News of Nashville Technology

UPFRONT:

New Ingram Digital exec, Comdata strains, VCs exit EVault, Avankia with Salesforce.com, Health Record initiative, State broadband recommendations, Oak Ridge research, CIO visions, ClientLogic

VENTURE Phillips seeks IPIX assets, Dell financials, Snap! music, ZoiTech relocates, Valutec sale, DRS' GeoLocator, Goldleaf, Web 2.0 criteria, FedEx, Healthways, Pharos, Woodside, Plumgood, Intechra more

HEALTHCARE NotifyMD, Radianse, iPod for healthcare, Informatics Corp., medical banking, Cymetrix, WebMD, HMS, Vanderbilt, Qualifacts more

FOCUS: Chase sets entrepreneur's pace for C3

C3 Founder Beth Chase is building her second technology business, using leverage and lessons learned.

PARTNERS Video Gaming, Permanent General, Dalcon, Genesco, CircleSource, ComFrame, SmartVUE, Discovery, Dialogic, PureSafety, CompuPay more

SUNGARD: Giant provides grist for Nashville rumor mill

Business as usual, rivalries at work, or deeper issues at Availability Services in Nashville?

CONNECTIONS Cable, telecom and power companies are eying lucrative voice, data and video markets, and Tennessee may become a battleground state.
more

NTC: Sponsorships underwrite technology mission Nashville Technology Council is partnering more closely with technology firms, government and others. more

GOVERNMENT Congressional leadership shapes science, AG issues hacking warning, Internet fuels gambling, RFPs from state and metro, cybersecurity more

EAST & WEST E. TN tech community leaders, Saratoga buys Logic Nets, V3 takes partner, masterIT growing, incubator full, MLG&W meters, LBMC merger, Legal Aid pods, SSR Ellers exec profiled more

FOCUS: Frierson advocates Chattanooga technology

Chattanooga Technology Council is on strong footing, while Frierson pushes on all fronts.

INNOVATION Entrepreneur joins VU, Kurita wants energy center, VU research productivity, defining genius, supercomputing, education, commercialization
more

RESOURCES Microsoft, data privacy, e-Books, data association revived, public service, metaphors that 'suck', PassAlong, Telcom Pragmatics, protecting e-mail more

CALENDAR 2007 is shaping-up as a very busy year, with big events already scheduled more

UPFRONT:

INGRAM: John Ingram, vice chairman, Ingram Industries, announced Jan. 18 that James R.JOHN R. INGRAM Gray, CEO of Coutts Information Services and MyiLibrary which were acquired by Ingram in December, will be president and cEO of LaVergne-based Ingram Digital Ventures. The job includes leading MyiLibrary and Vital Source Technologies. Gray succeeds Michael F. Lovett, who will become COO. Related story, Daily News Journal, Jan. 18. Earlier: Ingram buys Coutts Information Services, marking entry to academic library supply business, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 18.

GARY KROWComdata is at risk of losing President Gary Krow, in the judgment of disaffected investor Pershing Square, as reported by NashvillePost.com this morning. Pershing's correspondence to parent Ceridian is here.

ASP: Nashville-based Avankia LLC is partnering with Salesforce.com to build applications for Salesforce's AppStore marketplace, as part of a Salesforce.com AppExchange incubator program that will afford Avankia direct onsite access toReena Gupta Rajeev GuptaSalesforce executives. Avankia CEO Reena Gupta said the innovation alliance makes her firm "a tech player in Silicon Valley." Avankia is one of ten companies with which Salesforce.com recently announced AppExchange partnerships. Avankia CTO Rajeev Gupta explains the closer relationship with Salesforce.com grew naturally, as CRM-oriented Avankia moved from customizing Salesforce applications for clients, to data migration and use of Salesforce's Apex API for development. Avankia, which has remained a Salesforce reseller, expects to become a certified partner this month. At that point, Avankia and Salesforce.com will establish a more detailed operational agreement, which includes Avankia staff working out of incubator space in San Mateo, Calif. CTP Gupta confirmed that Avankia has paid $20K to participate in the incubator program for two years.

EVAULT: Nashville investors Council Ventures and Massey Burch both cash out of data protection firm Emeryville, Calif.-based EVault, a portfolio company for both, which sold in December to tech-heavyweight Seagate Technologies (NYSE:STX) for $185 million Evault release, Dec. 21. EVault is expert in secure online backup and recovery solutions. DENNY BOTTORFFObservers suggest Seagate's recent acquisitions are driven in part by increasing demand for integrated storage services. Hot sector? Council Ventures' Gary Peat told NONT, "it was performing "EVault's margins are so high I am not at liberty to describe them." Investors who put more than $16 million in EVault since its founding in 1997 have included, in addition to Council Ventures and Massey Burch Capital Corp., River City Capital Funds (Cincinnati), B.E.S.T. Fund (Toronto), and former EVault CEO Linwood A. "Chip" Lacey (former Ingram Micro Inc. CEO, who also serves on the Board of Directors of Earthlink, Inc., Ingram Industries Inc., Modus Media, Inc., and others). Smaller investors included Jemison Investment Co. (Birmingham, Ala.). Council Ventures was lead investor for more than five years, during three venture rounds. While Peat awaits finalization of the Seagate transaction, he notes Council Ventures is "beginning the process of planning to raise another fund." Council Ventures LP is a $52 million fund, which Peat says has undertaken ten investments. In addition to EVault, Council Ventures exited MEMX Inc., a Sandia National Laboratory spinoff that designed and commercializes MEMS-based solutions for communications and medical industries. Dennis C. Bottorff is chairman of Council Ventures.

SEARCH: Yahoo!'s chief scientist for search and marketplace, Jon Pederson, spoke at Vanderbilt School of Engineering, Jan. 11. Addressing a packed lecture hall, Pederson's hourlong PETERSENfly-over touched on search economics, performance criteria, search infrastructure and systems, scalability, relevance, speed and other variables that enable users to access more than 30 billion documents available via the typical major search engine. Fortunately, said Pederson of the universe of data, "most of it is pure crap" and need not be retrieved to provide satisfactory search results for most users.

CLIENTLOGIC: After adding 100 to its Irish operation's headcount in 2002, the Nashville-based firm nixes 138 jobs at North Dublin site — reportedly moving part of thatCEO DAVID GARNER operation to its center in Dusseldorf, Germany, SiliconRepublic.com, Jan. 11. CEO Garner discusses global outsourcing, acquisition of Sitel, Tennessean, Dec. 17. Shareholders approve SITEL merger, City Paper, Jan. 16; Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 15. GE Commercial Finance - Corporate Lending will provide $170 million cash flow credit facility to ClientLogic, a leading business process outsourcing provider. Release Dec. 12. Announcement on Sitel, NashvillePost.com, Oct. 13. ClientLogic recruiting workers over age 50 for call centers, Tennessean, Dec. 27. Related release with AARP, Dec. 14. Statement on corporate outlook, Jan. 8. Service capacity increase announced Dec. 21 for Virgin Mobile.

PERSONAL health records: As a result of a $300K grant award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Vanderbilt Medical Center's Kevin B. Johnson, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics DR. KEVIN JOHNSONand vice chairman of the department of biomedical informatics, will design and prototype My-Medi-Health, a personal medication-management system, to help children with special healthcare needs and their caregivers. The system has three features: a medication management assistant for children; a reminder system for schools and others; and, messenging for communications with caregivers or others. The applications will be tailored to address the needs of kids and caregiving teams that are managing cystic fibrosis. Release, Dec. 14. Related Tennessean story, Tech predictions, Dec. 30.

CIO ROLE more visionary? Featured in Owen Graduate School of Management's OwenNOEL WILLIAMS Magazine for Winter 2006 (p. 6+) are Vanderbilt alumni CIOs Noel Williams of HCA and Stuart Scott of Microsoft. Vanderbilt's Asst. Vice Chancellor Matt Hall, who leads ITS is also interviewed. Magazine here. Scott is sponsor of all Microsoft Six Sigma initiatives.

