Booktime.me Launches Internet's First PREPAID Appointment Online Booking Scheduling Calendar Site for Freelancers, Consultants, Businesses, and Individuals Worldwide
CHICAGO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Booktime.me announced today it has launched the internet's first prepaid or paid appointment online booking scheduling calendar system. This unique calendar system at http://www.booktime.me is targeted for use by anybody anywhere in the world - freelancers and independent contractors, businesses big and small alike as well as individuals (all users of the service collectively known as subscribers). This system will allow you to be paid for your scheduled time in advance at the booking stage of your actual appointment; assuring you of your compensation as your scheduled time is your product, especially in the event the client/customer is an unannounced last minute 'no show'. This business concept is great as it shows your potential clients you take your time seriously and doesn't let anyone confirm a time on your online public calendar until the payment for that allocated time is approved by credit card.
Billed as 'get paid for your scheduled time', Booktime.me helps its subscribers better optimize their valuable and scarce time by attending to those customers/clients that have paid for the scheduled time. Its subscribers will not have to experience lost income opportunities anymore. For example, a very busy website designer in Moscow has a 10am online appointment with a client in Chicago for an hour. Should the client not be present for the scheduled online appointment, the website designer experiences lost income potential as the designer could have been working on another client's project or searching for new business. With Booktime.me, the website designer is already compensated whether the client is present or not for that time because the website designer has allocated his important time.
Booktime.me subscribers are required to have a PayPal account established in order to be paid and scheduled by clients/customers. This assures secured payment to the subscriber by the client/customer for the scheduled appointment on their online calendar.
Booktime.me considers their prepaid scheduling system as a pioneer business structure to become a future trend in business appointment scheduling and time management worldwide- 'your time is money, every minute of every day counts'. Because of its global reach, Booktime.me helps connect its subscribers with clients/customers regardless if it's across town, across the country or across continents. Subscribers can be of any trade or industry, producing any product or providing any service. When payment is secured for scheduled time, the subscriber no longer is bound by the old rules of missed appointments; proper time management is now controlled by the subscriber to Booktime.me.
Booktime.me brings the future of paid appointment online scheduling to the present with its focus on helping its subscribers with committing its clients/customers to mutually agreed appointments. A new era in appointment scheduling and common business practices has begun. Take your time seriously, Time is money, Get paid for your scheduled time. Booktime.me's website also has a public and private directory with categories by location for people who want to be listed with a profile publically or not under the category of service they offer and location.
SparkPeople.com's iPad Diet & Fitness Tracker Debuts at #1
America's #1 diet and fitness website extends its lead in mobile applications
CINCINNATI, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- SparkPeople.com, America's largest diet and fitness website by visits and pageviews, is pleased to announce the introduction of its first application for the Apple iPad. Since launching last Friday, Diet & Fitness Tracker for iPad has ranked as the #1 free iPad diet and fitness app in the iTunes Store, and is now the #2 free health app after briefly hitting #1.
By offering its free app for the iPad, SparkPeople, which was recently called "The Facebook of Dieting" by Fortune magazine and "The Online Program that Works" by Good Housekeeping, becomes one of the only diet and fitness sites with apps on all major platforms. SparkPeople's Diet & Fitness Tracker and Healthy Recipes have been available for months on the iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms. SparkPeople also has a version of SparkPeople.com enhanced for mobile browsers. SparkPeople's iPad app has all the features of SparkPeople's iPhone version, but takes advantage of the iPad's large screen to make it even easier and more helpful to use. Like the website, all of SparkPeople's mobile apps are free.
By downloading Diet and Fitness Tracker for iPad from the iTunes Store, users can:
-- Set their diet and fitness goals and get a personalized diet plan
-- Access 250,000 user-submitted healthy recipes
-- Use the 2 million-item food database to track healthy recipes and
nutrients
-- Get personalized daily meal plans
-- Track their fitness program, including calories burned
-- See over 250 animated exercise demonstrations
-- Track their weight
-- See detailed reports for their food, fitness, and weight
-- Get their latest healthy lifestyle news and an inspirational quote of
the day
"Our iPad app extends SparkPeople's lead in delivering gold-standard technology and tools that have been so instrumental in helping millions of people lose weight, get fit, improve their health and change their lives," said SparkPeople Founder and CEO Chris Downie. "SparkPeople is reinventing weight loss, making it fun and energizing by furnishing our members with the very best resources for nutrition, fitness, motivation, goal setting, and social networking within America's largest and most positive diet and fitness online community. Expanding our unparalleled suite of mobile apps is making it easier than ever for our members to tap the power of SparkPeople anytime, anywhere."
iPad users can visit sparkpeople.com/ipad from their browsers for a quick link to the app in the iTunes Store. Downloads and additional information about all of SparkPeople's mobile applications can be found at sparkpeople.com/mobile.
About SparkPeople.com
Headquartered in Cincinnati, SparkPeople is a multi-platform media and technology company with a network of leading health, fitness and food websites. Its mission is to help millions of people reach their goals. SparkPeople is employee-owned, with one outside minority investor, AOL Founder Steve Case. With 24 employees and over 8 members in more than 100 countries, SparkPeople.com, which is free to join, has averaged 130 million page views, 4.8 million unique visitors and 13.5 million visits monthly in 2010, according to Google Analytics. According to comScore, SparkPeople has been America's most visited and active diet and fitness website, and the second-most active consumer health website, in 2010. SparkPeople's websites, including SparkPeople.com, SparkRecipes.com, dailySpark.com, Sparkteens.com, BabyFit.com, and SparkSavings.com, are attracting over 200,000 new members a month. SparkPeople's Founder and CEO Chris Downie's book, The Spark, was a New York Times bestseller in 2010.
Press Contact:
Bruce Corwin
Phone: 610-346-6712
Mobile: 484-553-3951
bruce@sparkpeople.com
Source: SparkPeople.com
CONTACT: Bruce Corwin, +1-610-346-6712, Mobile: +1-484-553-3951,
bruce@sparkpeople.com
VideoIQ iCVR-HD High-Definition Cameras Now Available
Revolutionary Camera Delivers Full 1080/30 fps Resolution, Zero Bandwidth in-camera NVR and Full Megapixel Analytics
BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- VideoIQ, the leader in video surveillance innovation, today announced the immediate availability of the iCVR-HD cameras, the revolutionary security devices that deliver full 1080p resolution and frame rate, zero bandwidth recording, full megapixel analytics and support for IQTrack(TM) - automatic digital PTZ zoom and track. Unveiled in March, the iCVR-HD is the latest addition to VideoIQ's line of intelligent video surveillance systems, including the iCVR dome cameras, iCVR encoders, iCST line of streaming cameras and encoders and VIEW(TM) - an advanced video management system from VideoIQ.
"Architectural choices have always involved cost and performance trade-offs between image resolution, network bandwidth, and storage requirements," said Derek E. Brink, vice president and research fellow for IT Security, Aberdeen Group. "VideoIQ's approach with the iCVR-HD - full 1080p high-resolution, combined with on-camera storage and analytics -- is designed to meet the market's demands to extract more accurate and more effective information from video surveillance, and to do so in a simple and cost effective way."
VideoIQ's patented adaptive video analytic technology is the only one capable of processing full megapixel streams on-camera - producing the highest accuracy and greatest range. As a result, iCVR-HD analytics deliver over two times the range of D1 analytics. Additionally, with a wider field of view and higher resolution than standard resolution cameras, VideoIQ's iCVR-HD cameras allow operators to capture greater detail and track objects for longer periods of time, delivering better context and perspective on suspicious behavior. Finally, the camera's real-time threat detection relies on VideoIQ's award winning adaptive analytics, which self calibrate in minutes, maintain calibration over time, and are capable of uniquely distinguishing people, vehicles and boats from other objects, animals and scene movement.
Unlike conventional megapixel cameras, VideoIQ iCVR-HD cameras store full 1080p video in up to half a terabyte of onboard NVR storage for months worth of recording, eliminating the need to stream high-resolution images across a network to a central NVR - reducing network traffic and bandwidth consumption by more than 90 percent. As a result, iCVR-HD cameras simplify infrastructure dramatically, allowing customers to deploy high definition video surveillance in environments that are impractical for conventional megapixel cameras, including mixed IT networks, wireless networks, and WAN deployments.
"VideoIQ is on the cutting edge of surveillance innovation, setting the pace for the security industry and providing the highest level of protection in areas where it was previously thought impossible," said Scott Schnell, president and CEO of VideoIQ. "With the shipment of the iCVR-HD, we have raised the bar for real-time threat detection and high definition forensic evidence without expensive storage and bandwidth constraints."
Additional Information and Availability
The VideoIQ iCVR-HD High Definition Camera family is available immediately. For more information, contact VideoIQ at 888-351-1758 or info@videoiq.net or visit iCVR-HD.
About VideoIQ
VideoIQ is the leading innovator in intelligent video surveillance. VideoIQ's award-winning IP surveillance cameras and encoders include the most advanced, adaptive analytics in the industry, onboard NVR storage and enterprise class video management. Now, VideoIQ is delivering a new standard in megapixel surveillance, with zero bandwidth recording and full megapixel analytics. VideoIQ's simple and powerful surveillance solutions allow customers to pro-actively secure their most important assets across commercial, education, industrial, transportation, telecommunications and government markets. Learn more at http://www.videoiq.com today.
Source: VideoIQ
CONTACT: Lisa Mokaba, InkHouse for VideoIQ, +1-781-791-4560,
videoiq@inkhouse.net
XStreamHD's Revolutionary Direct-to-Home Satellite Technology Will be Marketed by the Largest Independent Dealer Network in the United States
XStreamHD and Nationwide Marketing Group to Distribute the Ultimate in Cinema-Class Entertainment Through a Network of 3,000+ Consumer Electronics Dealers
MCLEAN, Va. and WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- XStreamHD, an emerging leader in the delivery and distribution of Full High Definition (HD) entertainment directly to the home, and Nationwide Marketing Group, the largest U.S. buying and marketing organization providing services to independent consumer electronics dealers, today announced the formation of a partnership that will enable Nationwide dealers to market and install XStreamHD's revolutionary cinema-class entertainment solution. XStreamHD selected Nationwide for the outstanding customer service reputation of its national dealer network and its reach within the consumer satellite entertainment market.
"XStreamHD provides consumers with unmatched HD entertainment quality and convenience that fits perfectly with the product mix offered by our highly-skilled consumer electronics dealer network," said Mike Decker, senior vice president of Electronic Marketing for Nationwide Marketing Group. "Based upon our expertise in the consumer satellite entertainment service market, we expect XStreamHD to penetrate more than 100,000 households from this relationship within a 12-month rolling sales period." More than 60% of Nationwide's consumer electronics dealer network sales are attributable to satellite consumer services.
XStreamHD's innovative whole-home HD entertainment system delivers Full 1080p HD video and up to 7.1 channels of lossless DTS-HD Master Audio(TM) via satellite, enabling consumers to enjoy the very latest in uncompromised Full HD entertainment. Additionally, every XStreamHD customer has exclusive multi-room access to Pre-Fetched Entertainment (PFE), which provides unparalleled convenience by automatically delivering just-released HD entertainment directly to each user's personal library based upon individual preferences and advance title selections.
