Enjoy and Share your Digital Music, Photos, and Home Movies Anywhere, Anytime
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Roxio®, a division of Sonic Solutions® (Nasdaq: SNIC), today announced the launch of Roxio Streamer, enabling users to easily turn a PC into a powerful media server to access and share their personal libraries of music, photos, and videos stored on their home PC from other devices in their home as well as remotely from other computers or mobile devices.
Roxio Streamer allows users to easily and securely access their media "from the road" via any device equipped with Adobe Flash. The application also supports both UPNP and DLNA protocols, providing users with the ability to access digital media from hundreds of DLNA-compatible devices from over 250 manufacturers of TVs, DVD & Blu-ray Disc players, portable media players, game consoles, and PCs connected to a home network. Users of Roxio Streamer can also invite family and friends anywhere in the world to listen to their music collection, watch video, or view and download photos from shared albums.
"Roxio Streamer is the most efficient way to enjoy and share personal media on your home PC," said Sean Penn, Vice President, Consumer Products, Roxio. "You simply drop the digital photos, video, or music that you want to access or share into a folder and it becomes instantly available from any web-enabled device. That's ideal if you are travelling and you want to enjoy your favorite music or movies or if you want to provide an easy, secure way for family and friends to enjoy your content."
Also available as part of Roxio Creator 2011, this standalone version of Roxio Streamer also includes a 12- month subscription to the premium service, which includes streaming to the iPhone, Android-based smartphones and other mobile devices:
Premium Features:
-- Unlimited number of user accounts for your family and friends
-- On-the-go access to your Roxio Streamer library from any mobile phone or
iPhone
-- Publish photos directly to your Facebook account
-- Publish photos directly to your Flickr account
-- Share your digital media with digital picture frames and other RSS
clients remotely
-- Show off your pictures using the 3D Wall Cooliris interface
-- Secure FTP access to your Roxio Streamer
Pricing and Availability:
Roxio Streamer is available for download from today via http://www.roxio.com and is priced at $49.99. The Premium Features are included free of charge in the first year's subscription. Subsequent subscriptions are priced at $19.99 per year.
Roxio software products and services have revolutionized how consumers and businesses use digital media. Roxio's flagship applications, Creator and Toast, are the market-leading products in their respective categories in North American retail and allow users to easily create, manage, protect, share, and enjoy their digital media on Windows and Mac systems, in the living room, or on-the-go. Roxio products and services are broadly available through a global network of major retailers, online retailers, direct from Roxio, and ship with top-tier OEM partners. Visit http://www.roxio.com to learn more.
About Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC) enables digital media from Hollywood to Home. For more than a decade, Sonic products, service, and technology brands including Roxio®, RoxioNow(TM), DivX®, and MainConcept,have fueled home entertainment, powered rich digital media functionality on a range of platforms for a variety of partners, and inspired unique personal media experiences for hundreds of millions of consumers. Sonic technologies are now combining to deliver a universal platform for Hollywood Studios, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, and PC OEMs that provides consumers instant access to premium entertainment from virtually anywhere. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California. Learn more at http://www.sonic.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution, and market acceptance of Roxio Creator 2011. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Sonic Solutions' annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction with Sonic Solutions' most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company's business including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results. Sonic Solutions does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.
Sonic, Sonic Solutions, Roxio, the Roxio logo, Roxio Creator, Toast, DivX, Hollywood to Home, MainConcept and RoxioNow are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.
SOURCE Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions
CONTACT: Chris Taylor of Sonic Solutions, +1-408-367-5231, Chris.Taylor@roxio.com
Talking Hit: Acapela Replicates the Voice of Famous Swedish Blogger Alex Schulman, Used in a Powerful, Innovative Web Campaign for Major Swedish Newspaper Aftonbladet
MONS, Belgium, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- 'Alex' is the voice created by Acapela to perfectly reproduce the famous
Swedish blogger Alex Schulman, to be used in a talking viral campaign
designed by the Swedish agencies Strip Digital and Naked Communications. The
campaign is aimed at promoting Nojesbladet, the weekend supplement of the
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. It is very creative and uses advanced features
with cutting edge technology. In October it received the 'Web campaign of the
month' award from the Swedish magazine Resume.
Making the most of speech synthesis
The agencies have put their faith in Acapela's expertise to both create a
synthetic version of Alex Schulman's real voice and to vocalize online
personal information provided by the campaign's visitors. The visitor types
in personal details on the website which are then automatically and in real
time transformed into speech with Alex's voice, using the Acapela VaaS online
service. Text to speech voice generation is smoothly mixed with recorded
prompts to develop a story and enable Alex to talk directly to any of the
visitor's contacts using highly personal info!
Acapela Voice Factory made it possible!
The 'Alex' synthetic voice has been created with Acapela Voice Factory,
which is the result of in-depth research into recording, segmentation and
fine tuning methods used in the text to speech production process. Voices
are initially recorded in the studio with the selected speaker and are then
analyzed, sliced and orchestrated to develop a synthetic voice that remains
true to the original recording.
"Acapela had exactly the solution we were looking for and the capacity to
deliver the voice extremely quickly. In only 4 weeks, they managed to create
a realistic synthetic version of Alex Schulman's voice. Really impressive!
And the Acapela VaaS service was the ideal solution to vocalize in real time
the personal info in order to deliver a personalized message with clout from
Alex'," says Karl Rosander, co-founder of Strip Digital.
"We are very proud to be providing the text to speech solution for this
exceptional campaign," comments Lars-Erik Larsson, CEO of Acapela Group. "It
highlights the growing demand for custom made synthetic voices and the
infinite number of potential ways synthetic speech can be used. Any company
today can get their own unique text to speech voices, which can be used in
many different contexts. An original, representative voice creates a highly
effective vocal counterpart to a company's image, providing an imaginative
and striking way for a company to differentiate itself from the competition."
The campaign: Alex Schulman yells at your boring friend, in your own
words! The campaign aims to prove that the only thing you need to get a
"kick-ass" night out is a good friend and Nojesbladet. When entering the
dedicated web site, the visitor is invited to accept help from Alex Schulman,
known for being blatant and rude, to yell at a friend who has become boring.
The visitor enters personal details such as names and the reason why the
friend has become boring. The result is a video clip whereby Alex, using the
Internet user's own words, yells at the friend in a very personal way. The
clip can then be shared with the friend via a link in a personal e-mail from
Alex Schulman, on Facebook, or through a phone call. The live call-up
function, directly available on the web site, allows Alex to make a call to
the friend while the Internet user is able to listen to the dialogue and hear
the reaction! And last but not least, a web TV reminder will automatically
interrupt the Aftonbladet webpage with a commercial break showing a
personalized video where Alex asks how things are going with the friend. Just
amazing!
DMG Entertainment Brings #1 Box-Office Craze Resident Evil: Afterlife to China
Movie Marks the First Time Ever the Resident Evil Franchise Enters China
BEIJING, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- DMG Entertainment is bringing the infectious rage of Resident Evil:
Afterlife to China, now open in theaters across the nation. The movie is also
set to become one of the biggest 3D releases in the market. Following its
global debut, the sci-fi action-thriller flick opened at #1 in USA and
worldwide - grossing in the highest global box-office receipts in the
franchise's history. With the booming Chinese economy and DMG Entertainment's
unrivalled market insights, Resident Evil: Afterlife is set for even greater
success as it claws its way into China's 1.4 billion strong audiences.
The fourth instalment in a series of film adaptations based on the
best-selling survival horror video game, Resident Evil: Afterlife continues
the story of Alice (Milla Jovovich) on her journey in a world ravaged by a
virus infection as her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches
new heights. Milla Jovovich is joined by an all-star cast, which includes Ali
Larter, Wentworth Miller and Kim Coates.
Paul WS Anderson returns to the director's seat after directing the first
Resident Evil movie in 2002 to bring this fourth series into full 3D. Unlike
other movies, which install 3D components during post-production, Resident
Evil: Afterlife was created with 3D elements written into the script, and was
shot with the most advanced 3D cameras, allowing viewers to be fully immersed
in the electrifying experience of the film.
"With our unparalleled access in the market, we were able to successfully
bring Resident Evil: Afterlife to China - the first time ever in the history
the franchise," said Dan Mintz, CEO of DMG Entertainment. "Resident Evil:
Afterlife is the biggest movie yet in the series, and is set to be one of the
biggest 3D releases in China. With such a winning combination, we look
forward to delivering another box-office sensation in the market."
Delivering success in China is nothing new to DMG Entertainment. As
China's leading entertainment firm, the company has produced Chinese
box-office winners, including #1 domestic production, The Founding of a
Republic in 2009, and #1 hit Go Lala Go!. DMG Entertainment has also
distributed numerous star-driven Hollywood blockbusters to China, such as
Twilight and Knowing - all of which have translated to groundbreaking
successes in China's thriving entertainment scene.
Source: DMG Entertainment
Dave Barton, dave@renegademedia.net, tel: +44-1452-760147
Xilinx Virtex-7 HT Devices Enable 100-400Gbps Applications and Beyond in a Single FPGA for Next Generation Communication Systems
Up To Sixteen 28Gbps Serial Transceivers in New FPGA for Industry's Highest Bandwidth Line Cards Supporting Major High-Speed Serial, Optical and Backplane Protocols
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ --Xilinx, Inc., (Nasdaq: XLNX) today announced its Virtex®-7 HT FPGAs with demonstrated 28Gbps serial transceiver performance required for next generation 100-400Gbps applications. The 28nm FPGAs enable communication equipment vendors to develop the integrated, high-bandwidth-efficient systems necessary to keep pace with the exploding global demand for more bandwidth in the wired infrastructure and datacenters. The new devices are equipped with the industry's highest-speed and lowest jitter serial transceivers available in an FPGA to support stringent optical and backplane protocols.
"Industry expectations for global IP traffic to approach 64 exabytes per month from today's roughly 15 exabytes per month* is fueling the need for higher bandwidth system-on-chip solutions capable of driving high-speed signals with superior signal integrity and low-power efficiency for deployment over fiber optic and other existing infrastructures," said Linley Group Senior Analyst Joseph Byrne. "As the communications industry increases interface speed from 10Gbps to 100Gbps to provide more capacity, requirements for chip-to-optics, chip-to-backplane, and chip-to-chip interfaces become extremely stringent. As such, Xilinx has put a keen focus balancing power, performance, optical jitter constraints and integration in delivering 28Gbps transceivers with its Virtex-7 HT devices."
Built with four to sixteen 28Gbps transceivers complying with OIF CEI-28G, the Optical Internetworking Forum's Common Electrical I/O specification for 28Gbps, Virtex-7 HT devices are designed to interface to next generation CFP2 and QSFP2 optical modules that will be used in next generation 100 - 400Gbps system line cards. The devices also have up to seventy-two 13.1Gbps transceivers and can offer up to 2.8Tbps full duplex throughput. This extends the Virtex-7 family's total system performance, with 2x the logic capacity, 1.3x greater memory bandwidth, 2x better static power efficiency, and now 2.7x higher bandwidth over comparable competing devices.
Signal integrity expert Dr. Howard Johnson conducts a demonstration of the Virtex-7 HT FPGA's 28Gbps serial transceiver in a new video posted on http://www.xilinx.com. The demonstration uses a real-world PRBS31 pattern to highlight a wide open eye and the jitter performance required to interface to next generation CFP2 optics. To see the video, please visit http://www.xilinx.com/28gbps.
"In order to meet the growing market demand for bandwidth, we expect communication equipment vendors will design next-generation 100 and 400Gbps systems using the emerging CFP2 optical module form factor. This will maximize face plate bandwidth densities while improving existing form factor power dissipation budgets," said Christian Urricariet, director of marketing for high-speed optics at Finisar. "Our work with Xilinx shows that their low jitter single-chip solution enables a more simplified approach to implementing these higher port densities by providing a direct 28Gbps connection between the FPGA and the CFP2 module."
The devices' feature mix allows for a wide range of applications, from low-cost 100G "smart gearbox" chips with 290,000 logic cells to the world's first 400Gbps FPGA with 870,000 logic cells including applications from 100Gbps, 2 x 100Gbps or 400Gbps interfaces, and efficient connectivity to legacy system side interfaces based on 3Gbps or 6Gbps as well as 10Gbps ASICs and ASSPs. This means Virtex-7 HT FPGAs can be used in applications such as 100Gbps line cards supporting OTU-4 (Optical Transfer Unit) transponders, muxponders or SAR (Service Aggregation Router), lower cost 120Gbps packet processing line cards for high demanding data processing, multiple 100G Ethernet ports bridges, 400Gbps Ethernet line cards, base stations and remote radio heads with 19.6Gbps CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) requirements, and 100Gbps and 400Gbps test equipment.