DISCOVERY: A computational sciences team at Oak Ridge National CATHY JIAOLaboratory uses a proprietary method — referred to as dynamic dimensionality reduction — to help search engines perform more efficiently by reducing the original amount of information, making what remains more manageable. Research abstract here, Nov. 2006. Lead investigator is Cathy Jiao. Jiao's technique does not involve sampling, which can result in conceptual losses; also, the new method works better than old approaches in dealing with dynamic, rather than static data. Jiao told NONT the dimensionality approach is valuable in pre-processing natural language data, and her output can become input for knowledge-discovery tools.

BROADBAND: Tennessee's State Broadband Task Force on Jan. 8 published it's strategic recommendations to bring fast broadband access to the entire state, with particular concern for underserved rural areas: The group called for gathering credible basic data on current broadbandREP. MADDOX infrastructure, relying on a trusted third party — possibly ConnectKY — to keep corporate telco and cable data secure from compromise. Also recommended: Ensuring a new push is launched to "promote access to broadband services to every home and business"; establishing a public-private partnership similar to ConnectKentucky; promote competition among telco and cable providers; improve coordination of various state programs and initiatives that bear on broadband infrastructure development. State broadband task force Co-Chair Sen. Roy Herron cautions Bredesen Administration not to overlook e-Health for rural areas that currently feel left out. Since Jan. 8, Task Force Co-Chairs Herron and Rep. Mark Maddox have discussed with the Bredesen Administration the possibility of new legislation to further Task Force aims. A spokesman for Economic & Community Development recently told NONT the Administration is also considering authority and funding that might be available, without new laws or budget authority. NashvillePost.com, Dec. 14. Tennessee E-Health Council seeks to improve broadband connectivity among physicians, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 8. Related, State urged to promote high-speed Internet, Times Free Press, Jan. 9. The Jan. 8 recommendations were formally released in a press conference yesterday, resulting in additional coverage:  City Paper, Jan. 19; Jackson Sun, Jan. 19; Tennessean, Jan. 18. ♦

VENTURE

DELL OVERDUE: On Dec. 14, Dell Inc. announced delayed 3rd Quarter financial report, due to SEC investigations of financial reporting. NY Times, Dec. 15. Dell Investor news, here.

Music marketers join to form Snap! publishing and music-services company, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 1.

ZoiTech online and interactive marketing company completes headquarters move to Nashville, having recruited all its developers to Nashville from elsewhere, NashvillePost.com, Nov. 30. Tennessean, Dec. 1. Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 1. Zoi execs discuss reasons for moving to Nashville, Tennessean, Dec. 2. Release, Nov. 30; ZOI launched PlayAllTrivia.com, release Dec. 14.

Valutec, the Franklin provider of gift-card programs, will join the Metavante Payment Solutions Group, and continues operations as Valutec. In 2005, parent Metavante Corp. acquired Link2Gov, the Nashville online payment processor for government agencies. NashvillePost.com, Jan. 12. Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 12. Tennessean, Jan. 13.

DRS' ESTESBrentwood-based Digital Reasoning Systems (DRS) released GeoLocator, a software application designed to search collections of text to find words that describe locations. Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 12. DRS Founder-CEO is Tim Estes.

Goldleaf Financial Solutions, which was forced to shutdown web services when it detected intrusion in 2006, has added third-party and proprietary security offerings. Goldleaf partners with Gladiator Technology Services to offer security monitoring, release Dec. 20. Goldleaf WinGUARD front-end fraud-prevention tool verifies transactions, NashvillePost.com, Dec. 18. Goldleaf partners with Diverse Computer Marketers (affil. RDSI Banking Sys.) to integrate Goldleaf's Remote Deposit solution. Dec. 13 release. First Federal Savings (Pa.) adopts remote deposit, Jan. 8 release. Goldleaf expands credit facility with Bank of America, release Dec. 5. Goldleaf announced new payment-processing center at Norcross, release Jan. 17.

Extreme Solutions is the result of Joan and Kurt Dunard relaunching in Nashville the IT-Telecom executive-search partnership they previously maintained in Seattle. The couple moved to Nashville for Joan's stint with SCB Computer Technologies and its acquirer, Ciber Inc. The Dunard duo does permanent placements, no staffing; and, while they are pursuing a couple of
6-figure searches, more often their assignments involve salaries $60K-$90K.

Memphis: Officials with Cognate TiGenix, a joint venture between Cognate Bioservices and TiGenix N.V., said the project could create 100 jobs with a median wage of $45,000. The

Memphis and Shelby County Industrial Development Board's evaluation committee granted the company preliminary approval for a nine-year payment-in-lieu-of-tax freeze. The PILOT would save the company $343,801. Comm. Appeal, Jan. 12.

Woodside VC floats criteria for 'Web 2.0' investing, but then serves as lightning rod for readers comments about investing in technology, VentureBeat Mercury News, Jan. 12.

Based on growth, Ozburn-Hessey Logistics public offering may be in the cards, Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 5. Ozburn-Hessey Logistics named Spieth president-contract logistics. He's former
CIO and EVP-Ops. Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 4; Tennessean, Dec. 5. Release here.

Healthways now 11 percent owned by Chicago investment house William Blair & Co., NashvillePost.com, Dec. 14. Healthways underperformance termed 'perplexing' by one analyst,
Boston.com, Jan. 5. 1st Quarter earnings, Jan. 4.

Nashville-based Pharos Capital Group LLC led a syndicate of investors in a $30.5 million preferred equity private placement financing of Pioneer Surgical Technology. Others participating: Highlander Partners LP; Hopewell Ventures; and, River Cities Capital Funds. Tennessean, Dec. 20.

Buyout firms including Carlyle Group and Blackstone Group LP formed the industry trade association Private Equity Council in Washington on Tuesday as regulators increase scrutiny.
Lowenstein, president of Entertainment Software Association, was named CEO of council. Tennessean, Dec. 27.

Local Internet grocer Plumgood Food is using $1 million cash infusion to capitalize on favorable consumer projections, p. 3, Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 12. Related, NashvillePost.com, April 06.

Recycler Intechra, backed by Clayton Associates and Richland Ventures, announces acquisitions of three IT asset disposition companies, release Dec. 14. NashvillePost.com, Dec. 14. Related, Intechra investment, Nash. Bus. Journal, Nov. 21.

Entrepreneurs and local universities connect through specialized programs that engage students in business' challenges, Nash. Bus. Journal, p. 23, Jan. 19. Owen GSM, Belmont, TSU among those cited. Related: State scores 'B' on business vitality, Memphis Bus. Journ., Jan. 15.

FedEx Institute Business Plan Competition for 2007 is underway, details here.

The Tennessee Virtual Enterprises International Network hosted the Tennessee State Business Plan Competition at Middle Tennessee State University, earlier this month. Students do
"virtual" business with other students in the United States and Europe. Murfreesboro Post, Jan. 10.

IPIX: Jim Phillips of Luminetx confirms his firm monitoring Ipix bankruptcy, may be the anonymous bidder, Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 19. Iroquois Master Fund Ltd. - Ipix's senior secured creditor - asked the bankruptcy judge to either disallow the sale or escrow the proceeds until Iroquois' interest in the sale is determined. Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 16. Former Ipix executives who formed Argusight Inc. argue against sale to anonymous bidder, Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 5. Auction of patents from bankrupt Ipix draws anonymous $2.2 million bid, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 28. IP includes patents in immersive still photography software and camera kits, video surveillance software and hardware, and the "gigapixel camera" technology, a high-resolution camera developed under a federal defense grant.

The new aftermarket in gift cards, Tennessean, Dec.27. Comdata exec among those quoted.

HEALTHCARE

Franklin's NotifyMD creates partnership with MedicalMessaging.Net, release Dec. 19; NotifyMD opens call center in Farmington, Me., Boston.com, Dec. 13.

Radianse patient-tracking technology adopted by Middle Tennessee Medical Center, Tennessee, Dec. 16.

