Boomer Venture Summit Spotlights Business Opportunities in the Aging Population - TMCnet

SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

The aging population is more than a looming drain on the U.S. economy; it's also a booming opportunity for entrepreneurs who can seize on trends like the demand for quality caregiving; affordable disease-management tools; and less-clunky medical aids.

Entrepreneurs and experts on this exploding boomer marketplace and the "longevity economy" will convene June 20 at Santa Clara University for the ninth annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, presented by Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business and Mary Furlong & Associates. The event takes place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the University's Recital Hall building, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, Calif.

The Summit event, which also features two competitions for boomer-focused businesses, is a venue for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to share informationabout serving or investing in companies catering to consumers age 50 and older. Investors will discuss why and where they are putting investment dollars; company executives will discuss their business plans; and analysts will explain how they segment the market and evaluate business opportunities.

Among the trends and entrepreneurial opportunities that are expected to be discussed are:

* The increased need for caregiving for aging boomers and senior care as one of the top job-growth opportunities for the coming years.

* The need for improved, better-designed equipment for aging bodies.

* Baby boomers as entrepreneurs: the "encore career" phenomenon and how many such older entrepreneurs are starting businesses to serve other boomers.

* The trend toward "incubators" and venture capital in the boomer marketplace.

* The impact of declining state and federal dollars for senior care in the U.S.

* Hot segments for investors in the boomer marketplace.

* Consumer and online protections for aging boomers.

* The increase in corporate investment in the boomer and longevity marketplace.

Speakers on these topics will include Mark Yi, managing director of Intel (News - Alert) Capital; Jody Holtzman and Jeff Makowka, executives in "thought leadership" at AARP; and Laurie Orlov, founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, a boomer and senior market research firm.

For more information on the summit, speakers, agenda, competition judges, conditions and sponsors, please see http://scuboomerventure.com.

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Boomer Venture Summit Spotlights Business Opportunities in the Aging Population - TMCnet

SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

The aging population is more than a looming drain on the U.S. economy; it's also a booming opportunity for entrepreneurs who can seize on trends like the demand for quality caregiving; affordable disease-management tools; and less-clunky medical aids.

Entrepreneurs and experts on this exploding boomer marketplace and the "longevity economy" will convene June 20 at Santa Clara University for the ninth annual Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, presented by Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business and Mary Furlong & Associates. The event takes place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the University's Recital Hall building, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, Calif.

The Summit event, which also features two competitions for boomer-focused businesses, is a venue for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to share informationabout serving or investing in companies catering to consumers age 50 and older. Investors will discuss why and where they are putting investment dollars; company executives will discuss their business plans; and analysts will explain how they segment the market and evaluate business opportunities.

Among the trends and entrepreneurial opportunities that are expected to be discussed are:

* The increased need for caregiving for aging boomers and senior care as one of the top job-growth opportunities for the coming years.

* The need for improved, better-designed equipment for aging bodies.

* Baby boomers as entrepreneurs: the "encore career" phenomenon and how many such older entrepreneurs are starting businesses to serve other boomers.

* The trend toward "incubators" and venture capital in the boomer marketplace.

* The impact of declining state and federal dollars for senior care in the U.S.

* Hot segments for investors in the boomer marketplace.

* Consumer and online protections for aging boomers.

* The increase in corporate investment in the boomer and longevity marketplace.

Speakers on these topics will include Mark Yi, managing director of Intel (News - Alert) Capital; Jody Holtzman and Jeff Makowka, executives in "thought leadership" at AARP; and Laurie Orlov, founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, a boomer and senior market research firm.

For more information on the summit, speakers, agenda, competition judges, conditions and sponsors, please see http://scuboomerventure.com.

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Business Opportunities and Development Trends of Emerging Smart Cities in China - TMCnet

NEW YORK, May 28, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Business Opportunities and Development Trends of Emerging Smart Cities in China http://www.reportlinker.com/p0866974/Business-Opportunities-and-Development-Trends-of-Emerging-Smart-Cities-in-China.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Telecommunication_Services Due to the high population density in urban areas worldwide, China - with the world largest population - is facing the increased pressure with respect to resource management. In order to sustain its economic growth, China has begun seeking new opportunities and the smart city concept, boasting a potential market value worth trillions of RMB, seems to be an optimal solution to attract more investment funds from international and Chinese ICT companies. This report profiles the definition of a smart city and provides insight into the government policies, current industry development strategies and new opportunities expected to create for cities undertaking the smart city initiative in China.

