TRIDENT RESEARCH CENTER ) LEASE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT 10.9

THIS LEASE AGREEMENT, is made and entered into on this date of January 15, 1999, by and between SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH AUTHORITY (hereinafter referred to as the “Landlord”) and Information Systems Support (hereinafter referred to as the “Tenant”).

WITNESSETH

1. Premises : The Landlord hereby leases to the Tenant, and the Tenant hereby leases from the Landlord, the premises of approximately 1,771 rentable square feet identified as Suite 201 (hereinafter referred to as the “Premises”), in the Trident Research Center, located at 5300 International Boulevard in North Charleston, South Carolina (hereinafter referred to as the “Building”) and being more particularly described in and shown on the floor plan attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and made a part thereof.

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD THE PREMISES upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

2. Term : The term of this Lease shall be for a period of One (1) years, beginning on February 1, 1999, and ending at midnight on January     , 2000, unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided.

3. Possession : If the Tenant accepts possession of the Premises before the commencement date specified hereinabove, the term and rental shall commence on such earlier date. If for any reason the Landlord fails to deliver possession of the Premises on or before the specified commencement date, this Lease shall remain in full force and effect and the Landlord shall have no liability for delay, but rental shall not commence until the Landlord delivers possession of the Premises to the Tenant.

4. Rent : The Tenant shall pay to the Landlord an annual rental of Thirty One Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Eight and no/100 ($31,878.00) (hereinafter referred to as the “Base Rent”), payable in equal monthly installments of Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Six and 50/100 ($2,656.50), in advance, on the first day of each and every calendar month during the term hereof. All rent payments shall be made to Landlord at its principal office at 1330 Lady Street, Suite 503, Columbia, South Carolina 29201, or at such other place as the Landlord may designate in writing to Tenant. If rental commences on a date other than the first day of the month, rent for the first month shall be prorated and paid with the first regular monthly installment. All rentals due hereunder which

1

are not received by the Landlord by the fifteenth (15th) day of each month shall be subject to a delinquency charge of Five and No/100 ($5.00) Dollars per month or one and one-half (1.5%) percent per month on the unpaid balance, occurring from the first day of every month for which rental is due, whichever is the greater. Said delinquency charge shall be subject to the default provisions herein.

5.

6. Use . The Tenant shall use and occupy the Premises solely for the office purposes and shall comply with all laws, ordinances, orders, or regulations of any lawful authority having jurisdiction over the Premises and the use thereof.

7. Assignment and Subletting . The Tenant shall not, without the prior written consent of the Landlord, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, assign this Lease or any interest therein, or sublet the Premises or any part thereof, or permit the use of the Premises by any party other than the Tenant. Consent to one assignment or sublease shall not constitute a waiver of this provision with respect to subsequent transactions. Each subtenant or assignee shall be liable to Landlord for all obligations of the Tenant hereunder, but the Tenant shall not be thereby relieved of such obligations.

8. Improvements . Subject is being provided “as is” All other improvements, alterations and additions to the Premises desired by Tenant shall be made only at Tenant’s expense, in good and workmanlike manner and is in accordance with plans and specifications which have been previously approved in writing by the Landlord. If the improvements, alterations, or additions are to be made by a contractor other than Landlord’s, Landlord reserves the right to approve such contractors, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, and to require adequate lien waivers, bonds, permits, licenses and insurance. All improvements and additions made by the Tenant and permanently attached to the Premises, including without limitation all partitions, carpets, lighting fixtures, doors, hardware, shelves, cabinets and ceilings, shall remain in the Premises and shall be surrendered to Landlord at the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease.

2

9. Utilities and Services : Landlord shall, during the term hereof, furnish Tenant, without charge: (a) reasonable quantities of water to lavatories, toilets and water fountains in or appurtenant to the Premises; (b) electric power for lighting and small business machines purposes only, such as electric typewriters and calculators including personal computers and calculators; (c) heat and air conditioning reasonably sufficient to heat or cool the Premises from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays except for legal holidays, and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and in conformity with all applicable federal and state regulations; (d) janitorial services, on Monday through Friday, for general care and cleaning of Premises; and (e) adequate parking space to be provided at no additional cost to Tenant. Landlord shall not be liable for loss or damage arising from failure to provide the foregoing utilities or services as a result of strike, casualty, repairs, or other causes beyond Landlord’s reasonable control. Tenant shall furnish, at its own expense and without damage or threat of damage to the Building or any part of the Building, any other utilities or services required for its use of the Premises, including, but not limited to, telephone service and electric power and connections for electronic data processing equipment and other large business equipment.

