Archive for December, 2009

New Compunetix Software Drives CSP Business Expansion

Published December 29, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Compunetix, Inc., the world’s leading provider of collaboration technologies, recently announced the release of the latest version of its CONTEX Summit™ System Software, Version
2.15.0. The new release is highly responsive to Collaboration Service Provider (CSP) market requirements and provides features and extensions focused on increased efficiency and intuitive operations. Highlighted upgrades include: the ability to support several configurations related to automatically dialing a predefined list of parties, Speed Match, which allows operators to quickly enter information about new callers in the Answer Calls window, and subscription-based leader recorded greeting, allowing the host of a meeting to record a personalized conference greeting that is played to all participants.
In addition to new features for conference participants and hosts, the 2.15.0 version also extends the system’s real-time operator control, providing additional functionality for service agents. These new functions include flexible screen sizing, allowing operators to maximize screen sizes and focus exclusively on servicing the conference along with new status fields displaying additional call and participant information.
This upgrade goes beyond application features and also delivers hardware module redundancy that allows for two of each card in a single rack for even more system reliability, and codec licensing that provides the ability for CSPs to enable the use of VoIP codecs for additional call quality and security. These features are just several of a dynamic list; for an outline of all of the upgrades in detail, please contact a Compunetix Sales Account Executive.
“Our software reflects the needs and expectations of CSPs worldwide,” notes Compunetix Director of Software Engineering, Mr. Benjamin Krokosky. “We are developmentally focused on creating features that increase efficiencies and make our systems rich in capabilities and continually more intuitive for users.”

Consortium of Universities To Provide Services to National Energy Technology Laboratory

Published December 28, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Three industry-led teams that include Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and three other major research universities have been awarded contracts to provide a range of research and engineering services to the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The collective value of the three contracts is expected to exceed $465 million over a five-year period.

The NETL, part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratory system, conducts research in coal, natural gas and oil technologies, analyzes energy systems and international energy issues for the DOE Office of Fossil Energy, and performs contract and project management for a number of other DOE offices.

The consortium of universities, consisting of Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, West Virginia University, Pennsylvania State University and Virginia Tech, joined a major industrial firm to pursue each of the three competitive awards. URS Corporation is the prime contractor on a program to provide fossil energy research and engineering services. Booz Allen Hamilton will manage work on energy sector planning and analysis, and KeyLogic Systems is the prime contractor for project execution and integration.

“Carnegie Mellon University has a proud history of research in energy and the environment and currently has more than 70 faculty members involved in numerous energy and environmentally related research projects. I am looking forward to lead a very talented, multi-disciplinary team from both academia and industry as we work to support the DOE’s premier fossil energy and development laboratory,” said Andy Gellman, consortium research director and head of Carnegie Mellon’s Chemical Engineering Department.

“The University of Pittsburgh’s burgeoning activities in energy-related research and education will be greatly enhanced by this collaborative effort with our partner universities and NETL. The University of Pittsburgh has over 100 researchers who have been actively engaged in research with NETL over the past five years, and this award will allow for the continuance of our world-class research in a wide spectrum of energy topics,” said Brian Gleeson, the Harry S. Tack Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Pitt.

Over the past four years, three of the five participating universities have collectively performed more than $40 million in research services for NETL under the previous support service contract.

The URS-led team will be responsible for providing personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies and services to support NETL on the development and implementation of basic and applied fossil energy research. The team also will work with NETL’s research staff to provide research and infrastructure support, health and safety and quality control support, and logistical and technical coordination support.

“URS has a long history of supporting the DOE, including providing management services for four of the largest National Research Laboratories in the U.S.: the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories,” said Tom Zarges, president of URS’ Washington Division. “We look forward to leveraging the diverse core competencies of the team to bring cost-effective services and leading expertise to the NETL’s Office of Research and Development.”

The Booz Allen Hamilton team will conduct energy sector analysis and planning for NETL, including engineering analysis, research and development benefit analysis, life-cycle analysis, and energy resource development and impact assessment services.

“We are delighted to bring the combined capabilities of Booz Allen and its core subcontractors (Midwest Research Institute, Technology & Management Services, Inc., and WorleyParsons Group, Inc.), and our university partners together to support energy analysis at NETL,” said Booz Allen Program Manager Gary Leatherman.

