Silicon Valley Wire

Mountain View-Based Intuit to Acquire Digital Insight for $1.35 Billion

Mountain View, Calif. -- Intuit, the Mountain View-based maker of Quicken and TurboTax software, said on Thursday that it will pay $1.35 billion in cash to acquire Calabasas-based Digital Insight, a provider of online banking services. With the acquisition, Intuit said that it will be able to combine work flows in its financial management tools with online banking capability. The company also will increase its customer base to more than 5,000 financial institutions, nearly 25 million consumers and nearly 7 million small businesses. Following the closing of the acquisition, Digital Insight will operate as a new division of Intuit from its existing facilities in California and Georgia.
http://web.intuit.com/about_intuit/investors/corporate_releases/2006/11-30.html

San Mateo-Based Sling Media Hires MTV Veterans to Run New Group

San Mateo, Calif. -- Sling Media, a San Mateo-based developer of digital media products, on Thursday said that it has hired former MTV executives Jason Hirschhorn and Benjamin White to run its newly created Sling Media Entertainment Group. The group, based in New York, will develop new applications and services for the company's Slingbox, which allows users to access their home TV channels from any Internet-connected device. Hirschhorn was a founding partner at TripleH Media Advisors, a digital media consultancy, and previously served as the chief digital officer at MTV Networks. White most recently served as the vice president of digital media for MTV Networks.
http://us.slingmedia.com/object/io_1164899794642.html

New Jersey's Scivantage Acquires San Francisco-Based Kenamea

San Francisco -- Scivantage, a New Jersey-based provider of web-based brokerage products, said on Thursday that it has acquired San Francisco-based Kenamea, a provider of notification management products to the brokerage industry. Specific financial terms of the "multi-million dollar" deal were not disclosed. Scivantage said that the acquisition will expand its offerings -- most notably with the addition of Kenamea's Enterprise Notification System (ENS) product line -- and customer service. The company said that it plans to maintain Kenamea's West Coast presence, as well as its sales, development, support, and management personnel.
http://www.scivantage.com/news.php

Cupertino-Based Symantec Acquires Revivio for $20 Million

Cupertino, Calif. -- Symantec, the California-based provider of IT security products, said that it has acquired Revivio, a Massachusetts-based provider of continuous data protection technology, for a reported $20 million. Symantec plans to integrate Revivio's technology into its "NetBackup" product next year. Charles River Ventures, Flagship Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, The Nomura Group and Globespan Capital Partners are among the investors that have backed Revivio with an estimated $55 million since the company's founding in 2001. The company employs about 55 people.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/061130/20/11mf6.html
http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1283679725;fp;4;fpid;1382389953

Valuations of Venture-Backed Companies Nearly Double from 2005

San Francisco -- Venture-backed companies in the U.S. are being valued almost twice as high as they were a year ago, according to a new report from San Francisco-based Dow Jones VentureOne. In the third quarter, the median pre-money valuation -- the values ascribed to businesses prior to funding rounds --  reached $20.4 million, up from $11.8 million in the third quarter of 2005. The figure -- down slightly from the second quarter when valuations hit a six-year high -- was pushed higher by increased valuations in the information technology sector. "Information technology companies have found a successful path to exit via mergers and acquisitions this year," said Steve Harmston, the director of global research for VentureOne. "As a result, still private IT companies with promising exit potential are gaining higher valuations to reflect the current market conditions."
http://www.ventureone.com/

"Cyber Monday" Sales Set Single-Day E-Commerce Record

Reston, Va. -- Online retail sales on "Cyber Monday," the first Monday after Thanksgiving, came in better than expected this year, according to new figures from comScore Networks. Sales at U.S. retail sites totaled $608 million, up 26% from the year before, making it the "highest single day in retail e-commerce history and the first day ever to break the $600 million threshold," according to comScore. The firm, however, said that it expects to see that mark eclipsed several times in the coming weeks. The top five online shopping destinations on Cyber Monday included eBay, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Dell and Target, each drawing more than 1 million unique visitors.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1087