10. Maintenance . The Landlord shall, at its own expense, after notice from the Tenant of the need thereof, make any repairs to the Building structure and concealed systems (plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning) within or serving the Premises as may be necessary for safety and occupancy, except that the Landlord shall not be required to make, and Tenant shall make, any such repairs made necessary by the act or neglect of Tenant, its agents, employees or visitors. Landlord shall not be liable for loss or damage resulting from any defective condition in or about the Premises unless such loss or damage results from Landlord’s negligent or wilful failure to remedy such condition within a reasonable time after Landlord receives notice of or becomes aware of such condition. Except as expressly provided above, Tenant shall, as its own expense, keep and maintain the Premises in good order and repair during the term of this Lease, and shall surrender same to Landlord at the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease in as good condition as they were when received (or subsequently improved or altered), normal wear and tear excepted. Landlord shall have the right to make alterations on or additions and repairs to the Building or the Premises, to build additional stories on the Building, and to build adjacent to or adjoining the Building; and shall have an easement for construction through the Premises for such alterations, modifications, additions or repairs, provided that said easement shall not unreasonably interfere with Tenant’s right of quiet enjoyment of the Premises.

11. Property of Tenant . Tenant may, and at the expiration or earlier termination hereof, shall, remove all furniture, equipment, and other personal property which Tenant shall have placed in the Premises; provided that Tenant shall repair any damage to the Premises caused by such removal. All such property shall, during the term thereof, be at the risk of Tenant only, and Landlord shall not be liable for any loss thereof or damage thereto resulting from any cause whatsoever; and

3

each policy of insurance covering such property shall contain a standard waiver of subrogation endorsement. Any such property not removed at the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease shall be deemed abandoned and may be disposed of by the Landlord in any manner whatsoever.

13. Taxes : Tenant shall pay prior to delinquency, all taxes and assessments of every kind or nature imposed or assessed upon or with respect to furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and other property of Tenant placed in the Premises.

14. Insurance . Landlord shall, during the entire term hereof, maintain in force casualty insurance on its interest in the Building in such amounts and against such hazards and

4

contingencies as Landlord shall deem desirable for its own protection; provided, however, Landlord shall not be obligated to insure any furniture, equipment, or other property placed in the Premises by or at the expense of Tenant. Tenant shall not permit any use of the Premises that would invalidate or conflict with the terms of any hazard insurance policy covering risks insured by Landlord, and Tenant shall pay the cost of any premium amounts above standard rates for such insurance occasioned by the nature of Tenant’s use of the Premises. Tenant shall obtain and maintain a comprehensive policy of liability insurance with respect to the Demised Premises naming Landlord and any designee of Landlord as additional insureds and protecting Landlord, Tenant and any designee of Landlord against any liability for bodily injury or property damage which arises from any occurrence on or about the Demised Premises or any appurtenance thereof, as a result of any act or omission of Tenant or Tenant’s employees, agents or invitees. Such policy shall be written by a company satisfactory to Landlord. The coverage limits shall be at least One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) with respect to combined single limit of bodily injury and property damage per occurrence. The Tenant will not cancel or change the insurance without first giving Landlord thirty (30) days prior to written notice. Tenant shall provide Certification of Insurance to Landlord simultaneously with the execution of this Lease.

15. Damage or Destruction by Casualty : If the Premises are wholly or partially destroyed by fire or other casualty, rental shall abate from the date of damage or destruction in proportion to Tenant’s loss of use thereof, including 100% rent abatement if Tenant is not reasonably able to carry on its customary business, and Landlord shall, at its own expense, promptly restore the Premises to substantially the same condition as existed before damage or destruction, whereupon full rental shall resume, unless said damage was caused by Tenant’s negligence, in which case any repair shall be at Tenant’s expense; provided, however, Landlord may be written notice to Tenant within ninety (90) days after the date of such damage or destruction elect, at its option, not to restore or repair the Premises and Landlord or Tenant may thereafter, at its option, cancel this Lease.

16. Eminent Domain . If the whole of the Premises, or such portion thereof as will make the Premises unsuitable for the use contemplated hereby, be taken under the power of eminent domain (including any conveyance in lieu thereof), then the term hereof shall cease as of the date possession thereof is taken by the condemnor, and rental shall be accounted for as between Landlord and Tenant as of that date. If any lesser portion of the Premises is thus taken, rental shall abate in proportion to the loss of use occasioned thereby. Tenant shall not have any right or claim to any part of any award made to or received by Landlord for such taking or right or claim against Landlord for the value of the unexpired term of this Lease making a claim against the condemnor (but not against Landlord) for any moving expenses, loss or profits, or taking of its personal property (other than its leasehold interest) to which Tenant may be entitled.

5

17. Indemnity : Tenant shall defend, indemnify and h