[Archived] UUcom, Inc., Presented With Alexandria Technology Achievement Award; Four City Businesses and Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College Share in 1998 Technology Honors


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Friday, March 13, 1998
Contact:	Mark McLindon, Chairman, Alexandria Technology Achievement Award Committee (703) 527-1451; Jennifer Groebner, UUcom, Inc., (703) 461-1349; Tom Brannan, Assistant City Manager, (703) 838-4300

UUcom, Inc., Presented With Alexandria Technology Achievement Award; Four City Businesses and Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College Share in 1998 Technology Honors

(Alexandria, VA, March 13) -- Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley and Technology Achievement Award Committee Chairman Mark McLindon today presented the 1998 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award to UUcom, Inc., an 11-year-old, Alexandria-based firm that has pioneered the design, development and implementation of Internet technologies.

Mayor Donley and Chairman McLindon presented the 1998 Alexandria Technology Award to UUcom, Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer Lou Ann Scanlan today at a luncheon in Alexandria honoring the five firms selected as finalists for the award.

UUcom, Inc. is a woman-owned business that has grown from two employees in 1987 to a 30-employee company with clients throughout the world and annual sales of $3 million. As an Internet pioneer, UUcom has designed and engineered Internet backbones for clients ranging from small start-up Internet Service Providers to mid-sized Caribbean Islands to entire countries.

In addition to UUcom, Inc., the 1998 finalists are:

The Advanced Television Technology Center, a facility for the testing, evaluation and development of digital and high definition television (HDTV); the center has 10 employees in Alexandria.

Advanced Solutions International, Inc., a leader in the development of software for associations and membership organizations; the firm has 75 employees, including 25 in Alexandria.

The Motley Fool, Inc., a pioneer in providing free, on-line information services to investors, including strategies and basic knowledge needed to make informed investment decisions; the company has 93 employees, including 62 in Alexandria.

The Redmon Group, Inc., a multimedia software development firm specializing in software for commercial, government, international and university clients; the company has 13 employees in Alexandria.

The Alexandria Campus of the Northern Virginia Community College was also honored with a Special Recognition Award for developing and implementing a plan for enhancing technology applications and training for its students, faculty and staff.

The Alexandria Technology Achievement Award is sponsored by the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and highlights Technology Achievement Week, which showcases advances in technology by Alexandria-based businesses.

A panel of four judges representing the technology industry selected the five finalists from among 26 Alexandria firms nominated for the award. The judges also voted to give special recognition to the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College for its comprehensive state-of-the-art technology plan. The City of Alexandria is participating in the Northern Virginia Regional Partnership, a consortium of government, business and educational institutions led by Northern Virginia Community College, that working to meet the growing demand in Alexandria and throughout Northern Virginia for trained information technology professionals.

The panel of judges evaluated each of the 26 nominations on the basis of technological achievement and impact on the company's business, its industry, and/or the City of Alexandria. The judging panel consisted of George Gingerelli, Partner, New Vantage Partners; Dr. Fred Krimgold, Director, University Outreach and Economic Development, Virginia Tech; Lyn Miller, Regional Director, Northern Virginia, Center for Innovative Technology; and Marie Schuler, General Manager of Jones Communications, Inc., last year's winner of the Technology Achievement Award.

The Technology Achievement Award originated with the City's Ad Hoc Task Force on Information and Communication Technologies, co-chaired by Alexandria Councilwoman Redella S. Pepper and Council Member Lois Walker. The Award, along with the Technology Achievement Week, began in 1997 to recognize the contributions of technology firms to the City's economy and to promote the City as a location for technology. Alexandria is a center of Northern Virginia's fast growing technology industry. Currently, more than 160 technology firms employ more than 9,000 workers in Alexandria.

Finalist Firms

Advanced Solutions International, Inc. (ASI) Robert Alves, President

Press Contact: Karen Kramer (703) 739-3100, ext. 313

Advanced Solutions International developed the association software package, iMIS, specifically for membership organizations. iMIS enables associations and other member-based

organizations to efficiently manage information relating to membership, publications, meetings, receipts and billings, and invoicing. A network of 100 authorized resellers provide local support and service to more than 1000 association customers worldwide. With over 1200 installations of iMIS , and with 100 resellers located in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, ASI is recognized as the industry leader in the association software market.

Advanced Television Technology Center (ATTC) Paul DeGonia, Executive Director, (703) 739-3852 ATTC has developed a facility for the testing, evaluation and development of digital and high definition television. ATTC provides technical assistance to both broadcasters and manufacturers as well as the Federal Communications Commission in the establishment of quality standards. In cooperation with Bergische University at Wuppertal (Germany), ATTC developed a critical component of digital television (an 8-VSB demodulator) and was responsible for the testing of the television system that ultimately became the FCC-approved Digital Television System for the United States. This new system has been tested and proven to be superior to any television system in the world.

The Motley Fool, Inc. Erik Rydholm, Chief Operation Officer

Press Contact: Chris Hill (703) 838-3665

The Motley Fool aims to educate, amuse, and enrich the individual investor and to prove that investment success is attainable by individuals without the help of brokers and money managers, by "doing one's homework." Motley Fool Online is a forum dedicated to creating wealth by investing exclusively in stocks. The website provides individual investors with strategies, ideas, information and basic knowledge to begin making investment decisions. Market results and news are posted on the site and investors can share information through message boards.

Redmon Group, Inc. John Redmon, President (703) 838-5461

The Redmon Group is a multimedia software development firm specializing in software for commercial, government, international and university clients. Products include touch-screen kiosk systems, websites, cd-rom titles, computer-based training and multimedia presentations. Touch screen kiosks located in libraries and government centers in Northern Virginia provide information on taxes, job openings, and public transportation systems. Since August 1996, Fairfax County has received 1.2 million requests for information at 11 kiosks.

UUcom, Inc. Lou Ann Scanlan, President

Press Contact: Jennifer Groebner (703) 461-1349

UUcom has been selected to design, develop and implement a complete country-wide "wireless" Internet backbone for a world economic power. The project, requiring the integration of fiber optic, microwave and ATM technologies, is scheduled for completion in early 1998 and will allow for commercial and individual Internet access and secure collaboration of governmental, medical, educational and cultural agencies through private networks.