"This partnership will enable us to distribute our superior entertainment solution through Nationwide's network of expert consumer electronics dealers," said George Gonzalez, founder and CEO of XStreamHD. "Our customers will enjoy unparalleled digital quality, access and convenience to HD entertainment integrated with electronic devices and technology available through Nationwide's team of satellite services professionals."
Consumers can currently pre-order XStreamHD's FAST Start or PRO Start packages to receive priority shipment of the first release systems at http://www.XStreamHD.com. Each starter package includes one HD Media Server with 1TB storage, one HD or PRO Media Receiver - depending on the package selected, a RF One Remote Control, and all required accessories. The FAST Start package is priced at only $399, while the PRO Start package is offered for $499. 2TB and 4TB storage upgrades are optional with both starter packages. The XStreamHD Fast Start was honored with a 2010 CES Innovations Award for excellence in engineering design and consumer innovation.
About XStreamHD
XStreamHD is leading the HD revolution, setting a new standard for the delivery and distribution of Full HD entertainment throughout the home. XStreamHD provides the first-ever transport network to offer Full HD(1080p) video and up to 7.1 channels of lossless audio of movies and music delivered directly to the home via satellite. With XStreamHD, consumers can build a customized, unique, and unparalleled in-home entertainment network and enjoy the content they want most - including movies, music, electronic games, broadcast HDTV, and more - when it's most convenient, anywhere in the home, and at the quality today's home theaters were designed to support. XStreamHD is based in McLean, Virginia. For more information, visit http://www.XStreamHD.com.
About Nationwide Marketing Group
Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) is America's largest buying and marketing organization providing services to appliance, electronics and furniture independent dealers. With over 3,000 members operating some 8,000 store fronts and $12 billion in combined annual sales. NMG offers group negotiated pricing and a host of specialized programs that help their member dealers cut costs and thrive in today's marketplace. NMG also hosts PrimeTime! a bi-annual buying show and conference that puts members face to face with top executives from name brand suppliers and gives them access to leading experts who teach, train and present on the latest trends in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.NationwideGroup.org.
Source: XStreamHD
CONTACT: James Mahoney, XStreamHD, +1-703-852-1343,
JMahoney@XStreamHD.com, or Nationwide Contact: Michelle Acosta, Nationwide
Marketing Group, +1-336-714-2077, Michelle@NationwideGroup.org
Raytheon Solipsys Introduces Web-Based Visualization and Collaboration Tool
TEWKSBURY, Mass., Sept. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Solipsys, a Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) subsidiary, has added a Web-based visualization and collaboration tool to its command and control software product line.
Built on the Tactical Display Framework (TDF), Raytheon Solipsys' flagship platform for tactical geospatial visualization, TDF Portal enables transmission of maps and tactical data that can be displayed in layers customized for an operation and seen by remote operators.
"Through an Internet connection and a standard Web browser, TDF Portal allows participants in different locations to see the same operational picture, providing common situational awareness across a broad theater," said Mark Trenor, president of Raytheon Solipsys.
TDF Portal can be used in wide-area surveillance, command and control, air traffic control, emergency response, disaster management, and distributed mission operations. Combined with Solipsys' Multi-Source Correlator Tracker, the Meridian geospatial imagery server and TDF-powered workstations, the TDF Portal provides unprecedented access and availability to key mission information in support of time-sensitive decision-making and is readily adaptable to a variety of host systems.
Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.
The World's First Directly Solar-Powered Air Conditioning Unit Unveiled in Dezhou, China
DEZHOU, China, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- On September 16th, 2010, the 2010 World Solar-Powered Air Conditioning Development Forum was held in Dezhou, a municipality of China's Shandong Province. He Zuoxiu, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhang Yaoming, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Qin Hong, deputy director of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's Center for Policy Studies, and envoys from the China-based embassies of more than ten countries were among the more than five hundred people in attendance at the conference. During the conference, Shandong Vicot Air Conditioning Co., Ltd. unveiled the world's first directly solar-powered air conditioning unit. Experts and academics present at the conference unanimously agreed that Vicot's solar-powered air conditioning unit is a great innovation in China's solar-powered technologies sector, and an extremely significant step forward for the industry's future strategy and development.
The great potential of the solar-powered air conditioning industry: technological innovation represents significant breakthrough
Relevant organizations have predicted that by 2060, the world will be faced with the cruel reality of an almost complete exhaustion of its limited supply of traditional energy sources. If these sources are to be replaced completely by alternative energy sources by 2060, sustainable energy sources should make up 20% of all energy sources by 2010, 30% by 2020, and 50% by 2040. Because of this, all the nations of the world are actively developing new, alternative, and renewable energy sources. Because solar power can be utilized for free, is in abundant supply, does not require transport, and does not pollute the environment at all, everyone agrees that it is the number one choice among environmentally-friendly energy sources to replace oil in the future.
"The release and implementation of China's 'Renewable Energy Law' provides a policy-level guarantee for the development of industries exploiting solar power. The signing of the Kyoto Protocol, promotion of environmental protection policies, and promises made to the international community provide industries exploiting solar power with a great opportunity. China's Grand Western Development Program provides industries exploiting solar power with an immense domestic market. In addition, the adjustment of China's strategic energy plan has led to an increase in governmental support for the development of renewable energy sources. All of these factors represent a great opportunity for development for China's industries exploiting solar power," stated CPPCC Shen Jianguo, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's (CPPCC) All China Federation of Industry and Commerce and director of the China Non-governmental Enterprise Committee.
He Zuoxiu, academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated, "China's plan for the development of sustainable energy sources clearly states that by 2020, sustainable energy sources will represent only 15% of energy consumed. Because the development and exploitation of solar power is in line with China's adjustment of industrial structuring as well as its macro-level policies concerning the development of the circular economy, the green economy, and the low-carbon economy, it is safe to say that the development potential of the solar power industry is enormous."
China is the world's largest producer, consumer, and user of solar power; its solar power industry already lays claim to 76% of the world's market. However, currently, most of China's solar power development and use is of solar-powered water heating units. Statistics show that over 5,000 enterprises in China's solar power industry are producers of solar-powered water-heating units.
Solar-powered Air Conditioning Units May Be the Answer to China's Prayers
The solar-powered air conditioning unit revealed by Vicot at this year's 2010 World Solar-Powered Air Conditioning Development Forum boasts an optimal 85% thermal cooling conversion efficiency, and its ability to utilize solar power is twenty-seven times that of the average water heating unit. This solar-powered air conditioning unit allows for 24-hour continuous cooling, heating, and supply of hot water, while natural gas can be used as a supplemental energy supply.
"This solar-powered air conditioning unit is the result of three years of hard work and the pioneering research efforts of Chinese and American scientists and engineers. The product is a fine example of globally cutting-edge technology. Solar-powered air conditioning units can be widely used in low-carbon buildings, and its cost is relatively low, so in 3.5 years, the unit's initial investment can be recouped, and in 6.7, the entire investment can be recovered," remarked Shandong Vicot Air Conditioning Co., Ltd.'s president Li Wen.
China's supply of solar power is abundant; on two-thirds of the nation's surface area, annual solar irradiance exceeds 2,200 hours. These are excellent preconditions for the development of China's solar-powered air conditioning industry. Furthermore, relevant statistics show that consumption of energy by buildings and other structures in China is 27.45% of the country's overall energy consumption, so the incorporation of energy-saving measures in these structures is imminent. Currently, energy consumption in buildings and structures is mainly attributable to heating units (65%), water heating units (15%), electricity (14%), and kitchen appliances (6%).
"Energy consumption by air conditioning units accounts for about 60% of energy consumption in buildings, which is 30 times that of solar-powered water heating units. Therefore, the development of solar-powered central air conditioning will not only bring about a great energy revolution, but will also bring about another technological and industrial revolution," stated Qin Hong, deputy director of the Ministry of Urban-Rural Development's Center for Policy Studies. "As a new product, if the solar-powered air conditioning unit can capture the attention and approval of the market, its future market prospects are vast."
Electrone Americas Releases New, Affordable Digital Signage Solution--Electrone Digital Signage
BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrone Americas Ltd., Co., an international manufacturer and reseller of advanced IT equipment and solutions, is launching a new digital signage solution--Electrone Digital Signage--centered on a powerful online software platform that allows users to create and control a complete digital signage network via the internet. Electrone Digital Signage is unique in that it requires no long-term commitment; has no hidden fees; and, as an added bonus, Electrone Digital Signage also offers the requisite hardware for hassle-free lease or purchase.
Designed to be an easy, affordable, and exceptional digital signage solution, Electrone Digital Signage can be used by anyone with virtually any budget to communicate just about anything they can think of. The Electrone Digital Signage platform gives users the power to securely upload and store a wide variety of different content, even HD media. Electrone Digital Signage can also be used to display streaming media (i.e., YouTube), and RSS feeds from news agencies. Monthly license fees can be as low as $40.00, so Electrone Digital Signage customers can enjoy the benefits of digital marketing and communication without breaking their budget.
Additionally, Electrone Digital Signage is also a direct hardware provider, so it is incredibly easy for new customers to acquire the exact equipment that they need to work with their new digital signage service. Electrone Digital Signage has made the hardware procurement process even better by giving customers the option to lease or buy hardware at considerably low prices.
Overall, the goal of Electrone Digital Signage is to make setting up and managing a digital signage network simple. Not only do they offer hardware, but they also offer full technical support for the digital signage service and equipment that they provide, such as live phone tutorials. The Electrone Digital Signage website is also filled with lots of information to help users and answer questions that potential customers may have. E-mail and phone support is also readily available.
As pointed out by Stuart J. Thorn, Electrone Americas' CEO, Electrone Digital Signage is designed to minimize user frustration, confusion, and dissatisfaction. "We wanted to create a fully-loaded digital signage solution that anyone, including novice and short-term users, would find easy to use and financially practical. Electrone Digital Signage gives everyone the power to take advantage of the benefits of digital signs without all of the hassle and expense of traditional solutions. Electrone Americas is incredibly excited about this new solution."
For more information about Electrone Digital Signage, please visit http://www.ealdigitalsignage.com, or call 1-561-395-3398 ext. 216. You can also e-mail zenobiac@electroneamericas.com.
Source: Electrone Americas Ltd., Co.
CONTACT: Zenobia Y. Charles, +1-561-395-3398 ext. 216,
zenobiac@electroneamericas.com
AT&T Accelerates Timetable for Expanding Service in Minnesota
Alltel, Unicel and Verizon Wireless Customers Joining AT&T to Receive Free Mobile Devices on the Nation's Fastest Mobile Broadband Network
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* said today that the timetable for expanding AT&T service in Minnesota has been accelerated and that it expects to complete network upgrades on wireless assets acquired from Verizon Wireless in June 2010 by the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. That is significantly sooner than the earlier estimate for enhancing AT&T's coverage in Minnesota by mid-2011. Once network integration work is completed, AT&T will launch service for Alltel customers in Minnesota Rural Service Areas (RSA) 1 and 2, Unicel customers in Minnesota Rural Service Areas (RSA) 7, 8, 9, and 10, and Verizon Wireless customers in Minnesota Rural Service Area (RSA) 7.(1)
Every Alltel consumer customer in RSAs 1 and 2, Unicel consumer customer in RSAs 7, 8, 9 and 10, and Verizon Wireless customer in RSA 7 joining AT&T as a result of the transaction will receive an offer for a brand new AT&T handset at no additional cost.(2) Customers will be able to choose their free device from a list of the latest AT&T 3G handsets that are comparable to what they have today.(3) Additionally, the vast majority of customers choosing free comparable devices will be able to keep their existing rate plans, and none of these customers will be required to assume an additional contract term.
