SciQuest, a Cary technology company whose software allows businesses and universities to order supplies and services online, signed a major new client: the University of North Carolina.

The UNC system's general administration will use SciQuest's technology to reduce costs as part of a broader effort to bolster its fiscal health. To cut costs, the system also has been cutting hundreds of administrative jobs.

"From day one of my tenure, we've been working on multiple fronts to operate our entire university more efficiently and effectively," UNC President Erskine Bowles said in a prepared statement. "SciQuest has a proven track record of enabling cost savings."

The UNC contract, which could be worth "a couple million bucks over several years," isn't SciQuest's biggest deal, but it has the potential to be in the top five, CEO Stephen Wiehe said. The total value will depend on how much UNC uses SciQuest's technology and whether all the colleges in the 16-campus system sign on.

Surgery centers, hospital in talks

RALEIGH Wake County's largest hospital system is exploring a potential partnership with a private company that runs a chain of outpatient surgery centers across the country.

WakeMed's discussions with Surgical Care Affiliates could lead to various collaborations, including SCA managing WakeMed's outpatient facilities in Raleigh and Cary.

The two organizations expect to decide on an agreement by the end of February. Tapping SCA's experience will help as Wake County's population continues to grow and WakeMed looks at adding more outpatient centers, Atkinson said. Demand for such centers, which are seen as a way to control medical costs compared with inpatient hospitals, could increase with a reformed health-care system.

A deal with SCA would give WakeMed access to a broader base of local physicians, a new source of referred patients and a partner with expertise in running outpatient centers. SCA would get access to WakeMed's clout in fast-growing Wake County.

Harris Stratex loses $7.8 million

MORRISVILLE Sales at Harris Stratex slumped 39 percent in the latest quarter.

That drove the Morrisville company to a wider quarterly loss. It lost $7.8 million, or 13 cents per share, versus $6.5 million a year ago. Revenue totaled $120 million for its fiscal first quarter, which ended Oct. 2, down from $195.8 million a year ago.

Harris Stratex sells wireless communications systems for the military, emergency services and other applications worldwide.

Compiled from News & Observer staff reports.