Santa Clara-Based Symyx Technologies Launches New Sensors Company

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Symyx Technologies, a Santa Clara-based developer of research technologies and software, said on Wednesday that it has spun out a new company focused on sensor technologies. The new company, Visyx Technologies, will look to commercialize sensor technologies in the transportation, industrial and other markets, particularly for use in passenger, truck and off-road vehicles. Visyx has received an undisclosed amount of funding from San Francisco-based venture capital firm CMEA Ventures, as well as $400,000 from Symyx, which will own 37% of the new company. Symyx has retained rights to use the technologies in certain pharmaceutical, chemical and refining applications. This is the second company that Symyx has created to pursue internally developed technologies following its 2003 launch of pharmaceutical firm Ilypsa.
http://www.symyx.com/news/news.php?nid=226&page=89

Redwood City-Based BroadVision Raises Up to $17 Million in Rights Offering

Redwood City, Calif. -- In what the company is calling a major step in its re-launch, Redwood City-based BroadVision, a developer of e-business software, said on Wednesday that it has raised $16-$17 million in its right offering, which expired on Tuesday. Based on preliminary results, the company said that participants in the offering exercised rights to purchase approximately 36-38 million shares, representing 20-22% of the new shares offered. With the cash generated, BroadVision said that it expects to have a cash balance of $32-$35 million at year's end. "We are very pleased with the progress we have made in just one year,": said Pehong Chen, the president and CEO of BroadVision. "The company is now free of any long-term debt and generating cash from profitable business operations."
http://www.broadvision.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061129/20061129005902.html?.v=1

San Francisco-Based Riverdeep to be Acquired for $1.2 Billion

San Francisco -- Ireland's HM Rivergroup said that it will acquire Riverdeep Holdings, a San Francisco-based publisher of interactive education and personal publishing products, for $1.2 billion. The company also said that it plans to pay $3.4 billion to acquire Houghton Mifflin, a Boston-based publisher of textbooks, instructional technology, assessments and other educational materials for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. "The combination of Houghton Mifflin and Riverdeep will bring together one of the most established and successful educational book publishers in the United States with the premier publisher of electronic courseware for the K-12 market in the United States," Rivergroup said in a statement. The company expects to complete the acquisitions before the end of this year.
http://www.hmco.com/company/investors/invest/ir_release_112906.html

Menlo Park's Battery Ventures Leads $15 Million Round for Travelguru

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Technology investment firm Battery Ventures said on Wednesday that its Menlo Park office has led a new $15 million funding round for Travelguru, an online travel portal in India. Sequoia Capital India also participated in the company's second round. The deal marks Battery's first major investment in the consumer internet space in India. In the past year, Travelguru has grown to become the largest hotel consolidator in India, with access to more than 72,000 hotels worldwide and alliances with 500 airlines.
http://www.battery.com/news.asp?section=featuredpress&file=travelguru

Palo Alto-Based Hercules Provides $15 Million to Elixir Pharmaceuticals.

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Hercules Technology Growth Capital, a Palo Alto-based provider of debt and equity growth capital to technology and life science companies, said on Wednesday that it has provided $15 million of debt financing to Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical firm Elixir Pharmaceuticals. Elixir is developing drugs targeting metabolic and age-related diseases. "Elixir Pharmaceuticals has significant milestones that they expect to achieve over the coming months," said Parag Shah, the senior managing director of life sciences at Hercules.
http://www.herculestech.com/hercules_news.asp?NewsType=3

Alviso-Based TiVo Debuts New DVR Advertising Format

Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, the Alviso-based provider of digital video recorders and subscription services, said that it has introduced a new advertising format that allows advertisers to insert an ad after a recorded program is finished playing. The ads, which appear in the form of clickable tags displayed on screen at the end of specific programs, are optional for viewers, and may include long-format content like promotional videos. Tom Rogers, the president and CEO of TiVo, said that the new  "Program Placement" service is designed to help advertisers target specific demographic audiences while countering the impact of viewers fast-forwarding through commercials. Burger King is using the service to offer promotional videos for its Xbox 360 game series, while The Weather Channel is offering reports from meteorologists to promote a new program. Other initial advertisers include General Motors, MasterCard and Court TV.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061128/sftu086.html?.v=82
http://www.tivo.com

