NCS News Desk

Wounded Warrior Lone Sailor 5K Run/Walk/Roll

Posted on April 4, 2013 in General News,

The Navy League of Central Florida is proud to sponsor the 4th Annual Wounded Warrior / Lone Sailor Memorial 5K Run. Where: Baldwin Park “Downtown” area- 5K route around historic Lake Baldwin When: Saturday, April , 2013 0730 Colors Ceremony 0800 Run Start www.cfnl5k.org

Intel, local research agency developing 'cloud-based' war games

Posted on March 29, 2013 in Event News,

By Richard Burnett Orlando Sentinel, March 28, 2013 High-technology giant Intel Corp. is bringing its Silicon Valley heft to a partnership with the Army’s Orlando simulation-research lab to create computerized war games capable of handling hundreds of participants at once, company and military officials said this week. The goal of the project — the first […]

Dignitas Technologies Elizabeth Burch selected "Woman Owned Small Business Person of the Year"

Posted on March 25, 2013 in General News,

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) North Florida Office is pleased to announce the SBA’s 2013 North Florida Small Business Week District winners. The 2013 SBA North Florida District Small Business Person of the Year is Andre Uribe.  Mr. Uribe is the Vice President of Power Grid Engineering, LLC (PGE), located in […]

Tax Tip: "Employer Withholding" courtesy of CliftonLarsonAllen

Posted on March 19, 2013 in General News,

Employer Withholding:  In addition to withholding Medicare tax at 1.45%, employers, beginning in 2013, must withhold an additional 0.9% Medicare tax from wages paid to an employee in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year and continue to withhold it until the end of the calendar year.  The 2013 version of Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly […]

RealTime Immersive Licenses CryENGINE® to U.S. Navy for Littoral Combat Ship Courseware Development Program

Posted on March 11, 2013 in General News,

March 5, 2013 RealTime Immersive Licenses CryENGINE® to U.S. Navy for Littoral Combat Ship Courseware Development Program RealTime Immersive Inc., a simulation and serious games company, announced that the U.S. Navy, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), has licensed CryENGINE® to build a virtual representation of each class of the Littoral Combat Ship […]

ZelTech Training Solutions Executes an Exclusive Marketing and Manufacturing Agreement for the KTS Agility Military Radio

Posted on March 7, 2013 in General News,

Orlando, FL – March 7, 2013.  ZelTech Training Solutions, LLC of Winter Park, Florida, has entered into an exclusive marketing and manufacturing license agreement with Koos Technical Services, Inc. (KTS) of Lake Mary, Florida.  ZelTech Training Solutions will exclusively provide the KTS Agility Military Radio (AMR) to the worldwide Military Training and Simulation market.  Additionally, […]

Selling D.C. on the Local Simulation Industry by Richard Burnett, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar 2012

Posted on March 6, 2013 in General News,

Selling D.C. on local simulation industry By Richard Burnett, Orlando Sentinel 12:49 pm, March 3, 2013 Central Florida’s training-simulation industry sent a lobbying team of industry and community leaders to Washington last week, just before the deadline for the federal deficit-reduction deal known as the sequester. And while the sequester’s $1.2 trillion in cuts over […]

Orlando Sentinel Editorial highlights Congressman Mica & NCS lead Industry Group visit to Capitol Hill in advance of potential sequestration cuts

Posted on March 6, 2013 in General News,

Orlando Sentinel Editorial Our take: Computer modeling, training and sim industry March 6, 2013 Pre-emptive strikers If medals were awarded for foresight, leaders of Orlando’s computer modeling, training and simulation industry would deserve to be decorated.  As the Sentinel recently reported, a delegation representing the local industry went to Washington, D.C., last week to tout […]

Congressman John Mica hosts NCS-led Industry Team on Capitol Hill, 25-26 Feb 2013

Posted on February 28, 2013 in General News,

Congressman John Mica organized an Industry leader visit to Capitol Hill to engage elected officials on the impact of potential sequestration cuts on the defense Industry in Florida and the possibility of another round of Base Realignment & Closure (BRAC) in 2015.  Participants included:  Jim Craig, LMCO & NCS Board Member; Dr. Mike Macedonia, SAIC & NCS […]

