Baran Telecom - Beit Dagan-based global provider of engineering, technology and construction services established the US headquarters of its telecommunications division in Cumming, Georgia in 2002, and in the last four years, has tripled its revenue to more than $64 million a year.  In 2008, was contracted by Nokia Siemens Network to assist in deployment of NSN's 3G network with their customer T-Mobile that achieved a significant majority of the Southeast markets from Atlanta to Miami with over 1,800 completed sites.  As many as 60 crews were managed from the Cumming office, and the project created more than 400 direct / indirect jobs in the Southeast.

Precision Components International - Nahariya-baed Blades Technology Ltd. established its US subsidiary in Columbus, Georgia in 1995.  Operating from a 270,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility, PCI manufactures high-quality jet engine compressor blades and vanes made from stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and nickel-based super alloys, counts as customers the top three jet engine manufacturers in the world, and has expanded into other fields such as medical equipment and golf.  The company employs 350 people in Georgia, and over the past three years, has invested $12 million in new equipment and creation of 70 new jobs.

Verint Systems - Tel Aviv-based company acquired Atlanta-based Witness Systems in 2007 for $950 million, resulting in Verint Witness Actionable Solutions, its largest division.  The company has 2,500 worldwide employees, with approximately a quarter of that number based in the company's Tel Aviv location and 250 in the Georgia office -- one of its engineering, product management and IT hubs -- including an  expansion from support operations relocated from offshore.  Offering innovative solutions in enterprise workforce optimization and security, the company has 400 patent registrations and applications, with major customers in the Southeast and worldwide.

Deal of the Year Finalists

EMS / Starling - Norcross, Georgia-based company and Yokneam-based company formed a partnership in 2008 to combine the best of their respective technologies for airborne satellite antenna systems into a joint product for in-flight entertainment service providers.  A key global service provider selected them to design, develop, certify, manufacture, and support a satellite communications antenna system for its new in-flight connectivity service.  The system will give airline passengers the same mobile wireless connectivity options they enjoy at the home and office.  The EMS-Starling broadband Ku-band antenna system provides reliable connectivity and worldwide coverage at unprecedented speeds and quality.  The deal further strengthens EMS's and Starling's leadership as comprehensive solutions providers in the fast-emerging aero-connectivity market.

Jacada / Nationwide Insurance   - Herzliya-based company with corporate headquarters in Atlanta developed a unified desktop solution for major national insurance carrier that integrates the 26 different business systems that Nationwide already had.  Jacada's WorkSpace solution delivered a re-engineered, "intelligent" view of customer data and process, which essentially eliminated the chaos on the customer service reps' desktops and allowed them to spend more time helping customers and less time navigating systems.  It is now deployed to 900 customer service representatives across 5 call centers.  Value of the deal is more than $5 million.

Southern Company / NICE - Atlanta-based energy utility expanded its strategic implementation of NICE Systems' SmartCenter solution to create a more integrated, comprehensive contact center technology environment, replace competing recording and quality management solutions, and add screen content analytics.  The system helps improve agent performance and deliver the highest quality of customer service possible to the company's more than four million customers.  The deal represented an opportunity for NICE to align itself with a utility industry leader and showcase their ability to help companies do more with the resources they have.