The iBridge Network Furthers Position as Leading Innovation Catalyst for America's Research Institutions
With Addition of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 76 Percent of the Top 25 Utilize Vibrant Community to Connect, Collaborate and License Their Work
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The main objective of the iBridge(SM) Network, a program of the not-for-profit Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., is to put ideas, access, transparency and outcomes at the forefront of today's innovation agenda. The iBridge Network today announced that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has joined the Network. MIT joins other leading research institutions from across America as iBridge members. Presently, four of the top five, seven of the top 10, and 19 of the top 25 research universities in the United States utilize the iBridge Network.
"Without access to the right people, the most appropriate resources and the brightest thinking, ideas and innovations can languish in the laboratory or workshop," said Katie Petersen, manager of the iBridge Network. "We are pleased to not only welcome MIT to our network but also serve as a true innovation partner to all of our members, including many other of today's leading research universities in the United States, and facilitate the transformation of ideas and discoveries into research, products and services."
Those who view this current economic downturn as an opportunity can not only stimulate and revive the economy in the short term, but also unearth breakthroughs that are still being talked about decades from now. With nearly 5,000 members and 114 organizations supplying more than 13,700 innovations, the iBridge Network has become the destination of choice today for university researchers, entrepreneurs and industry looking to share and discover best practices and research across a variety of topic areas and inspire extraordinary innovation.
The iBridge(SM) Network is committed to enabling members to promote and identify research opportunities, collaborate with other experts in the same or complementary fields, and license their innovations for practical benefit.
About the iBridge(SM) Network
The iBridge(SM) Network is a program of the Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. To learn more, please visit http://www.iBridgeNetwork.org, e-mail us at info@iBridgeNetwork.org, or call 800-573-5136.
SOURCE The iBridge Network
The iBridge Network
CONTACT: Dan Martin, +1-617-587-2800, dmartin@brodeur.com
Verizon Wireless Expands 3G Wireless Coverage in Louisa County, Virginia
LAUREL, Md., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Data Capacity Increased to Enable Faster Uploads and Downloads
-- 2009 Regional Network Investment Tops $274 M to Further Enhance 3G
Network Advantage
-- More Than $2.3 B Invested Regionally Since 2000
-- Verizon Wireless Test Drivers Drove More Than 18,000 Miles on Local
Roadways in First Half of Year
In acontinuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in the Louisa County, Va., Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage.
The increased coverage is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless' voice and data services. Last year alone, the company spent $274 million on regional network improvements, bringing total network investment in the region since 2000 to more than $2.3 billion.
"Even the most sophisticated wireless device is only as good as the network it runs on," said Mike Maiorana. "Verizon Wireless continues to invest in our network and add capacity to stay ahead of growing demand and ensure our customers have an even better wireless experience tomorrow than they had today."
Verizon Wireless has the nation's largest and most reliable 3G broadband network with five times the coverage of other networks which makes advanced services like turn-by-turn navigation, over-the-air downloads of the latest applications, text/picture messaging, video and music downloads, web browsing and 3D gaming possible. Customer demand for these advanced services continues to grow.
The company's "nation's most reliable wireless network" reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country. Locally, test men and women traveled more than 18,747 miles of area roadways to test the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of competitors in the first half of 2010. Using sophisticated testing equipment, Verizon Wireless' local team of network technicians conducted 66,552 voice call attempts and 373,899 data tests on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of major competitors. Unmarked test vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically conduct voice calls and data tests.*
Results from this internal network quality assurance test program confirm that Verizon Wireless is the 3G network quality leader in the Virginia, Maryland and DC region, and correlate with other third-party network quality findings, including the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Vol.2 .
In addition to enhancing its 3G network, Verizon Wireless has announced that it will deploy its 4G LTE Network in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast - both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities. Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network will offer dramatically higher wireless speeds and reliability than even today's most advanced 3G network.
Stay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in MD/DC/VA by following @VZWPRDC on Twitter. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow VZWNetwork on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Verizon Wireless Expands 3G Wireless Coverage in Arlington County, Virginia
LAUREL, Md., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Data Capacity Increased to Enable Faster Uploads and Downloads
-- 2009 Regional Network Investment Tops $274 M to Further Enhance 3G
Network Advantage
-- More Than $2.3 B Invested Regionally Since 2000
-- Verizon Wireless Test Drivers Drove More Than 18,000 Miles on Local
Roadways in First Half of Year
In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in the Arlington County, Va., Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage in the neighborhood near 22nd Street North.
The increased coverage is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless' voice and data services. Last year alone, the company spent $274 million on regional network improvements, bringing total network investment in the region since 2000 to more than $2.3 billion.
"Even the most sophisticated wireless device is only as good as the network it runs on," said Mike Maiorana. "Verizon Wireless continues to invest in our network and add capacity to stay ahead of growing demand and ensure our customers have an even better wireless experience tomorrow than they had today."
Verizon Wireless has the nation's largest and most reliable 3G broadband network with five times the coverage of other networks which makes advanced services like turn-by-turn navigation, over-the-air downloads of the latest applications, text/picture messaging, video and music downloads, web browsing and 3D gaming possible. Customer demand for these advanced services continues to grow.
The company's "nation's most reliable wireless network" reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country. Locally, test men and women traveled more than 18,747 miles of area roadways to test the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of competitors in the first half of 2010. Using sophisticated testing equipment, Verizon Wireless' local team of network technicians conducted 66,552 voice call attempts and 373,899 data tests on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of major competitors. Unmarked test vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically conduct voice calls and data tests.*
Results from this internal network quality assurance test program confirm that Verizon Wireless is the 3G network quality leader in the Virginia, Maryland and DC region, and correlate with other third-party network quality findings, including the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Vol.2 .
In addition to enhancing its 3G network, Verizon Wireless has announced that it will deploy its 4G LTE Network in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast - both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities. Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network will offer dramatically higher wireless speeds and reliability than even today's most advanced 3G network.
Stay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in MD/DC/VA by following @VZWPRDC on Twitter. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow VZWNetwork on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
MetroPCS Launches Its First No Contract Android Smartphone with the LG Optimus M(TM)
More than 100,000 apps at your fingertips with nationwide unlimited talk, text and web for just $50 per month
DALLAS, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for holiday shopping, MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) and LG Mobile Phones announced today the launch of LG Optimus M(TM), the first Android smartphone from MetroPCS. Available in MetroPCS stores and online starting November 24, LG Optimus M is a sleek Android device with a vibrant 3.2 inch touchscreen that allows consumers to do more with quick access to today's expanding number of applications.
With the LG Optimus M, MetroPCS introduces consumers to the growing Android Market(TM) by helping them stay connected and entertained while on-the-go. With multi-app screens and the Android 2.2 operating system ("Froyo"), LG Optimus M provides instant access to more than 100,000 of the latest applications to fit anyone's lifestyle. The $50 per month no annual contract plan allows consumers to take advantage of Metro USA(SM) nationwide unlimited talk, text and web services.
"This holiday season, we're giving customers what they've wished for -- an affordable Android smartphone with a full spectrum of applications and unlimited services to do more like never before," said Roger Linquist, chairman, president and CEO of MetroPCS. "LG Optimus M opens a path to the growing Android market and takes us one step closer to providing a full-service, postpaid experience while maintaining the affordability, flexibility and predictability of our Wireless for All(SM) services."
"LG and MetroPCS have come together to offer consumers the first no annual contract Android smartphone at an exceptional value," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of consumer and trade marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "LG Optimus M is an easy-to-use handset with the capabilities of the latest Android technology and features to enhance the consumers' experience."
LG Optimus M will be available from MetroPCS for $229 with a $50 monthly service plan. Key features include:
-- Games, ringtones and wallpapers, easily accessible through the @metro
App Store(TM)
-- 100,000+ applications in the Android Market(TM) to do, enjoy and share,
and nearly 60 percent of Android Market apps are free
-- The latest Android 2.2 operating system to access Google mobile
-- Text, e-mail, IM, blogs and streaming video to express yourself
whenever, wherever
-- A first-class device with superior, high-end champagne finish
-- Brilliant 3.2" tempered touchscreen with virtual QWERTY keyboard, Swype
embedded
-- 3.2 MP camera for sharing pics on social media networks
-- Easy Wi-Fi® connectivity - for incredibly simple and swift connections
to Wi-Fi networks
-- Multi-app screens to organize your content and access your stuff quickly
and easily
To learn more about Metro USA nationwide service and Wireless For All plans and devices, please visit http://www.metropcs.com.
About MetroPCS Communications, Inc.
Dallas-based MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) is a provider of unlimited wireless communications service for a flat-rate with no annual contract. MetroPCS is the fifth largest facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States based on number of subscribers served. With Metro USA(SM), MetroPCS customers can use their services in areas throughout the United States covering a population of over 280 million people. As of September 30, 2010, MetroPCS had approximately 7.9 million subscribers. For more information please visit http://www.metropcs.com.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2009 global sales of USD43.4 billion, LG is comprised of five business units - Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world's leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One(TM). As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit http://www.lgusa.com.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communications and information company. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative design capabilities, LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world. LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products, while continuing its leadership role in mobile communication with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit http://www.lgmobilephones.com.
CONTACT: Drew Crowell of GolinHarris, +1-972-341-2581, dcrowell@golinharris.com, for MetroPCS; or Elizabeth Latham of LG Mobile Phones, +1-757-705-6361, elizabeth.latham@lge.com, or investors, Jim Mathias, Director Investor Relations of MetroPCS Communications, Inc., +1-214-570-4641, investor_relations@metropcs.com
Thuuz Launches Excitement Alerts for 2010-11 NHL Season
Hockey fans now have access to a new service that alerts them to the best action of the day and throughout the season
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- NHL fans now have access to an innovative new service this season to help them determine which games and teams to watch and follow. Today, Thuuz, a free online service that helps sports enthusiasts track excitement in sports, announced that it will begin alerting users to exciting games during the 2010-2011 NHL season. Thuuz alerts will make sure Thuuz users don't miss out on the action of the most exciting games of the year.
Thuuz was recently profiled in the November 1st issue of Sports Illustrated where the author, Daniel Greene, had this to say about Thuuz, "The trick is that it (Thuuz) doesn't reveal the outcome, allowing users to experience the drama (or skip a DVR'd dud) themselves. Saving even more time, it tells them the best point in the game at which to tune in."
Thuuz's set of proprietary algorithms looks at a multitude of discrete events that can occur within each hockey game, from the typical to the unusual. Each of these events has an impact on the overall excitement rating of the game and takes into account the specific situation (period, score, and players on the ice) at the time the event occurred. Thuuz uses this to determine an excitement score for the game on a scale of 0-100, and then notifies users if the game is exciting, telling them the exact point they should watch the game from to catch all the excitement.
In preparation for launching hockey coverage, Thuuz looked at the excitement levels of all 30 NHL teams throughout the 2009-2010 season and found that the Montreal Canadiens were involved in the most exciting games of the season, followed by the Washington Capitals and the Atlanta Thrashers.
"Hockey fans love the game for its level of excitement, and Thuuz is all about helping them find the best games with the most exciting action," said Thuuz co-founder and CEO Warren Packard. "Hockey is a fast and physical game where fans are consistently on the edge of their seats. With Thuuz now covering the NHL, fans can expand their viewing habits and discover the great games they may be missing."
Thuuz is already covering the NFL and NCAA football, MLB, and the NBA, and will soon be launching its service for NCAA basketball, soccer, rugby and many other sports. Thuuz not only knows which games to watch but also knows the best time to start watching. Individuals who create a free account at http://www.thuuz.com can sign up for customizable real time e-mail and text alerts that inform users of the most exciting games of each day and at which point the action heats up. No other information about the games is communicated, so each individual can experience all the excitement of the games for themselves, not just the highlights.
Note for journalists and bloggers: Throughout the season, Thuuz will be releasing data measuring the excitement levels of particular games and teams, as well as the individual excitement impact of certain players. Additionally, Thuuz can pull specified statistics that may be of interest to your readers, for statistical inquiries, or to be included in Thuuz's updates, send an email to Thuuz@launchsquad.com.
About Thuuz
Thuuz is a free online service which helps sports fans track the excitement levels of games in real-time to make sure they never miss out on the best action of the day. Thuuz creates excitement scores on a scale of 1-100 based on a sophisticated set of algorithms that continuously process play-by-play data and alert users by text, e-mail and on Thuuz's website when games get exciting. Thuuz is based in Palo Alto, Calif.
