E-Bird Daily News Brief

Monday, March 15, 2010

Hot off the presses:

Jonathan Aberman, founder of Tysons Corner-based early-stage technology venture capital firm Amplifier Ventures, launched Accerta Group, an advisory firm targeting family-owned and closely held businesses. Accerta will focus on companies with revenues of $10-$100 million that are not in the tech sector, providing advice on issues such as generational transition, strategic development and legacy planning. Our advice is to check out the company Web site at the link provided in Friday’s Potomac Tech Wire.

Here’s the pitch: Tech Wire also reports that the FanGraphs Baseball iPhone app developed by Reston-based Hawk Ridge Consulting is featured in Apple’s App Store Baseball Essentials promotion. The app provides detailed game and player statistics. We based this blurb on a link provided in Friday’s Tech Wire.

He’s the highest bid-der: Glenn Richardson, president of Tysons Corner-based online marketplace for government procurement FedBid, talks to the Washington Post’s Vanessa Mizell about what his military and consulting backgrounds bring to the mix as FedBid’s new chief. In a bid for readers, we procured a link to Vanessa’s piece.

Take a bow—almost: Reston-based HR outsourcing firm Helios HR announced the 22 finalists for its 2010 Helios Apollo Awards, which honor Washington-area organizations that promote employee development. Finalists in several categories include Fairfax-based Dewberry, Evans Incorporated and Apple Federal Credit Union; Reston-based High Performance Technologies; Tysons Corner-based SpeakerBox Communications, Herndon-based Deltek and VISTAtsi; the Greenspring retirement community in Springfield; and JustinBradley, Rose Financial Services and SkillStorm, which all maintain their regional headquarters in Tysons Corner. Join the A-List by checking out the Helios release posted by Earthtimes.org.

In the Stratis-phere: L-3 Communications’ Reston-based Stratis division won a $230.9 million agreement with the Defense Department for intelligence support. The division will provide intelligence support services to U.S. and multinational forces in Iraq. Washington Technology’s David Hubler raq-ed up some mileage with this story.

Sprouting in Brussels: Tysons Corner-based defense department management services provider MCR will furnish mission support services for NATO’s Air Command and Control Agency under a contract worth up to $14 million over eight years. MCR will perform the bulk of the support onsite at the agency’s offices in Brussels, Belgium. We didn’t waffle when we got the chance to share this story by William Welsh of Washington Technology.

Judge for yourself: Tysons Corner-based contracting giant Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Merrifield-based contracting giant (and Fortune 500 outfit) CSC are sponsoring the fifth annual Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition taking place this week. The competition involves college students defending networks from intrusion while keeping them up and functioning. Our networking turned up this blurb by Jack Mann, writing for ExecutiveBiz, the snazzy online journal of the Tysons Corner-based Potomac Officers Club.

Green eggs and ham-burgers: Two Fairfax County McDonald’s restaurants could be torn down and rebuilt with environmentally friendly features. The Fairfax County Planning Commission signed off on proposals that restaurants on Little River Turnpike and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway would be demolished and reconstructed with “green” features such as LED lighting, low-flow toilets and renewable energy credits purchased to offset part of their electrical use. The ecologically minded Tierney Plumb cooked this up for Washington Business Journal.

Events presented or sponsored by the FCEDA:

• March 19 -- Vienna/Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce Brown Bag University: "The Importance of Coordinating Estate Planning." Presented by Mark Cohen, J.D., LL.M., CFP, Chairman of Navigator Wealth Planning. At FCEDA headquarters. Info and registration is here.
• March 25-- the March 25th Business Alliance Grubstake BreakfastTM, the region's longest running networking and investor forum, where early stage companies present their business plans to potential investors. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is a proud sponsor of the Grubstake Breakfast series.
• March 23-25-- The 34th annual FOSE is the #1 technology event for government in the nation. FOSE brings together the tools, methods and systems to maintain, protect and modernize the nation’s IT infrastructure. More info here.
• March 30-Potomac Tech Wire Breakfast Roundtable-Mobile Outlook 2010. Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner. More info and registration here. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is a proud sponsor of the TechWire Breakfast Roundtable.
• April 6 -- "Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in Fairfax County" workshop for people interested in starting a business in Fairfax County. Held once per month. Register here.
• Ongoing -- One-on-one business counseling offered at Board of Supervisors' offices. More info is here.