http://www.kahnlitwin.com/index.php en webdevelopment@envisionsuccess.net Copyright 2012 2012-05-17T17:02:14+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/facebook-amends-ipo-filing http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/facebook-amends-ipo-filing#When:17:02:14Z Perhaps as a result of additional technology consulting, Facebook recently upped the ante on its IPO price range from $34 per share to $38, vaulting the company's valuation over the $100 billion mark, Boston Business Journal reports.Facebook had previously set a range between $28 and $35 per share for its IPO, which is slated to hit the NASDAQ market on Friday.It now has a midpoint price share of $36, meaning the IPO could land Facebook $6.4 billion in what will be the largest internet IPO ever.The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook also increased the number of shares it will offer in the IPO from 337.4 million to 421.2 million, as a result of venture capitalists and early investors looking to cash out a greater number of shares.One example is Goldman Sachs, which had previously planned to sell 23 percent of its shares, and has now raised that figure to 50 percent.Founder Mark Zuckerberg will not be selling any more shares, although his control over the company has dropped from 57.3 percent to 55.8 percent as a result.KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more.  2012-05-17T17:02:14+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/condiment-assistant-wins-over-audience-at-competition http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/condiment-assistant-wins-over-audience-at-competition#When:16:02:49Z LiquiGlide was the recipient of a $2,000 audience prize at the recent MIT Business Plan competition, which awarded $100,000 to one lucky startup, Boston Business Journal reports.The company has created a slippery coating for condiments that allows for easier dispensing for items such as ketchup and mayonnaise. The coating is made from nontoxic materials and can be easily applied to food packaging.While it didn't win the grand prize, LiquiGlide's popularity with audience members is still likely to garner attention from venture capital firms in Boston as, according to the company's page on the MIT100K site, condiment retailers make up a $33 billion industry.Boston Business Journal notes that the MIT competition has been around since 1990, and has launched 160 companies in that time - the most notable of which is web application acceleration company Akamai Technologies. Launched firms have received a combined $1.3 billion in venture capital funding, while five have gone public.The big winner of the competition was CloudTop, an app that connects web content and applications.KLR is one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, and offers assistance to venture capital firms. These include internal audit assessments as well as international tax services and specialized tax services such as cost segregation, research and development and energy studies. Due diligence for buyers and preparedness for sellers can also be provided during the acquisition process. 2012-05-17T16:02:49+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/used-lab-equipment-seller-seeks-boston-expansion1 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/used-lab-equipment-seller-seeks-boston-expansion1#When:16:02:27Z A San Diego seller of equipment used on life sciences projects is planning an expansion to a Boston lab, Mass High Tech reports.BioSurplus' business model seems to be the equivalent of an eBay for used laboratory equipment, as it sells inventory via online actions and showroom facilities.The Boston showroom, its fourth overall, is expected to open in summer 2012, although the firm has not yet determined an exact location, notes Mass High Tech. What it does know is that it's seeking a space with about 10,000 feet."While we actively sell laboratory equipment nationwide and worldwide through online auctions, we will be able to better serve the East Coast biotech community with a physical showroom facility," said BioSurplus CEO and president Preston Plumb.To fund the expansion, BioSurplus recently completed a $1.5 million funding round led by a venture capital firm in San Diego."BioSurplus provides an important service, and their presence in Massachusetts will contribute to our economy, as well as strengthen our life sciences cluster," said Susan Windham-Bannister, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, as quoted by Mass High Tech.A winner of three Practice Innovation awards, KLR has proven to be one of the most effective accounting firms in Boston for a variety of industries. Its Life Sciences team works with biotech and medical device companies to assist with startup services, tax planning and compliance, federal and state tax incentives, and merger preparation. 2012-05-17T16:02:27+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/used-lab-equipment-seller-seeks-boston-expansion http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/used-lab-equipment-seller-seeks-boston-expansion#When:11:55:50Z A San Diego seller of equipment used on life sciences projects is planning an expansion to a Boston lab, Mass High Tech reports.BioSurplus' business model seems to be the equivalent of an eBay for used laboratory equipment, as it sells inventory via online auctions and showroom facilities.The Boston showroom, its fourth overall, is expected to open in summer 2012, although the firm has not yet determined an exact location, notes Mass High Tech. What it does know is that it's seeking a space with about 10,000 feet."While we actively sell laboratory equipment nationwide and worldwide through online auctions, we will be able to better serve the East Coast biotech community with a physical showroom facility," said BioSurplus CEO and president Preston Plumb.To fund the expansion, BioSurplus recently completed a $1.5 million funding round led by a venture capital firm in San Diego."BioSurplus provides an important service, and their presence in Massachusetts will contribute to our economy, as well as strengthen our life sciences cluster," said Susan Windham-Bannister, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, as quoted by Mass High Tech.A winner of three Practice Innovation awards, KLR has proven to be one of the most effective accounting firms in Boston for a variety of industries. Its Life Sciences team works with biotech and medical device companies to assist with startup services, tax planning and compliance, federal and state tax incentives, and merger preparation. 