RICHARD OLIVERRichard W. Oliver, CEO of American Sentinel University, speculates on increasing use of iPod technology in healthcare, Nashville Medical News, Dec. 06.

Informatics Corp.'s Zegiestowski and SharedHealth's Gregg (BCBSTN) sense that health IT adoption is accelerating, Pack column, Tennessean, Dec. 13.  Earlier report on Informatics Corp.'s name change and strategy, NashvillePost.com, April 28, 2006.

Franklin-based Medical Banking Project launches initiatives using "mbXML" software, focusing on payment data associated with patients with high-deductible coverage, release Jan. 2.

Sheri Henderson has been named director of health information management at Methodist University Hospital (Memphis). Memphis Daily News, Dec. 6.

Cymetrix, which has a business process outsourcing center in Nashville, named Irvine-based Franklin to COO post, release Dec. 21.

Dr. George Crossley, chief of electrophysiology at Baptist Hospital and Mid-State Cardiology in Nashville is lead investigator in trials for Medtronic's Conexus™ Wireless Telemetry remote monitoring technology, release Dec. 11.

WebMD cited as beneficiary:  Advance of health information technology is slowed by healthworkers' abuse of access and concerns for privacy, NY Times, Dec. 3.

HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: HMS recently announced it will provide clinical and financial software to these recently signed clients:  Haven Behavioral Healthcare (Franklin, Tenn.); Our Community Hospital (Scotland Neck, NC); Ethicus Healthcare Mgmt. (Houston);STEVE STARKEY Pike"s Peak (CO) Regional Hospital, owned by Brim Healthcare (Brentwood, Tenn.); and Northern Cochise Community Hospital, Willcox, Ariz.  EHR INITIATIVE:  HMS announced that both VP-R&D Steve Starkey and Senior Product Manager Sharon Hines are now deeply involved in efforts by the Electronic Health Records Vendors Association (EHRVA) to shape EHR criteria.  At HMS, Starkey develops the company's product plan and strategy.  Prior to HMS, Starkey was VP-CIO for Ardent Health Services, director-IS for Community Health Systems, and an applications developer for Cain-Sloan Co.  He earned his bachelor's in business at MTSU, and studied computer science technology at Nashville State Technical Institute. He serves on the EHRVA executive committee. Hines participates in EHRVA at the committee level. Her regular HMS duties center on computerized physician order entry (CPOE).  MANAGEMENT:  HMS named Jerry Lee systems engineer, Tennessean, Jan. 7. Lee was previously with XO Communications. Other recent appointments include Della Johnson, systems engineer; Krystal Walker, clinical interface analyst, Tennessean, Jan. 14. HMS names support staff, Tennessean, Dec. 24.

Five companies and National Association of Manufacturers are pushing adoption of electronic health records. The new Dossia project has drawn close attention. The firms: Intel, Santa Clara's Applied Materials, BP America, Pitney Bowes and Wal-Mart — contracted with a third party to design and operate it. Omnimedix Institute release, Dec. 6.

Emageon Inc. has entered into a strategic alliance and re-seller agreement with Allscripts for EHR adoption, Birm. Bus. Journal, Nov. 30.

Electronic Registry Systems says some patient data from Williamson Medical Center was stolen from Ohio facility, Tennessean, Dec. 20.

In Memphis, health initiatives are broad and varied;  $450 million UT-Baptist Research Park proceeds, Comm. Appeal, Dec. 31.

TriZetto Group Inc. announced BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee adopted its patient liability and point-of-service claims adjudication solution, release Dec. 20.

Medsolutions Inc. increases workforce for radiology management services, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 8.

Vanderbilt School of Engineering technology simulates tumor development, release Dec. 1.  Investigator Quaranta and colleagues in Scotland developed computational model.

Inspiris names Harris VP-Tennessee Operations, in partnership with XLHealth, release Dec. 4. Tennessean, Dec. 24.

J.D. Hickey, CEO of Qualifacts Inc., has been elected a new board member of the board of governors for the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. Qualifacts Inc. is a software development provider of clinical and financial management software to the behavioral health sector and health and human services market. The company was founded by Gov. Phil Bredesen. NashvillePost.com, Dec. 15.  Tennessean, Dec. 24.

Sheri Henderson has been named director of health information management at Methodist University Hospital.  Memphis Daily News, Dec. 6.

The Biotechnology Association of Alabama has tapped Kathy Nugent as its part-time executive director, concluding a five-month search to replace G. Michael Alder. Nugent will lead the organization's efforts to unify statewide biotechnology activity, boost collaborative efforts from the lab to the marketplace and enhance Alabama's biotech industry profile both regionally and nationally.Birm. Bus. Journal, Dec. 1.

FOCUS: Chase sets entrepreneur's pace for C3

C3 Consulting LLC Founder, President and Principal Consultant Beth Chase says her firm billed clients $4.5 million in 2006, in the course of serving 25 clients, two-thirds of which are in the healthcare sector. Chase told NONT, yesterday, she expects at least 15 percent further growth in revenue in 2007.

C3 is positioned as a management and information-technology consulting firm that pursues work in such fields as complex project management, business process analysis, software or solution evaluations, quality assurance, implementations of product management and development-lifecycle systems, and related services.

In developing her business, Chase emphasizes not only expertise and salesmanship, but also persistent networking and community service. Chase is chair-elect of the board of directors of the Nashville Technology Council, a group that includes two-dozen executives from such companies as Louisiana Pacific, Emdeon Business Services, HCA, BETH CHASEEDS and Dell Inc. She is continually expanding her community and industry contacts, as when, for example, she joined others in forming a Nashville chapter of the International Institute of Business Analysis. Other C3 executives and consultants are heavily involved in such organizations as the Nashville Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMMS) and Women in Technology of Tennessee (WiTTN). C3 also leverages its status as a State of Tennessee certified woman-owned business enterprise.

Key C3 personnel gather at least monthly to discuss operations and business prospects, with all hands sharing in business-development duties. Chase's agility has also enabled her to create alliances with other firms, as when she secured a subcontract with Maximus Inc. of Reston, Va., for work under the state of Tennessee's $135 million Edison ERP project.

Since Sept. 1, 2005, Chase has grown C3 by leveraging her 22-year IT and consulting career; by personal networking; by containing overhead costs by managing employees and contractors from her home-based office in the Oak Hill community of West Nashville — and, by adding three principals to the business: Katherine McElroy, formerly of NMG Advisers; Brian Bowman, a veteran of IBM and Arthur Andersen; and, Paul Klein-Kracht, a former former senior consultant with Andersen Consulting. All four principals have broad experience in the healthcare sector.

Chase says that now that C3 is established, she is preparing to secure a "hoteling spot" that will afford some office and conference space, when needed by C3's 25 employees and eight contractors. Three of C3's full-timers were hired in the past 90 days.

Chase, 44, spent 12 years with IBM as a financial analyst, systems engineer and workflow analyst. She left IBM in 1997 to partner with Jim Clayton in launching Infoworks, Inc. Eight years later, with Infoworks cranking a reported $4 million and 35 employees, she left to launch C3. (Clayton confirmed yesterday those InfoWorks figures are still valid.)  Chase earned her bachelor's degree with dual majors in economics and math at Vanderbilt University, in 1985. She is a native of Ashland, Ky. ♦

PARTNERS

Video Gaming Technologies Inc. Founder Yarbrough wins national Ernst & Young entrepreneurDec. 11. Earlier NashvillePost.com report here.

Kent Fourman, 55, is now VP/CIO for Permanent General Assurance Corp., after stints at Cadre5KENT FOURMANNashvillePost.com, Jan. 8. Fourman now leads a staff of 50 tech professionals among Permanent General's 300-person headquarters complement on Elm Hill Pike.  Capital Z Financial Services Partners, based in New York City, bought majority interest in PGAC from Ingram Industries Inc. in 2004, at which point PGAC revenue was reported as nearly $200 million, annually. During an interview, Fourman declined to provide current PGAC revenue. He noted the company sells insurance in 13 states, and is licensed in more than 30 states. Permanent General employs more than 600 persons.