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1.1 Research Background 1.2 Research Objective 1.2.1 Clarifying the Smart City Concept and Provide Supplementary Research Information 1.2.2 Understanding Current Smart City Development in China and Estimating Potential Market Size 1.3 Research Framework 1.4 Research Scope 1.5 Research Methodology 1.5.1 Data Collection 1.5.1.1 Primary Data 1.5.1.2 Secondary Data 1.5.2 Inductive Data Analysis 1.5.2.1Basic Development Elements 1.5.2.2 Key Government Policies 1.5.2.3 Secondary Data Compilation ?2. Smart City Concept 2.1 Definition of a Smart City 2.1.1 Research Organization Viewpoint 2.1.2 ICT Company Viewpoint 2.1.3 MIC Project Definition 2.2 Framework and Scope of a Smart City 2.2.1 Framework 2.2.2 Scope 2.2.3 Smart City Indicators 2.2.3.1 Degree of Smart Development Indicator 2.2.3.2 Cluster Grouping Indicator 3. Smart City Policy Development in China 3.1 The Chinese Central Government 3.2 The Chinese Local Governments 3.2.1 Beijing Municipality 3.2.2 Shanghai Municipality 3.2.3 Chengdu Municipality 3.2.4 Shenzhen Municipality 3.2.5 Zhongqing Municipality 3.2.6 Nanjing Municipality 3.2.7 Qingdao Municipality 3.2.8 Hangzhou Municipality 3.2.9 Tianjin Municipality 3.2.10 Wuhan Municipality 3.3 Current Pilot Projects 3.4 Smart Development Dimensions 3.4.1 Origin and Development Framework 3.4.1.1 Four Main Dimensions 3.4.1.2 Examples in China 4. Chinese Smart Cities in Reality 4.1 Smart City Development in Shanghai 4.1.1 City Profile 4.1.2 Progress and Planning 4.1.3 Operating Model 4.1.4 Success Stories 4.1.4.1 Smart Healthcare Launched by Mingxing 4.1.4.2 China Telecom's "Wireless Digital Healthcare" project at the Mingxing District Centre Hospital 4.2 Smart City Development in Ningpo 4.2.1 City Profile 4.2.2 Progress and Planning 4.2.3 Success Stories 4.2.3.1 Smart Logistics 4.2.3.2 Smart Healthcare 4.2.3.3 Smart City Management 4.3 Smart City Progress in Foshan 4.3.1 City Profile 4.3.2 Progress and Planning 4.3.3 Success Stories 5. Major Smart City Vendors and Their Development Strategies in China 5.1 Competition between Vendors in China 5.1.1 Smart City Market Development in China 5.1.2 Development Strategies of International Vendors 5.1.3 Development Strategies of Chinese Vendors 5.2 Major Smart City Vendors in China 5.2.1 Huawei Technology 5.2.1.1 Company Profile 5.2.1.2 R&D 5.2.1.3 Products and Services 5.2.1.4 Business Development 5.2.2 Digital China 5.2.1.1 Company Profie 5.2.1.2 Products and Services 5.2.1.3 Development Status 5.2.3 Insigma 5.2.3.1 Company Profile 5.2.3.2 Products and Services 5.2.3.3 Development Status 5.2.4 Enjoyor 5.2.4.1 Company Profile 5.2.4.2 Business Performance 5.2.4.3 R&D 5.2.4.4 Products and Services 5.2.4.5 Business Model 5.2.4.6 Customer Profiles 6. Smart City Opportunities in China 6.1 Estimating the scale of overall business opportunities 6.1.1 Smart Grid 6.1.2 Smart Transportation 6.1.3 Smart Home 6.1.4 Smart Manufacturing 6.1.5 Smart Finance 6.1.6 Smart Government 6.1.7 Smart Logistics 6.1.8 Smart Healthcare 6.1.9 Smart Tourism 6.2 Smart City Opportunity Exploration 6.2.1 Regional Smart Development 6.2.2 Differences in City Characteristics 6.2.3 Main User Requirements 6.3 Regional and Industrial Opportunity Exploration 6.3.1 Environmental Assessment 6.3.2 Demand Assessment 7. Conclusion 7.1 Policy Incentives to Spur Huge Smart City Opportunities in China 7.2 Smart City Promotions in China to Cover the Entire Industry Chain 7.3 Competition between System Integrators to Intensify; Alliances Expected to Stand a Better Chance of Winning Appendix List of Features Figure 1 Smart City Research Framework Figure 2 Smart City Application and Technology Development Roadmap Figure 3 Smart City Framework Figure 4 Scope of a Smart City Figure 5 Smart City Development Directions of China Figure 6 Smart City Development Framework of Ningpo Figure 7 IoT Solution Designed for the Chancheng District of Foshan Figure 8 Huawei Technology Revenues, 2009 - 2010 Figure 9 Huawei e-City Business Scope and Deliverables Figure 10 Huawei e-City Platform Architecture Figure 11 Smart City Business Expansion of Huawei Figure 12 Enjoyor R&D Spending, 2006 - 1H 2011 Figure 13 Architecture of Enjoyor Smart Transportation Solution Figure 14 Architecture of Enjoyor Smart Healthcare Solution Figure 15 Smart City Clusters and Preparedness Levels in China To order this report:Telecommunication Services Industry: Business Opportunities and Development Trends of Emerging Smart Cities in China More Market Research Report Check our Industry Analysis and Insights Nicolas BombourgReportlinkerEmail: nbo@reportlinker.comUS: (805)652-2626Intl: +1 805-652-2626 SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To Smart Grid Home's Homepage ]

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MTS reports Q4 net loss - TMCnet

Apr 02, 2012 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) -- MTS, a provider of comprehensive telecommunications expense management solutions, has reported that net loss for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011 was $201,000, or $0.05 loss per diluted share, compared to a net income of $117,000 or $0.03 per diluted share, for the same quarter ended December 31, 2010.

Revenues for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011 were $3.2 million, compared to $3 million for the same quarter ended December 31, 2010.

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $387,000, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to $176,000, or $0.04 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2011 were $12.0 million, compared to $11.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2010.

"MTS has made sustained changes in its operations by reducing operating expenses and we are seeking new business opportunities. The results of this process are reflected in the Company's improved cash position and financial results," said Eytan Bar, CEO of MTS.

"The Company continues to develop Telecom Expense Management opportunities through partners and existing customers. In addition, the Company's Billing and Mobile Virtual Network Operator's (MVNO) activity has grown both as a licensed offering and as a managed service. We are looking forward to improve both our top and bottom line performance," Mr. Bar said.

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Booming German smartphone sales provide plenty of mobile business opportunities … - TMCnet

(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) About 14.5 million smartphones were sold in 2011 in Germany, which almost doubles the sales of 2010, according to the data of the German high-tech association BITKOM. ComScore regards the German mobile market as one of the strongest in Europe, selecting it together with UK, France, Italy and Spain for its panel research. The Mobile National Day Breakfast London conference about the Mobile Personal Internet on March 27th 2012 will bring the German market and its key players to London and give insights into this growing market full of opportunities. http://mobile-national-days.com/london.html While smartphone sales in the German consumer market have been strong, sales of standard mobile phones dropped by 26 per cent to 10.8 million sold devices. Smartphones are taking the lead with a constant average price of about 354 Euro, while the average price of a normal mobile phone dropped by 33 per cent to 74 Euro. This catapults the smartphone's turnover to more than 5.1 billion Euro, an increase by almost 90 per cent, and shows at the same time the wide range of opportunities available in the mobile market. The Mobile National Day Breakfast London event will presents some highlights on the market and some business cases with breakfast: real food for thought! Over croissants and coffee, Franz Obermayer, Strategic Accounts Director of German mobile interaction specialist tyntec will illustrate how universal mobile services such as SMS, voice and mobile numbers still offer much room for growth across a wide variety of applications. How does the evolution of these universal services enabling many new applications and business models, particularly in the OTT field? The answers to this question will be brought to life with current examples from the mobile interaction specialist with a wide range of telecom services from enterprise mission-critical applications to internet services and over 500 business clients worldwide and a strong base in Germany. Tyntec is trusted by the integration of the mobile channel into their services and communications, driving revenues, creating cost savings and increasing brand loyalty.

The conference will also look at the efficiency of application marketing, shown with the business case example of Trademob by its CEO, Ravi Kamran. While it is still a usual practice to measure only clicks and downloads, these indicators are not the optimal indicators for the business side of an applications success. Far more important are post download conversions like registrations and in-app-purchases, which are mostly left in the dark. Trademob focuses these important indicators with its measurement service, while also using the strength of many different advertising networks to provide the best possible advertising reach. This comes in handy especially with special target group niches, which are usually hard to reach with a single advertising network. With its unique tracking and optimization capabilities, Trademob tracks and optimizes mobile advertising campaigns for mobile apps across all ad networks with regard to the relevant KPIs (clicks, downloads, iAPs, sign-ups etc) with services are trusted by young startups, established players and some of the most innovative spearheads in the mobile industry.

You can find further information about the Mobile National Days and the registration for the London congress at www.mobile-national-days.com Organizer Mobile National Days 11 Prozent Communication, located in Erding, Germany, has established itself as a neutral communication platform for brands, media and the mobile and digital entertainment worlds. The consulting agency provides companies with detailed and extensive information on the e-game and mobile markets. In addition, 11 Prozent organizes events (www.gfm-world.de, www.m-days.com, www.mobile-content-days.de), does PR work and is the publisher of GFM Nachrichten (www.gfm-nachrichten.de), a periodical dealing with mobile, eGames, IPTV and social media.

