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Sun to Acquire MySQL

2008-01-17T11:46:00-05:00

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MySQL AB, an open source icon and developer of one of the world's fastest growing open source databases for approximately $1 billion in total consideration. The acquisition accelerates Sun's position in enterprise IT to now include the $15 billion database market. Today's announcement reaffirms Sun's position as the leading provider of platforms for the Web economy and its role as the largest commercial open source contributor.

With millions of global deployments including Facebook, Google, Nokia, Baidu and China Mobile, MySQL will bring synergies to Sun that will change the landscape of the software industry by driving new adoption of MySQL's open source database in more traditional applications and enterprises. The integration with Sun will greatly extend the commercial appeal of MySQL's offerings and improve its value proposition with the addition of Sun's global services organization. MySQL will also gain new distribution through Sun's channels including its OEM relationships with Intel, IBM and Dell.

"Today's acquisition reaffirms Sun's position at the center of the global Web economy. Supporting our overall growth plan, acquiring MySQL amplifies our investments in the technologies demanded by those driving extreme growth and efficiency, from Internet media titans to the world's largest traditional enterprises," said Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and president, Sun Microsystems. "MySQL's employees and culture, along with its near ubiquity across the Web, make it an ideal fit with Sun's open approach to network innovation. And most importantly, this announcement boosts our investments into the communities at the heart of innovation on the Internet and of enterprises that rely on technology as a competitive weapon."

MySQL's open source database is widely deployed across all major operating systems, hardware vendors, geographies, industries and application types. The complementary product line-ups will extend MySQL's database reach and are expected to bring new markets for Sun's systems, virtualization, middleware and storage platforms.

"The combination of MySQL and Sun represents an enormous opportunity for users and organizations of all sizes seeking innovation, growth and choice," said Marten Mickos, CEO, MySQL. "Sun's culture and business model complements MySQL's own by sharing the same ideals that we have had since our foundation -- software freedom, online innovation and community and partner participation. We are tremendously excited to work with Sun and the millions of members of the MySQL open source ecosystem to continue to deliver the best database for powering the modern Web economy."

MySQL's open source database is the "M" in LAMP - the software platform comprised of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP/Perl often viewed as the foundation of the Internet. Sun is committed to enhancing and optimizing the LAMP stack on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows along with OpenSolaris and MAC OS X. The database from MySQL, OpenSolaris and GlassFish, together with Sun's Java platform and NetBeans communities, will create a powerful Web application platform across a wide range of customers shifting their applications to the Web.

More than 100 million copies of MySQL's high-performance open source database software have been downloaded and distributed and an additional 50,000 copies are downloaded daily. This broad penetration coupled with MySQL's strength in Web 2.0, Software as a Service (SaaS), enterprise, telecom and the OEM embedded market make it an important fit for Sun. With MySQL, Sun will have the ability to deepen its existing customer relationships and create new opportunities with companies seeking the flexibility and ease-of-use of open source systems.

Following completion of the proposed transaction, MySQL will be integrated into Sun's Software, Sales and Service organizations and the company's CEO, Marten Mickos, will be joining Sun's senior executive leadership team. In the interim, a joint team with representatives from both companies will develop integration plans that build upon the technical, product and cultural synergies and the best business and product development practices of both companies. MySQL is headquartered in Cupertino, CA and Uppsala, Sweden and has 400 employees in 25 countries.

As part of the transaction, Sun will pay approximately $800 million in cash in exchange for all MySQL stock and assume approximately $200 million in options. The transaction is expected to close in late Q3 or early Q4 of Sun's fiscal 2008. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The deal is expected to be accretive to FY10 operating income on a GAAP basis.

The management teams of both companies will host a media and analyst conference call today at 10:00 am EST, 7:00 am PST. The call can be accessed at http://www.sun.com/investors. For those unable to listen to the live conference call, a telephone replay will be available for one week following the call by dialing (888) 566-0103 or outside of the U.S. by dialing (402) 998-0958. No passcode is required to access the replay.

About MySQL

MySQL AB develops and supports a family of high-performance, affordable database products. The company's flagship offering is 'MySQL Enterprise', a comprehensive set of production-tested software, proactive monitoring tools, and premium support services. MySQL is the world's most popular open source database software. Many of the world's largest and fastest-growing organizations use MySQL to save time and money powering their high-volume Web sites, business-critical systems and packaged software -- including industry leaders such as Yahoo!, Alcatel-Lucent, Google, Nokia, YouTube and Booking.com. With headquarters in the United States and Sweden -- and operations around the world -- MySQL AB supports both open source values and corporate customers' needs. For more information about MySQL, please visit www.mysql.com.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Sun Microsystems develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided by a singular vision -- "The Network is the Computer" -- Sun drives network participation through shared innovation, community development and open source leadership. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at http://sun.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/27.html

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro Announces Class-Action Lawsuit

2008-01-17T00:09:00-05:00

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP (http://www.hbsslaw.com/shor.htm) today announced it filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of purchasers of the common stock of ShoreTel, Inc., ("ShoreTel" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:SHOR) in connection with the Company's initial product offering (IPO) on or about July 3, 2007 until present. (the "Class Period")

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from January 16, 2008 -- or by March 16, 2008. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, Reed Kathrein at 510-725-3000, or via e-mail at info@hbsslaw.com.

