Putting some sizzle in the Pittsburgh technology sector.
It’s Technology Tuesday on Pittsburgh Business Radio 1360 AM as the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s TechVibe Radio hits the airwaves from 3-6 p.m. today. Hosts Jonathan Kersting and Audrey Russso have a star-studded line up of guests making waves in the tech and entrepreneurial scene. Guests will include:
No access to an AM radio? No problem. Stream it right here!
We’re wrapping another week of flipping hot tech news from Pittsburgh. A bunch more releases hit our desks and we’re tossing them right out there for your knowledge acquisition. Let the fun begin!
BLUE BELT TECHNOLOGIES CLOSES SERIES A FINANCING
Blue Belt Technologies, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based medical device company developing the next generation of “smart” surgical instruments for use in orthopaedic and neurosurgery procedures, has closed on a $2.4 Million private equity Series A round of financing. The round was led by private investors and included the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and Innovation Works (Pittsburgh) and consisted of both new investments and the conversion of existing convertible notes.
This investment will be used to finalize development and prepare for FDA submission of our core product, the Precision Freehand Sculptor, and will provide the resources necessary to prepare for full market release of our Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical products, according to Craig S. Markovitz, Blue Belt Technologies, Inc. Chief Executive Officer.
MADGETECH INC. INTRODUCES THE QUADTEMP2000
MadgeTech, Inc., a provider of reliable, low-cost data logging solutions, just released the QuadTemp2000, a four channel thermocouple logger equipped with an LCD.
The QuadTemp2000 has a reading rate of up to 4Hz and can store up to 500,000 readings per channel. To maximize memory capacity users can enable or disable channels. For easy identification, each channel can be named with up to a ten digit title.
The convenient LCD is an ideal tool to ensure process parameters are met, in real time. Each channel is identified by its title, and the current reading, minimum, maximum and average statistics can all be obtained through the display. The statistics can be reset for different cycle processes where tolerance values may vary.
VISTEON JOINS VELOZZI TO PRODUCE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY VEHICLES
Visteon Corporation is the newest addition to the growing list of automotive suppliers coming onboard in collaboration with Velozzi as the automotive industry races to bring a new generation of alternative energy vehicles (AEVs) to market. With this announcement, Visteon joins a growing number of organizations – including Bayer MaterialScience – that are supporting Velozzi’s groundbreaking AEV project.
Visteon and Bayer MaterialScience have successfully collaborated on other material innovations for the automotive industry. In this initiative, Visteon will provide design and engineering expertise for the interiors of the Velozzi Solo Crossover and Supercar Sports Car, both competing in the Automotive X Prize. Visteon will leverage its global reach, understanding of consumer preferences and design expertise using the latest technologies to engineer the interiors of the Velozzi vehicles for a winning combination of comfort and style.
By now, everyone is completely sick and tired of the capital letter G and the number 20. Especially when they are linked up with a hyphen. The Pittsburgh Summit 2009 or G-20 went off without a hitch and it was a wonderful thing, but we’re all a little burned out on it by now.
The Council and I (I am an employee after all.), had G-20 on the brain all summer long. I was in the thick of it all last week and had sweet press credentials for the entire conference. (Thanks Allegheny Conference for making that happen!) I had to decompress what was left of my mind over the weekend and sort out my thoughts on key takeaways from this wonderful, yet extremely stressful experience to share with Techburgher readers.
I think my breathing is just about back to normal and all of my grey matter is in its proper place, so in no real particular order:
The Council and its TEQ newsmagazine maximized exposure of the local technology industry with the special G-20 issue that was sent to hundreds of media contacts around the world. During the week of the summit, the magazine was placed into thousands more hands at the G-20 Media Center downtown, the airport and a slew of events, including our Pre-G-20 Forum with Eric Schmidt of Google. He said that the PTC is the nation’s most effective technology council. Wow! What an honor!
The Pre-G-20 event was a smash hit, drawing some 400 people to the first session and more than 600 to the second session as Schmidt detailed his views on Pittsburgh as a tech center and the overall blistering pace of technology transformation.
Operating an elevator is rewarding work. It gets people to the places that they want to go. I operated the elevators all morning at the Google event taking attendees to the second floor of Heinz Field. It’s definitely a job with its ups and downs!
The United States military and law enforcement are supremely awesome. I tip my hat to these men and women. They kept G-20 running like a well-oiled machine and were the backbone to a successful conference.
Love him or hate him, President Obama is a magnetic speaker. He addressed the press at the end of the conference. I’ve never heard him speak in public until then, but he has a captivating mixture of charisma, speaking presence and personality. He still talks about those freaking pancakes from Pamela’s…Very cool to see him and hear him speak.
The success of the Pittsburgh Summit really goes to show how well all of the region’s disparate stakeholders came together and worked for one common cause – that being Pittsburgh. Truly a remarkable example of how we can all work together. I hope there will be more of it in the future.