"Our customers are seeing the demand for more bandwidth grow at an astonishing rate and we've worked closely with them to provide an industry-leading 28Gbps transceiver solution for our Virtex-7 HT FPGA that will enable them to successfully design their next generation systems," said Krishna Rangasayee, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Xilinx's Communications Business Unit. "The new devices will allow communication equipment developers to accelerate their time to market while giving them the flexibility to quickly respond to evolving market conditions, requirements and standards."
Availability
ISE® Design Suite software tool support for Virtex-7 FPGAs is available today. The first Virtex-7 HT devices are scheduled to be available in the first half of 2012.
About Xilinx
Xilinx is the worldwide leader in complete programmable logic solutions. For more information, visit http://www.xilinx.com/.
*Source: Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2009-2014
#1061P
XILINX, the Xilinx Logo, Virtex, Spartan, ISE and other designated brands included herein are trademarks of Xilinx in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Xilinx
Bruce Fienberg
(408) 879-4631
Bruce_Fienberg@xilinx.com
Mainsoft Launches harmon.ie for the Enterprise, Brings Collaboration to Every Business User with 'Social Email'
Cross-Platform Offering Delivers Six Times Faster Access to Microsoft SharePoint and Google Docs in Email, Boosting Enterprise User Adoption
DENVER, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Defrag 2010 Conference - Mainsoft® Corporation today released a cross-platform suite of enterprise collaboration products designed to boost user adoption of Microsoft® SharePoint® and Google Docs(TM). Based on the premise that business users tend to ignore IT tools that require them to switch contexts, juggle multiple browser windows, and learn new collaboration habits, the new harmon.ie product suite brings some of the best document-sharing, collaboration, and social networking tools into email, where users spend hours every workday. Customers such as Amway, Ace Parking Management, American Nuclear Insurance, Frank Rimerman + Co. LLC, and Yael Software report a significant increase in user adoption of SharePoint or Google Docs once they're integrated in email.
Forrester Research reports that of the five or more collaboration and social tools in which most businesses have invested, only email and calendaring have been widely adopted by users.(1) Eighty-three percent of business users continue to abuse email, ping-ponging document attachments back and forth, thus creating document chaos instead of using SharePoint, Google Docs or the like, according to a recent uSamp survey. (2) SharePoint adoption in particular, has been discouraging. Despite the enthusiastic adoption of SharePoint among enterprise IT and savvy IT users, the study found that one third of survey respondents with access to SharePoint refuse to use it, or use it about once a month.
"We've seen customers' collaboration and social projects die on the vine," explained Yaacov Cohen, founder and CEO of Mainsoft. "This is because IT tools come from multiple vendors, live in separate contexts, and are new to most business users. The key to driving user adoption is bringing these tools into people's day-to-day workplace, which is email. harmon.ie transforms Microsoft Outlook® and Lotus Notes® into a rich collaboration and social workspace, called 'social email.'"
The new harmon.ie enterprise suite includes:
-- harmon.ie for SharePoint Enterprise, which transforms Microsoft Outlook
into a collaboration console, with advanced access to SharePoint
document collaboration, email management, and social features within the
Outlook and Office Communications Server interfaces.
-- harmon.ie for SharePoint, Notes Edition. Previously branded Mainsoft
SharePoint Integrator for Lotus Notes, this email sidebar transforms
Lotus Notes into a collaborative workspace, with advanced access to
SharePoint documents, email management, calendars, and enterprise social
networks within the Lotus Notes® and Lotus Sametime® interfaces.
-- harmon.ie for Google Docs Enterprise, which enables people to
collaborate on documents over the cloud, in their native file formats,
using Google Docs and the Microsoft Exchange® email infrastructure.
Applications to join the Enterprise Partner Program and gain early
access to harmon.ie for Google Docs can be made at: http://harmon.ie/GoogleDocs/GoEnterprise.
harmon.ie products support departmental and organization-wide installments with centralized deployments, provisioning, and management. Personal editions of harmon.ie remain free for individual users. More than 200,000 people have downloaded the personal edition since it was launched earlier this year.
In a recent hands-on study, more than one hundred IT professionals and business users demonstrated that harmon.ie's drag-and-drop access to shared documents is six times faster than the native SharePoint interface, which entails switching contexts and juggling several browser windows. People averaged 61 seconds to publish an email message on SharePoint via the SharePoint interface; they completed the same task in just 11 seconds using harmon.ie.(3)
Customers embrace 'social email'
harmon.ie customers report significant productivity gains and an increased ability to focus on the task at hand as people incorporate 'social email' into their enterprise collaboration strategy:
-- Amway, a multilevel marketing and consumer products company, reports
6,000 email users working in headquarters used to send 73,000 email
attachments a day, on average. Since deploying harmon.ie for
SharePoint, the company reports a 42 percent decrease in the average
daily volume of email attachments. According to Sandy Harvey, senior
analyst for messaging and collaboration, "Our business users love having
SharePoint access within email. The amount of time people save using a
single, easy-to-use messaging and collaboration interface has been a
huge advantage." Harvey estimates the investment in Mainsoft software
will pay for itself within six months, based on the substantial time
savings realized using harmon.ie to access SharePoint versus having to
switch contexts and open a browser, as well as savings in email storage
costs.
-- To streamline its 2011 budget cycle, and overcome employees' lukewarm
response to SharePoint, Ace Parking Management, Inc. plans to deploy
harmon.ie for SharePoint, Notes Edition, to hundreds of managers tasked
with preparing Excel-based budgets. According to Jon Gjerset, CIO of
the company, "Mainsoft hit a homerun with harmon.ie. Hooking SharePoint
onto the backend, and making it palatable by integrating it into
people's familiar email environment, gives people the opportunity to
realize the value of SharePoint for document collaboration and version
control, without shocking them with a major new IT implementation."
-- American Nuclear Insurers (ANI), a joint underwriting association for
insuring nuclear power plants and related facilities worldwide, uses
SharePoint as its Enterprise Content Management platform and for
managing projects and developing documents, both internally and with
business partners. According to Dan Antion, vice president of
Information Services, "harmon.ie for SharePoint Enterprise provides a
robust link between Microsoft SharePoint, Outlook, and Exchange, making
it easy for people to participate in the content management process and
making collaborative content development easier."
-- Certified public accountancy Frank, Rimerman + Co., LLP is using
harmon.ie to promote SharePoint-based document collaboration and store
client correspondence alongside the documents they relate to. According
to Michael Takita, director of IT for the company, "Best practices for
document collaboration are in place, but SharePoint and our content
management system were used inconsistently because SharePoint is
inconvenient to access using a browser. People love harmon.ie, and
they're using SharePoint regularly now that it's so convenient to use
from Microsoft Outlook."
-- Yael Software and Systems, a leading Israeli systems integrator and
Google Partner, is using Google applications to communicate with its
Google sales and reseller channel. According to Amit Dover, vice
president of software solutions for the company. "In sales situations,
it's especially important for us to stay close to our sales and reseller
channel by providing immediate access to the latest copy of documents.
To meet this business requirement, we're using harmon.ie for Google Docs
to quickly bring everyone on board." Internally, the company is
deploying harmon.ie for SharePoint Enterprise to promote widespread user
adoption and realize the full business benefits afforded by
SharePoint-based document collaboration and workflows.
harmon.ie (pronounced 'harmony') brings document collaboration to every business user by transforming the email client into a collaboration and social workspace, called 'social email.' Thousands of businesses already use harmon.ie to vastly increase user adoption of Microsoft SharePoint or Google Docs for document sharing, collaboration, and social networking. harmon.ie is the newest product line from Mainsoft, which has been building cross-platform enterprise software since 1993.
All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.
(1) Forrester Research, Enterprise And SMB Software Survey, North America And Europe. Q4 2009.
(2) Results according to a September 2010 uSamp survey of 317 US business email users, conducted on behalf of Mainsoft. Respondents work in sales, marketing, human resources and legal departments of companies with 100 or more employees.
First of Its Kind Event Technology Solution Integrates Physical & Virtual Events
CHICAGO, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Event organizers can now extend the reach of their physical event to reach online audiences and build online communities easily with an integrated virtual events platform. And event managers can now get a more complete view of audiences and results across their physical and virtual event properties.
This fully-integrated event experience brings together two industry-leading technology solutions, Active Network, a technology and media company with over 20 million registered users, and INXPO, the leading virtual platform that has delivered over 2 million virtual registered users. This powerful combination of physical and virtual event technology will be available in Active Network's Events product suite, combining a total data integration solution for more than 150,000 events around the globe with the INXPO virtual platform to provide a one-stop event portfolio solution for enterprise events and show management.
"This is another important industry first for both INXPO and Active Network and an innovative way for event marketers to reduce costs and better report on the results of their investments," states Chris Meyer, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, at INXPO. This solution from Active Network integrates online registration, audience acquisition and event and attendee management into a total data integration solution for hundreds of organizations and more than 150,000 events around the globe. Active Network's Events product suite is the world's most comprehensive event technology solution, enabling communities, organizations and enterprises to get a more complete understanding of all its member and constituent data, event activities, attendee behavior and business results in a single view.
About INXPO
INXPO is transforming the Web from pages and files to events and destinations, where people go to meet, learn and do business. We are the leading technology platform for virtual events and virtual business environments that connect, engage and educate audiences. We have delivered more than 1,000 successful virtual events and experiences for global customers and publishers including AAA, Cisco, Forbes, HIMSS, PennWell, P&G, TechTarget, UBM and Ziff Davis Enterprises. We are headquartered in Chicago and on the web. Visit us at INXPO.com and on Twitter at @INXPO.
About The Active Network, Inc.
The Active Network, Inc. is a technology and media company that helps millions of people find and register for things to do and helps organizations increase participation in their activities and events. For more information about The Active Network, Inc., please visit http://www.ActiveNetwork.com.
SOURCE INXPO
INXPO
CONTACT: Media, Mike Westcott of INXPO, +1-617-803-9383, PR@InXpo.com; or Jake Gonzales of The Active Network, Inc, +1-858-652-6133, Jake.Gonzales@active.com
M1 Purchases RADCOM's Omni-Q to Monitor Their NGN Network
TEL AVIV, Israel, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RADCOM Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDCM), today announced that M1 purchased RADCOM's
Omni-Q service assurance solution for their NGN network. M1 is a leading
integrated communications service provider in Singapore. It provides a full
range of voice and data communications services over its 2G/3G/3.5G network,
as well as fixed and mobile broadband.
"Quality for our customers has always been our number one priority. We
are happy to partner with RADCOM to provide a comprehensive service assurance
to allow us to ensure the highest quality of service to our customers," ,"
said Peter Thornton, General Manager of M1, "RADCOM's Omni-Q provides quality
assurance to our multi-technology IDD environment comprising of SS7 as well
as NGN based network. The system is able to track calls on real-time and this
gives us the capability to trace and resolve customer problems efficiently.
We also trend overall network quality in order to ensure a continuous
improvement to our quality of service. Looking forward, the scalability to
use the same platform in other parts of our network was also a key factor in
our decision to purchase RADCOM's solution. We look forward to a successful
and long term partnership with RADCOM."
"M1 is widely known as an innovative operator with an established brand,
and we are sure that RADCOM can help them meet their aim to be the leader in
personal voice, business and data communications, focusing on value, quality
and customer service." Said Edwin Lim RADCOM's Director Asia Pacific,"We are
happy to add M1 to our customer base, as a direct result of RADCOM's
increased focus on the APAC region."
About M1
M1, Singapore's most exciting and innovative mobile, broadband and IDD
service provider, was launched in April 1997. Since then, it has made
significant inroads into the local mobile communications market, gaining
considerable brand presence and market share. M1 aims to be the leader in
personal voice, business and data communications, focusing on value, quality
and customer service. More information on M1 is available at http://www.m1.com.sg
About RADCOM
RADCOM provides innovative service assurance solutions for communications
service providers and equipment vendors. RADCOM specializes in solutions for
next-generation networks, both wireless and wireline. RADCOM's comprehensive,
carrier strength solutions are used to prevent service provider revenue
leakage and enable management of customer care. RADCOM's products facilitate
fault management, network service performance analysis, troubleshooting and
pre-mediation with an OSS/BSS. RADCOM's shares are listed on the NASDAQ
Capital Market under the symbol RDCM. For more information, please visit http://www.RADCOM.com.
Risks Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein that use the words "estimate," "project,"
"intend," "expect," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially
different from those that may be expressed or implied by such statements,
including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions
and specifically, decline in the demand for the Company's products, inability
to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications,
and loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition.
For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties
associated with the Company's business, reference is made to the Company's
reports filed from time to time with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to revise or update any
forward-looking statements for any reason.