2012-05-16T11:55:50+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/cambridge-company-supports-byod-earns-funding http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/cambridge-company-supports-byod-earns-funding#When:11:55:10Z Network security service provider Bradford, which has offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire, recently closed a $3 million round of Series C funding and technology consulting, Mass High Tech reports.Two venture capital firms from outside Massachusetts led the round, and Bradford hopes to use the additional funds to support its expansion into the healthcare and government markets.Bradford is expanding as a result of increased demand for its Network Sentry product, which is a part of its Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) approach. According to a recent Robert Half Technology survey, the BYOD trend has grown in recent years, as more managers are allowing workers to access their corporate networks. Specifically, 49 percent of respondents said employees could access employer networks using smartphone devices, a percentage that is set to continue to rise as more employees work remotely.Bradford's product works by automatically identifying the devices and users within a corporate network, and enables network access for iPads, iPhones and other Apple devices, notes Mass High Tech."The Network Access Control market saw tremendous growth in 2011, fueled in part by the introduction of personal devices in the enterprise," Bradford CEO Dan Haley said in a written statement quoted by the media outlet. "BYOD has left many organizations searching for a secure way to introduce these devices onto their networks." KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more.    2012-05-16T11:55:10+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/boston-pitchers-video-game-startup-in-trouble http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/boston-pitchers-video-game-startup-in-trouble#When:11:55:09Z Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is not averse to taking risks. He famously had a doctor stitch up a torn tendon in his ankle prior to a 2004 World Series game just so he could pitch, creating the now iconic "bloody sock" moment.It seems Schilling has taken his risk-taking ways off-field as well, as Boston Business Journal reports that he made an overzealous guarantee to the state of Rhode Island to help fund his video game startup, 38 Studios.The news source notes in a separate article that Schilling, without any technology consulting, offered up collateral of all his assets to the state in 2010 for a loan to help fund his company's first release, Kingdom's of Amalur. However, the media outlet revealed that 38 Studios is currently in "troubled waters" just three months after the game's release, as it's having difficulty fulfilling a promise it made to the state to increase its head count to 450 employees in exchange for the funds. It remains to be seen what 450 people would do at a small video game studio, making Schilling's guarantee a questionable one at best. If he's unable to recruit enough employees, he faces a $7,500 annual penalty per each worker who's missing from that target number. KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more.   2012-05-16T11:55:09+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/healthcare-jobs-to-grow-regardless-of-degree http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/healthcare-jobs-to-grow-regardless-of-degree#When:11:39:25Z According to a recent report from the Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI), hiring is up 11 percent in the healthcare industry, regardless of degree. This positive indicator is projected to be a precursor of the workforce's future, as more than 700,000 new healthcare jobs are expected to be filled by 2020.U.S. News reports, citing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, that certain jobs such as nurses, pharmacists, medical assistants and even massage therapists are expected to see substantial growth over the next eight years.For instance, nurses are projected to see 26 percent growth by 2020. Nurses typically console patients after life-altering surgeries, update their records and occasionally assist during procedures.The number of pharmacist jobs is also primed for growth, as the profession is estimated to expand by 25.4 percent by 2020. Pharmacists serve as the "gatekeepers" of medicine and medical advice, the news source states, "enhancing the lives of the patients they serve."Furthermore, medical assistants - or the workers who typically take patients' weights and prep them for examinations with nurses or doctors - can expect a 30.9 percent rise by 2020.A sister company of one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, KLR Executive Search Group uses its proven search process, industry knowledge and worldwide network to successfully place candidates in senior management roles in major organizations. Its industry reach as Boston executive recruiters stretches from healthcare to technology to life sciences, with permanent placements as well as contract placements and HR consulting.   2012-05-15T11:39:25+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/data-interrogation-technology-raises-funds http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/data-interrogation-technology-raises-funds#When:11:39:25Z Cambridge-based software-as-a-service startup InsightSquared recently raised $4.5 million in Series A funds. The round was led by one venture capital firm in Boston and another from Cambridge, Boston Business Journal reports.InsightSquared's technology aims to help companies make better data-driven decisions, allowing small- to medium-sized business owners to "'interact and interrogate data' in a way that's virtually been impossible at a smaller-scale business," CEO and co-founder Fred Shilmover told the news source.With the funds, the company plans to double its staff to 50 and become a major player in the data analytics space. In addition to its projected staff growth, the firm has also increased its customer base from 10 in 2011 to 120 currently, all of which are generating revenue."The requirements for making data intelligence useful to small and mid-sized businesses are much different than that of large enterprises," explains Shilmover, as quoted by Daily Disruption. "Our product is built with usability, data integrity and simple workflow as the central focuses.  