This past week, wind turbine start-up, TechnoSpin announced that it raised $8 million. Leviathan Energy signed a letter of intent to provide energy for India worth $50 million and WorkLight, an Enterprise 2.0 company, announced that it raised $12 million. Not surprisingly, the Jerusalem Post website, reported that Israeli start-ups have raised the most capital in 7 years. Also, making the news was that Best Buy will be partnering with community-based, product help site, FixYa, and that Mashable.com, a blog that covers social networks, will be hosting MashBash for 800 people in Tel Aviv next month. Expected attendees will be from some of the hottest Israeli start-ups today and biggest international companies with offices in Israel. I plan on going, and so should you. For more details on this and the rest of this week's 17 Israel-related technology headlines, check out the list below.


Cleantech
Wind turbine start-up TechnoSpin raises $8m

Solel Solar on the Hunt for Newport Beach HQ Space

Leviathan Energy to provide clean electricity for India


M&A and Investments
Start-ups raise most capital in 7 years

BluePhoenix shares jump after 1Q results meet Street views

WorkLight Raises $12 Million


Information Technology
Application security co Applicure gets Trafalgar investment

Deloitte Consulting’s Lucian Lipinsky de Orlov to Lead Fortisphere Webinar on Virtualization Adoption

RoofArena Launches Beta Site; Interview with Shay Sharon

Best Buy buys into tech support 2.0

IBM setting up Israeli Lab for XIV


Miscellaneous
Jeff Pulver resigns as Pulvermedia chairman

Izzy Borovich sees Israel becoming "vacation state"

MashBash Tel Aviv and Israel Media Tour

Electric Nissans Planned in U.S. by 2010

"BusinessWeek" names Israel among innovation hotspots

Social networking meets search: Sightix



About the author: Lisa Damast is the Membership Manager of ebizQ.net and currently resides in Israel. Any questions or inquiries regarding this blog or ebizQ membership services can be directed to her via email at ldamast (at) ebizq (dot) net. She can also be followed on Twitter, where she covers additional Israeli technology companies and Israel-related headlines and topics.

This past week didn't see any new Israel-related IBM announcements. It did, however, see questions raised about the real potential of Project Better Place's electric cars and the release of the latest version of Unisfair's Virtual Events. Along the way, Red Bend Software raised $10 million and SanDisk announced a new 4-gigabyte USB flash drive that uses user-driven data management company, BeInSync. Check Point and Tel-Aviv University announced their plans to establish a new academic research institute for the study of information security. To find out more about these stories and what the rest of this week's 17 Israel-related technology headlines are, check out the list below.


Cleantech
SunHopes – Balloon Based Solar Energy

Who's Driving the Hydrogen Highway?

Tel Aviv University displays its cleantech potential [VIDEO]


M&A and Investments
Mobile software management provider Red Bend secured $10 million

The Golden Age of Israeli Startups: Mergers and Acquisitions (Part III)

VC survey: Money still flowing to green and biotech

Israel venture capital is nervous about US trends

Web Hosting and Management Services Group, TriZetto, to be Acquired by Apax


Information Technology
A Four-Gigabyte Thumb Drive With Two Safety Nets

Mellanox Announces ConnectX 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN on Motherboard Design Wins Across Supermicro’s Server Products

Gizmox widens Microsoft collaboration

Unisfair Releases Version 2.0 of Virtual Events

Check Point and Tel-Aviv University to Establish a New Academic Research Institute for the Study of Information Security


Miscellaneous
Startup aims to replace NOR flash in mobile devices

SanDisk R&D boss discusses memory card business

Israel Venture Association’s Annual Hi-Tech Conference 2008 Hits the Road

PineApp Named ‘Product of the Year’ Finalist for AeA High-Tech Innovation Awards

About the author: Lisa Damast is the Membership Manager of ebizQ.net and currently resides in Israel. Any questions or inquiries regarding this blog or ebizQ membership services can be directed to her via email at ldamast (at) ebizq (dot) net. She can also be followed on Twitter, where she covers additional Israeli technology companies and Israel-related headlines and topics.

In my last post I attempted to overlap what it would take to establish a middle ground and the concept of open source driven solutions.  I'm not sure how well my point went across, but I am certain that the notion of a new wave of solution that not only includes, but is rooted in openness is one that's here to stay. With that in mind, I think it's relevant to look into what it will take to facilitate the shift towards flexible, truly open solutions. More than anything I think this entails a change in perception regarding what/how sizable a role open source will play in the mostly nebulous world of "solutioning." In effect, what needs to happen in order to kick-start the evolution of open solutions from embryonic towards maturity?

