Former White House security adviser Richard Clarke has joined the board of Identive Group Inc. in Santa Ana.
Identive makes scanners, readers, cards and other security devices for buildings and computers.
Clarke served under three presidents—George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush—from 1992 to 2003. He became a national figure as counter-terrorism czar in the Clinton and Bush administrations but later criticized George W. Bush’s pre-Sept. 11 security policies and subsequent decision to go to war with Iraq.
Clarke served 19 years in Pentagon and other intelligence posts, and at the State Department, before serving in the White House. He now is chairman of Good Harbor Consulting LLC, a security risk-management firm based near Washington, D.C. He also is a consultant for ABC News and teaches at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Chief Executive Ayman Ashour said Clarke brings Identive cyber-security expertise, global relationships and a well-respected name.
“He brings to the board a truly rare blend of strategic vision and a deep understanding of electronic security threats, how they relate to geopolitical issues and the technologies being exploited,” Ashour said.
Identive saw about $96.3 million in revenue for the 12 months through June 30, a 206% jump from two years earlier. That propelled it to No. 3 on last year’s list of fastest-growing public companies based in Orange County.
Last month an Identive unit in Los Angeles inked a deal with Neumann Petroleum Pty. Ltd. to supply the Australian company’s fleet with fuel cards. It has put the cards in place in 130 locations throughout Australia so far.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Identive also announced in December that it will acquire the remaining shares of Pleasanton-based idOnDemand Inc. for $500,000.
Identive bought more than 95% of the company’s shares in a $16 million deal heavily tied to future benchmarks last year.
IdOnDemand’s system allows businesses and organizations to use a single credential for secure access, as the company provides encoded cards and credential management services via the cloud.
Apple Reseller
Apple reseller MacMall has opened a retail store in Huntington Beach, its third in Southern California.
The store offers a deep selection of Mac- and PC-based products, consumer electronics including the Apple iPad and iPod, in-house technical experts that provide Apple-authorized service, free seminars and on-site repair service.
MacMall is a unit of El Segundo-based PC Mall Inc., a direct marketer of technology products that sees about $1.5 billion in annual revenue.
The Huntington Beach location follows openings in Torrance and Santa Monica. The company plans to open a Chicago location early this year. MacMall has operated an online Apple Superstore since 1995.
WiseWindow’s Picks
The folks at WiseWindow, an Irvine-based startup predictive analytics company, have released their top predictions for 2012 after some serious number crunching.
Here are a few snippets from their take on the technology sector, garnered from billions of online comments collected during the year on electronics, television, airlines, politics and other areas.
Which consumer electronics are most likely to be returned in January? Answer: Motorola Atrix and BlackBerry Bold 9900.
These two products are facing a triple threat beyond returns, according to Wise-Window analysts: drops in popularity, more complaints from existing customers, and general erosion of the brands’ reputations.
What consumer electronic product is most likely to go the way of the dinosaur in 2012?
Answer: BlackBerry PlayBook.
The PlayBook’s purchasing intent has also plummeted since November, falling more than 300% while it’s ratio of problems-to-opinions was 5%, nearly four times that of its competitors.
Picking winners and losers is just part of the business.
WiseWindow is a syndicated data provider that mines millions of online sites, blog posts, user reviews and chat rooms in real time to provide business intelligence.
The company, launched in 2007, employs a total of 25 people in Irvine, Los Angeles and Toronto. It declined to disclose annual revenue and funding.