Inspired by Crowdsourcing, Imagine Cup Solve This Enables Students to Help IGOs, NGOs and Nonprofits
Microsoft invites students to solve real-world problems with technology.
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced Imagine Cup Solve This, a new program to provide inspiration for students looking to help solve the world's toughest problems. In the spirit of "crowdsourcing," intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits now will be able to seek the help of the brilliant and passionate students competing in Microsoft's Imagine Cup, the world's premier student technology competition, to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. Global IGOs and NGOs including NetHope, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Programme on Youth, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and local New York City nonprofit the Robin Hood Foundation are among the first organizations to participate.
IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits often encounter difficult challenges while working to address tough global issues such as education and literacy, disaster relief, environmental sustainability, and global healthcare. These organizations recognize that technology solutions can expand the reach of their services and help them more effectively meet the needs of their audiences. Through Imagine Cup Solve This, Microsoft is providing a marketplace of ideas that students can select to create solutions for as part of the annual Imagine Cup competition. In their submissions, participating organizations have asked students to create these solutions:
-- Technology solutions to promote and assist organizations and educators
that foster early reading and literacy among young children
-- An online knowledge management system, or "online campus," with
educational content and virtual classrooms for different areas of
interest, allowing teachers to interact, collaborate and share
information with students
-- Mobile or fixed devices to capture and send videos or transmit live
broadcasts from remote areas and under harsh conditions
-- An integrated collaboration and communication platform that encourages
youth participation in global development efforts
"The Imagine Cup competition features students who are very passionate about societal issues, problem-solving and technology," said Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Global Corporate Affairs, Microsoft. "To help students generate project ideas, we created Imagine Cup Solve This, which connects them with nonprofits and organizations in need of new approaches to the variety of problems they encounter. This pairing illustrates how we are evolving the competition to empower students to help make a real difference in the world."
Students can register for Imagine Cup 2011 today and access a library of problems submitted by the organizations to find project ideas that address issues that matter most to them. Students can put their ideas into action as they create technology solutions in several different categories of competition. Additional details about the Imagine Cup 2011 competitions and challenges are available at http://www.imaginecup.com. Microsoft plans to expand Imagine Cup Solve This over time to include submissions from additional global IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits that are interested in participating.
"The Imagine Cup provided an outlet for me to bring my ideas to life," said Vinny Jeet, a member of Team OneBeep from the University of Auckland, Imagine Cup 2010 third-place winner in software design. "But the Imagine Cup isn't just a competition, it's a global movement that is helping students become entrepreneurs with a purpose."
Participating organizations also expressed their support for Imagine Cup Solve This; their comments are included below.
Microsoft also announced today the first round of Imagine Cup finalists from the United States. These finalists will compete at the U.S. national finals that will be held on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash., in April:
Software Design
-- BearPaw, Brigham Young University
-- Project: The team created a solution that converts ultrasound image
files to an open standard format, and that relies on the cloud for
further processing and storage, which enables ultrasounds to be more
portable, affordable and easier to use.
-- LifeLens, University of California, Davis; Harvard Business School;
University of Central Florida; UCLA Anderson School of Management;
University of California, San Diego
-- Project: The team developed software that uses a mobile phone camera
to deliver an accurate diagnosis of malaria in the field.
-- Transit Tracker, Arizona State University
-- Project: The project relies on crowdsourcing and GPS data to provide
accurate estimations of bus arrivals and departures, benefiting
public transit users in general and the visually impaired in
particular.
-- Uca Ursus, University of Central Arkansas
-- Project: The team created an automated system to track the speed of
a skin lesion's progression to better diagnose and treat skin
cancer.
-- Voltron, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
-- Project: The team created an application to support the global
collection of medical data by parents and doctors, allowing global
researchers to access and study the cloud-based information as a
means to help eradicate cancer among children.
Game Design - Windows and Xbox
-- Plump Pixel, California State University, Chico
-- Project: The team created "Green World," an educational game blended
with real-time strategy and simulation where the player takes on the
role of a city planner whose responsibility is to provide a
sustainable level of energy to the city while keeping the
environment clean and free of pollution.
-- Righteous Noodle, University of Houston
-- Project: The team created "Eva Frontier," a real-time strategy game
designed to develop problem-solving skills by managing a
humanitarian mission that delivers food and medicine to villages.
-- STC, University of Houston
-- Project: The team developed "Deep Sea," a game designed to protect
the ocean environment and promote innovation in keeping oil rigs
safe.
Game Design - Mobile
-- SDEG, University of Texas San Antonio; Texas A&M University, San
Antonio; San Antonio College
-- Project: The team created a mobile video game, "Renuvia," which
allows players to travel the world and fight pollution by using
green technology, recycling and renewable energy.
-- Team AAMP, University of Houston
-- Project: The team developed a mobile game, "Operation Clean Sweep,"
where the player has the objective of cleaning up rivers polluted by
their adjacent cities.
-- Team Inspiration, University of California, Riverside
-- Project: The team developed a mobile game, "Trash Boy," where
players prevent trash from entering the ocean to protect fish.
Now in its ninth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to become a global competition with more than 325,000 students representing 100 countries and regions entering the competition last year. The theme for the 2011 competitions is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems." Typically, students define the problems they solve through research, personal passion for social causes and inspiration from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Problems featured within Imagine Cup Solve This complement the other problems students identify for themselves. The Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals will be held in New York City July 8-13-- the first time the United States will host the final stage of the competition.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Supporting Quotes From Participating Organizations
"Imagine Cup Solve This is an important new program that connects
students with real, NGO problems, and can provide an innovation
engine for creative solutions. I am continually impressed by the
resourcefulness and can-do, forward thinking that students bring to
the table, as well as a burning passion to have impact on the big
issues facing us around the world. This is an opportunity to harvest
this passion and deliver results that can ultimately be taken to
scale."
- Edward G. Happ
Chairman and Co-founder, NetHope
Global CIO, International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies
"Education is known as the best poverty-prevention method, and yet
nearly 60 percent of New York City public school students in grades 3
through 8 read below grade level, and 40 percent of New York City
high school students will not graduate on time. We believe that
technology is the great differentiator that can level the playing
field for students in their journey beyond poverty. Robin Hood is
excited for students to consider the Imagine Cup Solve This problem
in which competitors are asked to create a 1-minute video of ideas
for how to use education to empower those living in poverty and
activate other students to help bring those plans to life."
- Peter Tripp
Chief Information Officer
Robin Hood Foundation
"The Research4Life initiative, jointly managed by the United Nations
organizations FAO, WHO and UNEP, is excited to be part of Microsoft's
inaugural Imagine Cup Solve This initiative. We see Imagine Cup Solve
This as a unique opportunity to put our software development
challenge to thousands of students that are participating in Imagine
Cup with the goal of assisting developing world scientists gain
improved access to current scientific research made available by the
world's leading science publishers in the areas of health,
agriculture and environment."
- Stephen Rudgard
AGORA Programme Manager
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
"UNIDO is about creating prosperity in societies around the world -
through the imaginative power of entrepreneurs. For this, we need
creators, innovators and business-minded people who want to shape
their environment and societies for the greater good. The Imagine Cup
is a fantastic way to empower young people to come up with creative
ideas to solve some of our most pressing global problems. If not the
young generation, who will create the world of tomorrow?"
- Wilfried Luetkenhorst
Managing Director
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
"The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is excited and proud to be
participating in the 2010 Imagine Cup Solve This initiative. For the
first time, the number of hungry people around the world has
increased to over 1 billion. We look forward to working with
Microsoft and the great IT minds of this generation to develop
practical and innovative tools to raise awareness of this cause and
assist us in our fight against hunger."
- Gianluca Bruni
Chief, IT Emergency Preparedness and Response
United Nations World Food Programme
"We are thrilled to work with Microsoft and students from around the
world on this unique endeavor to bring attention to specific real-
world challenges that need solutions. The problem we posed to
students through the Imagine Cup is to identify innovative
technology-supported solutions for promoting and assisting early
grade reading and literacy for young children in low-resource
settings. We believe that the creative energy of students can offer
fresh ideas and approaches to make a profound difference in the lives
of others."
- David Barth
Director, Global Education team
U.S. Agency for International Development
Verizon Wireless Expands 3G Wireless Coverage in Nelson County, Virginia
LAUREL, Md., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Data Capacity Increased to Enable Faster Uploads and Downloads
-- 2009 Regional Network Investment Tops $274 M to Further Enhance 3G
Network Advantage
-- More Than $2.3 B Invested Regionally Since 2000
-- Verizon Wireless Test Drivers Drove More Than 18,000 Miles on Local
Roadways in First Half of Year
In acontinuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in the Nelson County, Va., Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage in the town of Lovingston.
The increased coverage is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless' voice and data services. Last year alone, the company spent $274 million on regional network improvements, bringing total network investment in the region since 2000 to more than $2.3 billion.
"Even the most sophisticated wireless device is only as good as the network it runs on," said Mike Maiorana. "Verizon Wireless continues to invest in our network and add capacity to stay ahead of growing demand and ensure our customers have an even better wireless experience tomorrow than they had today."
Verizon Wireless has the nation's largest and most reliable 3G broadband network with five times the coverage of other networks which makes advanced services like turn-by-turn navigation, over-the-air downloads of the latest applications, text/picture messaging, video and music downloads, web browsing and 3D gaming possible. Customer demand for these advanced services continues to grow.
The company's "nation's most reliable wireless network" reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country. Locally, test men and women traveled more than 18,747 miles of area roadways to test the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of competitors in the first half of 2010. Using sophisticated testing equipment, Verizon Wireless' local team of network technicians conducted 66,552 voice call attempts and 373,899 data tests on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of major competitors. Unmarked test vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically conduct voice calls and data tests.*
Results from this internal network quality assurance test program confirm that Verizon Wireless is the 3G network quality leader in the Virginia, Maryland and DC region, and correlate with other third-party network quality findings, including the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Vol.2 .
In addition to enhancing its 3G network, Verizon Wireless has announced that it will deploy its 4G LTE Network in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast - both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities. Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network will offer dramatically higher wireless speeds and reliability than even today's most advanced 3G network.
Stay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in MD/DC/VA by following @VZWPRDC on Twitter. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow VZWNetwork on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Verizon Wireless Expands 3G Wireless Coverage in Washington, DC's Logan Circle Neighborhood
LAUREL, Md., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Data Capacity Increased to Enable Faster Uploads and Downloads
-- 2009 Regional Network Investment Tops $274 M to Further Enhance 3G
Network Advantage
-- More Than $2.3 B Invested Regionally Since 2000
-- Verizon Wireless Test Drivers Drove More Than 18,000 Miles on Local
Roadways in First Half of Year
In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in the Northwest Washington, DC, Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage in the Logan Circle neighborhood and U street corridor.
The increased coverage is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless' voice and data services. Last year alone, the company spent $274 million on regional network improvements, bringing total network investment in the region since 2000 to more than $2.3 billion.
"Even the most sophisticated wireless device is only as good as the network it runs on," said Mike Maiorana. "Verizon Wireless continues to invest in our network and add capacity to stay ahead of growing demand and ensure our customers have an even better wireless experience tomorrow than they had today."
Verizon Wireless has the nation's largest and most reliable 3G broadband network with five times the coverage of other networks which makes advanced services like turn-by-turn navigation, over-the-air downloads of the latest applications, text/picture messaging, video and music downloads, web browsing and 3D gaming possible. Customer demand for these advanced services continues to grow.
The company's "nation's most reliable wireless network" reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country. Locally, test men and women traveled more than 18,747 miles of area roadways to test the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of competitors in the first half of 2010. Using sophisticated testing equipment, Verizon Wireless' local team of network technicians conducted 66,552 voice call attempts and 373,899 data tests on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of major competitors. Unmarked test vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically conduct voice calls and data tests.*
Results from this internal network quality assurance test program confirm that Verizon Wireless is the 3G network quality leader in the Virginia, Maryland and DC region, and correlate with other third-party network quality findings, including the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Vol.2 .
In addition to enhancing its 3G network, Verizon Wireless has announced that it will deploy its 4G LTE Network in 38 major metropolitan areas, covering more than 110 million Americans, by the end of the year. In addition, the company is launching 4G LTE in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast - both the airports within the launch areas plus airports in other key cities. Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network will offer dramatically higher wireless speeds and reliability than even today's most advanced 3G network.
