Tescom and RAD Data Communications/BellSouth received top honors at the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC) Eagle Star Awards Gala today -- in recognition of their outstanding execution that has generated both jobs and investment in the region and Israel. Tescom was named “Israeli Company of the Year” and RAD Data Communications and their U.S. partner, BellSouth,were recognized as "Deal of the Year."

The Eagle Star Awards honor the people and companies who have contributed most to Southeastern U.S.-Israel business relationships.  

Mark L. Hanny, vice president of worldwide ISV Alliances & GTM, who oversees IBM’s Global Technology Unit in Israel, was the keynote speaker. Hanny presented the “IBM-Israel” story of how this global technology leader is incorporating Israeli innovation and expertise in solutions for its customers worldwide.

Israeli Company of the Year

Tel Aviv-based Tescom (www.tescom-usa.com) received the Israeli Company of the Year Award. Tescom is a software quality assurance consulting company that works with clients to help improve the performance of their information technology. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in Atlanta, with major customers in the region including UPS, CDC, City of Atlanta, and Georgia Department of Transportation.

Tescom went public on the Tel Aviv exchange in 2004 with a second successful IPO in London’s AIM market in 2005. The company is active in both AICC and the community, sponsoring events and serving on committees and technology organizations. The management team is composed of both Israelis and Americans with backgrounds in business and technology.

Deal of the Year

Tel Aviv-based RAD Data Communications (www.radusa.com) and its U.S. partner, BellSouth (www.bellsouth.com) received the Deal of the Year award. RAD Data Communications manufactures network access equipment for data communications applications that are sold in the telecommunications, enterprise, and government markets.

In a competitive environment, RAD was awarded a contract with BellSouth to replace an existing router product that was successfully utilized in providing wireless broadband service to restore data communications to New Orleans immediately following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Three wireless base stations were installed on the city’s tallest building to provide high-speed internet access, allowing businesses to communicate with their customers and other companies.

The Eagle Star Gala also featured two additional special recognitions:

• The “Chamber Founders Award” was presented to Dr. Mark Braunstein, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Patient Care Technologies. This award recognizes the significant contributions of an individual, and is fitting given Braunstein’s leadership of AICC since its founding. Braunstein invented the acclaimed “Industry-Specific Business Exchange” economic development model that has been a hallmark of the organization since 1994 and served as board chairman from 2001-03.
  
• The “Community Partner Award” was accepted by Jay Davis, chairman of the Advisory Board of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), a joint project of Georgia State University with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. GILEE promotes cooperation with Israeli law enforcement through professional education exchanges in Georgia and Israel. The agency’s executive director, Dr. Robert Friedmann, serves as chairman of AICC’s Security Committee. GILEE has been an active partner with the Chamber on programs that showcase Israeli security technologies to both the public and private sectors in the Southeast.  

Other finalists for Israeli Company of the Year included:

• Metalink (www.metalinkbb.com) - Yakum, Israel-based fabless semiconductor company is a leading provider of high performance wireless and wireline broadband communication silicon solutions that enable connectivity in every home through convergence of telecommunication, networking, and entertainment. Their Atlanta design center was founded in 2003, built around experienced and highly qualified RF leaders in the area. Metalink’s RFIC design included a challenging integration of multiple receivers and multiple transmitters on a single chip. The company’s former CTO has relocated to Atlanta where Metalink consolidated its U.S. headquarters in 2006.
  
• Vyyo (www.vyyo.com) - Provider of broadband access solutions with cable products expanding the operators’ capacity in the “Last Mile,” and wireless broadband solutions that enable utilities and other customers to operate private wireless networks for communications to their remote assets and customers. This Xtend Networks subsidiary established U.S. marketing operations in Atlanta in 2004, and consolidated its corporate headquarters in Atlanta in 2006 for proximity to customers following a similar consolidation of its R&D facilities in Israel. Major deals were concluded recently following a $25 million private placement, and revenue projections are expected to increase by 8x this year. 

Other finalists for Deal of the Year included:

• Foamix (www.foamix.co.il) / Stiefel (www.stiefel.com) - Ness Ziona, Israel-based Foamix has developed an aerosol foam to treat scabies, a painful skin condition that affects more than one million annually in the U.S. and 300 million worldwide. Technology breakthrough is in the delivery system’s ability to spread easily on large skin areas with immediate absorption in comparison to traditional treatments. Stiefel Laboratories, the world’s largest independent pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, is headquartered in Florida with a major subsidiary for this product in Duluth, Georgia. Under the terms of the relationship, Foamix will develop the formulations, and Stiefel will conduct clinical trials and the commercialization of the product in the U.S.
• McKesson (www.mckesson.com) / Medcon (www.medcon.com) - Alpharetta, Georgia-based McKesson Information Solutions acquired Israel-based Medcon in August 2005 for $105 million. Medcon had developed a web-based cardiac image and information management system that improves workflow productivity, enables informed clinical decision-making, and facilitates access to comprehensive electronic health records. Now known as Horizon Cardiology, the system enables McKesson, the largest healthcare IT solutions provider, to meet the information technology and automations needs of cardiologists across all care settings, from the hospital cardiology department to the physician practice environment.    

The 2006 Eagle Star Awards Gala – AICC’s largest annual community event – was held at IBM’s Northside Parkway corporate campus,