Genesco names Orton CIO, NashvillePost.com, Jan. 18.

DALCON'S HORTONDalcon Communications Systems named Horton systems engineer (from EMG Communications, Franklin) and Stone business-development manager (from Visual Risk), Tennessean, Dec. 24.

Collins heads Nashville sales effort for CircleSource's new Nashville presence, Birmingham-based software developer, Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 5.  Circlesource previously did  business as Azikewe. Alston Noah has joined CircleSource as CEO; he was previously CEO of eVault.

Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. signs Dollar General for analytics enterprise services, release Jan. 10.

Mousecalls opens new Bellvue location, Tennessean, Jan. 10.

VerusMed named Kinnard CFO, Tennessean, Jan. 18.

ComFrame Software Corporation announced Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), selected ComFrame to implement OutlookSoft 5(R) as the core software application for a new corporate performance management solution. Release Jan. 11.

Zycron Inc. creates unit for hiring diversity for IT clients, Tennessean, Dec. 21. Zycron names Hance to VP-Sales, release Jan. 1.

Robert F. "Bob" Terry, previously associated with Nashville-born BBX Technologies and founder of BBX predecessor Granite Technologies — which recently evolved under entrepreneur Buddy Ortale into Terra Certa Inc. — is now President of R&D within a Maryland-based tech firm, Black Lab Security Systems.

Logic Media Group earned Marcom Creative Awards for creation of Web materials, among other categories, Tennessean, Dec. 10. Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 14.

SmartVUE introduces tech to facilitate installation of IP Video surveillance devices, release Dec. 1.

Thene Sheehy has joined Discovery Education's Nashville office (Discovery bought ThinkLinkhere.

Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC), the emergency notification technology provider, released GeoCast® Web, version 1.4.  Release, Nov. 21.

PureSafety, a provider of online safety training and risk management solutions, announces a partnership with the Under agreement with the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI), PureSafety will provide  online versions of four of ASHI’s most popular courses, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 6.

Gibson Guitar touts the HD 6X-Pro combines Les Paul styling with reputedly leading-edge digital technology throughout system, release was Dec. 4.

Novelist Randall offers online collection of 'outsider' country music, with plans for consumer voting, Tennessean, Dec. 6.

MMA Creative won Intl. Acad. of Visual Arts awards for Bredesen.com, MethFreeTN.org, NelsonBibles.com sites. Tennessean, Dec. 3.

Alcoa-based Multi-Media Solutions Inc., a 17-year-old design and integration company offering audio visual technology solutions, added a second sales engineer in its Brentwood office, Mark True.  Release here.

CompuPay (formerly Paymaxx) lands Cushion Employer Services, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec.  7.

Project Management Institute, Nashville Chapter, named officers and new board members, including Lee Malone of Highland Co. as president; the roster, here.

Link2Gov's Kenny Hartman, director of product management and quality assurance, has been named vice president-membership for Nashville Women's Political Caucus, Tennessean, Dec. 31.

Ezell is now web developer for Fylmz.com, Tennessean, Dec. 24.

Frost Brown Todd LLC's website was named top “benchmark” website among 64 international members of MULTILAW, a global network of firms. Release Jan. 4.

Nashville-based Snappy Auctions eBay seller ranks 309 in Franchise 500 after second full year of operation, release here.

Franklin-based Institute of Healthcare Executives and Suppliers' Council of Supply Chain Executives announced its addition of Caduceus Systems (Austin) to its ranks. Caduceus provides inventory management and e-procurement software solutions for health care providers. Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 10.

SUNGARD: Giant provides grist for Nashville rumor mill

At $4 billion in annual revenue, with 250,000 customer units in 50 nations, plus 60 data centers, Sungard and its Availability Services division could hardly avoid becoming a target of detractors. In addition, since going private and being delisted from the NYSE in 2005, it's likely that pressures from customers and competitors pale in comparison to the pressure from SunGard investors, which now include Goldman Sachs, Bain, Kohlberg Kravis, Silver Lake and others.

Perhaps inevitably, sources have been pushing the notion that some clients of Sungard's facility in Nashville are voting with their feet, taking their data elsewhere. We looked into this a bit, and, thus far, the truth seems more like ordinary business — that is, ordinary business in a high-pressure industry, in which fundamentals are shifting. Folks (who don't want their business to be identified publicly with any data-management controversy) insist SunGard's Nashville Data Center has experienced problems with overheating, power supply, capacity for accommodating more servers and other factors. Though all this must delight local competitors like Peak10 (formerly, RenTech), we've seen no indication that word on the street is spurred primarily by other providers.

During the past month or so, SunGard spokespersons explained to NONT that priority is being given to serving current customers, rather than to attracting new customers. They assert SunGard has honored all current contract terms. Cautiously, at one point they acknowledged a recent "tripped breaker" and some HVAC strains, and, just yesterday, they informed us, "We have upgraded the electrical infrastructure...[and] we are still on target for the additional UPS & HVAC upgrades" mentioned in earlier exchanges.

SunGard executives have insisted through all this they have invested in power, raised-floor cooling, air-handling, and other necessities, as warranted. Nonetheless, our recent conversations with some current and former SunGard customers suggest that growing demand from current Sungard customers, some operational concerns and perhaps disagreements about increased rates are among factors causing some customers to seek second providers, or to move entirely. Here, the story begins to sound like the economics of a seller's market. Recent reports suggest that both here and nationally, data-center capacity may be inadequate by several orders of magnitude. In some markets, consequently, data-center operators have won 30 percent or greater price hikes, at contract-renewal time. In addition, technological advances are yielding computers with greater power, and dramatically increased sensitivity to heat (PC World, Jan. 17).

For the record, there are also heard rumblings that Sungard's preference for information-availability and consulting services — in contrast to the colocation emphasis of Inflow, the acquisition of which gave Sungard its Nashville presence — may make Sungard more resistant to developing infrastructure for colocation-only customers. (A SunGard presentation here provides a glimpse of the company's issue-frame.) Coincidentally, in December SunGard announced acquisition of two financial software and processing solutions companies. These moves, plus routine communiques suggest priorities: "SunGard is a global leader in integrated software and processing solutions, primarily for financial services and higher education. SunGard also helps information-dependent enterprises of all types to ensure the continuity of their business."

SUNGARD'S DOHERTYBottom line: For now, it seems both Sungard and its customers are experiencing pains associated with growth and development; both parties are sticking to their respective strategies and business plans — and, both parties are making decisions they need to make. Some unhappy campers along the way? Some competitors licking their chops? Inevitably. Post Script — Former Inflow GM and SunGard/Nashville VP Sales David Klements could not be reached on deadline for comment. A year ago, he left SunGard to become president of Qualifacts Systems Inc. It's probably another day at the races for such folks as SunGard EVP Patrick Doherty, who's responsible for corporate marketing. ♦

CONNECTIONS

Note: See news on State Broadband initiative in the Upfront section of this issue.-Ed.

Voice and Internet units of Chattanooga's Electric Power Board are profitable, Chattanoogan.com, Dec. 15. Chattanooga EPB's EVP-Telecom Kathy Harriman is now chairman of the board of the Fiber-t0-the-Home (FTTH) Council. Before EPB, she was with Adelphia Bus. Sols., BellSouth and AT&T. She is a former Nashville Business Woman of the Year. Release Dec. 20. Her profile, here.

