Compuware
buys Web software developer
Compuware Corp. is on the growth path again. The
Detroit business software and IT services giant announced early Wednesday
that it would buy Lexington, Mass.-based Gomez Inc. for $295 million
in cash. Compuware provides software that measures and manages application
performance, while Gomez software measures user experience in Web applications.
Privately held Gomez had about $44 million in revenue in its most recent
fiscal year. Compuware said "substantially all" of its 272
employees would remain with Compuware after the acquisition. More.
Powermat
launches wireless charging system for consumers Commerce Township-based Powermat Wednesday
announced the rollout of its wireless charging mats for phones, games,
music players and other electronic devices. The
company says the mats eliminate the unsightliness and hassle of wires,
allowing users to wirelessly charge multiple devices simultaneously,
charging as fast as or faster than the device's charger. More.
Greenview
Data adds hosted e-mail encryption service Ann Arbor-based Greenview Data Inc., developers
of the antispam system SpamStopsHere, the most accurate hosted anti-spam
solution on the market, announced today that it has partnered with ZixCorp
to provide in-the-cloud, compliance-ready e-mail encryption services
to customers who seek to secure the transmission of sensitive data.
The new offering automates
the e-mail encryption process to ensure the security of e-mail communications,
reduce the risk of data breach and help companies meet regulatory compliance
requirements. More.
Kuka Robot
new part of Disney World ride Clinton Township-based Kuka Robotics Corp.
Wednesday announced the use of the RoboSim 4-D simulator ride as part
of a new exhibit at Innoventions in Epcot at Florida's Walt Disney World.
The addition of the simulator
is an expansion of Kuka's current presence at Epcot. Kuka currently
sponsors Rockin’ Robots -- a 2,000-plus-square-foot interactive
exhibit allowing guests to conduct a robotic band located in the Innoventions
West building. More.
Vertabase
timer chosen to help launch new Adobe service
Vertabase Timer from the Southfield-based project management software
developer Vertabase Inc. has been selected as one of a handful of applications
initially available through the new try-before-you-buy software service
for the Adobe AIR Marketplace. The new service, code named “Shibuya,”
was announced this week at the Adobe Max 2009 conference in Los Angeles.
Vertabase also announced a new version and pricing for the popular time
tracking application to be sold on the Marketplace. The new Vertabase
Timer 3.0 is currently available through the Adobe AIR Marketplace as
a try-before-you-buy download with an introductory purchase price of
$5. More.
Kettering University hosts Financial Summit Oct. 10 in Flint
Harry
Lange, the portfolio manager of Fidelity’s Magellan Fund in Boston,
is among the national talent who will be featured Saturday, Oct. 10,
when Kettering University hosts a Financial Summit in Flint.
The four-hour workshop is open to the public and will focus on topics pertinent to the current Michigan economy, ranging from job hunting in today’s environment to financial survival during a career transition.
Lange’s keynote address, “My Outlook on the Markets and the Economy,” opens the morning workshop. Lange, pictured below left, is a graduate of Kettering University. He is a vice president for Fidelity Investments,
the largest mutual fund company in the United States, the No. 1 provider of workplace retirement savings plans and a leading online brokerage firm.
Registration
opens at 8:30 a.m. Cost for the half-day workshop is $15.
Experts and topics featured during the break-out sessions are:
Job Hunting in Today’s Environment: Kathy Harris is a technical account executive of Adecco Technical, a premier provider of integrated Human Capital Solutions (direct, contractual, and
payroll).
Financial Survival During a Career Transition: Eudora Adolph, financial growth engineer, AverTrust Advisors LLC, helps clients by providing solutions focused on long-term, financial retention
for individuals, families and businesses. A 1991 graduate of Kettering, her background as a global engineering manager, professor, executive and entrepreneur provides strategic and financial experience to assist clients.
Today’s Real Estate Market: Al Beahn, agent, at Advantage Realty, Inc., is a full-time, full-service real estate agent serving Michigan’s Macomb and Oakland counties. He specializes in short
sales and residential leases.
Estate Planning:
Attorney Paul Salyers is the founder and principal of Salyers, Hugo
& Associates, PC, a Troy law firm focused on estate planning.
Mortgage Issues and Options: Jeff Marsack is a mortgage loan professional with Great Lakes Mortgage Funding specializing in residential mortgage financing for more than 15 years in Southeast
Michigan.
For more information, contact: Bonnie McArthur, Kettering Senior Advancement Officer, (810) 762-9519, or
bmcarthu@kettering.edu.
Kettering University is the home of the country’s most advanced professional cooperative education program. For more on Kettering, visit
www.kettering.edu.
Note: Today's Blue Box was sponsored by Kettering University. For information on how you can sponsor content in the Blue Box, contact Jeff Lasser at (248) 455-7319 or
jeff.lasser@cbsradio.com.
Automation
Alley adds 35 new members in September Automation Alley, Southeast Michigan's largest technology business
association, announced today that 35 new members joined the organization
in September. Manufacturing led the way with 12 new employees, followed
by IT with five. More.
ProQuest
volunteers help Washtenaw County libraries, groups
In June 2009, the Executive Director of the
American Library Association reached out to the library community asking
them to get involved in a national volunteer initiative called the “Summer
of Service” that would run from June 22 to Sept. 11. The
Ann Arbor-based database publisher ProQuest Co. responded by initiating
the Library Volunteer Program, which organized volunteer efforts to
support Washtenaw County libraries and community groups. Thirty-six
volunteers stepped up to help -- logging more than 200 hours of service.