Stay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in MD/DC/VA by following @VZWPRDC on Twitter. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow VZWNetwork on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Revision3 Invites Viewers to 'Lean Back and Watch Revision3 on Your TV' Bringing Full Line of Online Video Programming to the Bigger Screen
Internet TV Network Builds Optimized Experience for Google TV, Yahoo! Connected TV, Windows Media Center, AppleTV, Boxee and Roku
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Revision3, the leading Internet Television network, today announced that it is bringing its full line-up of more than 20 programs to the television screen. The Internet TV Network, which produces popular shows like Tekzilla, AppJudgment, Dan 3.0, Diggnation, Destructoid and Film Riot, is bringing its online content to multiple platforms including Google TV, Yahoo! Connected TV, Windows Media Center, AppleTV, Boxee and Roku.
Revision3 has developed a new experience for enabling viewing through these platforms. Either by accessing the TV optimized website at tv.revision3.com or by using the applications available on the various platforms, users can 'lean back and watch' Revision3 programming on the television. The application's user interface makes finding content simple as it sorts shows by name, category, featured content and most recent episodes. Viewers are also able to manually search for their favorite episodes and view new content.
"We are thrilled to be able to provide users with the ability to view their favorite Revision3 shows on the best screen in the house," said Jim Louderback, CEO Revision3. "As online video continues to take viewing time away from traditional TV, we want to make sure that our programs look great anywhere they're viewed, and across every screen - from the smallest one on a phone to the biggest one at home."
To use Revision3 on your web-enabled TV device, simply point your system toward tv.revision3.com to be ported over to the Revsion3 lean back site. Then use your TV's device to navigate to the latest episodes. For more information on getting a web-connected TV and accessing Revision3 shows, please visit http://www.revision3.com/leanback
About Revision3
Revision3 is the television network for the Internet generation, creating and producing original episodic community-driven programs. The viewing audience is made up of hyper-connected, passionate, committed fans who want to watch shows about technology, modern culture, video games, entertainment, music and comedy that entertain and educate.
The company was founded in 2005 by technology visionaries Kevin Rose, Jay Adelson and David Prager because they couldn't find anything they wanted to watch on traditional television. The company is now led by Internet TV pioneer Jim Louderback. Revision3's programs can be found everywhere from Revision3.com to a wide range of platforms, including iTunes, YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, TIVO, and many others. Shows can be watched on any device, from a cell phone to an iPod to a computer or a TV.
Revision3 has attracted a wide-range of top advertisers including Sony, Netflix, Dolby, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Southern Comfort, Virgin America, Verizon and FX Networks. Advertisers enjoy a unique bond with the audience via customized message integration and host mentions that deliver phenomenal results in a clutter-free environment, that is perfect for everything from direct response to branding.
CONTACT: Michele Husak of Revision3, +1-415-734-3526, mhusak@revision3.com; or Kourtney Schepman, +1-310-854-8168, kschepman@rogersandcowan.com, for Revision3
New Verizon FiOS Internet 150/35 Mbps Offer Launches Consumers Into Broadband's Fastest Lane
Powerful Speed Tier Becomes Nation's Fastest Mass-Market Internet Service
NEW YORK,Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon is launching 150/35 megabits per second (Mbps) Internet service - the fastest mass-market broadband service in the nation - over the company's all-fiber-optic FiOS network. The company has begun to roll out the ultra-high-speed service to the majority of the more than 12.5 million homes that the FiOS network passes, and will make the service available to Verizon FiOS small-business customers by the end of the year.
Verizon's new Internet service surpasses competitors' offers by pumping three times the downstream speed previously available to FiOS customers.
(NOTE: To view a video about the fastest Internet speeds available to residential broadband customers by a major ISP to date, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQjIsaf3S2A.)
"By offering the fastest mass-market Internet service in the nation, we're supporting the immediate and future speed needs of bandwidth-hungry consumers," said Eric Bruno, Verizon vice president of product management. "The new 150/35 Mbps FiOS Internet offer establishes a new benchmark for high-speed Internet in America, and paves the way for a flurry of emerging bandwidth-intensive applications to reach mainstream status."
The Difference for Customers
With a downstream speed of 150 Mbps, consumers can download a two-hour, standard-definition movie (1.5 gigabytes) in less than 80 seconds, and a two-hour HD movie (5 GB) in less than four and a half minutes.
Downloading 20 high-resolution photographs (100 megabytes) would take less than five and a half seconds using the 150/35 Mbps service. With the 35 Mbps upstream speed, consumers can upload those same 20 high-resolution photos in less than 23 seconds.*
The 150/35 Mbps residential offer will be available to the majority of FiOS-eligible households, and sold as a stand-alone service starting at $194.99 a month when purchased with a one-year service agreement and Verizon wireline voice service.
Verizon will continue to offer on a stand-alone basis its next-fastest FiOS Internet speed of 50/20 Mbps, as well as its 25/25 and 15/5 speed tiers. FiOS Internet speeds of 35/35 Mbps, 25/25 Mbps and 15/5 Mbps will continue to be available in double-, triple- and quadruple-play bundles matched with FiOS TV, FiOS Digital Voice and Verizon Wireless service.
Bruno said the 150/35 Mbps tier takes advantage of Verizon's robust all-digital, all-fiber-optic network, which extends directly to consumers' homes and will ultimately serve 18 million households. The new speed tier will provide immediate value to consumers already using applications that require high downstream and upstream bandwidth.
"Our new 150/35 Mbps offer will also support burgeoning bandwidth-intensive applications such as Internet video to TV and PC, 3D TV and movie downloads, high-definition and real-time video conferencing, and online data backup," said Bruno.
Amy Lind, broadband research manager for the global technology market intelligence firm IDC, said: "This is about more than Verizon zooming to the top of the broadband speed chart. It's a reflection of Verizon's vision. Verizon understands that this kind of bandwidth will fuel new product and service development down the road and is poised to allow its customers to reap the benefits of those innovations in the future."
Introduction of the new 150/35 Mbps FiOS Internet service follows recent Verizon field trials that achieved connection speeds of nearly 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), both downstream and upstream. When a more advanced XG-PON2 technology was connected to the network several weeks later, connection speeds of 10 Gbps were reached on Verizon's fiber-optic network.
Once service is connected, Verizon FiOS Internet customers have access to the Verizon In-Home Agent, a free application that gives them valuable tools to set up services. In-Home Agent will help customers configure Wi-Fi links, set up and manage voice mail, auto-fix video problems, and trouble-shoot and correct Internet issues - all with the simple click of a mouse.
* Upload and download time estimates based on maximum connection speeds. Actual throughput speeds will vary.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
SOURCE Verizon
Verizon
CONTACT: Cliff Lee, +1-518-396-1095, clifford.p.lee@verizon.com, or Bill Kula, APR, +1-972-718-6924, william.kula@verizon.com
NASHUA, N.H. and SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Ektron, a web content management, social and marketing optimization software and solutions provider, today announced an eIntranet plug-in built with Seesmic Desktop 2 (SD2). Ektron's eIntranet SD2 plug-in allows users to access enterprise activity streams on the desktop alongside Facebook, Google Apps, Twitter and other social network streams.
"Status updates, microblogs, and activity streams have become the de facto standard for sharing information quickly. Today's intranets must keep pace with the digital world and become a mashup of internal and external content and applications that employees easily can manage and adopt. The combination of Ektron's social business and collaboration application, eIntranet, with Seesmic underscores the business-critical need for forward-looking enterprise strategies that manage everything influencing both external and internal Web use," said Bill Rogers, founder and CEO of Ektron. "Ektron will continue to align with innovative companies like Seesmic to provide comprehensive, integrated solutions that protect and measurably enhance customers' enterprise technology investments."
Research shows that 36% of a company's overall performance is driven by its ability to collaborate (Source: Meetings Around the World: The Impact of Collaboration on Business Performance by Frost & Sullivan). The combination of Ektron's eIntranet with SD2 is intended to break down the silos between departments and geographic locations and promote more effective knowledge sharing and collaboration in the enterprise. Instead of having to search for information,the information finds usersvia real-time, filterable activity stream of information.
"We're extremely excited about the Ektron integration into Seesmic Desktop 2. We've been hard at work bridging the gap between business and social, within all of our applications," said Loic LeMeur, CEO of Seesmic. "The Ektron integration is another big step toward reaching that goal."
eIntranet is built on both social and .NET best practices and scales to the size and needs of every company. It is easy to deploy, use and extend - on premise, hosted or in the cloud.
Click here for more information and a link to the new Ektron eIntranet SD2 plug-in and here for a YouTube demo.
About Seesmic
Seesmic is a social management application that offers high-quality, easy-to-use tools for building your brand online. Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, our mission is to help people manage their online life, no matter what platform they're on at any moment. We offer an array of products to help achieve this goal, including Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Web and Desktop applications. Over 5 million people all over the world have downloaded our various applications to date. To try Seesmic for yourself, visit seesmic.com.
About Ektron
Ektron Inc. has innovated web technology since 1998. By integrating web content management (WCM), marketing optimization and social software, Ektron's software and solutions improve operational efficiency, drive revenue growth and build customer loyalty. Ektron empowers marketers to create, publish and optimize web content that engages, converts and retains customers. Developers benefit from Ektron's extensibility and commitment to the Microsoft .NET framework. Headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, with offices in Australia, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom, Ektron has more than 8,000 customers worldwide including Carnegie Hall, Diageo, Home Depot, International Chamber of Commerce, Kodak, Microsoft, NASDAQ, National Health Services UK, Saint-Gobain, The Law Society, and the University of Notre Dame. For more information, please visit http://www.ektron.com, http://www.ektron.co.uk or http://www.ektron.com.au.
Ektron, the Ektron logo and eIntranet are trademarks of Ektron Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Palringo Launches Enterprise Mobile IM Push-to-Talk Service That Reduces Workforce Communications Costs by More Than 50%
- Palringo's Enterprise Mobile IM Platform launched to enrich collaboration through individual and group messaging combining text, push-to-talk and picture messaging with rich presence functionality and innovative location-based services -
LONDON, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Palringo http://www.palringo.com the provider of the consumer mobile instant messaging (IM) service, is today launching its Instant Enterprise MessagingPlatform - a dedicated, device- and network-independent push-to-talk service that provides enterprises, especially those with a remote or disparate workforce, with rich, secure solution for workforce communications.
Palringo can be operated from any handheld push-to-talk device or desktop, irrespective of network or service provider, meaning there is no need to invest in new hardware. With the low cost of entry due to the Software as a Service delivery model, organisations can potentially achieve a full return on investment within as little as a month as the ability to replace mobile telephone calls and SMS with their device can reduce communications costs by 50%.
Tim Rea, CEO of Palringo, comments, "Even basic text-based IM communication from a mobile device offers an improvement over SMS by facilitating real-time discussion. Palringo's Instant Enterprise Messaging Platform extends this to include facilities for creating groups, the real-time inclusion of pictures into the discussion and the use of vocal IM - a more flexible form of push-to-talk - so that companies can now improve their workforce communications, especially for those workers that operate remotely, in an cost-effective yet instant manner."
Benefits of Palringo's Push-to-Talk Device:
1. Cost Reduction: One of the primary benefits of Palringo's platform is the immediate reduction in call volume - and therefore cost. Rather than requiring multiple calls to answer a problem, an individual can simply push out the question with their push-to-talk device, accompanied by a picture if necessary, to a group of contacts, without the cost of individual phone calls or SMS messages and with the immediacy of a push-to-talk response not found via email, thus enhancing workforce communications.
2. Transforms Productivity: Field engineers, remote sales and marketing teams and even office-based workers can be assured of optimum collaboration and improved workforce communications through the push-to-talk Enterprise mobile IM platform, irrespective of location. In addition, instant picture sharing can enable field workers to gain immediate feedback from colleagues on the best way to address a specific engineering problem. Customer services staff can also use location-based services on their push-to-talk device for an immediate view of every group member's location and presence at any time, enabling far improved resource management.
3. Secure and Compliant Push-to-Talk Workforce Communications: Palringo provides a dedicated push-to-talk device to deliver higher performance, higher availability and better security than conventional IM platforms. Additional security can also be achieved through end-to-end encryption. Compliance with regulatory requirements or internal quality standards can also be achieved through automatic, robust and searchable conversation archiving.
