Breaking News

Plex Systems Still Eyeing IPO In 2012 AUBURN HILLS – Plex Systems continues to eye an initial public offering in 2012 as it reports a 30-percent revenue gain for fiscal 2011 in a year when many other Michigan companies struggled to break even.

Strategic Staffing Solutions Posts 21st Consecutive Year Of Revene Growth DETROIT - Strategic Staffing Solutions, the Detroit-based global information technology and business services company, reported earnings of $220 million in 2011, a $15 million gain from 2010, marking the 21st consecutive years of annual revenue growth. Profit figures were not announced.

Labor Department Creates Contest For Software Apps To Promote Equal Pay WASHINGTON – Seeking novel ways to eliminate the gender gap in pay, the U.S. Department of Labor and its federal agency partners on the National Equal Pay Task Force announced Wednesday a contest for creating software applications that use the department's data to promote equal pay for men and women.

Liquid Web Updates Storm On Demand To Work With Many Operating Systems LANSING - After recently announcing its expansion into multiple Regions across the United States, Storm On Demand, the cloud hosting arm of managed hosting provider Liquid Web, has made updates that let users work on a variety of operating systems.

BioPhotonic Solutions Wins Top Prize At Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest ANN ARBOR – BioPhotonic Solutions of East Lansing won the $5000 first place award in the Emerging Company category at the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest business-plan competition Tuesday night at the ACE’12 entrepreneurship event at Skyline High School.

Purchasing Managers Index Rebounds Sharply In January DETROIT - The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index made a sharp rebound in January, alleviating concerns about a slowdown for the Michigan economy.

Cyber Defense

FileVault 2 Easily Decrypted, Warns Passware SAN FRANCISCO - One of the welcome features in OS X Lion was the replacement of Apple's first-generation FileVault file encryption technology, which only encrypted the home folder, with a new whole-disk encryption approach.

IT Resource Hosts Webinar Feb. 15 On Data Backup, Recovery COOPERSVILLE - IT Resource is hosting a webinar focusing on data backup, data recovery, and business continuity services on February 15 from 12-1pm.

Cloud Computing

Trivalent Group Earns HP PartnerONE Certification GRANDVILLE - Trivalent Group, one of Michigan's largest technology firms, was recently recognized by Hewlett-Packard Company for superior customer expertise by earning a HP PartnerONE Professional Networking Specialist Certification

Top 10 Tech Predictions For 2012: Lead By Cloud Computing, Tablet Computers GRANDVILLE – Cloud computing, agile methodology, tablet computers, mobile applications, and IT security are among the top technology trends for 2012, says Dawn Simpson, VP of Market Development for Trivalent, an IT services and data management company.

Entrepreneur's Corner

Eastern Michigan Presents Sesi Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference Feb. 11 YPSILANTI - Michigan-based business owners will share their success with aspiring entrepreneurs as the Eastern Michigan University College of Business presents the Sesi Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference on February 11 at the EMU Student Center. The conference will focus on Innovation and Green entrepreneurship in Michigan.

Mobile Technology Association Hosts Funding Options Event Feb. 13 DETROIT - If you're a mobile technology company looking for funding, then Mobile Monday Detroit on February 13th is where you want to be.

CleanUpdate

Azure Dynamics Sells 45 Ford Transit Connect Electric Vehicles OAK PARK - Azure Dynamics announced 45 new Ford Transit Connect Electric sales, including 20 units in Europe and 25 units in North America, which includes six initial units through the General Services Administration via Northside Ford in San Antonio, TX, a four unit order from Verizon and a four unit order from an internet company.

McClure Named To DTE Energy Board Of Directors DETROIT - Charles G. "Chip" McClure Thursday was named to the DTE Energy board of directors. McClure, 58, is chairman, president and CEO of Meritor Inc. He joined the company in 2004.

TiE Detroit

Youngsoft Creates Puzzle App For Apple Products WIXOM – Youngsoft, a software developer for business, now has added an Apple game app to its product portfolio, a puzzle app called Treasure Zap.

TiE Detroit Launches Healthcare Special Interest Group Dec. 15 SOUTHFIELD - TiE Detroit announce the launch of its Healthcare Special Interest Group with an event called Entrepreneurship in Healthcare December 15 at the Westin-Southfield.

Guest Columns

Clarification: On Duke Energy's Cancellation Of Gail Windpower Project COPEMISH, Mi. - Your article on the Duke Energy discontinuing the Gail Wind farm Project was in general accurate, but for a couple of quotes by me. I would like to clarify a few things and provide your readers with a more accurate picture and content of our discussion.

Report: Online Lead Capabilities Produces Four Times Business Growth RESTON, Va. - A new report from Hinge, which provides branding and marketing for professional services, has announced companies generating 40 percent of their leads online grew four times faster than businesses without online lead capabilities.

Biotechnology

MEDC Exec Named Director Of WMU's Biosciences R&D Center KALAMAZOO – Michigan Economic Development Corp. executive Stephen Haakenson has been named executive director of Western Michigan University's Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center, effective Feb. 6.

Michigan Ranks 7th In Midwest Health Care Investments In 2011 CLEVELAND - Midwest health care companies attracted $810 Million in new investments across 178 companies in 2011 according to the BioEnterprise Midwest Health Care Venture Investment Report. Sixteen Michigan companies received $30.8 million in investments, ranking the Wolverine state 7th out of 11 surveyed.

Politics

Vote On Expanding Cyberschools Expected Next Week LANSING - After more than two hours of testimony Wednesday that has followed weeks of deliberation, Rep. Tom McMillin, House Education Committee chair, said he thinks a vote is likely next week on SB 619 , which removes the cap on cyberschools in Michigan.

Morouns Continue Spending Spree For Legislators' Campaigns LANSING - Facing competition from the New International Trade Crossing, the Moroun family, owners of the Ambassador Bridge, continued to contribute thousands to legislators' campaign and political action committees in 2011.

New Products/Contracts

Bank Of Ann Arbor Marshall Named To Fed's Chicago Advisory Council ANN ARBOR - Bank of Ann Arbor CEO Timothy Marshall has been approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank to serve as Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Community Depository Institution Advisory Council. Marshall was originally appointed to serve as one of the twelve council members representing the five state Chicago Federal Reserve region in early 2011.

Frontier Computer Corp. Named Preferred Distributor For Peplink Routers TRAVERSE CITY – Frontier Computer Corp. has been named a preferred North American distributor for Peplink Multi-WAN Routers - saving customers money and providing more reliability than leased lines.