The KeyLogic team will support NETL’s work in managing and reviewing the more than 1,800 projects currently awarded to external vendors and NETL in-house researchers. This team’s activities also will include conducting validation assessments and project performance reviews, disseminating results to the technical community and providing training in process improvement.

“We are honored to support NETL and their mission to deliver technological solutions that simultaneously address our nation’s three overreaching energy issues: affordability, supply security and environmental quality,” said KeyLogic Program Manager Carey Butler.

ChemImage’s Dr. Patrick Treado Honored with the 2010 Williams-Wright Award at PittCon

Published December 24, 2009 PTC Member , Something Cool Leave a Comment
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ChemImage Corporation recently announced that Dr. Patrick J. Treado, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, will be presented with the Coblentz Society’s Williams-Wright Award at The Pittsburgh Conference (PittCon) Conference and Expo 2010 (February 28th – March 5th, Orlando, FL). The Williams-Wright Award is presented annually to an industrial spectroscopist who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy while working in industry.
Jim McGlone, President of ChemImage, said, “We are very proud of Pat Treado’s accomplishments and pleased that the Coblentz Society has recognized him for his many outstanding contributions to the spectroscopy and imaging community. His commitment to innovation has not only elevated ChemImage but the entire industry.”
Dr. Treado founded ChemImage in 1994, working to bring the first Molecular Chemical Imaging technology to analytical chemists and research scientists throughout the industrial, government and academic sectors.
Today, Dr. Treado guides ChemImage’s R&D, investments, and intellectual property portfolio as well as leading efforts at ChemImage to develop and deploy molecular chemical imaging sensors and analysis software for detection of hazardous material. These sensors have the potential to address critical measurement needs and save lives.
In addition, Dr. Treado continues to drive standards development through his work in ASTM Committee E13.10 on Molecular Spectroscopic Optical Imaging Committee and AOAC Committee L on Biological Threat Agents.
“I am especially pleased to receive this award,” said Dr. Treado, “Having spent portions of my career in the government, academic and industrial sectors, it’s been an interesting journey to foster innovation in each of these environments. Industry, in particular, has allowed me, and a cadre of dedicated colleagues, to develop and mature chemical imaging technologies that are making an impact in the world today. I appreciate the recognition of my peers and being selected for this prestigious award.”

Carnegie Mellon engineers develop machine that visually inspects and sorts strawberry plants

Published December 23, 2009 Something Cool Leave a Comment
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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) have developed a plant-sorting machine that uses computer vision and machine learning to inspect and grade harvested strawberry plants and then mechanically sort them by quality — tasks that until now could only be done manually.

In a successful field test this fall, the machine classified and sorted harvested plants more consistently and faster than workers could, with a comparable error rate.

“We’re looking forward to using the system,” said Liz Ponce, CEO of Lassen Canyon Nursery in Redding, Calif., one of five strawberry plant producers sponsoring the NREC project. “All of our stakeholders feel that it has a lot of potential.” The other sponsors are Driscoll Nursery Associates; Nor Cal Nursery, Inc.; Plant Sciences, Inc.; and Crown Nursery LLC. Together, the five producers represent about 85 percent of the California strawberry plant nursery market.

To maintain good strawberry yields, commercial berry growers must replace their plants every year. During the fall harvest season, strawberry plant nursery farms use manual labor to sort several hundred million strawberry plants into good and bad categories — a tedious and costly process.

The strawberry plant sorter uses computer vision to examine harvested plants that pass by on a conveyor belt. The sorter’s novel machine learning algorithms allow it to be taught how to classify strawberry plants of different sizes, varieties and stages of growth, beyond the simple classification of good and bad plants. This introduces dramatic new efficiencies for strawberry nursery farms, helping them improve quality, streamline production and deliver better strawberry plants to berry growers, which in turn produces better strawberries for consumers.

“The sorter can adapt to plants that vary from year to year, or even within the same growing season,” said Christopher Fromme, the project’s manager and lead engineer. “It’s very flexible.”

During a 10-day field test in October, NREC engineers tested the strawberry plant sorter under realistic conditions, where rain and frost change plants’ appearance, and roots may contain mud and debris. The prototype system had to sort plants of different varieties and levels of maturity. While in the field, it sorted more than 75,000 strawberry plants. On average, it sorted 5,000 plants per hour, several times faster than human sorting. The NREC hopes to achieve sorting rates of 20,000-30,000 plants per hour with the final system. While the sorter’s overall error rate was close to that of human workers, it inspected and sorted plants more consistently.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Ponce said. “Hand sorting varies more and has more drift in quality.”