Burnden Pepper, the UK-based firm of independent financial advisors, has been an early adopter of Palringo's push-to-talk Enterprise mobile IM platform, resulting in vastly improved workforce communications. Scott Pepper, Managing Director of Burnden Pepper, comments, "Push-to-talk IM has become a valuable and proper business tool and we treat Palringo as part of our everyday business. With the push-to-talk tool, a meeting in the street become a real sales opportunity. For example, I met a property buyer who had been thinking over Christmas about purchasing a hotel, but not seriously enough to make a phone call to ask about finance. I could not answer a given question immediately, but asked one of the commercial advisers via the push-to-talk Enterprise mobile IM Palringo service and received the answer immediately. As a result, the informal chat turned into a lead that then resulted in a deal."
Tim Rea, CEO of Palringo, comments, "The majority of mobile IM solutions simply provide a platform for linking to popular third party services. They do not offer the additional functionality required, such as a push-to-talk service, to deliver real value. It is the integration of our own core Enterprise mobile IM platform with innovative functionality such as the ability to use both voice and text options, unlimited group chat, push-to-talk, easy inclusion of pictures and the use of location/presence information that is truly transforming workforce communications and collaboration."
Palringo has historically been a consumer product providing users with enhanced workforce communications via IM, irrespective of what push-to-talk IM client their friends may use and take advantage of a greater range of functions. The Enterprise mobile IM Platform, based on technology proven and tested by currently millions of consumers exchanging billions of messages every day worldwide, provides a push-to-talk device which offers greater levels of workforce communications, support, security and compliance than any consumer-focused product.
For more information, please visit http://www.palringo.com and download the free white paper.
About Palringo
Founded in 2006, UK-based Palringo has built a new type of push-to-talk workforce communications solution that takes the PC-based instant messaging experience and makes it uniquely mobile. With more than five million users sending tens of billions of messages monthly, the company has built a hardened, scalable system that delivers a compelling user experience to the consumer and a valuable push-to-talk tool to the enterprise.
Dial Up the Holidays: Skype Mobile Now Available on More Verizon Wireless Phones - Including Prepaid
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --The holiday season is nearly upon us, and with it comes reminders to slow down and reconnect with friends and family, both near and far. Skype mobile(TM), now available on more than 20 Verizon Wireless phones, including select prepaid smartphones, makes celebrating the holidays simple especially for customers who are far away from their friends and families.
Skype mobile operates on the most reliable and largest network in the United States and lets customers make unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls to Mexico, Southeast Asia and anywhere else in the world when they purchase a data package. Skype mobile is "always on," so customers can use their phones for other tasks, but their Skype contacts know if they are available to talk or Instant Message (IM). Skype mobile on a wireless phone means customers aren't tied to their computers -- making it easy to do things like compare shopping notes when you're at the mall or check out the new stores downtown. Customers can IM friends and family members to make sure the colors, sizes and presents are right for everyone on their holiday gift lists.
Skype mobile is also available on select prepaid smartphones, offering customers who choose those plans a great option for international calling at low Skype rates to help them stay in touch with friends and family whether they are around the corner or around the world.
The easy-to-download app features a user interface that has a drop-down menu with flags for international dialing and "refer a friend" options. In addition to Spanish, Skype mobile is available in Korean and simple Chinese, providing more flexibility and the ability to communicate around the world. Even if customers' families aren't able to be at the holiday table, they can still connect with their loved ones.
The Pantech Crux(TM), LG Octane(TM), and Samsung Zeal(TM) are the most recent phones to be added to the Skype mobile line up. Customers can download the app from Media Center/Get It Now® or the online media store at http://www.verizonwireless.com/mp3. Customers can also text "SKYPE" to 2255 to get a message with the link to download Skype mobile. For more information on Skype mobile and a full list of compatible devices, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/skypemobile. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Netflix Launches U.S. Subscription Plan for Streaming Movies & TV Shows Over the Internet for $7.99 a Month
Company is also Increasing, by One Dollar a Month to $9.99, the Price of Popular Subscription Plan Combining Unlimited Streaming plus Unlimited DVDs
LOS GATOS, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With its members now watching more content streamed over the Internet than on discs delivered by mail, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today introduced a $7.99 streaming-only subscription plan in the United States, the first time it is promoting a 100 percent streaming option in the U.S. The plan, which allows members to instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix to TVs and computers, is available now to both new and existing members.
"We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet," said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and CEO. "Today's action reflects the tremendous customer value we've injected into streaming from Netflix, our initial success with a pure streaming service in Canada for $7.99 a month and what our U.S. members tell us they want."
The company also announced that the price of its popular subscription combining unlimited movies and TV shows streamed instantly over the Internet and unlimited DVDs delivered quickly by mail, with one DVD out at a time, will increase by a dollar a month to $9.99. Prices of subscription plans allowing for more DVDs out at a time will also increase and are detailed at http://blog.netflix.com. Price changes take effect now for new sign-ups and in January for existing members.
Instantly watching movies and TV shows streamed over the Internet has become the preferred way members enjoy the Netflix service. The company recently announced that in the current quarter, which ends December 31, its members will watch more content streamed over the Internet than on DVDs and that in the same period Netflix will invest more money to license streaming content than to acquire DVDs.
Netflix members in the U.S. now have access to an ever expanding library of movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly, and there are more than 200 consumer electronics devices - including the three major game consoles and scores of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs and digital video players - capable of streaming from Netflix right to members' TVs.
Over time, Netflix has added significantly to the streaming content available to its members. This year alone, licensing deals with NBC Universal, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, EPIX(TM), Relativity Media and Nu Image/Millennium Films have added a wealth of first-run theatrical films, hit TV series and movie classics to the Netflix streaming offering and have helped make streaming the most popular way to enjoy a Netflix membership.
In late September, the company introduced its service in Canada, the first availability of Netflix outside the U.S. Canadian members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV shows streamed from Netflix for C$7.99 a month. The company recently said its Canadian service has surpassed initial expectations and encouraged it to accelerate plans for further international expansion in 2011.
About Netflix
With more than 16 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world's leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. For $7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs, home theater systems, digital video recorders and Internet video players; Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 200 devices that stream from Netflix are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com.
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- KitchenAid may be best known for its line of major and countertop appliances, including its iconic Stand Mixer, but for every KitchenAid product with an electrical plug, many thousands more without one are sold every day. So how did an appliance maker become a leader in such "unplugged" categories as gadgets, cookware, cutlery and kitchen linens?
"Today's home cooks want kitchen products that last, that perform beautifully, and enhance the look and function of the kitchen," says Deb O'Connor, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. "Just as every appliance KitchenAid makes is designed to share those characteristics, so are the non-electric products created in collaboration with our manufacturing and publishing licensees."
These include Brownstone Gallery, Ltd. for kitchen textiles; Lifetime Brands for gadgets and cutlery; Meyer Corporation for cookware; and Publications International, Ltd for cookbooks. Each works closely with KitchenAid to create products that are "true to the KitchenAid brand in terms of durability, performance, ease of use and timeless design," adds O'Connor.
So when it comes to pizza, this means KitchenAid offers not only Stand Mixers for making the dough and powerful convection ovens for creating crispy crusts, but pizza cutting wheels with hefty, comfortable handles that echo the curves and eye-catching colors of the mixer itself. It means that ice cream made using the Stand Mixer's ice cream attachment can be frozen to perfection in a KitchenAid refrigerator and served using ice cream scoops that look and feel like they were made to work with these other products.
Looking outside the kitchen, KitchenAid offers not only powerful stainless steel grills, refrigerators and other outdoor kitchen appliances, but also a new collection of stylish barbecue tools. The collection includes grilling tools, grill baskets with detachable handles, a vertical chicken roaster, multi-function grill brushes, thermometers, a smoke box, grill toppers and kabob racks, all with suggested retail prices from $9.99 to $29.99. Features include soft silicone handles for a secure, comfortable grip, and durable construction of either stainless steel or carbon steel with a premium nonstick finish.
For the charity-minded cook, KitchenAid offers a collection of pink culinary tools that generate donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the fight against breast cancer each time a product is purchased and registered. This initiative, called Cook for the Cure, has raised over $7 million for the cause since 2001, with $1 million representing the sale of pink spatulas, timers, trivets and other items created for KitchenAid by Lifetime Brands.
To accommodate different cooking techniques, preferences and kitchen styles, KitchenAid cookware is available in a range of materials and colors. Choices include polished and brushed stainless steel, hard anodized and traditional aluminum, and cookware clad in layers of copper, steel and aluminum. For easy clean-up, the collection includes nonstick cookware and rugged yet beautiful cast iron cookware crafted with a smooth, porcelain enamel finish.
The KitchenAid cutlery line offers cooks three different handle types, each with a distinctly different feel. The Cooks Series features traditional composite handles; the Professional Series is available with either brushed stainless steel handles or colorful, easy to grip silicone handles.
To help keep the kitchen clean as well as stylish, KitchenAid offers cooks a wide variety of extra large and durable kitchen towels, oven mitts and pot holders, many with textured silicone for extra gripping power. The color palette includes Aqua, Chocolate, Empire Red and Sunshine.
And finally, KitchenAid offers a new line of cookbooks created to inspire cooks and help them get the most from their appliances and other kitchen tools. Special emphasis is given to preparing everything from appetizers to desserts using KitchenAid countertop appliances.
"For a product to carry the KitchenAid name, it has to deliver something extra," notes O'Connor. "Ultimately, we want home cooks to ask themselves, 'I wonder if KitchenAid makes that?' when shopping for the kitchen."
Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2009, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. To learn why chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand*, visit http://www.KitchenAid.com.
* Based on a 2010 survey, KitchenAid was found to be the home kitchen appliance brand chosen most often by members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Store Offers Hands-On, Interactive Retail Experience for Customers in Northern Virginia
ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* today announced the opening of a new wireless retail store in Arlington, Va., to address the growing demand for advanced wireless data products and services. Located in the Pentagon City Mall, 1100 South Hayes Street, the store features a state-of-the-art, hands-on design to engage customers and provide a "try before buy" service experience.
Trained sales consultants will provide demonstrations of a wide range of wireless products and services, including the latest in mobile devices. Shoppers can also test out various advanced wireless data applications including GPS navigation and mobile social networking.
"We want to ensure our customers have an exceptional in-store experience, and that begins with a convenient store location, layout, and knowledgeable staff," said Rob Forsyth, vice president and general manager for AT&T in northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. "We are excited to be a part of the robust Arlington community by providing wireless products and services that help keep customers connected at work, home, or on the go."
The Pentagon City Mall store is led by Robert Silverstein and has a staff of eight employees who are trained to assist customers -- both business and consumer -- with purchasing decisions, customer service and technical support. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. It joins two other new AT&T-owned retail stores that opened in northern Virginia earlier this year - in Leesburg, 1604 Village Market Blvd., as well as in Woodbridge, 14900 Potomac Town Place.
AT&T owns and operates 51 retail locations in Virginia. Its products and services are also available at a number of other authorized dealers and national retail locations.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
Borders® Participates in Google's Local Availability Feature
Borders also teams with Meetup allowing millions of consumers to find local events, organize book clubs and other activities in Borders stores nationwide
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders® today announced its participation in Google's Local Availability feature, a national service that provides customers with a fast, easy and convenient way to search for books and other products at participating retailers. The company also announced today it's teamed with Meetup to enable consumers to discover enriching family-friendly events in their communities. In the coming weeks, Borders will have a dedicated page on Meetup Everywhere accessible via Borders.com, enabling customers to find Borders' kids parties, storytime events, musical performances, national author readings and book signings as well as other activities happening in their communities. Customers will also be able to use Meetup to organize book clubs and other meetings at Borders locations during regular store hours at no charge.
"Borders has recently introduced a number of customer-focused programs designed to create an exceptional shopping experience both in-store and online," said Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders, Inc. "Google's Local Availability feature is yet another great service we're offering that enables our customers to quickly search for a book at their local Borders store. We're making it easier than ever for customers to find the perfect gift when they are on the go this holiday season.
"We're also excited to team with Meetup to provide our customers with the ability to find our enriching in-store events and organize their own activities at Borders," continued Edwards. "Our stores are natural community hubs, where our customers gather together to celebrate books -- our participation in Meetup will be a great avenue for fostering an even stronger sense of community around the joy of reading."
Customers can access Local Availability information through Google on their desktop or mobile phone to search for their next great read by visiting Google.com and clicking on the "Shopping" tab. They can then access a list of Borders stores in their area that carry the book, see the price and find out if the title is in stock. Customers may also be able to read reviews by other book lovers as well view a list of suggested related books.
