WRAL Tech Wire

 Debating Startup visa: It’s time for xenophobes to be quiet; it’s time to create jobs

Opinion: We can boost the economy without any cost to taxpayers. It’s not about admitting H-1B visa holders who sometimes make Americans compete for high-paying jobs, but bringing in entrepreneurs who expand the pie for everyone.

 Entrepreneurship survival 101: It’s all about selling

Opinion: The one skill which entrepreneurs need is something they don’t teach in business school—selling. The ability to persuade people to believe in you is a necessity. That’s because sales is not just about selling things for money. Selling is about life.

 Economy 2010: Where will the jobs be?

Analysis: New data from the Department of Labor offers some insight into where job growth will occur in the coming years.

 Happy New Year from the new boss – Genband CEO reaches out to Nortel VoIP vets

Texas-based firm’s top executive tries to reassure Nortel workers about their possible incorporation into a new company.

 Typo created NORAD as Santa Tracker

Did you know that NORAD's world-famous Santa Tracker began as a mis-print in a newspaper advertisement?

 ‘Stealth disease’ – Secrecy’s price can be venture ending

Commentary: To be known, you have to have a great story and tell it to the right people. And to build a great product, you need to get all the feedback you can from potential customers, marketing experts, venture capitalists, lawyers and accountants.

Flying under radar can be costly

 Maximize your technology ROI and create superior IT performance

Executive Insight: There is no silver bullet for best-in-class technology ROI for your company. There are, however, some well-understood and time-tested steps that can make a major difference in preparing your IT organization to be a leader within your company, take advantage of the economic recovery and to meet the demands of today’s global, fast-paced business environment.

 Innovation: That’s America’s economic ace in the hole for jobs

Analysis: While many people believe the outlook for jobs in the U.S. is gloomy, three factors indicate otherwise. One is the innovation in the U.S. private sector. Others: Overseas wage advantages will begin to lessen, plus being physically close to customers has its advantages.

 Out of work? New Duke-CFO survey offers little hope for job seekers

“The economic recovery is shaping up to be a jobless one,” writes CFO Magazine editor. “While CFOs say they will increase capital expenditures and technology spending … they note that employment at both U.S. and European companies will continue to decline.”

 Paramount movie clips deal is a ‘sweet’ one for Digitalsmiths

Morrisville-based developer of intricate tagging technology for video is providing technical horsepower for new Web site from Hollywood studio. Paramount Clips seeks to monetize its video library through licensing of clips.

Clip from "Top Gun" as tagged by Digitalsmiths

 N.C. IT work force drops in Raleigh-Cary, grows statewide

Latest data from work force management firm TEK Systems shows many of state's metros are adding high-tech workers despite the recession. Hottest spots? Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Wilmington.

 High-tech job openings in N.C. surge 24% in November

The Skinny: Latest jobs report from SkillPROOF, NCTA demonstrates that job seekers have better prospects entering 2010. Nationwide, IT openings grew 9.5 percent.

 Hybrid 'cloud' offers e-commerce providers options to deal with holiday rush

Opinion: If your firm is short on computing power, a hybrid cloud offers the ability to cross-connect into a provider’s cloud computing resources and provision virtual machines in a fraction of the time needed if your IT team were doing it. You do not have to worry about acquiring and provisioning hardware/software to meet these needs – you give the provider a call, and they take care of it.

 Former IBM exec Moffat denies insider trading allegations

In court filing, Robert Moffat says he didn't "provide material nonpublic information" to co-defendant Danielle Chiesi about IBM, Sun and AMD. Meanwhile, Chiesi says she and Moffat aren't "friends."

 Jim Hunt: Recalling the building of N.C. Information Highway, birth of MCNC

Former governor reviews tech's evolution in N.C.: "‘North Carolina is the only state in country not to have to directly funded its network. Imagine that! What a return on investment from our initial $40 million to start MCNC."

 Raleigh-Cary isn’t tops in ‘Best bang-for-the-buck’ survey – but it’s not Atlanta, either

If you’re looking for the best place to relocate or settle down, Raleigh-Cary isn’t at the top of the list of destinations in the Carolinas and Georgia, according to Forbes. It’s Augusta, Ga. – home to certainly more than the Masters.

 Jim Hunt: ‘NCREN is more than a network. It is a collaboration.’

Former governor reviews tech’s evolution in N.C.: ‘As we all know, the past 25 years have brought tremendous economic changes in North Carolina and growth in our state’s technology-based economy. Fortunately, our state’s leaders joined me more than 25 years ago in beginning to prepare for these changes. Our roadmap for progress for North Carolina must in the past and in the future will always begin with investments in our educational institutions.’

Jim Hunt is all smiles at NCREN event

 New $250M N.C. ‘Innovation Fund’ is looking for a manager

The Skinny: Stiff criteria from treasurer call for winning firm – or firms – to have $1 billion under management and to be an active investor in N.C. with at least 25 firms that have ‘significant operations’ in the state.

 Want job creation? Let’s give visas to startup founders

Analysis from Vivek Wadhwa: Instead of encouraging the first brain drain in U.S. history, the country should create a program to welcome funded startup entrepreneurs.

Startup Visa Web site

 Red Hat's CEO on Obama jobs summit – 'Creating jobs the open source way'

Opinion: "In order to create and sustain real, long-term, high value jobs, we must recognize and harness the power of participation to drive innovation in this country," writes Jim Whitehurst, who was invited to the White House event.