You can view a copy of the Complaint as filed online at http://www.hbsslaw.com/shor.htm. Any member of the proposed class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain a member of the proposed class.

The suit alleges defendants failed to conduct an adequate due diligence investigation into the company prior to the IPO and failed to reveal that the company was not operating according to plan or as reported in registration statements sent to the SEC. Shareholders paid over $6 million in combined fees to compensate the underwriters for conducting such an investigation which is a critical component that provides investors with important safeguards and protections. The suit alleges had the investigation been appropriately carried out misleading information would not have been given to investors and shares would not have been sold at artificially inflated prices. ShoreTel's IPO raised gross proceeds of at least $86 million with more than 9 million shares of common stock made available.

On January 7, 2008 ShoreTel announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 that were well below expected. Investors learned that fourth quarter results from 2007 would post revenues almost 20 percent lower than previous estimates. Additionally information regarding the Company's inadequate internal controls, as stated in an IPO registration statement, became obvious to investors -- information that should have come out in the company investigation. According to the complaint ShoreTel was already evidencing a deterioration across its product line at the IPO and in an effort to mask these problems defendants prematurely recognized revenues by pulling sales forward into earlier periods and by stuffing its distribution channel with excess products and inventory.

As a result of these findings ShoreTel stock fell over 50 percent in one trading day. Shares plummeted from more than $13.00 per share prior to trading day, to a close of $6.02 per share on January 7, 2008. ShoreTel also experienced exceptionally heavy trading volume with more than six million shares traded -- more than 30 times the Company's recent average daily trading volume.

The Complaint alleges that the defendants including ShoreTel, its entire board of directors, its chief financial officer and the underwriters involved in the IPO are each charged with violating sections of the Securities Act of 1933.

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, a law firm with offices in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Phoenix, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations. The Hagens Berman Web site (http://www.hbsslaw.com/) has more information about the firm.

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/26.html

SoftLayer Adds Key Executive Management

2008-01-15T10:28:00-05:00

SoftLayer announced it has hired three new employees to key manager roles: George Karidis as Chief Strategy Officer, DJ Harris as Director of Business Systems, and Chris Menard as Director of Operations.

“SoftLayer is defining the cutting edge of hosting. My standing goal is to have the best minds that will help us continue to drive emerging technologies,” said Lance Crosby, SoftLayer Chief Executive Officer. “Team chemistry, knowledge, experience, and work ethic are the cornerstones to our success. George, DJ, and Chris build on that foundation.”

Mr. Karidis joins SoftLayer from Devonshire Investors, the private equity arm of Fidelity Investments, where he selected and implemented emerging technologies across numerous portfolio companies. At SoftLayer he will forge new ground on the company’s virtual datacenter initiative, further define its product offering, and lead its sales and marketing efforts. “Hosting is going to evolve more in the next two years than it did in the first ten,” said Mr. Karidis. “Customers are placing more and more value on what hosting can help them accomplish beyond improved efficiency in space and power.”

Mr. Harris comes to SoftLayer from Tyco where he served as an IT Analyst and Software Engineer and was responsible for integrating multiple legacy systems into a single functional unit. He will be responsible for all of SoftLayer’s internal business systems, and tasked to improve and automate all systems that have direct customer interaction. “Our customer support systems have to be as efficient and scalable as our on-demand services,” said Mr. Harris. “They must add to the customer experience—not be a source of frustration.”

Mr. Menard joins SoftLayer from Yum, Inc., and brings extensive experience in large-scale, multi-site datacenter operations. His primary responsibilities will be over geographical expansion, datacenter management, and customer service. “After scaling operations for a single large enterprise, I’m excited to help scale operations for thousands of customers concurrently,” said Mr. Menard. “My goal is to make certain our customers’ IT meets their business needs.”
About SoftLayer Technologies

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, SoftLayer delivers next-generation web hosting and on-demand datacenter services located in Dallas, TX and Seattle, WA. Utilizing proprietary software, coupled with the industry's first network-within-a-network topology, the company delivers unprecedented power and control to securely manage IT environments with unparalleled scalability. For more information please visit www.softlayer.com or call 866.398.7638.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/25.html

Oversee.net Receives $150 million Investment

2008-01-14T19:25:00-05:00

Los Angeles, CA and Menlo Park, CA. (GAWKWIRE) – Oversee.net, an online marketing solutions provider, announced today that it has executed a definitive agreement with Oak Hill Capital Partners, a private equity firm, for an investment of $150 million in Oversee.net’s holding company. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to Oversee, the funds will be used to augment organic growth and acquire technologies that will enhance its suite of services in the online marketing and domain name industries. Oversee’s DomainSponsor™ platform, a leader in monetization for domain owners, will continue investing in core technologies to provide a greater range of options for maximizing the value of domain traffic. In 2007, Oversee moved assertively to build its domain name auction and related services capability, in part through the acquisitions of SnapNames and Moniker®. The company will continue to evaluate acquisitions that extend its overall capabilities.

