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Texas Council Newsletter - August 2008

Greetings

From the desk of Clare Freeman...  

Is your calendar handy? AeA Texas has great programs and events lined up that you will not want to miss. We’re working hard for technology companies, to keep you ahead of the curve and at the top of your game.
 

Get a global reality check on Aug. 12 at the CFO Forum, the topic is Perspectives on the Global Economic Landscape: Current Trends and Analysis presented by Don Hicks, Professor of Economics at UTD, and Tom Siems, Sr. Economist and Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve and Economics Professor at SMU. These two renowned experts will tell you what’s happening now in the global economy that can impact your company.

To register, click here: www.aeanet.org/CFOforumTX
 

Why should your company go green? What’s in it for you? Come to the AeA conference Going Green: Think Globally, Profit Locally and find out why going green is just good business! You will hear from experts in sustainability, green IT and on the ROI of green as well as from companies developing cutting edge technology designed to make our world run faster and be more productive using less and alternative energy. This half-day conference is time well spent for anyone responsible for company operations. You’ll learn how to save money now by implementing “green” IT policies as well as how to communicate your green policies to customers and investors. The program will be held on Wed., Aug. 27 from 8:30 – 1 pm and is one of the City of Dallas’ Sustainability Week events. Join Intel, TI, IBM and UTD for a very enlightening half day that may help you change the way your company operates and put more money to your bottom line.

To register or sponsor this event, visit www.aeanet.org/GoingGreenTX or contact Tiffany Sefton at tiffany_sefton@aeanet.org or 972-386-6540 x102.
 

Join AeA CEOs on Sept. 18 for “A Night in the Vineyard”, being held at the Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine (www.delaneyvineyards.com) This is sure to be another memorable evening filled with gourmet food, great wine and good conversation. Check the website soon for all the details about sponsorship and to register.

Nominations for the 2008 AeA Texas Legend Award have closed. Mark your calendar to attend the Tech Titans Gala on Sept. 26 to find out who the recipient of this prestigious award will be this year.

This honor is awarded to an individual, company or organization that has made significant contributions to “advancing the business of technology” and maintained close ties to AeA. Last year’s recipient was Gene Franz of Texas Instruments, co-inventor of the Speak ‘n Spell and also of DSP technology. Both technologies have changed the electronics industry forever.

We had many wonderful Texas Legends submitted for consideration, and after much deliberation, the AeA Texas Council Executive Committee voted on these four finalists:

Pike Powers, partner with Fulbright & Jaworski in Austin
Pike has been called the godfather of Austin technology. He has helped bring economic growth and prosperity to the Austin region and the state of Texas. His influence in the state’s economy is far reaching.

Pike was the leader in creating the Texas Technology Initiative (TTI), established in 2002 and is a collaboration between government, academia and private industry. This initiative gave birth to the Enterprise Fund, used to recruit SEMATECH and AMD to Austin bringing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue to the state of Texas. The TTI also spawned the Emerging Technology Funds, which fosters the growth of new technology companies throughout Texas.

Pike has served on the AeA board of directors for many years and is a big supporter of AeA in Texas and beyond.

W. Dal Berry
Dal Berry has had a huge impact on the technology industry and companies all over the world. Dal was CEO of VMX, the company that invented voicemail and took them public in 1983. In his 30 year career, Dal has served on countless boards of directors, having a significant impact in each instance. Dal also served as chairman of the AeA Texas Council and on the AeA National Board of Directors.

Dr. James Truchard, founder and CEO, National Instruments
Under James Truchard’s leadership, National Instruments pioneered the development of virtual instrumentation software and hardware that has revolutionized the way engineers approach measurement and automation applications. In 1986, Truchard co-invented LabVIEW graphical development software, allowing engineers and scientists to quickly and intuitively build a customer-defined solution for measurement and automation.

No longer a 3-man team, National Instruments is now a global organization with over 4,000 employees. Dr. Truchard has led the company with a conservative, deliberate approach that has yielded steady company growth for 29 of its 30 year history.