I overheard a number of media (We were packed onto buses at Mellon Arena to be shipped over to the Convention Center.) commenting positively about the city. It’s purely anecdotal and I try not to eavesdrop on people’s conversations, but I heard numerous comments from media who were surprised to witness our cleanliness and forward-looking vibe. Take that Mr. Hell with the Lid Off.
Anarchist protestors are basically inarticulate at best and look pretty stupid pushing dumpsters. Tibetan Monks know how to protest. Free Tibet!
The price of hot pretzels at the Convention Center is ridiculous. I’ve got the expense report to prove it. It is of global consequence and should be on the agenda of the next G-20 meeting.
Last, but not least, Pittsburgh looked pretty damned cool on the national evening and morning news. Makes me pretty happy to be here.
IT consulting firm B-Three Solutions, Inc., announced the addition of a new member to the company’s sales team.
Larry Neft brings over 30 years of senior management experience in the Information Technology (IT) field to his position as a Senior Account Manager for B-Three Solutions. During the past three decades, Larry’s responsibilities in sales and marketing have given him the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients, from Fortune 500 corporations to municipal governments to major universities.
A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Larry earned his undergraduate degree from Duquesne University. After graduation, he began his IT career with a position at IBM, where he spent a total of 20 years. Larry then moved on to Lexmark, where he spent a decade working with clients in banking and finance, pharmacy, and retail industries. Most recently, he was employed by Dell, where he continued to deal with major corporations, but also worked with governments and universities.
Michael Walton, President of B-Three Solutions, believes that this breadth of client experience will be a valuable asset to the company. “Larry understands the needs of a broad range of clients, and that knowledge will help him match up those clients to the consulting services offered by B-Three.”
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, B-Three Solutions offers IT consulting services to businesses, governments, and other organizations. Most projects are handled on a fixed-fee, fixed-timeline basis, with a one-year warranty on the software developed.
Good old Songwhale is at it again. These cats keeping finding new ways to incorporate text messaging with business. Check this out:
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services in Pittsburgh has always looked for ways to make the consumer’s real estate experience as seamless as possible, and the launch of its latest innovative technology is right on par. The company teamed with Songwhale LLC who developed custom software to provide a data feed specifically for cell phones to obtain home listing information. Coldwell Banker announced today that this service is now available for buyers and sellers alike.
“Our company is focused on the highest level of customer service,” said George Hackett, president of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services in Pittsburgh. “We work hard to ensure that our sales associates have superior services and technology to meet the needs of our clients. This technology gives buyers immediate and comprehensive information about our listings in a very convenient way, and gives our sellers a truly competitive edge in attracting potential buyers.”
Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh listings will be assigned a text code that will be placed on the home’s yard sign. Prospective buyers will be able to send that code to WHALE (94253) and receive a link with additional immediate information about that property. And it doesn’t stop there. Buyers can also search for all homes in that specific neighborhood, town, or zip code, and even receive open house and price change alerts, among other advanced search options. The service works on any phone with text messaging capabilities. In addition, phones with internet-connectivity will be able to view photo galleries of listings, on a new mobile version of the company’s website, PittsburghMoves.com, optimized for use on cell phones.
The inspiration for this custom technology was to make the home buying process “more pleasurable and hassle-free,” said Ty Morse, president of Songwhale. “During the home search, buyers often ask what else is available in the neighborhood, and often that means going back to the sales office to check the computer. Now that answer will be just a few clicks away.”
The custom-designed Songwhale technology is the perfect complement to Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh’s comprehensive roster of company services, global marketing resources and advanced technology. Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh also recently launched a new online transaction management system, HomebaseSM, which allows clients to view their transaction files and manage their transaction online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The company’s Rapid Response system, LeadRouter™, converts online inquiries into automated voice mail calls sent directly to a sales associate’s cell phones. Sellers can rest assured that potential buyers receive an immediate reply and additional information.
For information about buying or selling real estate in the greater Pittsburgh area and its surrounding communities, visit www.pittsburghmoves.com.
ClearCount Medical Solutions‘ SmartSponge® System was named a runner-up under the medical devices category in the Wall Street Journal 2009 Technology Innovation Awards. The award recognizes companies, individuals and organizations world-wide for technological breakthroughs in such areas as medicine, software, the Internet, wireless and consumer electronics.
Here’s some sweet news from enterprise search leader Vivisimo: Gartner, Inc., positioned the company in the leaders quadrant of its Information Access Technology Magic Quadrant report. The evaluation is based on Vivisimo’s “Completeness of Vision” and its “Ability to Execute.”
