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News About The Netpreneur Program

1. GOOD MORNING, THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL
. . . and we've got complimentary Coffee & DoughNets in the hotel lobby. That's the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bethesda at 1 Bethesda Metro Center where the next C&D has been scheduled for April 23 at 7:30am. Mario Morino will talk about "Recruiting: A Company's Greatest Challenge." Mario will talk about points to consider in locating top people, how to evaluate candidates and how to best assimilate them within your business. He will touch on issues in recruiting executives, board members and the troops who make the business run.

Register for C&D: http://netpreneur.org/doughnets

2. NEW CONTACT INFO FOR THE POTOMAC KNOWLEDGEWAY
Need to reach The Potomac KnowledgeWay, the umbrella project for the Netpreneur Program? They've moved up the highway a bit to new regional headquarters at Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in Herndon. Other regional headquarters in Maryland and the District will follow. The new mailing address is 2214 Rock Hill Road, Suite 100, Herndon, Virginia 20170. The new phone number is 703-742-0500 and the new fax number is 703-742-7607.

Potomac KnowledgeWay: http://knowledgeway.org
Netpreneur Program: http://netpreneur.org

3. NEWLY ASSEMBLED AT THE FAQtory
Well, we rounded up all those escaped FAQtory workers who have been on hiatus for the last few weeks. In return for an extra portion of gruel, they've agreed to come back and have already cranked out new FAQs on "Entrepreneurial Team Building" and "Finding Interns" in the Management area; and "Software For Tracking User Traffic" in the Technology area. They've also made significant additions to "Incorporating Your Business" in the Legal area and "Credit Card Processing" in Technology. The usual FAQtory caveat applies: these are not necessarily complete explications. They reflect recent discussion among our netpreneur community and are added to regularly. Please contribute your comments and we'll share our gruel with you.

FAQtory: http://netpreneur.org/netcorner/faqtory

Regional Netpreneurs

1. IT*CareerNET HELPS COMPANIES RECRUIT TECH PROFESSIONALS
(Tysons Corner, VA) Infocall Communications Corp. launched IT*CareerNET, an Internet-based recruiting service for Information Technology professionals. IT*CareerNET provides subscribing firms with a company listing and link from the IT*CareerNET site to their own Web site job postings. Companies receive applicant resumes directly from the Infocall Web site and, by using Infocall's Resumes/ASAP software, have the ability to store, search and retrieve these resumes. Resumes/ASAP provides automated resume management and applicant tracking, turning each resume into a fully-searchable document. Companies also have the ability to advertise on the IT*CareerNET site as part of their monthly subscription. Job seekers can participate at no charge. Companies subscribing to IT*CareerNET pay a flat fee per month, which includes use of the Resumes/ASAP software.

IT*CareerNET: http://www.techcareer.com

2. GOING...GOING...GONE TO THE NET
(Washington, DC) Biddington's is the new "Upmarket, Online Auction and Information Site for Art, Antiques and Fine Collectible Items." Lou Ivey and her partner, Sharla Bailey Kidder, developed this auction site which is designed to focus on not only the trading of goods but the flow of opinions and information. The Biddington virtual family includes Wall Street's Jake Biddington opining on collectibles as investment vehicles; Mrs. B answering questions on maintaining fine items; Randolph Biddington who interviews antiques experts; Uncle Freddy who drives the Biddington's Bentley to antiques events (providing they occur within walking distance of a good martini); and, when not in Nepal, Clair Biddington Rosetti visits artists' and artisans' studios. At Biddington's, serious collectors can buy, sell and be amused.

Biddington's: http://www.biddingtons.com

3. WHAT'S THE BUZZ? TELL ME WHATSA HAPPENIN'
(Fairfax, VA) Hey, here's one for some fun. InterMarket Associates, LLC has released the redesigned Web site for the Monthly Buzz, an Internet company with a listserv of over 20,000 subscribers for events and parties around the DC area, as well as an online archive of pictures from these events. The site is updated weekly with new photos from the best parties around. Upcoming events include a Bull & Oyster Roast (4/18), Single Greatest Night (4/18), Lindy's Adams Morgan Bar Crawl (4/25), Tequila Tasting (4/30) and the Virginia Gold Cup (5/2).

Monthly Buzz: http://www.monthlybuzz.com
InterMarket Associates: http://www.intermarket.com

4. NEW SITE FOR TELECOM REPORTS
(Washington, DC) Telecommunications Reports International, Inc. (TRI) launched a new Web site including an expanded telecommunications library which has led to a surge of online traffic and subscription trial requests. TRI is the oldest provider of business and regulatory news and information about telecommunications, with 13 newsletters and dozens of special reports. The site features searchable archives for back issues of its telecom and multimedia industry titles including FCC proceedings by docket number, company news and information, competitive market developments and financial events, such as mergers and acquisitions.