National Instruments has been a member of AeA for 15 years and is a great partner for the organization in promoting math and science education in our schools as well as helping us advocate for legislation that advances the business of technology.

Matt Blanton, STARTech
Matt Blanton, recently named one of the most influential people in Colin County, was a founder of STARTech, a business incubator focused on developing technology-based start-ups. STARTech has created strong networks of executives, entrepreneurs, co-investors and other partners which allow them broad visibility into Texas deal flow. Matt implemented the STARTech Mentor Program, where he recruits and trains high level executives to volunteer time helping evaluate companies coming to STARTech for seed funding.

Matt has over 30 years of experience as a business executive in the computer and telecommunications industries. Prior to founding STARTech in 1997, Matt directed R&D for Hewlett Packard and has also held positions in product management, marketing and engineering at Siemens, IBM, ROLM, Data General and NASA.

The 2008 recipient of the Texas Legend Award will be named at the Tech Titan’s Gala on Sept. 26 at the Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Parkway. Visit the Texas Legends website:

 www.aeanet.org/events/txts_tech_titans_2008.asp

How would you like to play golf and support a great after-school program for kids at the same time? AeA has partnered with Big Thought to create a new after-school enrichment pro-gram for elementary school kids in the Dallas Independent School District designed to spark their interest in science and math. Everyday Einsteins will roll out in the DISD to some campuses this fall. Big Thought has put together a stellar advisory panel to help them build a curriculum that encourages kids to develop critical thinking skills and be curious about the world around them. AeA Texas is proud to support Everyday Einsteins and host The Big Swing Golf Tournament on Oct. 27 at Indian Creek Golf Club to raise funding needed to power the program.

Visit www.aeanet.org/Events/txts_EEgolf_102708.asp to register your foursome.

We’re accepting sponsors for this event now and invite you to complete the form and fax it in with your selection for sponsorship:

www.aeanet.org/events/txts_ee_sponsorship.asp

The second annual AeA Global Trade Compliance Conference will be held on Nov. 6 in Austin at National Instruments. This full day conference is designed to keep tech companies current on new trade compliance issues and regulations that are critical to their ability to sell products overseas. Designed by and for trade compliance specialists, this conference will only be available on Santa Clara and Austin, and will bring trade compliance experts from all over the U.S. together for a full day of conference and sharing best practices.

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If you have any questions or need further information, please contact me directly at clare_freeman@aeanet.org or 972-386-6540 x104.

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AeA Preparing for 2009 Texas Legislative Session

In preparation for the arrival of the Texas Legislature in January 2009, AeA’s State Governmental Affairs program is preparing a proactive legislative agenda and reaching out to legislators and candidates to build support for our legislative package. On August 15th, the Texas Council Public Policy Committee will meet in Austin to discuss the major legislative agenda items we will be pushing including:

• Research and Development – AeA will be proposing changes to the state’s tax structure to exempt materials and equipment purchased for R&D purposes from the state sales and use tax. Additionally, AeA will be pursuing a Research and Development tax credit to be applied toward the state’s new margins tax. The margins tax replaced the “franchise tax”, which had offered an R&D credit.

• Public and Higher Education – AeA will continue to push for improvements to Texas’ educational systems to ensure that our state has the technically skilled workforce to meet the economic challenges of the future. Greater math and science literacy in primary and secondary schools and an increase in the number of engineering graduates from our universities are critical to our long-term technological capabilities and to our economy. AeA will seek increases in the Technology Allotment allocated on a per student basis for technology related equipment and programs. Current funding levels are wholly inadequate and leave students unprepared to enter a technology-based economy and workforce.

• Business Taxes and Fiscal Issues – AeA will seek small but significant changes to the state’s new business tax including changes to ensure fair treatment for companies whose workforce is retained on a contractual basis, so called “1099 employees.”

There are many other issues that will be included in the larger agenda. If you have an interest in participating in the agenda’s development or in the work of the Policy Committee, please contact Jeff Clark at jeff_clark@aeanet.org or by phone at 512-474-4403 x101.