Customers will also have the opportunity to upgrade to a new device, like iPhone 4®, for an additional fee and with a new two-year contract, with current AT&T rates and associated data plan.
"AT&T has been working tirelessly to upgrade the Alltel, Unicel and Verizon Wireless networks to the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, and we expect that coverage in these areas will be as good as -- if not better than -- it is today, with the ability to talk and surf the Internet at the same time," said Justin Priest, director of sales, AT&T Minnesota. "Our preparations will ensure that we deliver a superior customer experience when we launch service, and we look forward to expanding our presence in Minnesota.
"AT&T customers have access to the nation's fastest mobile broadband network. And not only does AT&T's network cover 97 percent of all Americans, AT&T also has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. That means our customers have voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in 200 countries."
AT&T representatives will communicate to new customers on a regular basis about any changes they can expect moving forward. For example, in the coming weeks, AT&T will send customers a letter describing the steps for choosing new devices. New devices will be mailed directly to AT&T customers' billing addresses approximately one to three weeks before service is launched in these areas.
AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.
(1) Minnesota RSA 1 includes Kittson, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake and Roseau counties. Minnesota RSA 2 includes Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen and Norman counties. Minnesota RSA 7 includes Chippewa, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Renville and Sibley counties. Minnesota RSA 8 includes Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood and Yellow Medicine counties. Minnesota RSA 9 includes Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock and Watonwan counties. Minnesota RSA 10 includes Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties.
(2) Applies only to postpaid customers with a contract.
(3) Customers with laptop cards and netbooks may not have a choice of devices, but they will receive a comparable new device at no additional charge.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
AT&T Accelerates Timetable for Expanding Service in Nebraska
Verizon Customers Joining AT&T to Receive Free Mobile Devices on the Nation's Fastest Mobile Broadband Network
LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* said today that the timetable for expanding AT&T service in Nebraska has been accelerated and that it expects to complete network upgrades on wireless assets acquired from Verizon Wireless in June 2010 by the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. That is significantly sooner than the earlier estimate for enhancing AT&T's coverage in Nebraska by mid-2011. Once network integration work is completed, AT&T will launch service for Verizon customers in Nebraska Rural Service Area (RSA) 5.(1)
Every Verizon consumer customer in this area joining AT&T as a result of the transaction will receive an offer for a brand new AT&T handset at no additional cost.(2) Customers will be able to choose their free device from a list of the latest AT&T 3G handsets that are comparable to what they have today.(3) Additionally, the vast majority of customers choosing free comparable devices will be able to keep their existing rate plans, and none of these customers will be required to assume an additional contract term.
Customers will also have the opportunity to upgrade to a new device, like iPhone 4®, for an additional fee and with a new two-year contract, with current AT&T rates and associated data plan.
"AT&T has been working tirelessly to upgrade the Verizon network to the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, and we expect that coverage in these areas will be as good as -- if not better than -- it is today, with the ability to talk and surf the Internet at the same time," said Michael Rhea, director of sales, AT&T Nebraska. "Our preparations will ensure that we deliver a superior customer experience when we launch service, and we look forward to expanding our presence in Nebraska.
"AT&T customers have access to the nation's fastest mobile broadband network. And not only does AT&T's network cover 97 percent of all Americans, AT&T also has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. That means our customers have voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in 200 countries."
AT&T representatives will communicate to new customers on a regular basis about any changes they can expect moving forward. For example, in the coming weeks, AT&T will send customers a letter describing the steps for choosing new devices. New devices will be mailed directly to AT&T customers' billing addresses approximately one to three weeks before service is launched in these areas.
AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.
(1) Nebraska RSA 5 includes Boone, Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Merrick,
Nance, Platte, Polk, Saunders and Washington counties.
(2) Applies only to postpaid customers with a contract.
(3) Customers with laptop cards and netbooks may not have a choice of
devices, but they will receive a comparable new device at no
additional charge.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
Mobile Travel Agent: KAYAK for BlackBerry: Flight and Hotel Search Has Arrived in V CAST Apps for Verizon Wireless Travelers
Free Travel App Has Search Capabilities of KAYAK.com Along with Itinerary Management and Flight Tracking
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless said today that KAYAK's popular mobile travel application, KAYAK for BlackBerry: Flight and Hotel Search, is now running on the most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network in the United States, available to Verizon Wireless customers with Android and BlackBerry® smartphones.
The free app provides customers the same service found at KAYAK.com, including the ability to find and book flights, hotels and rental cars by comparing hundreds of travel sites with just one search, helping users save money by finding travel deals. KAYAK for BlackBerry: Flight and Hotel Search also allows customers to track flights, manage trip itineraries and calculate baggage fees.
"We're extremely pleased to work with Verizon Wireless to bring KAYAK for BlackBerry: Flight and Hotel Search to customers, giving them an easy-to-use interface to make travel arrangements," said KAYAK Chief Architect, Bill O'Donnell. "The mobile version has already been installed on more than 2.5 million unique devices, and we look forward to expanding even more with Verizon Wireless customers."
V CAST Apps, available on select BlackBerry smartphones, gives customers an ever-expanding selection of games, productivity tools, entertainment and news apps. Apps within V CAST Apps are billed directly to a customer's Verizon Wireless account -- providing customers a one-click process to purchase a wide array of apps with the ease and convenience of direct billing.
To get KAYAK for BlackBerry: Flight and Hotel Search, customers with select BlackBerry smartphones can download the app in V CAST Apps under the Travel & Navigation category. KAYAK Flight and Hotel Search is also available in Android Market(TM), and customers with Android smartphones can find the app by searching for "KAYAK."
For more information about the mobile version of KAYAK, please visit http://www.kayak.com/mobile, and to get more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ)(NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About KAYAK
The world's leading travel search engine, KAYAK provides free web and mobile services to help people find and manage their travel. Our search tools compare information from hundreds of travel sites at once, including supplier websites and online agencies. We have local websites in eleven countries, and we offer free mobile apps for Android, BlackBerry and other mobile platforms. Visit kayak.com and kayak.com/mobile to learn more.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.
Source: Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Debra Lewis , Verizon Wireless , +1-908-559-7512,
Debra.Lewis@verizonwireless.com; or Robert Birde, KAYAK, +1-203-899-3100,
prcontact@kayak.com
YWaiter: Serving Up Tasty Treats and Taking a Bite Out of Crime
Innovative Service Ensures an Inherently More Secure Financial Transaction without the Need for a Customer to Pull Out Their Credit Card
PHOENIX, Sept. 16. /PRNewswire/ -- It happens every day: Consumers handing their credit or debit card to a server, making restaurants a notorious spot for identity thieves to gather the personal information of others. This in not to imply that all restaurant personnel can't be trusted, but some identity thieves have caught on that the restaurant business can be a goldmine. In fact, a 2007 report from Visa® states that the most common place for credit card information to be stolen is at a restaurant - 40 percent of all credit card theft occurs at dining locations - more than any other type of merchant.
Phoenix-based technology firm Mobile Bytes, LLC is utilizing Smartphones to thwart thieves with the launch of their revolutionary mobile application YWaiter, an iPhone and Android app designed to save restaurant goers money and time when dining out. Using stored credit card information, YWaiter enables users to place orders from menus, even offering a tip calculator so the bill is conveniently paid ahead of time. The service ensures an inherently more secure financial transaction without the need for a customer to pull out their credit card.
"YWaiter means that the days of handing your credit card over to someone who may fraudulently use your credit card are over," relates YWaiter President/CEO Dan Calderone. "In Europe, food servers commonly perform payment transactions in front of you, right at your table. But here, they take your card away from you to an out-of-sight location to cash out your meal ticket where unscrupulous people can take advantage of you."
YWaiter allows hungry diners to interact with full service, fast casual, takeout and delivery oriented restaurants anywhere in the United States. Customers can order food and beverages from their favorite restaurants and bars on their time, directly from their Smartphone. Foodies can place an order; add drinks or desserts, and checkout securely using stored credit card information - all at their convenience.
And now, affordable branded Smartphone apps are readily available with the YWaiter White-Label Program. Through this innovative technology service, restaurant owners can offer their customers a complete Smartphone restaurant experience, a true branded custom app at a fraction of the cost, even for eating and drinking establishments with small marketing budgets that simply don't have the money--or resources--to launch their own app.
YWaiter is available at the iTunes App Store and the Android Market, and is free to download. For additional information on becoming a part of the YWaiter White-Label app program, visit http://www.ywaiter.com or call (602) 492-4837 [602-4WAITER].
RESTON, Virginia, September 16, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- Ekahau Inc., the worldwide leader in high performance
Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) ( http://www.ekahau.com/products/real-time-location-system/overview.html),
today announced that Ekahau is providing the underlying Wi-Fi-based location
tracking technology for an emergency call system being utilized in the
psychiatric ward at University Hospital of Innsbruck in Austria. The
software-based Ekahau RTLS solution has been integrated into the ProAct(R)
personal emergency call system developed by ITH icoserve for the psychiatric
unit, which encompasses two seven-story buildings and is served by more than
200 employees.
"Psychiatric units can be dangerous for hospital staff, as
patients are sometimes violent and unpredictable. So, when an attack or an
escape attempt occurs, there is often not enough time to call for help by
conventional means, such as the telephone," said Franz Gruber, chief nurse of
the Psychiatric Clinic at University Hospital Innsbruck. "The ProAct solution
using Ekahau RTLS technology enables us to trigger an alarm with the simple
push of a button on a staff badge, or even faster by just pulling the tag's
lanyard, and quickly and simply conveys information where assistance is
needed so those employees who are closest to the incident can respond."
The Ekahau RTLS technology enables the ProAct system to track
staff location in real time using the hospital's existing wireless local area
network (WLAN) from Cisco. The solution relies on Ekahau's T301BD badge tags,
which support two-way text-based communications capabilities and include a
panic button for use in emergency situation.
"Ekahau RTLS was a perfect foundation for our ProAct system
because it not only supports our initial staff safety application, but it
provides us with the flexibility to add other applications in the future that
require real-time location tracking - such as asset management, workflow
improvements and temperature monitoring," said Andreas Gereke, head of
Innovation and Research Solutions at ITH icoserve.
"This system is a great example how ITH icoserve, Ekahau and
Cisco can work together to develop a new and innovative solution that
improves staff safety and patient care," said Thomas Schwab, manager of
Healthcare in Austria for Cisco Systems. "Cisco, as the world wide leading
wireless infrastructure provider, is proud to be part of such solutions that
will shape the future of healthcare. The healthcare sector is one of the
fastest growing markets, with strong impact on economies as well as the
quality of people's lives." added Thomas Schwab, Cisco Systems' Manager of
Healthcare in Austria.
About Ekahau Inc.
