Innotech San Antonio

Business Journal continues coverage with article on Pawaa Software, the Beta Summit victor Pawaa

2010-03-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

The media coverage for Innotech continued well after the event ended with this article by Mike Thomas on our second Beta Summit victor.......

Indian software firm claims tech prize, hopes to move to San Antonio
San Antonio Business Journal - by Mike W. Thomas

They may not have had the fanciest or most high-tech presentation at the Beta Summit, but what Pawaa Software representatives did have was enough of the right stuff to persuade the venture capitalist judges to hand their company the top prize.

Pawaa Software, currently based in India, was the winner at the second annual Beta Summit, which is part of the InnoTech Conference held each year at the Norris Conference Center — located at Wonderland of the Americas (formerly Crossroads Mall).

The annual technology conference, which was held March 5-6, gives entrepreneurs the chance to showcase their ideas and products. Pawaa had been selected as one of six finalists to give an eight-minute presentation in front of a group of venture capitalists and then walked away with the top prize.

Greg Lawler, chief information officer for locally based financial company SWBC and chair of this year’s InnoTech Conference, says he was betting that a company that had a more visual presentation would win the competition, but he fully understands why the judges went with Pawaa.

“They clearly saw something in Pawaa that they could get to market right away,” Lawler says. “It is certainly something that we (SWBC) could use. So the need is out there and that is what the judges were looking for.”

Pawaa’s software specializes in data-leak protection and file security, explains Andrew Trickett, a member of Pawaa’s advisory board who made the presentation on behalf of the company at the Beta Summit. It provides protection for Web-based applications and prevents unauthorized access to or usage of sensitive data.

“There is a billion-dollar market out there for this technology,” Trickett says. “And as more businesses begin to use and rely on cloud computing, it will only get bigger.”

Trickett says companies cannot always keep their sensitive data stored safely within what he calls the “walled garden.” Inevitably, they will need to allow sales and technical staff to carry critical and sensitive documents outside of that secure environment and that opens them up to situations where the data can be lost or stolen, he says.

There have been many cases of credit card information and intellectual property being swiped. Trickett says Pawaa’s software can prevent these kinds of breaches by allowing the companies to control access to the data even when it is “out in the wild.”

If, for example, an employee has sensitive data on a laptop that may have been lost or stolen, the company can input a code that will electronically shred the information the next time the laptop is used to access the network. Likewise, the data can be automatically updated using the same system.

“The program works by installing an application like a browser wrapper on any device that has access to the sensitive information, thus allowing the company to control access at all times,” Trickett says.
Relocation plans

Pawaa Software is currently based in Bangalore, India, but Trickett says the owner is anxious to break into the U.S. market and wants to put his U.S. headquarters in San Antonio. The local office would employ about 50 people, he says. The company has three patents filed and recently signed reseller partnerships with several large clients in India that have U.S. operations, including Tata Consulting Services and Wipro.

Before making the move, however, Trickett says he hopes to round up some local investors to help get the company established in the local market. He says he hopes to raise between $3 million and $8 million in venture capital to bring the company to San Antonio.

“We will be able to get things going as soon as we get the funding,” he says. “We have had some good reception so far and now we need to build on it.”

Pawaa Software has applied for financing from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and is working with the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative to find local investors.

Beta Summit applicants show their technology as part of finalist selection proccess

2010-02-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

If you were a fly on the wall observing today's Beta Summit Finalist Selection, you have to feel that San Antonio is truly producing some great technology.
Advitech, a San Antonio company, kicked off the competition today with a demo on a tool designed to combat spatial disorientation and motion sickness. Next up, the Denim Group showed a new app to help security companies deal with security attacks at Level 7 breaches.
Pear Analytics, the winner of last year's competition, has designed a new app that embraces ways to enhance the work they presented at the first Beta Summit. Gizaplex followed that pitch to talk about their algorithm that tracks social media opinions.
Judd Maroney, OKHotShot, next demonstrated his collaborative software to judges. Andrew Ticket, a member of the Pawaa software board, demonstrated his firm's data leak protection software.
Cliff Zintgraff, chief executive officer, DaVinciMinds, Inc., showed software and its science, technology, math and engineering applications. One of their new "green energy" apps will feature an energy brownout that requires them to find alternative ways to provide energy.
The six finalists will demonstrate their products or services March 5 as part of the Innotech trade show at the Norris Conference Center.
At Innotech, we want to thank Dean McCall for chairing the event for us.