AeA Texas Council SGA Engages to Correct State Agency Interpretation of Poorly Crafted Law

A recent change in law enacted during the 2007 Texas legislative session nearly created mayhem for personal computer users and corporate IT departments statewide. An interpretation of House Bill 2833 by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Private Security Bureau would have required most computer repair professionals to obtain a private investigator’s license. The law was initially interpreted so broadly that anyone investigating the presence of a virus, corrupted files, pornography, or any other data issues would be required to be licensed by the state. Any investigative service, such as investigating the presence of a virus, would require a licensed investigator.

Clearly this had far-reaching ramifications for our industries. In covering the story, the Dallas Morning-News said that the law might cause computer users to “justifiably go berserk” and AeA agreed. When the issue was raised, we engaged with a coalition of concerned groups to meet with the bill’s author to clarify his intent, and pressured the Texas Department of Public Safety to prevent the misguided law from taking effect a interpreted. In the end, the Texas Department of Public Safety responded affirmatively and, thanks to work by AeA and its partners, reiterated the following in their July 23rd meeting:

• Information obtained through the review and analysis of the content of computer-based data with the intent to use such data as evidence in a criminal or civil hearing must be obtained and furnished by an investigations company licensed under the Private Security Act or by an individual exempted from licensure under Section 1702.323(a) of the act.

• The repair or maintenance of a computer does not require licen-   sing under the Act, even if during the course of the repair or maintenance the person discovers information described by Section 1702.104(a)(1).

This was a victory for AeA and for common sense.

NCSL Tables Resolution Attacking RFID After SGA Push

Recently, at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in New Orleans, a standing committee tabled a resolution which urged restrictions on the use RFID technology in state identity documents. The committee’s action came as the direct result of AeA's lobbying on the issue. In April, the NCSL Committee on Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce adopted a resolution urging the federal government not to dictate the use of RFID technology in state identity documents. While AeA is sympathetic to the historic NCSL position on states' rights, we believed the resolution focused too heavily on RFID technology and contained numerous inaccuracies about this helpful technology.

AeA expressed its concerns to the committee chairwoman, Senator Delores Kelley from Maryland and was supported in its efforts by Illinois State Senator Dan Rutherford and Texas State Representative Charlie Howard, who serve on the committee. The successful delay gives us time to discuss this issue further and craft a strategy to work with NCSL members between now and the end of the year on a more reasonable version of the resolution.

There is a great deal going on in your state capitol and the AeA Texas Council is in the middle of the fight. We’re working to make Texas a premiere location in which to operate a high-technology business and we welcome your participation in our work. Please on us whenever you have questions or concerns. For more information on the AeA Texas Council legislative program, or if you have an interest in serving as a member of the Public Policy Committee, please contact Jeff Clark in the Austin office at 512-474-4403 or by email at jeff.clark@aeanet.org.

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Upcoming Events

8.12.08 - Dallas - CFO Forum

Perspectives on the Global Economic Landscape: Current Trends and Analysis

Speakers: Don Hicks, Special Assistant to the President, Professor, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UTD; Tom Siems, Senior Economist and Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Attendance at AeA CFO Forums is limited to CEO, CFO, COO and SVPs of technology companies. Only those service providers sponsoring the series may send representatives.

8.21.08 - Dallas - AeA Texas CEO Roundtable

The CEO Roundtable is a monthly meeting for DFW based AeA member company CEOs to discuss their most pressing business issues while offering and/or seeking the advice of their peers. Each participant is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and the Forum is professionally moderated. *CEOs only*  *AeA members only*  If you are interested in joining the CEO Roundtable, please contact Tiffany Sefton at (972) 386-6540 or  tiffany_sefton@aeanet.org.

8.27.08 - Dallas - Going Green. Think Globally, Profit Locally.

A growing wave of technology companies in all sectors are embracing environmentally safe practices and saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Attend this half-day conference and learn from leading experts how your company can lower operating costs, increase worker productivity and reduce your carbon footprint. Visit www.aeanet.org/GoingGreenTX for the program agenda, speaker bios, location and other information.

