Volume 8, Number 6, February 13, 2003



This Week's Contents:

1) NEWS ABOUT NETPRENEUR
    1.1 (Sales) Gods & Generals
2) REGIONAL NETPRENEURS
    2.1 20/20 Tests For Bio-Terror Agents
    2.2 KoolSpan Tackles Wireless LAN Security
    2.3 Round-up: Quick Hits
    ......news from Berndt Group, eStara, IceWEB, and Blackboard
3) FUNDING & FINANCE NEWS
    3.1 Dough Raise Me
    ......more than $10M for 6 local entrepreneurs
    3.2 Life In The Food Chain
    ......Cyon Acquires CBC
    ......Sensytech Acquires Codem Systems
4) OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
    4.1 SIIA Creates IT Jobs Site
5) REGIONAL NEWS
    5.1 Virginia U's Form Security Consortium
6) WHO'SWARE
    ......news about people at TrueCareers

|||||||||||||||||||| 1. News About The Program ||||||||||||||||||

1.1 (SALES) GODS & GENERALS
Building reliable revenue streams early is essential for survival. For an entrepreneur who has not spent a career prospecting and closing, building a sales organization beyond the original founders can seem as arcane and intricate as any science. At this month's Coffee & DoughNets we'll bring together a panel of veterans from the front lines who led their companies through the early stages of sales, including Carolyn Hyde, SVP of Worldwide Sales & Marketing at Ser Solutions; Robert Skinner, EVP of Worldwide Sales at Icode; and Moderator Gina Dubbe, Managing Partner of Walker Ventures. They'll discuss how to build a successful team of salespeople, exploring issues ranging from developing a compensation plan to setting goals and assessing progress. The new Coffee & DoughNets returns on Tuesday, February 25, 7:00 AM, with "Building A Sales Organization" at the Shady Grove Conference Center in Rockville, MD, hosted by the Tech Council of Maryland. Register now.

Register for C&D: http://netpreneur.org/events/doughnets
SER: http://www.ser.com
Icode: http://www.icode.com
Walker Ventures: http://www.stevewalker.com

|||||||||||||||||| 2. Regional Netpreneurs ||||||||||||||||||

2.1 20/20 TESTS FOR BIO-TERROR AGENTS
(Rockville, MD) 20/20 GeneSystems launched a new product to help first responders screen suspicious powders for bioterrorism agents. The BioCheck Powder Screening Kit identifies the presence or absence of protein, providing a screen for the possible presence of multiple bioterrorism agents such as anthrax and ricin toxin, while ruling out most of the ordinary substances that are confused with those substances. It requires no instruments and works in five minutes or less. The kits are now being sold to fire departments and public safety personnel worldwide. At the height of the anthrax mailings in late 2001, scientists from 20/20 collaborated with fire officials and HAZMAT crews from Montgomery County who were overwhelmed with hundreds of "suspicious powder" 911 calls that turned out to be ordinary substances like sugar, drywall dust, and cornstarch.
http://www.2020gene.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.2 KOOLSPAN TACKLES WIRELESS SECURITY
(Bethesda, MD) Koolspan, a developer of security and authentication solutions for 802.11 wireless LANs, is working with the Maryland Information Dynamics (MIND) Lab at the University of Maryland on an "edge of network" solution for the security and user authentication needs of Wi-Fi networks. The two organizations have received a grant of $69,300 from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program to advance the project. Koolspan's solution is scalable from home or small office up to carrier-class levels with millions of users. The MIND Lab is a joint university, private industry, and federal agency initiative designed to foster new, large-scale computer science projects in the areas of wireless networking, networking infrastructure and services, information services, information-centric applications, and information assurance and security.
http://www.koolspan.com
http://www.mindlab.umd.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.3 ROUND-UP: QUICK HITS

(Baltimore, MD) The Berndt Group created the new website and dealer extranet for Dallas-based Raytheon Commercial Infrared, a producer of infrared thermal imaging technology.
http://www.raytheoninfrared.com
http://www.berndtgroup.net

(Reston, VA) eStara has a partnership with Verizon SuperPages.com to connect customers directly with advertisers through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.
http://www.estara.com
http://www.verizon.com

(Herndon, VA) IceWEB announced an agreement to host and deliver Web development courseware and certification courses online with DC-based WestLake Internet Training. IceWEB will use its IceSHOW technology to transform the classroom courses into interactive sessions.
http://www.iceweb.com
http://www.westlake.com