To those allergic to buzzwords, the term solution might incite a sneeze. However, upon further examination a great deal of technology is delivered as a solution, that is a bundled, ready-to-use component. The consumer technology market, by itself, is rife with examples (see: the iPod, most home PCs). And while the concept that consumers want to purchase products that fit a specific niche practically out-of-the-box, the notion that the same holds for large companies isn't as evident. To be fair, it's not possible to mass produce ready-made technology for organizations with narrowly defined business requirements and use-case scenarios. And in the case of open source, there are hardcore realities that stand in the way of it playing a larger role in driving greater time-to-value and cost efficiency:

• Integrated designs. One solution size does not fit all and the fit is typically determined by the industry in question. This implies a knowledge of specific segments drawn out in the form of industry solution maps.
• The importance of the sales cycle. Solutions are sold, first and foremost. Open source is still being stealthily transported into a great deal of enterprise environments with the sales process a shortened after thought. If the notion of open source solutions is to take hold, it must be sold and accepted wholeheartedly not smuggled in and permitted to stay afterwards.
• Overlap with industry proven models, best practices and methodologies is key. Acronyms like CBM, IFW and BPM might not be everyday terms but they are industry proven and widely accepted as the basis for solutioning.
• The criticality of a top-down approach that initially prizes business value over technology. I won't pose the bottom-up mentality that has buoyed the open source software movement for some time now, against the seemingly inherent top-down nature of most hierarchies. However, it pays to note that technology selection/procurement is at its core a business decision. And unlike individual products, integrated solutions speak more to the business side of things than anything else.

Finally, if open source solutions are to evolve they must rely on more than being cheaper. Especially since the marketplace tends to base its decision on more factors than just price alone. The market for solutions is driven by participants who exhibit demand for addressing their industry-specific performance drivers, are modular and customizable. Add to the fact that providers which can accelerate time to value, reduce risk and deliver integration are its leaders and it becomes evident that the road to broadly relevant open source solutions is a tough one, indeed.

About the blogger: Alex Fletcher is lead industry analyst at Entiva Group Incorporated, a research and analyst firm which specializes exclusively on the open source software industry. In addition to his analyst coverage activities, he advises organizations of all sizes on establishing governance, strategy and policy surrounding use of open source software as a competitive differentiator. Alex has prior experience as a consultant, software engineer and start-up founder. He can be reached at alex dot fletcher -at- entivagroup dot com.

This past week saw PLYmedia named Israel's most promising Internet start-up of 2008 by Microsoft, and HP unveil plans for startup incubation. The Internet was abuzz with Fring making unlocked iPhones now VoIP accessible and EyeBlaster's and Dapper's joining to do the mash... up. Oh yeah, and for those who missed my previous post, IBM continued its data storage solutions providers shopping spree, with its purchase of Diligent Technologies for an estimated $200 million. For a link to details on this latest acquisition and the rest of this past week's 24 Israel-related technology headlines, check out the list below.

Cleantech
3. Project Better Place

Water expo opens

Hollywood Premiere Of Award-Winning, New Documentary, "Water"


M&A and Investments
IBM buys Israel's Diligent

Venture Capitalists: U.S. Recession and Unstable Markets Will Slow Investing and Fundraising Activities, M&As and IPOs, KPMG Study Finds

Economy making venture capitalists cautious


Information Technology
TrusCont and CoakleyTech Announce the Launch of TrusCont Enhanced DVD-R Security Solution

Aternity Co-Founder & CTO Recognized as Leading Serial Entrepreneur by Distinguished Financial Journal

HP Israel unveils plans for startup incubation

World’s First Single-Chip, Multi-Message, Digital ChipCorder

Eyeblaster and Dapper Mash It Up Code Free


International
Microsoft names PLYmedia as Israel’s Most Promising Internet Startup of 2008

Israeli firms shine in Red Herring ratings

WorkLight selected AS A WINNER for the Red herring 100 Europe 2008

TruMedia's iCapture Wins Gold Medal at the Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo


Telecom
Israel Wimax Pilot Moves to Next Stage

Motorola and FIRST Inspire Next Generation of Engineers

Israeli telecom firm Koor intends to buy stake in Tata Teleservice

iPhone gains VoIP with Fring


Miscellaneous
Interview with BluePhoenix Solutions' Chief Marketing Officer

Virtualization Start-Up to Present at Virtualization Conference & Expo in New York City

ClickSoftware to Automate Scheduling and Mobile Workforce Management for Rogers Cable Communications

Sentrigo Executes on all Fronts in 2007, Priming Database Security Leader for Continued Rapid Growth

BOS Announces Finalizing a Supply Agreement With a Major European Manufacturer in the Aircraft Industry Valued at Approximately $ 1.5 Million, for Supply Over 2 Years


About the author: Lisa Damast is the Membership Manager of ebizQ.net and currently resides in Israel. Any questions or inquiries regarding this blog or ebizQ membership services can be directed to her via email at ldamast (at) ebizq (dot) net. She can also be followed on Twitter, where she covers additional Israeli technology companies and Israel-related headlines and topics.