Nichols shares vision on how San Antonio can succeed with emerging medical technology

2010-02-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

Paul Nichols, the keynote speaker for the San Antonio Emerging Medical Technologies luncheon, March 3, sat down with Matt Scherer, our event's publicist, for an interview about his presentation.

Innotech: As someone who lives in San Diego, you are probably aware that your home town and San Antonio have some similarities with a large military base, major health centers and great weather. Many in San Antonio believe that San Diego is ahead of us in terms of emerging medical technology development. What does our city need to do to be on the same level as San Diego?

Nichols: San Diego is home to many prominent medical research institutions that serve as a wellspring for both intellectual property and human capital. The medical school at the University of California at San Diego was rated in the top ten in the country after graduating its first class. The university’s biology department was a leading pioneer in biotechnology research in the 1970s. The Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute and the Burnham Institute, all world renowned life science research centers, are located within walking distance of the USCD campus.

UCSD Connect was founded in 1985 to provide a forum to share expertise among the institutional research, university, venture investment and entrepreneur communities. Connect is considered the most successful organization of its type and has served as a model for over 40 similar organizations worldwide. If San Antonio does not have an organization with a similar mission the leaders in med tech community might benefit from looking at the success of the Connect model.

Innotech: You have helped lead the process for new emerging medical technology. Surely, there's a need for more development in this area, and so I am wondering where you think the next opportunities might arise?

Nichols: Technologies that meaningfully reduce the cost of healthcare (while maintaining or improving clinical outcomes) are the “sweet spot” of the future. I believe many opportunities exist in the medical device field to improve procedure and treatment efficiencies.

Innotech: What are the biggest challenges facing those who want to pursue business development opportunities within emerging medical technology?

Nichols: Access to capital has become very difficult since September 2008. Fundable opportunities must be both meaningfully impact outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Entrepreneurs must find creative, capital efficient pathways to value creation. And then there’s the FDA….

Beta summit still looking for more applicants

2010-02-12T04:59:00.000-08:00

We are still looking for a few good technical startups to apply for a panel position at this year's Beta Summit March 4.
So far, the Rackspace/Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce event has attracted five firms. However, there is still an opportunity for others to apply by next Tuesday.
"We are working with various technology groups to get the word out, but we can always use a few more applicants," Dean McCall, the chairman of this year's competition, said.
Last year, the initial response had 11 companies applying for six spots at the first beta summit with Ryan Kelly and Pear Analytics winning the first competition.
Businesses interested in applying for the Beta Summit can call Rodriguez at 503-841-5285.

Qs and As with Jeff Reich about his upcoming panel at Innotech

2010-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Q.1: As the director of operations for the Institute for CyberSecurity at the University of Texas at San Antonio, it would seem
natural that you would speak on a security issue. Yet, you are
serving as the program chair for "The Future of CIOs" at the March 4
Innotech. What inspired you to want to be part of this discussion?

Jeff Reich: The future of IT and of CIOs intrigues me because I believe that we have witnessed the emergence of another generation of IT and more importantly, how IT will be used. Enterprises have so many choices now when it comes to technology decisions that rules we used two years ago may no longer apply. Individual business units can now leverage technology available to them that may not require much of the traditional IT infrastructure and resources.

Q.2: How will the roles for technical management change for CIOs in the future? And, what are some of the biggest challenges to CIOs as well?

Jeff Reich; I think that the major change in store for CIOs is the role that they play across the business. Instead of being the manager of all IT resources for the enterprise, CIOs will take on a role of consulting business units in how technology can work for them, and which services they may want to use directly from a provider, possibly without using many IT resources.

