Guest Columns

GM’s Open Letter To The American People

DETROIT - We deeply appreciate the Congress considering General Motors' request to borrow up to $18 billion from the United States. We want to be sure the American people know why we need it, what we'll do with it and how it will make GM viable for the long term. For a century, we have

By |2008-12-08T00:00:00-05:00December 8th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

Security Threats And How To Protect Your Business

SOUTHFIELD - Security is an issue that affects businesses of all sizes, in all locations. To help protect customers and businesses worldwide, Microsoft issues its Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIR) twice yearly. A detailed examination of the evolution of computer threats and countermeasures, this report provides a unique, global perspective on the state of the

By |2008-12-04T00:00:00-05:00December 4th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

Comfort Gadgets For The Holidays

BURLINGAME - It's time to go back to basics. Trips to exotic resorts are plunging. Sales of macaroni and cheese are up. And in a digital age, consumers turn not just to familiar foods when the economic news is frightful, but also to friendly digital toys. "It's about trust and comfort at this point," says

By |2008-11-25T00:00:00-05:00November 25th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

The Cellphone Squeeze – Another Victim Of The Cratering Economy

NEW YORK - Here's another species endangered by our cratering economy: the basic, mid-priced cellphone. Pinched wallets are putting the so-called feature phone--which includes a camera, Bluetooth, text messaging and Web surfing capabilities--at risk, says Avi Greengart, research director of mobile devices at Current Analysis. Carriers, squeezed by the economy themselves, are passing over their

By |2008-11-25T00:00:00-05:00November 25th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

CA Simplifies IT Service Management

SOUTHFIELD - CA has announced a strategy to streamline IT service management delivery by offering a new set of unified product offerings and software integrations. "CA is changing the way IT service management solutions are delivered by making yesterday's products into today's integrated features and providing clear incremental integration paths to more complete service management,"

By |2008-11-25T00:00:00-05:00November 25th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

Health Care Opportunities, Challenges With New President, Democrat-Controlled Congress

WASHINGTON - In 2009, we are certain to see an effort to pass comprehensive reform legislation, and all of the players in the health care system (companies, universities, suppliers, economic developers, venture funders and the general public) will be affected. White House Will Lead the Way Health care reform is a top priority for Barack

By |2008-11-20T00:00:00-05:00November 20th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

MichBio Legislative Update – Michigan Business Tax Elimination Of Surcharge

LANSING - Michigan's business tax structure changed radically on January 1, 2008. The new tax created a business income tax of 4.95 percent, a modified gross receipts tax of 0.8 percent, and tax credits for payroll, property, research and development, and other factors. It was intended to increase revenue, while decreasing the tax burden on

By |2008-11-20T00:00:00-05:00November 20th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

9 in 2009: Small Business Survival Tips For A Tough Economy

DETROIT - Tighter budgets, fewer job openings and the lowest capital spending since 1975 have led to one of the longest consecutive readings of low optimism according to the Index of Small Business Optimism commissioned by the National Federation of Independent Business. This year's 88.2 reading is a sign of a depressed economy and outlook,

By |2008-11-14T00:00:00-05:00November 14th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

The Identity Theft Red Flag Rules Are Coming Your Way

ANN ARBOR - Several governmental agencies jointly issued final rules addressing implementation of Section 114 and Section 315 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act). If any of the following agencies have oversight with respect to your business, you may have an affirmative obligation to comply with the Identity Theft

By |2008-10-31T00:00:00-04:00October 31st, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|

MichBio CEO Urges Michigan Voters To Support Embryonic Stem Cell R&D

ANN ARBOR - Stephen Rapundalo, CEO of MichBio, Michigan?s life sciences trade association, said Michigan voters should support a ballot proposal on Nov. 4 that would allow the state to use embryonic stem-cells for medical research. In a letter to the editor, Rapundalo said: "Researchers at the University of Michigan are world leaders in one

By |2008-10-30T00:00:00-04:00October 30th, 2008|Archive, Guest Columns|