27 Israeli broadband companies, mostly new start-ups, will meet US communications corporations at the US-Israel Broadband Business Exchange in Atlanta, organized by the American Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region.
American Israel Chamber of Commerce president Tom Glaser said, “This is basically a get-to-know-you meeting.” He said 600 meetings between representatives of the Israeli companies and of leading telecommunications and cable companies in the Western Hemisphere were held within 24 hours. “I hear that at least one Israeli company has reached an understanding with a US company for a joint venture as a result of the conference,”
Participating Israeli companies were Adamind Ltd. (AIM:ADA), AgileCO, Allot Communications Ltd., Atrica Inc., Axerra Networks Inc., Bitband, CableMatrix Technologies Inc., Catch Media, Clariton Networks, Compedia, EZArchive, FiberZone Networks, Ensure Networks (formerly Gaia BSM), Gallery IP Telephony Inc., GooMe Interactive Ltd., Infogate Online Ltd., Integra5 Communications Ltd., ObjectTV, Orca Interactive Ltd. (AIM:ORCA), PanMedia Group, PeerApp Inc., Resolute Networks Ltd., Scopus Video Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq:SCOP), Screenpeaks Ltd., SercoNet, VBox Communications Ltd., Visitar, Wavetone Technologies, Wavion Ltd., and Xtend Networks.
Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs) president and CEO Richard Green said, “Israel is one of the most dynamic sources in the world of high-tech companies, especially in broadband and telecommunications.” Atlanta-based CableLabs is a sponsor of the conference.
Veritas Venture Partners partner Lawrence Olivier said the US government and US companies knew that Israel was a hothouse of innovation in broadband. “We expect this conference to lead to important relationships.”
The US-Israel Broadband Business Exchange, held for the second time, emphasizes Atlanta’s position have the fifth largest concentration of Israeli high-tech, biotechnology and medical devices companies in the US, after New York, Silicon Valley, Boston’s Route 128, and northern Virginia.
Glaser said 45 Israeli companies were active in greater Atlanta, employing thousands of workers. These companies include Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE:DOX), Mercury Interactive Corporation (Pink Sheets:MERQ), Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), and Given Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq: GIVN; TASE:GIVN). Some Israeli companies are headquartered in Atlanta, while others maintain R&D centers or regional offices.
5,000 Israelis live in Atlanta, mostly employed by Israeli companies in the area. Glaser said this was a very mobile community, with many families spending a few years in Atlanta before returning to Israel.
The heavy business traffic between Israel and Atlanta has not gone unnoticed by Delta Airlines, which will inaugurate a direct Tel Aviv-Atlanta route in March. Glaser said this business traffic was a reason for the decision to launch the route.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on February 16, 2006