Gawkwire: Web Hosting and Internet News Resource

Global Confidence in Innovation Holds Despite Economy

2009-01-31T06:00:00-05:00

San Francisco, CA (Gawkwire.com) The public's inclination toward innovative products was largely unaffected by the drop in consumer confidence last year, according to the 2008 IIIP Innovation Confidence Index that was expanded to cover every region of the world and released publicly today.

The survey also found that societal values are more important than individual demographics, such as age or education, in predicting whether local consumers will accept innovative products. For example, a middle-aged non-entrepreneur in a traditional society like Colombia is significantly more likely to believe new products or services will improve his life than a young Finnish entrepreneur.

"Worldwide, we found that people's confidence in innovation seems to be independent of whether the economy is going up or down and that people in countries with more traditional social values are more likely to welcome innovation. The IIIP Innovation Confidence Index is the only clear snapshot of consumers' receptivity to innovative products, and findings like these provide important insights for developing global marketing strategies," the report's author Dr. Jonathan Levie of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow said.

The annual survey commissioned by the Institute for Innovation & Information Productivity (IIIP) shows a dip of just 1 percent on average in consumers' openness toward innovation across the seven countries sampled in both 2007 and 2008. Comparatively, overall personal confidence in local economic conditions dropped 8 percent on average across the same countries during an equivalent period, as reported by A.C. Nielsen's consumer confidence index.

The 2008 IIIP Innovation Confidence Index incorporates responses from 81,000 consumers and covers 25 countries, more than doubling the geographic reach of the 2007 study. The survey provides a country-by-country average of the percentage of consumers between 18 and 64 years old who agreed that within the next six months they were likely to buy products or services new to the market, they were likely to try products or services that use new technologies for the first time, and that new products and services would improve their lives.

Innovation Linked to Values; Most Popular in Developing Countries, Among Young:
Overall, the report found that societal values eclipsed personal demographics in determining how receptive individuals are to innovation. Countries rated as "traditional" by the World Values Survey, like Ireland, the United States and those in South America, had a higher level of innovation confidence than countries where secularism is valued, such as the Netherlands, Finland and Japan.

Overall the survey found:

The people of South American and African countries, including Colombia, Peru, Angola, South Africa and Uruguay, scored highest as accepting of innovative new products and services.
The average innovation confidence index for eight South American and Caribbean countries was 70, compared with an average of 53 for ten European countries.
The United States and Mexico both had mid-level scores of 60.
Countries in the Middle East and Asia varied widely in their attitudes toward innovation.
On average, two-thirds of working-age consumers in developing countries were receptive to innovative products and services compared with half of this group in more developed countries. This is partly because younger people tend to be more receptive to new products and the age profile of developing countries is younger.

The IIIP-sponsored index was implemented by the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde in association with the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association and its annual Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report. It is intended to provide business and government a valid measurement of which regions and types of consumer are most open to innovative products and provides insights for evaluating markets or economic policies.

The report with country-by-country innovation confidence chart and analysis is available at no cost on the Institute's Web site at www.iii-p.org. The 2008 IIIP Innovation Confidence Index was issued as an independent supplement to the annual GEM report to attendees at the 2009 GEM Planning Meeting on Jan. 15-18 at Babson College in Mass., U.S.A.

Changing 21st Century Business Metrics:
Phil McKinney, IIIP president and vice president and chief technology officer of the Personal Systems Group at HP, said, "Armed with an understanding of the cultural impact of innovation, global companies can execute new products and services that really matter. The IIIP Consumer Confidence Index provides important direction to industry and world governments seeking to encourage the social benefits of innovation through policy direction and investment."

The Institute is a collaboration of business, academic and philanthropic professionals working together to define the new metrics of the information age and has released a number of studies seeking to understand the most effective ways to deploy innovation and achieve a positive impact on society. For example, the IIIP is currently finalizing a study of the economic impact of social networks and the relationship between consumers, behavior patterns and revenue generation.

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

The Future of the Web Unveiled

2009-01-31T06:00:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) At this years edition of The Next Web Conference, the future of the web will be unveiled. An international audience of more than 900 people from over 30 countries will discuss ideas, business models, and threats and solutions for the future of the web.

Matt Mullenweg (Founder WordPress), Andrew Keen (author of 'The Cult of the Amateur'), Chris Sacca (Former Head of Special Initiatives at Google) and many more inspiring industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and authors will share their vision on the Next Web.

The Next Web Conference is an annual Internet Conference held in Amsterdam since 2006. Last years event was attended by more than 750 people from over 30 countries and was streamed live online to an audience of 20.000 unique viewers. Effectively turning it into one of the largest Internet events in the world.

The Next Web Conference plays an important part in introducing Europe's hot tech start-ups to investors and press. A selected group of 24 selected start-ups gets free access to the conference and main stage to present their technology to the audience. Previous editions played a crucial role in introducing Europe's finest entrepreneurs to the world.