Webby Awards, dotMobi Launch New Awards for Mobile Sites

New York -- Organizers of The Webby Awards, which honor web sites, interactive ads and online video, said that they have partnered with dotMobi to launch The Webby Mobile Awards, recognizing sites built for mobile devices. The awards will initially feature three categories: Listings & Updates, News & Entertainment and Mobile Marketplace. Since the launch of the .mobi top level domain in September, dotMobi said that more than 275,000 of the domains have been registered. The deadline for entries is Dec. 15. Nominees will be announced in April, with winners to be honored at The 11th Annual Webby Awards in June. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061128/sftu096.html?.v=77
http://www.webbyawards.com

San Bruno-Based YouTube to Launch Mobile Service with Verizon Wireless

San Bruno, Calif. -- YouTube, the San Bruno-based video sharing site, said on Tuesday that it will launch a new mobile version of its service through a deal with Verizon Wireless. Beginning early next month, Verizon Wireless's V CAST subscribers will be able to access a selection of YouTube's most popular videos from their mobile phones. YouTube said that the deal will allow it to reach a new audience of mobile users. "We will continue to roll out more exciting partnerships and features for the mobile user over the coming year," said Steve Chen, the co-founder and CTO of YouTube. Verizon Wireless customers can add a V CAST subscription for an extra $15 a month or $3 a day.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061128/nytu043.html?.v=81
http://www.youtube.com/

Palo Alto-Based Aesthetic Sciences Lands $6 Million in First Round

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Aesthetic Sciences, a Palo Alto-based developer of products in the fields of aesthetic medicine and incontinence, said on Tuesday that it has raised $6 million in its first round of funding from Domain Associates and New Leaf Venture Partners. The company said that it will use the new capital to continue the development of its technologies. Two-year-old Aesthetic Sciences has an exclusive license from Landec for the worldwide use of that company's materials technology in the fields of aesthetic medicine and incontinence. Landec holds a minority interest in Aesthetic Sciences and will receive royalties on sales in the designated fields of use.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061128/20061128005180.html?.v=1

San Jose-Based LGC Wireless Acquires Alvarion's Cellular Mobile Unit

San Jose, Calif. -- LGC Wireless, a San Jose-based provider of in-building wireless systems, said on Tuesday that it has acquired Alvarion's Cellular Mobile Unit (CMU) for $15 million. The unit, which Alvarion acquired from Interwave Wireless in 2004, provides base station and wireless network equipment to wireless operators, system integrators and government organizations. LCG said that the unit will operate as its new Wireless Systems organization, headed by industry veteran John O'Connell, its new executive vice president and general manager. O'Connell formerly served as the CEO of both Kineto Wireless and Vyyo. Israel-based Alvarion has North American headquarters in Mountain View.
http://www.lgcwireless.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061128/20061128005211.html?.v=1

Belgian Court Ruling on Google News Not Expected Until 2007

Mountain View, Calif. -- Google, the Mountain View-based search giant, will have to wait at least another month for a Belgian court's verdict on whether its Google News service infringes on the copyrights of newspapers in that country, Reuters reported. Attorneys for Copiepresse, which represents French- and German-language newspapers in Belgium, argued in court last week that Google did not seek permission before including copyrighted articles in its news index. The group previously won a preliminary injunction against Google, and the affected articles were removed from Google News. Both sides said after the hearing that they are open to a settlement.
http://news.google.com
http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-11-25T023035Z_01_N24382731_RTRIDST_0_GOOGLE-MEDIA-UPDATE-1.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna

Fortune: Apple's iTunes May Start Selling Beatles Song Downloads

Cupertino, Calif. -- Songs by the Beatles may soon be available for purchase through Cupertino-based Apple's iTunes Store, according to Fortune magazine. Citing a music industry executive, the magazine reported that details of the deal are still being worked out, including the size of an advance to be paid to the Beatles and how long any iTunes exclusivity for the band's catalog would last. David Munns, the head of EMI North America, recently said that the Beatles would be available online "soon." Apple is also negotiating with EMI for permission to use Beatles music in an iPod ad. One source of contention in the negotiations is Apple's long-running trademark dispute with Apple Corps, the Beatles' record label. The record label has sued the iPod maker for breaching an old deal where Apple promised not to enter the music business.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/22/technology/apple_beatles_ipod.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2006112711

Copyright Office Names New Exemptions to Anti-Circumvention Law

Washington, DC -- The Library of Congress has approved six new exemptions to a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that prohibits people from circumventing copyright locks on digital devices. One exemption will allow mobile phone owners to work around software that prevents their phones from being used with competing carriers. Other exemptions will allow film professors to break DVD security locks in order to create educational compilations for students, and let blind people use software that circumvents copy-protection on e-books. The new exemptions, approved by Librarian of Congress James Billington, will expire in three years.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201   