Ekahau Inc. is the industry leader in providing Wi-Fi-based
RTLS solutions. Ekahau's customers, including several Fortune 500 companies
worldwide, are realizing the benefits of Wi-Fi based location services and
innovative Wi-Fi network planning and optimization tools. Ekahau's solutions
are being used in more than 150 hospitals around the world, as well as by
manufacturers, mining/oil/gas companies, government agencies and the
military. Ekahau partners include wireless software developers, leading
system integrators and international OEM partners, who develop and market
wireless enterprise applications. Ekahau is a U.S. based corporation, with
offices in Saratoga, Calif.; Reston, Va.; Helsinki, Finland; and Hong Kong,
China. For more information about Ekahau, please visit http://www.ekahau.com.
(c) Copyright 2010, Ekahau, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Toshiba Expands Its LED TV Line-up to Include a Broad Range of Screen Sizes in New Ultra-Thin Cabinetry
The Toshiba SL400 720p HD and UL605 1080p 120Hz series enhance picture quality and design while creating true consumer value
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and digital home entertainment products, today announced the availability of two new LED HDTV Series for 2010: The UL605 Series with NET TV(TM) and the compact SL400 Series. Together, the latest models in Toshiba's comprehensive HDTV lineup combine crisp picture quality and slim, stylish looks, with an array of key features that deliver real value into the home.
Before even being powered on, Toshiba's newest sets are sure to create an inviting first impression with beautiful new ultra-thin designs. When the UL605's touch sensitive power control on the frame is pressed, users are welcomed by a vibrant picture with deep blacks and bright whites, courtesy of Toshiba's DynaLight(TM), which automatically adjusts the LEDs for optimal picture quality.
"Invisible" speakers are paired with Dolby® Digital Plus (UL605) for a richer sound experience. Both series also include a gaming mode that cuts the lag between a remote control button press and the resulting on-screen action, making these sets perfect PC or console gaming TVs.
"The definition of value is having high quality at the right price, and the new Toshiba SL400 and UL605 Series certainly both deliver," said Scott Ramirez, Vice President of Product Marketing and Development, Television and Digital A/V, Toshiba America Information Systems. "The new ultra-thin cabinetry and crisp LED picture quality combine to provide a best in class product opportunity, perfect for today's educated shopper."
UL605 Series
The Toshiba UL605 Series LED TV replaces the current UX600 Series, but moves to a new ultra-thin design. It utilizes advanced edge mounted LEDs for exceptional detail, and Toshiba's ClearFrame(TM) 120Hz technology to greatly reduce motion blur for fast action video.
The UL605 Series has an included Wi-Fi® adapter to make hooking up to a network simple, and Toshiba's NET TV(TM) suite of streaming content. Available content and entertainment includes the VUDU(TM) streaming movie service, which offers users over 3,000 HD titles, the largest library of HD movies available anywhere; and the VUDU applications platform, which provides customers with access to a wide range of Internet services and applications including music on demand from Pandora® Internet Radio, access to Facebook® and Twitter®, up-to-the-minute news and updates from The New York Times® and AP Associated Press®, photo browsing through Flickr® and Picasa® Web Albums, and much more.(1)
Beyond access to a variety of on-demand content choices, the UL605 Series includes a USB port, and support for DLNA® file sharing. Users can easily watch videos, share and view photos, and listen to music right on the big screen, no matter if the files are stored on a digital camera, a portable drive, a networked PC or elsewhere.
The UL605 Series is available in 55-inch, 46-inch, and 40-inch class screen sizes (measured diagonally at 54.6 inches, 46.0 inches, and 40.0 inches respectively).
SL400 Series
Toshiba's SL400 Series makes it possible to have the high-quality picture and ultra-thin design of a Toshiba LED HDTV in the bedroom, kitchen, or den. With two HDMI®-CEC ports that can be used to control connected CEC devices with just the TV's remote(2), and a USB port for sharing photos and music without having to huddle around a computer, the SL400 models promise top quality and features for any application.
The SL400 Series is available in 32-inch, 26-inch, 22-inch, and 19-inch class screen sizes (measured diagonally at 31.5 inches, 26.0 inches, and 21.6 inches, and 18.5 inches respectively).
Pricing and Availability:
55UL605 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $2,499)
46UL605 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $1,699)
40UL605 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $1,399)
32SL400 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $699)
26SL400 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $499)
22SL400 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $399)
19SL400 LED HDTV (available now, SRP $349)
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; televisions, TV/DVD Combination products, Blu-ray Disc and DVD products, and portable devices; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and IP business telephone systems with unified communications, collaboration and mobility applications. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America.
TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$68 billion). For more information on Toshiba's leading innovations, visit the company's Web site at http://www.toshiba.com.
Important Notes:
1. Third party internet services are not provided by Toshiba, may change
or be discontinued at any time and may be subject to third party
restrictions. Toshiba makes no representations or warranties about
these services, which may require the creation of a user account
through a computer with internet access and one-time and/or recurring
charges. Some features may require an always-on broadband internet
connection, firmware update and/or additional bandwidth.
2. Use of HDMI®-CEC feature requires an HDMI®-CEC compatible peripheral
device. Depending on the specifications of your device, some or all
HDMI®-CEC functions may not work even if your device is HDMI®-CEC
compatible.
LED TV is part of the Toshiba LCD TV line.
ClearFrame, DynaLight and Net TV are trademarks of Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. AP Associated Press is a registered trademark of The Associated Press. DLNA® is a registered trademark of the Digital Living Network Alliance. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Flickr is a registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc. Pandora is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc. Picasa is a registered trademark of Google Inc. The New York Times is a registered trademark of New York Times Company. Twitter is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc. VUDU is a registered trademark of VUDU, Inc. Wi-Fi is a registered mark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Mariella Souflis of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide,
+1-212-551-4820, msouflis@waggeneredstrom.com, for Toshiba America Information
Systems, Inc.
The Magellan® RoadMate® 3065 GPS Device - Perfect for People Heading Back to School and Work
Premium navigator offers features for safety, convenience
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- As the beginning of a new school year has arrived, and summer vacation is over, parents wishing to help their students navigate their way through a safe and stress-free semester away from home, and save themselves time getting back to work, can look no farther than the Magellan RoadMate 3065 GPS device.
The Magellan RoadMate 3065 GPS device is a premium 4.7" navigator packed with features perfect for students - like advanced Bluetooth for convenience and built-in AAA Member Roadside Assistance for safety, as well as other key features:
-- Get to that class quickly with a complete traffic feature set. Free
Lifetime Traffic provides real-time traffic information and the unique
Traffic Wake-up makes sure it is ready when you need it. Avoid traffic
jams, detours and construction zones.
-- OneTouch(TM) favorites menu offers instant access to personalized
bookmarks of favorite places and searches. With a single touch,
students can easily find their new favorite college town haunts.
-- Millions of points of interest to help locate key destinations like
coffee shops with Wi-Fi, rival colleges during road games and of
course, the team store.
The Magellan RoadMate 3065 GPS device is available at major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon.com, as well as online at MagellanGPS.com. The M.S.R.P. is $199.99.
Units for review can be obtained by emailing: rfinelli@magellangps.com.
About MiTAC Digital Corporation
MiTAC Digital Corp. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MiTAC International Corporation and promotes and sells products and services under the Magellan brand name. Magellan assists people to travel, work and play with leading portable navigation and positioning solutions across multiple consumer markets. Recognized as an industry innovator, the company is the producer of the award-winning Magellan RoadMate series of portable car navigation, outdoor and mobile navigation devices. MiTAC Digital Corp. is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information on Magellan, visit http://www.magellangps.com/.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- With the launch of its new "retrieve saved quotes" feature, public auto insurance rating engine AutoInsurance.com now makes it easier for returning users to retrieve their latest quotes without having to re-enter vehicle and driver information.
Since its debut earlier this year, AutoInsurance.com has been empowering drivers with the ability to instantly unlock the rates of dozens of insurers for side by side comparisons. The site's new quotes retrieval function gives users easy access to past comparisons as well as the ability to update their personal and vehicle information in order to see how changing circumstances can affect premiums.
"Our latest features aim to transform visitors to lifetime users by allowing them to retrieve their latest auto insurance quotes and obtain fresh ones anytime," said Cesar Diaz, veteran insurance professional and founder of the site. "Users can frequently use our free rater to make sure they always remain with a competitively priced insurer. We encourage quote comparisons before every policy renewal and upon changes to address, vehicles, drivers or driving records."
Frequent comparisons are recommended by insurance professionals because insurers set rates by weighing a range of variables that can include -- among many other factors -- geographic location, vehicle type, amount of miles driven per year and completion of driver-education courses; therefore, a change in any these variables may often lead to a change in premiums.
Returning visitors can access previously generated quote comparisons simply by entering their birthdate and e-mail address. The new function will also prefill the previously completed form fields so shoppers need only to make a few quick edits to make a fresh comparison. There are no limits as to how often a shopper can use this free service. Upon purchasing a new vehicle, for example, a driver may want to come back and see how much their rates would be if they switched to another provider.
The new addition to the site will continue to help auto insurance fulfill the mission of quickly and efficiently comparing quotes from range of reputable carriers, in order to locate affordable coverage prices.
TI introduces high-efficiency power converter for energy harvesting and low-power applications
75-mA DC/DC step-down converter supports input voltages of 2 V to 15 V, consumes only 11 uA of quiescent current
DALLAS, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) today introduced a high-efficiency, ultra-low power step-down converter for energy harvesting and low-power applications. The new TPS62120 achieves 96 percent efficiency, and can generate a 75 mA output current from an input voltage of 2 V to 15 V. The high-performance device supports energy harvesting and battery-powered applications, as well as 9 V and 12 V line-powered systems. Visit: http://www.ti.com/tps62120-pr.
The TPS62120 synchronous converter features a power save mode to provide high efficiency over the entire load current range, reaching 75 percent efficiency at loads down to 100 uA. During light load operation, the device operates in a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode, consuming only 11 uA of quiescent current. The TPS62120 also maintains smooth, efficient operation at higher currents by transitioning automatically from its power save mode to a fixed-frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) mode.
Features and benefits of the TPS62120:
-- Flexible voltage range: 2 V to 15 V input voltage and 1.2 V to 5.5 V
output enables power generation for a wide range of microcontrollers,
such as TI's ultra-low power MSP430(TM) MCUs and the CC430, TI's
single-chip MSP430 and low-power RF solution.
-- Smooth start-up from weak energy sources: wide under voltage lock out
(UVLO) hysteresis; operating range from 2.5 V rising to 1.85 V
falling.
-- Very low power: 75 mA output and power save mode with 11 uA quiescent
current.
Availability and pricing
The TPS62120 is available in volume now from TI and its authorized distributors in an 8-pin, 3-mm x 3-mm SOT-23 package. The TPS62122 also is available in a 6-pin, 2-mm x 2-mm QFN package. Suggested resale price for TPS62120 is $0.95; TPS62122 is $1.05 in 1,000-unit quantities.
Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to http://www.ti.com.
Trademarks
All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
CONTACT: Matt McKinney of Texas Instruments, +1-214-567-2493,
m-mckinney1@ti.com; or Heather Mills of GolinHarris, +1-972-341-2512,
hmills@golinharris.com, for Texas Instruments. Please do not publish these
numbers or e-mail addresses.
