New Tax Plan for Florida Manufacturers Unveiled
 

Gov. Jeb Bush has announced plans to help Florida's manufacturers by eliminating the state's sales tax on research and development (R&D) equipment and ending the $50,000 tax revenue threshold on manufacturing equipment for expanding manufacturers.

The new plans will end manufacturer penalties for innovating, expanding and modernizing equipment. This opens the door for an increase in manufacturing in Florida, as well as new career opportunities.

For additional information, visit www.fedc.net.

UCF Receives $1.5 Million Federal Grant
The University of Central Florida (UCF) received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant will be used to help finance the expansion of the UCF School of Optics research and development facility, helping to further grow Orlando's photonics industry.

In addition to retaining 123 jobs and creating another 265 jobs, the investment is expected to generate $27 million in private sector investment. The EDA grant follows Florida's $10 million investment in the new Photonics Center of Excellence within the UCF School of Optics.

For additional information, visit news.ucf.edu

Stem Cells Reduce Stroke Damage
The University of South Florida and the Medical College of Georgia have discovered a way to dramatically reduce stroke intensity and damage by up to 40 percent. Researchers found that combining mannitol - a drug known to temporarily breach the brain's protective barrier and umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells - provides an effective treatment for stroke victims.
 

Additional studies found that at the same low dose used to accompany the stem cells, mannitol alone was ineffective. But due to the difficulties in harvesting stem cells, drugs like mannitol make it possible to treat stroke patients with cells from only a few umbilical cords.

For additional information, visit www.usf.edu

Corridor Companies Ranked in Top 500 Fastest Growing Tech Firms
Six Corridor companies have been ranked as the fastest growing technology companies in North America. These companies include: Tampa's Z-Tel Technologies, Inc., Jagged Peak and NetWolves Corporation; Altamonte Spring's Columbia Data Products; St. Petersburg's First Advantage Corporation; and, Orlando's LightPath Technologies, Inc.

The 2004 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte & Touche, LLP was based on the percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over five years (1999-2003).

For additional information, visit www.deloitte.com

TBTF Announces Industry Achievement Awards Winners
Tampa Bay Technology Forum announced their Industry Achievement Awards at an awards banquet for more than 300 guests. The awards, which spotlight company success stories, were based on innovation, rather than on overall revenue growth.

The 50 plus nominations were narrowed down by a panel of judges, and six winners were announced. The winners and categories were: Paradyne for Innovation of the Year; Persystent Technology Corporation for Early Stage Company of the Year; Custom Manufacturing & Engineering for Small to Mid Size Company of the Year; Syniverse Technologies for Large Company of the Year; KForce for Professional Services Firm of the Year; and Suzanne Boland, RFB Communications for Technology Leader of the Year.

For additional information, visit www.tbtf.org

Florida Tech to Construct State's Largest Telescope
The Florida Institute of Technology has received a $150,000 gift by an anonymous Brevard County donor that will enable it to construct the state's largest telescope on top of the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building.

Construction on the 32-inch telescope will begin in 2005 and will take approximately 18 months to complete.

For additional information, visit www.fit.edu

USF "FEEDS" Used by Student in Afghanistan
University of South Florida (USF) graduate student, MacKenzie Clark, has continued his engineering courses while working in Afghanistan via the university's Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS).

FEEDS offers courses through which students can complete degrees and certificates via streaming video and through a software program called "Elluminate Academic Live!"

Clark, who is working as a counter narcoterrorism project manager to rebuild the war-torn infrastructure, logs on for the weekly two-hour class from an American compound in Kabul.

For additional information, visit www.usfnews.usf.edu

Television Series Provides Strategies for Business Owners
WCEU Television 15, a service organization of Daytona Beach Community College, is offering a 13-week series titled "Small Business Hotline," which will provide strategies, ideas and resources to help business owners create a successful company.
The series, which began December 7, will run through March 1 on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and will repeat on Saturdays at 4 p.m.

Topics will be presented through interviews and discussions with successful Central Florida small business owners and resource specialists and will cover planning, finance, customer care, self-management, technology and networking.