Contact:
Eyal Harari
VP Products and Marketing
+972-3-766-8248
eyalh@radcom.com
Source: RADCOM Ltd
Contact: Eyal Harari, VP Products and Marketing, +972-3-766-8248, eyalh@radcom.com
UNIT4 Creates Hybrid Computing Division and Achieves Highest Security Level for Cloud Services
Leading Mid-market ERP Provider Backs Hybrid as the Future for Enterprise IT
SLIEDRECHT, The Netherlands, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- UNIT4, the world's leading provider of ERP and financial management
software for fast changing organizations, today announced the formation of a
corporate Hybrid Computing division dedicated to delivering services that mix
on-premise, private and shared cloud services for Businesses Living in
Change.
UNIT4 Hybrid Computing is the service provider behind UNIT4's Agresso
Business World and CODA Financials cloud deployment options for customers
around the world. Clients pay per use and have one point of contact for
service levels, billing, contracts and support irrespective of how their
solutions are physically deployed.
UNIT4 is seeing growing interest in its cloud services and recently
achieved the highest security certification from the British Standards
Institute: ISO 27001. ISO 27001 is an international best practice standard
for information security and proves that UNIT4 Hybrid Computing meets the
security requirements of the Code of Practice for Security Management. The
standard specifies requirements for the identification, execution, control
and improvement of documented Information Security Management Systems
covering business risks.
"We have recognized for some time that most clients, especially medium
and large organizations, want to take a hybrid approach to cloud computing,"
said Ton Dobbe, VP Product Management, UNIT4. "They want some specific
applications or functions to be delivered via a hosted or cloud service to
give them flexibility in areas that may have unpredictable demand, for
example, or need particularly high availability and uptime. But they also
have many questions about the security of data and processes. Organizations
want to be sure that their data is secure, which is why UNIT4 aimed to
achieve the highest possible certification. Besides a hosted or cloud
service, organizations inevitably have specific areas that make more sense to
keep in house. Companies should exploit technology that gets the most out of
existing core IT infrastructures and enables them to adapt quickly to
external drivers, which a hybrid approach readily facilitates."
About UNIT4
UNIT4 (http://www.unit4.com) is a global business software and services
company aimed at helping dynamic organizations to embrace change simply,
quickly and cost effectively in a market sector it calls 'Businesses Living
IN Change' (BLINC)(TM). The Group incorporates a number of the world's
leading change embracing software brands including Agresso Business World and
CODA financial management software.
Agresso Business World ( http://www.unit4.com/Products/agresso-business-world) is our flagship ERP
suite for mid-sized services intensive organizations. It is widely
acknowledged for delivering ongoing, post-implementation changes without the
typical external IT costs and services that cost firms huge sums of money
each year. This is achieved thanks to its powerful VITA(TM) architecture
which is unmatched in the ERP world.
CODA Financials (http://www.unit4.com/Products/CODA) is our
award-winning suite of best-of-class financial management software designed
to integrate with your industry- and company-specific applications. CODA's
LINK(TM) architecture sets it apart from ordinary accounting systems by
providing a financial information backbone for companies with fast-changing
and mixed application environments. It is a global accounting solution for
mid-to large sized organizations, offering a "no compromise" approach to
financial modeling, process control and application choice. UNIT4 is a top
six mid-market ERP software player globally and the 2nd largest European ERP
supplier. With offices in 17 European countries, as well as 7 countries
across North America, Asia Pacific and Africa and sales activities in several
other countries, a revenue of EUR379.4 million was realized in 2009. UNIT4 is
headquartered in Sliedrecht, the Netherlands. The company has 4,160
employees.
UNIT4 is listed on Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext and is included in
the Amsterdam Midcap Index (AMX). For more information on UNIT4 or any of its
operating companies, please visit the website at http://www.unit4.com.
Radware Offers Multichannel Retailers Best Practices for Cyber Monday
Preventing network downtime and cybercrime are keys for businesses to ensure a safe, profitable online shopping season
MAHWAH, N.J., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With Cyber Monday just three weeks away, multichannel retailers must prepare e-commerce channels for potential network strain and targeted cybercrime during the busiest online shopping day of the year. Radware(Nasdaq: RDWR), a leading provider of integrated application delivery solutions for business-smart networking, advises businesses to strengthen networks with advanced application delivery, load balancing and network security measures in order to ensure a profitable, safe online experience.
According to the National Retail Federation® (NRF) and Shop.org, 96.5 million Americans shopped online during Cyber Monday 2009. NRF also reported the 2010 holiday shopping season will see 45.0 percent of young adults (ages 18-24) using smartphones to research or make holiday purchases. These statistics represent unique opportunities for hackers to target the growing number of mobile device users and leverage new financial crimeware tools to unleash malicious botnet attacks on e-commerce websites. Similar to the July 2009 cyber attacks that devastated various sites in the U.S. and South Korea, these types of assaults on Cyber Monday could result in significant network downtime and revenue loss that businesses cannot afford.
"Businesses will encounter many network challenges throughout the holiday season that are sure to test both the capacity and security of their websites," said Amir Peles, Chief Technology Officer, Radware. "To deliver the highest quality of experience (QoE), retailers need to be cognizant of threats and be prepared ahead of time with additional load balancing and security measures in order to counter these potential risks."
To ensure network uptime and performance while keeping assets and customer information secure, Radware recommends businesses leverage the following tools:
-- Multi-layered Security Approaches - To ensure that mission-critical
applications perform under any circumstance, it's necessary for
e-retailers to deploy an all-in-one, multi-layered offering, which
provides a complete network security solution. This approach helps
safeguard the network with the use of an Intrusion Prevention System
(IPS), Denial-of-Service (DoS) protection and Network Behavioral
Analysis (NBA). In addition, multi-layered approaches should include
reputation engines that offer real-time anti-Trojan and anti-Phishing
services that fight against financial fraud, information theft and
malware spread. The full result is real-time attack prevention that
defends the network against known, emerging and zero-minute threats.
-- Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) with Acceleration and Performance
Features - ADCs must be able to intelligently redirect traffic to
designated servers that spread traffic load throughout the data center
application or Web server while addressing network capacity growth. It
should also offer SSL offloading, TCP multiplexing, TCP optimization,
caching, compression and more to increase response time and deliver
better QoE.
-- Scalable application infrastructure - having a solution that can scale
on demand without any downtime is especially key for businesses
throughout the holiday season. This tool allows e-retailers to scale
performance levels based on real traffic growth and business needs, all
without replacing the supporting hardware platform, while providing the
service.
-- Monitoring and Tracking of traffic and operations - One of the most
important features of safeguarding a network is by leveraging devices
that continuously offer traffic monitoring, detection, risk assessment
and attack signature creation for threat mitigation. These features aid
the network in blocking cyber attacks and insider threats without
stopping legitimate user traffic.
For more information on Radware's application delivery and security solutions, please visit:
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.
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, +1-201-785-3209, or joyceannes@radware.com
Incapsula Launches Cloud-based Web Application Firewall Service
New start-up, backed by Imperva, enhances website security and performance for small, medium-sized businesses
TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Incapsula today announced the debut of its cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) service. Incapsula was founded by Gur Shatz, Incapsula's CEO and former VP of products at Imperva, and Marc Gaffan, Incapsula's VP of Marketing and Business development, who was formerly the Director of Product Marketing at RSA. Incapsula was spun out of Imperva to leverage Imperva's award-winning WAF technology to meet the needs of small businesses worldwide.
Incapsula is a cloud-based, Web site security and performance service enabling businesses to:
-- Safeguard and speedup their website,
-- Avoid attacks and blacklisting,
-- Improve website performance,
-- Achieve PCI compliance.
"Incapsula addresses a key market need--a cost-effective, comprehensive, cloud-based security service for small to medium-sized companies," explained Imperva CEO Shlomo Kramer.
Incapsula offers businesses an easy and affordable way to manage website security and performance in-house. For hosting and other service providers, Incapsula enables website security to be extended to an entire customer base and can serve as a platform to offer additional IT services.
"Adding a website to Incapsula is a simple five-minute process that does not require installation of hardware or software, just a simple DNS change," explained Shatz. "Incapsula inspects all incoming traffic to any subscriber's website, keeping hackers out while accelerating outgoing traffic. The Incapsula service is suitable for the SMB and cloud market, requiring minimal setup with monthly subscriptions starting at only $50 a month."
"Incapsula is also designed to enable hosting companies, MSSPs and other service providers an effective platform for managing the security and performance of their customers' websites," explained Shatz.
Incapsula is currently in Beta and already protecting dozens of websites that are using the service. Anyone can apply for the Beta at http://www.incapsula.com. The Incapsula service is expected to be commercially available at the beginning of 2011.
About Incapsula
Incapsula is a cloud-based service that makes websites safer, faster and more reliable. Incapsula provides websites of all sizes with capabilities that so far, have only been consumable by the very large internet websites. Founded by a group of industry veterans with rich backgrounds in web application security, online safety and identity theft, the company's mission is to provide every website, regardless of its size, with enterprise-grade website security and availability.
Media Contact
Marc Gaffan
marc@incapsula.com
+972 54 751-0626
SOURCE Imperva, Inc.
Imperva, Inc.
CONTACT: Marc Gaffan, +972 54 751-0626, marc@incapsula.com
Introducing Matrox Mura: The New Benchmark for Collaborative Video Walls
MONTREAL, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
- New PCIe 2.0 x16 controller board and switch fabric technologies offer
extraordinary throughput to deliver unmatched image quality and performance
Matrox Graphics Inc. unveils the ultimate building block for video wall
controllers with the new Matrox Mura(TM) controller board, capable of
capturing four full 1080p HD inputs and simultaneously driving four monitors
at up to 2048x1080, while maintaining full RGB 888 image quality. Based on
second generation PCI Express technology, the controller board boasts a x16
bus interface providing an unrivalled 64 Gb/s of bandwidth for cutting-edge
performance, while the customised 10-slot Matrox Mura switch fabric can
deliver 512 Gb/s upstream and downstream for an unprecedented total
throughput of 1Tb/sec. The flexible, all-in-one controller board captures
content from and displays to a range of signal types including RGB, DVI/HDMI,
component, composite, and S-video sources. Integrating input and output plus
support for all types of channels in one single-slot controller board
simplifies inventory management, while its standard form factor makes it easy
to integrate into any video wall processor.
Matrox partner Amara International Ltd. will be showcasing Matrox Mura
technology at InfoComm Asia 2010 in Booth 7C04, from November 17-19 at the
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center.
"Matrox Mura's upstream and downstream capabilities on a single board-at
4 times the performance of its competition-represents the new building block
standard for display wall applications," says Alain Thiffault, Business
Development Manager, Matrox Graphics Inc. "By replacing existing multi-board
set offerings, integrators can now easily exploit a mainstream computer's
available system slots to drive boardroom-type installs or use our custom
switch fabric to comfortably power large-scale visualization and
collaboration environments."
The new addition to the well-established Matrox family of Display Wall
Controller boards supports the existing Matrox Display Wall API interface,
allowing current OEM customers to use their existing wall management
software, without any additional development, for a seamless transition from
the existing Matrox VPX(TM) and Matrox PPX(TM) product lines. Matrox Display
Wall SDK now offers a new management interface, network API, and RS-232
control to help new customers shorten their time to market.
Availability
The new Matrox Mura controller board is designed for Microsoft(R)
Windows(R) 7 64-bit systems and offers superior performance at a competitive
price. Developer kits are available now for select partners. Contact Matrox
for additional details on Mura and our wide range of video wall solutions.
About Matrox Graphics Inc.
Matrox Graphics is a leading manufacturer of graphics solutions for
professional markets. In-house design expertise, top-to-bottom manufacturing,
and dedicated customer support make our solutions the premier choice in
industries that require stable, high-reliability products. Founded in 1976,
Matrox is a privately held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with
representation and offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Icera and Anite Verify LTE Conformance Test Cases With Icera's LTE Soft Modem
FLEET and BRISTOL, England, November 17, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- Icera, Bristol UK, and Anite, Fleet UK, today announced that
they are working together to help accelerate the availability of LTE protocol
conformance tests required by the industry's LTE device certification
programmes. Both Icera and Anite are at the forefront of the development of
multimode LTE products, and the collaboration brings together the best of
breed of Anite's Conformance Toolset with Icera's software-defined modem.
Icera maintains its leading-edge roadmap for next generation air
interfaces due to its unique software-defined baseband technology, currently
supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards ahead of many
competitors. Working closely with Anite, Icera was the first baseband chipset
company to demonstrate a dual mode LTE / HSPA modem running on a commercial
USB data stick, showing LTE / HSPA handover at Mobile World Congress in
February 2010.
Anite is a cutting-edge provider of test solutions for 2G, 3G and LTE
technologies, and has the largest portfolio of LTE protocol tests approved by
GCF and PTCRB. This breadth of experience and expertise has led to Anite test
solutions being used by all of the leading global chipset and handset
manufacturers.
Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera Inc., said: "Unlike
any other baseband technology, Icera executes the entire modem in software on
a high performance processor, DXP(R). This soft modem approach provides a
unique flexibility to be consistently ahead of the competition with modem
innovations and early to market with multimode LTE. We are delighted to be
working with Anite on the verification of tests from their leading LTE GCF
conformance test portfolio, simultaneously showing Icera's LTE solution meets
the industry's rigorous certification requirements."
"LTE device certification is essential in ensuring that next generation
LTE wireless devices meet customer expectations. Anite's work with Icera
accelerates the availability of the most comprehensive suite of LTE test
cases in the market today, empowering Anite's customers with the ability to
deploy the technology quickly and with confidence," said Mike Bonin, Managing
Director of Anite Telecoms Ltd.
About Icera
Icera is a fabless semiconductor company, pioneering software-defined
modem chipsets for the fast growing smartphone and Mobile Broadband device
markets. Icera technology delivers the highest performance modem solutions
with the smallest silicon die size for USB dongles, laptops, netbooks and
smartphones. Icera technology supports 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G standards.
Founded in 2002, Icera is headquartered in the UK, with design locations in
the UK, France, USA and China, with customer engineering and sales offices in
Europe, Asia and the USA. For more information, visit the Icera web site at http://www.icerasemi.com.
About Anite
Anite provides a comprehensive range of critical IT solutions to the
Wireless and Travel sectors across the globe. Listed on the London Stock
Exchange, Anite develops and implements software as well as provides
consultancy, systems integration and managed services to ensure that our
customers operate effectively and securely. By using the latest technologies
to deliver quality and cost-effective solutions, Anite meets customers'
specific requirements and realises tangible results for its clients.
Anite Telecom, a subdivision of Anite plc, is a global market leader with
over 18 years of experience in providing cutting-edge technology within the
handset testing industry to device manufacturers, operators and test
laboratories. As an established leader, Anite was the first company to verify
LTE conformance test cases in 2009. With highly flexible and reliable
software solutions, Anite is known as an innovative, agile and responsive
partner to the top players in the Telecoms industry. With a diverse team
focused on making a difference and exceeding expectations, Anite draws upon
on worldwide expertise and is enthusiastic about the future. Headquartered in
the UK, Anite employs around 500 staff in 13 countries across Europe,
America, Asia and the Middle East. For more information, please visit http://www.anite.com.
Source: Anite and Icera
For further information, please contact: Sally Doherty, Icera Inc., Tel: +44-1454-284800, Email: sally@icerasemi.com; For further information, please contact: Anite Telecoms Ltd, Tel: +44(0)1252-775200, Email: wireless@anite.com
- VIZIO's XVT Series brings 3D to America with three Full HD 3D TVs, Full HD 3D Glasses, 3D Blu-ray Players with Wireless Apps, Wireless Internet Routers and High-Speed HDMI Cables
- VIZIO XVT3SV Series Wins awards from CNET, Home Theater Magazine, The Perfect Vision, HDTVSolutions, PC World, and TopTenReviews
- VIZIO kicks off new ad campaign with TV commercial featuring Grammy Award winner Beyoncé and VIZIO's XVT3 Series with Internet Apps
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- VIZIO, America's HDTV and Consumer Electronics Company, announced today that its six-time award winning XVT3SV Series is adding 3D technology to its most coveted line. VIZIO's 3D launch will feature three Full HD 3D XVT Series TVs with VIZIO Internet Apps(TM) (VIA) available in 42", 47" and 55" screen sizes. The units are now available online at Amazon.com, SamsClub.com, Target.com, VIZIO.com and will hit retail shelves later this month with wider availability in December.
These three HDTVs headline a 3D Home Theater Ecosystem that also boasts VIZIO Full HD 3D glasses, 3D Blu-ray Players with Wireless Apps, Wireless Internet Router and High-Speed HDMI® Cables.
The XVT3SV Series has recently won the CNET Editor's Choice, Home Theater Magazine Top Pick, ThePerfectVision's Highly Recommended Components, HDTVSolutions #1 Rated 55" and 32" TVs, PC World's Best Buy 40- to 42-inch HDTV, TopTenReviews Gold Award as the #1 LCD HDTV and was recognized by Mashable.com as one of the five gadgets that broke new ground in 2010.
At the same time VIZIO will debut a new TV spot featuring 16-time Grammy Award winner Beyoncé that promotes the award winning XVT3SV Series. VIZIO's new TV spot features a performance face off of a live performing Beyoncé battling herself on a VIZIO XVT TV with VIZIO Internet Apps(TM) (VIA). The creative was developed by Venables Bell & Partners of San Francisco and directed by Jake Nava who also directed Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" and "Crazy In Love" videos.
"Working with the team at VIZIO has been a great experience. They are at the top of the TV industry and have created an award-winning product. I admire VIZIO's drive to take entertainment to the next level," stated super star Beyoncé.
"The VIZIO XVT line is an incredible, award-winning product that has earned the title of the best LED LCD HDTV on the market," stated Randy Waynick, VIZIO CSO. "We are thrilled to launch our new XVT television campaign featuring Beyoncé a true leader in entertainment and look forward to the upcoming release of our new 3D XVT sets which will continue to set the bar for performance, design, and value, challenging all others to improve."
VIZIO XVT 3D HDTVs
VIZIO's latest XVT series of HDTVs now adds advanced technologies such as Full HD 3D, High Speed HDMI inputs, SRS TruSurround HD(TM) and 480Hz SPS(TM) to their award winning picture quality. With VIZIO Full HD 3D, Smart Dimming(TM), VIZIO Internet Apps with built-in Dual Band 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth remote with sliding QWERTY keypad, these feature-rich sets are state of the art entertainment hubs for both 3D and 2D broadcasts, discs, online streams, games and more. The 55" (XVT3D554SV) and 47" (XVT3D474SV) HDTVs offer full array TruLED(TM) backlighting with Smart Dimming. These 3D HDTVs work with VIZIO Full HD 3D active shutter glasses (sold separately) and also feature VIZIO's 480Hz SPS high frame rate technology with Smooth Motion to produce amazing 3D and 2D images.
VIZIO's 42" (XVT3D424SV) XVT 3D HDTV produces stunning 3D images with VIZIO's Razor LED(TM) backlighting with Smart Dimming and works with VIZIO Full HD 3D active-shutter glasses (sold separately). These HDTVs also utilize VIZIO's 480Hz SPS high frame rate technology with Smooth Motion.
VIZIO Internet Apps(TM) (VIA(TM))
All XVT sets feature the VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA) Connected HDTV platform, delivering unprecedented choice and control of web-based content directly to the television without the need of a PC or set-top box. Current Apps from top online content and service brands include: Amazon Video On Demand, Facebook®, Flickr®, Netflix, Rhapsody®, Pandora®, Twitter(TM), VUDU®, and Yahoo!® TV Widgets, as well as several new apps recently released, including: Fandango, Yahoo Fantasy Football, NBA® Game Time, Wiki TV, My-Cast® ,MediaBox(TM), TuneIn Radio(TM), Web Videos and iMemories.
VIZIO XVT Series HDTVs with VIA are able to connect to the Internet using the built-in high definition wireless (802.11n dual-band) or a wired connection, accessing on demand movies, TV episodes, music and other online content is easy. Each XVT Series HDTV includes a Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard that makes thumb-typing easy.
HDMI
Refresh Smart 1.4
Model Size Res Rate Dimming Inputs
XVT3D554SV 480Hz 120
TruLED 55" FHD SPS Zones 5
XVT3D474SV 480Hz 160
TruLED 47" FHD SPS Zones 5
XVT3D424SV 480Hz 160
Razor LED 42" FHD SPS Zones 5
VIZIO
Internet
Apps In
Model (VIA) Bluetooth SRS Audio Store MSRP
XVT3D554SV TruSurround
TruLED Yes Yes HD Q4 $2,399.
XVT3D474SV TruSurround
TruLED Yes Yes HD Q4 $1,799.
XVT3D424SV TruSurround
Razor LED Yes Yes HD Q4 $1,399.
VIZIO 3D Blu-ray® Players with Wireless Apps
VIZIO delivers the ultimate movie experience! The VBR333 and VBR334 3D Blu-ray Players with Wireless Apps unlock a new dimension with breathtaking, crystal-clear 2D and Full HD 3D. Built-in Wi-Fi means you get easy wireless connectivity to more entertainment from top online services like Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, and more. With up to 7.1 channels of digital surround sound, Dolby TrueHD(TM) and DTS HD(TM), you feel like you are in the middle of the action and can enjoy sound just like in a movie theater or at a live event. This is one powerful 3D movie machine, transforming your movie nights into immersive theater-like events! Buyers can now get a free HD movie rental from VUDU and a free Netflix trial too! Both VIZIO 3D Blu-ray Players will be available in November and have a SRP of $189.99.
VIZIO Dual Band Wireless Internet Router
VIZIO has created the XWR100 802.11n Dual Band Wireless Internet Router, a media-centric router, designed for maximum performance when streaming content such as HD video. Optimized for VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA) devices, the XWR100 automatically prioritizes Internet traffic destined for VIA devices like VIA HDTVs and Blu-ray players with Wireless Apps. This universal wireless router works with just about any Wi-Fi device and is the ideal solution over conventional routers for households that want to enjoy streaming media along with traditional web surfing and other data-centric activities. In addition, the router operates simultaneously at both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, effectively acting like two wireless hotspots in one by providing a separate network for each band. The XWR100 is shipping now with a SRP of $99.99.
High-Speed HDMI® Cables-VIZIO Extreme Slim Series
VIZIO's latest series of HDMI cables deliver the best in both HD video and audio. They include an integrated Smart Chip that cleans and boosts signals for optimized digital audio and video including Blu-ray and 3D entertainment. Not only 60% slimmer than conventional HDMI cables, the XCH606 cable is 3D Ready to bring 3D gaming and movie titles to your 3D TV. Getting ready for today and tomorrow's highest definition audio and video formats and functions they support? VIZIO's HDMI cables support "4k" 4096 x 2160 resolution and bandwidth of up to 10.2 Gbps, Advanced 7.1 Audio Surround Sound, and even Audio Return Channel (ARC) which enables your TV to send and receive audio signals without additional cables. The XCH606D1 cables are shipping now with a SRP of $59.99.
About VIZIO
VIZIO, Inc., "Entertainment Freedom For All," headquartered in Irvine, California, is America's HDTV and Consumer Electronics Company. In 2007, VIZIO skyrocketed to the top by becoming the #1 selling brand of flat panel HDTVs in North America and became the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U.S. TV sales. Since 2007 VIZIO HDTV shipments remain in the TOP ranks in the U.S. and was #1 for the total year in 2009. VIZIO is committed to bringing feature-rich consumer electronics to market at a value through practical innovation. VIZIO offers a broad range of award winning consumer electronics. VIZIO's products are found at Costco Wholesale, Sam's Club, Walmart, Target, BJ's Wholesale, and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners. VIZIO has won numerous awards including a #1 ranking in the Inc. 500 for Top Companies in Computers and Electronics, Fast Company's 6th Most Innovative CE Company of 2009, and made the lists of Ad Age's Hottest Brands, Good Housekeeping's Best Big-Screens, CNET's Editor's Choice, PC World's Best Buy and OC Metro's 10 Most Trustworthy Brands among many other prestigious honors. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at http://www.VIZIO.com.
The V, VIZIO, TruLED, Extreme VIZIO Technology XVT, VIZIO Internet Apps, 480Hz SPS, 240Hz SPS, Thin Line, Smooth Motion, Razor LED, Smart Dimming, Entertainment Freedom For All names, phrase and symbols are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.
CONTACT: Jim Noyd of Noyd Communications Inc., +1-310-951-3768, jim.noyd@noydcom.com; or Charley Fitzwilliam of Leader Enterprises, +1-949-579-0405, cfitzwilliam@leaderenterprises.com, for VIZIO
Elemental Transforms Cloud Encoding with Amazon Web Services
New Elemental(TM) ACT Cloud Services To Use Amazon Cluster GPU Instances for High Speed, Multi-Format Video Conversion
PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Elemental Technologies, the leading provider of massively parallel video processing solutions, today announced it will leverage Amazon Cluster GPU Instances with its Elemental Accelerated Cloud Transcoding (Elemental ACT) family of services. In a tiered cloud services offering, Elemental ACT will provide customers a wide range of options for accelerated video conversion with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
"The availability of high-performance graphics processors with Amazon GPU Instances allows us to implement scalable and efficient video processing in the cloud," said Sam Blackman, CEO and co-founder of Elemental Technologies. "Running Elemental ACT services on Amazon Cluster GPU Instances will give our customers maximum speed, flexibility, and price-performance in creating video content targeted to multiple screens and devices."
