WRAL Tech Wire

Hot off wire: TechAmerica spends $350,000 on lobbying; AOL buys Rally Up; Ex-IBM exec takes over Blue Coat

TechAmerica

On The Web

• TechAmerica
• WRAL Tech Wire at Twitter - sign up today for latest news alerts

Site Search

Get the latest news alerts: Follow LTW at Twitter.

A roundup of the latest high-tech news “Hot off the Wire” from The Associated Press and Local Tech Wire:

• TechAmerica spends $350,000 on lobbying

WASHINGTON - The Technology Association of America spent $350,000 in the second quarter to lobby the government on federal spending on information technology and cybersecurity services, among other issues, according to a quarterly disclosure report.

That compares with $337,200 that the technology trade group spent on lobbying in the first quarter and $378,500 that it spent on lobbying in the second quarter of 2009.
TechAmerica, as the group calls itself, also lobbied on cybersecurity and data beach legislation, federal procurement reform, immigration reform and a range of tax issues during the second quarter.

Other issues the group lobbied on include legislation to regulate online advertising practices and protect consumer privacy on the Internet; federal regulation of broadband service; and efforts to reform the federal program that subsidizes telephone service in poor and rural communities.

In addition, TechAmerica lobbied on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, an international trade agreement that is currently being drafted. Many tech companies warn that the pact could expose Internet access providers, Web search engines and other online businesses to damaging legal risks.

TechAmerica has nearly 1,500 technology company members including Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc., Google Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co.
TechAmerica lobbied Congress, the Defense Department, the White House, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Commerce Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies during the second quarter, according to the report it filed with the House clerk's office on July 20.

• AOL buys social network firm Rally Up

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Internet company AOL Inc. has purchased location-based social networking service Rally Up for an undisclosed sum.

New York-based AOL said Tuesday that Rally Up’s mobile applications will add to its consumer applications unit. The company will join AOL in its new office in Palo Alto, Calif. Rally Up will work with AOL’s vice president of mobile, David Temkin, on creating products that are first released as mobile applications, AOL said.

Rally Up started in 2009. It offers a social networking app by the same name for Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad, and has submitted another application to Apple’s App Store called FacePlant that is meant to let iPhone users see friends and start a video chat over the iPhone’s FaceTime app.

• Former IBM exec to lead Blue Coat Systems

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Security hardware and software maker Blue Coat Systems Inc. on Tuesday named Michael J. Borman its new president and CEO.

Borman, 55, will take the helm of the company Wednesday, replacing Brian NeSmith.

NeSmith, 48, who held the titles since 1999, was named chief product officer. The company said he will focus on product strategy, direction and development and will remain a member of its board.

Borman was previously CEO of Avocent Corp., a switching systems developer acquired by Emerson Electric in December. He spent 30 years at IBM Corp., where he held several executive positions, including leading global product and sales organizations. He also served as president and chief operating officer at Blue Martini Software.

Editor's Blog

The latest blog posts from our WRAL Tech Wire and WRAL editors. Read more articles…