CA Technologies and Fujitsu Form Strategic Alliance
New Partnership to Help Assure Service Quality Across the Application Infrastructure and Support Cloud Development
ISLANDIA, N.Y. and TOKYO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CA Technologies (NASDAQ:CA) and Fujitsu Limited today announced the formation of a strategic alliance that will enhance each company's service assurance product portfolio and cloud computing strategy.
In the initial stage of the alliance, the companies have signed an OEM agreement under which Fujitsu will sell CA Application Performance Management (CA APM) (CA Technologies is named a leader* in Application Performance Monitoring) in Japan, and offer it with their SOA middleware suites and system management software suites. In addition, CA Technologies will offer Fujitsu's Interstage Business Process Manager Analytics product worldwide, as CA Business Process Performance Analytics (CA BPPA), as an add-on option to CA APM.
This partnership enhances the ability of both CA Technologies and Fujitsu to help organizations improve management of heterogeneous enterprise IT environments and dynamically optimize IT supply chains. Using the solutions from CA Technologies and Fujitsu, organizations can launch new cloud initiatives with confidence by gaining comprehensive transaction and business process performance visibility across the application infrastructure. This will help assure that service delivery is meeting end user expectations and business objectives.
"CA Technologies and Fujitsu have a long history of working together to drive new product and services business opportunities," said Chris Cook, general manager of CA Technologies Service Assurance business. "This partnership demonstrates the companies' ongoing commitment to deliver market-driven solutions that solve critical IT and business management challenges, including quality service delivery and end-user experience management."
"The combination of CA Technologies and Fujitsu products will make both companies' IT and business solution offerings more comprehensive and competitive," said Masato Nitta, president of Fujitsu's Middleware Business Unit. "CA APM proactively pinpoints and resolves performance problems with key IT services in real time to assure the consistently high service delivery levels customers demand. Fujitsu Interstage Business Process Manager Analytics complements CA APM by correlating and translating application performance problems into business and business process contexts."
CA APM will help Fujitsu customers to anticipate and quickly identify the root cause of transaction performance issues, and then resolve the most important problems first to help assure IT is delivering the highest service levels possible. By combining CA APM and Fujitsu middleware suites, Fujitsu will be able to provide a holistic IT management solution for physical, virtual and cloud environments.
CA BPPA will enhance the CA Service Assurance portfolio by expanding its capabilities into business process performance management and business activity monitoring. The product will help customers improve agility by providing broader and deeper insight into the performance of business processes, services, applications and transactions, and the quality of the end user experience. CA BPPA will help line of business managers and application owners to optimize business process performance, manage Service Level Agreements (SLAs) proactively, resolve business-impacting issues quickly, and assure consistently high service delivery levels in all environments, including cloud.
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2010 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of ICT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 170,000 employees supporting customers in 70 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited reported consolidated revenues of 4.6 trillion yen (US$50 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com.
About CA Technologies
CA Technologies (NASDAQ:CA) is an IT management software and solutions company with expertise across all IT environments - from mainframe and distributed, to virtual and cloud. CA Technologies manages and secures IT environments and enables customers to deliver more flexible IT services. CA Technologies innovative products and services provide the insight and control essential for IT organizations to power business agility. The majority of the Global Fortune 500 relies on CA Technologies to manage evolving IT ecosystems. For additional information, visit CA Technologies at http://www.ca.com.
Follow CA Technologies
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-- Social Media Page
-- Press Releases
-- Podcasts
Verizon Android Lineup Adds Good for Enterprise Compatibility
Solution Provides Critical Security and Full Device Management Features for Enterprise IT Control
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon and Good Technology are making the popular lineup of Android devices enterprise-ready. The companies announced today Good for Enterprise - Android, a solution for smartphones running on the Android(TM) OS that provides business-grade security and full device management features to large customers.
Good for Enterprise - Android lets business customers harness the power of Android on the nation's most reliable wireless network and provide corporate information technology security and control over devices throughout their workforces. CIOs and IT managers can deploy Android smartphones, such as DROID(TM) 2 by Motorola, DROID by Motorola, DROID X by Motorola, DROID Incredible by HTC, DROID ERIS(TM) by HTC, the LG Ally(TM), and the Samsung Fascinate(TM), throughout their organizations to extend Android's powerful mobile communications capabilities to their workforces.
"The Good for Enterprise - Android solution gives our customers more choices when it comes to equipping their workforces with the wireless devices needed to keep business operating at full speed," said Mark Bartolomeo, vice president - global enterprise marketing for Verizon. "Customers in health care and financial services will find the solution especially suited to their businesses because of the security features integrated into the solution."
The Good for Enterprise - Android solution is based on two key components:
-- Good Mobile Control provides comprehensive mobile security and device
management with over-the-air and on-device encryption of enterprise
data, remote application password policies, and remote wipe of
enterprise data across the entire mobile deployment.
-- Good Mobile Messaging delivers enterprise-class mobile e-mail and
personal information management (PIM), including Calendar and
Contacts.
"Good is excited to partner with Verizon to bring Good for Enterprise - Android to Verizon enterprise customers," said John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy for Good Technology. "The combination of Verizon's network, powerful Android devices from leading manufacturers, and Good's enterprise-class solution for messaging and collaboration delivers the exceptional experience that users demand and the end-to-end management, security and control that enterprises require."
Verizon offers wireless and wireline products and services that provide enterprise and government customers in a variety of industries with the networking capabilities they require to keep their organizations running at top speeds today and in the future. For more information about Verizon products and services for business, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/business.
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)(NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 92 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
About Good
Good Technology is mobile security and control that allows organizations to connect and collaborate on their devices of choice. Good opens new possibilities for enterprises, government agencies, and consumers to maximize personal and business productivity by providing secure and easy-to-use instant mobile access to data, applications and services on hundreds of mobile devices. For more information, visit the Good web site at http://www.good.com.
Source: Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Ken Muche of Verizon Wireless, +1-949-286-8193,
Ken.Muche@VerizonWireless.Com, or Matt Marquess of Good Technology,
+1-415-321-1874, PR@good.com
Viking Modular Solutions(TM) Announces Market-Leading SAS SSD Solution
Enterprise Class SAS SSD Offers Capacities Up to 400GB While Delivering Unparalleled Price-Performance Leadership
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Modular Solutions(TM), a division of Sanmina-SCI Corporation (NASDAQ:SANM), and leading manufacturer of innovative DRAM modules and flash solutions, today announced that the newest member of its SSD product family, the Element Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) SSD, is available for immediate qualification. This enterprise class 2.5" SAS SSD delivers unparalleled price-performance, helping to redefine server and storage SSD utilization.
The Element SAS SSD features a dual-ported 6GB SAS interface and an advanced parallel NAND channel architecture, providing unprecedented endurance capabilities to meet the high performance and high availability requirements of a variety of enterprise computing applications. Viking Modular's Element SSDs enable the use of Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Enterprise MLC (eMLC) NAND flash technology for enterprise Input/Output (I/O) workloads, which have typically demanded the use of Single-Level Cell (SLC) flash.
"At Viking Modular, our goal is to continue to bring valuable products to market that exceed OEM expectations and that solve real-life problems for data center IT managers," said Adrian Proctor, Vice President of Marketing at Viking Modular. "Comprehensive and exhaustive design verification and production tests have proven that the Element SSD delivers the highest levels of quality, environmental ruggedness and endurance available on the market today, while enabling performance-per-dollar leadership."
The Element SAS SSD supports MLC, eMLC and SLC NAND flash. SLC is available in 50GB to 200GB, and the MLC/eMLC configurations are available in 100GB to 400GB. Additional features of the Element SAS SSD include:
-- Best-in-class sequential and random performance
-- Dual-ported for high availability
-- Advanced SSD-specific SMART command support
-- Intelligent write management techniques for optimized endurance
-- Protection against catastrophic flash page and block failures
-- Patented power fail data protection ensures data integrity
-- Military-level environmental testing
-- Compatible with a wide variety SAS host controllers and expanders
-- Variable sector sizes supported: 512, 520, 524 & 528
Viking Modular will utilize Sanmina-SCI's global manufacturing footprint to offer Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) a complete solution including package and firmware customization, insulation against single NAND supply issues, locked BOM and dedicated technology partner resources.
About Viking Modular Solutions
Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Viking Modular Solutions is focused on developing and delivering high technology products that optimize the value and performance of our customers' applications in the Network Infrastructure, Embedded, Defense & Aerospace and Enterprise markets. Founded in 1989, Viking Modular Solutions has been providing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with industry leading design, engineering, product support and customer service for more than 20 years. For more information, visit http://www.vikingmodular.com/.
About Sanmina-SCI
Sanmina-SCI Corporation is a leading electronics contract manufacturer serving the fastest-growing segments of the global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) market. Recognized as a technology leader, Sanmina-SCI provides end-to-end manufacturing solutions, delivering superior quality and support to OEMs primarily in the communications, defense and aerospace, industrial and semiconductor systems, medical, multimedia, enterprise computing and storage, automotive technology and renewable energy sectors. Sanmina-SCI has facilities strategically located in key regions throughout the world. More information regarding the company is available at http://www.sanmina-sci.com/.
Sanmina-SCI Safe Harbor Statement
The foregoing, including the discussion regarding the Company's future prospects, contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties associated with economic conditions in the electronics industry, particularly in the principal industry sectors served by the Company, changes in customer requirements and in the volume of sales principal customers, the ability of Sanmina-SCI to effectively assimilate acquired businesses and achieve the anticipated benefits of its acquisitions, and competition and technological change. The Company's actual results of operations may differ significantly from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of these and other factors, including factors set forth in our Company's fiscal year 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and fiscal 2010 quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Michael Kovacs, Director, Corporate Marketing, +1-408-964-3142,
michael.kovacs@sanmina-sci.com, or Paige Bombino, Director, Investor
Relations, +1-408-964-3610, both of Sanmina-SCI Corporation
Social Collaboration From SuccessFactors Lets Companies Accelerate Execution Against Common Goals
CHICAGO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SuccessFactors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFSF) announced the integration of the recently acquired CubeTree social collaboration offering with the SuccessFactors Business Execution (BizX) Suite at SuccessConnect Chicago, the fourth of five SuccessFactors customer conferences around the globe.
"Poor communication gets in the way of execution," said Dmitri Krakovsky, vice president of global product management, SuccessFactors. "With activity feeds and collaboration features incorporated into our Business Execution Suite, we help solve this information flow problem and fundamentally change the way companies work. When every person across the company can share and collaborate with one another, that's when real work gets done."
The tightly integrated social collaboration solution with CubeTree allows more than eight million SuccessFactors users, at more than 3,000 companies from every industry and corner of the world, to easily collaborate across all roles, departments and geographies. The new features allow companies to increase productivity and simultaneously strengthen the alignment of day-to-day work with corporate goals and objectives. The basic integrated offering will be available for free to all SuccessFactors customers and a premium version will also be available.
"SuccessFactors' first offering in enterprise collaboration is impressively deep," said Paul Greenberg, enterprise software analyst and author of CRM at the Speed of Light.
Greenberg went on to say, "SuccessFactors succeeds at providing the most effective kind of 21st century work environment. It not only provides the employee with a strong collaborative platform that empowers them, but also gives the company rich data and measurable value. What makes it special is that it recognizes the employee as a social being - a person who has different expectations of how they should work - just like the social customer deciding what to buy."
