Wisconsin Technology News

Contemporary Working: Green workplaces incorporate, encourage technology
In the workplace talent chase, there are several differentiators. In today's environmentally concsious world, that means going green in many ways, according to columnist Melanie Holmes. In this edition of Contemporary Working, she...

Biotech Takes: Stem cell therapies fast approaching
We're fast approaching the day when human embryonic stemm cells will be used in experimental threrapies of human diseases, notes columnist Steve Clark. In this edition of Biotech Take, Clark gets few takes on the near and long-term potential of groundbreaking stem cell research of prominent University of Wisconisn-Madison scientists.

Cambridge Major to build new pharma plant
To keep pace with large-scale manufacturing needs, Cambridge Major will build a new 120,000-square-foot plant next to its Germantown headquarters. The facility, which is scheduled for completion in August of 2009, will contain multiple manufacturing suites that are capable of making multi-ton quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Start-up firm wants to bring IPTV to rural areas
Three Wisconsin telecommunications providers have joined forces to form a video company to provide IPTV services to rural areas of Wisconsin and beyond. The companies -- Midwest Telnet, Tri-County Telcom, and Wisconsin Indepdendent Network -- have formed Midwest Video Solutions to provide the facilities needed to deploy high-end video services to subscribers.

CDW: Falling technology confidence spreads to mid-sized companies
Declines in IT confidence among mid-sized businesses were uncovered in the most recent IT Monitor produced by CDW Corp. Mid-sized companies joined their small-business counterparts in expressing growing pessimism due to the slowing economy, but the gloom still has not spread to corporate America and IT is still held in high esteem as a tool that can help meet business goals.

Guest Column: A little due diligence can protect your trademark rights
In trademark law, the subjective intent to deceive is no longer the standard for fraud, according to attorney Melinda Giftos. Fraud now occurs when an applicant makes a false material representation that he knows, or should have known, was false. That's why the need for accurate information on all trademark filings has never been more important.

The Innovation Zone: iTunes shows innovation is about imagination, not dollars
There is no need to panic about America's declining investment, as a percentage of global spending, in innovation, according to columnist Tom Koulopoulos. In this edition of the Innovation Zone, Koulopoulos cites a much deeper set of values that are emerging around innovation, and he touts Apple's iTunes business model as an example of this new innovation ethic.

DHC 2008: In healthcare, commercializing technology can be enticing, risky
Before rushing to market an internally developed technology that works well within their environments, healthcare providers and other organizations are well advised to consider how it will play in Peoria. There are examples, including Marshfield Clinic's electronic medical record, where internally developed IP has demonstrated commercial appeal, but the same piece of intellectual property that serves your organization well may not meet the needs of others.

Report says Venture Investors commits $500K to battery tech firm
Silatronix, a Madison-based start-up company, will receive $500,000 and could secure as much as $1 million in venture capital from Venture Investors, LLC, according to a published report. The company, led by a group of scientists and spun out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is developing technology to make batteries safer and more efficient.

Inside Wisconsin: In ethanol debate, perception trumps science and sound policy
The future of biofuels in the United States, particularly corn-based ethanol, is being threatened by perceptions and politics rather than elevated by science and sound energy policy, asserts columnist Tom Still. In this edition of Inside Wisconsin, he says growing support for ending government ethanol subsidies could pose a real problem for the nation's long-term energy independence.

Can business intelligence really improve healthcare?
If it's true that high-performing companies are more analytical than low-performing ones, the healthcare industry is poised for a golden era if organizations choose to capture their data. Many healthcare CIOs believe the large amounts of data being generated by recently deployed information technology can be mined to produce information that results in better outcomes. Their faith in business intelligence soon will be put to the test.

E-discovery nightmare: Does your company know how to respond?
Businesses face several legal challenges today, but the most daunting might be electronic discovery requests. Even though they have been place for more than a year, companies are paying a heavy price for their failure to prepare for and comply with the e-component of the federal rules of civil procedure. As is the case with most legal issues, however, there are preventive steps that can be taken.

Rural hospitals get technology funding boost
The final piece in financing is in place for an initiative designed to improve information technology in Wisconsin's rural hospitals. Forward Community Investments made the $400,000 loan to the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Information Technology Network as part of a $5 million project.

Healthcare 2015: Without change, not a pretty picture
IBM's Jim Adams is blunt in mapping out the need for change in the U.S healthcare system, but he warns the status quo could still survive even with the benefits of healthcare information technology. Adams, executive director of the IBM Center for Healthcare Management, talked about the benefits of value-based healthcare at WTN's recent Digital Healthcare Conference.

NIH biomedical arm renews funding for Medical College of Wisconsin
The National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, has extended funding for the Medical College of Wisconsin's biomedical center. The Medical College facility will receive $5.6 million over the next five years to continue its work to develop new biomedical research tools.