Melissa Ford, CEO, Vektrex

As an active reader of the AeA California Monday Morning report, I am always amazed at the potential harm legislation has on our business. Legislators start out with good intentions but sometimes fail to see the broader picture. A good example of this is privacy, I, like most technology executives are fully supportive of good privacy protection, however the rush to legislate specific technologies rather than behavior or actions is very disconcerting to many companies. Is our technology next ? How does it effect my company? Do I have any additional litigation risk?? These are all legitimate questions for companies operating in California.

Roxanne Gould, AeA Senior Vice President, CA Government and Public Affairs, recently visited the local AeA Executive Committee to brief us on tech issues in Sacramento and she did not paint a rosy picture. Roxanne was especially concerned about how emboldened some of the special interest groups felt and its relation to legislation that could effect the tech industry. The AeA Executive Committee thanked Roxanne and her team for all the hard work and committed to sending a large contingent to this years California High Tech Summit. This is our chance to speak to the legislators first hand and let them know their actions have real world impact on our businesses. 

I hope you can join me on this important trip on May 16th.

Melissa

Council News

Join us for AeA’s Sorrento Valley Spring Mixer!

• Meet prospective clients and partners
• Network with San Diego technology peers
• Plug into San Diego's largest high-tech network

Featuring CEOs/Presidents from the hottest Sorrento Valley technology companies!

Date: Thursday, April 19th
Time: 4:30pm to 7:00pm
Location: Staccato Communications
Address: 6195 Lusk Blvd., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121

Cost:
$20 - AeA Members
$40 - Non-Members

*Beverages & Appetizers Included

Register Now

Sponsors:

Big Bang Membership Drive -- there is still time to win! 
Sign up and score points, then pick up your prize at the April 19th mixer!

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Company Spotlight: 

Z Microsystems 

For all the talk of the next big thing, San Diego’s bread and butter tech companies keep plugging along. One of these Z Microsystems recently moved its HQ a few miles. Jack Wade, CEO recently had me over to see his new digs and see what they are up to. Z Micro makes ruggedized computers, I mean really really rugged as in ‘dropping it from a pallet from a C130 into some remote valley in Afghanistan tough’ His new digs are very symbolic of the success Z Micro has enjoyed the past few years. The first thing I noticed during his tour was some of the office walls were a shiny off white. I asked Jack about this and he tossed me a sharpie and told me to write on the wall, sure enough the wall was writable and thankfully erasable. What a cool thing to have in your office an entire white board. Jack told me this function works very well and creates a more collaborative spirit in the company. 

The products 
The modern battlefield is just as much about data as it is about bullets and all the data in the world is useless if your computer does not work. Jack showed me some of the tests they put their computers through…….ouch. The computers are all subjected to weather extremes as well as shock and other real world tests. Z-micro does face some significant competition from some of the larger defense companies, however the success of Z Micro computers in the field have given them a one up on some of the big guys. Government procurement is always a long process and Z Micro is always at risk at the vagaries of government budgets. Jack is confident in his products and is proud that it is giving our soldiers an edge over the bad guys. 

Jack has been an AeA member for almost as long as there has been a Z Microsystems. His staffs are beneficiaries of many AeA Roundtables. Jack is also involved in some of the advocacy activities we do, especially in our interaction with the local congressional delegation. It is important to Jack that the local delegation understands the importance of the regional high tech community, especially as it relates to defense issues. Jack has also been a big proponent of AeA’s San Diego’s work on traffic relief, especially in Sorrento Valley. 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 22 - Marketing and Sales Roundtable - Differentiation: Web Presence
March 29 - Product Development Roundtable - High Performing Team
April 5 -     AeA HR Roundtable - Become an Employer of Choice
April 12 -  Operations Roundtable: Shingo Prize Criteria and Award (More info to come)
April 19 -   Sorrento Valley Spring Mixer

Other Upcoming Events:

June 13 - AeA Operations Roundtable: Lean Six Sigma Training Event

The June event is a new and exciting format for the AeA Operations Roundtable.

It will be a four-hour session held in a comfortable setting with a continental breakfast served.

Ric Van Der Linden of ProgressivEdge and Steve Ebbing of the ebbing group will provide this half-day overview of Lean Six Sigma. The attendees will learn the benefits of Lean Six Sigma, gain knowledge of the tools and will learn how to implement Lean Six Sigma. They will experience the concepts of Lean (reduction of waste) and Six Sigma (reduction of variation). The application of these tools will lead to greater customer satisfaction, increased profits, and greater employee satisfaction.