Q.3: While I know you have spoken a lot on cloud security, how will cloud data storage impact businesses?

Jeff Reich: I think that the success of cloud computing will affect business in two major areas. The amount of money that they spend on technology resources and how they spend it will shift. A lot of typical capital expenses will now be treated as operating expenses as technology shifts to delivering services instead of simply resources. The second major affect will be how business protect their assets. Appropriate controls will probably need to shift more towards the application and not have as much focus on the data.

Q.4: Is there anything else you wish to add about your panel discussion?

[Jeff Reich] I think that this panel discussion get people thinking about what is next for IT and what role they can play in it.

Joe Corella to headline at San Antonio Innotech

2010-01-26T05:34:00.000-08:00

Joe Corella, Microsoft's national technology director, has agreed to serve as one of our keynote speakers for the San Antonio Innotech, March 4.
Corella also spoke at the Austin Innotech trade show, where he had a packed crowd of IT professionals. During that presentation, he talked about the changes in the technical infrastructure at his company.
Here's a recap of an interview that Matt Scherer, our public relations director, did with him prior to the Oct. 29, 2009 Innotech conference.

Q: How can Windows 7 improve security for my business?

A: Viruses, phishing scams and other security threats pose a constant
risk to businesses. Windows 7 builds upon the security advancements
introduced in Windows Vista, improving data security for businesses.
Windows Vista contained layers of defense retained in Windows 7 to
make it the safest Windows product to date. In Windows 7, you can find simpler notifications, more scanning options and less impact on computer performance. Windows 7 offers new security features, including BitLocker To Go, which prevents
unauthorized users from accessing data saved on USB drives through the
use of a passphrase.

Q: How can Windows 7 make my business more productive?

A: Windows 7 helps your business’ productivity in a number of ways.
For example, navigation is simplified with Aero Enhancements (Snap,
Peek, Shake),helping you work faster. Jump lists offered in Windows 7
also help you access documents, applications and tasks quickly and
easily. Windows 7 connects mobile workers using new features like
Location-Aware Printing. This new feature automatically connects you
to the printer in that network, whether you are at home or at work. So
if you return to the office after working from home, Windows 7
automatically connects you to your work printer. New power management
settings in Windows 7 also provide extended battery life to help
mobile workers stay connected longer.

Q: How can Windows 7 help businesses that may not have full IT
departments in-house?

A: Not all small and mid market businesses have the funds to support
large IT departments. Windows 7 is designed to deliver a reliable
computing experience and makes it easier to solve issues if they do
arise. For instance, Microsoft Customer Service and Support has more
than 20 built-in Windows Troubleshooters to diagnose and resolve
common issues such as audio, video and networking, among others.
Windows 7 also offers a new feature called the Problem Steps Recorder
for less common issues that don’t have built-in troubleshooters. This
feature allows users to record the steps they are taking when the
problem occurs. Then, users can send the information into customer
service and support to further diagnose the problem.

Duncan, Dinger and Goldsmith to address future of technology at Innotech

2010-01-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

York Duncan, Fred Dinger and Randy Goldsmith will be featured in our Emerging Medical Technology panel March 3 at the Norris Conference Center. Their "The Future of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in San Antonio" will follow a presentation by Jim Brazell on the "History of Innovation in San Antonio."

Brazell's talk begins at 4:30 p.m. with the Duncan, Dinger and Goldsmith panel to follow afterwards. Following that event, the Technology Conexus "Connections" social mixer will be held. Duncan currently serves as the president of the Texas Research Foundation. Dinger is currently serving as president of ENTrigue while Goldsmith is the president and chief executive officer for the Mississippi Technology Alliance.

Kudos to Matt Reedy, one of the founding fathers of the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Iniative and one of Innotech's board members, for leading a group effort to set up the two panels.

Emerging medical device chief executive to speak at keynote for Emerging Medical Technology track

2010-01-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

Paul K. Nichols, the president of Trinity Orthopedics has agreed to serve as the Emerging Medical Technology keynote speaker on March 3. He will speak at a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nichols has founded three medical device companies focusing on technology for reconstructive surgery for extremities. These three firms have generated more than one billion in sales since 1995.