"Amazon Cluster GPU Instances gives our customers the power of high-performance computing, the efficiency and speed of GPUs and the highly available, scalable and affordable cloud environment our customers have come to expect from AWS," said Peter De Santis, general manager of Amazon EC2. "We're excited to work with Elemental Technologies to bring GPU-accelerated video encoding and transcoding to customers generating multi-formatted video."
Elemental's video processing software is designed and optimized to run on the massively parallel GPU architecture and supports a wide range of commonly used output codecs and formats. The software also supports popular adaptive bit rate protocols from Adobe, Microsoft and Apple for multi-screen video delivery and display. Using the power of GPUs in the AWS cloud, Elemental's software allows customers to efficiently create outputs required for adaptive bit rate, multi-format video applications.
"The growth of online and mobile video and the value proposition of cloud-computing make GPU clusters a natural choice for large-scale video encoding applications," said Andy Keane, general manager of the Tesla business at NVIDIA. "With NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and Elemental software running on Amazon Cluster GPU Instances, online video providers can easily absorb changes and spikes in workflow while maintaining scalable and cost-effective video conversion."
Elemental ACT will be available in tiers with options including CDN delivery, geography selection, back-up services, overflow capacity and physical box replacement. The company will launch a beta program for Elemental ACT in early 2011. Those interested are invited to apply to the program at http://www.elementaltechnologies.com/act.
About Elemental
Elemental Technologies is the leading provider of massively parallel video processing solutions for broadcast and online video customers. Elemental's products use off-the-shelf, programmable graphics processing units (GPUs) for compute-intensive video processing and conversion tasks. The product line is ideal for digital media workflows that require video encoding for Internet and mobile delivery, faster-than-real-time transcoding, or support for adaptive bit rate distribution. Elemental helps content owners and distributors deliver any video to any screen, at any time - all at once...it's Media Multiplied(TM). Founded in 2006, Elemental is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about Elemental, visit http://www.elementaltechnologies.com.
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PlayStation®Network Continues to Expand its Industry Leading Entertainment Offerings with VUDU(TM) HD Streaming Movie Service
VUDU Brings High Definition Movies On-Demand to the PlayStation®3 System
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced that on-demand movie service VUDU(TM) will launch on PlayStation®Network in the United States with an application that allows for High Definition (HD) and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound streaming to the PlayStation®3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system. VUDU delivers a massive library of movies to the PS3 system in true 1080p HD format, providing another choice for PS3 users to experience cinema-quality entertainment in the comfort of their living rooms. When the VUDU application launches on November 23, 2010, the PS3 system will be the first and only system with dedicated gaming functionality to offer this service. This partnership further establishes PlayStation Network as the complete home entertainment hub, which includes the latest in gaming, movies, television shows, sports, original programming, internet browsing and social networking.
Using the VUDU streaming movie service, PS3 owners will be able to conveniently and instantly access more than 4,000 HD movies from all major Hollywood studios on-demand, including new releases available the same day they are released to DVD or Blu-ray Disc. The VUDU streaming movie service also offers great value to PS3 households, with an enormous collection of titles available for only $2 for a two night rental.
"PlayStation has long been the leader in providing living room entertainment. PlayStation Network has emerged as the industry leading entertainment hub for experiencing an unmatched amount of digital content," said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network. "With the addition of the VUDU application to our free PlayStation Network, users will have another way to access entertainment, with thousands of HD movies available instantly in the comfort of their own home."
"PS3 is tailor-made for the high-quality, high-speed VUDU streaming experience," said Edward Lichty, general manager, VUDU. "Now with VUDU on PS3, we are able to deliver a completely immersive experience to those loyal to their entertainment system when they want, where they want."
Customers that have a free PlayStation Network account can download the VUDU application in the "Media" category on PlayStation®Store and then access it under the "Video" icon on the XMB(TM) (XrossMediaBar) menu. New VUDU customers receive a $5.99 credit, enabling them to watch their first HD movie on the service for free.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC.
Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 systems for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC serves as headquarters for all North American operations.
About VUDU
A leader in digital entertainment, VUDU offers the world's largest selection of streaming HD movies, including thousands of blockbusters, Hollywood classics, and indies available in stunning HDX 1080p with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound. Movies are available the same day they are released on DVD or Blu-Ray, and can be rented or purchased without a subscription. VUDU comes built in on select internet connectable HDTVs and Blu-Ray Disk Players from, LG, Mitsubishi, Samsung, SANYO, Sharp, Toshiba and Vizio, and is also available on PC or Mac via the Boxee platform. VUDU is a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores, Inc., and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. For more information, visit http://www.vudu.com/.
"PlayStation", "PSP" and "PS one" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "PS3" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Patrick Seybold, +1-650-655-7540, patrick_seybold@playstation.sony.com, or Ron Eagle, +1-858-824-5585, ron_eagle@playstation.sony.com, both of Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
GSMA and International Finance Corporation Partner to Launch Community Power from Mobile
Nearly 1.6 billion people in the developing world live without access to electricity; the mobile industry is deploying 640,000 off-grid base stations by 2012 which could provide excess power to local, off-grid communities
HONG KONG, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA Development Fund today announced that is has partnered with Lighting Africa, a joint IFC and World Bank programme, to formally launch the Community Power from Mobile (CPM) initiative. CPM will support and encourage mobile network operators (MNOs) and tower-sharing companies in developing countries to provide excess power generated by their base stations to local, off-grid communities.
Mobile operators have become proficient at generating their own off-grid power, typically by diesel generators, but increasingly using alternative energy such as solar and wind. Typically with more than 5 kilowatts (kW) of excess power each, the off-grid base stations will initially be used to charge a range of devices such as mobile handsets, lanterns and household batteries, and ultimately, to power, businesses, clinics, vaccination refrigerators, schools and homes. The off-grid base stations are often physically close to villages which means that communities will no longer have to waste time travelling long distances to charge devices.
"The mobile industry is experiencing unprecedented infrastructure growth in off-grid regions in the developing world, where nearly 1.6 billion people live without access to the electricity grid, and we estimate that 485 million of those have access to mobile phone services," said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Development Fund. "As base stations are typically the only powered infrastructure within walking distance of the community, the Community Power from Mobile initiative can simultaneously improve the business case for off-grid telecoms and have significant societal impact."
CPM plans for pilot projects in East Africa and India to be launched in Q1 2011. The GSMA is working with a number of its members and other industry stakeholders including partners in India and East Africa who are now investigating or trialling new business models in providing power beyond the base station. GSMA members are planning to install 640,000 off-grid base stations by 2012 across the developing world in close proximity to off-grid populations. By mid-2012, CPM will have developed commercially viable business model(s) and assisted 10 MNOs to expand their rollouts across the developing world.
Globally, base of the pyramid (BoP) households spend US$433 billion per year(1) on household energy, primarily for lighting, cooking and powering electronic devices. Handset charging alone costs an average of US$3 per month(2) for an off-grid subscriber, equivalent to a third of their monthly mobile spend, and kerosene purchases for lighting typically add another $5-10 per month(3). The GSMA has identified a number of major benefits that CPM will deliver:
-- Economic and social uplift in off-grid communities driven by improved
energy access
-- Off-grid base stations typically have 5kW of excess power, enough to
charge thousands of handsets, provide electricity to 30 homes, power 15
vaccination fridges or 2 clinics(4)
-- As base stations are often in the middle of a village, this results in a
major reduction in travel time and costs to charge handsets, lanterns
and other electronic devices
-- Additional revenue streams for operators by selling surplus power to
energy companies and communities
-- Availability of off-grid handset charging has been demonstrated to raise
average Revenue Per User (ARPU) by 10-14 percent, equivalent to an
additional revenue opportunity of US$2.3 billion if the 485 million
off-grid subscribers had access to handset charging*
-- Increased site security leading to reduction in diesel theft
"While the rest of the world is enjoying increased electrification levels, Africa's non-electrified population is growing steadily, projected to reach 700 million by 2030. The situation is particularly acute among the rural poor, who account for 88% of those without electricity," says Arthur Itotia Njagi, Lighting Africa's Programme Manager. "Partnering with the mobile phone operators promises to develop new business models and delivery models for modern off-grid lighting and related energy services."
As Community Power from Mobile is an embryonic concept within the mobile industry, the programme will play a key role in helping to build awareness of this opportunity, developing and testing the appropriate business models and identifying the required partners, all of which will help to bring the concept to scale. The CPM initiative will incorporate three workstreams designed to reduce the barriers identified: Knowledge Sharing & Convening, CPM Pilots and Technical Assistance and Training.
During 2009, GSMA Green Power for Mobile conducted research on the Community Power from Mobile concept and published a white paper called 'Community Power - Using Mobile to Extend the Grid'. The report revealed that operators will deploy 640,000 off-grid base stations by 2012 and these typically have 5 kW of excess power available. The report identified that MNOs are trialling new business models to provide this excess power to local off-grid communities.
The GSMA Development Fund exists to accelerate economic, social and environmental development through the use of mobile technology. It leverages the industry expertise of the GSMA and its members, as well as the development expertise of international agencies and non-profit organisations to accelerate mobile services in three areas: Connectivity, Energy and mServices.
In the Energy area, the Development Fund's Green Power for Mobile programme, which has launched the Community Power from Mobile initiative, is focused on extending mobile beyond the grid, with two primary objectives: to systematically reduce diesel consumption by mobile operators through the promotion of renewable energy technologies and energy efficient base stations, as well as to remove the barriers to handset charging in off-grid regions. The programme has recently been recognised by the Clinton Global Initiative for its exemplary approach to accelerating solutions that address climate change, and has been profiled in the Clinton Global Initiative's 2004-2008 commemorative publication, "Action Speaks Louder than Words."
Additional supporting quotes:
"Barefoot Power has been focused on the off-grid power market for 6 years, and sees the Community Power from Mobile as a great opportunity to commercially extend solid, scaled and stable rural power infrastructure to surrounding communities that lack access to electricity, in partnership with mature companies already committed to investing in life-improving technologies."
Barefoot Power: Stewart Craine, CEO
"Bharti Infratel sees 'Community Power from Mobile' as an opportunity to provide power charging services to rural India. As a company, Bharti Infratel views this initiative (currently in its pilot stage) as an opportunity to serve the rural population and believes that this groundbreaking initiative will benefit the rural citizens and would have a have large-scale social impact."
Bharti Infratel: Sairam Prasad, CTO
"GTL Infra, a Global Group Enterprise with over 31,000 cell towers in operation, is India's largest independent (not owned by any mobile operator) telecom tower company. Global Group views the Community Power from Mobile opportunity as a way to engage with the local communities and help modern lighting and energy solutions reach remote parts of India."
GTL: Sharat Chandra, President and COO, Strategy & New Technologies
"Safaricom is providing power at over 20 of our off-grid base stations for handset charging, street lighting, and power for businesses, schools and clinics. As this is all using available excess power we see it as a simple way of adding additional benefit to Kenyan communities whilst also strengthening our brand image, increasing site security and improving local ARPU due to charged handsets."
Safaricom: Patrick Nyaboga Ng'ate
"OurEnergize the Chainproject, based at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is seeking to utilise excess power from base stations for vaccination fridges. Maintaining a powered 'cold chain' for vaccinations is a critical barrier to improvements in health care in the rural regions of the developing world. We see Community Power from Mobile as an immediate step that can be done to save lives."
University of Pennsylvannia: Harvey Rubin, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Computer Science
About the GSMA
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.
Lighting Africa, a joint IFC and World Bank program, seeks to accelerate the development of commercial off-grid lighting markets in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the World Bank Group's wider efforts to improve access to energy. Lighting Africa is helping mobilize the private sector to build sustainable markets to provide 2.5 million people with safe, affordable, and modern off-grid lighting by 2012. The longer-term goal is to eliminate market barriers for the private sector to reach 250 million people in Africa without electricity, and using fuel based lighting, by 2030. Improved lighting provides significant socio-economic, health and environmental benefits such as new income generation opportunities for small businesses. Lighting Africa is a key element of the global Solar and LED Energy Access (SLED) program, an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial.
Lighting Africa is implemented in partnership with the Africa Renewable Energy and Access Grants Program (AFREA), the Asia Sustainable and Alternative Energy Program (ASTAE), the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Good Energies Inc., Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, (PPIAF), the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) and the United States.
