Jul 21, 2020

Anitian

Rakesh Narasimhan is the new CEO of Beaverton, Oregon-based cloud security company Anitian. Narasimhan has over 30 years of experience with enterprise software and data infrastructure at companies that include Microsoft, Oracle and Citrix, as well as multiple venture-based startups. Most recently, he was president and COO of Spaceflight Industries. As a result of the appointment, Anitian founder and former CEO Andrew Plato has become chief technology officer.

Telstra

Australian telecommunications and technology company Telstra is expanding its network infrastructure in the U.S. by increasing bandwidth capacity on its trans-Pacific subsea cables, upgrading circuits for more resiliency, and opening two new connection points — one in Los Angeles and the other in Hillsboro, Oregon. The company also recently launched a connection point in Seattle. The moves are expected to increase bandwidth by more than 1.5 terabytes in the next six months.

U-Haul

Better Properties of America signed up as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer of rental trucks, trailers, towing equipment and moving supplies in Lakewood. The company is at 14440 Union Ave. S.W., Unit 1. Jeff Von Schmauder is the owner.

Amazon

Seattle-based Amazon plans to open an 820,000-square-foot fulfillment center next year in Pflugerville, Texas. In the center, employees will work alongside robots to pick, pack and ship small items such as books, electronics and toys. The development will create about 1,000 new full-time jobs.

PacStar

Aruba honored Pacific Star Communications as its 2020 Federal Partner of the Year in the Top Channel Partner awards program. PacStar was recognized for its 17-year history of large-scale, Aruba-based Wi-Fi deployments in U.S. federal installations. Portland-based PacStar develops and supplies communications solutions for military, intelligence and commercial applications. Aruba is a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Jul 17, 2020

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity Seattle — King County and Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity are partnering to expand services and production of affordable homes for families in Kittitas County. The partnership is expected to result in significant cost savings for Kittitas Habitat by consolidating its operations with Habitat SKC's headquarters in Renton. These operations include administration, IT, human resources, accounting, legal, loan origination, construction and project development, and fund development. Kittitas Habitat staff will be retained. A search is underway for an area director who will serve as the local liaison with Habitat SKC, as well as a construction supervisor for Kittitas Habitat. Two Kittitas Habitat board members — Susan Ralston and Delano Palmer — have also been appointed to Habitat SKC's board.

Smartsheet

In Bellevue, Smartsheet formed an advisory board composed of federal government executives from civilian, defense and intelligence agencies. These experts are providing strategic insights into government-specific market needs and helping the company grow within the federal sector. The board is led by Gene Farrell, Smartsheet's chief product officer, and retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli. Other members are: Jerry Davis, former CIO of NASA Ames Research Center; Kathryn Condon, former executive director of Army National Cemeteries; Marina Nitze, former CTO of the Department of Veteran Affairs; and retired Lt. Gen. William Bender, former Air Force CIO. Smartsheet is a cloud-based platform for work execution.

City of University Place

The University Place City Council approved acceptance of $992,700 from the state as part of the federal CARES Act. The funds will be redistributed into the community to assist with COVID-19 recovery efforts, including $500,000 as grants to support local businesses affected by shutdowns. Applications are due July 22, with the goal of beginning distribution of funds by the end of the month. More information is at http://www.cityofup.com/business-relief-program.

Amazon

Seattle-based Amazon started a pilot program with Crossover Health to open health centers near Amazon fulfillment centers and operations facilities across the country. The first neighborhood health center for Amazon employees and their families will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This will be one of 20 centers in five cities, including Phoenix; Louisville, Kentucky; Detroit; and San Bernardino/Moreno Valley, California. All will be operated by Crossover Health. If the pilot works, Amazon will roll out more in other cities.

ZoomInfo

Business technology review site TrustRadius recognized ZoomInfo with its 2020 Top Rated Award for Marketing Intelligence Software. This is ZoomInfo's second Top Rated Award of the year, previously winning in the Sales Intelligence Software category. The awards are determined by customer feedback. Vancouver-based ZoomInfo sells access to its database of business people and companies to sales, marketing and recruiting professionals.