In Borders' commitment to offer a superior customer shopping experience, the company recently announced it is extending its 30-day returns policy for the holiday season. Gift buyers and recipients now have at least until Jan. 31 to return books, music, movies, e-readers -- any Borders product -- purchased now through Dec. 24. Borders is also partnering with ShopRunner(SM), an online shopping program that offers customers unlimited free two-day shipping with no minimum order size, and free shipping on returns, across a wide variety of today's most popular retailers for $79 annually. The company also recently launched the "Borders Customer Commitment" -- a new customer satisfaction initiative and the first of its kind in the bookselling industry. The program includes the popular "In-Stock Promise," which assures consumers that if they don't find an item in stock in a Borders store, and it's among the more than one million titles available on Borders.com, Borders will find it and pay the shipping costs to the customer's home. The Customer Commitment also includes a separate in-store program -- the "Low Price Promise" -- promising that the company will match a local competitor's advertised, in-store price on items that Borders has in-stock in-store.
About Meetup
Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. Between 6,000 to 8,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities. Meetup's mission is to revitalize local communities and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.
About Borders Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., through its subsidiaries Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. One can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "expected," "planning," "possibility," "opportunity," "goal," "will," "may," "intend," "anticipates," "working toward" and other words of similar meaning. One can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are likely to address matters such as the company's future financial condition and performance (including earnings per share, profitability, liquidity, cash flows, debt levels, market share growth and other sales information, inventory levels and capital expenditures), its cost reduction initiatives and plans for store closings, and the expansion of product categories, including eBook content and eReaders. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and plans to differ materially from those included in the company's forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, consumer demand for the company's products, particularly during the holiday season, which is believed to be related to general economic and geopolitical conditions, competition and other factors; the availability of adequate capital--including vendor credit--to fund the company's operations and to carry out its strategic plans; adverse litigation results or other claims, the performance of the company's information technology systems, the anticipated impact of our Borders Rewards and Borders Rewards Plus programs; and, with respect to eBook content and eReaders, the availability to the company of anticipated content levels and a variety of competitive devices.
The company's periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission contain more detailed discussions of these and other risk factors that could cause actual results and plans to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements, and those discussions are incorporated herein by reference. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Celeros Releases SmartSAN(TM) Family of Multiprotocol, Highly Available and Power-Efficient SAN Appliances
MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Celeros Corporation, a leading provider of data storage appliances, announced the release of SmartSAN(TM) family of next generation flexible multiprotocol SAN platforms. Designed for high availability and ultra low power consumption, these platforms can scale to 100s of TBs, deliver up to 4GB/s throughput, and are ideal for small and medium enterprise data centers requiring consolidated centralized storage with high uptime, efficient power usage, and certified compatibility with leading virtualization environments.
Redundant active-active controllers, persistent cache backup, hardware-assisted RAID-6 and proactive drive health monitoring are designed to ensure the stored data is fully protected and continuously available.
"Up to now, highly available, fully redundant, and power efficient data storage products came with big price tags. Celeros SmartSAN not only delivers the high level of reliability and uptime affordably, but with its ultra low power consumption, enables our SMB customers to realize substantial savings in their operational costs," said Hossein Alaee, CEO of Celeros Corporations.
The cornerstone of SmartSAN(TM) platform is a redundant, modular system design with no single point of failure and ultra low power consumption. SmartSAN(TM) XT23S family utilizes next generation 6Gb/s SAS backplane technology and the new high performance dual port SAS drives with 6Gb/s interface to deliver flexible, high performance platforms with single or dual active-active controllers. Each XT23S-FC Fibre Channel controller delivers four 8Gb/s host ports, while XT23S-iSCSI controllers are each equipped with four 1Gb/s iSCSI interfaces.
Availability
Celeros SmartSAN(TM) XT23S-iSCSI and XT23S-FC line of products are available immediately. To obtain brochures, pricing or additional information, contact Celeros Sales at 888-306-0646, or sales@celeros.com.
About Celeros
Celeros Corp. is the leading provider of full featured, high performance, low cost iSCSI based IP storage area network (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS) and SANFiler (SAN & NAS combined) appliances that empower the small and medium sized enterprises with the benefits of consolidation and centralization of storage assets while leveraging their IP infrastructure and inter-networking expertise. Celeros solutions are designed for ease of management and administration and set up in minutes. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.
Broadcom Corporation to Acquire Gigle Networks Inc.
Broadcom Expands Its Connected Home Portfolio with the Addition of Gigle Networks' Powerline Networking Technology
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Gigle Networks Inc., a privately-held company that develops system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for home networking over power lines.
When combined with Broadcom's world-class portfolio of wired and wireless solutions for the home, Gigle Networks' technology will widen the breadth of Broadcom's intellectual property and enable the design of more highly integrated SoCs that allow whole-home network coverage in a wide variety of global deployment scenarios. By adding powerline to its technology portfolio, Broadcom will be able to provide additional functionality to its customers in broadband home segments including set-top box, broadband carrier access and wireless router.
"The worldwide market has demanded technologies for powerline, coax and wireless networking using standards such as Wi-Fi, MoCA, HomePlug AV, IEEE 1901 and G.hn to allow the streaming of multiple high definition and 3D video streams," said Jason Blackwell, Digital Home Practice Director, ABI Research. "With electric outlets readily available around the home, more consumers are seeing the benefits of powerline, and service providers' increased push toward gateways and IPTV is expected to help increase the market at a 32 percent compound annual growth rate from 2010 to 2015."
Powerline networking uses existing electrical wiring to create an in-home network, enabling a cost-effective and efficient method to connect multiple devices and distribute digital content throughout the home. Gigle Networks' powerline networking technology is HomePlug AV certified and is designed to be compliant with the IEEE 1901 standard for high speed powerline communications. Gigle Networks is a member of the HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, an organization responsible for establishing standards and testing devices for compliance and interoperability. HomePlug AV and IEEE 1901 solutions complement other networking technologies for the connected home. For example, a combined home network of powerline networking, MoCA and Wi-Fi enhances advanced applications like high definition video streaming, enabling a whole-home connected environment. The acquisition will also accelerate Broadcom's time to market for G.hn, a new draft specification for existing-wire home networking, developed under the International Telecommunication Union.
"Broadcom's broadband home platforms span a wide range of segments including set-top box, broadband carrier access and wireless router. With the addition of Gigle Networks' powerline technology, and our proven ability and extensive experience in supporting the multiple methods to connect devices including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, MoCA and DLNA, Broadcom is able to offer service providers and device manufacturers a variety of ways to deploy a whole-home connected environment," said Dan Marotta, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom's Broadband Communications Group.
"Broadcom is a well known leader in designing highly integrated home networking SoCs to enhance the consumer infotainment experience in the home," said Juan Carlos Riveiro, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gigle Networks. "As the segment evolves and new standards emerge, such as G.hn, technologies from both companies can be combined to enable higher performance, more integrated and lower-cost solutions for the connected home."
In connection with the acquisition, Broadcom expects to pay approximately $75 million to acquire all of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other rights of Gigle Networks. The purchase price will be paid in cash, except that holders of unvested employee stock options will receive Broadcom equity awards. Additional consideration of up to $8 million in cash will be reserved for future payment to the former holders of Gigle Networks capital stock and other rights upon satisfaction of certain performance goals. A portion of the cash consideration payable to the stockholders will be placed into escrow to cover indemnity obligations. Excluding any purchase accounting related adjustments or fair value measurements that are not estimable at this time, Broadcom expects the acquisition of Gigle Networks to be dilutive by approximately $0.01 per share in 2011. The shareholders of Gigle Networks and the boards of directors of the two companies have approved the acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010 and remains subject to customary closing conditions.
About Gigle Networks
Gigle Networks provides solutions for multimedia home networking that can extend wired and wireless Ethernet everywhere in the home - without the need for new wires. Targeted for applications such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), broadband TV (BBTV), video on demand (VoD), and voice over IP (VoIP), Gigle Networks' products offer superior performance, coverage and Quality of Service (QoS), and are designed to be easily integrated into consumer electronics and networked products. Gigle Networks is a strong supporter of open standards, a board member of the HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, and an active participant in the IEEE 1901 standards body and the ITU-T G.hn wireline standardization initiative.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.
Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2009 revenue of $4.49 billion, and holds more than 4,500 U.S. and 1,900 foreign patents, and has more than 7,800 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.
A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at http://www.broadcom.com.
Cautions regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding references to the anticipated benefits to Broadcom related to its acquisition of Gigle Networks, including enabling the design of connected home SoCs with powerline networking while also accelerating the time-to-market for G.hn, the impact of the acquisition on Broadcom's earnings per share,the expected purchase price and the expected completion and timing of the transaction. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
Important risk factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the acquisition of Gigle Networks include, but are not limited to:
-- the ability of the parties to successfully and timely consummate the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and related
transaction documents,
-- unexpected variations in market growth and demand for powerline
networking technologies,
-- the risks inherent in acquisitions of technologies and businesses,
including the timing and successful completion of technology and product
development through volume production,
-- integration issues,
-- costs and unanticipated expenditures,
-- changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners,
-- potential contractual, intellectual property or employment issues,
-- the risk that anticipated benefits of the acquisition may not be
realized, and
-- charges resulting from purchase accounting adjustments or fair value
measurements.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.
Broadcom ®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything® and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Broadcom Media Relations: Broadcom Investor Relations:
Dana Brzozkiewicz Chris Zegarelli
Senior Public Relations Representative Director, Investor Relations
949-926-6367 949-926-7567
danabrz@broadcom.com czegarel@broadcom.com
CONTACT: media, Dana Brzozkiewicz, Senior Public Relations Representative, +1-949-926-6367, danabrz@broadcom.com, or investors, Chris Zegarelli, Director, Investor Relations, +1-949-926-7567, czegarel@broadcom.com, both of Broadcom
GSMA Outlines Innovative Vision for the Centre of the Mobile Industry
LONDON, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today announced that it is launching the "Mobile World Capital(TM)". The concept of the Mobile World Capital extends far beyond the industry-leading annual Mobile World Congress event to include a range of academic and business development opportunities, cultural festivals and programmes, and the creation of a permanent centre of the industry. The GSMA today also announced that the six finalist cities vying to host the Mobile World Congress from 2013 to 2017, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Cologne, Milan, Munich and Paris, are developing proposals to become the Mobile World Capital for the same time period.
"The Mobile World Capital will not only host the Mobile World Congress, but will enjoy new and innovative local and global opportunities that underscore its stature as the Mobile World Capital throughout the year," said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. "In partnership with the GSMA, the Mobile World Capital city will become the "home" of the mobile industry, synonymous with cutting-edge mobile technology that benefits not only citizens of the city, but also the world."
The GSMA's vision of the Mobile World Capital includes:
-- The Mobile World Centre, which will be located in the heart of the city
and will be the permanent flagship element of the Mobile World Capital.
The Mobile World Centre will include technology exhibits, museum
features, a retail area, a mobile cafe, office space and more.
-- The Mobile World Festival, a range of festivities that will be targeted
to the general public and will take place separate from the Mobile World
Congress. Dispersed around the Mobile World Capital city, the Mobile
World Festival will incorporate mobile-driven festivities including
concerts, music and movie festivals, competitions and awards, and
dialogues and debates, among others.
-- The Mobile World Congress, which is widely considered the industry's
"must-attend" event and is expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors at
the 2011 Mobile World Congress. The four-day conference and exhibition
attracts executives from the world's largest and most influential
companies across the mobile industry and adjacent sectors, as well as
government delegations.
"In addition to the significant economic impact in excess of 1.2B Euros over the past 5 years and the 6,000 part-time jobs the Mobile World Congress creates every year, the GSMA's vision of the Mobile World Capital will help to engender a strong and positive image for the city, an enduring legacy, and a virtuous circle of economic development that will positively impact its citizens," continued Hoffman.
The GSMA expects to identify a short list of finalist cities in January 2011 and to complete the evaluation process and to announce the Mobile World Capital in mid-2011.
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.
UBM Electronics' DesignCon Announces 2011 Tracks and Sessions Focused on How to Simplify Product Design
Register Now for Special November Pricing
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM Electronics, a UBM company and the daily source of essential business and technical information for the electronics industry's decision makers, today announced the selection of the DesignCon 2011 conference track sessions and educational forums. As the first engineering conference of the year, designers have an opportunity to jumpstart projects by participating in sessions and forums that bring together chip, board and system design challenges.