Mountain View-Based VeriSign to Acquire inCode Wireless

Mountain View, Calif. -- VeriSign, a Mountain View-based provider of infrastructure services used in voice and data networks, said on Monday that it will acquire San Diego-based inCode Wireless, a provider of business and technology consulting services, for approximately $52 million. inCode, which has 14 offices in 10 countries, provides strategy consulting services to nearly every major wireless, wireline, cable operator and telecom equipment manufacturer. VeriSign said that new revenue and earnings contributions as a result of the deal won't affect VeriSign's 2006 financial results.
http://www.verisign.com/press_releases/pr/page_040026.html

Redwood City-Based Informatica to Acquire San Mateo-Based Itemfield

Redwood City, Calif. -- Informatica, a Redwood City-based maker of data integration software, said on Monday that it will pay about $55 million in cash to acquire San Mateo-based Itemfield, a developer of data transformation technology that enables access to unstructured and semi-structured data. The two companies have partnered for the past year, with Informatica embedding Itemfield's core technology into its flagship data integration platform. Itemfield currently has more than 150 clients, including American Airlines, Natexis Bank and McKesson.
http://www.informatica.com/news/press_releases/2006/11272006c_itemfield.htm

Dublin-Based SuperGen to Sell Remaining Rights to Leukemia Drug for $8 Million

Dublin, Calif. -- SuperGen, a Dublin-based pharmaceutical firm developing treatments for cancer, said on Monday that it will sell the remaining worldwide rights to its leukemia drug, Nipent, to Australia's Mayne Pharma for $8 million. Under the deal, SuperGen will get about $3.75 million up front, as well as $1.25 million in payments contingent upon key events with the drug and another $3 million payable over a five-year period. Nipent is approved for patients with hairy-cell leukaemia, and sales of the drug in Europe last year were almost $5 million. The deal comes just three months after Mayne Pharma acquired the North American rights to Nipent from SuperGen, for a total of $34 million.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/preview/phoenix.zhtml?c=105560&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=935825&highlight=

AXT Founder Morris Young to Retire as Company's CTO

Fremont, Calif. -- AXT, a Fremont-based manufacturer of compound semiconductor substrates, said on Monday that company founder Morris Young will retire as its CTO effective Dec. 31. Young, who has spent the past two decades with the company, will continue to serve on AXT's board of directors. Young founded AXT in 1986 and served as its CEO from 1989-2004, chairman from 1998-2004 and CTO from 2005-present. Young pioneered Vertical Gradient Freeze (VGF) technology, which has been used to produce lower defect compound semiconductors, leading to the production of higher performance technology devices, including mobile phones, lasers and LEDs.
http://www.axt.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061127/sfm032.html?.v=69

Report: Black Friday Sees Sharp Increase in Number of Online Shoppers

New York -- The number of Internet users shopping from their home computers on Black Friday increased 12% this year compared with 2005, according to new figures released by Nielsen//NetRatings. The day after Thanksgiving -- traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year -- saw a unique audience of 19.2 million across more than 120 representative online retailers, up from 17.2 million a year ago. The largest jumps came in the consumer electronics space. "This year, shoppers went online to check out the latest in consumer electronics, including flat screen TVs and new game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and the highly coveted Sony PlayStation 3," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst for Nielsen//NetRatings. eBay led the top online shopping destinations on Black Friday with 7.5 million unique visitors, followed by Amazon and Wal-Mart.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/press.jsp?section=ne_press_releasese&nav=1

Intradigm Lands $16 Million; Moves from Maryland to Palo Alto

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Biotechnology firm Intradigm said on Tuesday that it has raised $16 million in its first round of funding and moved its headquarters from Maryland to Palo Alto. The funding round was co-led by Alta Partners and Frazier Healthcare Ventures, and also included previous investors Emerging Technology Partners (ETP) and Novartis' Ventures Fund, as well as new investors MediBic Alliance/Daiichi and Genentech. The company, which maintains research facilities in Rockville, said that it moved, in part, to take advantage of the "large pool of skilled biotechnology research and development expertise in the Bay Area." Intradigm is developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics designed to target specific genes causing diseases.
http://www.intradigm.com/news.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061121/20061121005127.html?.v=1