(Washington, DC) Blackboard has a deal to integrate its eLearning system with Pittsburgh, PA-based Nuventive's iWebfolio electronic portfolio software, providing students with the ability to store, organize, and display personal learning evidence to faculty, admissions offices, employers, and others.
http://www.blackboard.com
http://www.nuventive.com


|||||||||||||||||| 3. Funding & Finance News ||||||||||||||||||

3.1 DOUGH RAISE ME

$250K invested by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) in $50K awards to five companies in the state. The deals are part of the MTTF program from TEDCO, with support from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), a $1 million pool of capital that supports Maryland companies wishing to develop technology-based products or services in collaboration with universities and federal laboratories in the state. The companies that received the funds were Embedded Research Solutions, which is working with technology from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for a handheld analyzer that tests water for pollutants or biohazards; Falcon Systems, developer of an infrared emitting device that helps make positive identifications of vehicles and locations for law enforcement and defense applications; LNK Corporation, developer of an eTutoring tool; CryMed Technologies, which is developing a treatment for Barrett's Esophagus; and Agnik, which is using technology transferred from the University of Maryland Baltimore County for a software system that would continuously monitor and mine data that is generated by the operational systems of vehicles.
http://www.marylandtedco.org

$10 million in a Series B round for Sterling-based Cryptek, a provider of network security solutions. The round was led by new investors Westbury Partners and included Walden Capital Partners. Joseph Fogg III and James Schubauer II of Westbury join Cryptek's Board. Cryptek manufactures the DiamondTEK line of "hardened" information assurance systems and the TS-21 Blackjack rugged, high-resolution facsimile machines used by the US Defense Department and the military. DiamondTEK combines the functions of virtual private networks and firewalls with the ability to identify and authenticate users on a network.
http://www.cryptek.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3.2 LIFE IN THE FOOD CHAIN

-- Cyon Acquires CBC
(Bethesda, MD) Cyon Research Corporation, a provider of CAD, AEC and PLM solutions, has acquired the assets of Construction Business Computing (CBC), a print and online information source for technology used in the construction industry. CBC will be incorporated into Cyon's A-E-C Automation Newsletter (AECnews), a monthly publication for decision-makers at architecture, engineering and construction firms and the technology companies serving those industries. In addition to AECnews, Cyon also publishes Engineering Automation Report, CADwire.net, The CAD Rating Guide, and Extranet News.
http://www.cyonresearch.com
http://www.aecnews.com

-- Sensytech Acquires Codem Systems
(Newington, VA) Sensytech announced that it has executed a letter of intent to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Merrimack, NH-based Codem Systems. Sensytech said that that Codem's hardware and systems solutions are compatible with the technical and marketing skills of Sensytech's Communications Group, which provides engineered solutions to the intelligence community, homeland defense initiatives, and international clients. The two companies have worked together in the past to penetrate international markets. Sensytech develops a variety of solutions, including electronic support measures (ESM), electronic intelligence (ELINT), and threat warning systems.
http://www.sensytech.com


|||||||||||||||||| 4. Opportunities & Resources ||||||||||||||||||

4.1 SIIA CREATES IT JOBS SITE
(Washington, DC) The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and the New York New Media Association (NYNMA) launched JobsNetWORK, an employment site focused on professionals with information technology credentials. The service is free for job seekers who can post resumes anonymously and target searches by geography, salary, skills, experience, keyword, date posted, etc. Job posters pay rates competitive with other national services for which they get resume search tools and the ability to post jobs confidentially, among other services. The SIIA is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. NYNMA is SIIA's New York division.
http://www.siia.net
http://www.nynma.org


|||||||||||||||||| 5. Regional News ||||||||||||||||||

5.1 VIRGINIA U'S FORM SECURITY CONSORTIUM
(Richmond, VA) The state of Virginia has created the Institute for Defense and Homeland Security (IDHS), a university and industry research consortium dedicated to delivering solutions that support US homeland security and defense objectives. IDHS will conduct research, education, and technology transfer at member institutions and firms with an emphasis in the fields of telecom, biodefense, sensor systems, and risk management. Additionally, industry consortium members will commercialize technology and develop solutions that support rapid deployment. Twelve Virginia universities are founding members of the IDHS, including The College of William and Mary, Eastern Virginia Medical School, George Mason University, Hampton University, James Madison University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia State University, and Virginia Tech. An Executive Steering Committee representing academia, industry, and federal and state government will formally establish the consortium's vision and policies. Funding for the institute will come from the federal government, participating universities, industry partners, and Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT). The IDHS will initially reside at CIT's headquarters in Herndon.


|||||||||||||||||| 6. Who'sWare ||||||||||||||||||

(Reston, VA) TrueCareers, an online job board for degreed candidates and a subsidiary of Sallie Mae, promoted Cecelia Dwyer to President. She was previously the company's VP of Operations.
http://www.truecareers.com

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