Telecommunications Reports International: http://www.tr.com

5. MCM TO WEBCAST WORLD CONGRESS ON INFO TECHNOLOGY
(Reston, VA) Medical Consumer Media (MCM) will be the exclusive webcaster for the 1998 World Congress on Information Technology. The 1998 World Congress will bring more than 1,700 senior-level executives from around the world to George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, June 21-24. It will feature presentations by some of the world's most prominent industry, IT, academic and government leaders including Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Michael Dell and Steve Forbes. MCM develops hardware/software solutions to enhance distance learning and education. The company has placed over 180 lectures online with its Conference.CAST system, a technology which enables the broadcast of presentations and entire conferences over the Internet using both audio and synchronized slides. Conference.CAST provides searchable online abstracts and thumbnails hyperlinked to both the accompanying audio and enlarged slide images.

Medical Consumer Media: http://www.medcm.com
1998 World Congress: http://www.worldcongress1998.org

6. HNS UNVEILS BROADBAND WIRELESS LAST-MILE SOLUTION
(Germantown, MD) Hughes Network Systems (HNS) introduced AIReach Broadband, a fiber-class wireless access system designed to offer high bandwidth services to business and multi-dwelling residential customers. HNS' second generation product integrates access for services such as switched voice, high-speed data (including either circuit-switched, TDM, packet-based, Frame Relay and ATM) into radio. AIReach Broadband can deliver capacity from a fractional T1/E1 rate in increments of DS 0 up to 45 Mbps per radio link. The system is designed to help Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and telecommunications service providers compete with a broadband last-mile wireless access solution.

Hughes Network Systems: http://www.hns.com

Partnerships

1. TECHNOLOGYNET CONTRIBUTES TO COMPUTING CENTRAL
(Bethesda, MD) TechnologyNet Inc. has signed an agreement with Microsoft to provide content for Microsoft's new Computing Central site. Computing Central visitors will be able to access TechnologyNet's proprietary computer dealer database of 15,000 dealers from 88 countries, as well as its extensive electronic product catalog, featuring industry-neutral information. Computing Central now provides nearly 30 Forums to TechnologyNet, dealing with computing and technology-related topics such as artificial intelligence, bandwidth, hardware and graphics. During the second quarter of this year, TechnologyNet will add substantial content to Computing Central, including electronic commerce software and service between dealers and their consumers, as well as additional cross-promotional programs between Microsoft and TechnologyNet.

TechnologyNet: http://www.technologynet.com
Computing Central: http://computingcentral.msn.com

2. UOL AND ALS CREATE CENTER FOR INTERNET INSTRUCTION
(McLean, VA) UOL Publishing, Inc. signed a marketing, development and distribution agreement with Minneapolis, MN-based Active Learning Systems (ALS) to create an online training curriculum for instructors who use the Internet to teach classes. Courses in the Center for Internet Instruction (CII) will be available through UOL's online education system, the VCampus, and will be co-developed by UOL and ALS. The first four courses, which are expected to be available in June, include: Introduction to HTML, Principles of Online Communication, Curriculum/Instructional Design for Distance Learning and Advanced Interactive Media Development. The two companies plan to develop additional courses in the coming months. CII will also provide a Web-based forum for users to discuss issues related to Internet instruction, student performance and assessment. UOL and ALS are currently in discussions with several academic institutions to provide accreditation for the curriculum. Once accredited, students will receive a certificate of completion and obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from CII.

UOL Publishing: http://www.uol.com
Active Learning Systems: http://www.alsi.net

3. COMTEX NEWS JOINS REUTERS BUSINESS BRIEFING
(Alexandria, VA) COMTEX Scientific Corp. announced that the Reuters Business Briefing service will now carry 13 different national and international newswires from COMTEX. Each day, COMTEX sources will add more than 1200 finance and business-related stories to the Reuters Business Briefing service. The Reuters Business Briefing database offers current news and historical data for research and analysis. The database includes 10 years of archived articles from sources including newspapers, trade magazines, newswires and press releases.

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com
Reuters Business Briefing: http://www.bizinfo.reuters.com
COMTEX: http://www.comtexnews.com

4. INFORMATION, INC. PROVIDES NEWS FOR RECOVERY NETWORK
(Bethesda, MD) Information, Inc. has been commissioned by The Recovery Network, Inc. to create a new addiction recovery news service for their Web site. The exclusive service will focus on the latest prevention and recovery information concerning substance use and abuse; addiction to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; and behavioral and mental health problems. The customized service, entitled Recovery Network News, will consolidate prevention, treatment and recovery news stories culled from more than 1,400 sources. The service will assist Recovery Network reach its goal of obtaining 40 million subscribers over the next three years.

