Devon IT accuses IBM execs of "Ponzi scheme"

The Courthouse News Service is reporting that Devon IT, the thin client systems provider based in Devon, has filed a RICO complaint against four IBM executives. Devon IT accuses them of "orchestrating a widespread Ponzi scheme, in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ('RICO'), over a period of nearly five years, involving the direct solicitation of $12 million in investment money from Devon for two information technology projects".
IBM continued to seek additional funding for one project even after it had cancelled it internally, while using funds received from Devon to improperly inflate its own divisional financial results, according to the complaint. Devon IT claims it had to layoff more than 60 employees due to the negative impact on the company.
More to come.


Daily Links 6/17/2010: Philly Fed monthly outlook survey raises questions

Sprint: Should It Buy The Rest Of Clearwire? And Could It? (Barrron's: Tech Trader Daily)

Is WiMAX 802.16m doomed? (FierceWireless)

T-Mobile Extends HSPA+ Ahead of the Data Demand Wave (GigaOM)

NBC Keeps Part of the Hulu/Boxee Story a Secret (All Things Digital: MediaMemo)

FCC Advances Internet Rules Plan Over Opposition Led by AT&T
(Bloomberg Business Week)
FCC votes to seek comment on its new legal strategy (Washington Post: Post Tech)

Status of Written Confirmations From Comcast (New York Times: Bucks)

Philly regional manufacturing growth slows in June (Associated Press via Google News)
June 2010 Business Outlook Survey (Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia)

Fed staffer proposes giant financial instrument database (Reuters)
Proposal comes from staffer at Philly Fed.

Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Waiting Period Expires for SAP's Acquisition of Sybase, Inc. (PR Newswire)

SAP goes Facebook with social network dashboard (ZDNet Blogs)

InfoLogix accounting firm McGladrey & Pullen resigns (Philadelphia Business Journal)

Thoughts on Invite Media (Cogblog)

Boomi Suggest - The Power of Multi-Tenancy (The Boomi Blog)



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Daily Links 6/14/2010: Comcast looking to Pace set-top box with Intel processsor

NTT DATA and Intelligroup Enter Into Definitive Merger Agreement (PR Newswire)
Intelligroup, which specializes in SAP implementations, is based in Princeton.

Has Cablevision Thrown Another Curve Ball? (Wall Street Journal: Deal Journal)

DirecTV's CEO Wary Of Comcast-NBC Deal (Investor's Business Daily)

Comcast: New Way on Tru2way
Next-Generation Box From Pace Runs On Intel Processor
(Multichannel News)

Unisys moves HQ, outsources some IT guys (Philly.com: Philly Deals)


GPU Computing for GIS (Azavea Labs Blog)

Firms using social media
It's a way to keep in constant contact with customers, clients, employees and others around the world.
(phillyBurbs.com)

BioClinica Unveils Platform for Integrated Clinical Operations Based on Microsoft Technologies (Business Wire)

Philly Give Camp Summary
(Danny Diaz)




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Philly Tech Tidbits

At the Barclays Capital 2010 Global Communications, Media and Technology conference in New York in late May, Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis said his company is not necessarily looking to acquire more CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) for its business services strategy despite having acquired one CLEC and another that wholesales into the CLEC market in recent months, according to Multichannel News. "Every banker in the country comes into Philadelphia and wants to sell us a CLEC, and it's ridiculous," Angelakis said. "We have no interest in really being aggressive on the acquisition side related to CLECs."

My favorite name of a Comcast executive: Jorge D. (yes, JD, though I guess the J is actually soft) Salinger, VP of Access Architecture.

The Deal Magazine describes how Cleveland law firm Jones Day and its Brussels-based attorney Thomas Jestaedt played a key role in SAP AG's acquisition of Sybase, as well as other past SAP deals.

SAP's cofounder and Chairman Hasso Plattner said last week that Apple's iPad "will shape the way business is conducted", according to Bloomberg Business Week.

myYearbook of New Hope recently released its first iPhone app, based around myYearbook Chatter, a real-time location-based stream which receives over 1 million posts per day.

