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HAWAII
Hawaii company wins $12M contract

A high-tech company based in Hawaii has been awarded a three-year contract worth about $4 million a year by Sandia National Labs, based in Alberquerque, N.M.

Commercial Data Systems will be supplying Sandia with hardware and software, in association with Foundry Networks of San Jose, Calif., that will facilitate the networking of all of Sandia's computers under its "Just In Time" program.

Among other services, Sandia National Labs simulates nuclear explosion testing for the government, since by international treaty actual nuclear explosions no longer are allowed.

Commercial Data Systems, established in 1986, is owned by Mark Wong, its president and chief executive; Mark Gilbert, its vice president of sales and marketing; and Guy Merola, its chief financial officer.

About half of the company's 60 employees are based in Hawaii, at its offices in the Kukui Plaza in downtown Honollulu. The rest are located in New Mexico and Maryland. It also has representation in Colorado, Texas, Florida and Arizona.

Nurses can renew licenses online

Hawaii's nurses and acupuncturists are being reminded that they can renew their occupational licenses online through June 30 via a program offered by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. After that deadline, renewals will have to be submitted in person or by mail.

There are more than 19,000 nurses and 559 acupuncturists in Hawaii, all of whom must renew their occupational licenses every two years.

Among the nurses are 16,039 registered nurses (RNs), 2,922 licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and 694 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

In the last renewal cycle in 2003, more than 5,300 nurses renewed their licenses online, which was more than twice the number that renewed their licenses in 2001.

Instructions for completing the online renewals can be found at wwwl.ehawaii.gov/ pvirenew.

Technology fairs in triplicate

Sprint Relay Hawaii will be hosting a free "Taste of Technology Fair" on Saturday aimed specifically at people who are hard of hearing, deaf or speech-impaired.

To be held simultaneously on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, the fairs will showcase products and services that can help speech- or hearing-impaired people communicate in their offices or homes.

The locations and times of the fairs are:

» The Big Island: the Hawaii Naniloa Hotel, Hilo, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

» Maui: the Maui Beach Hotel, Kahului, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

» Kauai: the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The fairs are being offered by Sprint Relay Hawaii under a contract with the state.