“Oak Hill understands that the online marketing, traffic and domain name sectors are rapidly growing, and they share our vision for establishing Oversee as a leading, trusted partner for domain owners and advertisers”, said Oversee.net co-founder and CEO Lawrence Ng. “Their commitment and support will add fuel for organic growth and will help us capitalize on opportunities to broaden our capabilities.”

Robert Morse, a Partner at Oak Hill Capital Partners, added, “Oversee is an innovative company which we believe is well positioned for growth over the coming years. We’re looking forward to working with Lawrence and his talented team as they play a leadership role in this dynamic industry.”

The transaction is expected to close by the end of January 2008.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/24.html

CMP and O'Reilly Launch Second Annual Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco

2008-01-11T08:47:00-05:00

CMP and O'Reilly Media, Inc., co-producers of Web 2.0 Expo and Web 2.0 Summit, today announced the return of Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco, the global annual gathering of developers, designers, marketers, and business professionals building the next generation Web. Overwhelming demand from last year's San Francisco event prompted the launch of the Web 2.0 Expo brand worldwide, including locations in Berlin and Tokyo. Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco will take place April 22-25, 2008 at Moscone West. Registration is now open at http://www.web2expo.com/sf.

In its second year, Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco spotlights innovators and leaders of the Web 2.0 universe, exploring how to navigate and leverage the power of the Web. A forum for creativity, engineering, and innovation, Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco includes a multi-track conference, an "unconference" program called Web2Open, major tradeshow, and many networking events. Additional information is available at http://www.web2expo.com/sf.

"The power of Web 2.0 is remarkable, moving at a dynamic speed, and companies across all industries are suddenly looking at a new way of doing business," said Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media. "Implementation will determine success or failure. At Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco, we'll harness collective intelligence, openness, and network effects in Web 2.0 strategy, design, programming, operations, and viral marketing to determine winning strategies."

Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco will feature the most innovative and successful internet industry figures and companies. These industry pioneers will provide attendees with examples of business models, development
paradigms, and design strategies enabling mainstream businesses and new arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities. Conference tracks will include:

    -- Marketing & Community
    -- Design & User Experience
    -- Strategy & Business Models
    -- Fundamentals
    -- Development
    -- Focus on: Web Operations
    -- Focus on: Mobile Web
    -- Focus on: Social Platforms

"This past year we've delivered on our promise to connect and serve the Web 2.0 community as it continues to grow beyond borders, both virtual and physical," said Eric Faurot, Senior Vice President, CMP. "We're excited to partner with O'Reilly once again to expand the universe of businesses and individuals who employ the principles of Web 2.0. We believe this community continues to drive innovation in both the global economy and culture."

Web 2.0 Expo welcomes industry leaders that are participating and exhibiting in this year's show including Diamond sponsor Etelos; Platinum sponsors Cynergy, Nokia, Openmaru, and WebEx; Gold sponsors Citrix, Coghead, Disney, EffectiveUI, HCL, Intuit/Quickbase, SpinScape, Sun and Symphoniq; Silver sponsors Atlassian, Awareness, Coradiant, Curl, Denodo, Dixero, Force10, Impetus, JackBe, Jaduka, Juniper, Lithium Technologies, LongJump, ONEsite, and Panther Express.

To learn more about the 2008 Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco or register visit: http://www.web2expo.com/sf

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/23.html

Cruise Critic Christens Dedicated Online Cruise News and Reviews Site for U.K.

2008-01-11T13:31:00-05:00

PENNINGTON, N.J - (GAWKWIRE) - (http://www.cruisecritic.com/), the world's leading online resource for consumer-oriented cruise reviews and news, has announced the launch of CruiseCritic.co.uk, a dedicated U.K. site geared toward the British cruising community and the company's first country-specific domain.

As an interactive cruise community and resource for planning cruise getaways, CruiseCritic.co.uk will provide U.K. cruisers with vacation planning tools such as cruise reviews and ports of call recommendations written by both site members and Cruise Critic's expert editorial staff. CruiseCritic.co.uk content will be programmed specifically for U.K.-oriented readers, catering to the style and manner in which British travelers cruise. Also, with the launch of the U.K. site, Cruise Critic can now offer unique deals and discounts specifically to U.K. cruisers, something that was not previously possible through the .com site.