Who should attend:

The intended audience is senior, mid-level managers and individual contributors who want to learn and experience Lean Six Sigma and/or lead their improvement process.
All the attendees will receive a handout of the materials presented and a certificate of attendance.

Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Time: 7:30am -11:30am
Location: ViaSat
Address: 6155 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92009

Program:
Registration/Networking - 7:00am (Continental Breakfast included)
Workshop - 7:30am - 11:30am

Cost:
$95 - AeA Members
$145 - Non-Members

To register, please e-mail: susana_capulong@aeanet.org
 
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The AeA San Diego Council welcomes its newest members!

Full Corporate Members:

Advanced Test Equipment Corp.
AEM, Inc.
Intercasting Corp.
Mad Dog Multimedia, Inc.
Networkcar, Inc.
Tiernan, A Radyne Company


Associate Members:

Barney & Barney
Chapman University
 

Upcoming Member Events:

UCSD Extension - Open House and Learning Forum

Date: Thursday, March 22, 2007
Time: 5:00-7:30pm
Location: Price Center Ballroom on UCSD Main Campus.

The Open House will emphasize career advancement opportunities and trends, personal enrichment, and a roadmap to professional and personal growth. This event will offer excellent networking opportunities, and attendees will be able to get acquainted with professional associations and support groups.

RSVP - extension.ucsd.edu/openhouse

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National News

State, Federal, and International Lobbying

- AeA Members Speak to World Trade Organization on Concerns Over Information Technology Agreement Product Coverage 
On January 18, 2007, several representatives from AeA member companies and AeA Senior Vice President International, Rob Mulligan (bio), participated in a program at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland raising concerns about the loss of duty free treatment for several IT products covered by the Information Technology Agreement (ITA)...more.

- Tell Congress to Act Quickly on Competitiveness 
Since the February 2005 release of AeA's groundbreaking report, "Losing the Competitiveness Advantage: The Challenge for Science and Technology in the United States" AeA has been actively asking lawmakers in Congress to act quickly in passing legislation that helps the U.S. to remain competitive in the global economy...more. 

To join the 200+ leading corporations, universities, and industry groups that have signed the proclamation and to read the full text visit: http://www.aeanet.org/proclamation

- AeA State Government Affairs (AeA/SGA) Winter SPAN Meeting Recap & Top Priorities 
Last month, AeA/SGA held it's State Policy Action Network (SPAN) meeting in Santa Clara, CA with over 30 member companies represented. Twice every year, AeA's members come together to discuss how to shape public policy at the state level, and to determine which issues are critical to the high-tech industry and deserve our immediate attention...more.

- Monthly CyberSTAT: Monthly CyberSTAT: Federal R&D Funding by Field: Percent of Total Funding (1982 - 2005)
Over the past two decades, federal R&D funding has shifted away from technology – defined as engineering, physical sciences, math, and computer science. In 1982, technology R&D represented 48 percent of the federal government's R&D budget and life sciences represented 36 percent. By 2005, these priorities had switched, with technology R&D at 32 percent of the federal R&D budget and life sciences at 54 percent...more.

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Government Procurement  

- Sun CEO & President to Keynote AeA Annual Technology 4 Government Dinner - Register Today!

AeA is pleased to announce that Jonathan Schwartz, CEO & President, Sun Microsystems, Inc. will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 AeA Technology 4 Government Dinner, to be held on Tuesday, June 5, in Washington, DC. The annual dinner is the premier DC, networking event bringing hundreds of industry, government, and congressional leaders together at one venue...more.

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Insurance Services 

- Wellness Program Adds Value to AeA’s New UnitedHealthcare Insurance Program 
Wellness programs help control the cost of health care by empowering employees to improve their well-being and productivity. The AeA/UnitedHealthcare program has initiated a unique National Wellness Challenge that began in January. The new program offers tools and support for participating companies to motivate and focus employees on proper diet, exercise and smoking cessation...more.

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Access to Investors  

- AeA Microcap Financial Conference: Limited to 100 Companies, Register Today to Guarantee Your Spot 
Register today to guarantee your spot at the AeA Micro Cap Financial Conference. Showcasing 100 publicly traded technology companies with up to $200M in market cap or revenues, this AeA conference is a time and cost effective event for emerging companies and investors focused on the high-tech industry...more.

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Attention Publicity Seekers! Do you want your company or CEO featured? Do you have a new product launch or offering you'd like our members to know about? AeA Uplink reaches thousands of technology executives! Contact Lauri Keller, Uplink Editor, at 858.452.9288 x102.