(1) World Resources Institute, "The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid", 2007
(2) GSMA Analysis
(3) Lighting Africa
(4) GSMA Analysis
* The market opportunity is calculated by taking the 485 million people, at an average ARPU of US$4 (GSMA estimate, based on Wireless Intelligence data) and an increase of 10%, on annual basis
SOURCE GSMA
GSMA
CONTACT: Brian Paterson, +852 9755 3310, mac@ebacomms.com, or Tracy Cheung, +852 9366 7761, mac@ebacomms.com, or Daniel Lowther, +44 7747 636 687, press@gsm.org
GSMA Launches Mobile Energy Efficiency Network Benchmarking Service
Initiative to help the mobile industry lower annual energy bill of $35 billion and reduce MNOs' carbon emissions
HONG KONG, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today announced that it is launching the Mobile Energy Efficiency (MEE) Network Benchmarking Service, an initiative that will provide a benchmark measurement of network energy efficiency, and will help mobile network operators (MNOs) lower their energy costs and carbon footprint. With this information, it is now possible to identify the scale of potential efficiency gains and develop programmes to achieve these savings.
"Just a year ago we issued Mobile's Green Manifesto, which outlined the industry's plans to lower greenhouse gas emissions per connection by 40 per cent by 2020. The GSMA's mobile energy efficiency benchmarking service is a key enabler to achieving this goal," said Gabriel Solomon, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, GSMA.
Approximately 80 per cent of the industry's energy consumption is in the network, and energy costs are also becoming one of the largest components of network operational costs for MNOs. Given this, energy efficiency solutions, such as the MEE service, are becoming a strategic priority.
Created in cooperation with China Mobile, Telefonica and Telenor, the MEE service will:
-- Quantify cost and CO2e savings for MNOs;
-- Promote a consistent methodology for benchmarking network energy
efficiency along with common KPIs;
-- Collate industry data and benchmark outputs to enable MNOs to measure
themselves externally and internally, quantifying potential efficiency
gains; and
-- Coordinate across the industry and with regulatory stakeholders, so that
the benchmarking methodology is adopted as a global standard.
"China Mobile is committed to improving equipment efficiency in order to reduce the consumption and costs of energy, thus reducing carbon emissions and aligning to the GSMA's objectives. China Mobile has formulated seven leading world energy rating standards used for procurement that guide equipment vendors in the development of low power consumption solutions," said a senior executive for CMCC.
"We spent the last decade measuring, comparing and improving the energy efficiency of our Telefonica Operating Businesses in the different countries we are present. It is now key for us to be part of this larger, industry-wide exercise towards more sustainable telecom networks," said Gabriel Bonilha, Network Transformation Manager, Telefonica.
"The output from the Mobile Energy Efficiency service will be adding significant value to the approach Telenor is taking to manage the energy usage across Telenor's networks," said Harald Birkeland, International Energy Adviser, Telenor Group.
To date, it has been challenging to make meaningful comparisons of mobile networks that, for instance, incorporate different technologies, use different types of power, or are located in countries with different population densities, geographies and climates. The MEE methodology has been devised to "normalise" or adjust energy KPIs for factors outside an MNO's control in order to make different networks comparable. For this reason, the methodology focuses on operational energy consumption and not on other lifecycle energy measures such as embedded energy in equipment. After normalisation, it is possible to see which networks are over or under-performing in terms of energy consumption and management, and where there might be significant potential to reduce energy costs and emissions.
The methodology benchmarks mobile networks by comparing four KPIs:
-- Mobile network energy consumption per mobile connection;
-- Mobile network energy consumption per cell site;
-- Mobile network energy consumption per unit mobile traffic and
-- Mobile network energy consumption per unit mobile revenue.
MEE is part of the GSMA's holistic approach to the environment and complements the activities of Green Power for Mobile (GPM), which is advancing the use of renewable energy to power base stations Within GPM the Community Power from Mobile Programme aims to catalyse the deployment of power to previously unserved remote, off-grid areas by leveraging rural mobile networks as primary customers, and using excess power generate to serve local communities.
About the GSMA
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.
Service Enables Mobile Operator to Offer Dynamic Discounts on Mobile Phone Usage during Low Traffic Periods to Maximize Network Capacity Utilization
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Roamware, Inc., a leading provider of roaming and Mobile Financial Services (MFS) solutions, today announced the availability of Dynamic Call Rating(TM), which enables mobile network operators to monitor and analyze mobile phone traffic levels for a specific location and offers customers incentives to use their phones during off-peak periods to maximize network capacity utilization.
Mobile operators are required to set up radio access networks (RANs) to provide mobile coverage for customers. RANs are designed to cater to peak loads, but at times can be highly underutilized due to people changing locations throughout the day, resulting in areas with low subscriber density during certain hours, such as residential areas left with a small number of users during working hours due to commute of mass to business districts.
Dynamic Call Rating offers discounts to encourage customers to use their mobile phones during low traffic periods to raise RAN capacity utilization. The service has the option of sending a data message to customers informing them about the level of discount available and the time period of the discount. Based on the network load analysis, the service offers a variable discount to subscribers using various communication channels like cell broadcast, SMS as well as on-demand query from the subscriber.
"Mobile subscribers expect quality mobile reception at all times, regardless of the location and mobile operators are continuously challenged by the need to invest in providing good coverage while also receiving a good return on investment," said Abraham Punnoose, vice president, marketing and business development at Roamware. "Dynamic Call Rating boosts call traffic by prompting users to use their phones more during off-peak times at a discounted rate, improving RAN usage and increasing overall revenue."
Dynamic Call Rating enables mobile operators to improve network resource utilization, improves subscriber affinity and increase voice revenue. The service benefits subscribers by providing spontaneous discounts the incentive to use their mobile phones for longer periods of time when the discount level is high.
About Roamware, Inc.
Roamware, Inc. is the leading provider of roaming and mobile financial services solutions with a customer base of over 480 mobile operators across 154 countries. The company is the global leader in mobile roaming solutions with an estimated 60 per cent market share of the voice and data roaming segments for GSM, 3G and CDMA technology platforms. Roamware m-commerce and mobile banking solutions have been successfully deployed by major banks and global operators around the world, including: Vodafone, Permanent TSB and Bank of Ireland. Its solutions range from credit transfers, international remittance, person to person transactions to top-up and bill payment. The company is headquartered in San Jose with operations in Brussels, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Singapore, Dublin, Johannesburg, Amman and Hong Kong.
CONTACT: EMEA, Vojtech Horna, +44 207 282 2901, vojtech@atomicpr.com, or USA, Michelle Sabolich, +1-415-593-1400, michelle.sabolich@atomicpr.com, both of Atomic PR for Roamware, Inc.; or Abraham Punnoose, VP, Marketing & Business Development of Roamware, Inc., +91 9967927777, abraham.punnoose@roamware.com
Roamware Introduces Location-based Service for Routing Mobile Calls
Location-based phone numbers to direct customer calls to the business' nearest branch
HONG KONG, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Asia Congress -- Roamware, Inc., a leading provider of mobile solutions to over 480 mobile operators across 154 countries, has launched Local Short Codes (LSC), a location-based service that routes mobile calls according to the subscriber's location. A business can obtain an easy to remember three-to-five digit number from its mobile operator, that can be used by their customers to access the business's nearest branch from any location. The number can, for example, direct calls to the closest restaurant, bank, customer care center, taxi service, hospital or even the local pizza joint.
With Local Short Codes, Roamware aims to help mobile operators tap into the growing location-based services (LBS) market, which Gartner estimates will generate revenues of $8.3 billion in 2014. This service will allow businesses to offer their customers a single number and guarantee that customers will always reach their closest branch or service center. The local short codes can also be adapted to provide toll-free number support, so calls to three-to-five digit number are free for customers.
"The location-based services market is growing fast, but mobile operators' offering is limited to select segments of their customer base as most of location-based services are application-based and require a smart phone or Java-enabled phone. With Roamware's innovative service, operators can offer location-based short codes to the entire customer base irrespective of the handset in use. Local Short Codes is a powerful marketing tool and is immediately accessible by the entire subscriber base," said Abraham Punnoose, Vice President Marketing and Business Development at Roamware.
The granularity of the location, which is determined by the user's cell-location, opens up possibilities for various innovative voice-based applications. It enables seamless accessibility to a wide spectrum of service providers ranging from logistics to health services, security to entertainment and even utilities without the customer having to worry about searching for local contact numbers.
Local Short Codes a part of Roamware's new local services portfolio that allows mobile operators to target enterprises to connect with mobile users and improves consumer affinity. LSC service can be deployed seamlessly on to an existing network without any complex modifications to the network. The service is available to mobile operators around the world today.
About Roamware, Inc:
Roamware, Inc. is the leading provider of roaming and mobile financial services solutions with a customer base of over 480 mobile operators across 154 countries. The company is the global leader in mobile roaming solutions with an estimated 60 per cent market share of the voice and data roaming segments for GSM, 3G and CDMA technology platforms. Roamware m-commerce and mobile banking solutions have been successfully deployed by major banks and global operators around the world, including: Vodafone, Permanent TSB and Bank of Ireland. Its solutions range from credit transfers, international remittance, person to person transactions to top-up and bill payment. The company is headquartered in San Jose with operations in Brussels, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Singapore, Dublin, Johannesburg, Amman and Hong Kong.
CONTACT: EMEA, Vojtech Horna, +44 207 282 2901, vojtech@atomicpr.com, or USA, Michelle Sabolich, +1-415-593-1400, michelle.sabolich@atomicpr.com, both of Atomic PR for Roamware, Inc.; or Abraham Punnoose, VP, Marketing & Business Development of Roamware, Inc., +91 9967927777, abraham.punnoose@roamware.com
IGT Releases Software Development Kit to Third-Party Vendors and Casino Operators
Kit provides tools for developers to create new Service Window applications
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT), a global leader in creating the major slot games that players love and the casino network systems that improve the player experience, announces the release of a software development kit (SDK) now available for creating Service Window applications.
"Making the SDK widely available to developers is our latest step toward building an ecosystem of player and operator applications for the server-based floor," said Chris Satchell, IGT chief technology officer. "IGT has taken the leap by providing the technology and infrastructure. Now we look to the development community to help build a thrilling and compelling body of apps that deliver the innovation and choice that will help shape the future of our industry."
Third-party vendors such as Synergy Blue, the sister company to gaming vertical systems integrator Synergy Information Solutions, are using the SDK to create applications that automate manual processes, offer services to the player and add excitement through bonuses offered for specific game events or to specific player profiles. Concept applications from Synergy Blue will be displayed in IGT's booth at the 2010 Global Gaming Expo on Nov. 16-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Georg Washington, CEO of Synergy Blue, said, "When IGT made an SDK available for Service Window applications, we were intrigued. We conducted research to determine what's needed in the marketplace, and now we have the tools to make those applications a reality.
"Consumers in a wide range of sectors have come to expect a new level of excitement and engagement in their entertainment experiences," he continued. "We're using IGT's SDK to be at the forefront of helping to bring that kind of experience to the player on the floor."
In addition to third-party vendors, casino operators can also use the SDK for their own in-house development purposes. IGT's powerful Media Manager--built on the Gaming Standards Association's open protocols--uploads, schedules and delivers Service Window applications.
About IGT
International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of gaming machines and systems products, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions for regulated markets. More information about IGT is available at http://www.IGT.com
SOURCE IGT
IGT
CONTACT: Jaclyn March, +1-775-448-8377, Jaclyn.March@IGT.com, or Shelle Murach, +1-775-448-0221, Shelle.Murach@IGT.com, both of IGT Public Relations
ClearOne Brings Affordable Wireless Controller for INTERACT AT and INTERACT Pro Audio Conferencing Solutions
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- ClearOne® (http://www.clearone.com) (Nasdaq: CLRO), a global communications and entertainment solutions company that develops and sells conferencing, collaboration, streaming media, and connectivity systems for audio, video and web applications, today announced the availability of the INTERACT(TM) Wireless Controller for the INTERACT product line. The new offering gives INTERACT users the ability to easily establish and manage an audio conference wirelessly from an intuitive telephone-like controller. The radio link is based on 2.4GHZ Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) making it a robust solution against interference in any enterprise environment. The Wireless Controller consists of a tabletop dialer and a base station. The wireless tabletop dialer incorporates a tactile dial pad, room audio control keys, and an LCD creating a familiar user experience similar to an office telephone. The wireless base station connects to either the INTERACT AT or INTERACT Pro audio conferencing mixers.
"The addition of a wireless controller allows users to control their audio conferencing system from anywhere within the conference room without cumbersome or unsightly wires," said Darrin Thurston, Vice President of Product Management, Conferencing & Collaboration for ClearOne. "Users now have the benefit of wireless control for the INTERACT AT a fraction of the expense and complexity of a custom control system."
The INTERACT Wireless Controller is available now and can be purchased separately or as part of a complete bundled room solution. Contact ClearOne Sales at 800-707-6994 for more information.
About ClearOne
ClearOne is a global communications solutions company that develops and sells conferencing, collaboration, streaming media and connectivity systems for audio, video, and web applications. The reliability, flexibility and performance of our advanced comprehensive solutions enhance the quality of life through better communication, education, and entertainment.
