Events/Announcements

LANSING - A collaboration involving the University Research Consortium-affiliated institutions and three other Michigan public universities will provide a critical new tool for business growth and attraction in the state. The collaboration represents the first statewide university-business engagement network in the country that will connect industry with critical university assets to help grow Michigan's economy.

STAMFORD, Conn. - Gartner has announced its top predictions for IT organizations for 2012 and beyond. The key theme is major changes in store for control in IT organizations as budgets, technologies and costs become more fluid and distributed. But they predict other developments, such as the bubble bursting in social media. Selected from across

DETROIT ? JC Penney, Apple, Symantec, Dell, Abercrombie and Fitch Co.were the top retail and mobile site performers for Cyber Monday based on the Compuware Performance Index. Rounding out the top 10 were Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy?s, Best Buy, L.L. Bean and Overstock. Compuware?s analysis also found that, despite months of preparation by retailers, performance

UNIVERSITY CENTER - In what Governor Rick Snyder said was the most important of his special messages to the Legislature, he asked that body for relatively little in helping to attract and retain talent for the state's businesses. The message focused more on a new website that expands on the state's current job search system

LANSING - Citing low demand for electricity, an abundance of cheap natural gas and new costly environmental regulations, Consumers Energy is scrapping its plans to build its first new coal plant in three decades and will mothball seven of its active coal-fired units by 2015. The Jackson-based utility announced Friday it was canceling its plan

SHELBY TOWNSHIP ? Mobile, web and game application developers listen up. EyeWyre Software Studios is looking to hire full-time application developers. EyeWyre Software Studios provides custom software consulting and development services for desktop, web and mobile platforms. EyeWyre develops and sells its own software products. Their products include robotics and micro-controller simulators, games and productivity

LIVONIA - The expanding auto industry will need to add about 190,000 jobs by 2015, most in the parts sector, and the majority will be employed in Michigan. The news came Tuesday during a conference hosted by the Center for Automotive Research. U.S. auto employment is about 590,000 including 130,000 in Michigan, said Kristin Dziczek,

ANN ARBOR - Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest has announced the appointment of three new board members: Ken Kousky, chief executive officer, MidMichigan Innovation Center; Remos J. Lenio, a founder and principal, Hartwick Capital Group LLC; and Paula Sorrell, managing director of entrepreneurship, Michigan Economic Development Corporation. GLEQ is a nonprofit organization designed to accelerate the

LANSING - How much telecommunication companies should pay to run fiber optics under state-owned rail trails is a point of contention on a bill the Senate Energy and Technology Committee took up Tuesday. A substitute for SB 499 would require an application fee up to $350 and companies to pay 5 cents per linear foot

RESTON, VA. - Cyber Monday reached $1.25 billion in online spending, up 22 percent versus year ago, representing the heaviest online spending day in history and the second day on record to surpass the billion-dollar threshold. ComScore also reported holiday season U.S. retail e-commerce spending for the first 28 days of the November ? December