Press contact Inga Kozuruba Tel.: +49 (0) 8122 / 955 - 625, Fax: +49 (0) 8122 / 955 627 E-Mail: i.kozuruba@11prozent.de, Web: http://www.mobile-national-days.com Angelique Szameitat, 11 Prozent Communication Tel.: +49 (0) 8122 / 955 - 625, Fax: +49 (0) 8122 / 955 627 E-Mail: a.szameitat@11prozent.de, Web: http://www.mobile-national-days.com ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

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GSI Group's Continuum business awarded major scientific laser program - TMCnet

(ENP Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ENP Newswire - 16 March 2012 Release date- 14032012 - Bedford, MA - GSI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GSIG), a global leader and supplier of laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices and precision motion and optical control technologies to global electronics, industrial, medical, and scientific markets, today announced that its Continuum laser business, a leading producer of high energy laser products to scientific and industrial markets, has been awarded a $4.8 million contract with the French National Center for Scientific Research for the delivery of a 400 Joule amplifier section that will be used as part of the Apollon high energy laser program developed by the Institut de la Lumiere Extreme.

Apollon is designed to be the world's first 10 petawatt femtosecond pulsed output Sapphire laser system. The award comes as the result of a four-year program, funded in part by the French Government, to develop a compact, high energy laser pump module operating at typical repetition rates approximately 20 times faster than the repetition rate of conventional high energy laser glass pump modules.

The program award reflects the joint efforts of GSI's Continuum team, Laboratory of Laser Energetics, and National Energetics. National Energetics is based in Austin Texas and was founded by the foremost authorities in chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technology. The Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) of the University of Rochester, in New York, is a unique national resource for research and education in science and technology.

'This was a team effort involving the best of cooperation between industry, government labs and academic institutions,' said Dr. Laurence Cramer, President of GSI's Continuum business.

'We are very pleased to be awarded this business, which recognizes our role as a global leader in large, high power, scientific laser systems, and positions us well for future opportunities on other similar programs,' said John A. Roush, CEO of GSI Group Inc.

About the Companies GSI Group Inc. supplies laser-based solutions, precision motion control devices, optical controls, and associated precision technologies, and semiconductor systems to global industrial, electronics, medical, and scientific markets. GSI Group Inc.'s common shares are quoted on NASDAQ (GSIG).Continuum Electro-Optics Inc., a subsidiary of GSI Group Inc. and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, manufactures and markets a complete family of high energy laser products worldwide to industrial and scientific markets.

Safe Harbor and Forward Looking Information Certain statements in this release are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements contained in this news release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, and are generally identified by words such as 'expect,' 'intend,' 'anticipate,' 'estimate,' 'plan,' and other similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to: the Company's expected future financial performance; the expected effect of the refinancing on the Company's interest expense; the expected impact of the 12 x 12 Program and related charges; the expected impact from recent orders; the Company's optimism regarding its prospects for the future and other statements that are not historical facts.

These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could affect future results and cause actual results and events to differ materially from historical and expected results and those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on our customers' businesses and level of business activity; our significant dependence upon our customers' capital expenditures, which are subject to cyclical market fluctuations; our dependence upon our ability to respond to fluctuations in product demand; our ability to continually innovate; delays in our delivery of new products; our reliance upon third party distribution channels subject to credit, business concentration and business failure risks beyond our control; fluctuations in our quarterly results, and our failure to meet or exceed the expectations of securities analysts or investors; customer order timing and other similar factors beyond our control; disruptions in, or breaches in security of, our information technology systems; changes in interest rates, credit ratings or foreign currency exchange rates; risk associated with our operations in foreign countries; our increased use of outsourcing in foreign countries; our failure to comply with local import and export regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate; our history of operating losses and our ability to sustain our profitability; our exposure to the credit risk of some of our customers and in weakened markets; violations of our intellectual property rights and our ability to protect our intellectual property against infringement by third parties; risk of losing our competitive advantage; our ability to make acquisitions or divestitures that provide business benefits; our failure to successfully integrate future acquisitions into our business; our ability to retain key personnel; our restructuring and realignment activities and disruptions to our operations as a result of consolidation of our operations; product defects or problems integrating our products with other vendors' products; disruptions in the supply of or defects in raw materials, certain key components or other goods from our suppliers; production difficulties and product delivery delays or disruptions; changes in governmental regulation of our business or products; our failure to implement new information technology systems and software successfully; our failure to realize the full value of our intangible assets; any requirement to make additional tax payments and/or recalculate certain of our tax attributes depending on the resolution of the complaint we filed against the U.S. government; our ability to utilize our net operating loss carry forwards and other tax attributes; fluctuations in our effective tax rates and audit of our estimates of tax liabilities; being subject to U.S. federal income taxation even though we are a non-U.S. corporation; being subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax for U.S. federal income tax purposes; any need for additional capital to adequately respond to business challenges or opportunities and repay or refinance our existing indebtedness, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; volatility in the market for our common shares; our dependence on significant cash flow to service our indebtedness and fund our operations; our ability to access cash and other assets of our subsidiaries; the influence over our business of several significant shareholders; provisions of our articles of incorporation may delay or prevent a change in control; our significant existing indebtedness and restrictions in our new senior secured credit agreement that may limit our ability to engage in certain activities; our intention not to pay dividends in the near future and our failure to maintain appropriate internal controls in the future.

Other important risk factors that could affect the outcome of the events set forth in these statements and that could affect the Company's operating results and financial condition are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and in the Company's subsequent filings with the SEC made prior to or after the date hereof.

Such statements are based on the Company's management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the Company's management. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document except as required by law.

Investor Contact: Robert Buckley Tel: (781) 266-5137 [Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk] ((Comments on this story may be sent to info@enpublishing.co.uk)) (c) 2012 Electronic News Publishing - [ Back To dark-fiber.tmcnet.com's Homepage ]

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Research and Markets: Hosted Business VoIP: Upmarket Opportunities - TMCnet

(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a8bf41d5/hosted_business_vo) has announced the addition of the "Hosted Business VoIP: Upmarket Opportunities" report to their offering.

VoIP, the fastest-growing U.S. industry over the next five years, has fostered a small army of small independent hosted VoIP service providers in recent years. Having penetrated the small-business market, these scrappy competitors are now climbing upmarket, following new spikes in demand from much larger, higher-paying customers. As they do, they're colliding with competitive carriers and incumbents currently serving those customers, just as the bases for competition in this market are rapidly changing. This report analyzes key competitors and their strategies for penetrating the highly-valued mid-market for hosted IP communications as well as the unique customer requirements that everyone addressing the space must know.

Key Topics Covered: I. HOSTED BUSINESS VoIP UPMARKET SHIFT II. UPMARKET SALES APPROACH Market Drivers and Obstacles Sales & Implementation Channel Partners Service Assurance Market Opportunities Verticalization Large enterprise.

III. UPMARKET PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS Distributed Workers Mobility Product Opportunities Integration with Other IT Operations.

Video.

IV. COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS Service Provider Landscape M&A LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a8bf41d5/hosted_business_vo CONTACT: Research and Markets, Laura Wood, Senior Manager.

press@researchandmarkets.com Fax from USA: 646-607-1907 Fax from rest of the world: 353-1-481-1716 ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

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IBM Unveils New Financial Incentives to Drive Growth with Business Partners - TMCnet

Mar 01, 2012 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- IBM (NYSE: IBM ) today announced new incentives for its Business Partners to help them deliver the latest technology to their clients and drive growth in key markets such as smarter cities, smarter commerce and social business.