Menlo Park-Based Francisco Partners to Acquire Endeavor Information Systems

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Francisco Partners, a Menlo Park-based technology-focused private equity fund, said on Tuesday that it will acquire Illinois-based Endeavor Information Systems from London-based parent Elsevier. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Endeavor will be merged with library software and services firm Ex Libris, which was acquired by Francisco Partners earlier this year. The combined company will have a customer base that includes 25 national libraries and five of the six largest libraries in the world. "Ex Libris and Endeavor are natural partners," said Andrew Gray, a principal with Francisco Partners.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061121/20061121005801.html?.v=1 

Cupertino-Based NetManage Rebuffs Second Takeover Offer

Cupertino, Calif. -- NetManage, a Cupertino-based maker of software for corporate information systems, said that its board has again rebuffed acquisition overtures from stockholders Riley Investment Management and Zeff Capital Partners. The company said that it received a letter from the two firms on Nov. 6 expressing their interesting in acquiring all of its outstanding shares for $5.50 each. NetManage, which also received a similar offer from the firms in October, responded by calling the offer  "inadequate and not in the best interests of NetManage's stockholders." "The board… came to the same conclusion it reached before," said Zvi Alon, the chairman, CEO and president of NetManage.
http://www.netmanage.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061121/20061121005808.html?.v=1

San Francisco-Based GoFish Names Ex-Kodak Executive as CTO

San Francisco -- GoFish, a San Francisco-based consumer online video destination, on Tuesday named former Kodak executive Greg Schroeder as its new CTO. Schroader previously served as chief architect of Kodak's EasyShare Gallery, as well as the director of systems integration for new business at Kodak Imaging Network. The move follows several other high-profile personnel moves for the company. In recent weeks, Peter Guber, the chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, has joined GoFish's board of directors, and several former Yahoo executives have joined the company.
http://www.gofish.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061121/20061121005375.html?.v=1

Time Warner Names Ron Grant as New President and COO of AOL

New York -- Media giant Time Warner on Tuesday named Ron Grant as the new president and COO of its AOL subsidiary. Grant most recently has served as Time Warner's senior vice president of operations, playing a key role in putting together AOL's new ad-supported content strategy. He also was with America Online prior to its merger with Time Warner, serving as the company's senior vice president of business affairs and development. The move comes less than a week after Time Warner installed NBC Universal executive Randy Falco as AOL's new chairman and CEO, replacing Jonathan Miller.
http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1562032,00.html

Applied Ventures Invests $3 Million in Santa Clara-Based Solaicx

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Applied Ventures, the Santa Clara-based venture capital arm of nanomanufacturing technology firm Applied Materials, said on Monday that it has invested $3 million in Solaicx, a Santa Clara-based manufacturer of single-crystal silicon wafers for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. Solaicx plans to use the investment to expand its business with a second U.S. manufacturing site, scheduled to be operational next year. "Our investment in Solaicx aligns well with Applied Materials' solar strategy and enables Applied to expand its presence in the solar value chain," said Christopher Moran, the vice president and general manager of Applied Ventures.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/appliedmaterials/index.jsp?epi-content=GENERIC&newsId=20061120005299&ndmHsc=v2*A1136120400000*B1164067600000*C4102491599000*DgroupByDate*J2*N1002992&newsLang=en&beanID=547561197&viewID=news_view

Redwood City-Based Check Point Launches Tender Offer for Protect Data

Redwood City, Calif. -- Check Point Software Technologies, a Redwood City-based developer of Internet security technology, said on Monday that it has launched a cash tender offer to acquire Swedish data security firm Protect Data for approximately $586 million. Protect Data's board of directors and largest shareholders both support the deal. Check Point said that the acquisition will add a new layer of data security technology to its offerings. Protect Data owns Pointsec Mobile Technologies, a developer of automatic data encryption technology. The tender offer is expected to close Dec. 22.
http://www.checkpoint.com/press/2006/pointsec112006.html