For additional information, visit www.wceu.org

Ascendovations Launches Interactive Kiosk
Orlando-based Ascendovations has recently launched ExpressCheck, an interactive kiosk which allows hotel guests to check in or check out using an interactive touch-screen display. The system will be marketed to hotels worldwide.

ExpressCheck is managed by a Web-based program, which provides up-to-the minute reports to hotel administrators. It allows customers to choose from a variety of leasing and purchasing plans. The ExpressCheck kiosk will be tested at Days Inn hotels.

For additional information, visit www.hotelmotel.com

NDI Technologies Graduates from Seminole Incubator
NDI Technologies, an international company based in the United Kingdom, recently graduated its U.S. subsidiary from the Seminole Technology Business Incubation Center (STBIC).

NDI is in the rollout phase for multiple products that focus on homeland security and the education market, such as their product "ALPR" that allows car license tags to be scanned and compared to various databases and ConsoliData, which allows law enforcement to access numerous databases.

NDI also produces WinSuite, which is being used by Seminole, Miami-Dade, Polk and Brevard County schools. This allows users to enhance the security of their desktop.

For additional information, visit www.nditect.net.

Tech Data Enhances Software Licensing
Clearwater-based Tech Data Corporation has broadened its Software Licensing Program by adding support for Red Hat and Novell to its licensing desk. Tech Data's licensing desk provides quote and bid preparation, order entry, part number retrieval, authorization and agreement assistance, order tracking, and license renewals to more than 20 leading software publishers.

Tech Data is also expanding its team of vendor product representatives (VPRs) for leading software publishers Autodesk, Check Point Software Technologies, McAfee, Sun Microsystems, and Symantec. This month, Tech Data also will start supporting SonicWALL and IBM Services software via LION, the distributor's online licensing tool.

For additional information, visit phx.corporate-ir.net.

Did You Know?
A new study by the Tax Foundation ranks Florida number two in the nation for business-friendly tax systems. The "State Business Tax Climate Index" ranks the 50 states on how "business friendly" their tax systems are. The goal of the index is to focus lawmakers on long-term, good tax fundamentals in their states.

For additional information, visit www.taxfoundation.org.

Corridor People in the News
Michelle Bauer of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum has announced that she will step down as executive director of the organization early next year. She is moving on to concentrate on managing major community programs such as Entrepreneur Boot Camps, the Tech Transfer Conference, Partnering Conferences, and others. Andy Hafer, formerly the chief information officer of PRIDE Enterprises, Industries Training Corporation (ITC), has been named as her successor and will assume his new role of executive director later this month.

Calendar of Events
The following are events taking place across the Corridor's 21-county region or the surrounding area, which readers may be interested in attending:

CIO Forum & Executive IT Summit
Presented by: Lucent Technologies
Tuesday, December 14 - Wednesday, December 15 - Orlando Centroplex
For event information, visit www.premiertce.com.

TBTF & CFTP Present: The Fast & Furious Partnering Conference
Presented by: CFTP, TBTF, Lakeland EDC, City of Lakeland, FHTCC and Siemens
Wednesday, January 12 - The Lakeland Center
For event information, visit www.tbtf.org

G.A.M.E.S. Synergy Summit
Presented by: BreakAway Games, LtdGames, Florida Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Modeling, Simulation & Training Magazine (Halldale Publishing), and National Center for Simulation
Wednesday, January 26 - Friday, January 28 - Renaissance Resort
For event information, visit www.synergysummit.com

The Florida Venture Capital Conference
Presented by: The Florida Venture Forum, Inc.
Thursday, January 27 - Friday, January 28 - The Omni Resort at ChampionsGate
For event information, visit www.floridaventureforum.org

National Events
The following is an event taking place outside of the Corridor which readers may be interested in traveling to:

Photonics West 2004 Program
Presented by: SPIE
Monday, January 24 - Saturday, January 29 – San Jose Convention Center San Jose, CA
For event information, visit www.spie.org

Inside Florida’s High Tech Corridor is published by the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Inc. (FHTCC) and its economic development partners. The FHTCC is an initiative of the University of Central Florida(www.ucf.edu) and the University of South Florida.(www.usf.edu). For more information visit our Web site at www.floridahightech.com, or contact one of the region’s economic development partners listed at www.floridahightech.com/linkslibary.