Advances in technology such as analytics and cloud computing are changing how businesses operate, consumers interact with companies and cities deliver services to their citizens. As businesses and cities look for new ways to improve quality of life and productivity there is a significant opportunity for IBM and its Business Partners to provide new solutions that combine advanced technology with industry expertise.

"Commerce, social business, cloud computing and analytics are all multi-billion dollar industries and we want to ensure that our Business Partners have the resources, skills and support they need to succeed in these markets," said Mark Register, vice president of software business partners, IBM. "These new incentives are designed to help our Business Partners grow their businesses and continue to work with us to deliver simplified approaches to the complex challenges our clients are facing." The IBM Solution Accelerator incentive is a new channel incentive for selling combined software and systems and/or business solutions. The incentive has two elements: - Software and Systems Reward: A 5 percent incremental rebate for selling eligible IBM systems and a 15 percent incremental rebate for selling eligible software together to a single client.

- Business Solutions Reward: An additional 10 percent rebate for selling a solution aimed at a particular IT challenge on the eligible software content of the solution. The eligible solutions cover client needs such as turning information into insights, managing risk, security and compliance and social business.

In addition, approximately 1 percent in fees can be earned when clients finance their solution through IBM Global Financing.

"Our clients want solutions not piece-parts," said Ernie Yenke, president of Lighthouse Computing Services, an IBM Business Partner. "This new incentive from IBM will help grow our business while delivering solutions that combine hardware, software and business-specific solutions that help address client needs." Smarter Cities Incentives Helping cities solve key challenges in urban planning, environmental compliance, energy and water, transportation, education, social welfare and health, public safety, government and agency administration represents a $57 billion market opportunity.* IBM is turning to its Business Partner community to help make integrated solutions accessible to cities globally. To quickly respond to rising citizen demand, IBM is launching incentives for Business Partners including: - SaaS Referral: Business Partners can take advantage of the new SaaS referral incentive for the Intelligent Operations Center Cloud offering and will be rewarded 15 percent of the annual contract value of the sale.

- Global Financing : Business Partners working on smarter cities projects that are part of IBM's Software Value Plus Program, can access zero percent, 12-month, interest-free financing from IBM Global Financing.

- Government & Industry Expertise : Business Partners can take advantage of additional earning opportunities through IBM's Industry and Capability authorization incentives for on premise use of the Intelligent Operations Center.

Smarter Commerce and Social Business Incentives IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative is redefining the way businesses are engaging with today's empowered consumer. At an estimated $20 billion opportunity** for software alone, IBM is enabling eligible Business Partners to sell SaaS solutions for Smarter Commerce to their clients with IBM and obtain 15 percent of the annual contract value. The goal of the Smarter Commerce Saas Incentive Program is to accelerate cloud adoption by encouraging new business models, such as cloud services solution providers, to incorporate SaaS capabilities for Smarter Commerce into their solutions.

Products offered through this incentive include Smarter Commerce Industry solutions SaaS products such as IBM Coremetrics, Sterling Commerce and Unica. The Smarter Commerce Saas Incentive Program will be available to eligible IBM Business Partners including partners of recently acquired companies such as DemandTec.

Additionally, IBM is announcing new incentives to help Business Partners capitalize on the growing social business market opportunity . According to Forrester Research, the market for social enterprise apps and related services will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 61 percent to become a $6.4 billion market in 2016.*** Now, qualified IBM Business Partners selling SaaS offerings to small or mid-sized companies can earn a 28 percent rebate when they sell IBM SmartCloud for Social Business.

The IBM Solution Accelerator incentive and Social Business incentives are available now. The Smarter Commerce and Smarter Cities incentives are expected to be available in the Second Quarter of this year.

Some incentive components are not available in certain countries. Other restrictions may apply. Offerings are subject to change, extension or withdrawal without notice.

For more information: www.ibm.com/PartnerWorld For more information: http://www.ibm.com * Analyst firm IDC estimates that the new Smarter Cities information technology market opportunity at $34 billion in 2011, increasing more than 18 percent per year to $57 billion by 2014.

** IBM Market Insight data ***Social Enterprise Apps Redefine Collaboration, Forrester Research, Inc., November 30, 2011.

Contact(s) information Anne Kristine Janson UK External Relations +44(0)7515 324 982 akjanson@uk.ibm.com ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com. [ Back To Smart Grid Home's Homepage ]

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Net Insight Creates Opportunity In The New Video Landscape With Its Solutions For Service-Aware Media Networks - TMCnet

Stockholm, Sweden, Feb 29, 2012 (Thomson Reuters ONE via COMTEX) -- Net Insight's unique SAMN approach meets the call for smarter delivery of IP video so service providers can enter the OTT-value-chain and capitalize on the new media trends STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Net Insight, a leading provider of efficient and scalable transport solutions for media, IP and broadcast networks, unveils key industry insights outlined in a recent analyst whitepaper by an independent research firm. The white paper provides an overview of how service providers can capitalize on the many emerging business opportunities developing from today's changing video and media landscape. It recommends utilizing a service aware media network (SAMN) architecture to drive revenue opportunities in video production, distribution and delivery over existing IP networks.

The white paper "New Video Landscape Dynamics Require Smarter Delivery of IP Video," explores how today's new video landscape opens up opportunities for IP service providers to become part of the OTT-value chain, and this opportunity is heavily contingent upon their ability to meet the Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) demands of content owners, media and broadcast companies. The implementation of a SAMN architecture is critical to meeting the quality demands of premium services, as it provides service-centric network management that ensures service integrity is upheld throughout the delivery process and improves the performance of the IP network.

As more video traffic continues to flood networks, and the lines between traditional broadcast television and OTT video services are blurring, consumer expectations are increasing and quality will become even more of a challenge. Live content, interactivity and personalized advertising are also complicating network quality issues. Yet this challenge comes hand-in-hand with a lucrative opportunity. By leveraging a SAMN architecture, network owners have the capability to re-insert themselves into the content value chain by offering premium video contribution, delivery and distribution networks.

"The great untapped opportunity is for network owners to sell premium access to content owners that can monetize the higher QoE via subscriptions and advertising. This will drive service provider revenues and the needed infrastructure upgrades that can move our whole industry forward," says Brian Partridge, vice president of Yankee Group's Network Research group and author of the whitepaper. "In the report we detail how service-aware media networks, with the ability to look at each individual service in the network, are the first technical step in this much-needed direction." Once the SAMN architecture is in place for premium QoS and QoE, Partridge outlines how monetization opportunities for service providers are realistic and extensive. For content delivery and distribution, media-aware premium CDNs and OTT hosting services are two areas on most service provider's strategic agenda and for which a SAMN architecture is ideal and game changing. Ideas presented in the paper include creating direct relationships with content owners to create content-specific data access packages. In addition, IP network operators can build on-deck, IPTV and three-screen entertainment propositions. In these models, they can also leverage existing network footprints to cache stored content closer to the consumer to support high quality live streaming.