“We believe Vivisimo’s leadership position in the Information Access Technology Quadrant reflects the success we have had in helping our customers maximize the business value of their information,” said John Kealey, CEO of Vivisimo. “Our Velocity search platform unifies access to secure business repositories, presents search results with an unmatched user experience, with an end result of enabling true knowledge sharing across an organization. We look forward to continued growth in the ever-evolving information access technology market.”
The Vivisimo Velocity Enterprise Search Platform is a flexible and scalable solution for enhancing information access and knowledge sharing across an organization. Velocity customers and partners utilize the rich set of discovery, personalization and collaboration functionality to provide end-users with greater control over their search experience. Its back-end architecture introduces unprecedented security, connectivity and relevancy into the overall search experience. The result is improved workforce productivity, enhanced decision making, streamlined business processes and the creation of real value for key external audiences.
Avere Systems, a startup company focused on delivering Demand-Driven Storage solutions, nailed down $15 million in Series A funding from Menlo Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners. Avere is pioneering the use of multiple storage media in a new scalable architecture that provides enterprise storage customers with breakthrough reductions in cost, space and power.
Avere founders were members of the visionary team that created Spinnaker Networks, an innovator in scalable grid storage solutions, acquired by NetApp, Inc. in 2004 for $300 million. Avere’s founder and CEO Ron Bianchini, most recently Senior Vice President, Scalable Systems at NetApp and CEO of Spinnaker Networks, reunited with CTO Michael Kazar and VP of Engineering Daniel Nydick to form Avere in January 2008. Joining these three to round out the management team are: CFO John Dean, another Spinnaker alumni; VP Sales Brian Gladden, storage veteran and former NetApp colleague; and VP Marketing Rebecca Thompson.
Techburgher lassoed a week’s worth of news nuggets that almost slipped between the slats of our super-hot media grill. We pulled these bad boys from the fire to satisfy your never-ending hunger for Pittsburgh tech news. Sink your teeth in right here:
DATAVIBES HONORS BRIAN BERGER
Datavibes, Inc. awarded Brian Berger, Manager – MIS at ServiceLink, a BI Champion award, the first of its kind to be instituted in the tri-state area. The award recognizes individuals who have made a contribution to the local business intelligence (BI) community by demonstrating the impact that BI can make on the business bottom line. Brian Berger was chosen from a pool of influential nominees for his innovative use of Business Intelligence technology to create measurable business impact. Brian used disruptive business intelligence technology to cut down information integration time for a ServiceLink business unit by 10-12 hours every week. This saved the mortgage services company, which is a division of Fidelity National Financial, nearly 500 hours in reporting time on an annual basis.
CTC WINS ARMY CONTRACT
Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) won a competitively-bid contract to participate in the support of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Omnibus Program. The contract is a five-year, multi-award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $430 million. The Omnibus Program is intended to provide TARDEC with additional resources to augment its in-house capability across the entire product acquisition lifecycle.
ANSYS LAUNCHES IMMERSED BOUNDARY MODULE FOR RAPID DESIGN EVALUATION
ANSYS, Inc., a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, announced the availability of the Immersed Boundary module for ANSYS® FLUENT® 12.0 software. Jointly developed by ANSYS and long-time partner Cascade Technologies Inc., the module dramatically reduces the amount of time needed for fluid flow simulations and provides fast results by directly addressing challenges associated with meshing. This first release, which is fully parallelized, supports the physical models and boundary conditions needed for modeling low-speed external aerodynamics and automotive front-end airflows. The Immersed Boundary tool offers the ability to save customers time and money by reducing the human effort needed to go from computer-aided design (CAD) to an analysis solution.
PITT NABS $1.06 MILLION PROJECT
The U.S. Department of Energy recently selected the University of Pittsburgh as one of nine national partners that will develop techniques for curtailing the possible environmental and health hazards associated with tapping the massive natural gas reserves lying beneath Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation, which experts estimate contains up to 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas with about $500 billion worth of recoverable gas.
Researchers in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering will lead a three-year, $1.06 million project to better manage the wastewater generated by the extraction process used on the Marcellus Shale. Difficult to treat, the wastewater usually languishes in reservoirs or the environment. The Pitt approach calls for a new method that would allow the water to be safely reused in gas wells that would contain extraction costs, limit the byproducts flowing into the environment, and reduce the strain on freshwater sources currently tapped during extraction.
Mark your calendar for Oct. 15 and 16 for Flashpitt — a conference for interactive designers, developers and artists. It is the only event of its kind in Pittsburgh and it’s running for a second year to follow up last year’s sold out event.
Flashpitt brings international industry leaders right here to Pittsburgh to benefit the region’s interactive community.
So who should attend? Creative professionals, developers, students, educators, artists and business owners working with and in the interactive industry should join Flashpitt. Designers, developers and students looking to find inspiration, pick up new techniques or network and meet industry leaders should also attend.
You get the idea. If you’re involved in the interactive and creative industry, Flashpitt is worth your time. Get more details or register right here.
