field of technology, foster career advancement through professional development and education, and provide a support network for women in tech. (socaltech.com TechNews, 7/22/10)