"At Net Insight, we have architectured our solutions to provide the technical capabilities required for service providers to monetize on the OTT-value chain," adds Per Lindgren, founder and VP, business development, Net Insight. "Customers are willing to pay for quality and that means that the right network architecture makes the new environment a good revenue opportunity for innovative service providers." The white paper "New Video Landscape Dynamics Require Smarter Delivery of IP Video," is commissioned from Yankee Group by Net Insight.

To review the whitepaper in full please visit www.netinsight.net/News/Resource-center/ For further information, please contact: Per Lindgren, vice president corporate and business development and co-founder, +46 8 685 04 00, per.lindgren@netinsight.net About Net Insight Net Insight delivers the world's most efficient and scalable transport solution for Broadcast and IP Media, Digital Terrestrial TV, Mobile TV and IPTV/CATV networks.

Net Insight products truly deliver 100 percent Quality of Service with three times improvement in utilization of bandwidth for a converged transport infrastructure. Net Insights Nimbra(TM) platform is the industry solution for video, voice and data, reducing operational costs by 50 percent and enhancing competitiveness in delivery of existing and new media services.

More than 150 world class customers run mission critical video services over Net Insight products in over 50 countries. Net Insight is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm. For more information, visit www.netinsight.net This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients.

The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Net Insight AB via Thomson Reuters ONE HUG#1589704 Net Insight creates opportunities in the new video landscape - http://hugin.info/130084/R/1589704/499267.pdf [ IPTV Community's Homepage ]

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Online Businesses Forced To Look To Emerging BRICS And CIVETS For Growth - TMCnet

Feb 23, 2012 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Online marketplace, eBay, has revealed that the damaging impact of the Eurozone crisis and domestic inflation on sales has led to half of online businesses (49%) expecting to rely more on export sales more in the future, and 60% of online businesses (58.3%) claiming to have exported more since the recession began in 2007.

A survey of more than 1,000 online businesses has found that over a third (37%) expect BRICS countries to become more important in 2012 due to continued economic stagnation in Europe, with two thirds (58%) expecting the Eurozone crisis to directly result in a slump in export opportunities. Over a quarter (27%) recognise that they need to look further afield to the CIVETS countries (Columbia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa) to expand their customer base, considered the main benefit of exporting by online businesses [1] .

In the last 12 months over half (59%) of online businesses have exported goods to Russia, and a fifth expect China to be the most important export market after Europe by 2013.

Online businesses have risen to the challenge set by Lord Green, Minister for Trade and Investment, to export for growth by embracing opportunities in emerging markets in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and CIVETS.

To help support the economic recovery, eBay is calling on policy-makers to do their part and improve the advice and support available for businesses looking to expand their sales overseas. Half of the businesses questioned identified friends and colleagues as the most useful sources for providing advice on how to sell overseas compared to only 7% that said they would contact the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and 6% that would turn to UKTI -- the Government's main export arm. Rather than seeking advice from specialist organisations, 59% of businesses turn to retail platforms such as eBay for advice on international trade.

According to research findings, a third (34%) of low exporters are likely to see the complexity of legal and regulatory regimes as a barrier to boosting export sales, compared to less than a quarter (23%) of high exporters [2] . In addition, a lack of trust in foreign shoppers is a concern for 42% of low exporters compared to only 24% of high exporters, and almost twice as many low exporters (24% versus 13%) see a lack of understanding of foreign markets as a hurdle when selling outside of the UK.

Angus McCarey, UK Retail Director, eBay, said: "In today's connected world, businesses no longer need to rely on one market for their income. International trade is more accessible than ever and online businesses in particular are perfectly placed to make the most of selling overseas.

"Cross-border trade represents a massive economic opportunity for the UK, and we know that over half of high exporting businesses (59.3%) are confident about the next six months compared to only two fifths (40.7%) of low exporting businesses. Government and policymakers must do more to ensure services and organisations are equipped to provide expert advice on exporting to all businesses, but especially to those businesses that haven't given it a go before and are often held back by a simple lack of understanding." The Eurozone crisis (51%), public expenditure/tax increases (45%) and domestic inflation (44%) have had the most detrimental impact on businesses capacity to export, however many are still reaping the rewards of international expansion. eBay businessman Stuart Kirkwood, whose company Zest Clothing (1066sales) turned over more than GBP1million last year, saw export sales make up over 15% of his income in 2011. Stuart and his wife Melinda now export to over 100 countries and consider Eastern Europe as a real area of growth.

"Last year was a great year for our business, but there is no way we would have exceeded our GBP1million milestone had it not been for the income we received through our eBay export sales. Selling overseas is a great way to expand your businesses customer base and exporting via eBay has allowed us to sell a higher volume of product without increasing our overheads. The internet, the rise of mobile and the growing importance of social media means we are all globally connected consumers. In the current economic climate UK businesses need to take advantage of every opportunity, and the global reach of eBay is an opportunity we intend to exploit." [1] Over a third (38%) of businesses identified 'ability to expand customer base' as the main benefit for selling to customers in other countries [2] High exporting businesses are identified as those with a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) from CBT (Cross Border Trade) over 10%, and low exporting businesses are identified as those with a GMV from CBT less than 10% ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com. [ Back To Smart Grid Home's Homepage ]

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Federal and Corporate Buyers to Jointly Help Small Business Sellers - TMCnet

SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

100 procurement officials representing dozens of federal and state agencies along with buyers from major corporations will join forces in the Silicon Valley to provide selling opportunities for 600 small businesses. Most of the entrepreneurs, who provide products and services ranging from office supplies to software and engineering to janitorial, are from women, minority or disabled veteran owned firms.

The February 23 program, with 1,500 face-to-face meetings, is produced by Business Matchmaking, Inc., a not-for-profit group that has emerged, after 8 years of successful events, as the nation's most effective public-private small business initiative according to the former SBA Administrator who helped launch it. "Business Matchmaking has been outstanding and helped tens of thousands of small businesses pursue opportunities that would not have otherwise been available. It has been the SBA's most successful public-private project," said Hector Barreto, who was the second longest serving Administrator in SBA's history.

Senior procurement officials in the private sector at Fortune 500 companies agree. Brian Tippens, Hewlett-Packard's (News - Alert) lead insupplier diversity and one of the nation's most respected experts in that field, said, "Business Matchmaking has consistently brought together qualified and reliable small business owners with our procurement team. The results have been outstanding and enabled us to provide contracts to a growing number of women, minority and disabled veteran owned firms."

In addition to a national tour of procurement events following the Silicon Valley session, Business Matchmaking has been selected by the US government's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) council, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise conference, the GSA (News - Alert) and the Disabled Veterans Business Alliance to produce customized matchmaking programs for members of those groups.

To date some 80,000 one-on-one meetings have been arranged at Business Matchmaking events with billions of dollars in contracts granted to small firms in every industry. The events are free for small business, thanks to sponsorship by HP, the original private sector SBA partner, which has now been joined by Symantec (News - Alert), Dun & Bradstreet, Lockheed Martin and Greatland. HP also provides tech centers and on site experts in addition to a delegation of buyers.

In light of FBI Director Robert Mueller's recent congressional warning about cyber attacks and the growing number of digital corporate thefts of smaller companies, Business Matchmaking is adding an advanced security section to its program presented by Symantec.