Sunnyvale-Based Yahoo to Add Local Tools to Newspaper Web Sites

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Answering rival Google's new venture into newspaper advertising, Sunnyvale-based Yahoo said on Monday that it has partnered with more than 150 daily papers to deliver search, graphical and classified advertising to consumers in local communities. The project, initially focusing on recruitment advertising from Yahoo's HotJobs business, will provide search, content and other local features on the newspapers' web sites. Consortium members -- representing newspaper in 38 states -- include Belo Corp., Cox Newspapers, Hearst Newspapers, Journal Register Company, Lee Enterprises, MediaNews Group The E.W. Scripps Company. Both the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury-News will be part of the project. "We believe the local segment is largely untapped and provides significant opportunities to expand audience engagement and subsequently grow local advertising," said Terry Semel, the chairman and CEO of Yahoo. Mountain View-based Google announced earlier this month that it will let clients bid on print ads in more then 50 daily newspapers as part of a three-month pilot program.
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=219204

Fremont-Based Intematix Lands $16.5 Million in Third Round

Fremont, Calif. -- Intematix, a developer of nano, bulk and thin film materials for the solid state lighting and imaging markets, said on Monday that it has raised $16.5 million in its third round of funding, co-led by Crosslink Capital and Samsung Ventures. New investor Presidio STX and previous investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson, East Gate Capital and Pacifica Fund also participated. The company said that it will use the new capital for product line and market expansion, as well as intensified materials research and development.
http://www.intematix.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061120/20061120005217.html?.v=1

E-commerce Services Firm GXS Acquires Redwood City's UDEX

Redwood City, Calif. -- GXS, a Maryland-based provider of business-to-business e-commerce services, said on Monday that it has acquired UDEX, a U.K.-based provider of product data quality services with U.S. headquarters in Redwood City. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The company said that the acquisition builds on its current data synchronization offerings, used by validate and certify the accuracy of product and packaging data exchanged between trading partners. UDEX counts nearly 2,000 retailers and suppliers as customers.
http://www.gxs.com/gxs/newsroom/pr/2006/11202006.htm

Lockheed Martin Launches Savi Group to Develop Supply Chain Technology

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Five months after acquiring Sunnyvale-based Savi Technology, a maker of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, Maryland-based defense contractor Lockheed Martin said on Monday that it has launched a new business that will supply  software and services for securing and managing supply chains. Lockheed said that its new Savi Group will be led by Vic Verma, the former CEO of Savi Technology, and will focus on developing technology that will help government and defense clients better track and secure shipments. Savi also holds a majority interest in Savi Networks, a company building a public network in ports that can be used by shippers to monitor the status and security of cargo.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061120/dcm042.html?.v=63

Redwood City-Based Health Hero Network Secures $16 Million

Redwood City, Calif. -- Health Hero Network, a Redwood City-based developer of technology thatg connects patients at home and health care providers, said that it has landed $16 million in its second round of funding. The round was co-led by previous investor Psilos Group and new investors California Technology Ventures, Integral Capital Partners and Boston Scientific. Artal Services, Shoreline Venture Partners and ZG Ventures also participated. The company said that it will use the new capital to fund ongoing product development and marketing efforts for its Health Buddy System, whihch is designed to educate and monitor patients through home devices.
http://www.healthhero.com/press/press_releases/pr_11_16_06.html

Los Gatos-Based Semotus Solutions to Merge with CityTalk

Los Gatos, Calif. -- Semotus Solutions, a Los Gatos-based maker of mobile communications software, said that it will merge with CityTalk, a Florida-based company acquiring cellular operations and tower infrastructure. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Privately held CityTalk was co-founded by Richard Sullivan, the former chairman and CEO of Applied Digital Solutions and Digital Angel Corp., and telecommunications entrepreneur Steve Keaveney. Sullivan, who has  made a personal investment of $225,000 in Semotus as part of the deal, said that CityTalk has a deal in place to acquire mobile wireless operations and tower assets serving markets in the West, Mid-South and Southeast. "So we'll be able to hit the ground running by immediately rolling out networks and services to customers," he said. The deal is expected to close early next year.
http://www.semotus.com/news/pr_item.asp?item=431

Avaya Acquires Fremont-Based Traverse Networks

Fremont, Calif. -- Avaya, the New Jersey-based provider of business communications technology, said that it has acquired Traverse Networks, a Fremont-based developer of mobile communications technology. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Traverse offers server software and mobile handset interfaces for call handling applications and voice mail management on mobile devices. Its technology allows users to see and hear office voice mail through an "email-like" inbox on their mobile devices. Avaya said that it expects to release products integrating Traverse's technology in the second half of 2007.
http://www.avaya.com/gcm/master-usa/en-us/corporate/pressroom/pressreleases/2006/pr-061116a.htm