9.18.08 - Dallas - AeA Texas CEO Roundtable

The CEO Roundtable is a monthly meeting for DFW based AeA member company CEOs to discuss their most pressing business issues while offering and/or seeking the advice of their peers. Each participant is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and the Forum is professionally moderated. *CEOs only*  *AeA members only*  If you are interested in joining the CEO Roundtable, please contact Tiffany Sefton at (972) 386-6540 or  tiffany_sefton@aeanet.org.

9.18.08 - Dallas - A Night in the Vineyard

Tech industry CEOs, join us for an elegant evening wining and dining at Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine. In addition to exclusive networking opportunities, the evening will include a presentation on the art and history of winemaking. Hosted by AeA, Cushman & Wakefield and Roach Howard Smith & Barton.

9.23.08 - Dallas - AeA Texas CFO Forum - Topic TBD 

Location: InterContinental Hotel Dallas.  More details to come.

  
Local Council Events - AeA Events Calendar

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2GO Software Solutions is a subscription based software vendor that develops mobile software applications for businesses who have employees in the field. 2GO's applications are created industry specific and can be tailored to a specific business and allow companies to increase the productivity of their field forces while significantly decreasing their operational costs.

AVIDwireless builds cell phones for machines and helps companies communicate with them.   An experienced rapid growth company focused on the wireless and machine-to-machine (M2M) space, AVIDwireless empowers its clients to make critical decisions anywhere, anytime by leveraging mobile technology. They specialize in delivering total pervasive solutions utilizing wireless technology such as GPRS, CDMA, Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS, RFID etc. For the past 9 years AVIDwireless has been developing and integrating wireless technology with enterprise applications. Their vast experience expands numerous industries such as Medical, Oil & Gas, Environmental, Process Control, Field Force Automation, Asset Tracking, Telephony integration, and more.

Mavenir enables service providers inter-connect any access with any network and any service AND ensures seamless service delivery. Specifically, interconnect between access dependent mobile handsets and SIP/IMS client enabled devices. Mavenir has developed a patent pending ICE or Intelligent Convergence Engine, and Converging Multi-protocol Multimedia Session Controller. The Intelligent Convergence Engine relies on standard based open interfaces allowing for interworking with current services cores and access networks. The magic of the technology is in the service adaptation logic that is required to bridge the technology barriers to provide innovative services.

NetSocket ensures better-quality, more reliable IP services so that carriers can satisfy their most demanding and most profitable customers. Using Session2-Topology correlation, the NetSocket solution makes the impossible possible. By giving service providers the vision to see, in real-time, how sessions traverse their networks, NetSocket helps carriers identify and resolve issues within their networks quickly, maximizing network performance, reducing costs and improving their customers’ quality of experience.

Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions, Incorporated (TAOS) is based in Plano, Texas. Established in 1998, the company mission is 'To Redefine Optoelectronic Solutions to Provide Cost and Performance Advantages by Creating and Managing Technology’. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, their semiconductor devices combine precision mixed-signal functionality with photo-detectors on the same integrated circuit to produce products with performance and cost advantages over conventional solutions. TAOS’s intelligent opto sensors simplify the measurement and analog-to-digital conversion of light, and are designed to reduce the need for signal conditioning or pre-processing circuitry in light-centric systems. Their light sensing solutions improve system performance and reduce design-cycle time giving designers the flexibility and performance they require at an attractive system cost.
 

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Member Resources

AeA's Salary Survey provides you with the information you need to ensure you are compensating your valuable employees at the current market value. Unlike other products on the market, with AeA's online subscription you are able to access fresh data anytime, day or night. We are your resource for:

• Current Data - Updated daily, year-round, access the most up-to-date data available

• Custom Reports - Refine searches based on region, industry or company type at no extra cost

• Free Access - AeA Members receive a complimentary annual sub-scription, just for participating 

Participate in the AeA Salary Survey Between August 4 - 26
and be Entered to Win One of Three Great Prizes!

 

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Marketing Update

Tiffany Sefton, Programs and Events Manager

AeA Texas - Austin Office