Volume 8, Number 12, March 27, 2003



This Week's Contents:

1) NEWS ABOUT NETPRENEUR
    1.1 White Knights, Hunting, Fishing & Farming
2) REGIONAL NETPRENEURS
    2.1 SAFE Risk's Risk Integration Console
    2.2 NSI Tackles The Rumor Mill
    2.3 CornerPost's Content Filter
    2.4 Fishbowl's Restaurant Marketing Tool
    2.5 Round-up: Quick Hits
    ......news from ObjectVideo, Brainbench, THINQ, A&T,

    ...........New Signature, MetriGenix, and LearnScape
3) FUNDING & FINANCE NEWS
    3.1 Dough Raise Me
    ......$55M for 2 local entrepreneurs
    3.2 Life In The Food Chain
    ......SER Acquires VorTecs
4) OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
    4.1 For Entrepreneurial Veterans
    4.2 Support The Troops Online
5) WHO'SWARE
    ......news about people at Carlyle Group, Core Capital,

    .............ServerVault, Microlog, SAVVIS, and OptiView

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

1.1 WHITE KNIGHTS, HUNTING, FISHING & FARMING
"I hate to tell everybody this," began Doug Clark, co-founder and CEO of Métier, speaking at Tuesday's Coffee & DoughNets, "but there are a lot more people out there who don't want to buy your product than do." To help you overcome that daunting fact, Clark was joined by a panel of other successful entrepreneurs to offer tips and strategies for "Early Stage Sales," including Ken Kiser, Director of Mid-Atlantic Sales for Foundry Networks; Jeff Payne, co-founder and CEO of Cigital; Larry Schlang, President and CEO of Bantu; and moderator Esther Smith of Qorvis Communications. The keys for small companies hunting big customers are process, fishing the right streams, finding your white knight, and farming your clients, all explained in the summary article now available at the Netpreneur site. Learn why sometimes quickly getting to "No" can be just as important as ultimately getting to "Yes." And look for the complete transcript and video next week.

Summary: http://www.netpreneur.org/events/doughnets/030325/article.html

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

2.1 SAFE RISK'S RISK INTEGRATION CONSOLE
(Baltimore, MD) SAFE Risk Management Systems released Enterprise Risk Integration Console (ERIC), an Internet-based software product for analyzing an organization's risk, managing risk mitigation efforts, and tracking progress. Risk management encompasses an array of business processes and tools that protect organizations from threats to their human resources, financial assets, physical property, IT systems, and networks, ranging from insurance policies and claims, to disaster recovery planning and IT security. ERIC provides a single system that lets users see where the vulnerabilities are and how much it is costing. In addition to analysis and monitoring, it can electronically provide customizable templates for disaster recovery and business continuity plans, security policies, and HR documentation.
http://www.saferms.com
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2.2 NSI TACKLES THE RUMOR MILL
(Gaithersburg, MD) OK, so we just think this one's sorta cool. A US industry trade association, seeking to combat health-related rumors circulating throughout North America, Europe and Australia, has enlisted Gaithersburg-based consulting firm NSI Partners to help track and stem the growth of Internet-propagated rumors. NSI is tracking 22 rumors worldwide through websites, email, and online bulletin boards using its proprietary Internet Rumor Management service to track the origins and permutations of many rumors containing misinformation, and to craft response strategies. Didja know, for example, that Microsoft still averages five inquiries per day from recipients of the long-running "Bill Gates Giveaway" software-testing rumor?
http://www.nsipartners.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.3 CORNERPOST'S CONTENT FILTER
(Duffield, VA) CornerPost Software announced a series of upgrades to Chaperon for ISA, its Internet content filtering solution that helps schools and enterprises combat undesirable Internet activity. Chaperon's unique features include InstantAlert, which issues immediate email, pager, or phone notifications when users try to access sites that are blocked by the filter; and AgilityFilter, a filter list update engine that automatically detects offensive new sites accessed locally by analyzing words and word patterns and blocks them, then transmits the URLs for human review.
http://www.cornerpost.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.4 FISHBOWL'S RESTAURANT MARKETING TOOL
(Alexandria, VA) Fishbowl launched Local Store Marketer, a self-service interface to its Guest Loyalty solution that lets individual restaurants of national or regional chains implement customized, local store marketing programs while maintaining corporate brand identity and standards. Local restaurants use corporate-approved email templates to broadcast messages to their loyalty list using Fishbowl's email platform. The Internet-based tool uses a wizard to walk store managers through the email creation and broadcast process. It provides permission-based loyalty list access for one or multiple stores, customization with the general manager's name, and tools created specifically for the restaurant industry, such as a menu wizard.
http://www.fishbowl.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.5 ROUND-UP: QUICK HITS

(Reston, VA) ObjectVideo released Version 1.5 of Video Early Warning (VEW), its video surveillance software for physical security applications. Enhancements include counter-flow detection in crowds and automated support for cameras with multiple views.
http://www.objectvideo.com

(Chantilly, VA) Brainbench announced enhancements to SkillsBench, its online skills measurement system for knowledge workers. New features include pre-defined job roles, an online learning center, and new online tests.
http://www.brainbench.com

(Baltimore, MD) THINQ Learning Solutions added multilingual support for Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese speakers to its TrainingServer Learning Management System (LMS). Users can access the LMS through a single URL and a single, shared database regardless of language preference or location.
http://www.thinq.com

(Baltimore, MD) Alexander & Tom (A&T) launched three new websites and an email campaign for sports clothing maker Under Armour Performance Apparel.
http://www.underarmour.com
http://www.alextom.com