AboveNet Sells San Jose Data Center to Mountain View-Based DataPipe

San Jose, Calif. -- AboveNet, a New York-based provider of fiber connectivity products for businesses, said that it has sold its San Jose data center facility to Mountain View-based DataPipe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In addition to offering standard colocation services, DataPipe said that it also will offer various managed services, including security services, application administration and disaster recovery. The companies said that customers will experience no interruption in service during the transition.
http://www.above.net/news/pr061116.html

Report: 9 Million Next-Gen Game Consoles to Sell in Fourth Quarter

Boston -- As gamers lined up to be among the first to purchase new PlayStation 3 game consoles Thursday night, a new report firm Strategy Analytics projects that nearly 9 million next-generation video game consoles will be sold during the fourth quarter. The firm said that while Microsoft's Xbox 360 will remain the leading system through most of 2007, Sony's PlayStation 3 will catch up by the end of next year and become the dominant platform. The report predicts that more than 120 million PS3s will be sold through 2012, compared with 60 million Xbox 360s and 23 million Nintendo Wiis. "Sony will sell everything it can make of its new system," said David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics. "But Microsoft has already had a year in the market to cream off early adopters, so the next few weeks will demonstrate how much pent-up demand there really is for the Xbox 360, and how many disappointed PS3 buyers are willing to switch camps."
http://www.strategyanalytics.net/default.aspx?mod=ReportAbstractViewer&a0=3153

Santa Clara-Based Mercora Launches Mobile Music Service

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Mercora, a Santa Clara-based provider of user-programmed Internet radio stations, said that it has launched its "M" mobile music service, which allows users of smartphones and Pocket PC phones to access over 100,000 channels of streaming Internet radio. In addition to its members' stations, the service allows users to stream their PC music libraries to their mobile phones. It is available for $4.99 per month, or $49.99 for an annual subscription.
http://www.mercora.com/pressreleases/release_11162006_2.asp

San Francisco-Based SeeSaw Networks Raises $10 million in Funding

San Francisco -- SeeSaw Networks, a provider of online services designed to help advertisers and agencies customize their campaigns for specific audiences, said that it has raised $10 million in its first round of funding from Sutter Hill Ventures. The company said that it will use the new capital to develop and operate its SeeSawAds.com site. The site is currently in beta testing and should be available for broad commercial use next year.
http://www.seesawnetworks.com/2006/09/09/sutter-hill-invests-in-seesaw/

San Francisco-Based Real Girls Media Network Lands $6 Million

San Francisco -- Real Girls Media Network, a San Francisco-based online publishing company, said on Thursday that it has raised $6 million in its first round of funding from 3i and WaldenVC. Real Girls is building a series of web sites addressing women's lives. The sites, combining editorial content, user-generated content and community features, will allow women to submit and publish their opinions and stories. The first site, DivineCaroline.com, is scheduled to launch in early 2007, targeting women ages 25-54. Additional sites aimed at other age groups will follow later next year.
http://www.realgirlsmedia.com/press.htm

Twelve Area Tech Firms Honored with Emerging Technology Awards

San Jose, Calif. -- Twelve of Silicon Valley's hottest young technology companies were crowned winners of the Emerging Technology Awards at a ceremony November 14 in Palo Alto. The awards, created by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, recognized companies representing a variety of technology-centered categories. Winners included Santa Clara-based FujiFilm for Biotechnology; Emeryville-based Ravenflow for Collaboration; San Mateo-based Genius Interactive for Customer Relationship Management; Redwood City-based Digital Deck for Entertainment; San Carlos-based Tesla Motors for Green Technology; Redwood Shores-based U3 and Mountain View-based RingCube, co-winners for Mobile Technology; Palo Alto-based PGP for Security; Fremont-based GrandCentral Communications for Internet Telephony; Palo Alto-based 4INFO for Wireless; and San Mateo-based SeeControl for Supply Chain Management. Three companies were named as finalists in each category.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/061115/1376349.html?.v=1