CABLE v. TELCO: The most spirited fight in the General Assembly in 2007 "may be over phone companies trying to jump into the statewide cable TV market." Opposing legions of lobbyists are gearing up to do battle over whether companies should be able to bypass local cable TV permits. AP via Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 30. Comcast and BellSouth face-off in Nashville on bundled-services plans, Tennessean, Dec. 6. BellSouth is pressing for legislative changes in Tennessee General Assembly to facilitate its introduction of video services in its service area, Nashville City Paper, Nov. 24. AT&T push on statewide franchise legislation, Memphis Daily News, Jan. 17. Henry Walker of Boult Cummings in Nashville is among sources. Major fights loom in the Tennessee and Georgia legislatures this year as traditional lines continue to blur among telephone, cable TV and Internet service providers. Times Free Press, Jan. 4. Cable now eyes Telcos' business customers, Wall St. Journal, Jan. 17.

From academe, a cautionary note about rushing toward Net Neutrality, Wash. Post, Jan. 19. Co-author is Chris Woo of Vanderbilt School of Law.

XO Communications got Metro Nashville contract for dark fiber, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 22. XO release Dec. 20.

Tollgate Village at Thompson's Station lauded for fiber-optic infrastructure for residents, Tennessean, Jan. 19. Crystal Clear Technologies is behind it.

Metro fiber provider American Fiber Systems — which has presence in mid-Tennessee — founder Rusin says bandwidth and other infrastructure issues may slow online advertising growth, release Dec. 12.

Nashville-based CEO Dressel discusses Adrenalin Nation Entertainment and content delivery to mobile devices, City Paper, Dec. 29.

US LEC Corp., a full-service provider of IP, data and voice solutions to businesses and enterprise organizations throughout the Eastern United States, today announced its agreement to provide telecommunications services to the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Release Dec. 12.

Knology's efforts to serve Knoxville are framework for summarizing current controversy about changing state laws related to cable-franchising negotiations at local vs state level, Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 7. Related transcript of congressional hearing on franchise laws, here. FCC rulemaking is a victory for phone companies, hurts Cable, Wash. Post, Dec. 21. FCC rules on video franchising, Dec. 20. In Knoxville, cable-television companies reportedly averse to long-term contracts, as they supposedly expect a change in statewide franchising law, MetroPulse, Dec. 21. Knology lags in building-out Knoxville cable services, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 24.

Intelligent infrastructure: Bandwidth appetites demand carriers to build-out networks further, with gains also for hardware manufacturers, Forbes, Nov. 22.

Wireless tower turf wars on Missionary Ridge, Times Free Press, Dec. 12.

U.S. Cellular acquires Eloqui, builds network in middle, east Tennessee, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 12.

Pell now director-technical operations for Comcast in middle Tennessee, Dec. 10. Valerie Gillespie has been named vice president and general manager for the Comcast system serving the Chattanooga area, replacing Geoff Shook. She previously headed Comcast’s Augusta, Ga., system. Times Free Press, Jan. 16.

CTC Technologies emerges as new VOIP provider in Chattanooga, Times Free Press, Jan. 12.

AT&T to sell DSL service a la carte, USA Today via Tennessean, Jan. 15.

Comparing Cingular, Sprint, Verison wireless broadband services in middle Tennessee, Tennessean, Dec. 17. Related, Wash. Post, Dec. 17.

Verizon upgrading high-speed services in Chattanooga, Chattanoogan.com, Jan. 3

Comcast’s ‘standard’ cable rate to increase Feb. 1, average of 2.3 percent, Times Free Press, Dec. 29.

AT&T-BellSouth 'Ethical coin toss': FCC Commissioner McDowell decides to err on the side of discretion and stay out of the vote on merger, statement Dec. 18 here. He cited a weak legal opinion and urged FCC Commissioner Debi Tate of Tennessee and other commissioners to resolve their differences, quickly.

Avaya International Enterprises Limited, a sub of Avaya, which makes technology for Web-based telephone calls, is buying communications software maker Ubiquity Software, a session initiation protocol (SIP) specialist, for about $144 million. Release, Jan. 12. Ubiquity provides both a deployment platform and an applications-development environment.

U.S. House and Senate in an era of greater Democrat clout, will be taking a closer look at Telecom Act rewrite and at FCC initiatives on media ownership, video franchising, etc. Broadcasting & Cable, Jan. 15.

U.S. Rep. Cohen participates in Net neutrality debate, as part of National Conference on Media Reform, Comm. Appeal, Jan. 13.

NTC: Sponsorships underwrite technology mission

Nashville Technology Council's support of yesterday's formal Microsoft's launch of Windows Vista,JEFF COSTANTINE 2007 Microsoft Office and the Windows Exchange Server is but the latest evidence of NTC President Jeff Costantine's aggressive partnering with NTC's major sponsors and program underwriters.

Microsoft is an NTC "Technology Titan" sponsor.  In addition to Microsoft, NTC's major underwriters or sustaining sponsors currently include $10K annual sponsors Core BTS; Comframe; Dell; HCA; Caterpillar Financial; Emdeon Business Services; and, IBM. At the $5K annual level:  Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz; Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain; Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry; CIBER; Dalcon Communications; Deloitte & Touche; and, Nashville Business Journal.  At the $2,500 level: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS); Zycron, Inc.; AIM Healthcare Services, Inc.; and, NationLink Wireless.

NTC also has a $20K annual sponsorship commitment from Tennessee Economic & Community Development.

In addition, sponsors now underwrite and shape individual NTC Tech Roundtable presentations, with 2007 Roundtable sponsors signed thus far including Sitening; Boult Cummings Baker Donelson; Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner; and, the Blackberry Guys. Each pays to sponsor and participate in the monthly forums, under strict NTC content guidelines designed to ensure balanced presentations. Similarly, NTC has recently secured sponsorsship support for its new oline Member Directory from Silicon Zone Technologies.

Other major NTC conferences — particularly, NTC's annual Innovation, InfoSec and Technology! Nashville events — attract additional sponsors at fees ranging from about $1,750 each event, to $7,500 or more per event. Sponsors in the events category for 2007 already include IBM, the Tata Group, Northpoint Software, Allied InfoSecurity and Brandon Technology Consulting, among others.  Members of the NTC board of directors, currently chaired by Emdeon Business Services CIO Damien Creavin, often work with NTC staff to help enlist corporate sponsors and to recruit NTC corporate and consultant members. ♦

GOVERNMENT

Gordon named chairman of House Science Committee, Tennessean, Dec. 8. Amid controversy about NASA priorities, Gordon is mum on Moon mission, NY Times, Dec. 8. Rep. Gordon, new chair of House Science committee, stresses need for eight to ten new renewable-energy initiatives, Murfreesboro Post, Jan. 7.

In Congress, Feinstein legislative proposal would stiffen responsibilities for stewards of personal data, following compromise of data privacy, ZDNet, Jan. 11. Rep. Frank may push for task force to address data-privacy issues; meanwhile, IT industry Forum pushes for broad national legislation, to surmount patchwork of laws and regulations, AP via Wash. Post, Dec. 9. Related, TechNewsWorld, June 21. Forum announcements, June 20.

Tennessee Attorney General issues warning:  TJX companies, parent of T. J. Maxx and others, discloses theft of computer data, AP via Tennessean, Jan. 19. Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 19.

Data collection privacy barriers have been outpaced by technology and by government prying, Wash. Post, Jan. 16.

Congressmen vow to take more active role scrutinizing government data mining, Wash. Post, Jan. 11.

With Democrat regime change in Congress, politics of Net Neutrality may get fresh impetus, Wash. Post, Jan. 9. AT&T merger with BellSouth could lower Internet prices, Tennessean, Dec. 30. AT&T-BellSouth concessions win consumer approval, AP via Tennessean, Dec. 29. Giant telco will observe net neutrality guidelines for two years. Merger cemented, Wash. Post, Dec. 30.

Internet among factors fueling boom in gambling in Tennessee, Tennessean, special section. New federal law thwarts transfer of funds to gambling sites, Tennessean, Dec. 10.

RFP improprieties: Comptroller says $3.8 million in State contract were mishandled, with ex-RFP manager Bradley in Safety Department reportedly under investigation, Tennessean,
Jan. 7.

Metro Government's RFP 06-112 for support and maintenance of IBM Websphere Application Server Software, despite being issued twice, drew no respondents. One source says Metro execs are trying to find talent for Websphere introduction for two Metro agencies via one or more previously existing contracts or using individuals under contract.