Single Sign-On
Single sign-on (SSO) enables employees to sign in only once to access SuccessFactors BizX and CubeTree features. Users will be able to use new SSO features to sign into SuccessFactors to access their BizX dashboard, social networking and collaboration capabilities.
Synchronized Automatically
Employee profile information from the SuccessFactors Business Execution Suite is automatically synchronized to the social collaboration environment, making it easy to:
-- Allow automatic provisioning and de-provisioning of users
-- Make sure employees have the proper access based on their current
employment status
-- Empower employees to start collaborating immediately without waiting
for colleagues to accept invitations
-- Let employees find relevant colleagues to follow and build robust
social graphs
Global Cloud Infrastructure
The enterprise social and collaboration capabilities from CubeTree will be run in SuccessFactors' global cloud computing infrastructure. With the largest number of paying users in the business cloud, SuccessFactors' global cloud footprint is also the largest in its class, operating more than half a dozen data centers across the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
Robust Social Collaboration Made Easy
CubeTree offers extensive social networking and collaboration features from micro-blogging to wikis and document sharing. The integrated social and collaboration environment from CubeTree can be easily accessed from almost anywhere via Web browser, a desktop application or on-the-go with native mobile applications for iPhone, BlackBerry or any mobile browser. Users can comment or share updates via instant message or email and receive update feeds from colleagues the same way.
Availability
Both the integrated free and premium social offerings are expected to be generally available to all SuccessFactors customers in a few months, subject to completion of development.
Additional news regarding the expanding Business Execution Suite and a summary of SuccessFactors news from the SuccessConnect Chicago event can be found in the press release titled "SuccessFactors Expands Business Execution Suite to Drive Customer Results."
Note: All product features and delivery dates mentioned represent current product development expectations only and not a delivery commitment. These features may not be delivered in the indicated timeframe or at all. Customers should base their purchasing, administrative and configuration decisions solely on functionality that is currently available."
About SuccessFactors, Inc.
SuccessFactors is the global leader in Business Execution Software. The SuccessFactors Business Execution (BizX) Suite, which is delivered through the cloud, improves business alignment, team execution and people performance to drive results for companies of all sizes. Across 168 countries and 34 languages, more than 8 million users and 3,000 companies leverage SuccessFactors every day, up from approximately 300,000 users and 100 companies in 2003. BizX bridges the gap between strategy and success by allowing every person in an organization to execute against their goals better and faster. SuccessFactors' recent acquisitions of Inform and CubeTree supplement SuccessFactors' core BizX strategy with integrated solutions that directly align with SuccessFactors' mission of helping companies get work done by delivering robust business insights and improved collaboration. To learn more, visit: http://www.successfactors.com.
"Safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are SuccessFactors' current expectations and beliefs.
These forward-looking statements include statements about product strategy and performance, customer usage, expected benefits and implementation. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements include: unexpected delays in implementation; unexpected bugs or defects; outages or security breaches; user acceptance levels of the application; or our ability to manage our growth. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions proves incorrect, our results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make.
Further information on these and other factors that could affect these forward-looking statements is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent report on Form 10-Q and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.
These documents are or will be available in the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at http://www.successfactors.com/investor. Information on our website is not part of this release.
Contact:
Dominic Paschel, 415-262-4641
Director of Global Public & Investor Relations
dpaschel@successfactors.com
Watchdog SportsbookReview.com Settles More Player Disputes
Online Sportsbook resource continues to protect sports bettors
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- SportsbookReview.com (SBR), an online sportsbook rating and player advocate resource, is pleased to announce that more disputes have been settled with various online gambling websites. A champion of sports bettors' rights, SBR has helped to regulate five sportsbook complaints in September alone.
In addition to being a trusted mediator between players and sportsbook betting sites, SBR also conducts independent, in-depth investigations of its own, leading to a trusted ratings system for nearly 1,000 online sportsbooks.
As a result, SportsbookReview.com features a daily-updated sportsbook ratings guide and frequent newswire updates on ongoing investigations, mediations and other findings.
"For over 10 years, we've prided ourselves on ensuring sportsbook accountability and providing a voice to the individual player," explains Bill Dozer, SBR President. "As a result, we're pleased to be the most relied-upon resource in the industry when it comes to finding a reputable sportsbook for football betting season."
Bettors are encouraged to submit all sportsbook complaints to SBR for investigation. Over the last decade, Sportsbook Review has helped players to recoup over $1 million dollars in disputed winnings.
About SportsbookReview.com
Owned and operated by SBR Marketing Ltd since 1999, SportsbookReview.com has established itself as the leading authority of online sportsbooks. With research, ratings and recommendations on nearly 1,000 offshore sportsbooks, Sportsbook Review is the industry's most recognized, most respected online gaming resource and customer complaint advocate.
Media Contact
Matthew Ross
Media Strategist
mross@sbrmarketing.com
Source: SportsbookReview.com
CONTACT: Matthew Ross, Media Strategist, +1-702-425-5753,
mross@sbrmarketing.com
Ittiam Announces Android(TM)-Based Video Phone With HD Playback
H.264 VGA full frame rate video phone with 720p media playback solution on TI's OMAP3530 processor
BANGALORE, India, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Widening the use of video phone to newer application spaces and environments, Ittiam today announced its ready-to-integrate video phone system on the Android(TM) operating system.
The latest video phone offering from Ittiam delivers VGA-class communication at full frame rate H.264 and a high-definition (HD), multi-format 720p media player, supporting up to 30 frames per second. The complete system runs seamlessly on the OMAP3530 processor from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) and can facilitate designs where portability and low power are of prime importance. In addition, this software solution encapsulates Ittiam's proven technologies in audio video synchronization, echo cancellation, communication grade latency, interoperability and quality of service over public networks.
The uniquely architected high definition (HD) codecs from Ittiam take advantage of the OMAP3530 device architecture through their multi-core design. These optimized codecs help ODMs deliver high-quality HD playback and record capability on OMAP3530 processor-based Android devices. Additionally, the media system's extensions to the underlying Android framework enable a wide range of standard Android applications to run on the media-rich low-power OMAP3530 processor.
The video phone system enables easy integration of video communication into consumer-oriented, Android-based products, such as tablets, desktop video phones, smartphones, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), digital photo frames and more. The software is designed to provide a rich, HD video entertainment experience, as well as high-quality life-like video communication.
"The Android-based video phone combines the Android user experience with Ittiam's unmatched video quality and performance on the very popular OMAP3530 processor," said Sattam Dasgupta, vice president, media streaming business, Ittiam. "We expect the combination to spur increased adoption of video communication technologies across devices at home or work."
"TI's OMAP3530 device was the perfect solution for Ittiam's Android-based video phone," said Vineet Ganju, DaVinci marketing manager, TI. "It offers the powerful combination of low power with the HD video performance required for the video phone."
Ittiam's Android offerings include the complete stack from hardware, board support package (BSP), media system and the application. It also includes application-specific, end-to-end Android(TM) implementations involving customization tailored to customer's devices.
This consumer/enterprise class system can be licensed in a flexible production model that combines an upfront fee and a royalty-per-unit of production. To enable customers minimize their cost of exploration and marketing, Ittiam also offers a prototype license option. In addition, an evaluation license is available for a fixed duration for customers interested in detailed evaluation of the system.
For more information on technical details or to receive the demonstration package, visit the Ittiam website at http://www.ittiam.com or contact mkt@ittiam.com.
About Ittiam Systems Private Limited
Ittiam Systems Private Limited, headquartered in Bangalore, India, is a technology company singularly focused on embedded media processing systems. It operates through its network of offices and representatives around the world. Ittiam's customers include Fortune 100 companies and are distributed across U.S., Europe, Japan and Asia. Since 2004 the company has been consistently rated as the 'World's Most Preferred DSP IP Supplier' in the annual surveys conducted by Forward Concepts Incorporated. In 2005 Ittiam had been selected by Red Herring into the top 100 private companies in Asia. In February 2007, Ittiam received the NASSCOM India IT Innovation Award, a prestigious recognition.
Ittiam Systems is a member of the TI Developer Network, a community of respected, well-established companies offering products and services based on TI analog and digital technology. The Network provides a broad range of end-equipment solutions, embedded software, engineering services and development tools that help customers accelerate innovation to make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. http://www.ti.com/dspdevnetwork
OMAP(TM) is a trademark of Texas Instruments Inc.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions
Portions of this page are reproduced from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.
Whirlpool Brand's New Side-By-Side Refrigerator Has Space for the Whole Family
Get into the Back-to-School Routine with a Little Help from the Experts
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- From carpools to soccer practices, the back-to-school routine can be hectic. Whirlpool brand's newest side-by-side refrigerator saves consumers time and energy when it's needed most. In fact, new MicroEtch(TM) Spill Control shelves offer the most shelf space(1) and the largest crisper in the industry stores it all - from last night's casserole to tomorrow's school lunches.
"We spent time with consumers to understand their needs, and capacity and energy efficiency stood out as the two greatest needs. We also wanted to provide smart solutions to remove household headaches - one of which can be messes in the refrigerator," said Carolyn Kelley, brand manager, Whirlpool brand. "As a result, we've not only developed the most energy efficient side-by-side refrigerator ever, but also one of the most intuitive and spacious side-by-sides on the market today."
Looking for that long-lost grocery item? According to Whirlpool Corporation research, in order to make room in the refrigerator, 27 percent of consumers will shove everything in and not worry about organization(2) - not ideal when making that forgotten school lunch. The newest Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator provides 25 percent more usable shelf space(3) so consumers won't have to worry about making room for groceries. And all that space doesn't come with higher energy bills - the ENERGY STAR® qualified Resource Saver(TM) model uses less energy than a 60 watt light bulb(4), making it the most energy efficient side-by-side refrigerator ever. The refrigerator also features 6th Sense(TM) technology that uses built-in sensors to automatically adjust to return food to the desired temperature in half the time as previous Whirlpool® models without the 6th Sense(TM) system.
Don't cry over spilled milk. According to a 2009 Whirlpool survey conducted online on its behalf by Harris Interactive®(5), the majority of consumers generally clean their major appliances once or twice a year. Whirlpool brand can't prevent spills, but its new MicroEtch(TM) Spill Control shelves can help keep them clean by preventing spills from leaking, so there's no need to worry if that juice box spills before it makes it into the lunch box. The new shelves combat spills with microscopic etching around the perimeter to help prevent liquids from overflowing and leaking (as much as a full can of soda).
For more from the experts on refrigerator organization tips and other useful tools, visit the newly launched Institute of Kitchen Science website at http://www.instituteofkitchenscience.com, also on Facebook and Twitter.
The Whirlpool brand side-by-side refrigerator with MicroEtch(TM) shelf (#GSF26C4EX) has a MSRP starting at $1,399. The Resource Saver model (#GSS26C4XX) starts with a MSRP of $1,599. All are available now at retailers nationwide. For more information about the brand, visit http://www.whirlpool.com.