The successful field trial concludes phase two of a five-phase program that will develop a machine ready for commercial operations. Phase three will develop better methods to separate harvested strawberry plants for inspection, improve the sorter’s robustness and ease of use, and integrate it into the nurseries’ harvesting and packaging processes.

For more information about the strawberry plant sorter, visit the NREC’s Web site at www.nrec.ri.cmu.edu. The NREC, part of the Robotics Institute in the Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science, works closely with industry and government clients to develop and mature robotic technologies from concept to commercialization.

UPMC Treats 10,000th Patient With Gamma Knife

Published December 22, 2009 Regional Impact , Something Cool Leave a Comment
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UPMC neurosurgeons have performed their 10,000th surgery with the gamma knife, which destroys brain tumors many considered inoperable. Gamma knife procedures are non-invasive, computer-driven, bloodless brain surgeries that require no incisions.

The milestone surgery, the removal of a metastatic brain tumor from an 81-year-old man from Greensburg, Pa. further distinguishes UPMC as a world leader in radiosurgery experience. In 1987, L. Dade Lunsford, M.D., distinguished professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and co-director, Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery, UPMC, was the first clinician in North America to use the gamma knife. He and colleague Douglas Kondziolka, M.D., went on to guide the gamma knife designers and manufacturers in the subsequent generations of gamma knife technology, all of which were pioneered first at UPMC.

“Our involvement in the development of clinical uses for the gamma knife has given us the rare opportunity that few clinicians experience to shape the field of radiosurgery,” said Dr. Lunsford.

Gamma knife radiosurgery is a multidisciplinary procedure that relies on the talents of radiation oncologists and medical physicists who partner with neurosurgeons in the treatment of often difficult clinical problems.

“We have learned from these 10,000 cases that by helping to advance this technology, we are able to deliver optimal management of patients with increasingly complex and often deadly brain tumors and other brain and vein abnormalities. Thankfully, in most cases, we can extend our patients’ lives and preserve and enhance the quality of their lives,” said Dr. Kondziolka, who is the Peter Jannetta Professor and vice-chairman of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and shares co-directorship of the Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery with Dr. Lunsford.

Since the first gamma knife unit was installed at UPMC in 1987 – the first unit in North America – patients from around the world have traveled to UPMC for treatment. The UPMC gamma knife center is a highly regarded international training and research center, holding numerous courses each year for neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and medical physicists worldwide.

Note: Both Drs. Lunsford and Kondziolka are paid consultants to AB Elekta, the developer and manufacturer of the gamma knife. Dr. Lunsford also is a stockholder of AB Elekta.

Clark and HOPPECKE Team to Supply Advanced Batteries to the US Nuclear Power Industry

Published December 21, 2009 PTC Member , Something Cool Leave a Comment
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Clark Nuclear Services, a division of Clark Testing Group, of Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania has teamed with HOPPECKE Batteries GmbH & Co. of Hoppecke, Germany to supply safety-related batteries to the US commercial nuclear industry.
Clark will provide Class 1E certification for the Hoppecke product line of industrial batteries as well as sales, service, and engineering support. Under the auspices of its 10CFR50 Appendix B quality assurance program, Clark will qualify certain lines of Hoppecke Batteries to IEEE Standards.
HOPPECKE is a global leader in advanced industrial batteries and has the largest installed base of batteries in European nuclear power plants. “We are honored to be a member of Hoppecke’s team for qualifying and selling the Hoppecke line of safety-related battery systems to the US nuclear power industry,” says Paul Heffernan, president of Clark Testing Group. “HOPPECKE’s line of stationary lead acid batteries are an industry standard with a rich history of quality, innovation and service.”
“We were please to find a company in Clark that shares HOPPECKE’s values in safety, quality and customer service,” says Rolf Werkmeister, Director of Power Generation for HOPPECKE. “They continue to advance their test laboratory and qualification processes in order to keep up US nuclear regulations. We’re confident that our batteries will be successfully deployed and maintained at both existing and next generation nuclear power plants.”
HOPPECKE’s Lead Selenium technology has been tested and proven to reduce grid corrosion, thereby offering increased performance and longer life. The HOPPECKE battery designs maintain this superior performance even after deep discharges and also allow four times the amount of charge/discharge cycles than standard battery technology.

