Detroit chamber plans Web travel site

The Detroit Regional Chamber plans to launch a new virtual map of Southeast Michigan aimed at providing worldwide exposure of area businesses through popular travel-planning sites run by Expedia Inc. and Travelocity.com.

A group of companies that includes Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing, Vancouver-based VRX Studios Inc. and Detroit-based PaperClips L.L.C. are co-developing the site.

Pioneer Technology gains security contract

Howell-based security company Pioneer Technology Services Inc. earned a three-year contract to provide information-technology services to McKenzie Bay International Ltd.

Pioneer will provide security management, data collection and warehousing, and engineering services for WindStor with Dermond Wind Turbines to McKenzie Bay and its subsidiaries. WindStor is a renewable-electricity generation and storage system.

Home-cost estimate site debuts

Grosse Pointe-based Home-Cost.com announced a Web site meant to provide cost-estimating information, scheduled to launch this month.

The service will provide accurate home-building cost estimates based on a customer's design selections, using Home-Cost's Resi-Cost estimating engine.

In 2003, Home-Cost.com surveyed custom-home projects across the nation, ranging from $190,000 to $1.2 million, and found that 94 percent exceeded the client's original budget.

Using Home-Cost.com, customers can change home designs to keep costs within their budgets.

Stardock updates DesktopX

Livonia-based software developer Stardock Corp. Inc. released DesktopX 2.3.

The product lets customers add features and content to their Windows desktop. The program also can be used to build complete desktops from scratch and has a graphics engine that allows for fluid animation and high performance while using little memory.

File Inc. offers tax-payment reminder service

Novi-based Time to File Inc. said it launched an Internet-based service that automatically sends e-mails to remind customers of tax filings and payments.

The program is designed to help businesses and individuals remember to file tax returns and make tax payments on time, reducing or eliminating interest charges and penalties.

Registered users receive an e-mail seven days before the due date of each filing or payment. Each reminder will contain the name of the tax filing due and details on where and how to pay it. If it is possible to e-file or pay through the Internet, a link to help that process is provided in the e-mail.

Visteon CIO honored

Lorie Buckingham, senior vice president and chief information officer for Visteon Corp., was named a winner of the "Top Michigan Women in Computing" award for 2004, presented by the Association for Women in Computing-Ann Arbor chapter.

The chapter picked 10 women for the award based on career progression, community involvement, involvement in mentoring, the size and scope of their organization and number of years in management.

Buckingham is responsible for all Visteon information-technology activities and has process-leadership responsibility. Before joining the auto supplier in 2000, Buckingham worked at Union Carbide Corp. in Danbury, Conn., as director of enterprise information-technology solutions.

Superior Consultant gains healthcare contract

Dearborn-based Superior Consultant Holdings Corp. won a $14.6 million contract to provide health care information-technology services to Lakeland Regional Health System.

The contract calls for Superior to provide network management and data-center and help desk services.

Also, Superior will help the health system upgrade its internal network and assist is developing Lakeland's future clinical information-technology strategy.

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