Irvine’s Blizzard Entertainment Inc., the world’s biggest maker of PC-based video games and part of Vivendi SA’s Activision Blizzard Inc., is heading south of the border.
This month Blizzard is set to launch a Latin American version of its blockbuster online game “World of Warcraft” and its offshoot “World of Warcraft: the Burning Crusade” for players in Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
Video game enthusiasts in those countries will be able to buy localized versions of the games and 60-day prepaid subscription cards.
Blizzard already has a Spanish-language community Web site for “World of Warcraft” players and specialized customer support.
Current players on the North American version of the games will have the option to download Blizzard’s “Latin American Spanish language pack” and transfer characters to the exclusively Latin American realms within the role-playing games.
Blizzard makes what’s called massive multiplayer online games, where millions face off over the Internet. “World of Warcraft,” with some 10 million monthly subscribers, is the most popular game in the genre.
It’s already available in French, German, Korean, Castilian Spanish and Chinese.
A Russian version is scheduled for release later this year.
Directing Traffic
Santa Ana’s Iteris Inc., a maker of traffic management gear for cities, landed a $3 million contract with the Orange County Transportation Authority.
Iteris is set to build a real-time passenger information system for bus riders on major thoroughfares in the county.
The real-time system allows passengers to get information about buses over the phone, online and via digital message signs at bus stops.
The system is part of OCTA’s bid to start rapid transit services along three big streets in Orange County by the end of 2010.
The streets are Harbor Boulevard, Westminster Boulevard/17th Street and a route along Bristol Street in Irvine to College Boulevard in Brea.
The hallmarks of rapid transit include fewer stops and more buses on the routes.
Iteris saw about $40 million in sales for the 12 months through June and had a recent market value of about $77 million.
The bulk of its revenue comes from selling and installing cameras that are mounted on traffic lights.
The cameras act as sensors and change the light when a vehicle approaches. Iteris’ cameras are replacing an older system that’s installed below ground and activated when a vehicle rolls over it.
The company has about 40% of the market for such systems, according to Chief Executive Abbas Mohaddes.
Donald Bren Professor
The school of information and computer sciences at the University of California, Irvine, hired a database expert and BEA Systems Inc. veteran as its newest professor.
Michael Carey joined the faculty as a Donald Bren Professor,one of the endowments established by a donation from The Irvine Company founder.
Bren gave $20 million to the department a few years ago and had his moniker put up on a new building on campus last year.
Carey is best known for his work on advanced database systems and their performance.
The systems he developed are widely used by the government and in the banking, insurance and healthcare industries.
Carey is the 13th Donald Bren Professor at UC Irvine.
He started his career in academia, teaching computer science for more than a decade at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Carey comes to UCI from San Jose-based BEA Systems, which was bought by Oracle Corp. for about $8.5 billion in April.
Before BEA, Carey spent five years at IBM Corp.’s Almaden Research Center, one of eight laboratories that make up Big Blue’s research arm. He spent a year and a half at San Jose-based startup Propel Software Corp., a maker of software that speeds up Internet connections.
Car Tech
Aliso Viejo-based UST Global Inc., a technology services outsourcing company, inked a five-year deal with a big maker of auto parts.
UST Global is set to provide technology services to Toledo, Ohio-based Dana Holding Corp., a publicly traded company that saw about $9 billion in sales last year and had a recent market value of $665 million.
The company didn’t disclose the value of the deal, but said it’s worth “multi-millions.”
“It will definitely have a positive impact on our manufacturing revenue,” said Mike Zerkel, general manager of UST Global’s North America operations.
Dana Holdings makes axles, driveshafts, brakes, suspensions, tire management systems and other car and truck parts for autos, commercial fleets and off-road vehicles. Its customers include almost all of the major automakers in the world.
UST Global is eyeing $500 million in sales next year and an initial public offering.
Ingram Micro’s Relief Effort
Workers at Santa Ana’s Ingram Micro Inc., the world’s top distributor of technology goods and software, raised some $55,000 for earthquake relief efforts in China.
Ingram donated the money to the local arm of the American Red Cross.
The company matched the amount given by Ingram’s workers at offices around the world.
In past years, Ingram has donated to other Santa Ana-based groups, including Hands Together, which runs an early childhood development program for low-income families, the Discovery Science Center, the Orange County High School of Arts and Wiseplace, a transitional housing center for women.