"The British have a long tradition of cruising, as many great ships and shipping lines have British origins," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor, Cruise Critic. "Despite this lengthy cruise history, just recently, the British cruise market has experienced an unprecedented boom. This boom, coupled with an ever increasing British audience visiting the .com site made now the ideal time to launch CruiseCritic.co.uk in order to help British cruisers find the right ship, with the right amenities at the right price."

About Cruise Critic

Launched in October 1995, by The Independent Traveler, Inc., Cruise Critic was the first consumer cruise site on the Internet. It is both an interactive online magazine providing editorially driven cruise-related features and an active community, where travelers can share opinions and experiences. Cruise Critic is ranked the number one cruise information Web site by Hitwise. In the last five years, traffic on CruiseCritic.com has grown 350 percent and it currently attracts more than five million visitors per year. In response to this burgeoning demand and worldwide growth, Cruise Critic launched its U.K.- based sister site CruiseCritic.co.uk, in January 2008. Cruise Critic and The Independent Traveler were acquired by TripAdvisor(R), LLC, the world's largest travel community and an operating company of Expedia, Inc. in May 2007.

Cruise Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The Independent Traveler, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/22.html

Social Networking Sites Slow and Inaccessible

2008-01-11T08:25:00-05:00

Popular social networking sites fail to deliver to their users, according to WatchMouse. Research from the leading website monitoring company has shown that web 2.0 sites often are slow to open or fail to load properly. WatchMouse monitored the time it took the social networking sites, listed on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites), to load. The results showed that the worst for availability is the immensely popular Facebook.

Other well known culprits include Twitter, last.fm, Windows Live Spaces, Friendster and del.icio.us. Of the 104 sites monitored, 51 show a Site Performance Index (SPI) of 1000 or more, making them very slow in load time. A remarkable outcome, seeing as most sites heavily use Ajax, which should lead to quicker load times since the dynamics of the site do not load immediately. Using Ajax should help websites increase interactivity, speed, functionality and usability by exchanging small amounts of data with the server so the entire webpage does not need loading fully every time someone performs an action on a page.

Of the monitored social networking sites, Faceparty performed the best - with an SPI of 303 - meaning users can access the site most frequently and in the fastest time. Looking at the results, most sites still have a lot to work on if they want their users to keep returning to their site. Research has shown that most web users are very impatient and will wait no longer than four seconds for a webpage to load.

"It is interesting to see that popular networking sites turn out to have very bad performance," said Mark Pors, CTO at WatchMouse. "It is surprising they still have such a big fan base when they serve their users so badly. Using Ajax technology, they should be able to work more effectively. For now the sites will need to do a lot of work to remain popular and improve their performance."

A complete overview of the monitoring results of the WatchMouse Site Availability Index, listing all the sites monitored, can be found on http://www.watchmouse.com/SPI/2008/performance_social_networking_sites.php

About WatchMouse

Companies can easily monitor the performance of their web sites using WatchMouse's monitoring service. WatchMouse has thousands of customers in over 70 countries and checks from 25+ locations and networks worldwide (see: http://www.watchmouse.com).

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/21.html

Moniker Joins Oversee.net

2008-01-11T13:23:00-05:00

Los Angeles, CA and Pompano Beach, FL - (GAWKWIRE) - Oversee.net, a leading technology-driven online marketing solutions company, and Moniker®, one of the fastest-growing providers of domain name registration, domain asset management, and monetization services, announced today that Oversee has acquired Moniker. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

One of the more innovative ICANN-accredited registrars, Moniker offers products and services beyond basic registration, including name creation, registration, acquisition, portfolio management, theft protection, appraisal and escrow services, traffic monetization, live and online domain auctions and aftermarket sales. The company is well regarded by registrants and domain name industry professionals as the most secure and customer-focused registrar in the industry.

Moniker operations will remain in Pompano Beach, Florida and will continue to be led by Monte Cahn, President of Moniker. Cahn has agreed to a multi-year commitment with Oversee by continuing to run Moniker, in addition to other senior executive responsibilities within Oversee.

Oversee acquired domain name auction leader SnapNames® last June, and the company believes the addition of Moniker will give Oversee a complete array of services to cement its leadership position in the domain name secondary market. Oversee will leverage the two divisions' capabilities by adding Moniker's live auction and back-office services to SnapNames Live™ to offer the industry's most comprehensive live and silent auction services.

The first demonstration of the integration will be at DOMAINfest Global later this month, where SnapNames Live will lead and conduct the auction, with Moniker providing valuation and escrow services. More integrated services are planned, including:

Deepening Moniker's continuing commitment to its auction partners through the use of the SnapNames Live technology in Moniker-managed auctions
The addition of DomainSponsor as an available option in Moniker's TrafficClub monetization service
Availability of Moniker's registrar services for SnapNames and DomainSponsor customers
Inclusion of traffic and monetization history as data for domain name auctions
A complete set of Domain Asset Management services that offer domain owners all the tools necessary to profitably manage their domains
Commenting on the transaction, Moniker CEO Cahn said, "Oversee's advanced technology platform and strong financial resources give us the capability to focus on further expanding our market opportunity. This is a dynamic industry, and our collaboration with SnapNames puts Oversee well ahead of any competitor. This is a tremendous opportunity for Oversee and Moniker."