Barbara VanKirk named the Parental Stress Center’s 2009 Frieda G. Shapria Friend of the Family

Published December 21, 2009 Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Barbara VanKirk, President and Owner of IQ Inc. a technical consulting and software engineering company located in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, was named the 2009 Friend of the Family by the Parental Stress Center of Pittsburgh.

The Friend of the Family Award was first introduced in 2000 to acknowledge community leaders who demonstrate a passion for preventing child abuse and neglect through their careers, volunteer efforts and/or financial contributions.  In 2003, the award was renamed the Frieda G. Shapira Friend of the Family Award to memorialize Ms. Shapira’s life-ling commitment to effecting lasting change throughout the region.  Previous winners include:  Frieda G. Shapira (2000), Elsie Hillman (2000), Maurice B. Cohill, Jr. (2001), James C. Roddey (2002), David Newell (2003), Aaron A. Walton (2004), Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek (2005), Timothy P. Snyder (2006), Gwendolyn J. Elliott (2007), and Antonio F. Dias (2008).

The Parental Stress Center’s mission is “to prevent child abuse and neglect. This is accomplished by providing education, counseling and supportive services to families and caregivers in southwestern Pennsylvania.”  To learn more about the Parental Stress Center of Pittsburgh and/or to make a donation please visit their website at www.pscfamily.net.

U.S. Army and Concurrent Technologies Corporation Finalize Partnership for Youth Success Program Agreement at Signing Ceremony

Published December 18, 2009 PTC Member , Something Cool Leave a Comment
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Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) hosted a signing ceremony today at its Environmental Technology Facility in Johnstown, PA to formalize its commitment to the Army Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) Program.  The event included an official signing of the agreement between representatives of U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC), U.S. Army Cadet Command, and CTC.  Today’s signing served as the culminating event to solidify CTC’s participation in the PaYS Program.  Major General (MG) Donald Campbell Jr., Commanding General, United States Army Recruiting Command, along with Brigadier General Arnold N. Gordon-Bray, Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Cadet Command (accepting on behalf of Major General Arthur M. Bartell, Commanding General, United States Army Cadet Command), participated in the ceremony.  CTC employees that participated in the ceremony were Mr. Edward J. Sheehan Jr., President & Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael True, Manager, Force Protection Programs, Mr. John Forte, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Ms. Tricia Wright, Conference Coordinator.

“CTC is committed to helping transition soldiers from Army life to the civilian workforce.  We look forward to providing them the opportunity to connect with our organization,” said Mr. Sheehan.  “We currently have more than 30 employees in Reserve components of the United States Army and other Department of Defense Services.  CTC understands the unique circumstances that both Reserve and transitioning active military members face, and we take the steps necessary to make the transition smoother for all involved parties.”

MG Campbell thanked CTC “for its commitment to participate in the PaYS Program.”  MG Campbell added, “This program is a vital recruiting tool to provide citizen Soldiers and those transitioning from active duty to corporate America links to friendly partners that benefit from the values and skills developed through military training and service.  The PaYS Program and our PaYS partners will continue to make our nation strong and our Army Strong.”

The PaYS Program is a recruiting initiative developed by USAREC to appeal to young veterans interested in obtaining a quality civilian job after serving in the Army.  This unique program is part of the Army’s effort to partner with the business community and re-connect America with the Army.  The Program also assists Reserve Component ROTC cadets with employment after graduation and commissioning as they continue to serve as officers in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard.  As a PaYS partner, CTC will benefit by being able to employ Army officers with values, leadership training, dedication, and commitment.  More than 250 companies are already partnered with the Army on the PaYS Program.  For more information, visit www.armypays.com.

Metis Secure Signs Intertech Security as its First Reseller

Published December 18, 2009 News , PTC Member Leave a Comment
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Nothing better than ending the work week with some positive news from a local tech company doing business with another local tech company. Economy be damned!

Metis Secure Solutions says it signed a reseller agreement permitting Intertech Security, LLC of Pittsburgh to sell and install its new Metis Secure location-based emergency notification system (ENS). Intertech, one of the fastest growing security systems integrators, will offer the complete Metis Secure hardware/software ENS platform to customers in educational, commercial and other markets.