Mica leads team to boost Orlando’s $3B training industry

Posted on February 27, 2013 in General News,

By Bill Orben Orlando Business Journal U.S. Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla., has organized a series of meetings in Washington, D.C., Feb. 26 aimed at boosting Orlando’s $3 billion simulation and training industry and blunting the impacts of possible defense cuts. Mica, Tom Baptiste, president of the National Center for Simulation, and local business and […]

Sequestration could affect thousands of Floridians

Posted on February 20, 2013 in General News,

By Scott McDonnell ORLANDO — It’s a deal that could save 40,000 to 80,000 jobs for Floridians.  On Tuesday, President Barack Obama, called on Congress to act and cut a deal the avoid $85 billion in spending cuts on the first of March. Gen. Tom Baptiste, a retired Air Force general and president of the […]

Engineering and Computer Simulations' solution to ensuring the next cruise ship disaster is handled better

Posted on February 19, 2013 in General News,

Engineering and Computer Simulations in Orlando thinks they have the solution to ensuring the next cruise ship disaster is handled better. The plan is to provide simulator training to essential crew members for fire procedures, evacuation drills, missing persons, and flooding. Read more about how simulation training can help mitigate future disasters at sea:http://www.wogx.com/story/21237089/orlando-simulation-company-offers-cruise-ship-disaster-training

Grant aimed at keeping simulation industry strong in Central Florida – WFTV Featured Story

Posted on February 19, 2013 in General News,

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Gov. Rick Scott awarded a $350,000 grant to Orlando’s National Center for Simulation on Monday. The center will use that money in an effort to keep Central Florida’s Naval Support Activity Base from moving or closing — a move that would have major economic consequences for the state.Florida’s simulation industry, with […]

Orlando training industry group snags $350,000 state grant for base-closing battle plan, by Richard Burnett, Orlando Sentinel

Posted on February 19, 2013 in General News,

Representing a group of community stakeholders, NCS has been awarded a $350,000 grant from the state to help forge a long range strategic action plan to fend off base closing threats and other fallout from U.S military spending cutbacks.  President Obama has asked the Congress for two rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 2013 […]

Updated Affirmative Action Regulations for Federal Contractors

Posted on February 5, 2013 in General News,

NCS co-hosted a legal roundtable on February 5, 2013 with Kinberg & Associates to discuss the ramifications of the updated Affirmative Action Regulations for Federal Contractors.  Ed Kinberg presented his view of what to expect in the coming months, as well as proactive strategies for employers of all sizes.  Once again, we would like to thank […]

NCS Education & Workforce Development Committee Meeting Minutes, 16 January 2013

Posted on January 21, 2013 in Uncategorized,

Attached are the referenced meeting minutes, meeting slides and a presentation made by Dr. Richard Hartshorne of UCF.

Tax Tips, courtesy of Marni J. Spence, CPA, Tax Partner @ CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP

Posted on January 21, 2013 in General News,

IRS Announces Needed Relief on Home Office Deduction! Many small business owners operate their business out of their home.  The tax laws allow a deduction for part of the expenses related to the home such as insurance, utilities and repairs based upon the square footage of the business portion to the total home size. For […]

Orlando Sentinel: Region's Firms May Avoid Worst of Defense Cuts

Posted on January 15, 2013 in General News,

Industry analyst Michael Blades, of Frost and Sullivan, points out in an Orlando Sentinel article that there should be a “slight expansion” in the simulation and traning segment within the overall defense sector even with forecasted defense spending cuts.  The article also highlights that Central Florida is considered the country’s largest cluster of high-tech military […]

CH 9 News visited I/ITSEC 2012 to discuss the potential impact of the Fiscal Cliff

Posted on January 11, 2013 in President's Corner,

To view the news video click on the following link: http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/central-florida-technical-jobs-prepare-f…  

NCS & Florida Hospital's Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement were featured on CH 9 Central Florida Spotlight

Posted on January 11, 2013 in President's Corner,

Central Florida Spotlight, a weekly television show that showcases items of importance to Central Florida, recently featured the Medical Simulation Industry.  Greg Warmoth interviewed Thomas Baptiste, Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret.), President of NCS; Dr. Roger Smith, CTO, Florida Hospital – Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancment; and Dr. Arnold Advincula, Medical Director, Gynecologic Robotic Surgery Program, […]