Consequently, our cost-benefit proposition for the SMB market is compelling."KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more.    2012-05-15T11:39:25+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/life-science-experience-growing-in-manufacturing-positions http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/life-science-experience-growing-in-manufacturing-positions#When:14:24:28Z A recent report from the U.S. Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) outlined how the manufacturing profession has grown over the past few years.Of note is the fact that a larger number of manufacturing jobs are being held by those with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), emphasizing the growing number of life sciences-related careers in the industry."The Benefits of Manufacturing Jobs" also revealed that manufacturing workers make more than the average employee. Specifically, their average hourly wage is $29.75 per hour, a 17 percent upgrade over the $27.47 per hour mean for non-manufacturing positions."Today's report is welcome and important news on America's job front: Manufacturing employment means higher wages and important benefits for Americans and their families," said commerce secretary John Bryson in a release.In addition, it was found that more than half (53 percent) of all manufacturing workers have at least some college education, a sharp rise from the 43 percent reported in 1994.Finally, in terms of the general job market, manufacturing positions have risen by nearly 500,000 jobs (4 percent) since January 2010, marking the strongest cyclical rebound since the post-dual recessionary period in the 1980s.A sister company of one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, KLR Executive Search Group uses its proven search process, industry knowledge and worldwide network to successfully place candidates in senior management roles in major organizations. Its industry reach as Boston executive recruiters stretches from healthcare to technology to life sciences, with permanent placements as well as contract placements and HR consulting. 2012-05-14T14:24:28+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/flash-storage-startup-bought-by-cambridge-company http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/flash-storage-startup-bought-by-cambridge-company#When:14:24:09Z Big Data flash drive technology is a sought-after luxury for companies in the high-end storage market, which is estimated at around $20 billion, Boston Business Journal reports.Two main players in this field are Cambridge, Massachusetts-based EMC Corp. and its West Coast rival, NetApp. The former recently gained a leg up with its $430 million purchase of XtremeIO, technology that can "swiftly eliminate redundant data," the news source claims."Storage performance just really hasn't kept pace with server performance over the last five years, which means servers sit idle, and are essentially underutilized while they wait for data from the external storage array," Piper Jaffray analyst Andrew Nowinski said in a Wall Street Journal interview, quoted by the news source.Pat Gelsinger, president and chief operating officer at EMC, added that XtremeIO has captured early praise from customers who have previewed the technology, many of whom are the high-end storage industry's "foremost thinkers.""Once introduced to market, (I expect XtremeIO) to have a tremendous impact on our customer's ability to leverage the unique advantages of all-flash storage across many of their most demanding applications," he said in the company statement.KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more.  2012-05-14T14:24:09+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/males-at-startups-call-themselves-brogrammers http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/males-at-startups-call-themselves-brogrammers#When:14:23:49Z Venture capital firms in Boston and across the country may find themselves lured to tech startups that employ young programmers with seemingly unlimited potential. They can provide technology consulting for these startups, which may help them obtain investor seed funding in the future.For instance, one startup called Sqoot offers daily deal application programming interfaces (API) to improve monetization, enhance local relevance and keeper users engaged, according to its website.However, the employees at Sqoot have been criticized for being just one of a growing hoard of male programmers referring to themselves as "brogrammers" in an attempt to infuse frat house culture into the previously tame world of coders, notes Boston Business Journal.This practice has earned the ire of many, primarily females in the industry. The blog of Electric Cloud founder John Graham-Cumming points out that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up 21 percent of all programmers in 2010 - down from 24 percent in 2000.It's feared that if the brogramming trend grows, it may deter even more females from entering the programming industry in the future. KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more. 2012-05-14T14:23:49+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/return-rates-dropping-for-vcs http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/return-rates-dropping-for-vcs#When:13:35:20Z The National Venture Capital Association recently released some sobering news to venture capitalists, who have already been attempting to recover from a recent disparaging report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Boston Business Journal explains.Both releases harped on the decreasing level of returns investors have been receiving in recent years.According to the Kauffman report, just 20 out of every 100 venture funds generated returns that beat a public-market equivalent, while 62 of 100 failed to exceed returns available from public