About Whirlpool Brand
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. Whirlpool brand recognizes that consumers lead busy, active lives and continues to create solutions that help consumers optimize productivity and efficiency in the home. In addition to designing appliance solutions based on consumer insight, Whirlpool brand is dedicated to creating ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances like the Resource Saver(TM) side by side refrigerator which recently was rated #1 in its category by a leading consumer magazine. Whirlpool is one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool brand, please visit http://www.whirlpool.com. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.
(1) Based on single shelf area among leading brand side-by-side refrigerators
(2) Whirlpool Refrigerator Habits, Practices and Needs Study (2005)
(3) Compared to Whirlpool® side by side models without MicroEtch(TM) shelves
(4) Based on continuous operation of bulb for one year
(5) Survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation from November 20-24, 2009 among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact media@whirlpool.com.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Evite (http://www.evite.com), an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI), today announced the launch of the first phase of the site's most extensive redesign to date. At the core of the redesign is a brand new platform that will support Evite's growing user base, currently 18 million monthly uniques and growing, and allow for more innovative product integration than was previously available under the old technology.
In addition to housing hundreds of new invitations available to users, the new site offers a fully upgraded user experience and new tools that make coordinating an event even easier. Phase one of the redesign also includes the launch of a new product, "Event Conversation," where hosts and guests can interact with each other through an ongoing, threaded dialogue. Not only can guests and hosts comment on RSVPs, but the Event Conversation feature provides the host and guests a fun and convenient forum to communicate around a planned event, including posting announcements, asking questions, uploading pictures, polling the guest list and coordinating potlucks with the new "What to Bring" tool. The ability to easily share an event with a user's Facebook friends has also been added.
"After 10 years of consistent growth on our old platform it was time to bring an upgraded Evite service to our users that will enable us to build more innovative products that make event planning and coordinating even easier," said Hans Woolley, President of Evite. "This redesign is just the start; our first step, in a brand new Evite."
As the leading online invitation service on the Web sending over 28,000 invitations an hour, Evite now sports a brand new look and feel, designed in partnership with Fantasy Interactive, that reflects a fresh clean layout that focuses users' attention on the invitations designs. From chic and stylish to vibrant and fun, each invitation on the new site meets Evite's goal of enabling hosts to make an impactful first impression by setting the tone for their event and expressing their personal style.
"Whether it is a last minute happy hour or a baby shower planned months in advance, Evite's goal is to give users free tools to easily invite friends and coordinate offline events while also giving them designs that reflect the personality of their event," Woolley says.
Next on the roadmap for Evite is a suite of mobile applications that will redefine the meaning of an Evite invitation. Very soon the Evite mobile experience will allow people with just a few words, and even fewer clicks, to suggest plans and then coordinate the details, all while on the go in an easy and intuitive manner.
"Offering tools that allow users to quickly transform suggested last minute activities into firm plans naturally complements Evite's existing invitation service," Woolley says.
About Evite
With over 27 million registered users, Evite (http://www.evite.com) is the leading online invitation and social event planning service on the Web. Evite helps hosts get their parties started with hundreds of stylish invitation designs that are free and easy to use. Evite facilitates over 7 million parties, get-togethers and gatherings every year, for which over 250 million, tree-free Evite invitations will be sent in 2010 - that's over 28,000 invitations every hour! Launched in 1998, Evite is headquartered in Los Angeles and is a wholly-owned, operating business of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI).
Cloud Telecomputers to Exhibit Glass Platform at Metaswitch Forum 2010
Industry's smartest deskphone debuts productivity-enhancing and money-saving upgrades
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud Telecomputers, a software innovator in business applications and IP telephony, today announced that it will be exhibiting Glass, its unique Android-based platform for desktop business smartphones, at the Metaswitch Forum 2010 in Orlando, Florida from September 21-24.
The Glass platform has been enhanced since its well-received launch last year to include unique upgrades that enable businesses to save money and increase productivity. Examples include:
-- Tap to dial - by integrating contacts into the desk phone, users can
locate numbers and place calls in less time. Users can even tap to
dial a phone number directly from a Web page or email message.
-- Instant screen sharing - anything displayed on a user's PC, such as a
presentation or spreadsheet, can be instantly shared via a Web browser
using the Glass platform. Glass accelerates communications.
-- Caller data display - caller data from LinkedIn, salesforce.com, and
other CRM systems is instantly displayed, so the user has all the
information at his fingertips without having to conduct a search.
At the show, senior executives from Cloud Telecomputers will be demonstrating these and other exciting new features available on the Glass platform. Glass now includes an 8.9" capacitive touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and visual voicemail. Attendees will be able to experience the Glass intuitive user interface and test customized versions of commonly-used business applications, such as salesforce.com and Fedex, at booth #16 at the Metaswitch Forum.
"We are excited to introduce Glass to the Metaswitch user community and demonstrate this innovative platform which enables customized, integrated phone features and applications for businesses," said Jim Willenborg, Cloud Telecomputers founder and chairman. "Glass brings the desk phone into the 21st century and renders all traditional methods of business communications obsolete."
Cloud Telecomputers launched the Glass platform in August 2009 and began shipping phones to customers in Europe, Asia, and North America in the third quarter of 2010. Infrastructure vendors, OEMs, systems integrators, and VoIP service providers have enthusiastically embraced Glass because of the benefits of requiring less time to market, lower investment in R&D, and ability to customize phone features and application suites for business users. Because the Glass platform runs on the Android OS, it offers applications providers the benefits of an open development environment, flexibility and scalability, and the ability to integrate their applications with unique calling features and a large user screen.
To learn more about how Cloud Telecomputers and Glass can benefit your business, arrange a meeting with company representatives by contacting info@cloudtc.com or (415) 814-1550.
About Cloud Telecomputers
Cloud Telecomputers, a software innovator in business applications and IP telephony, enables powerful business communication products under the brands of its partners. Cloud Telecomputers is located at 3053 Fillmore St. Suite 248 San Francisco, CA 94123. Telephone: +1 415-814-1550. For more information, visit the company website at http://www.cloudtc.com or email info@cloudtc.com.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Metaswitch Forum 2010
Now in its seventh year, the Metaswitch Forum is a must-attend event for Metaswitch Networks' customers, prospects and partners. The rich agenda is custom-designed for communication service providers, helping them to remain relevant in the ultra-competitive industry of telecommunications. The event attracts over 700 attendees and includes keynote speakers, technical and marketing breakout sessions, formal training, live product demonstrations, an extensive expo of over 50 interoperability partners and continuous networking opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.metaswitch.com/forum2010.
Media Contact:
--------------
Michael Doherty
(831) 359-8508
press@cloudtc.com
Redknee Supports Bintel Group's Growth Strategy in Africa
TORONTO, September 16, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
- Redknee Delivers Multimillion Dollar System to New Bintel Group
Property
Redknee (TSX:RKN), a leading provider of business-critical
billing and charging software and solutions for communications service
providers, today announced it has secured a multimillion dollar contract with
Azur Congo Brazzaville, a subsidiary of group operator Bintel Ltd, to deploy
Redknee's Turnkey Converged Billing (TCB) solution, as it prepares to launch
its mobile operations in the market.
Azur Congo Brazzaville has selected Redknee's flagship billing
and customer care platform to provide the tools to differentiate its service
offerings and deliver an enhanced subscriber experience. This multimillion
dollar contract is the latest development in Redknee's long-term relationship
with the Bintel Group. In addition to its property in the Republic of Congo,
Redknee proudly works with the group mobile network operator in other African
markets, including Gabon and Central African Republic.
"Bintel is proud of its reputation for entering high-growth
markets with a thorough understanding of each of our markets, and delivering
high quality, high value mobile telecommunication solutions to our customers.
We are confident Azur's launch in the Republic of Congo will be
representative of our successful Africa-centric strategy. As we have expanded
across Africa and the Middle East it has become imperative that our success
begins and ends with the satisfaction of our customers. For this reason, we
have chosen to partner with the leaders in high-growth billing, customer care
and Electronic Voucher Distribution (EVD) solutions, as we continue our
growth strategy throughout the region," said Stephane Beuvelet, General
Manager, Azur Congo Brazzaville.
Redknee's TCB solution will enable the Greenfield operator to
realize the benefits of a fully converged real-time billing and customer care
platform. With TCB, all of Azur's subscribers, irrespective of payment type
or access technology, will be managed on one consolidated platform, allowing
Azur to quickly launch targeted promotions and services. TCB's real-time
capabilities will also provide the operator with tight revenue control and
the ability to offer electronic, prepaid wireless airtime top-ups. This will
reduce the need for retail store-fronts and helps to ensure its customers
remain connected at all times.
"This additional contract win further validates Redknee's strategy to
provide scalable products that support the performance requirements of high
tier and group services operators," said Redknee CEO, Lucas Skoczkowski.
"This has enabled us to partner with our customers as they expand their
business to enable their services and network growth, build new revenue
streams and gain profitability."
For more information about Redknee and its solutions, please
go to http://www.redknee.com
About Bintel:
Bintel is registered in Jebel Ali - Dubai in 2007, headquartered in
Bahrain, and operates in the telecom operations and service providing sector
with a current focus on the emerging markets. The company presently has
offices in Bahrain, UAE, and Lebanon.
Bintel has operated its mobile services in Central African Republic since
mid 2007 and in Somaliland since mid 2008, and launched service in Gabon in
October 2009. It holds a majority stake in Swiss-based Telesonique. Bintel
launched commercial services in Congo Brazzaville on 15th September 2010.
Redknee is a leading global provider of innovative communication software
products, solutions and services. Redknee's award-winning solutions enable
operators to monetize the value of each subscriber transaction while
personalizing the subscriber experience to meet mainstream, niche and
individual market segment requirements. Redknee's revenue generating
solutions provide advanced converged billing, rating, charging and policy for
voice, messaging and new generation data services to over 70 network
operators in over 50 countries. Established in 1999, Redknee Solutions Inc.
(TSX: RKN) is the parent of the wholly-owned operating subsidiary Redknee
Inc. and its various subsidiaries. References to Redknee refer to the
combined operations of those entities. For more information, visit http://www.redknee.com.
For additional information please contact:
Redknee Solutions:
David Charron, Chief Financial Officer
+1-905-625-2943
investor_relations@redknee.com
Media Relations Contact:
Humera Malik, Director of Global Marketing
+1-905-625-2102
humera.malik@redknee.com
Source: Redknee Solutions Inc.
Redknee Solutions: David Charron, Chief Financial Officer, +1-905-625-2943, investor_relations@redknee.com, Media Relations Contact: Humera Malik, Director of Global Marketing, +1-905-625-2102, humera.malik@redknee.com
SQUARE ENIX and SHANDA GAMES Announce Strategic Partnership
FINAL FANTASY comes to the Chinese Market for the First Time
TOKYO, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanda Games Limited ("Shanda Games," or the "Company") (NASDAQ:GAME) and Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., today announced a strategic partnership that will leverage Square Enix's strong game content with the strength of Shanda Games' broad experience as a leading online game developer, publisher, and operator in mainland China. The partnership starts with an exclusive license in mainland China to FINAL FANTASY® XIV, a massively multi-player online role-playing game and the latest installment of the FINAL FANTASY franchise, which has sold more than 97 million units worldwide. This will be the first release of a FINAL FANTASY franchise title in mainland China.