Known as the premiere technical conference, DesignCon, located in the Santa Clara Convention Center from January 31st through February 3rd will host more than 100 sessions discussing chip-level system design, high-speed signal processing, power, RF, T&M, PCB, analog and mixed signal, FPGAs and system co-design. During the educational forums, engineers will be introduced to new, practical information about USB 3.0 serial link design, optimization and validation, and a simple and powerful method to characterize differential interconnects based on a new calibration technique based on the 2x thru fixture removal process. Additionally, Agilent Technology, the event's Host Sponsor will hold two half-day educational forums on January 31st and February 1st. The first session will focus on USB 3.0 serial link development. The second will address a new method to characterize differential interconnects
"Since the highly successful 2010 conference, we have spent several months examining the toughest chip, board and system design challenges that will face engineers in 2011 and beyond. The sessions, forums and keynote will discuss those challenges and provide the attendees with real-world, proven research, advice and tips that will, hopefully, make their jobs easier," said Ron Wilson, UBM Electronics director of content and media for events.
Companies interested in sponsorships or exhibiting at DesignCon should contact Sean Raman at sean.raman@ubm.com or at (415) 947-6622 for more information.
About UBM Electronics
UBM Electronics is the global leader in media and marketing solutions for the electronics industry. UBM Electronics delivers results for the key influencers and decision makers involved in the design, development and commercialization of technology through its market leading brands, peer communities and professional education services. More than 2.2 million engineering professionals engage with UBM Electronics brands which include EE Times, EDN, EDN China, EDN Asia, EDN Japan, Design News and Test & Measurement World, TechOnline, Designlines and Embedded.com across the globe to accelerate technology sales. The international electronics community gathers at UBM Electronics market leading events such as the Embedded Systems Conferences, DesignCon and ARM Technology Conference to share, learn, discuss, and advance the critical issues and challenges facing the electronics industry. Additionally, UBM Electronics provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation marketing, integrated media, custom solutions and research. UBM Electronics is part of UBM (UBM.L) a global provider of media and information services for professional B2B communities and markets.
About United Business Media Limited
UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities -- from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists -- with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com
For more information on EE Times Group please contact:
Susan Cain, Cain Communication
T: 503-538-2747, E: scain@cain.com
Linda Uslaner, UBM Electronics
T: 516.562.5843, E: linda.uslaner@ubm.com
CONTACT: Susan Cain of Cain Communication, +1-503-538-2747, scain@cain.com, for UBM Electronics; or Linda Uslaner of UBM Electronics, +1-516-562-5843, linda.uslaner@ubm.com
Hastings Entertainment's Web Site Serves as Cyber Treasure Hunt for Holiday Shoppers
AMARILLO, Texas, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery is often the greatest part of shopping during the Holidays. Shoppers this season are in for a treat with the online cyber treasure hunt that is http://www.goHastings.com. The online retail site is full of different products ranging from books, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray movies to video games, consumer electronics products including everything from iPods, MP3 players, and accessories to Blu-ray players, musical instruments, and other home and portable electronics, and trends merchandise such as comics, apparel, t-shirts, action figures, posters, greeting cards and seasonal merchandise. Hastings Entertainment (Nasdaq: HAST) operates 146 superstores in 20 different states and is heavily involved in the repurchasing and selling of used entertainment.
http://www.goHastings.com allows customers the unique experience of purchasing used products from across the county by utilizing a system that scans and pulls inventories from each physical Hastings superstore. Customers regularly sell back their books, movies, CDs and video games to gain store credit or cash, and Hastings guarantees their used products 100 percent. As a result of this recycling program, Hastings has one of the largest inventories of used entertainment products in the country.
Because of the large inventory available, http://www.goHastings.com has created a cyber treasure hunt for shoppers this holiday season. While on a search for Susan Boyles' newest CD, a shopper from New York may find a used copy of The Gift. After placing their order, the CD may end up being shipped to New York, from a Hastings superstore in Odessa, Texas or Bozeman, Montana, where a customer sold the CD back a week earlier.
This unique retail model provides the ultimate recycling tool and is a bonanza for consumers who love movies, music, books and video games. The large inventory and guaranteed products makes http://www.goHastings.com a great place to treasure hunt, save money and discover something new, with complete satisfaction, this holiday season.
About Hastings
Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used books, videos, video games and CDs, and trends and consumer electronics merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format. We currently operate 146 superstores, averaging approximately 25,000 square feet, primarily in medium-sized markets throughout the United States. We also operate a new concept store, Sun Adventure Sports, in Amarillo, Texas.
We also operate http://www.goHastings.com, an e-commerce Internet Web site that makes available to our customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys. The site features exceptional product and pricing offers. The Investor Relations section of our web site contains press releases, a link to request financial and other literature and access our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
CONTACT: Dan Crow, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hastings Entertainment, Inc., +1-806-677-1422
Blue Global Media Discredits Online Claim, Strengthens Fraud Prevention Efforts
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Global Media, a leading online marketing and customer acquisition firm, has taken steps to increase internal fraud prevention, a move that will further benefit affiliates and publishers working with the growing affiliate network.
The increased focus on fraud prevention comes after the company discovered an affiliate conducting fraudulent operations through Blue Global Media and its partners. Though the affiliate was quickly expelled from Blue Global Media Network and its partner networks, his illegal business practices led to significant monetary damages.
The affiliate's expulsion from Blue Global Media Network, as well as other affiliate networks, spurred online criticism, allegations of a Blue Global Media PPC scam and other unfounded claims from the affiliate. Posted on an unmonitored third-party website, the affiliate's Blue Global Media PPC scam complaints prompted the company to strengthen their already aggressive fraud prevention efforts.
Manipulating existing customer data, the affiliate made his fraudulent conduct difficult to detect. According to Chris Kay, president of Blue Global Media, the company's security systems catch fraudulent data as soon as it is received. The claims of a Blue Global Media PPC scam, Kay said, are an unfortunate side effect of experiencing significant growth in a versatile and ever-changing industry.
"We know that affiliates are very hard working individuals, and they understand the importance of quality in internet marketing," said Kay. "Once in a great while, a fraudulent affiliate gets through the security systems and creates baseless claims, like those that led to rumors of a Blue Global Media PPC scam. Fortunately, we typically find fraudsters immediately and always take responsibility for the information passed on by affiliates, so this never affects our integrity as an affiliate network."
Blue Global Media now employs an extensive screening system that prevents fraudulent affiliates from joining the network. Affiliates working with Blue Global Media currently have their incoming leads verified through a review of IP addresses, physical locations, email addresses and other contact information.
The affiliate network also takes steps to verify leads and other data at random to ensure the accuracy and validity of information. Inaccurate data that is sent through Blue Global Media's system is automatically detected and removed. These revamped security protocols are expected to prevent future accusations of a Blue Global Media PPC scam and other unsubstantiated claims.
"Ethics and integrity are essential for long-term success in internet marketing," said Kay. "Our growth at Blue Global Media is a testament of our commitment to doing business the right way - ethically, efficiently and responsibly."
Blue Global Media will be a sponsor at Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas, Nevada, from January 9 - 11, 2011. To learn more about the company and its affiliate network, please visit http://www.BlueGlobalMedia.com.
About Blue Global Media
Blue Global Media is a customer acquisition company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 2005 by Chris Kay, Blue Global Media now operates one of the fastest growing financial affiliate networks with Blue Global Media Network. Offering comprehensive marketing solutions and customer-tested campaigns, Blue Global Media focuses on maximum return on investment for affiliates and publishers.
SOURCE Blue Global Media
Blue Global Media
CONTACT: Jillian Zerwas, VP of Business Development of Blue Global Media, +1-480-365-0335, Jillian@blueglobalmedia.com
MRG Report Reveals Use of Relationships to Rebuild Fragmented TV Markets
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In May 2010, Social TV was named one of the 10 most important emerging technologies by the MIT Technology Review, because it builds on relationships already established in Social Media Websites like Facebook and Twitter to rebuild fragmented TV audiences.
Facebook alone, with over 500 million active users, is approaching US$1.1 billion revenue in 2010(1). Many consumers are using Social Media to connect with entertainment, like movies and TV, thereby creating the new product category called "Social TV"--the extension of Social Media through the simultaneous use of a tablet or smartphone while watching TV.
Already, Nielsen has reported that 59% of U.S. Internet users browse the Internet and watch TV simultaneously. Currently, Social TV is best with a second-screen device--like a PC, iPad or smartphone---because it allows for greater personalization and interactivity.
"Social TV is about bringing social back into TV," said Jose Alvear, MRG IPTV Senior Analyst. "TV has always been a social medium, but personal video devices and multiple TVs in the home have made it less social. Today, Social TV is making it easy for consumers to get social with TV again."
Social TV's benefits for Content Owners, Consumers, Service Providers and Advertisers include driving up TV-ratings, rewarding consumers for watching a program, increasing brand engagement and creating new advertising opportunities. The report highlights the leading Social TV Vendors and Platforms, possible business models, and actual case studies from major entertainment brands and TV shows around the world. It also includes detailed opportunities, risks and recommendations for Cable/Telco Operators, Advertisers and Content Owners.
Social TV Vendors include: Clicker, ClipSync, GetGlue, Hot Potato, KickFour, MediaFriends, Miso, Orca Interactive, Philo, Starling, Tank Top TV, Tunerfish, tvChatter and Vloop. Operators featured include AT&T, Comcast, France Telecom, Google TV, Verizon and Virgin Media. Analytics involving "tweets," "comments," "trends," and "likes" are also discussed.
The 90-page Social TV and the Emergence of Interactive TV (November 2010) report is available in a printed English language edition for $1,995 USD, a PDF single-departmental license for $2,995 USD PDF; and is available free as part of MRG's IPTV/OTT Tracking Service. For more information, or a corporate license, or to order the report, contact Rob Smith at 1-408-453-5553 or rsmith@mrgco.com, or visit http://www.mrgco.com.
(1)WSJ - 5/2010
SOURCE MRG, Inc.
MRG, Inc.
CONTACT: Rob Smith, +1-408-453-5553, rsmith@mrgco.com
GAIN Capital's FOREX.com Enhances iPhone Application
Mobile Trading App Now Available Globally and in Multiple Languages
NEW YORK, LONDON, and SYDNEY, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc., a global provider of online trading services specialising in foreign exchange (forex or FX) and contracts for difference (CFDs), today announced the launch of an enhanced version of its iPhone trading application. The new version of the app is now available to FOREX.com clients worldwide in three languages: English, Japanese, and Russian. The free application offers full trading capabilities, along with up to the minute news, charts, research and account information.
FOREXTrader for iPhone v2.0 includes:
-- Current rates for over 40 currency pairs, plus metals, oil and equity
index CFDs(1)
-- A variety of order types, including market, limit, stop, One Cancels
Others (OCO), If Then, If Then / OCO and Trailing Stop
-- Candlestick and line charts with multiple time intervals
-- Live newsfeed from Dow Jones
-- Access to FOREX.com research, including intraday market updates for each
trading session, daily reports, and more
-- Economic calendar
-- Account and position management tools
-- The ability to set price alerts by currency pair (customers only)
-- Multi -language support (English, Japanese and Russian)
-- iOS4 multitasking support
"The response to our iPhone app has been very strong following the launch for US clients earlier this year. We're thrilled to now offer the app to our clients around the world, and in multiple languages," said Samantha Roady, chief marketing officer for GAIN Capital. "We are committed to providing a robust mobile offering for our clients to access their accounts and interact with the markets."
The FOREXTrader for iPhone application complements FOREX.com's mobile website, which is enhanced for the latest generation of smartphones such as the Google Android, Palm Pre, and iPhone and is compatible with all major browsers. The mobile site provides visitors with quotes, charts, news and research and an extensive learning section featuring articles, video tutorials and more. It also offers secure account access for customers and registered practice account users to trade and manage their account.
To download the free application, iPhone and iPod touch users can now visit the App Store directly from their devices and search for "FOREXTrader" or "FOREX.com".
(1) CFDs are not available to residents of the United States or Japan.
About GAIN Capital
GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc. is a global provider of online trading services, specializing in foreign exchange (forex or FX) and contracts for difference (CFDs). Customers and trading partners in more than 140 countries have utilized the company's award-winning trading platform which transacts nearly $250 billion per month.*
A pioneer in online forex trading, GAIN Capital provides execution, clearing, custody and technology products and services to an institutional client base including asset managers, broker/dealers and other financial services firms. GAIN also operates FOREX.com, one of the largest and best-known brands in the retail forex industry.