"We are delighted that Monte Cahn and his team of experienced professionals are becoming part of the Oversee family," said Lawrence Ng, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Oversee. "Our primary objective, as a company, is to continue adding and developing capabilities that offer customers a greater breadth of products and services. Moniker is widely respected by industry players and has a reputation for knowledge, security, and professionalism."

About Oversee.net
Founded in 2000, Oversee.net is a technology-driven online marketing solutions company with two primary divisions--Oversee Domain Services and Oversee Marketing Services. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Portland, Oregon and San Mateo, California, the Company has over 200 employees. Some of Oversee's key brands include SnapNames®, the operator of the largest available source of expired and deleting domain names; DomainSponsor™, a global leader in domain monetization, and Low.com™, a top consumer financial services portal. Oversee has been growing profitably since inception.

Oversee was named to the Inc. 500 and ranked third in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 of Los Angeles and 18th in the nation. Oversee was also named "Internet and New Media Company of the Year" by the Technology Council of Southern California and its CEO and Co-Founder, Lawrence Ng, was named a winner of the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Greater Los Angeles program in the technology category. To learn more, please visit http://www.oversee.net.

About Moniker.com
Moniker, with headquarters in Pompano Beach, Florida, is the leading provider of Domain Asset Management™, a complete set of business services that provide companies a single-point-of-access to help manage and maximize the value of their domains. With more than a decade of experience, Moniker is a top 10 domain registrar, holds the industry's highest customer retention rate and pioneered the industry's first domain appraisal formula. It is considered the industry's premier marketplace to buy and sell premium domain names. For more information, visit http://www.moniker.com.

About SnapNames.com
Founded in 2000, SnapNames operates the largest auction of expired and deleting domain names. Partnering with the world's largest and best-known registrars and service providers, SnapNames uses its innovative, patent-pending technology to give its customers exclusive first access to the world's largest inventory of high-traffic, brandable and investment-grade domain names every day. SnapNames is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and was ranked #5 in the 2007 Fastest Growing Private 100 companies in Oregon. SnapNames is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oversee.net. For more information, visit www.snapnames.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/20.html

SnapNames Live Preliminary Auction Catalog Released

2008-01-11T13:21:00-05:00

PORTLAND, OR - (GAWKWIRE) - SnapNames®, an Oversee.net company, has published a preliminary catalog of premium domain names available for auction at DOMAINfest Global™ Hollywood, with additional names available in an online auction after the event.

Some of the top names submitted for sale during the January 21-23 event include:

neighborhood.com
dude.com
IQ.net
ar.com
bookmarks.com
soapoperas.com
joysticks.com
athlete.com
athens.com
adultvideos.com
IC.com
automobiles.com
face.com
six.com
track.com
exercising.com
message.com
cups.com
layouts.com
planners.com
exams.com
moviearchive.com
racetracks.com
hearingaids.net
travelperks.com
BF.com
text.com
The preliminary catalog is available at http://www.snapnameslive.com.

Two SnapNames Live™ auctions are scheduled for DOMAINfest Global, the industry's premier conference and marketplace. The auction format differs from most in the industry, with two discrete three-hour sessions to ensure attention on domains in all positions in the catalog.

A final selection of approximately 400 names will be chosen for the live event, with an extended catalog of names presented in an online auction in the days following the DOMAINfest event. Both catalogs are expected to feature some of the best names available in the aftermarket.

First auction for charity
SnapNames Live and Grassroots.org also are cooperating in a first-of-its-kind philanthropic effort. Eight names donated to Grassroots.org will be offered by SnapNames in the live auction, with sale proceeds benefiting Grassroots.org charities. Donated domains include pleasures.net, lowincomemortgages.com, importliquor.com and cheapstudios.com. Many additional premium names will be offered in the extended catalog.

Auction procedures
During the SnapNames Live auctions, simultaneous online bidding will extend participation to bidders beyond the auction floor, including real-time access to SnapNames' world-wide base of more than 150,000 qualified buyers. This broad exposure to qualified and motivated buyers helps ensure maximum visibility and bidding contention for seller inventory.

Additional information is available for buyers and sellers via e-mail to liveauctions@snapnames.com. The DOMAINfest website also has additional information on the overall event at www.DOMAINfest.com. Subscriptions will be available soon for updates by email.

About SnapNames
Founded in 2000, SnapNames operates the largest auction of expired and deleting domain names. Partnering with the world's largest and best-known registrars and service providers, SnapNames uses its innovative, patent-pending technology to give its customers exclusive first access to the world's largest inventory of high-traffic, brand-able and investment-grade domain names every day. SnapNames is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and was ranked #5 in the 2007 Fastest Growing Private 100 companies in Oregon. SnapNames is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oversee.net. For more information, visit http://www.snapnames.com.