At the upcoming event, Dun & Bradstreet (News - Alert), which provides corporate America and the federal government with credit reporting and related services, will introduce a small business package of credit reports that enables growing firms to benefit from what has traditionally been primarily available to large corporations as well as small business website opportunities.

Following the Feb. 23 event at the Santa Clara, California Convention Center, Business Matchmaking will host comparable events in Irvine, California; Chicago; Houston; Miami; Washington DC; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Seattle; San Diego; Las Vegas; Nashville; New Orleans; and Phoenix.

For more information or to register for these free events, go to businessmatchmaking.com.

[ InfoTech Spotlight's Homepage ]

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Veteran event planner Mary Tribble returns for DNC [The Charlotte Observer, N.C.] - TMCnet

(Charlotte Observer (NC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 06--It was certainly a different point of view for Mary Tribble.

She stood last week before a standing-room-only crowd of event planners and caterers. As one of Charlotte's most visible event planners for 2 1/2 decades, there was a time when Tribble wouldn't have been in front of this audience of nearly 400, but in it -- looking to land work.

This time, she was the one sharing information about business opportunities during her biggest planning gig yet -- the Democratic National Convention.

"If I had still been in business, I would have been one of the people sitting on the chair, taking the notes," Tribble, 51, said last week from her office at the DNC host committee headquarters uptown. "But to be able to be on the other side of it, and being able to give these opportunities to other people, it's just so rewarding." As chief of events planning for the city's convention host committee, Tribble is the key matchmaker between the hundreds of venue operators and business owners looking to cash in on the thousand or so expected parties and receptions surrounding the convention.

Convention business starts Sept. 4 and ends Sept. 6, when President Barack Obama gives his nomination acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium.

But events will start at least several days before, including official DNC parties for the media and state delegations at 13 venues in the region, which were announced last week.

Tribble is drawing on her experience as the planner of some of Charlotte's biggest events for businesses and nonprofits.

Her high-profile gigs have included the 1991 NBA All-Star weekend's dinners, brunches and cocktail parties; the 1994 NationsBank laser and fireworks show held uptown during Final Four weekend; and personal party extravaganzas hosted by the city's key business and philanthropic players.

She says she wants to use her DNC post to leave a legacy of opportunities for entrepreneurs here.

She wants to show off Charlotte to 35,000 expected visitors -- which includes 15,000 media members.

And she also wants to throw some memorable events.

Her first DNC gig: working with the convention and host teams on last September's "year-out" rally at Time Warner Cable Arena. Officials used the party to unveil the convention logo.

More than 2,000 attended. Merchandise bearing the new logo sold out in minutes.

"We feel lucky to have Mary as a partner on the host committee," said Steve Kerrigan, the convention CEO. "There's no one in town who has more experience planning events, and her resources and connections have been a tremendous asset." Stepping back, coming back Tribble didn't expect to be in the thick of Charlotte's highest-profile event ever when she sold her 25-year-old business, Tribble Creative Group, at the end of 2010.

In fact, she was in search of a quieter life.

A Miami native, the art history major from Wake Forest University came to Charlotte with no job in the early '80s. She was drawn to the idea of opportunities in North Carolina's biggest city.

After helping a small agency she worked for plan a grand opening for an architectural firm, Tribble got the idea to strike out on her own.

And as the city boomed, so did her business, as Tribble found herself in the middle of Charlotte's milestone events.

One of her many "pinch me" moments: climbing a two-story ladder, outdoors, to the middle of the crown of the 60-story Bank of America building before the topping out ceremony.

All that go-go-go changed on Christmas Eve in 2008. Tribble's car was broadsided by a mail delivery truck as she drove to yoga practice.

She was hospitalized with a severe fracture of the clavicle, then faced a long recovery at home. The episode had her rethinking her purpose in life and what to do next.

Tribble was ready for travel, writing, maybe even some rare naps.

She was about a month into retirement when city leaders landed the DNC.

Then her phone rang. It was Mayor Anthony Foxx, asking her to take the DNC event planner role. Torn, Tribble asked to mull it over.

"By the time I thought it over for a week or two, I was just 100 percent committed and ready to get involved," Tribble said.

"I have a lot of friends who ask me, 'How is that retirement going, Mary?' " Not so great -- and lots of local businesses are hoping that's to their benefit.

'The pinnacle of my career' Tribble said about 150 venues in the Charlotte area have committed space to the convention, should it be needed. Spaces include cultural facilities, restaurants, bars, theaters, historical homes, even yoga studios.

The DNC event planning staff of five, headed by Tribble, works as a concierge service of sorts, promoting the right venue to groups seeking event space that week. Events could be Democratic groups looking for daily breakfast space. Or a big business throwing a cocktail party for 500.

Tribble says while she hopes all venues can be used, she also knows expectations are high. Perhaps too high.

Last week, at the third of a series of regular meetings Tribble has with venue operators, 370 came -- up from the typical 150. More venues are signing on daily.

"My hope is that nobody's disappointed," she said. But "if we look at these four days as just this transactional way of doing business, then we have missed the whole boat on why this convention is good for Charlotte." Still, Tribble said she is focused on creating as many opportunities for local businesses as she can.

"I feel like everything I have done professionally in my life has led me to this," Tribble said. "It's the pinnacle of my career for sure.

"I just can't imagine what it's going to be like that week, standing somewhere in Bank of America Stadium, watching everybody pour in, and thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I had a part in the nomination of our president. And even further than that, I had a part of being able to show off Charlotte in such a big way.' " ___ (c)2012 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) Visit The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) at www.charlotteobserver.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

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OppsPlace Makes Strong Debut in National Business Market - TMCnet

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, in collaboration with Ariel M. Friedler, president of Symplicity Corporation, the market leader in online career tools, today announced the launch of OppsPlace.com. OppsPlace provides companies with the best opportunity to find qualified, minority job seekers and minority businesses in one online destination. OppsPlace is free of charge for job seekers and minority firms and allows corporate human resources and procurement executives to easily access qualified job seekers and qualified minority businesses for openings to provide the best opportunities.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54127-the-rlj-companies-launches-oppsplace-com-for-minority-jobseekers (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120202/MM46097) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100907/PH60132LOGO) "I created OppsPlace for several reasons," said Johnson. "First, to reduce the disparity in unemployment for minority Americans and to increase access for vendor services and supplier contracts for minority businesses. Second, I also created OppsPlace to provide corporate America with a targeted destination to identify and interact with minorities for employment and business opportunities. With over 30 charter member companies who have joined OppsPlace, it clearly demonstrates their commitment to diversity and inclusion," he added. "As more U.S. companies, large and small, become OppsPlace members, OppsPlace will help reduce unemployment for millions of minority Americans, will provide access to capital to thousands of minority businesses, and will help drive the economic recovery of this country by giving minority Americans a fair shot which they deserve to participate fully in the American Dream." "Unique to OppsPlace is the profile builder which allows companies to focus on their diversity initiatives, mentorship programs, business match-making as well vendor/supplier opportunities," said Friedler, co-founder of OppsPlace. "OppsPlace is not a destination to simply upload a standard resume, but it is a platform that allows job seekers and minority businesses to network with each other and interact with professionals at hiring companies." "OppsPlace is much more than a jobs board," said Kelli Richardson Lawson, president and COO of OppsPlace. "It is a diverse online network that aggregates rich content and resources in one destination and is dedicated to helping job seekers and minority business owners engage directly with key decision makers in corporate America," she added. "It is the only place on the web that aggregates job seekers and minority businesses in the spirit of helping communities of color enhance their lives and financial well-being." For many years, Johnson has been focused on creating opportunities for minorities and recently announced the RLJ Rule for public and private sector businesses. The RLJ Rule is an adaptation of the National Football League's (NFL) Rooney Rule, which requires the 32 teams to interview at least one qualified minority candidate whenever a head coaching or general manager position become available. The RLJ Rule is designed to encourage companies to voluntarily establish a "best practices" policy of diversity and inclusion by identifying and interviewing minority candidates or vendors that are often overlooked under traditional hiring or procurement practices.