NetStreams, recently acquired by ClearOne, delivers the ultimate IP A/V experience by distributing high definition audio and video over TCP/IP networks. NetStreams' products offer unprecedented levels of performance, functionality, simplicity, reliability, and expandability. By combining audio/video content, meta-data and control signals into one stream incorporating industry standards, NetStreams' newly patented StreamNet® solutions are a smart investment, enabling the Power of AV over IP(TM) - today.
NetStreams' StreamNet technology provides elegant solutions for streaming media & control applications such as digital signage, distribution of HD video and audio, LAN Cloud Matrix Switching(TM), and audio paging over data networks.
Mobile App Company Creates Online Resource for Sharing iPhone App Development Best Practices
Austin's Mutual Mobile launches global community resources site iPhoneAppDevelopment.com for marketers and developers
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual Mobile, the nation's leading mobile application consulting firm that was recently named Best Mobile Marketing Company by the Austin Advertising Federation, has launched iPhoneAppDevelopment.com, a neutral, cross-industry resource aimed at documenting and disseminating best practices for developers, marketers and companies entering the mobile space.
The website, http://www.iPhoneAppDevelopment.com, provides a wide array of resources including tips, tutorials and industry related news and information, for iPhone app developers, marketers and companies interested in iPhone application development. From visual design tips to tutorials that outline a proper mobile application testing plan, the website is intended to be general repository of mobile development best practices. "Our overarching goal is to encourage education and innovation throughout all realms of mobile," said John Arrow, Mutual Mobile CEO. "There still exists a huge information disparity among those interested in mobile app development."
iPhoneAppDevelopment.com will help to aggregate a lot of what Mutual Mobile and other thought leaders have learned in the last several years." Founded just over two years ago, the Austin-based tech startup has grown into one of the largest mobile firms in the country, serving as the development partner for many household brands and Fortune 500 companies. What began as an iPhone development shop has evolved into a full-service mobile development and marketing agency that now engineers mobile infrastructure products and custom mobile solutions for clients like Audi (http://www.mutualmobile.com/portfolio/#audi), Del Monte, the Harvard Business Review, and BeatPort. "Our team's ability to operate simultaneously as both a technology and marketing company gives us a significant advantage in providing clients with robust and engaging solutions," shared Arrow.
Developers and marketers interested in working with the expert team at Mutual Mobile can find more information at http:/www.mutualmobile.com or by calling 1.800.208.3563.
ABOUT MUTUAL MOBILE
Founded in 2008 and based in Austin, Texas, Mutual Mobile develops custom mobile solutions across a variety of platforms and devices. Core competencies include: Mobile UX/UI Design, Cross-Platform Application Development, Server Development, Mobile Strategy & Technology Consulting, and Emerging Mobile Technologies. View more information about Mutual Mobile at mutualmobile.com and follow on twitter.com/mutualmobile.
SOURCE Mutual Mobile
Mutual Mobile
CONTACT: Jette Momant of Mutual Mobile, +1-512-769-3051, jette.momant@mutualmobile.com
MasTec Announces Investment in EC Source Services, LLC, Expanding Its Construction Capabilities in Extra High Voltage Transmission Systems
CORAL GABLES, Fla., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MasTec, Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) today announced the expansion of its engineering, procurement and construction capabilities in Extra High Voltage (EHV) electrical transmission systems through the purchase of a minority interest in EC Source Services, LLC, the EHV specialty transmission contractor founded by Martin J. Maslonka. MasTec's $10 million investment will be utilized by EC Source to support working capital and make equipment purchases as necessary to meet the demands of its existing and future projects. MasTec will have a two year option to the merge the remaining ownership interest of EC Source into its operations.
"This is a significant step for MasTec, as we had been looking to expand our transmission capabilities and strengthen our management team for quite some time. Martin Maslonka has assembled a highly regarded management team with broad and extensive experience in building large scale transmission projects. Our combined resources will provide utilities and transmission developers with a viable competitor capable of executing on any size transmission project anywhere in the country," said Jose Mas, MasTec's CEO.
Martin Maslonka noted, "I have been very impressed with MasTec's growth, diversification and with what they have accomplished over these past few years. I have no doubt that by combining our resources we will become one of the leading energy transmission EPC firms in the country." Martin Maslonka, well known in the energy transmission industry, was the founder and CEO of Maslonka & Associates, an industry leading, nationally recognized EHV transmission contractor which merged with InfraSource Services, Inc. in 2004 and was subsequently acquired by Quanta Services, Inc. in 2007.
Additional details are contained in the SEC Form 8-K that is being filed concurrently with this press release.
MasTec, Inc. is a leading national infrastructure construction company operating mainly throughout the United States across a range of industries. The Company's activities include the building, installation, maintenance and upgrade of energy, communication and utility infrastructure, including but not limited to: electrical utility transmission and distribution, wind farms, solar farms, other renewable energy, natural gas and petroleum pipeline infrastructure, wireless, wireline, satellite communication, industrial infrastructure and water and sewer systems. MasTec's customers are in the following industries: utilities (including wind farms, solar farms and other renewable energy, natural gas gathering systems and pipeline infrastructure), communications (including wired and wireless telephony and satellite television) and government (including water, sewer and other utility and communications work on military bases). The Company's corporate website is located at http://www.mastec.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including further or continued economic downturns, reduced capital expenditures, reduced financing availability, customer consolidation and technological and regulatory changes in the industries we serve; market conditions, technical and regulatory changes that affect us or our customers' industries; our ability to accurately estimate the costs associated with our fixed-price and other contracts and performance on such projects; our ability to replace non-recurring projects with new projects; our ability to retain qualified personnel and key management, including from acquired businesses, enforce any noncompetition agreements, integrate acquired businesses within the expected timeframes and achieve the revenue, cost savings and earnings levels from such acquisitions at or above the levels projected; the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and any similar local or state regulations affecting renewable energy, electrical transmission, broadband and related projects and expenditures; the effect of state and federal regulatory initiatives, including costs of compliance with existing and future environmental requirements; our ability to attract and retain qualified managers and skilled employees; trends in oil and natural gas prices; increases in fuel, maintenance, materials, labor and other costs; the timing and extent of fluctuations in geographic, weather, equipment and operational factors affecting the industries in which we operate; any material changes in estimates for legal costs or case settlements or adverse determinations on any claim, lawsuit or proceeding; the highly competitive nature of our industry; our dependence on a limited number of customers; the ability of our customers, including our largest customers, to terminate or reduce the amount of work, or in some cases prices paid for services on short or no notice under our contracts; the impact of any unionized workforce on our operations, including labor availability and relations; liabilities associated with multiemployer union pension plans, including underfunding liabilities, for our operations that employ unionized workers; any liquidity issues related to our securities held for sale; the adequacy of our insurance, legal and other reserves and allowances for doubtful accounts; any exposure related to our divested state Department of Transportation projects and assets; restrictions imposed by our credit facility, senior notes, convertible notes and any future loans or securities; the outcome of our plans for future operations, growth and services, including business development efforts, backlog and acquisitions; any dilution or stock price volatility which shareholders may experience in connection with shares we may issue as consideration for earn-out obligations in connection with past or future acquisitions, or as a result of conversions of convertible notes or other stock issuances; as well as other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ significantly from results expressed or implied in these statements. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
SOURCE MasTec, Inc.
MasTec, Inc.
CONTACT: J. Marc Lewis, Vice President-Investor Relations, +1-305-406-1815, +1-305-406-1886 fax, marc.lewis@mastec.com
Bresette + Company Launches New E-Commerce Website for LuxteL
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Bresette + Company, a strategic marketing firm focused on delivering measurable results, recently launched an E-Commerce website for LuxteL llc, a privately held well established manufacturer of reliable, high quality illumination products made in the USA.
Headquartered in Danvers, MA, LuxteL is a leader in the lighting industry and specializes in rugged and environmentally friendly surgical lighting, with a focus on a family of ceramic xenon short arc lamps trademarked CeraLux® and a range of a vertically integrated medical surgical headlights and video cameras trademarked IsoluX. LuxteL's CeraLux® xenon lamps are 100% made in the United States, and are designed to provide users with maximum illumination and exceptional durability. By using high-strength welds and brazed seals, LuxteL produces CeraLux® xenon lamps that produce a high-intensity white light and are guaranteed to withstand even the toughest environments.
As a result of the E-Commerce site, LuxteL has already begun to generate a significant amount of new sales due to the cost efficiency value-add of purchasing direct from the manufacturer. Bresette + Company has also introduced a social media component as part of their strategic marketing plan for LuxteL; a customized blog that is easy to use and update, and which LuxteL plans to maintain going forward. LuxteL hopes to drive traffic to their new E-Commerce through their blog, by providing a wealth of information from the point of view of an expert in the lighting industry. LuxteL's blog went live in August, 2010, and can be viewed online at http://luxtelblog.blogspot.com.
Owner of Bresette + Company, Suzanne Bresette said, "We are extremely excited about the launch of LuxteL's E-Commerce site, and we are confident that it will drive new consumers to the site, as well as keep existing consumers coming back!"
About Bresette + Company
Bresette + Company offers comprehensive creative marketing and consulting solutions for a variety of successful firms and organizations throughout the country. At Bresette, all initiatives start with strategic development. Through their discipline of consultation using a customized strategic discovery and planning process, they help clients define and realize goals, always offering new ideas and innovative ways to meet your company's ever-changing business needs and objectives. To learn more about their services, or to make an appointment with a Bresette consultant, call 603-430-0770 or visit http://www.bresette.com.
SOURCE Bresette + Company
Bresette + Company
CONTACT: Lisa Edwards, Bresette + Company, +1-603-430-0770, ledwards@bresette.com
WildTangent Games Emerges From its Beta and Launches Globally Today
Features Casual, Enthusiast and Family Games From the World's Top Developers
REDMOND, Wash., November 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --Today WildTangent Inc. is launching WildTangent Games (http://www.wildtangent.com) in multiple languages after a three month beta period capturing feedback from game players worldwide. The new online games service is designed for game players of all ages and interests. The service also offers a companion Games App which optimizes players' experiences and allows them to simultaneously engage with other types of popular entertainment, such as TV, music and social media, without leaving the App.
Unlike any other games service, WildTangent Games offers consumers the ability to choose to play a game free for hours, rent game play time--just like renting a movie--or buy a game. Many of WildTangent's game players play a game free first, then determine whether they want to play it longer or move on to another game. WildTangent does not incorporate the industry's typical 60 minute time limit since the free session is often ad supported for the player's benefit. Other players rent game sessions with WildCoins for even more time to play a game without advertising. And some prefer to purchase a game outright. WildTangent Inc. also operates WildGames and numerous other games sites. Today the millions of players on WildGames will begin to migrate to WildTangent Games and the Games App.
"The rental model is quite accepted when it comes to consumers' movie watching habits. It makes perfect sense for online games as well," said Sean Vanderdasson, senior vice president at WildTangent. "We've seen a continued trend toward game rental in our service; and we continue to hear from our game players that they really value having that choice."
The new WildTangent Games service was designed to be clean and uncluttered to make it easy for game players to find games they like. The Games App features a tabbing system for easy navigation around the service including convenient tabs to other media. The App also manages all of a player's games in one location vs. cluttering up the player's desktop.
WildTangent Games' variety of titles includes enthusiast games such as Ubisoft's Splinter Cell and Capcom's Dead Rising, casual games such as Bejeweled and QUICKHIT NFL and children's games from Disney and Nickelodeon. Designed for every member of the household, the game service features a strong selection of games to play in a variety of game types, from quick-to-play Flash games to MMOs to hidden object games. In the coming months, WildTangent will also begin featuring popular social games.
Find WildTangent Games in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Korean at http://www.wildtangent.com
About WildTangent
WildTangent is an interactive entertainment and media company with two business segments: WildTangent Games and WildTangent Media. WildTangent Games offers a diverse portfolio of premium gaming content to millions of casual, family and hardcore gamers around the world. WildTangent Media connects brand advertisers with targeted gaming audiences across WildTangent Games, Facebook, and many other popular online game destinations.
CONTACT: Carol Rogalski, Director, Corporate PR and Marketing Communications of WildTangent, +1-425-497-4553, cell, +1-425-890-4747, carol.rogalski@wildtangent.com
Layar Receives EUR 10M / USD $14M in Funding Led by Intel Capital
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, November 16, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
- Intel Capital Invests in the Expansion of New Mass Medium, Augmented
Reality
Layar, the largest platform in mobile augmented reality, announced today
that it has secured EUR 10M / USD $14M in a funding round led by Intel
Capital joined by existing investors Sunstone Capital and Prime Ventures. The
new funding will be used towards further development of the product and
platform to drive meaningful content and usage of augmented reality (AR).
