If you’re like the vast majority of readers, your company has probably gotten certified to one or more management system standards because someone told you to do so.

(QI Macros: Denver) -- KnowWare International Inc. announces the 2010 version of the QI Macros Lean Six Sigma SPC Software for Excel. The new version includes p and u templates as well as the ability to use time or date data to draw histograms.

(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $34.12 million in grants for measurement science and engineering research.

(Labsphere: North Sutton, NH) -- Luminescent materials are extremely important components in many applications, including solid state lighting and medical imaging and diagnostic systems.

(Flow Dynamics: Scottsdale, AZ) -- Flow Dynamics Inc. a global provider of primary standard, NIST-traceable flow calibration equipment and services, will conduct liquid and gas flow measurement training classes during April at its facility in Scottsdale, Arizona.

(UL: Northbrook, IL) -- Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a world leader in product safety testing and certification services, announces that it has acquired Compliance Certification Services (CCS) of Fremont, California.

(TQRF: Toronto) -- Join Total Quality Research Foundation Canada (TQRF) and other organizations for The Second Canadian Quality Congress in Toronto, Canada, on Aug. 23-25.

(RITA: Washington) -- The nation’s largest airlines set a single-month record in November for on-time performance for the nearly 15 years that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has collected comparable data, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released Jan. 7 by DOT.