OppsPlace and the RLJ Rule are two solutions where Johnson believes businesses both large and small can take direct action to increase employment and business opportunities for minority Americans.

To date, more than 30 companies have joined OppsPlace as Charter Members: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. HBO State Street Aflac KB Home Strayer Education, Inc.

Avery Dennison Kimberly-Clark Textron BNY Mellon Lowe's Toyota Capital One Financial Corporation McDonald's® Travelers Colgate-Palmolive Company New York Life United States Steel Corporation Dell Northern Trust UPMC Education Management Corporation (EDMC) Penn Mutual Vibrant Pittsburgh (VP) EMC PNC Financial Visa FedEx Corporation PPG Industries, Inc. YUM! Brands General Motors Prudential Financial, Inc.

Giant Eagle State Farm® For more information, visit us online at www.oppsplace.com.

About The RLJ Companies: The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, is an innovative business network that provides strategic investments in a diverse portfolio of companies. The RLJ Companies seeks to target undiscovered or underserved markets then exercise solid management to achieve results. Within The RLJ Companies portfolio, Johnson owns or holds majority interests in businesses operating in banking, private equity, real estate, hospitality, automobile dealerships, entertainment, and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, with affiliate operations in Charlotte, NC; Orlando, FL; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; San Juan, PR; and Monrovia, Liberia. Prior to founding The RLJ Companies, Johnson was founder and chairman of Black Entertainment Television (BET). For more information visit www.rljcompanies.com.

About OppsPlace: OppsPlace, LLC created by Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and Ariel Friedler, CEO of Symplicity Corporation, is the preeminent online network for minorities looking to build net worth. It is the only online community that aggregates rich content, minorities looking for jobs and minority businesses seeking to do business with U.S. corporations - all in a robust networking environment. OppsPlace provides U.S. companies with the best opportunity to find qualified, minority job seekers and minority businesses in one online destination. For more information visit www.oppsplace.com.

About Symplicity Corporation: A pioneer in higher education, government, and business systems, Symplicity is passionate about providing its clients with IT solutions; services and products that enable them to maximize productivity, increase their return on investment, and enhance their relationships with customers and constituents. Symplicity specializes in database driven, web-based applications, enterprise information systems architecture and development, network design and management, systems and software engineering, network integration and management, information security and enterprise systems management. For more information visit www.symplicity.com.

SOURCE The RLJ Companies [ Back To greentechnologyworld.com's Homepage ]

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Businesses Can Capture Signatures, Easily Calculate Taxes and Tips Using New Sage Mobile Payments 2.0 - TMCnet

(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MCLEAN, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 01/31/12 -- Sage North America today announced the launch of Sage Mobile Payments 2.0, the latest version of its Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant mobile payments product. Sage Mobile Payments comes bundled with a Sage merchant account, and allows businesses to cost effectively and securely process credit and debit card transactions on mobile devices, like cell phones and tablets, including Apple's iPad, across all major wireless carriers. Version 2.0 focuses on enhancing the customer experience through new features designed to save businesses time and increase the security of their transactions.

Enhancements built into Sage Mobile Payment 2.0 include an updated user interface, signature capture capabilities, a tax and tip calculator, and a free Sage Mobile "app store" download.

"In 2011, 25 percent of worldwide mobile PC shipments were tablets, and upwards of 75 percent U.S. small and midsized businesses plan to purchase tablets in the next year," said Greg Hammermaster, president of Sage Payment Solutions, the payments division for Sage. "Mobility has truly become a must-have in today's business world. Businesses using Sage Mobile Payments have a great opportunity to expand their sales and customer service opportunities, and with the confidence of a commercial-grade mobile payments solution. Sage Mobile Payments will help businesses evolve into this next phase of mobile payments." New Sage Mobile Payments 2.0 features: One Merchant Account -- Businesses can now use their existing Sage Merchant ID (MID) account to add mobile payments to their existing payment solution, and at the same low processing rate.Updated User Interface on Smart Phones -- The new, completely intuitive, colorful user interface makes processing payments easier than ever.Signature Capture -- Businesses can give customers peace of mind knowing a signature is required to complete their transaction. With the swipe of a finger, a signature is captured to complete a sale. A signed receipt is emailed to both the business and their customer.Tax And Tip Calculator -- Businesses no longer need a separate calculator to determine tax due and tips; Sage Mobile automatically calculates both.'App Store' Download -- By going to the Android Marketplace or Apple's iTunes store, businesses can download the Sage Mobile application at no cost. Then, once they have called Sage to set up their merchant account, they can start accepting mobile payments.

Businesses using Sage Mobile Payments can benefit from increased chances to close sales; anytime, anywhere transactions; a secure and PCI compliant payment processing environment; real-time authorizations for expedited cash flow; and minimal cost.

"While other vendors are fighting over no monthly fees, but higher processing costs for mobile transactions, we're still saying 'no' to mobile transaction surcharges," said Hammermaster. "With Sage Mobile Payments, businesses have the option to pay no more than they would to process regular credit or debit card transactions on a standard credit card terminal." Sage has been providing businesses and organizations with electronic payment systems for more than 20 years. The company allows more than 155,000 merchants to accept multiple forms of payment, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, Check21, gift and loyalty cards, and automatic recurring payment. Sage Payment Solutions provides a wide range of secure standalone and integrated payment processing solutions, including Sage Exchange, Sage Virtual Terminal, Sage Mobile Payments, and Sage Patient Payments. Visit Sage Payment Solutions online at www.sagepayments.com, or follow them on Twitter at http://sagepayments.com/twitter and on Facebook at http://sagepayments.com/facebook.

About SageSage is a leading global supplier of business management software and services for small and midsized businesses. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs more than 12,300 people and supports more than 6 million customers worldwide. For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at www.SageNorthAmerica.com.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine Press Contact: Cynthia Sutton Sage North America 571-612-6071 cynthia.sutton@sage.com Source: Sage [ InfoTech Spotlight's Homepage ]

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Business VoIP Provider Outlines Strategic Initiatives - TMCnet

Digerati Technologies, a provider of cloud communication services including business VoIP and cloud-based telephony services, has outlined key strategic initiatives and business opportunities aimed at driving long-term sales growth and profitability.

As a low-cost operator with a vertically integrated platform and carrier-class global network, the company is in essence a “one-stop” provider of cloud telephony applications with a global reach that is delivered only in the cloud, the company said in a press release.