Tennessee Department of Education RFP 331.00-010 technical review of responses is underway; RFP calls for Internet access and related connectivity, Education Networks of America is the incumbent.

March 20 is the deadline for qualified bidders for the state's RFP 317.03-162-07 for disaster recovery services. This is a re-issue, with only those companies that responded to original RFP eligible for consideration.

RFP 317.03-157-07 for applicant services solution is underway, see process and amendments here.

Metro Police will be using Advanced Records Management System from Advanced Technology Systems, soon to be a company owned by Federal Services Acquisitions Corp. (New York). Metro's RFP 05-72 was issued in August 2005. A Federal Services filing with the SEC mentions the contract, here. ATS release Jan. 8 is here. Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 8.

Jan. 12 was the deadline for responses to Tennessee's RFP 331.00-010, paving the way for continued ConnecTEN Internet access and connectivity management services, for which the incumbent is Education Networks of America (ENA). The RFP stipulates that the ConnecTEN Network will move to TNII-2 in 2009, or sooner. BellSouth is the incumbent provider for TNII, and has recently negotiated a contract extension with the state. Earlier, state contract management staff had contemplated integrating TNII and ConnecTEN networks in an earlier RFP contracting effort, but that was dropped in favor of future merging of networks and possibly contracts. Both BellSouth and ENA management have indicated they plan to bid for the combined-networks business, during the future RFP round.

Bidders will soon enter product demonstrations for the Comptroller's IMPACT RFP 307.02-00-206, for integrated multiprocessing of integrated and CAMA technology.

RFP 309.01-101 RFP: TN Consolidated Retirement System Technology and Business Process Improvment Consulting remains under review.

Budget: Bredesen may argue for more consolidation of 911 emergency centers, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 5.

Zack Wamp says technology that detects IEDs before explosion kill troops in Iraq is nation's biggest need, Chattanoogan.com, Dec. 4.

Critics say legislation-tracking via State of Tennessee website is frustrating for citizens, while legislators enjoy easy electronic access to Assembly action, Tennessean, Jan. 15.

Metro Homeland Security program leaders now have access to federal TRIPwire intelligence system, City Paper, Jan. 10. Nashville pilot allows real-time information about terrorist tactics and techniques nationwide.

Keep up-to-date on State RFPs for IT and related, here and here. Follow Metro Nashville RFPs here.

Metro Police move to install surveillance cameras in Madison area, City Paper, Jan. 18.

E-filing of taxes grows in Tennessee, Tennessean, Jan. 17.

X-ray screening device can show 'too much' of a passenger's body, triggering privacy concerns, editorial, Tennessean, Dec. 8.

Walker County Sheriff selects GovDeals for online auction, Chattanoogan.com, Dec. 5.

'Smart' meters could cut NES bills, but some observers are skeptical, Tennessean, Dec. 21. 

Franklin Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is netting online child predators, Tennessean, Dec. 13.

Gannett Tennessean Publisher Leifeld addresses media cross-ownership issues at FCC hearing in Nashville, City Paper, Jan. 12.

E-Voting: In wake of 2006 Elections, a federal advisory group at NIST rejected a measure yesterday that would have discouraged states from using electronic voting systems that lack an independent means of verifying their results. The group's workplan is here. Related Washington Post story, Dec. 5. E-voting: Paper trail is essential to trust, Chattanooga Times, editorial, Dec. 4.

FCC: Tate's op-ed piece on FCC priorities, Tennessean, Dec. 10.

Seeking intelligence on Iran, U.S. agencies try Google, Wash. Post, Dec. 11.

Homeland Security has found most methods for tracking foreign travelers leaving U.S. is too expensive, NY Times, Dec. 23.

New manager of Y-12 nuclear weapons plant at Oak Ridge NL is portrayed as circumspect, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 4. His predecessor was reportedly removed, after saying too much to news media.

Local government cybersecurity guide, developed nationally, available via University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service.

Tennessee's online license renewal is helping professionals, Times Free Press, Dec. 26. 

Sen. Jackson seeks to expand public Web posting of sex offender identities, City Paper, Dec. 27.

Homeland Security: Vanderbilt University joins cybersecurity initiative, VU School of Engineering release, Dec. 18. Tennessean, Dec. 25.

Metro Parks installing surveillance cameras in several park meeting places, Tennessean, Jan. 15.

Smyrna Town Council may enable citizens to watch proceedings on computer, Tennessean, 2B, Dec. 27.

Frustrated states and cities are frustrated by poor federal response, and moving to share more intelligence, Wash. Post, Dec. 31. Data Fusion centers are among keys to Homeland Security credibility under new chief, AP via Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 31.

Ciber Inc. temporarily barred from testing e-voting software, due to problems, NY Times, Jan. 4.

U.S. Immigration agencies are overwhelmed by flood of applications, and new data systems are behind schedule and inadequately funded, Wash. Post, Jan. 4.

Global Tel-Link GTL underwriting of Metro Sheriff Hall's Christmas Card draws some scrutiny for possible impropriety, Tennessean, Dec. 30.

Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering awarded Briggs Foundation grant for classroom technology, Comm. Appeal, Dec. 20.

EAST & WEST

The Innovation Valley Technology Council, formerly the East Tennessee Technology Council at Tech2020, will vote Jan. 24 on its 2007 Slate of Officers:  Chair - John Werner, Knox County Government; Vice Chair - Kent Petty, Marriott International; Past Chair - Ed Medford, Knoxville Utilities Board. And, committee chairs:  Education - Greg Walters, Pellissippi State Technical Community College; Membership/Marketing - Monica Sutton, Foursquare Consulting Group; Programs - Paul Sponcia, RM Technologies; Member at Large - Terry Payne, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Paradigm Productions of Memphis is creator of 3D presentation for Signature Tower in Nashville; Realtors are driving much of Paradigm's revenue growth. Comm. Appeal, Jan. 17.

Saratoga Technologies acquires Logic Networks of Knoxville, Tri-Cities Times News, Jan. 12.

In Knoxville, V3 Technical Services is partnering with Strata-G LLC IT services firm for federal contracts, BusinessTN, p. 13, Jan. 2007, item not on web.

Convergys adding 100 telecommuting jobs for call center in Chattanooga, Times Free Press, Jan. 10.

Textile.com exec Haley discovered that maintaining website is fulltime gig, p. 5, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 29.

Mid-Tennessee's hospitality industry tech provider InnLink named Hight liaison between company and its industry partners, and Brooks as director of call-center operations, Tennessean, Jan. 14.

In Memphis, Corporate Finance & IT Solutions offers web-based accounting services, Memphis Bus. Journal, Dec. 29.

Growth at hometownquotes.com in Tennessee and in Germany, release Jan. 18.

masterIT is developing a growing clientele for tech services in Memphis area, Comm. Appeal, Dec. 11.

AIMS Logistics constructing 50,000 sq. ft. data center near Collierville, Memphis Bus. Journal, Dec. 1.

Chattanooga's small-business incubator is full, again. Business Development Center has many fans.  Times Free Press, Dec. 17. 

Knoxvillian's bandmix.com, gigleader.com, bandvista.com and onlymix.com help connect musicians, bookers, others, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 15.

Cleveland, Tenn.-based WingNet ISP grows by acquisitions, Times Free Press, Dec. 22. The company was a spin-off from Church of God of Prophecy.

Memphis Light Gas & Water plans to contract for technology to replace 200 meter readers without layoffs, Comm. Appeal, Jan. 5.

Knox County Public Library launches computer learning center, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 2.

Alcoa High School budget surplus produces classroom projectors, installed on a self-help basis, Daily Times, Dec. 24.

LBMC merges with McWilliams and Company of Knoxville, City Paper, Dec. 21.  NashvillePost.com, Dec. 21; Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 20.

More Knox-area schools get video surveillance, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 16.

