Monday, November 17, 2008American Internet Services Acquires Complex DriveSan Diego-based American Internet Services, a data center operator, said Monday that it has acquired fellow San Diego data center provider Complex Drive. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to AIS, there will be no changes to either company's existing staff or management team. Complex Drive has 20,000 square feet within three data centers in the San Diego Area. Both firms provide colocation and other data center services. AIS is owned by private equity firm Seaport (More info...)
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ISE Gets $17.5M For Hybrid-Electric TechnologyPoway-based ISE Corporation announced Monday afternoon that the firm has raised $17.5M in an equity investment for the firm's advanced hybrid-electric drive systems. According to ISE and its investors, the Series D funding came from Siemens Venture Capital, Macquarie Clean Technology Fund, DTE Energy Ventures, along with prior investors RockPort Capital partners and NGP Energy Technology Partners. The firm said the funding will go towards continuing the firm's sales to the transit bus marketplac (More info...)
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Boingo Buys Washington Wi-Fi ProviderLos Angeles-based Boingo Wireless has acquired another Wi-Fi networking provider, saying Monday that it has purchased the WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) from Parsons Transportation Group. WSDOT provides Wi-Fi access to the Washington State Ferries ferry fleet. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. According to Boingo, the acquisition adds 11 Washington State Ferries terminals, and 15 ferries to its network, which is used by commuters, professionals, and tourists on the ferry system. Boing (More info...)
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X PRIZE Foundation Looks To Crowdsourced "Green" IdeasPlaya Vista-based X PRIZE Foundation, the nonprofit group which was behind the first commercial spaceship to reach orbit, the Ansari X Prize, is ramping up another one of its competitions--this time, looking towards crowd-sourced "green ideas" for its X PRIZE in Energy and the Environment. According to the foundation, it has just opened up voting on three finalists for its "What's Your Crazy Green Idea" content on YouTube, which will award $25,000 to the best "green idea" for its next X PRIZE. T (More info...)
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Nexsan Names Sales HeadThousand Oaks-based Nexsan, a developer of storage hardware products, has appointed a new Chief Commercial Officer, the firm disclosed Monday. Nexsan said that Michael McGuire has joined the firm, reporting to CEO Philip Black, and will be in charge of worldwide sales, marketing, and business development. McGuire joins the firm from Sun Microsystems, where he was Vice President, Americas Storage Sales. He has also served at StorageTek prior to its acquisition by Sun.
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Cymer Axes 8 PercentSan Diego-based Cymer, which develops lasers used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, said Friday that it has laid off 8 percent, or 85 employees, from the firm. The company said the move will save it around $8.4M in annual savings. The company blamed the moves on the severity of the slowdown in the economy and semiconductor industry. The firm had earlier implemented a number of cost-savings measures, including cutting contractors, reducing travel, asking employees to use their accrued vacat (More info...)
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Big Stage Partners With VIDiGREETLos Angeles-based Big Stage Entertainment, a USC spinoff developing avatar technology, announced a new effort to provide its technology to third parties. Big Stage said it has created BackStage, which will offer its 3D face modeling technology to clients and partners. The firm said that it has signed on fellow Los Angeles startup VIDiGREET as its first client. VIDiGREET--a provider of funny, short greeting card videos--will use Big Stage's technology to allow users to send personalized video gre (More info...)
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Siimpel Gets New InvestmentArcadia-based Siimpel Corporation, a developer of micro-electrical-mechanical optical technology, announced today that it has scored another round of funding. Amount of the funding was not disclosed. Siimpel said the new round of funding was led by DOCOMO Capital, and also included Qualcomm, Motorola, Micron Technology, and its existing venture investors, which includes Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Portage Venture Partners, Zone Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, and SunAmerica. Siimpel is developing (More info...)
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Qualcomm Licenses Wi-Fi Location TechnologySan Diego-based Qualcomm has licensed Wi-Fi positioning technology from Boston-based startup Skyhook Wireless, the firms said Monday morning. Skyhook said that Qualcomm is licensing and distributing the firm's technology, which uses Wi-Fi access point information to determine a user's location. Skyhook's software compares Wi-Fi information with a database of geolocated Wi-Fi access points to determine location; Qualcomm is incorporating that technology into future GPS and assisted-GPS platforms. (More info...)
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FastSoft Gets Win At Limelight NetworksPasadena-based FastSoft, which develops Internet acceleration appliances, announced Monday morning that the firm's hardware has been deployed by Limelight Networks. According to FastSoft, the firm's products are being used to help speed the upload of content objects to Limelight's servers. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed. FastSoft is a Caltech spinoff which has developed software appliances which accelerate TCP transfers; the firm's technology uses an optimized version of the TCP (More info...)
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Dot Hill Expands BoardCarlsbad-based storage systems manufacturer Dot Hill Systems said late Friday that it has appointed Thomas H. Marmen to the firm's board. Dot Hill said that Marmen was most recently President and CEO of TimeLab Corporation, and has also served at Broadcom Corporation, RAIDCore, Quantum, Adaptec, Material Research Corporation, and DEC. Marmen is also on the board of fellow storage firm Ciprico.
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