Corporate Report

Corporate Report

by Sean Roth | Real Estate Editor

Tampa Electric adds peak-power need

Tampa Electric plans to install five new 60-megawatt peaking units, systems that will provide power during periods of peak customer demand.

Four of the units will run on natural gas and will be located on the site of the existing Bayside Power Station in Tampa. One dual-fuel (natural gas and fuel oil) unit will be located at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach.

The simple-cycle turbines are expected to be in commercial operation by the fourth quarter of 2009 and will provide power to approximately 65,000 homes on a winter peak day.

"The $237 million total project investment includes these new peaking units that will provide Tampa Electric with the flexibility to meet the growing needs of our customers in a safe, reliable and cost-effective manner, while continuing to meet our environmental responsibilities," Chuck Black, president, said in a press release.

The new peaking units will be equipped with black start capability, which means they can also be used to start other larger generating units at each of the stations in case power from the system not be readily available.

The company is also installing specialized selective catalytic reduction equipment to it's Big Bend Power Station to further reduce the plant's emission levels. When the $330 million SCR project is completed in 2010, the 1,700-megawatt Big Bend Station will be one of the cleanest coal power plants in the country.

Tampa Electric Co. is the principal subsidiary of TECO Energy Inc., an integrated energy-related holding company. TECO Energy Inc. recently declared a dividend of 19.5 cents per share on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable Feb. 28 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 15.

Syniverse technology

wins Global Mobile Award

Syniverse DataNet, an anti-fraud roaming solution by Tampa-based Syniverse Technologies, has been named "Best Roaming Product or Service" in the technology category at the 13th annual GSM Association's Global Mobile Awards.

"This award represents a turning point for the mobile industry, as it proves there is a real and growing demand for innovative roaming fraud solutions," Tony Holcombe, president and CEO of Syniverse Technologies, said in a press release. "As the number of roaming transactions continues to rise around the world, roaming fraud is becoming tougher for operators to identify and resolve. DataNet maximizes the level of protection operators deploy on their networks."

He reports that Syniverse, has signed more than 65 Syniverse DataNet contracts worldwide.

DataNet was create to support the GSMA's Near Real Time Roaming Data Exchange initiative to cut the incidence of roaming fraud by up to 90%.

Syniverse DataNet was developed to exceed the GSMA's requirement that roaming data records used to spot fraudulent behavior must be exchanged between a home and visited operator in less than four hours.

The new gauge replaces the outmoded High Usage Record system that currently allows fraudsters a 36-hour window to commit roaming fraud. Syniverse DataNet streamlines the time it takes to exchange roaming data records between operators and roaming operators. This gives operators immediate access to information they need to combat roaming fraud.

First Advantage

joins with DealerTrack

St. Petersburg-based First Advantage Corp. has agreed to offer purchase request, subprime and bankruptcy consumer leads through the DealerTrack Leads Network.

The DealerTrack Leads Network is designed to let dealers take greater control of the leads purchasing process by only buying the leads they need.

"We are pleased to have First Advantage, one of the industry's largest leads providers, offer quality leads to our mutual dealer customers through the DealerTrack Leads Network," Mark O'Neil, chairman and CEO of DealerTrack, said in a press release. "Since our launch last September, participation in the Leads Network by both dealers and lead providers has continued to grow, and it is now available in 49 states - excluding only Texas due to state regulations."

DealerTrack Holdings provides software and data solutions to the U.S. automotive retail industry. The Dealer Services segment of First Advantage Corp. processes millions of consumer transactions annually for the automotive industry. The company has 4,700 employees in 10 countries.

Stinger, New Mexico

sign services contract

The state of New Mexico has awarded Tampa-based electro-stun company Stinger Systems Inc. a general services contract.

The contract stipulates a locked price for Stinger S-200 projectile stun guns for a year. All law enforcement agencies throughout the state of New Mexico will be able to purchase under the guidelines of the general services contract.

Stinger Systems also announced that the Washington State Department of Corrections would standardize electro stun technology using Stinger Systems' products. Currently, the Washington department uses the Stinger's Band-It prisoner restraint system and the Ice Shield crowd control shield. The Department will now phase in the Stinger S-200 stun gun as a replacement solution. The department plans to purchase as soon as the first quarter of 2008.

Stinger Systems sells a broad array of products utilizing advanced electro sparc-pulsed technology to police, corrections, and security industries worldwide.