Business Computers of Memphis acquires Cornerstone Consulting, Memphis Bus. Journal, Dec. 15.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands offers online audio describing programs and activities, available here. Release Dec. 27.

Tennessee has presence in blogosphere, heightened by corporations turning to blogs to spread news, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 26.

Todd Beasley of Sys-Logic was named Gold Ambassador for Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber, Tennessean, Dec. 31.

Bologna of SSR Ellers profiled; he is director-process and automation division, Memphis Bus. Journal, Jan. 5.

FOCUS: Frierson advocates Chattanooga technology

Jim Frierson is probably Chattanooga's most hyperkinetic technology advocate, with or without portfolio.  He seems indefatigable in pressing government, institutions and news media for greaterJIM FRIERSON recognition of Chattanooga's attraction for employers that create higher-income jobs, particularly in energy and other tech sectors. Frierson says Chattanooga has for some time recognized that its environment is appealing to innovative companies — he cites such attractions as the "Head of the Hootch" rowing regatta, which, he notes "we stole from Atlanta," and which now attracts 5,000 rowers and 20,000 spectators each fall.

Frierson has more than one day job: He's executive director of the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute (ATTI), as well as director of programs for the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness (NCRP), which focuses on first-responders' and business-community leaders' responses to terrorist threats.

As a board member with the Chattanooga Technology Council (CTC), Frierson was among those who helped keep CTC embers alive during a brief period of decline two years ago, before immediate past President Andy Novobilski (of UT-Chatta.) stepped in to help restore vigor.  Frierson told NONT that CTC is "way beyond rebuilding, now," and has replenished staff and leadership.  CTC is moving ahead under newly installed 39-year-old President Paul Weidlich, an intellectual property attorney with the firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC. 

Weidlich told NONT during an interview Wednesday that CTC's recent "Capital Connection" gathering of Angel investors and innovators was such a success (four presenting firms and 30-odd Angels), Weidlich said he'll probably assign priority to more such activity in 2007.

In 2001, Frierson spearheaded the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's creation of the Kruesi Award for innovation. In an earlier incarnation, Frierson worked with former U.S. Senator Bill Brock (R-Chatta.) to establish The Brock Group Ltd., and international trade and investment strategy consultancy, based in Washington, D.C.  He also served as chief of staff in the Office of the Special Trade Representative, under Reagan Era appointees Brock and successor Clayton Yeutter.  The Princeton- and Vanderbilt Law-educated Frierson also worked in D.C. with the Republican National Committee during the Reagan Administration; and, on three occasions he lived and worked in Japan, with a trading company, a law firm and an international training institute. ♦

INNOVATION

SOFTWARE — Electronics entrepreneur Paul Tuinenga has joined Vanderbilt University School of Engineering as principal staff engineer and program manager for software development for the Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE). VUSE said, "Tuinenga, who co-foundedVUSE'S TUINENGA MicroSim Corporation and Avista Design Systems, is known throughout the electronics industry for his contributions to electronic design automation and computer-aided design software for personal computers." Prior to joining Vanderbilt, he was an application engineering consultant for Mentor Graphics Corp. and before that was with Cadence Design Systems.  Tuinenga developed the popular electronic circuit simulation package PSPICE, a personal computer software program he created based on the industry-standard mainframe tool SPICE. He later developed CAD software for personal computers through his company Avista Design Systems.
 
Senator Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) announced she is filing legislation that will create an “Energy Center” at the University of Tennessee. Chattanoogan.com, Dec. 5.

Peabody College Dean Benbow will form the national Information and Communications Technology Literacy Council, to set national standards for the field. Tennessean, Dec. 3.

Update on Vanderbilt research that produced white light-emitting solid-state sources that conserve energy, Tennessean, Dec. 6.

The University of Memphis will integrate its computer science, engineering and mathematics scholarship (CSEMS) program with the STEM scholarship program to include newly eligible disciplines from biology, chemistry, geological sciences and physics. Memphis Bus. Journal, Dec. 1.

Metro Board of Public Education again rejects charter-school plan for Academy of Science and Engineering, Tennessean, Dec. 12. City Paper, Dec. 12. NashvillePost.com, Dec. 12.

Tennessee State EE professor and former Metro Schools schoolboard member Awipi is new head of NAACP here in Nashville, City Paper, Dec. 21.

U.S. researchers say they've determined the complex mix of factors that help create the world's Albert Einsteins and Stephen Hawkings.  The report from Vanderbilt University reveals
that complex mix includes such factors as cognitive ability, educational opportunity, investigative interest and old-fashioned hard work. Study authors Camilla Benbow, The Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, and David Lubinski, professor of psychology and human development, are quoted. UPI, Dec. 20.

University of Tennessee throws down the visionary gauntlet, with expensive plans for improving  university's competitiveness, MetroPulse, Dec. 21.

International Space Station is passing over middle Tennessee several days this week; viewing schedule, here.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's National Center for Computational Sciences' CrayXT4(Jaguar) supercomputer will provide most of 75 million hours of supercomputing time to awardees, Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 10.  Related, HPCWire, Jan. 12. ORNL scientists use computing facility and 3D representations to discern new theory of Pulsar spin, OakRidger.com, Jan. 15.

Vanderbilt leaps from 54 to 7th place in Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, release Jan. 9.  Nash. Bus. Journal, Jan. 10.

UT President Peterson says he wants to raise UT grad/undergrad enrolment to 35,000, from current 28,000, Knox. News Sentinel, Dec. 1.

New agreement connects Oak Ridge NL researchers with those at Brown University, Brown Daily Herald, Nov. 29.

MTSU Bureau of Economic Research report on $5.5 billion contribution of area universities to local economy, Vanderbilt release, Nov. 29.

Jerry Paul, a nuclear engineer and attorney who recently retired as principal deputy administrator with the National Nuclear Security Administration, has been named the first Distinguished Fellow on Energy Policy at the University of Tennessee's Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. Knox. News Sentinel, Jan 18.

Educators fear IM textspeak is destroying grammar skills, Tennessean, Jan. 18.

Students on Oak Ridge HS team share in Siemens national awards for math and science, release, Dec. 4.

Medtronic Summer Research Fellowships allow U. Memphis students to solve business challenges, Comm. Appeal, Dec. 6.

University of Memphis Physics Days encourages high-school students to explore, Memphis Daily News, Dec. 6.

Vanderbilt research projects in nanotech and other fields largely spared from pork-barrel limiting legislation, Tennessean, Dec. 13.

Nanocrystals researcher Rosenthal, Vanderbilt chemistry professor, has joined the National Council of the Valparaiso University College of Arts and Sciences. City Paper, Dec. 28.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s SensorNet augmented by a system being developed by Enterra Solutions could become a first line of defense against terrorist attacks or natural disasters. ORNL release, Dec. 2006.

Futurist Barlow:  East Tennessee workforce needs more skills, Knox. News Sentinel, Jan. 11. Sullivan County bloggers beg to disagree, seek to debunk futurist, here.

Tough choices needed to shakeup American K-12 education:  Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workplace, Dec. 14. Wash. Post report on study, here.

Research, patents and commercialization:  IBM and universities announce collaboration, NY Times, Dec. 14.

New website launched for Center for Industrial Studies, Univ. of Tennessee, here.

UT-Chattanooga web design course gives students flexibility, Times Free Press, Dec. 26.
 

RESOURCES

Nashville Technology Council now provides members a current listing of recently added NTC Member companies, here.

MICROSOFT: For Vista security, Microsoft relied on National Security Agency input, Wash. Post, Jan. 9. Rumblings of concern that Microsoft is concerned about uncertified software
("crapware") that PC makers may install alongside Vista, CBC Canada, Jan. 10. Related resource: DE-Crapifier uninstalls unwanted OEM-installed software, here. Microsoft class-action
settlement nets $30M for schools and ConnecTEN, Tennessean, Dec. 19. Unicoi County School System will receive $41,039 in software vouchers as part of a settlement from a statewide
lawsuit against Microsoft, Erwin Record, Jan. 5.