(Washington, DC) New Signature built websites for venture capital firm Fulcrum Investments and Ein Communications, a public relations firm.
http://www.fulcruminvestments.com
http://www.eincomm.com
http://www.newsignature.com

(Gaithersburg, MD) MetriGenix will integrate Cambridge, MA-based Waban Software's Waban Explorer into its MGX 4D Array System, an advanced microarray architecture for gene expression analysis. Waban Explorer is a data warehouse solution for managing complex data collected during drug discovery and development processes.
http://www.metrigenix.com
http://www.wabansoftware.com

(Sykesville, MD) LearnScape will work with Merck to develop custom technology-based training solutions including interactive video for its medical production operations.
http://www.learnscape.com
http://www.merck.com


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

3.1 DOUGH RAISE ME

$23 million for Baltimore-based I4 Commerce, a developer of merchant payment solutions for multi-channel retailers. The round was led by GRP Partners, joining existing investors Crosspoint Venture Partners, Azure Capital Partners, First Data, and Paymentech. I4's flagship product is Bill Me Later, a payment solution designed for catalog, Web, and direct retailers that provides an alternative to credit cards. After choosing Bill Me Later at checkout, qualified buyers are instantly authorized for the amount of their purchase. I4 then sends the customer a bill that can be paid in full at no extra charge, or financed over time by making minimum monthly payments. Buy.com was the first major retailer to adopt Bill Me Later in September of 2002, and retailers with annual sales totaling $12 billion have committed to the product in 2003.
http://www.i4commerce.com

$32 million for Fairfax-based Mythic Entertainment, a producer of Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Games (MMORPG). The money comes from Boston-based private equity and buyout firm, TA Associates. Mythic's games, including its popular Dark Age of Camelot, have the visual qualities and game play of a console game, delivered over the Internet and with an underlying community focus and player-to-player economic system that allows tens of thousands of people to play simultaneously.
http://www.mythicentertainment.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3.2 LIFE IN THE FOOD CHAIN

-- SER Acquires VorTecs
(Dulles, VA) SER Solutions, a provider of contact center solutions, announced an agreement to acquire Shelton, CT-based VorTecs, a provider of computer telephony integration and automated call validation and monitoring solutions. VorTecs has developed a speech recognition capability that enables contact center operators to perform high-speed audio searches of customer interactions. By transforming spoken words into retrievable data, it decreases the amount of manual involvement required to monitor agent activities such as script adherence, compliance, and order validation. Three VorTecs execs join SER, including President and CEO, Anthony Desjardin, as SVP of Development; co-founder Lawrence Mark as CTO; and co-founder Geoffrey Giordano as Executive Director of Emerging Technologies. All three had previously worked at EIS International, the company that became SER.
http://www.ser.com
http://vortecs.com


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

4.1 FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL VETERANS
(Alexandria, VA) The Veterans Corporation, in partnership with the Office of Veterans Business Development at the US Small Business Administration, has launched America's Business Network (ABN), an interactive directory of veteran-owned businesses, including listings of businesses run by Reserve and Guard members. Users can search for specific products and services and further narrow the search to mobilized Reserve and Guard businesses. Listings are free and can be entered at the site. The Veterans Corporation provides veterans with the tools to start and expand businesses, including access to training, markets, and capital, as well as networking and mentoring programs.
http://www.americasbusinessnetwork.com
http://www.veteranscorp.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4.2 SUPPORT THE TROOPS ONLINE
(Washington, DC) And while we're in a military mode, the USO is offering a unique way for individuals and corporations to support the nation's fighting men and women. "Operation USO Care Package," sponsored by the USO World Headquarters and administered by the USO of Metropolitan Washington, lets individuals write a personal message and financially support care packages that will be delivered to service members. Because of heightened security, individuals can no longer send letters and packages addressed to "Any Service Member." Corporations can participate through financial contributions, items donated in bulk for the care packages, or through implementation of an employee participation program.
http://www.usocares.org


|||||||||||||||||| 5. Who'sWare ||||||||||||||||||

(Washington, DC) Two moves at DC-based VC firms. At The Carlyle Group, Charles Rossotti, will join the firm as senior advisor focusing on IT-related buyout and venture investments. He was the founder and former chairman of American Management Systems and former Commissioner of Internal Revenue. He will commit half his time to Carlyle and the remainder to personal and non-profit activities. And at Core Capital Partners Pascal Luck was promoted to Managing Director, focusing primarily on investments in the telecom and software markets.
http://www.core-capital.com
http://www.carlyle.com

(Dulles, VA) Managed hosting provider ServerVault named Mike O'Brien as President and CEO. He was formerly President and COO of ZoomTown, the Internet broadband subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Broadwing. ServerVault founder Patrick Sweeney is stepping down from daily operations but will continue to provide consulting services and remain on the Board of Directors.
http://www.servervault.com

(Germantown, MD) Microlog, an interactive communications software company, named Joe Brookman as President and CEO. He has served on the company's Board of Directors since September of 2001 and previously held senior management positions with Hewlett Packard, Novell, Unix System Laboratories, AT&T, and Bell Laboratories. Former CEO John Mears will remain as CTO and customer advocate.
http://www.mlog.com

(Herndon, VA) SAVVIS Communications, a global managed IP and hosting services provider, named Gregory Furst as VP and GM of Hosting Services. He was formerly VP of Sales at Digex.
http://www.savvis.net

(Dulles, VA) OptiView Technologies, a provider of Web content acceleration solutions, named John Kraft, former President and COO of PSINet, to its Board of Directors.
http://www.optiview.com

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