ProQuest will celebrate the success of the program with a reception
Oct. 8. More.
Huge
new dyno going in at TARDEC Troy-based Horiba Automotive Test Systems
has won a subcontract from Science Applications International Corp.
to be the sole supplier helping to design, build and support a new dynamometer
system at the United States Army's Tank-Automotive Research, Development
and Engineering Center in Warren. The
new dyno system will be used to develop, test and validate hybrid and
other advanced powertrains for a wide range of vehicles, including those
with up to 10-wheel drive. The exact cost of the new system wasn't disclosed,
but a Horiba spokesman estimated it at more than $10 million and said
several Detroit-area companies would be contracted to help with the
project. More.
THE WORLD IN TECH
WSJ: Dell
to make Android phone for AT&T Dell Inc. is working on
a "smart" phone for AT&T that runs Google Inc.'s Android
phone operating system, according to a newspaper report Wednesday. The
touch-screen phone could be ready early next year, The Wall Street Journal
reported. Representatives for Dell, AT&T Inc. and Google all declined
to comment. In the year since the economic meltdown, businesses and
consumers have sharply cut back spending on Dell's main products - computers
and servers. Research groups IDC and Gartner Inc. have both predicted
a year-over-year decline in PC shipments in 2009, which would be the
first such drop since 2001. Mobile is one area where Dell sees a chance
to expand and diversify. More.
Judge
sets Nov. 9 deadline for amended Google book deal A
federal judge set a Nov. 9 deadline Wednesday for submission of a revised
agreement in the battle over Google Inc.'s effort to get digital rights
to millions of out-of-print books. Then the debate over the fairness
of the plan will resume. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin set the deadline
after a lawyer for authors told the judge that Google and lawyers for
authors and publishers were working around the clock to reach a new
deal by early November. The $125 million agreement was being renegotiated
after it was heavily criticized by many of the more than 400 submissions
Chin received prior to a fairness hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday.
More.
EU
finally about to settle Microsoft browser case Microsoft Corp., which has
already shelled out $2.5 billion in antitrust fines in Europe, is on
the brink of closing a chapter in its long-running battle with regulators
there, just in time for another to begin. European regulators said Wednesday
they were preparing to settle their investigation into the way Microsoft
includes its market-leading Internet Explorer Web browser with the Windows
operating system. Competing software makers had complained PC users
didn't have a clear way to choose a browser that challenges Internet
Explorer, and the European Commission concluded in January that Microsoft
was violating antitrust laws. Now, the regulators in Brussels say they
will move forward with a proposal made by Microsoft in July that aims
to give Windows users in Europe a better tool for choosing different
Web browsers. More.
FCC
chairman warns of 'looming spectrum crisis' The
chairman of the Federal Communications Commission warned Wednesday of
"a looming spectrum crisis" if the government fails to find
ways to come up with more bandwidth for mobile devices. Julius Genachowski
said the government is tripling the amount of spectrum available for
commercial uses. The problem is that many industry experts predict wireless
traffic will increase 30 times because of online video and other bandwidth-heavy
applications. Genachowski promised "a full-throated, strategic
look" at how to close that gap between demand and supply, declaring
it one of the FCC's highest priorities. The review will consider reallocating
existing spectrum now used for other purposes, and encouraging development
of new technologies that
use spectrum more efficiently. He said the FCC is open to ideas. More.
Stocks:
Shares end mixed after rally as earnings loom After two big days, it was time for the
stock market to take a break. Investors
waiting for corporate earnings reports to start rolling in made only
modest moves Wednesday after stocks posted their best two-day gain since
mid-July. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 6 points, while broader
indexes edged higher. With little economic news to direct trading, investors
were waiting for earnings reports from the July-September quarter for
signals about the economy. Aluminum maker Alcoa Inc. was the first of
the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrials to release its
numbers, but the report didn't arrive until after the closing bell.
Still, investors were happy with the news that the company was profitable
again after three losing quarters, and that revenue and earnings topped
expectations. Alcoa stock rose in extended-hours trading. More.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP)
rose 6.76 points or 0.3 percent to 2,110.33. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average ($INDU) fell
5.67 points or 0.1 percent to 9,725.58. The Philadelphia Semiconductor
Index ($SOX) fell
1.94 points or 0.6 percent to 317.64. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35
Index (MSH) rose
0.95 points or 0.2 percent to 532.14. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index
(DRG) fell 0.14 points
or 0.1 percent to 287.19. The NYSE Arca Biotech Index (BTK)
fell 10.02 points or 1.1 percent to 907.32. Finally, the Standard &
Poor's 500 (SPX)
rose 2.86 points or 0.3 percent to 1,057.58.
All contents copyright 2009 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio & Eye logo trademarked and copyright 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. Written and edited
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Print Story
Kettering University hosts Financial Summit Oct. 10 in Flint
Registration
opens at 8:30 a.m. Cost for the half-day workshop is $15. 
A
federal judge set a Nov. 9 deadline Wednesday for submission of a revised
agreement in the battle over Google Inc.'s effort to get digital rights
to millions of out-of-print books. Then the debate over the fairness
of the plan will resume. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin set the deadline
after a lawyer for authors told the judge that Google and lawyers for
authors and publishers were working around the clock to reach a new
deal by early November. The $125 million agreement was being renegotiated
after it was heavily criticized by many of the more than 400 submissions
Chin received prior to a fairness hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday.