With offices in New York City; Bedminster, New Jersey; London; Sydney; Hong Kong; Tokyo and Seoul, GAIN Capital and its affiliates are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the United States, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the United Kingdom, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in Japan, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia.
GAIN's investor group includes private equity firms 3i, VantagePoint Venture Partners, Tudor Ventures, Edison Venture Fund and Cross Atlantic Capital Partners.
* Includes customer trades, rollovers and counterparty transactions.
All trade names are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc.
GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: In UK & Europe: Sorrel Beynon, +44(0)20 3047 2368, or Laura Cocker, +44(0)20 3047 2365, both of Edelman, gain@edelman.com; In Australia: Jenny Sumner, +61 2 9291 3367, or Jace Armstrong, +61 2 9291 3337, both of Edelman, gainedelmansydney@edelman.com; In North America: Christa Conte, +1-212-808-4902, or Savannah Tikotsky, +1-212-808-4903, both of Feintuch Communications, gain@feintuchpr.com
Radware Takes APSolute Attack Prevention to the Next Level to Empower the Fight Against Online Fraud
- DefensePro 5.10 strengthens its multi-security engine technology with IP reputation service
MAHWAH, N.J., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Radware (Nasdaq: RDWR), a leading provider of integrated application delivery solutions for business-smart networking, today announced that it is taking attack prevention to the next level by upgrading its software for DefensePro® -- version 5.10. This new version integrates a reputation engine which adds a new dimension in mitigating against threats including financial fraud, information theft and malware spread facilitated by blocking network attacks such as Trojans, pharming, phishing and Bots.
"The Internet has opened up a complex playground for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and create malicious attacks; requiring enterprises to take a more holistic approach to data center and network security," said Charles Kolodgy, Research Vice-President for Security Products at IDC. "To stay competitive, security vendors must provide comprehensive solutions that integrate risk mitigation with enhanced performance, management and networking functionality. Radware's DefensePro utilizes an integrated model; incorporating its APSolute Attack Prevention strategy to fight against social engineering and zero-minute attacks."
When Radware launched its APSolute® Attack Prevention strategy last June, it was based on multi-security engines including DoS (Denial of Service), NBA (Network Behavioral Analysis) and IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) that work in synch to confront the latest threats. These threats include high rate network and application DoS & DDoS attacks, "low & slow" DoS attacks, zero-minute malware , intrusions that exploit known application vulnerabilities and non-vulnerability-based attacks that misappropriate the use of an application without exploiting an application vulnerability.
Today, Radware is strengthening its attack prevention solution by providing an upgraded software, DefensePro 5.10, which integrates a reputation engine that provides the capability of automatically receiving real-time feeds from 3rd party reputation sources -- each one with its own network security specialty and focus -- complementing Radware's existing attack prevention capabilities and vulnerability research team. This new reputation engine forms the foundation for receiving on-line feeds from research centers that specialize in several security areas including but not limited to online fraud, website reputation, anti-Spam and anti-Bot.
Online fraud attacks in the form of phishing, pharming and Trojans are becoming more sophisticated every day. These attacks have become very dynamic, e.g., new phishing campaigns and infected websites are established and terminated in a matter of hours. This dynamic by nature of the attack makes traditional protections which use a static signature approach ineffective in fighting emerging threats. The new reputation engine will allow Radware customers to benefit from world-leading research centers that focus on specific threat coverage which know how to handle the most advanced online fraud attacks.
Radware selected RSA, The Security Division of EMC Corporation, a world leader in web fraud prevention, as one of the intelligence sources for Radware's reputation engine. RSA supplies real-time online threat information identified by the RSA® FraudAction(SM) Anti-Phishing and Anti-Trojan Service to Radware's DefensePro real-time IPS and DoS protection solution. The combination of these solutions is designed to give online users network layer protection against fraud attacks which attempt to obtain user credentials or identities in ways that traditional signature-based systems such as IPS and anti-virus software fail to protect against.
"Integrating a reputation engine as part of DefensePro protection modules enables us to expand the threat coverage beyond our vulnerability research center and the behavioral analysis technology against various types of threats, which aim to manipulate online users into performing actions or divulging confidential information, rather than by breaking in or using technical cracking techniques, stated Avi Chesla, Vice-President Security Products, Radware. "DefensePro is the only solution available on the market that offers the widest network attack prevention solutions for data centers and enterprise networks -- in a single appliance."
APSolute Attack Prevention is part of Radware's APSolute Immunity strategy, which encompasses the DefensePro product suite and is complemented by Radware's SOC (research) and Security Update Service (SUS).
About Radware
Radware (Nasdaq: RDWR), a global leader in integrated application delivery solutions, assures the full availability, maximum performance, and complete security of business-critical applications for nearly 10,000 enterprises and carriers worldwide. With APSolute®, Radware's comprehensive and award-winning suite of application delivery and network security products, companies in every industry can drive business productivity, improve profitability, and reduce IT operating and infrastructure costs by making their networks "business smart". For more information, please visit http://www.radware.com.
RSA, RSA FraudAction and EMC are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and/or services referenced are trademarks of their respective companies.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the Application Switching or Network Security industry, changes in demand for Application Switching or Network Security products, the timing and amount or cancellation of orders and other risks detailed from time to time in Radware's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Radware's Form 20-F.
Press Relations:
Joyce Anne Shulman
+1 201 785 3209
joyceannes@radware.com
SOURCE Radware Ltd
Radware Ltd
CONTACT: Joyce Anne Shulman of Radware, +1-201-785-3209, joyceannes@radware.com
In Addition to Its Best Free Shipping Offer of the Season, Company Unveils Hundreds of Online-Only Deals and Lets Rewards"R"Us Loyalty Members Earn 10% Back on Their Online Purchases
WAYNE, N.J., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us today announced its biggest Cyber Weekend ever, presenting online shoppers with exceptional deals offered on Toysrus.com beginning at 12:01am on Thanksgiving Day. Before carving the turkey, online customers looking to "click-start" their holiday shopping and bypass crowded stores can visit Toysrus.com at the stroke of midnight to find hundreds of exclusive deals on gifts that will WOW little ones on their lists. While carefully selected discounts and promotions will be unleashed online Thursday, hundreds of additional savings will be introduced throughout the holiday shopping kickoff weekend. These offers complement the extraordinary values that will be found in Toys"R"Us stores across the United States beginning at 10pm* on Thanksgiving night.
Online shoppers will have plenty to be thankful for over the course of the holiday kickoff weekend, when Toysrus.com unveils its biggest free shipping offer of the season. From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, online customers can take advantage of free shipping on thousands of toys with purchases of $49 or more at Toysrus.com, making it the most extensive Cyber Monday ever offered by the company. Plus, new and current members of the company's complimentary loyalty program, Rewards"R"Us(TM), can earn 10% back on their online purchases.**
"As gift-givers head online to begin their holiday shopping, we're planning our biggest Cyber Weekend ever, including our best free shipping event of the season," said Greg Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Marketing and e-commerce, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "We know that online shoppers turn to Toysrus.com for the broadest selection of toys, and we will offer extraordinary deals on thousands of items sure to wow kids on Christmas morning."
Exceptional Online Deals Throughout Holiday Shopping Kickoff Weekend
Following are highlights of select deals that will be available on Toysrus.com, beginning Thanksgiving Day and continuing through Cyber Monday.
Toysrus.com Deals Starting at 12:01am on Thanksgiving, November 25 and Continuing Through Black Friday, November 26, While Supplies Last:
-- SAVE $100 on 12 Volt Mercedes Benz® G55 Ride On
-- UP TO 70% OFF Select Action Figures and Playsets
-- UP TO 60% OFF Select Vehicles, Trains and Radio Controls
-- SAVE UP TO $60 on Kodak® EasyShare Digital Cameras
-- SAVE $50 on 6 Volt Suzuki® ATV
-- SAVE $35 on RipStik® Deluxe
-- 30% OFF Crayola® Pop Art
-- 20% OFF Hasbro Ultimate Gifts
-- 20% OFF Huffy® Bikes
-- SAVE $20 on 3-in-1 Deluxe Smart Trikes
-- SAVE $10 on VTech Mobigo Bundle (Includes System, Case, and 2 Games)
Toysrus.com Celebrates BIGGEST Cyber Monday Ever, Offering Discounts on Thousands of Additional Items Starting at 12:01am on Cyber Monday, November 29, While Supplies Last:
-- FREE Box of 120ct Crayons ($10.99 value) with $25 Crayola® Purchase
-- BUY 1 GET 1 50% OFF all Nerf® Toys
-- BUY 1 GET 1 50% OFF Imaginarium® Toys
-- BUY 1 GET 1 50% OFF all Dream Dazzlers® Dress Up and Playsets
-- 30% OFF Club Penguin(TM)
-- 20% OFF all Little Tikes® Products
-- 20% OFF all Avigo® and Rallye® Bikes
-- 20% OFF all TRON Action Figures
-- 20% OFF all Baby Alive Dolls and Accessories
-- 15% OFF Bratz®, Liv(TM) and Taylor Swift Dolls and Playsets
-- SAVE $10 on any Kinect for Xbox 360 Video Games
-- SAVE $10 on any Playstation® Move Video Games
-- SAVE $10 on Video Game purchases of $100 or more when customers purchase
with their MasterCard Credit Card
-- 10% OFF all Air Hogs® Remote Control Vehicles
-- 10% OFF all Spy Gear and Spy Net(TM) Roleplay Toys
Those stocking up for babies and toddlers can also take advantage of UP TO 25% OFF thousands of items, including strollers, furniture, feeding and much more on Babiesrus.com, as the site will host its biggest Cyber Monday sale ever, beginning at 12:01am on November 29.
World's Largest Online Toy Store Offers Secure Payment Options
Toysrus.com continues to offer the most convenient and efficient ways for customers to browse, shop and pay for their purchases. To select suitable presents for little ones this Christmas, holiday cyber shoppers can skim customer reviews and product videos, as well as obtain hot toy product suggestions by using the online Gift Finder. In addition, for convenient online checkout, customers have the option of paying with a variety of secure options, including PayPal(TM), Bill Me Later®, credit cards, Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us gift cards, as well as eGift cards.
Convenient Social and Mobile Capabilities
Toys"R"Us, Inc. has also introduced several new ways to cater to multi-channel shoppers this holiday season, enabling them to learn about and take advantage of "R"Us® promotions from their smartphones while on-the-go:
Facebook Places and Foursquare(TM) "Check-In" at Toys"R"Us Thanksgiving Night
Bargain hunters can tap into new ways to save during the holiday kickoff weekend with a simple touch of a button. The first 6,000*** shoppers to "check in" at Toys"R"Us stores beginning Thursday, November 25 at 10pm using Facebook Places or Foursquare(TM) from their smartphones will receive an exclusive Friends and Family offer redeemable in-store in December. Those who utilize Foursquare to show their friends that Toys"R"Us is THE destination to shop for hot toys will also be able to unlock and receive a special virtual Geoffrey the Giraffe badge on their mobile phone. Customers can continue to engage with the brand via Facebook by participating in the company's Holiday Scavenger Hunt between November 24 and December 11 with the chance to win a daily prize, as well as a $1,500 grand prize by solving a series of clues.
"R" Mobile Messaging Program Alerts Shoppers to Latest Deals and Discounts
Further catering to its savvy mobile shoppers, Toys"R"Us has implemented a mobile messaging program, presenting on-the-go shoppers with the ability to receive exclusive text message offers directly to their mobile phones, putting the latest deals at customers' fingertips. Customers can sign up or learn more at Toysrus.com/mobile.
*Toys"R"Us stores nationwide will open at 10pm on Thursday, November 25, except for stores in Paramus, NJ, which will open on Friday, November 26 at 7am, and select stores in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico, which will have varying store open times. All store hours can be found online at Toysrus.com/blackfridaystorehours.
**Excludes purchases of gift cards, shipping and handling charges, and reward eligible greeting cards, formula, diapers and LeapFrog products. See a store employee or Toysrus.com/Rewards for maximum rewards and complete details. Customers who spend $500 or more will earn the maximum reward of $50 in "R"Us Dollars.
***The first 3,000 shoppers who check in using Facebook Places and the first 3,000 shoppers who check in using Foursquare at any Toys"R"Us or Toys"R"Us Express store will receive an exclusive offer.
About Toys"R"Us, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. It currently sells merchandise in more than 1,560 stores, including 848 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, and more than 510 international stores and 200 licensed stores in 33 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.
SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.
Toys"R"Us, Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer Albano, +1-973-617-5632, Jennifer.Albano@toysrus.com, Linda DeNotaris, +1-973-617-4766, Linda.DeNotaris@toysrus.com
It's Baaack! Restaurant.com Launches 'Feed It Forward' 2010 and Lets Consumers Give $40 Million in 40 Days for Free
Award-winning Holiday Giving Initiative Lifts Spirits and Enables People Nationwide to Give Gift Certificates at No Cost
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season is a looming reminder of the toll the economic downturn has taken on the population. In an effort to continue to free consumers from the financial stress of holiday gifting, Restaurant.com today announced the return of "Feed It Forward," the holiday giving initiative that celebrates the gift of giving and enables participants to give away free, $10 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates. Now until December 31st, individuals are able to give up to $16,000 in Restaurant.com Gift Certificates, from a total pool of $40 million, to family, friends and anyone on their holiday wish list located anywhere in the country--for free.
"We cannot forget that about the many people who are still trying to get back on their feet after one the greatest financial crises of recent time," said Cary Chessick, president and CEO of Restaurant.com. "Feed It Forward allows anyone, from those who carry large financial burdens to those who have simply taken the recession as a spending reality check, to experience and embrace the gift of giving."
In its third year, the Feed It Forward initiative is built upon a single giving website, http://www.Restaurant.com/FeedItForward, stocked with a total of four million, $10 Restaurant.com gift certificates totaling $40 million. The site will be live through midnight PST on Dec. 31 and allows individuals to go online to give gift certificates on a first come, first serve basis. Gift givers choose whom to give to and gift recipients then decide where to dine among more than 9,500 participating Restaurant.com restaurants nationwide.
To send free $10 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates, gift givers visit the giving site and simply log into Facebook and/or, Gmail or Yahoo email account to select the people they wish to give to--as many as 40 people each day for the length of the initiative. Participants can also opt to type in email addresses manually. Gift certificates are then sent to the selected recipients via email along with a personal note from the giver. Recipients simply redeem the gift certificate through the Feed It Forward site, which directs individuals to a location search where they can find participating restaurants in their area. Once a specific restaurant gift certificate is selected, the recipient can print it immediately for use, bring it into the restaurant, and apply it towards the meal.
In an effort to rally individuals around the celebration of giving and offer giving inspiration, the Feed It Forward site also features messages and stories from current participants as to why they chose to give. As people participate in the initiative, a U.S. map displayed on the site will depict the areas of the country where the giving is happening and keeping track of the amount given in real time. In addition, Feed It Forward 2010 has been enhanced to make the celebration of giving even easier and more exciting to participate in. New features include:
-- The Salvation Army's Metropolitan Division Support - As a Chicago based
company, Restaurant.com has proudly partnered with The Salvation Army's
Metropolitan Division, which specifically serves Chicago and surrounding
areas. Together, The Salvation Army and Restaurant.com will give Feed It
Forward participants the opportunity to donate to various communities
throughout Chicagoland as another way to promote the celebration of
giving to those in great need.
-- Increased Giving, Extended Time - This year, Restaurant.com has stocked
its giving site with $40 million in $10 gift certificates. Givers can
give to up to 40 people per day over 40 days, which brings the potential
giving value up to $16,000 worth of Restaurant.com Gift Certificates
that a participant can give through the duration of the program.
-- Enhanced Facebook Integration - Feed It Forward participants that have
Facebook accounts will automatically be able to send gift certificates
to friends within their network by logging into their Facebook account.
Gifts sent through Facebook, will result in gift recipients receiving a
personalized message on their wall alerting them of the gift they just
received. In addition, through the integration, participants can view
who in their network is giving through the program.
-- See How Far Your Giving Spreads - New for 2010, participants can see the
impact of each individual gift that they give. Givers can view a "giving
circle" which will track the certificates given and how they have
spread. This new tool shows how even just a single gift can make a
tremendous impact and be a starting point to touch thousands of lives.
-- Community Gives - Restaurant.com is enabling participants to give to the
Restaurant.com "community," which includes registered Restaurant.com
customers, if participants have additional gift certificates they would
like share. By incorporating the "community" give function, participants
can spread the gift of giving further and touch the lives of those they
may not even know.
"It's time to celebrate one another, celebrate the good things in life and celebrate the gift of giving," said Chessick. "It is absolutely free to give and free to receive through Feed It Forward, so for a third year, Restaurant.com and I proudly ask that you give to families, give to friends, give to neighbors, give to grandparents, give to co-workers, but most of all, give."
Individuals nationwide have equal opportunity to give the free gift certificates away while the quantity lasts. Individuals can visit http://www.Restaurant.com/FeedItForward to participate and learn more about the "Feed It Forward" initiative. Also, visit http://press.restaurant.com for a fact sheet, Q&A images and more.
About Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com is the trusted and valued source connecting restaurants and diners nationwide. The company offers savings at more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 35,000 daily gift certificate options. Restaurant.com brings people together to relax, converse and enjoy well-prepared and -served meals at affordable prices. To date, Restaurant.com customers have saved more than $500 million through the gift certificate program. Restaurant.com has operated since 1999 and is based in Arlington Heights, Ill.
SOURCE Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com
CONTACT: Stephanie Kneisler of Restaurant.com, +1-847-481-5523, skneisler@restaurant.com
AllPosters.co.uk Launches New French Museum Wall Art Collection
SAN FRANCISCO, November 22, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
- New Collaboration Gives Consumers Unprecedented Access to
Museum-Approved Images from France's Top Museums
AllPosters.co.uk, a division of Art.com Inc., the world's leading online
specialty provider of wall art, in collaboration with the French agency
Reunion des Musees Nationaux (RMN) and Art Resource, New York, today
announced the launch of its French Museum Collection. This new collection
provides unprecedented access to many of the world's most treasured original
works of art, housed in over 400 renowned European museums and private
collections, by bringing together in one place museum-approved images of
these masterpieces and making them available for the first time as unique,
high-quality giclee prints and canvas reproductions.
"A key element of our company's mission is to make art accessible to all,
and our new French Museum Collection is yet another way we're empowering
customers to discover some of the world's finest original artworks and hang
them on their own walls as high-quality reproductions," said Geoffroy Martin,
CEO of Art.com Inc. "What makes this collection particularly unique is that
it includes not just the familiar masterpieces one might see in the galleries
of famous museums like the Louvre and d'Orsay, but also thousands of artworks
never before seen publicly because they've been hidden in museum vaults or
private collections."
AllPosters.co.uk's French Museum Collection includes over 100,000 works
of art, including paintings and drawings, as well as photographs of
antiquities, sculptures and historical objects. Over 10,000 artists are
represented, including famous painters such as Monet, Rembrandt and Renoir,
as well as lesser-known artists. The collection spans a wide range of art
schools, movements, cultures and mediums, ranging from Egyptian antiquities
to 20th century paintings. It includes not only celebrated masterpieces, but
in some cases, the never-before-seen sketches that inspired them, pulled
directly from the artist's notebook.
"We are pleased to enter into an agreement with Art.com Inc. which
greatly complements its present offering of fine art," said Jean-Paul
Bessieres of the photo agency of the RMN. "The French Museum Collection
contains a wide variety of masterpieces spanning many centuries, which are
now being made available for wall art."
Continued Martin, "The breadth, quality and uniqueness of this collection
ensure that it will have broad appeal around the world. For the art
enthusiast, designer or anyone looking to decorate a space,
AllPosters.co.uk's French Museum Collection offers a treasure trove of both
familiar masterpieces and hidden gems just waiting to be discovered."
All images in AllPosters.co.uk's French Museum Collection are available
as wall art reproductions, either on high-quality giclee paper or
artist-grade cotton canvas. To learn more or explore the collection
firsthand, please visit http://www.AllPosters.co.uk/frenchmuseum.
About AllPosters.co.uk and Art.com Inc.
AllPosters.co.uk is a division of Art.com Inc. Art.com Inc. is the
world's leading online specialty provider of posters, prints, and framed art.
Since 1998, Art.com Inc. has sold high-quality wall art online to more than
10 million customers - including students, teachers, home decorators,
interior designers, businesses, art collectors and art lovers - in over 120
countries worldwide. The privately-held company is headquartered in
Emeryville, CA with other facilities in Ohio, North Carolina and the
Netherlands. For more information, visit http://www.AllPosters.co.uk. "art.com" and
"AllPosters" are registered trademarks of Art.com Inc.
Source: Art.com Inc.
Tara Reid of Formula, +1-619-234-0345, Reid@formulapr.com, for Art.com Inc.
LONDON, November 22, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- Durrants, the UK's leading media intelligence business, has
taken a stake in Brighton-based social media monitoring company Brandwatch
after being "blown away" by the company during a trial to find a social media
monitoring partner.
The deal will enable Brandwatch, which already operates in 10
languages, to expand its current offer in the US and extend its service to
cover Russia and China.
The investment in Brandwatch is the latest in a series of big
deals in the social media monitoring space as companies gear up to tackle the
challenges of monitoring brand conversations and reputation online. The
social media marketing industry is growing by 34% a year and is expected to
be worth $3.1bn a year by 2014.*
The investment comes after Durrants went to the market looking
for a specialist social media monitoring company and Brandwatch came out on
top following a rigorous trial period alongside several other leading
international monitoring firms.
Jeremy Thompson, Durrants MD, said: "During the trial it
quickly became clear that Brandwatch was head and shoulders above the
competition. We were blown away by their relevant and timely coverage, strong
account management and technical support, robust platform and user friendly
service. It really was a case of liking the company so much we wanted to
invest in it."
As well as the investment, Brandwatch's social media
monitoring data will be used by Durrants' sister company Metrica, the
award-winning global media analysis and evaluation company to track brands
and conversations online and offer an enhanced social media service.
"There is a baffling amount of choice for PRs when it comes to tracking
brand or client conversations online and our own research tells us that most
PRs find social media monitoring one of their biggest challenges.** We're
confident that Brandwatch, working alongside Metrica, will help PRs cut
through the confusion and provide meaningful analytics," Thompson said.
Giles Palmer, Brandwatch CEO, said: "When it comes to
monitoring social media it is important to find a supplier and data you
trust. We've always been confident about what we provide but this move by
Durrants provides a ringing endorsement of our service."
"We operate in a competitive space and I'm very proud that we
were able to beat off stiff competition from several North American providers
and managed to impress Durrants so much they wanted to invest in the company.
The investment comes at an explosive time in the social media monitoring
market and will help us push our product to the very top of the global pile."
Notes to Editors:
About Brandwatch:
Brandwatch (http://www.brandwatch.com) is one the world's leading
tools for monitoring and capturing social media. Today, social networks are a
massive indicator of consumer influence and brand positioning online. So for
companies to know what and where discussions are taking place surrounding
their brand online is imperative. Brandwatch captures, digests and translates
this data into meaningful and useful information; armed with this
information, Marketers and PR professionals can structure and track the
direction and focus of their social media campaigns. Launched in August 2007
Brandwatch is used by customers around the world to monitor, capture and
analyse trends in social media.
About Durrants, Metrica and Gorkana:
Durrants, the market leader in media monitoring
(http://www.durrants.com), Metrica (http://www.metrica.net), the global media
analysis and evaluation specialist and Gorkana, the UK's most trusted
media/journalist database and community network (http://www.gorkana.com) are part
of Discovery Group. This latest investment in Brandwatch supports Discovery
Group's ambition to deliver greater insight to the PR and Marketing
communities. The integration of intelligence from these services will deliver
unique insights to help companies plan, monitor and analyse their PR more
effectively than ever before.
Discovery Group is based on Old Street near the Silicon
Roundabout, an area of East London where more than 100 tech and design
companies have set up over the last five years. Prime Minister David Cameron
recently announced that he wants to establish an East London Technology City
and lure Google, Facebook and Microsoft to new offices in Olympic Park, a few
tube stops from the Silicon Roundabout.
Metrica was acquired by Durrants in October 2009 and Gorkana
was acquired by Durrants in April 2010.
*Forrester Research
**Gorkana survey of 205 Social Media Panel Event attendees,
June 2010
For more information and interviews please contact:
Giles Palmer
giles@brandwatch.com
+44-1273-234290
Richard Bagnall
Richard@metrica.net
+44-20-7664-0800
Source: Durrants
Giles Palmer, giles@brandwatch.com, +44-1273-234290; Richard Bagnall, Richard@metrica.net, +44-20-7664-0800