What’s Next with the Internet? Google's Vint Cerf Looks Ahead (January 7)

Vint Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist at Google, is the person most often called “the father of the Internet." His contributions have been recognized repeatedly, with honorary degrees and awards that include the National Medal of Technology, the Turing Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Churchill Club catches up with Cerf to hear his take on what new opportunities and services today’s ever-faster Internet technologies will spawn and what may stand in their way. Don’t miss this rare chance to meet the legendary Vint Cerf in person. Interviewed by Jessica Vascellaro, tech reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Visit the Churchill Club portal to register for this event @ SRI in Menlo Park.

The State of Clean Energy: Challenges & Opportunities (Jan. 12 - SD Forum)

Clean and green technology has quickly taken center stage in the public arena as well as in boardrooms. The promise of new wealth creation, job growth for the ailing economy, and the opportunity to reduce cost through sustainability practices are all driving the industry forward. Yet, not everyone is moving forward at the same pace. Clean technology may have taken over in the world as the pre-eminent sector for development but in many areas, the United States is playing catch up. The third annual SDForum conference on clean energy will take a critical look at the country-level adoption gap and what the leaders are really doing. Where are the leaders? How has public policy accelerated development and what needs to be done? In Silicon Valley, what are corporations, start ups, investors, universities and governments doing? Where are we ahead, where are we behind and what’s next? This conference brings together global leaders to share best practices and connect with industry movers and shakers. This is an exceptional opportunity to learn and collaborate on how to move the industry forward.

Logitech Completes Acquisition of LifeSize Communications

Logitech International announced that it has completed the acquisition of LifeSize Communications, a global leader in high definition (HD) video communication solutions, with more than 9,000 video conferencing customers across 80 countries in large enterprises, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and public healthcare, education and government organizations.

Logitech expects the acquisition to drive growth in video communication for the enterprise and SMB markets by leveraging the two companies’ many technology synergies – including camera design, firewall traversal, video compression and bandwidth management.

“We believe the video communication opportunity is at an inflection point, providing us with a significant growth opportunity as we bring new technologies and added value to office and home environments,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. “Through our combined strengths in high-definition, high-quality webcams, ease of use and interoperability, we plan to capitalize on this opportunity by delivering disruptive price/ performance offerings to the market. Logitech is a leader in PC video communications and LifeSize is a leader in HD video communications in the meeting room. Together we can make life-like, HD-quality video communication mainstream.”

“Logitech and LifeSize form a powerful combination,” said Andrew W. Davis, senior partner, Wainhouse Research. “Logitech offers proven innovation in webcams and user-friendly, smart technology and LifeSize offers expertise in engineering leading price-performance HD video communications. These synergies make the combined company well positioned to make high definition video communications mainstream – from the enterprise conference room to the home. After all, why shouldn’t video be everywhere there is voice?”

5th Annual Silicon Valley Open Doors Conference (Dec. 8-9)

Silicon Valley Open Doors (SVOD), the only Silicon Valley annual investment conference that brings together Russian-speaking innovators with the prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firms, leading technology, business media and the top US technology companies is poised to celebrate its fifth year of being in business. This year's Open Doors Conference will be held at the Computer Museum in Mountain View, CA on December 9th and 10th. This year's theme, RE-INVENT!, is driving a very exciting Agenda, exploring re-invention as it affects the startup process on multiple levels -- technologies, business models, financing, monetizing and team building.

"We are very pleased and proud to be able to attract such high caliber participants," said Ms. Anna Dvornikova, SVOD President. "This year, we have an extraordinary lineup that is going to make our Fifth Anniversary even more special."

This year's SVOD Business Plan competition will feature 20 companies whose products and services continue to re-invent seemingly established areas like travel (Evature) and home entertainment (eMazeU), as well as the sustainable green technologies (PTP Group Americas.) The winners of the SVOD Business Plan competition will receive a traditional Golden Lock Award, as well as a freeNewsWire Press Release to be announced on TIME SQUARE's "Breaking News."

In addition to the traditional SVOD Business Plan competition, AmBAR www.ambarclub.org and RUSNANO www.rusnano.com are announcing a competition for the best Nanotechnology plan. "Using SVOD as a platform to spread the word about RUSNANO and its mission, as well as means of tapping into a huge reservoir of the intellectual power of the Russian-speaking constituency in the Silicon Valley, is 'a no-brainer,'" said Anatole Chubais, RUSNANO CEO (or Gozman, or Urinson). "Our goal is to seed and sponsor Silicon Valley-like entrepreneurial communities all over Russia. From this perspective, the relationships that we develop at SVOD are going a long way towards our objectives."

Cisco Controls More Than 90% of the Shares in TANDBERG

Cisco announced it has now received acceptances for or purchased shares representing more than 90% of the shares in TANDBERG. As a result of additional acceptances registered today, Cisco hereby announces that approximately 99.8 million shares have been tendered, representing 89.1% of the outstanding shares in TANDBERG. In addition, Cisco has on November 18 and 20, 2009, purchased a total of 2,238,600 shares in TANDBERG, corresponding to 2.0% of the outstanding and issued shares. The shares tendered, combined with shares owned, currently represent approximately 102 million shares, or approximately 91.1% of the shares and voting rights in TANDBERG.

There may be adjustments to this result due to possible corrections and changes following registration with the Verdipapirsentralen (VPS). The final result will be published as soon as it is available.

Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions to the offer as set forth in the offer document, dated October 7, 2009, Section 1.7, Cisco intends to make a compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares in TANDBERG pursuant to the Norwegian Public Companies Act and to proceed with an application for a de-listing of the shares of TANDBERG. In accordance with Section 1.7 (Conditions to the Offer) of the offer document, Cisco will issue a notification through the Oslo Stock Exchange as soon as each of the remaining conditions to the offer has been met, waived or failed to be met.