Recovery Network: http://www.recoverynetwork.com

Funding & Finance News

1. VENTURE FORUM NOMINATION DEADLINE IS MAY 15
Start getting your company nominations in now for the September 15-16 Mid-Atlantic Venture Forum '98 for the region's early-stage information technology and telecommunications companies. This event will be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tysons Corner, VA. Companies nominated to present must have had no previous round of outside financing or, at the most, only one round of institutional financing. Nominated companies should be from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, although some consideration will be given to companies in southern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina. Companies can be nominated on the Web, but a full nomination form should be requested by calling the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) at 410-560-5855. You may nominate your own venture for consideration. The presenting fee for each selected company is $500 and the fee for companies selected to exhibit, but not present, is $350. In the neighborhood of 500 accredited investors from around the country are expected to attend. Registration for investors is $395 per person, discounted to $300 if registered and paid by August 1.

Nominate a company to present: http://www.mava.org/nomination.html
Investor registration: http://www.mava.org/registration.html

2. CONCEPT FIVE SECURES $25 MILLION IN FINANCING
(McLean, VA) Concept Five Technologies Inc. has completed a $25 million financing deal including significant funding from private equity funds ABS Capital Partners and JMI Equity Fund. The new capital will enable Concept Five to accelerate development and delivery of its distributed object-based information solutions. The company is focused on integrated services, products and methodologies that enable the delivery of 'Net based business services. The financing completes Concept Five's transition to an independent, commercial venture. It was founded in February, 1996, as a division of Mitretek, a research center focused on applying information technologies to such areas as law enforcement, postal services and telecommunications. Mitretek was spun out of The MITRE Corporation, a federally funded research and development center.

Concept Five: http://www.concept5.com

3. INTELLIGENT INTERACTIONS IS ACQUIRED BY 24/7 MEDIA
(Alexandria, VA) Intelligent Interactions Corp. (II) announced that it has been acquired in a stock-for-stock transaction by NYC-based 24/7 Media, Inc., one of the largest interactive advertising networks. II is a developer of database marketing technology, including products which enable online advertisers, Web sites and e-commerce merchants to conduct marketing campaigns using online and offline data for personalization and targeting. II's management team will join 24/7 Media with Yale Brown, CEO and co-founder of II, becoming executive vice president of operations at 24/7 Media. II will continue to operate independently, supporting its flagship products Adfinity and dbCommerce from its headquarters in Alexandria, VA, while expanding its operations in New York City. II investors, Trinity Ventures and Zero Stage Capital will become stockholders of 24/7 Media.

Intelligent Interactions: http://www.ipe.com
24/7 Media: http://www.247media.com

4. MICROSTRATEGY FILES FOR INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING
(Vienna, VA) MicroStrategy Inc. has filed a registration statement for an initial public offering of its Class A Common Stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares will be offered by an underwriting group managed by Merrill Lynch & Co. and Hambrecht & Quist LLC. MicroStrategy is a provider of enterprise decision support system (DSS) software and related services. Its products enable active and passive delivery of information from large-scale databases, providing enterprise users, customers, partners and supply chain constituents with access to business information.

MicroStrategy: http://www.microstrategy.com

5. WIRELESS FACILITIES AND ENTEL TECHNOLOGIES TO MERGE
(Fairfax, VA) Wireless Facilities, Inc. (WFI) of San Diego, CA, announced a merger with Entel Technologies, Inc., a wireless infrastructure development firm specializing in microwave relocation and site acquisition and construction. WFI is a telecommunications infrastructure design and development firm, specializing in RF engineering. The combined companies will now offer a complete range of development services to wireless, fiber and wireline network operators. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wireless Facilities: http://www.wfinet.com

6. VIRTUALOGIC SELLS COMMERCIAL DIVISION
(Bethesda, MD) Virtualogic, Inc. has sold its commercial division to FCS Corp., a Reston, VA-based joint venture between Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Hitachi Data Systems. VL Federal, Inc., Virtualogic's government division, was not included in the sale and will continue operations as a separately owned and operated corporation. Virtualogic is an IT consulting firm specializing in client/server applications and database and network infrastructures. Virtualogic's commercial division includes approximately $12 million in annual sales of client/server, database, data warehousing and Internet-related IT services. The new subsidiary will continue to operate under the name Virtualogic with no operational or management changes. Terms of the cash transaction were not disclosed.

Virtualogic: http://www.virtualogic.com
FCS: http://www.fcshq.com

Netpreneurs Recognized

1. NETGUARD WINS "TESTER'S CHOICE" HONORS
(Fairfax, VA) NetGuard's Guardian 3.0 Firewall for Windows NT has been named "Tester's Choice" in the April issue of Data Communications Magazine. Guardian was praised for its management interface, throughput speed, and ability to withstand well-known attacks. The tests of Windows NT firewalls were managed by Data Communications and National Software Testing Laboratories, Inc., and, according to the magazine, emphasized management as much as security. Guardian has also won EMAP's Internet Product of the Year, The Best of LAN Times and PC Magazine (UK) Editors' Choice.

NetGuard: http://www.ntguard.com.