As far as new, innovative strategic initiatives, currently the company is placing an increased focus upon its cloud and session-based communication services, which are segments of the industry that are experiencing significant growth and where there are great opportunities for business expansion in the future. The company will also leverage its global network and partnerships to develop innovative international business VoIP solutions for carriers and enterprise customer, as well as continue to expand its infrastructure and back office system to streamline operations, automate key processes, and support its VAR distribution model.

In addition, Digerati recently introduced a cost-effective sales and marketing strategy utilizing VARs as its distribution channel. The VAR program targets PBX (News - Alert) vendors, information technology ("IT") services firms, managed service providers, systems integrators and broadband providers that lack a cloud telephony infrastructure, but have an embedded customer base in need of telephony services.

Arthur L. Smith, CEO of Digerati, said in a statement, "FY2012 is shaping up to be a critical turning point for our company. We have made significant progress in enhancing our core infrastructure to support our growth strategy and continue to win new business opportunities with enterprise customers through our VAR relationships both domestically and internationally. We expect to report more on these new business opportunities and on our sales progress in the coming weeks.”

Moreover, Digerati will improve its current carrier-to-carrier sales distribution model with a higher margin model. The company’s Value Added Resellers (VARs) will benefit from this model as it allows them to offer cloud and session-based communication services to the enterprise market.         

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.

Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein

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AT&T Named Top Organization for Multicultural Business Opportunities - TMCnet

DALLAS, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Recognizing AT&T's supplier diversity efforts, DiversityBusiness.com awarded the company the top spot in the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities," for providing the most business opportunities to diverse business owners throughout the United States.

AT&T spent $9.2 billion with diverse suppliers in 2010 representing 18.8 percent of the company's total spend. AT&T's supplier diversity goal is 21.5 percent of its spend with diverse suppliers.

AT&T was chosen after 1.2 million diversity business owners participated in an online election to determine the top buyers of diversity products and services in the country.

"It is extremely important to us to work with minority, women, and disabled-veteran enterprises, so it is an honor to be recognized on this prestigious list," said Marianne Strobel, executive director, AT&T Global Supplier Diversity. "Diverse businesses continue to provide AT&T with innovative products that enable us to deliver the best solutions for our customers." DiversityBusiness.com is the largest organization of diversity-owned suppliers of goods and services to Fortune 1,000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities in the U.S. DiversityBusiness.com provides research and data collection services on diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" and the "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America." "In a marketplace that is increasingly as sensitive to diversity as it is to revenues, awarding the top buyers of multicultural products and services is becoming a natural part of the new socioeconomic food chain," said Kenton Clarke, CEO of DiversityBusiness.com. "Organizations that consistently buy the most products and services from diversity businesses, and that sustain the most mutually beneficial business relationships with their multicultural suppliers, should be recognized." About AT&T AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. 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, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, 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.

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 www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc. [ Back To Fixed Mobile Convergence Homepage's Homepage ]

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Internet more opportunity than threat to small business owners - TMCnet

Jan 19, 2012 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- While large retailers say online shopping is eating into their profits, almost seven-in-ten (68 per cent) small to medium businesses (SMBs) say they are not concerned about the impact of the Internet.

New research commissioned for the Telstra Business and the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) shows up to 81percent of SMBs now have a website -- a significant increase on previous surveys. And many say they are planning to increase their online presence in 2012.

Group Managing Director of Telstra Business, Will Irving, said it shows the Internet is regarded as a powerful and positive tool by small business.

"Adding new customers is the top priority for two-thirds of SMBs in 2012 and building a stronger Web presence can do just that," Mr Irving said.

"Social media has emerged as a prime growth area with just over one-in-five SMBs (21 per cent) now using it in their operations." Top uses were interacting with customers (74 per cent), promotion (64 per cent) and generating sales leads (38 per cent). A surprising 26 per cent of this group say they use social media for direct sales.

"Many small business operators will have to change their mindset to embrace social media," Mr Irving said.

"Six-in-ten business operators or owners are telling us they believe staff should not be able to access social media in the workplace," Mr Irving said.

Mr Irving said online advertising was fast overtaking other forms of marketing for SMBs with 19 per cent using it, although print ads remained a staple for a quarter.

"The phone is still the main way of directly connecting with customers for half of them, although occurring more often via a smartphone that can also access the Web," Mr Irving said.

Other findings: Some 74 per cent of SMBs use email to connect with their customers while outbound calling (50 per cent) and websites (37 per cent) were other favoured channels; Three-quarters (75 per cent) of SMBs use Internet to source small business information, with professional associations (37 per cent), peers (36 per cent) and newspapers (29 per cent) rated far less important; Some 21 per cent of SMBs nominated big business buying more favourable search engine or advertising placement as an issue of concern for them; After increasing their Internet presence in 2012, other priorities for 2012 are reducing debt (35 per cent), networking (27 per cent) and investing in new technology (23 percent).

About the research The Telstra SMB survey was carried out from October 11-20, 2011 by StollzNow Research and included owners of 321 businesses from self-employed to 200 staff. This sample size gives a confidence level of ± 6% at the 95% confidence level. Field methodology was a permission-based online panel. Quotas were set for State / Territory and region within each State / Territory so that the combined total produces a representative sample that can be projected to the full population of businesses in this category.

Media Contact: Rod Bruem Mobile: 0438 288 010 Email: media@team.telstra.com ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com. [ Back To Fixed Mobile Convergence Homepage's Homepage ]

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Business VoIP Provider Outlines Strategic Initiatives - TMCnet

Digerati Technologies, a provider of cloud communication services including business VoIP and cloud-based telephony services, has outlined key strategic initiatives and business opportunities aimed at driving long-term sales growth and profitability.

As a low-cost operator with a vertically integrated platform and carrier-class global network, the company is in essence a “one-stop” provider of cloud telephony applications with a global reach that is delivered only in the cloud, the company said in a press release.

As far as new, innovative strategic initiatives, currently the company is placing an increased focus upon its cloud and session-based communication services, which are segments of the industry that are experiencing significant growth and where there are great opportunities for business expansion in the future. The company will also leverage its global network and partnerships to develop innovative international business VoIP solutions for carriers and enterprise customer, as well as continue to expand its infrastructure and back office system to streamline operations, automate key processes, and support its VAR distribution model.

In addition, Digerati recently introduced a cost-effective sales and marketing strategy utilizing VARs as its distribution channel. The VAR program targets PBX (News - Alert) vendors, information technology ("IT") services firms, managed service providers, systems integrators and broadband providers that lack a cloud telephony infrastructure, but have an embedded customer base in need of telephony services.

Arthur L. Smith, CEO of Digerati, said in a statement, "FY2012 is shaping up to be a critical turning point for our company. We have made significant progress in enhancing our core infrastructure to support our growth strategy and continue to win new business opportunities with enterprise customers through our VAR relationships both domestically and internationally. We expect to report more on these new business opportunities and on our sales progress in the coming weeks.”

Moreover, Digerati will improve its current carrier-to-carrier sales distribution model with a higher margin model. The company’s Value Added Resellers (VARs) will benefit from this model as it allows them to offer cloud and session-based communication services to the enterprise market.         

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration click here.

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Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein

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