About DOMAINfest
DOMAINfest is a premier conference and marketplace built to serve the domain industry. Founded and sponsored by DomainSponsor, the domain monetization service of Oversee.net, DOMAINfest brings domain industry professionals together to learn, network, and do business. To register or learn more, visit http://www.domainfest.com.

About Oversee.net
Founded in 2000, Oversee.net is a technology-driven online marketing solutions company, with two primary divisions - Oversee Domain Services and Oversee Marketing Services. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Portland, Oregon, San Mateo, California, and Pompano Beach, Florida, the company has over 200 employees. Some of Oversee's key brands include SnapNames®, DomainSponsorTM, Moniker® and Low.comTM. Oversee has been growing profitably since inception.

Oversee was named to the Inc. 500 and ranked third in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 of Los Angeles and 18th in the nation. Oversee was also named "Internet and New Media Company of the Year" by the Technology Council of Southern California, and its CEO and Co-Founder, Lawrence Ng, was named a winner of the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Greater Los Angeles program in the technology category. To learn more, please visit http://www.oversee.net.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/19.html

All-Star Lineup Headlines DOMAINfest Global Agenda

2008-01-11T08:18:00-05:00

LOS ANGELES - (GAWKWIRE) - DomainSponsor™, the domain monetization business of Oversee.net and organizing party of DOMAINfest Global, a premier conference for the domain industry, today announced the final DOMAINfest agenda, which features global experts who will cover all aspects of the domain industry. The event takes place at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, California from January 21-23, 2008. The agenda and speaker information are available on the event website at www.domainfest.com.

Sessions have been designed to appeal to all levels of domain expertise. Designed for beginners and intermediate domainers, Domain Industry Bootcamp is a must-attend session for industry newcomers taught by Sean Stafford (DNZoom), Michael Gilmour (ParkLogic), Adam Strong (DomainNameNews.com), and Jothan Frakes (Oversee.net). Branding for Gold, Balancing Hype and Reality features David Sams (David Sams Industries), Mike “Zappy” Zapolin and Andy Miller (InternetRealEstate.com), and Bill Sweetman (Tucows), experienced professionals who will share how they have leveraged the power of direct navigation to get their eCommerce storefronts launched and established.

There are also sessions for the experienced domainer. Aftermarket and Appraisals focuses on evaluating a domain’s market value and how to decide when to keep or sell a domain and features experts Dan Warner (Fabulous), Tom Murphy (BuyDomains/NameMedia), Mason Cole (SnapNames), Matt Bentley (Sedo), Victor Pitts (Moniker) and John Tompkins (Trellian). In Maximizing Revenue from Local Advertisers, panelists David and Michael Castello (Castello Cities Internet Network, Inc.), Christine Johanson (Neustar) and Dan Pulcrano (Boulevards.com) will offer real-life examples that illustrate how a domainer, with the right domain name, can take on the goliaths of the industry.

Continuing education sessions focus on building professional skills and advancing business practices. Negotiating to Win will be led by renowned networking expert and author, Charles “The Ruf” Ruffolo, who will provide information about the fine art of negotiation and teach special techniques that work particularly well for domainers. Financial Planning for Business Success will cover tax issues and business structures, as well as provide solid advice on setting up and running your business. Speakers include Selwyn Gerber (Gerber & Co. CPAs), Louis Doctor (Arbor Advisors), Sandy Brooks (Domain Tax Guide), John Suh (LegalZoom.com), and Paul Keating (Renova Ltd.).

General interest sessions focus on top-level issues relevant to the industry. Domain Names and the Law: What’s at Stake will include practical strategies for handling trademark issues, defending bogus cybersquatting allegations and fighting back against reverse domain name hijackers. Listen to legal experts Aaron Kornblum (Microsoft), John Berryhill, David Snead and William Delgado (Willenken Wilson Loh & Lieb, LLP). Frank Schilling will lead the first DOMAINfest Domainer Town Hall discussion and share his insights on what the future holds, as well as address many of the significant issues and trends affecting the industry. In the Internet Commerce Association Update, speakers Phil Corwin and Michael Collins will bring domain owners up-to-date on what the association is doing to protect their rights. Understanding the Big Picture is a macro-level examination of online trends and how they will impact our industry and domain name values over time. Speakers include Paul Sloan (Fortune Magazine), David Liu (Jefferies & Company, Inc.), Monte Cahn (Moniker), Rob Hall (Momentous) and Ron Jackson (DN Journal). Domainer Worst Practices offers personal narratives and insights from domain industry pros Bret Fausett, Eytan Elbaz, Mike Rodenbaugh and Jothan Frakes (Oversee.net).