Anthony Mongeluzo, who built Pro Computer Services of Medford into Inc. Magazine's's 667th fastest growing company before the age of 30, wants to recognize others under 30 who are achieving simalar results. He has established the "Young Entrepreneur of the Delaware Valley" award and another for the "Innovative Entrepreneur of the Delaware Valley". Both must be under 35 and have started their businesses before the age of 30. Applications due June 30; apply at yedv.org

Philly area resident Rich Brome runs a cool website, Phone Scoop, which tracks the mobile phone business and recently conducted a comprehensive comparison of WiMAX and HSPA+ from several locations around Philly.

LEEF 2010 (Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum) in Harrisburg this week (the 17th and 18th) sounds interesting. The conference "will explore the use of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning and performance".


The underlying technology of QlikView (Monash Research)

Cablevision to buy Bresnan for $1.3 billion-source (Reuters)
Comcast owns 30% of Bresnan. Presumably, they could have bought the rest of the company, but with the NBC Universal deal it is obvious that Comcast is focusing on other priorities than buying additional cable systems right now.


Philly Tech People News: 6/13/2010

Comcast's Harrar Steps Down As Head Of Video Services
Exec Led Cable Operator's HD, VOD, 3DTV Initiatives
(Multichannel News)

Comcast National Customer Operations Appoints Mike DeCandido as Senior Vice President, Call Center Operations, and Tina Waters as Senior Vice President, Human Performance (Business Wire)

Shunra Names Bill Varga COO (PR Newswire)

Bentley Appoints Dru Crawley, 'Father of EnergyPlus,' as Director, Building Energy Performance Products
(PR Newswire)

Lawrence Gross leaves Synthes for Blank Rome (Philadelphia
Business Journal)

Acsis Appoints Stacy McDowell to the Position of Vice President of Worldwide Sales
Software Industry Executive Brings 25 Year Track Record of Success in High Growth Markets to Leader in Supply Chain Traceability and Visibility
(Business Wire)

Powered Names Valeria Maltoni Director of Strategy
Leading Social Media Agency Adds Further Depth to Growing Thought Leadership Team

(Marketwire)

Environmental Tectonics Corporation Announces the Opening of ETC-China; Appoints Mr. David Kong as General Manager (PR Newswire)

Precyse Solutions Hires Director of Marketing Communications
Former Siemens Health Services manager tapped to expand marketing outreach
(PR Newswire)

20nine adds Christine Petrongolo as account manager; adds new accounts (Philly Ad Club News)


Former GMAC Senior Analyst Fran Herz Joins VINtek as Operations Manager (Business Wire)


Profitable network entices Nebraska to comes on board (Allentown Morning Call)

Hollywood comes to Delco (Delco Times: The Heron's Nest)


Daily Links 6/11/2010: Comcast's Tunerfish goes live

Comcast’s Tunerfish Debuts To The Public With HBO’s True Blood Series
(TechCrunch)

Starling, the David of Social TV Apps, Facing Down Google and Comcast's Goliaths (Fast Company)


NBC affiliates tell FCC to make sure Comcast keeps sports on NBC after merger (LA Times: Company Town)

EU to decide on Comcast, NBCU deal by July 15 (Reuters)

Comcast To Shut Down TVWorks' Canada Office
Operator To Consolidate Development in Pennsylvania, California Locations
(Multichannel News)
Not sure why it took Multichannel News so long to get this story; I picked it up in late April from the London (Ontario) Free Press. Some jobs to Radnor.



Interest in SAP MII implementations up as manufacturers seek better visibility
(SearchSAP.com)

Google's Invitation To Change (MediaPost: Search Insider)

Chris Conde on Taking Steps to Prosper through the Downturn (AMA Podcast)

Herley Industries fiscal 3rd-quarter income climbs (Associated Press via Bloomberg Business Week)