System Source buys Ociter Enterprises

Hunt Valley-based System Source, a maker of IT products for mid-market and enterprise organizations, bought Maryland-based Ociter Enterprises, also a business-to-business IT product maker. Ociter's sales and technical staff relocated to System Source's headquarters. System Source added 35 employees as a result of the purchase, bringing its workforce to 165. Pat Kopins, former president of Ociter, joined System Source. System Source owners Maury Weinstein and Bob Roswell founded the company in 1981. In 1991 the company changed its name to System Source. In 1996, System Source acquired Internet company Planet Communications.

Airbee Wireless finds Irish partner

A Rockville wireless firm has reached across the pond to the Emerald Isle for a new partner: Airbee Wireless has signed a joint development agreement with Ireland's SupaRule Systems. Under the agreement, SupaRule will deliver working models of its Zigbee compliant board, along with engineering, so that Airbee, which provides wireless communications software, can put its UltraLite embedded software into the board, and integration and field tests will be conducted after that. Airbee's CEO Raj Sundaresan said in a statement that the agreement will open international marketing doors for the Rockville-based company. No word on the financial terms of the agreement.

Campbell joins Tech Council board

EntreMed president and chief operating officer Neil Campbell has been named to the board of directors for the Technology Council of Maryland. Prior to his stint at Rockville-based EntreMed, which develops treatments for cancer, Campbell was senior director of commercial development at Celera Genomics and also worked at Life Technologies Inc., IGEN Inc. and Abbott Laboratories. The Technology Council of Maryland (www.mdhitech.org) is an 18-year-old consortium that works to develop links between industry, government and higher education. Membership in the council is open to high technology firms, government laboratories, colleges and universities and business support firms.

Systems Alliance teams with Sun, Veritas

Sparks-based Systems Alliance Inc. is partnering with Sun Microsystems and Veritas Software Corp. to bring new information technology products and services to its clients. Systems Alliance will integrate Sun servers, storage equipment and software with other programs customers use to manage their business. And Systems Alliance consultants will work with clients on implementing Veritas' storage management software.

Paragon, DP Solutions to merge

Paragon Smart Technologies LLC and Data Processing Solutions Inc. have decided that two is better than one. The two Columbia companies, which provide information technology services, have agreed to merge. Financial terms were not disclosed. The new firm will take the name of Data Processing Solutions. It will employ 45 and have 300 active business clients, according to the company.

Essex completes buy of tech company

Essex Corp. completed the acquisiton of Computer Sciences Innovations, a Melbourne, Fla., company, on April 30. Columbia-based Essex develops optical communications systems for Defense Department contractors. In a news release, Essex described CSI as a profitable, employee-owned company with 35 employees and about $7.5 million in annual revenue. CSI focuses on cognitive processing technology. The company uses proprietary techniques, algorithms and tools to build applications for intelligence, defense and commercial customers, who in turn use the applications to help intelligence analysts identify information.

Boston firm buys CenterForce

Concerto Software Inc., of Boston, has acquired Bethesda-based CenterForce Technologies Inc., whose software helps call center managers assess the performance of their employees. The firms did not disclose financial details. Concerto plans to keep CenterForce's office in Bethesda.

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