“Metis Secure is thrilled to have Intertech is as a new partner,” said Mark Kurtzrock, Metis Secure’s President and CEO. “Their expertise as a security systems integrator will significantly help to broaden our sales channel base and help us gain traction in commercial markets where demand for ENS solutions is growing.” Kurtzrock explained that the Metis Secure ENS platform can be effectively used to provide emergency information in commercial, industrial, real estate and education markets.

Metis Secure’s ENS platform is a new location-based approach to emergency notification that has been initially sold to the higher education market resulting in Carnegie Mellon University, Slippery Rock University and the University of Pittsburgh being its first customers. The Metis Secure system was awarded the 2009 Technology Innovator of the Year honors by Campus Technology Magazine.

This agreement also furthers Intertech’s commitment to integrating specialty technologies in the security market by strengthening and enlarging their role as a Value Added Reseller (VAR). Intertech’s commitment as a VAR includes offering a broad product selection, competitive pricing, fast delivery, 24/7 emergency operations support, system integration and training.

“The addition of Metis Secure’s world-class system to our lineup makes it easier to provide our customers with innovative ENS solutions,” said Chris Wetzel, Intertech’s Executive Vice President and Founder. “We are committed to offering products to our customers that provide them with the best opportunities to protect their work places and employees and to manage communications during emergencies. We believe Metis Secure’s leading mass notification solution is an exciting and very unique product that closes a critical gap in existing systems. It is a perfect complement to our other security offerings.”

InterTECH is currently installing the Metis Secure system at Slippery Rock University.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection annouces funding opportunity through Small Business Advantage Grant Program

Published December 17, 2009 Regional Impact Leave a Comment
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The Department of Environmental Protection recently announced the open opportunity to apply for funding in the 6th year of the Commonwealth’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program for pollution prevention and energy efficiency projects. Small Business Advantage is a grant program providing 50% reimbursement matching grants, to a maximum of $7,500, to enable a small business in Pennsylvania to acquire equipment or processes that result in energy efficiency or pollution prevention.
An eligible applicant must be a for-profit small business located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Most small businesses in this Commonwealth are eligible, including manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining businesses and agricultural concerns. The project to which the grant will apply must be located within the applicant’s Commonwealth facility and save the business at least 20% annually in energy or pollution related expenses. Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent and waste recovery systems. All projects must be completed before June 30, 2010. Please note businesses must have 100 employees or less in total.
Applications are available on the Department’s web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us (DEP Keywords: SBAdvantage).  The application package contains the materials and instructions necessary for applying for a grant. Applications are also available by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, by phone at (717) 783-8411 or by email at epadvantagegrant@state.pa.us
The Department began accepting applications on December 7, 2009. Funds for this program will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Applicants are encouraged to submit their completed application as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed for funding in the order in which they are received. The Department will accept applications for the program if postmarked by January 15, 2010, or hand delivered by 4 p.m. on January 15, 2010.

The Department of Environmental Protection announces an open opportunity to apply for funding in the 6th year of the Commonwealth’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program for pollution prevention and energy efficiency projects. Small Business Advantage is a grant program providing 50% reimbursement matching grants, to a maximum of $7,500, to enable a small business in Pennsylvania to acquire equipment or processes that result in energy efficiency or pollution prevention.An eligible applicant must be a for-profit small business located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Most small businesses in this Commonwealth are eligible, including manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining businesses and agricultural concerns. The project to which the grant will apply must be located within the applicant’s Commonwealth facility and save the business at least 20% annually in energy or pollution related expenses. Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent and waste recovery systems. All projects must be completed before June 30, 2010. Please note businesses must have 100 employees or less in total.Applications are available on the Department’s web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us  (DEP Keywords: SBAdvantage).  The application package contains the materials and instructions necessary for applying for a grant. Applications are also available by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, by phone at (717) 783-8411 or by email at epadvantagegrant@state.pa.us  The Department will begin accepting applications on December 7, 2009. Funds for this program will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Applicants are encouraged to submit their completed application as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed for funding in the order in which they are received. The Department will accept applications for the program if postmarked by January 15, 2010, or hand delivered by 4 p.m. on January 15, 2010.

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