Square Enix Group has identified globalization as one of its key strategic initiatives and has been developing and offering entertainment content derived from its global network based in Japan, North America and Europe. The partnership with Shanda Games will strengthen Square Enix Group's global business development with a focus on the rapidly-growing Chinese market.
Shanda Games is focused on creating a global online game platform offering the most compelling content and services. On the heels of Shanda Games' other recent successful game launches, the strategic partnership with Square Enix will further advance its strategy to provide high-quality, diverse and innovative game content to Chinese gamers and to expand its user base.
"The media entertainment markets are increasingly becoming more and more global in nature. Under this environment, we are speeding up our globalization strategy aimed at transforming our Group into a truly world-class enterprise." said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. "Through this partnership with Shanda Games, a company with great success in online game operations in China, we are taking an important step in increasing the reach of high quality content from the Square Enix Group to even more customers around the world."
"We are excited to have Square Enix as a partner and I look forward to leveraging our capabilities and synergies for the benefit of both companies," said Mr. Alan Tan, Chairman and CEO of Shanda Games. "Our in-house game development team is well-qualified to assist in the localization of FINAL FANTASY XIV to the China market, while our strong sales and marketing capabilities and extensive game operation platform can provide access to the broad audience of Chinese gamers. Since its debut in 1987, the FINAL FANTASY franchise has attracted many devoted fans worldwide and, based on our experience and expertise in the China market, we are confident in the success of FINAL FANTASY XIV as well as other future collaborations with Square Enix in China."
FINAL FANTASY XIV in mainland China will be operated from servers separate from those servers for the Japanese, North American and European markets. Other details regarding the launch of FINAL FANTASY XIV in mainland China including launch timing will be announced at a later date.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this announcement that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements regarding the future benefits brought by the partnership, FINAL FANTASY XIV's prospects in China, and the Shanda Games' future collaborations with Square Enix, represent only the Company's current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections and are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Important risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to be materially different from expectations include but are not limited to the risk that there is a delay in the localization of FINAL FANTASY XIV in mainland China, FINAL FANTASY XIV is not well received by users in mainland China, and FINAL FANTASY XIV fails to meet the expectations of end users, as well as the risks set forth in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's annual report on Form 20-F. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
About Shanda Games
Shanda Games Limited (NASDAQ:GAME) is a leading online game developer, operator and publisher in China. Shanda Games offers a diversified game portfolio, which includes some of the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and advanced casual games in China, targeting a large and diverse community of users. Shanda Games manages and operates online games that are developed in-house, co-developed with world-leading game developers, acquired through investments or licensed from third parties. For more information about Shanda Games, please visit http://www.shandagames.com/.
About FINAL FANTASY
FINAL FANTASY is one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world. Since its debut in December 1987, the FINAL FANTASY series, including its spin-off titles, have sold more than 97 million units worldwide. From the release of the first FINAL FANTASY, the franchise has continued to offer the industry's most advanced graphics, highly imaginative worlds and rich stories as it gains the highest accolades from users around the world.
About Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, is a holding company leading the Square Enix Group with a diverse range of content and service businesses. The Square Enix Group publishes and distributes entertainment content under its internationally renowned brands such as SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS and TAITO. The Square Enix Group includes a global network of leading development studios located in North America, Europe and Japan. The Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 54 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide, together with other well established products and services. More information on Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com/.
About Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises - FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 54 million units worldwide - under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. More information on Square Enix can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/.
DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the Square Enix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. in Japan and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Ku6 Media Acquires Copyright Entertainment Content from Major Hollywood Studios
BEIJING, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. ("Ku6") (NASDAQ:KUTV), a leader in online video portal operations in China, today announced that Ku6 has reached content cooperation agreements with Sony Pictures Television and another major Hollywood studio. Those agreements make Ku6 the first Chinese local video portal to acquire legitimate copyright content from major Hollywood studios.
In December 2009, Ku6 was the first Chinese video portal to delete pirated contents posted by its users and also established the "International Film & TV Co-Acquisition Fund" with Sohu.com with an initial funding of US$10 million. These efforts, plus exclusive partnership agreements with well known local film and TV producers such as Huayi and Hairun, etc., won recognition for Ku6's copyright protection policy from the world's copyright owners and administrative authorities.
Kevin (Shanyou) Li, the founder of Ku6.com and Ku6's Chief Executive Officer, said, "By signing these agreements with Sony Pictures Television and another major Hollywood studio, we will acquire the internet broadcasting rights in mainland China for several hundred of Hollywood features and TV episodes. This will significantly enhance the viewing experience for our users. We firmly believe that respecting intellectual property rights is the global best practice for video portals, for today and in the future. We will provide more copyright protected contents to our users. That content will please our users and will enhance our brand as we build a major media platform to provide differentiated marketing services to our advertising partners."
About Ku6 Media Co., Ltd.
Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:KUTV) is a leading online video company in China. Through its two premier online brands and online video websites, http://www.ku6.com/ and http://www.juchang.com/ , Ku6 provides video information services and entertainment in China.
As a leading online video portal, http://www.ku6.com/ provides a video platform for sharing and watching user-generated content. It also provides online video news, reports, and other interactive entertainment programs for its users.
Ku6's http://www.juchang.com/ offers a broad array of copyright compliant content, such as movies, television series, and other video programs sourced from Ku6's global content partners, with all content having high definition quality and fast speeds for seamless viewing.
This news release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "believes," "could," "expects," "may," "might," "should," "will," or "would," and by similar statements. The accuracy of these statements may be affected by a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including risks related to: continued competitive pressures in China's internet video and audio portal market; changes in technology and consumer demand in this market; the risk that Ku6 Media may not be able to control its expenses in future periods; changes in the policies in China or the laws governing the operations and content of internet video and audio portal websites; the success of Ku6 Media's ability to sell brand advertising and other services on its websites; and other risks outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's (filed under the name of Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd.) annual report on Form 20-F. Ku6 Media does not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information, except as required under law.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Matthew Zhao (English and Chinese)
Investor Relations Officer
Phone: +86-10-5758-6818 in Beijing
Email: ir@ku6.com
Christensen
Mr. Tom Myers (English)
Mobile: +86-139-1141-3520 in Beijing
Email: tmyers@christensenir.com
Source: Ku6 Media Co., Ltd.
CONTACT: Mr. Matthew Zhao (English and Chinese), Investor Relations
Officer at +86-10-5758-6818 in Beijing or ir@ku6.com; Mr. Tom Myers (English),
Christensen at +86-139-1141-3520 in Beijing or tmyers@christensenir.com
Acquisition to Enhance MOTOBLUR(TM) with Context-Aware Mobile Platform and Related Services
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that it has acquired Aloqa GmbH, a privately-held, leading developer of location-based software and technologies that are designed to enable the discovery of relevant web content by mobile smartphone users. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Aloqa has joined Motorola Mobility, which is comprised of Motorola's Mobile Devices and Home businesses. Motorola Mobility is expected to be spun off from Motorola, Inc. in the first quarter of 2011.
Aloqa's technologies and services utilize the user's context (location, identity and social relationships) to proactively inform them of places, events, bargains and other opportunities of which they may choose to take advantage. For example, if Aloqa's software recognizes the user is in a certain region, it will offer him the top events of the day or special offers of leading discounters in the vicinity. Aloqa distributes its product as a mobile application for smartphone platforms, including Android, and more than one million users have already downloaded its software.
Aloqa will further enhance Motorola's MOTOBLUR(TM), which delivers customized content to mobile device homescreens and allows users to access Facebook(TM), MySpace and Twitter updates -- along with emails, news and favorite apps and widgets -- all in one place. MOTOBLUR(TM) will integrate Aloqa's open, location-triggered mobile push platform to connect users and publishers of location-aware content in real-time.
"Aloqa is an exciting addition to Motorola Mobility as its specialized engineering talent and location-tracking technology will significantly accelerate the release of our context-aware mobile services platform," said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services product management for Motorola Mobility. "Aloqa's core technologies, user database, and specialized skills are a strong fit with our planned server-side context delivery architecture and will further enhance Motorola's MOTOBLUR(TM) capabilities. We welcome Aloqa's highly skilled personnel to the Motorola Mobility team."
"We are proud that a global mobile giant like Motorola chose the Aloqa platform as a core part of its future in location technologies. Like every startup, we have always dreamed of our technology and product being used by tens of millions of satisfied users everywhere. Being a part of the Motorola Mobility team will help us achieve this goal," said Sanjeev Agrawal, chief executive officer of Aloqa.
About Aloqa GmbH
Aloqa is the first company to allow publishers with location-based content to proactively push content onto mobile devices for free. Aloqa's application pushes notifications in real-time about nearby events and social opportunities - with relevancy based on the user's current location, pre-defined interests, and social networks. Aloqa has offices in Palo Alto, California, and Munich, Germany. More information about Aloqa can be found at http://www.aloqa.com.
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE:MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.motorola.com.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Erickson
Motorola, Inc.
+1 847-435-5320
jennifer.erickson@motorola.com
Mega Queues as Over 800 Shoppers Grab a Bargain at the Currys Megastore Grand Opening Leicester Fosse
- Over 800 Shoppers From the Region Fill the Retail Park - Customers Campout Overnight to Grab Mega Deals on Leading Brands
LONDON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Currys, the UK's leading electrical retailer, threw open its doors at 6am last Friday to a massive queue of over 800 eager shoppers ready to grab a bargain at the official launch of its brand new Megastore in Fosse Shopping Park, Leicester. The mega launch saw huge discounts including a 40 inch LG TV going for as little as GBP299.
Providing the best of Currys brands under one roof, over 800 customers made a dash over the threshold to grab deals on the widest range of electrical goods from both Currys that included TVs, digital cameras, laptops and washing machines from brands such as Samsung and Panasonic.
Customers from across the region, including some who had camped out over night, flocked to the store at the Fosse Shopping Park store early that morning. The queues continued to build throughout the morning as music greeted those who waited to experience the new store, and enjoy massive opening day discounts.
First in the queue was Steve Sanson from Coalville, who had queued from 7pm Thursday night to make sure he got his hands on the 40 LG inch TV, as there were only 300 available at this price. Despite having to be in work at 7.30 that morning, Steve commented, "It was worth the wait!" - all 300 TVs had been sold within an hour of the store opening.
The new Megastore store offers customers a "hands-on" product experience coupled with extended product ranges, which is designed to meet all technology needs. The Store also has a huge selection of interactive "play tables" allowing customers to pick up, turn on and test out a wide range of products before they purchase including premium brands such as Apple, Bose.
Anthony Partington, Store Director, comments: "It's great to see such a big turnout today, I'm really pleased with how our opening morning has gone. The new Currys Megastore in Leicester Fosse offers shoppers a great range of consumer electronics. The Grand Launch Weekend will provide customers with some fantastic deals, as well as the chance to get some early Christmas shopping at the number one destination for electrical products in the area."
Currys is the UK's biggest electrical retailer with a network of over 500 stores nation-wide, including out of town stores, high street Currys.digital stores and a Currys Megastore in the Midlands. There are a range of lcd tv and flat screen tv on sale at Currys and PC World and ipad deals.
For further information please contact:
Ruth McCarry
M&CSaatchi PR
+44(0)20-7543-4528
Ruth.mccarry@mcsaatchi.com
Joanna Softly
Consumer PR Manager
Joanna.softly@dixonsretail.com