Limited Attendance Breakouts provide deeper industry insights on key issues in a more intimate session format. In Easy Steps for Building out Domains, speakers Brian Benko (NoParking.com), Eric Littman (Washington VC), Sujan Patel (Oversee.net) and Frank Michlick (SharedReviews) will describe some tips, tricks, and tools for building out domains. Pinky Brand (.mobi), Leona Chen (.Asia), and Freddy Schiwek (EuroDNS) will discuss Latest TLDs Updates, with information on new registries, new registry service providers, and how top level domains will affect domainers’ current portfolio. Winning Domain Name Portfolio Strategies for Corporations and Businesses will help corporate brand managers learn how to create better harmony among corporate function, and leverage domain names to serve a company's interests. Speakers include Lori Harmon (Verisign Brand Management), Susan Kawaguchi (Ebay), Krista Papac (Iron Mountain), Brian Benko (NoParking.com), and Matt Serlin (MarkMonitor).

Peter Hillary, an experienced mountain climber, adventurer, and motivational speaker, will deliver the opening keynote on January 21st. With 25 years of experience in extreme risk environments, Hillary will share his unique insights on risk-taking, the spirit of adventure, and how they are relevant to your business decisions. John Battelle, an Internet visionary, will be the keynote speaker on January 23rd. Battelle authored the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs 2005 Business Book of the Year entitled, The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture and is a co-founder of Wired Magazine.

SnapNames LIVE™ Auction debuts at the conference with auctions held on January 22nd and 23rd. View daily updates as the SnapNames Live Auction catalogs evolve and pre-arrange any financing you will need through Domain Capital. A special group of domains will be auctioned to benefit nonprofit organizations through Grassroots.org. Bidders will also be participating online. Advanced registration is required at the SnapNames booth in the Exhibit Hall. An orientation for the SnapNames Live auctions will be part of the first day’s events.

Event sponsors include Bank of America, Casale Media, Domain Capital, WebMoney, CPX Interactive, NameMedia, dotMobi, EuroDNS, Fabulous, InterNetX, Name.com, Parking Panel, Sedo, 19parking, .Asia, Microsoft, Parked.com, Rebel.com, RevenueDirect, Blacknight Solutions, Domainer’s Choice Awards, Grassroots.org, NameDrive, Offshoring.com, and SmartDotComs.

Exhibitors at the conference include 19parking, Casale Media, DNZoom, Domain Capital, DomainSponsor, dotMobi, Fabulous, Grassroots.org, InterNetX, Moniker, Name.com, Offshoring.com, Parked.com, ParkingPanel, Rebel.com, RevenueDirect, Sedo, SmartDotComs, SnapNames, and WebMoney.

Visit the DOMAINfest website to register for the event: http://www.domainfest.com. Registration is $795 up until the conference begins. A spouse pass for meals and the party is available for $350. On-site registration is $995.

About Oversee.net

Founded in 2000, Oversee.net is a technology-driven online marketing solutions company, with two primary divisions -- Oversee Domain Services and Oversee Marketing Services. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Portland, Oregon, Pompano Beach, Florida and San Mateo, California, the Company has over 240 employees. Some of Oversee’s key brands include SnapNames®, the operator of the largest available source of expired and deleting domain names; Moniker®, the leading provider of Domain Asset Management™; DomainSponsor™, a global leader in domain monetization; and Low.com™, a top consumer financial services portal.

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R1Soft Acquired by BBS Technologies

2008-01-10T08:03:00-05:00

Developer of near-continuous data protection products for Linux and Windows, R1Soft, has been acquired by BBS Technologies, Inc., to strengthen its position in the Windows systems management market and give access to R1Soft, of BBS' distribution channel, support capabilities, and engineering resources.

Rick Pleczko, President and CEO, BBS Technologies noted, ''The acquisition of R1Soft expands our footprint in the Windows backup and recovery space as well as extending our reach into the fast growing Linux Server market. As Linux and MySQL play key roles in organizations worldwide, this announcement represents an important step in positioning us to meet a broader set of customer needs during 2008 and beyond. We welcome the R1Soft team and products into our company.''

Effective immediately, R1Soft will be integrated as a division of BBS Technologies headed up by David Wartell, founder and CEO of R1Soft. R1Soft will continue to pursue its existing product development goals, and existing employees will continue to work under the new division.

David Wartell President and CEO of R1Soft added, ''We are excited about becoming part of BBS Technologies as it will enable us to accelerate our product development plans, increase our penetration into existing markets and provide us with the resources to enter new product and market spaces. The combination is a true win-win for our customers and our company. Our commitment to excellence remains unchanged.''

R1Soft currently produces Continuous Data Protection solutions designed for data centers, web hosting providers, and other firms using Linux servers. Founded in 2003, Righteous Software is a provider of disk-based backup solutions, with low cost, scalable and integrated products, featuring products designed to integrate with Linux-based systems.