Specifically, the team will be focusing on working with developers and brands
to make it easier to discover Layar content as well as further investing in
the capabilities of the platform.
"At Layar, we're constantly looking for more ways to bring impactful
augmented reality experiences into people's everyday lives and this
investment from Intel Capital is another step towards expanding that goal,"
said Raimo van der Klein, co-founder of Layar. "Augmented reality provides
the richest experience on the mobile phone - an experience as unlimited as
our own imaginations. This funding will help make these vast opportunities
with AR a reality by providing our large ecosystem of content creators with
the tools to build compelling and useful content."
"Augmented reality is a disruptive technology that blends reality with
digital information, which enriches applications like the ones developed on
the Layar platform," said Marcos Battisti, Intel Capital's Managing Director
for Western Europe and Israel. "Intel Capital is committed to bringing the
technology of the future into people's everyday lives by investing in
companies that have the formula to inspire, learn and create. We are truly
excited about the future evolutions in this field."
"Layar's browser and developer platform for augmented reality and
location based applications provide a unique user experience," said Klaus
Konrad, Investment Director at Intel Capital. "Layar is changing how people
interact with their environment. It offers an open platform for developers
and users and we expect the creation of new and disruptive usage models."
Layar Products:
- Reality Browser - Mobile app for iPhone, Android and Bada devices.
- Player - Free mobile software to embed Augmented Reality into any
mobile app.
- Platform - Environment for the creation, testing and publication of
Augmented Reality content.
With this investment, users and content creators will have more
opportunities to explore and build augmented reality experiences for everyday
use.
About Layar
Layar is the world's largest mobile augmented reality platform with
thousands of developers and up to 1,500 layers. Layar brings impactful
augmented reality experiences into people's everyday lives through its
platform that currently has more than 1M active users. The Layar platform is
available on Android, iPhone and Bada devices, comes globally pre-installed
on millions of phones and is promoted by leading handset manufacturers and
carriers like Samsung, Verizon and Sprint.
Layar was named as a 2011 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum,
a Disruptive Innovator at the 2010 Deloitte Fast50 awards, and received a
Meffy Mobile Entertainment Award 2010 for Technology Innovation. The company
also won the Grand Prix 2010 at Netexplorateur.
Layar is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The company started in
June 2009. Layar is VC funded by Sandstone Capital, Prime Ventures and Intel
Capital and has 40 employees. To learn more about Layar, visit http://www.layar.com.
About Intel Capital
Intel Capital, Intel's global investment organization, makes equity
investments in innovative technology start-ups and companies worldwide. Intel
Capital invests in a broad range of companies offering hardware, software,
and services targeting enterprise, home, mobility, health, consumer Internet,
semiconductor manufacturing and cleantech. Since 1991, Intel Capital has
invested more than US$9.7 billion in over 1,100 companies in 48 countries. In
that timeframe, 189 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges
around the world and 258 were acquired or participated in a merger. In 2009,
Intel Capital invested US$327 million in 107 investments with approximately
50 percent of funds invested outside the U.S. and Canada. For more
information on Intel Capital and its differentiated advantages, visit http://www.intelcapital.com
Regence Members Go Green With Paperless Benefits Statements
New online option reduces waste, increases cost-savings and makes statements available more quickly
PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence has launched a new service that allows eligible members to make the switch from paper explanation of benefits (EOB) statements to automated online EOBs. This meets the demand for quick, easy and environmentally friendly access to health information, and it aligns with the company's commitment to sustainability.
"This new automated service allows our members to see their EOBs much more quickly," said Torben Nielsen, Director of eBusiness Services at Regence. "If they elect to go paperless, members receive an e-mail notification as soon as an EOB is available. They can log on to myRegence.com to view it right away."
Regence members interested in receiving paperless EOBs can visit myRegence.com to see if their current benefit plan is eligible for the service. They can also elect to continue receiving paper statements in the mail, if they prefer. In January of 2011, approximately 1.8 million Regence members will have access to this service, and the remainder of Regence members will be transitioned to this service over the next year.
Regence sends out 2.3 million paper EOBs each month, Nielsen said. By providing the paperless option, Regence makes it possible for eligible members to significantly reduce environmental impact and reduce production and postage costs. The company estimates it will save about $620,000 in 2011 and upward of a million dollars in 2012 with this change.
Paperless EOBs are the latest in a series of steps Regence has taken to reduce its operating costs and its overall impact on the environment, saving millions since 2009. The company has also implemented double-sided printing of internal documents and has moved to lighting systems that automatically turn off after a period of time if no one is in that area.
"If we reduce impact to the environment while providing a better member experience and reducing the administrative costs, it's a positive situation for everyone," said Dan Medin, Director of Corporate Sustainability for Regence. "These opportunities where everyone benefits are core to our sustainability strategy."
myRegence.com is designed to advise members on health care and lifestyle options, help them navigate through the health care system, and reward those who make healthier choices. Through myRegence.com, members can find all their health and wellness related resources in one place. They can start to become more involved in their own health care through education, transparency of information and choice by discovering interactive tools to research treatment options, cost-quality comparisons of hospitals, wellness programs and activities and incentives for making healthy lifestyle choices.
About Regence
Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves nearly 2.5 million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit http://www.regence.com or follow us on Twitter.
SOURCE Regence
Regence
CONTACT: Mike Tatko of Regence, +1-208-798-2221, cell, +1-208-791-2332, mike.tatko@regence.com
Delish Launches 'Taste of Place' Video Series Featuring Leading Chef Donald Link
New series explores local ingredients from around the country
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Delish.com, a top 10 online food destination operated jointly by Hearst Magazines Digital Media and MSN, today announced the launch of "Taste of Place," a new 48-episode original MSN Video series that will examine the connection between fresh, local ingredients and the people connected to the land and waters that produce them.
"Taste of Place," which will be hosted by famed chef, Donald Link, a James Beard Foundation Best Chef award winner, will take viewers on a tour across the country to visit local ranchers and farmers, artisan bread makers and fishermen - people who understand that "place makes the taste." At the conclusion of every episode Chef Link cooks a meal inspired by the local ingredients explored during the show.
"'Taste of Place' features unique local ingredients in their most authentic form in a first-of-its-kind video series," said Chef Link. "Real food that respects the ingredients is what motivates me every day."
Chef Link and his producing partner Francis James of Perception Films kick off the first episode in California and take viewers on a tour of the countryside exploring how using local and sustainable products can inspire chefs and consumers alike. During a visit to a California ranch, Chef Link discusses how raising free-range turkeys produces a more natural product with more flavor. Link follows up his visit with a beautifully prepared turkey for a "delish" meal. The second episode features a winery visit, where Chef Link delves into the winery from grape to bottle, and talks with the winemaker about how environment creates the perfect wine for Link's Thanksgiving meal.
"We are very excited to introduce our loyal audience of home cooks and food enthusiasts on Delish.com to 'Taste of Place'," a new video series that is sure to provide intriguing insight into local ingredients and recipes," said Elizabeth Shepard, executive director of Delish.com. "We think viewers will be inspired to learn about the deep connection between locales and their cuisine, and where their ingredients come from."
The "Taste of Place" series is now available on Delish.com at tasteofplace.msn.com.
Link Restaurant Group:
Chef Donald Link owns and operates Herbsaint, Cochon, Cochon Butcher, and his private dining facility Calcasieu. Cochon Lafayette, in his native Cajun Country, will open in Fall 2011. In 2007, The James Beard Foundation named Chef Link the Best Chef: South and Cochon was nominated as Best New Restaurant. Link's cookbook, Real Cajun, won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Cookbook in 2010. For more information please visit http://www.DonaldLink.com.
Hearst Magazines Digital Media
Launched in March 2006, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines, is dedicated to creating and implementing the digital strategy for Hearst's magazine brands and other sites which serve the company's consumer audience. The unit has launched, re-launched or acquired 24 websites and 10 mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as digital-only sites such as Delish.com, a food site in partnership with MSN; TheDailyGreen.com; MisQuinceMag.com; RealBeauty.com; social shopping site Kaboodle.com; and consumer health site RealAge.com. Currently, Hearst Magazines has eight iPhone applications; all of its titles are available on the iPad via the Zinio application; and by the end of the year, the company expects to have at least 35 iPhone and iPad applications for its brands.
SOURCE DonaldLink.com
DonaldLink.com
CONTACT: Media, Liz Goliwas Bodet, +1-504-897-1391, egoliwas@bellsouth.net, for Link Restaurant Group; or Patrick Wallace, +1-619-795-0598, Patrick@larkinvolpatt.com, for Delish/Hearst Magazines Digital Media; or Rapid Response Team, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, for MSN
New Web site, social media, technology mark grand reopening
SEATTLE, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Cinerama, Seattle's celebrated movie palace, reopens this week after two months of state of the art technical upgrades and period-perfect renovations to its mid-20th-century interiors. And now, when it comes to communicating with its audiences, Cinerama will be 21st century all the way.
In addition to launching a redesigned Web site -- http://www.Cinerama.com -- designed by Portland's Dojo Agency, Cinerama has new Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep fans up to date: On Twitter, we're SeattleCinerama and on Facebook find us at Seattle Cinerama Theater (official).
Cinerama was closed for installation of a new wide screen, 3D technology, a digital sound system and upgrades to the interior.
"We think of Cinerama as Seattle's living room, so we're excited to connect to the community even better," said Greg Wood, who operates Cinerama for Vulcan Inc.
Seattle is more than ready to hear everything Cinerama has to dish out, especially if it has to do with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The long-awaited film premieres at 12:01 a.m. (a minute after Thursday midnight, November 18).
Wood says the interest and demand for Harry Potter has been enormous, in keeping with the popularity of JK Rowling's beloved books and the films adapted from them.
Tickets for Harry Potter can be purchased online at Cinerama.com. Prices for adults are $11; matinees (before 6:00 p.m.)/seniors/children are $9.
Seattle Cinerama Theatre, built in 1963, is owned by philanthropist and investor Paul G. Allen, who saved the Cinerama from demolition in 1988. Vulcan Inc. directed a spectacular restoration of the theater's early 1960s interiors, and brought back the massive, curved screen used for special presentations of Cinerama and 70mm wide-screen movies. Seattle Cinerama is one of only three theaters in the world that can show original three-strip Cinerama films.
Cinerama Media contact: Greg Wood - (503) 931-1539 or
GregW@SeattleCinerama.com
Vulcan contact: Media contact: David Postman - (206) 342-2370 or
davidp@vulcan.com
SOURCE Seattle Cinerama Theatre
Seattle Cinerama Theatre
CONTACT: Greg Wood of Cinerama, +1-503-931-1539, GregW@SeattleCinerama.com; or David Postman of Vulcan, +1-206-342-2370, davidp@vulcan.com, for Cinerama
MaRS client delivers industry-defining technology for audience
measurement and retail intelligence
TORONTO, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -MaRS, a Toronto-based innovation centre, is pleased to announce that
Intel Corporation has acquired CognoVision, one of its client
companies. The CognoVision platform helps retailers and digital signage
networks measure the effectiveness of in-store marketing and develop
deeper insights into shopper behaviour. Terms of the transaction were
not disclosed.
The CognoVision team has developed an innovative Anonymous Impression
Metric (AIM) platform that provides powerful business intelligence
metrics for digital signage networks and retailers. Its solutions allow
digital signage networks to measure and maximize their ROI and
retailers to improve their bottom line by increasing store sales and
reducing costs.
CognoVision's early beginnings were as students in the MaRS
Entrepreneurship 101 Program. The company's three founders, Haroon
Mirza, Dr. Shahzad Malik and Faizal Javer, became MaRS clients in 2006.
Since then, several MaRS advisors and mentors have worked with the
CognoVision team as they evolved their product and business strategy.
"We're grateful for the work that MaRS did over the years to help us
move CognoVision from a concept to a rapidly growing business. The MaRS
team have been a valuable extension of our own team and an integral
part of our success," Mirza says. "We've benefitted from guidance on
our strategy, financing and marketing/sales at every stage of the
company's development. They have also been very helpful in supporting
us as we developed partner relationships here in Canada and abroad."
For MaRS, it's rewarding to see CognoVision's commercial success come to
fruition. "CognoVision has made truly impressive progress refining its
product and establishing a leading position in a highly competitive
market since we first met their fledgling team through our
Entrepreneurship 101 program," says MaRS CEO Dr. Ilse Treurnicht.
"They are a very inspiring example of Canada's entrepreneurial talent
and passion. I have no doubt that we will hear more from them in the
future."
About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (http://www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre in Toronto, focused
on building Canada's next generation of growth companies. MaRS works
closely with entrepreneurs in life sciences and health care,
information technology, communications and entertainment, clean tech,
advanced materials and energy, as well as the social sector.