Privacy, when you and your data are tracked all day long: Washington Post story, Jan. 16. Experts discuss, transcript here.

Kevin McCarty, Nashville computer consultant, is among consumers who have discovered that Google and other search giants have created sibling omnisearch services like SearchMash.com, often without branding the new offerings, initially. Wall St. Journal, Jan. 17.

HP claims Moore's Law breakthrough, Sci-Tech Today, Jan. 16. HP release, Jan. 16.

Nashville-area publishers review e-Book technologies, Tennessean, Jan. 16. Williamson County library expands e-Book offerings, Tennessean, Jan. 16.

The Data Management Association chapter in Nashville has been inactive for some time, but now Major Wang, founder of Decision Source here, is leading the effort to relaunch the chapter, with a focus on such data issues as data warehousing, modeling, security, metadata, etc. Enterprise-level data-management execs in government and the private sector are among targets, Brentwood-based Wang recently told NONT.

Technology and Cause entrepreneur: Founder Shane Messer of the Incubator Group is making tech and management contributions to "Lawyers without Borders," Nashville Attorney, Dec. 19. His project described, here. Related release, here.

Documentary Channel and Great American Country are among the niche cable channels with operations in Nashville, Tennessean, main story Dec. 3. Sidebar on GAC; sidebar on Doc
Channel.

Nashville is 2d-largest city for eBay auction activity, Tennessean, Dec. 1. Nashville eBay data suggest workers are shopping at work, Tennessean, Dec. 2.

Do your Internet metaphors "suck"? Yes, says Nashville publisher Rex Hammock — if, that is, you still think of the Internet as home to static content resident on websites and the old hierarchy of credentialed content producers. Hammock told the Nashville chapter of the American Marketing Association, Dec. 6, that true "digital natives" no longer share old metaphors (e.g., "page views" and "visits"); and, realize that all participants are content creators, and that community now forms around content that is pushed outward to audiences. "In this world, we're all media," Hammock intoned. Anything still excite him? Yes, the ease with which new tools ( e.g., YouTube, customized Google newsfeeds) can be used by non-techie folks. This has led him to stop evangelizing for RSS, and to urge people to adopt personalized Google or MyYahoo pages, with newsfeeds.

VALOR: GPS technology enables scholars to pinpoint where Fentress County native Sgt. Alvin C. York and comrades defeated German forces in the Argonne Forest, but location is
disputed, Tennessean, Dec. 9. Earlier report, March 22.

SpiralFrog and BMI ink download agreement for up to 6.5 million users, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 11.

U.S. Intelligence agencies examine blogs, wikis and culture as factors in sharing crucial information and analyses, despite legal restrictions and bureaucratic barriers, NY Times Magazine, Dec. 3. Related NashvillePost.com story on Brentwood's Digital Reasoning, here.

Universal-MySpace tif affects local music showcase, City Paper, Dec. 4.

FTC is looking at role of endorsers and webposters in viral marketing, with eye toward possible regulations and sanctions, Wash. Post, Dec. 12.

Vanderbilt Owen School's Prof. Luke Froeb sees "red flags" possible in XM - Sirius merger. Washington Post, Dec. 8. Earlier, Froeb on broader antitrust issues, Nov. 3, Nashville Attorney
(scroll down here). Merger could win approval, NY Times, Jan. 19.

Online shopping service benefits local museums, Times Free Press, Dec. 12. Donations also for Salvation Army, times Free Press, Dec. 12.

FreedomMP3 from PassAlong Networks enables downloads, connectivity, Nash. Bus. Journal, Dec. 8.

Much of the music for "Floaters" webisodes was produced in Nashville, according to a Dec. 13 release from Phoebeworks.

INDIA: Is India Silicon Valley in-the-making? Mercury News, Dec. 3. Execs comment on economics of outsourcing and groundfloor opportunities. Spheris India Ltd. could cash-in on transcription work, by seizing larger share of U.S. medical-transcription outsourcing market, keralanext, Dec. 20.

New social-driven search engine in development by Wikipedia founder, via Wikia, Mercury News Venture Beat, Dec. 26.

ECD Community Development Division launches RetireTennessee.org to recruit retirees.

The 25 winners of Emma's 2006-07 pro bono accounts are listed here, including five Tennessee-based nonprofits.

Consultant Telecom Pragmatics is based in Franklin.

The Antikythera Mechanism: More on that ancient Greek computer, found in a 150 B.C. shipwreck underwater, Wash. Post, Dec. 11. The Wikipedia entry, here.

Lawyers and techies, alike, worry about employees using personal email accounts on web-accessible free services like Yahoo, NY Times, Jan. 10. U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees, thanks to new federal rules, Washington Post, Dec. 1.

Social networking: Ernst & Young needs more than 5,500 college recruits for internships and entry-level jobs in North America this year and is trying to recruit via a Facebook social-
networking Web site -- a move that could also connect detractors. Wall St. Journal, Jan. 8.

CALENDAR

* (Jan. 20) Identity Theft is the topic of presentation by Asst. U.S. Attorney Camille Reese McMullen at Antioch HS, Hobson Pike, call for time 332-3320.

* (Jan. 23) Selecting Vendors: The Role of RFPs. Kelly Frey of Baker Donelson, presenter. Details here. [Also by Frey, white paper on starting a technology company, here.]

* (Jan. 24) Tech2020 VC program: common myths and realities, 11:30 a.m. ET, with Glenn Kline of Innovation Valley Partners and Grady Vanderhoofven of the Southern Appalachian Fund and Meritus Ventures. RSVP by close of business Jan. 22 to RSVP@tech2020.org or (865) 220-2020.

* (Jan. 30) Entrepeneurs in Technology: Beth Chase of C3 Consulting and Leetha Kelley, owner, Big Mean Kitty Internet Studio, Women in Technology of Tennessee, details here.

* (Feb. 1) Tech Roundtable: Wise Guys Panel at Nashville Technology Panel: Ask A lawyer a question without a fee. Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 4 p.m. Details here.

* (Feb. 5) Gov. Phil Bredesen's "State of the State Address."

* (Feb. 7) Nashville Chapter, American Marketing Assn., offers Jackie Huba, co-author of Citizen Marketers, 11:30 a.m., Maggiano’s Little Italy. NAMA says Huba will address the "radically active role customers are taking in the marketing process, and she will explain how marketers and their companies can adjust to the new paradigm with new media – blogs, chats, web forums and much more. Visit http://www.nashvilleama.org/.

* (Feb. 16) Technology for Law firms, Tenn. Bar Assn. seminar on law-office technology.

* (Feb. 19) Middle Tennessee Technology Corridor (in formation) strategic planning retreat, Rice Agricultural Center, MTSU. Contact: Laurel Baes. Earlier NONT report on this initiative, here.

* (Feb. 22) 14th annual Excellence in Tennessee Conference and Awards Banquet, at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville. Details here.

* (March 1) NTC tech Roundtable on "IP Telephony." Details TBA.
http://www.technologycouncil.com/news.php?viewStory=1010

* (March 8) 3rd Annual Nashville Technology Innovation Conference, Nashville Technology Council, Nashville Hilton Downtown. Speakers include execs with IBM, Symantec, Tow Path, Sprint, Fedex, Gartner, Riverbed, Vanderbilt, Tata. Sponsors include (GOLD) IBM and Brandon Technology Group; (SILVER) Allied InfoSecurity, Tata Consultancy Services, Northpoint Software. Details here.

* (April 5) NTC Tech Roundtable on mobile wireless technology. Details here.

* (May 3) NTC Tech Roundtable: Customer Relations Management -- Software as a Service Application. Details TBA.

* (May 30) Technology! Nashville conference, 7th Annual Nashville Technology Council event, details TBA.

* (June 7) NTC Tech Roundtable Employee Retention. Details here.

* (Sept. 20) 6th Annual NTC-ISSA INFOSEC Information Security Conference. Details TBA.