Apple Reportedly Hires China's Foxconn to Produce iPod Phones

San Francisco -- Chinese manufacturer Foxconn has received an order from Cupertino-based Apple to make 12 million units of a mobile phone that doubles as a music player, AppleInsider reported, citing the Chinese-language Commercial Times newspaper. A number of analysts have predicted over the past year that Apple is planning to introduce an iPod phone, including those from UBS Investment Research, American Technology Research, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Citigroup and Prudential. "The design will be an iPod nano-like candy bar form factor and come in three colors," American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu wrote in a research note back in September. Apple has also filed several trademark applications for an "iPhone." According to the Chinese report, the iPod phone is expected to ship during the first half of 2007.
http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2238

Randy Falco Replaces Jonathan Miller as Chairman and CEO of AOL

Dulles, Va. -- Following heavy media speculation about the move on Wednesday, parent Time Warner has officially named Randy Falco as the new chairman and CEO of AOL, replacing Jonaqthan Miller, who is leaving the company. Falco, who has served as the president and COO of NBC Universal Television Group since last year, is being tabbed to lead AOL into its next stage of development, following the company's recent transformation from a dial-up Internet provider to a web content firm largely supported by ad revenue. "AOL is showing early success in transitioning to an advertising-focused business model, and Randy is a first-rate choice to ensure AOL realizes its promise," said Dick Parsons, the chairman and CEO of Time Warner. Falco has held numerous executive positions since joining NBC in 1975, including president of the NBC Universal Television Network Group, group president of the NBC Television Network and president of the NBC Television Network. Miller, who joined AOL in 2002, gave no indication about his future plans. "Rarely do you come into an organization with as many challenges as AOL faced when I arrived and then have the great satisfaction of putting it on sound footing," he said in a statement.
http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1559998,00.html

San Mateo-Based YouTube, NHL Partner to Post Hockey Video Highlights

San Mateo, Calif. - In its first deal with a major sports league, Google's San Mateo-based YouTube video-sharing site has announced a partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) to post daily short-form video content for the 2006-2007 season. Beginning this month, video highlights of NHL regular season games will be available on YouTube within 24 hours of broadcast, along with other hockey-related programming. The NHL also will share in revenue from ads placed alongside hockey video clips, and will be able to use YouTube's "Claim Your Content" program, which allows producers to identify copyrighted content and either have it removed, or share in ad revenue on the infringing video clips. YouTube said that it is negotiating similar deals with other sports leagues.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=184893
http://www.youtube.com/nhl

Ziff Davis to Discontinue Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

San Francisco -- Ziff Davis Game Group, the San Francisco-based publisher of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, said that it will discontinue publication of the magazine after the January 2007 issue. The nine-year-old magazine was licensed by Sony exclusively for print, which Ziff Davis said no longer fits the company's strategic vision. "Unfortunately, given where we are taking the Game Group, it doesn't easily fit into our integrated media network or afford us digital media opportunities," said Scott McCarthy, the president of Ziff Davis Game Group. The company added that its strategy of bundling CDs in the magazine with game demos, videos and trailers is becoming obsolete with the advent of broadband-connected game consoles.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061114/nytu247.html?.v=2
http://www.ziffdavis.com/products/print/opm

Sunnyvale-Based Accuray Files to Raise Up to $230 Million in IPO

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Accuray, a Sunnyvale-based developer of image-guided robotic radiosurgery systems used to treat solid tumors in the body, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $230 million in an initial public offering (IPO). The company has yet to disclose details such as the number of shares to be offered or their expected price range. Current stockholders will be selling a portion of the shares. Accuray  has applied to list its stock on the Nassdaq National Market under the symbol "ARAY."
http://www.accuray.com/NewsEvents/PressReleases/YR2006/PR111306.aspx

Santa Clara-Based Attune Systems Raises $14 Million in New Funding

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Attune Systems, a Santa Clara-based maker of network file management appliances, said that it has raised $14 million in a new round of funding, led by RWI Ventures. New investor GF Private Equity Group and previous investors Alloy Ventures, QTV Capital, Rock Creek Capital and Shea Ventures also participated in the round, which the company plans to use to ramp up its sales, marketing, support and research and development efforts. Attune's file virtualization appliance is designed to help IT administrators manage and optimize their existing file storage resources without impacting end users.
http://www.attunesystems.com/press_release20061114.html