For more information about R1Soft, please visit: www.r1soft.com

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The Planet Announces PubCon Participation

2008-01-06T14:46:00-05:00

HOUSTON, TX - (THE HOSTING NEWS) - The Planet, the world’s largest privately held dedicated hosting company, today announced its participation in the PubCon Vegas 2007 tradeshow, Dec. 3-7, 2007, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Planet will be located in Booth 400C, where visitors can learn first-hand about the company’s products, services and solutions.

The annual PubCon show attracts a broad range of search engine marketers, optimizers, marketing executives, Web masters, and affiliate, program and channel managers.

“The Web world moves at warp speed, constantly evolving with new and better technologies, accompanied by the requirement that sites operate flawlessly around the clock,” said The Planet’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management Steve Kahan. “At PubCon 2007, we’ll provide overviews on our six world-class data centers and unparalleled network, and showcase promotions that underscore why IT infrastructure outsourcing offers such an attractive, cost-effective alternative to the do-it-yourself approach.”

For more information, visit: www.theplanet.com/news/events.asp

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/10.html

Crucial Paradigm Targets Australian Market

2008-01-07T00:41:00-05:00

DALLAS, TX - (GAWKWIRE) - Crucial Paradigm, a leading provider of Shared, Reseller, Dedicated and Managed Web hosting solutions, announced today it plans to more actively market to the Australian hosting community with a newly launched division, Crucial Paradigm Australia.

In the new division, Crucial Paradigm Australia will guarantee to customers that all hardware and operations of the company are physically located in Australia. The company has seen strong demand from businesses in the local market looking for such a guarantee.

“For our Australian clients, locating hardware locally offers increased speeds, lower latency, and a better peace of mind,” said Aaron Weller, director of Crucial Paradigm. “We are excited about this launch, as our extensive research and development is finally coming to fruition. We are sincerely looking forward to developing new relationships with local businesses.”

Crucial Paradigm Australia has been in development for about a year. The company hopes to expand Australian operations in the coming months, and introduce new services, such as Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) plans. Additional announcements will be made as new products and services are added.

Servers will be located in Sydney, Australia in the Equinix Datacenter. Shared hosting plans start at AUD $14.95/monthly for 1,000MB of storage space and 3,000MB of monthly data transfer. Business plans start at AUD $29.95/monthly for 1,000MB of space and 5,000MB of data transfer. All plans include 24x7 technical support and a variety of value-added features.

For more information about Crucial Paradigm Australia, please visit http://www.crucial.com.au

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Search Engine Strategies (SES) San Jose, returns for 10th Year

2008-01-06T14:25:00-05:00

Popular Marketing Event Has Already Broken Record for Attendee and Sponsor/Exhibitor Registration Numbers

San Jose, CA - (GAWKWIRE) - Savvy search engine marketers are awaiting the return of Search Engine Strategies (SES) San Jose, the interactive search marketing event of the year where delegates learn first hand the strategies and tactics available to them to grow their business online. The event, to be held at the San Jose Convention Center, August 18-21, 2008, is already drawing unprecedented interest from attendees and exhibitors alike.

SES San Jose marks its 10th anniversary this year with highly anticipated keynotes, seminars, Orion panels and intimate classroom-style training sessions. Each year, search newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike attend SES San Jose to hear from industry visionaries regarding the state of their industry and to network with their peers. This year's event will provide invaluable insights into topics ranging from local search and social media to search privacy and click fraud. Attendees get practical, real-world knowledge they can apply to grow revenues and profits for their businesses.

The major search engines - Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft (Live.com) and Ask.com - will all be in attendance in addition to other industry leaders such as Bruce Clay, LookSmart, Atlas, Commission Junction, Omniture, ClickPath, Findology, ABCSearch, Acronym Media, Did-It, Efficient Frontier, Advertising.com, Business.com, iCrossing, iProspect, The Karcher Group, Digital Grit, Keyword Max, Optimost, Life Tips, Orange Soda, Acquisio, CPA Empire, SEO Inc., Click Forensics, Mountain Media, Market Motive, Trellian, Outrider, Goecart, Sage Rock, Unica, 7Search, SearchRev, iClimber, Ingenio, MarchEx, Impaqt, Tyloon Inc., Visual Sciences, Adapt, The Search Agency, Acxiom Digital, TMP, Ezanga, Offshoring.com, Moniker, Joe Bucks, and many more.

"With dozens of popular sessions and more than 70 sessions for every skill level, SES San Jose is the place to be for any marketer looking to hone skills and get a leg up on the competition," said Kevin Ryan, VP Global Content for SES and Search Engine Watch, Incisive Media properties. "We're proud to note that, as we mark this important ten-year milestone, SES San Jose has remained a highly respected venue for those looking to sharpen their skills in the evolving search space."

An SES San Jose highlight each year is the Google Dance and 2008 will follow that tradition. SES attendees can flash their badges to gain entry to the event - an invitation-only party held on the Google campus.

Also slated for the 2008 event are a special awards program as well as a full day of training sessions offering additional growth and learning opportunities.

For more information, visit www.SearchEngineStrategies.com

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