markets after fees were paid.In a similar vein, the NVCA found that VC returns dropped in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter - including the five-year return rate, which fell below last year's figure of 5.7 percent, the news source notes in a separate article. This is also down from a high of 7.4 percent which was reached during Q2 2011."For the illiquidity and the risk associated with venture investing, you'd think that investors are going to require generally a higher return," Peter Falvey, of a private equity firm in Boston, told BBJ.Boston VCs specifically must overcome the stigma associated with raising a new fund outside of Silicon Valley, where many investors feel more comfortable about startup success rates.KLR is one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, and offers assistance to venture capital firms. These include internal audit assessments as well as international tax services and specialized tax services such as cost segregation, research and development and energy studies. Due diligence for buyers and preparedness for sellers can also be provided during the acquisition process. 2012-05-11T13:35:20+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/slow-motion-swing-analyzer-garners-interest http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/slow-motion-swing-analyzer-garners-interest#When:13:32:56Z Athletes looking to improve their form, swing, gait or approach may find technology from a Boston-based startup quite helpful, Boston Business Journal reports.UberSense is an iPhone app that enables slow-motion video to be captured at high-resolution. This lets athletes, tennis players for example, view a slowed-down version of their swing to easily make tweaks and improvements. The technology can also be helpful for coaches of players who may be training remotely, as the videos can be sent to them for analysis.Thus far, about 600,000 users have installed the app, including seven Olympic teams and a "handful" of major league baseball teams, the news source explains."I have already spent $15. I’ll spend more," Rob Go, of a venture capital firm in Boston, told the media outlet. "I could be in India and get coached by a great pro."Go was one of many VCs present at the recent TechStars accelerator event, where UberSense was one of 13 startups to pitch their ideas to investors, the news source states in a separate article.KLR offers services for industries that many other CPA firms in Boston may not be familiar with. Its technology consulting branch provides assistance for software developers, technology support services, hardware manufacturers and more. 2012-05-11T13:32:56+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/Pennsylvania-bank-recants-ipo http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/Pennsylvania-bank-recants-ipo#When:14:07:47Z You could call Jay Sidhu the bank whisperer.Sidhu is the former chief executive officer who bought Sovereign Bancorp and moved it to Massachusetts, turning a once down-on-its-luck bank into a $90 billion institution, the Boston Globe reports.Sidhu recently bought Customers Bancorp, a Pennsylvania-based bank that, through Sidhu's wise investments of other failing institutions at discount prices, has managed to grow its assets from $350 million at the end of 2009 to $2 billion in 2011.Now he is back yet again, taking another bank built from scratch to the public stock market.Customers Bancorp Inc. was seeking to raise about $100 million in an initial public stock offering expected sometime this week. Sidhu recently filed paperwork for an initial public offering for Customers, which could grow revenues by another $1 billion and fund additional organic growth, acquisitions for working capital and other general purchases.However, Customers recently withdrew its IPO filing, citing market conditions.  Sidhu, 60, has been the company’s chairman and chief executive since 2009. Customers is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, the same town where Sovereign maintained its headquarters for many years.KLR is one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, and offers assistance to venture capital firms. These include internal audit assessments as well as international tax services and specialized tax services such as cost segregation, research and development and energy studies. Due diligence for buyers and preparedness for sellers can also be provided during the acquisition process.  2012-05-10T14:07:47+00:00 http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/stealth-startups-reveal-themselves http://www.kahnlitwin.com/blogs/daily-news-blog/stealth-startups-reveal-themselves#When:14:06:43Z Four Massachusetts startups have recently come out of stealth mode, having emerged with impressive investments and well-thought-out business plans, the Boston Business Journal reports.One of those companies is Swoop, which hopes to combine pop-up links with local deal offers.Another is Kibits, which is marketed as a "mini Facebook." It allows users to create chat opportunities and enables photo, video and document sharing between small groups of people.SessionM plans to offer technology to be integrated into mobile apps that allows users to collect rewards from taking certain actions inside the app. Its staff includes former MTV, Microsoft and AT&T employees, and it's received $20 million in funding from a venture capital firm in Boston.Finally, Paydiant offers a product that's a play on the mobile wallet, and is backed by two venture capital firms.These startups had remained in stealth mode primarily due to the fear that other companies would steal their ideas. However, at the recent MassChallenge 3 launch, speaker Dharmesh Shah of HubSpot preached that entrepreneurs should not be paranoid about this prospect, because it will hinder their ability to attract a funding team, the news source reports in a separate article.KLR is one of the largest CPA firms in Boston, and offers assistance to venture capital firms. These include internal audit assessments as well as international tax services and specialized tax services such as cost segregation, research and development and energy studies. Due diligence for buyers and preparedness for sellers can also be provided during the acquisition process.  2012-05-10T14:06:43+00:00