In addition to his role as the president of Trinity Orthopedics, Nichols, a San Diego, CA., native, is currently a director of BIO2 and ITS-USA.

We're excited about the speakers that are now finalizing their plans to take part in the Emerging Medical Technology track, a half-day symposium at the Norris Conference Center. Tickets for the event are $39 per person. As we finalize the computer and payment process for this event, we'll release this on our web site and also update this blog with more information.

Senior NASA IT exec to speak at Innotech

2010-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Jean E. Engle, the chief knowledge officer, the Johnson Space Center, in Houston is confirmed as a speaker for Innotech San Antonio on March 4. Ms. Engle has served in a variety of chief information officer positions with the space program.
Chief Knowledge Officer, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. Over the last several years, she has led JSC's involvement in a number of agencywide and centerwide information technology standards and security efforts. .

When you read her bio on the Innotech web site, you'll see an impressive background of technology management and innovation. We at Innotech are proud to have her as a featured speaker at this year's event.

Innotech San Antonio announces emerging medical technology symposium

2010-01-12T05:54:00.001-08:00

This year, we're excited to announce that Innotech San Antonio has added a second day of activities with our first Emerging Medical Technology Symposium on March 3.
Last year, we hosted a panel on the emerging medical technology in San Antonio. The response was so excellent that we expanded the program to a half day. Thanks to folks like Gabriele Niederauer, vice president of research at ENTrigue, Don Taylor, president, TEAM Integrated Engineering, Diana Faulkner, Faulkner Management Group, and DeEnna Jensen,TEAM Integrated Engineering, the program is almost complete.
More details about this program will be forthcoming in this blog and through other media channels. As Charley the Tuna would say: "Stayed Tuna-ed."

Claus Mikkelson, chief scientist of Hitachi, to speak at Innotech

2010-01-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Claus Mikkelson, the chief scientist of Hitachi Data Systems, has agreed to serve as one of our speakers for San Antonio Innotech, March 4. Since joining HDS in 1998, Mikkelsen has been instrumental in defining the research and development strategy of the company's data storage technologies, including the industry-leading storage virtualization capabilities of the Universal Storage Platform. During his tenure at HDS, he was recognized for the design and patents of the NanoCopy technology and other related storage products.

Prior to joining HDS, Mikkelsen spent 15 years at IBM as a chief architect for designing the company's storage replication and disaster recovery products, and was responsible for introducing the industry's first intelligent functions embedded in storage arrays. These capabilities, initially licensed to other storage vendors, have become standard capabilities in all intelligent storage arrays in the industry.

A 30-year veteran of the storage industry, Mikkelsen holds 16 patents for storage subsystem architectures (with an additional one pending), and is on the Technical Advisory Board for a Silicon Valley company. He has also co-authored a book on disaster recovery called "The Resilient Enterprise" and has penned numerous news articles on storage availability and data center resiliency.

Rackspace named as title sponsor of Beta Summit

2010-01-08T03:23:00.000-08:00

With the sponsorship of the San Antonio Innotech Beta Summit by Rackspace, we're excited about their role in this second event.
Last year, the event drew 10 applications. And, we know that with the help of folks like Rob LaGeese and others at Rackspace, that we can increase the number of quality applications.
Note: if you want to submit an application for the Beta Summit, please download the application at this site.

Second Beta Summit deadlines are fast approaching

2010-01-07T03:27:00.001-08:00

Applications for the Second Annual Beta Summit at Innotech are fast approaching a Feb. 3 deadline.
If you know of a promising San Antonio-based company with a technology that needs mentoring or financial capital, please have them submit their application as soon as possible.
Applications are available at this site.
Those firms who meet the Feb. 3 deadline will present their ideas and concepts before San Antonio technology leaders on Feb. 19. From this group, six companies will be given the opportunity to present at the Beta Summit on March 4.
Thanks again to Marcel Johnson, vice-president of economic development, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and his technology committee for their support in sponsoring this event.