Respondus gets award

Redmond-based Respondus Inc. said Brandon-hall.com has presented the company with a Gold Excellence in E-Learning Award for Innovative Technology. The award recognizes StudyMate, an authoring tool that allows users to create ten Flash-based activities and e-learning games using three templates.

The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards are presented by Brandon Hall Research. Now in its 11th year, the awards program showcases exceptional work in innovative learning.

MetaInfo releases server product

Seattle-based MetaInfo, a maker of network infrastructure management products, released SAFE Registration Server, a new network endpoint access protection appliance that enables enterprises to centrally manage and enforce network use policies to their pre-defined standards. Based on MetaInfo's SAFE Registration Framework, a new extensible architecture for network access protection, SAFE Registration Server provides a platform that allows organizations to monitor and control network access, including integrating with leading security vendors products.

The SAFE Registration Server is the first in a series of products from MetaInfo to incorporate SAFE Registration Framework.

Parallel releases USB software

Redmond-based Parallel Technologies released its new USB software, USB Info.

USB Info allows users to view, browse, explore, benchmark, test, and troubleshoot their USB devices, all with one utility.

USB Info's features include support for third-party USB 2.0 drivers and controllers, benchmarking and performance testing of any USB device including the individual components of USB composite devices such as printer/scanner/copier type products, cross referencing registry entries with USB devices and components, and displaying all of the devices related to USB devices such as USB drives.

Jacobson new Cdigix CEO

Larry Jacobson, a former president of RealNetworks Inc., is taking over as chief executive officer of digital media company Cdigix and moving the company from Denver to Seattle.

Jacobson served as president of Seattle-based RealNetworks Inc. from 2001 until 2004. Before that he was president and chief operating officer of Ticketmaster Corp.

Brett Goldberg, who founded Cdigix in 2000, will remain with the company in the newly created position of executive vice president.

Cdigix provides digital entertainment and educational media to college campuses.

Microsoft buying VoIP provider

Microsoft Corp. will buy voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) company Mediastreams.com AG of Switzerland. Terms weren't disclosed.

The Redmond-based software provider said it will integrate the acquired technology into its own unified communications offering, which includes integrated e-mail, instant messaging, audio, video and Web conferencing. Microsoft sells the service to businesses as a way to increase efficiency in the office.

Zurich-based Mediastreams employs 23, and those employees will be retained, officials said.

Technology salaries rise 8 percent

Technology workers in Washington saw an average salary increase of 8 percent in the past year, according to a survey of workers in the information technology industry by Payscale Inc.

Seattle-based Payscale conducted the 2005 WSA Northwest Salary Survey of employees at 74 public and private technology companies between July 11 and Sept. 15, according to a news release.

The survey accounted for base salary, equity compensation, health-care benefits and sales compensation practices from 100 different job positions, according to the announcement.

An entry-level software engineer or developer will make about $58,000 in base salary, while a senior software development manager will make about $116,000, according to the survey.

The average CEO base-pay salary in the 2005 survey is $175,000, up from the previous year's $152,250.

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