Demand for an event where attendees can get a glimpse of what the Next Web will be seems to be even higher in an Economic downturn. Patrick de Laive, organizer of The Next Web Conference explains:

"People become more selective in which events they are going to attend this year. Because this is our fourth edition and we have a track record we are experiencing a lot of interest in the conference from both attendees, start-ups and press. We expect it to be another great event!"

The Next Web Conference will be held April 15, 16 and 17, 2009 at the Westergasfabriek Terrein in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Some early bird tickets are still available at the conference website: http://2009.thenextweb.com

The Next Web Conference
Amsterdam, 15, 16 en 17 April 2009
Westergasfabriek
http://2009.thenextweb.com

Early Bird: EUR 500 (ex BTW)
(only 150 tickets available)
https://thenextweb.paydro.net/

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

Soonr Chosen as Finalist in MobileMonday Mobile Peer Awards

2009-01-31T06:00:00-05:00

Campbell, CA (Gawkwire.com) Soonr, an innovator in mobile cloud services, has been chosen as a finalist in the MobileMonday Mobile Peer Awards and will present on stage at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona on February 16.

Soonr was one of 20 finalists chosen from 163 entries submitted by MobileMonday chapters around the world, and is one of only three finalists from the United States. MobileMonday is a global community focusing on sharing knowledge and connecting innovators in mobile technology across all sectors of the industry and throughout the world. Their annual Mobile Peer Awards is a highly anticipated competition and event.

Earlier this month, Soonr introduced world's first iPhone application that uses the power of cloud computing to keep business people in touch with their documents anywhere they go. A free version is available from the Apple App Store with expanded versions offered through leading mobile operators and SaaS providers.

Soonr makes the documents on your Mac or PC completely mobile. Whenever your computer is online, Soonr automatically and instantly backs up your files in your "personal cloud," making them always available to you. iPhone users get a crisp, clear view of all their documents - whether they are Word, Excel, PowerPoint or virtually any other file type - along with the ability to collaborate and share, and even print to a remote printer right from their iPhones.

All of Soonr's capabilities are available to you, even when host computers are sleeping or powered off. As a bonus, since Soonr continuously and securely backs up your documents to your personal cloud, they are easily restored in case of computer failure or loss.

For more information, go to www.soonr.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/soonr_chosen_as_finalist_in_mobilemonday_mobile_peer_awards.html

New â€œObama Wormâ€ Discovered This Week

2009-01-30T09:29:00-05:00

Hickory, N.C. (Gawkwire.com) President Barack Obama is the First U.S. President with a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel. In addition, the President has 1 million “MySpace” friends, 3.7 million Facebook supporters and his campaign database boasts the e-mail addresses of 13 million supporters. President Obama is truly the nation’s first “wired” president.

So is it any surprise that hackers have taken advantage of the new president’s online popularity?

Walling Data, North America’s top distributor of AVG Internet Security Products, discovered a new computer threat this week that exhibits interesting symptoms, including a pop up of the President’s face in the bottom right hand corner of infected computers.

Ironically, the worm was discovered on the network of a K-12 school in the President’s home state of Illinois.

“From what we can tell so far, the good news is that this worm is nothing more than a major nuisance. This threat spreads via external devices, such as flash drives, attacking where a network is typically most vulnerable – from the inside” said Luke Walling, President of Walling Data.

“We first discovered the worm in the course of some support work we were providing to the school,” Walling added. “It seems this threat was developed in an off the shelf development environment often used for the production of simple games, the version we have seems to have last been modified in December 2008.”

Walling also noted that the threat is unlikely to be an isolated incident, as it can be easily spread through the use of external devices, like USB flash drives. Schools are especially susceptible because they often allow the use of such devices to move class work back and forth from home and school.

As of today, the worm is not detected by any security product worldwide based on data obtained from virustotal.com and internal testing.

“We have isolated the components of this threat and have provided samples to security vendors to ensure it is properly and quickly detected by popular security products.”

“This is one instance when seeing our President’s face on your computer screen is not a good thing,” joked Walling. “You have to admit, no matter your political affiliation, this proves even hackers have a sense of humor.”

Are you infected?
Walling reveals what it knows about the “Obama worm” so far and what has been submitted to security vendors.
1.            The threat appears to have been introduced to the school’s network via the use of a USB flash drive or possibly from e-mail.
2.            The Obama worm replicates via USB storage devices and network shares.
3.            The worm’s behavior indicates that it is more of a nuisance than a threat to sensitive data as there are changes to exe/bat/vbs shell extensions (i.e. breaking exe files) and it replicates to a large number of folders on the local computer.
4.            On Mondays only, it will depict President Obama’s face in the lower right corner.

Lessons Learned
Walling suggests two things that could prevent this threat and others like it from wreaking havoc on a network:

1. Make sure all machines are “patched up.”
“Because this threat is not yet detected by any security product, it is critical that any machine with a Microsoft operating system is completely and always ‘patched up’. The threat exploits machines that lack critical Microsoft updates and trust only anti-virus software to catch threats,” Walling said.

2. Prohibit the use of external devices. Define and enforce usage policies diligently.
“It is difficult for many small businesses and schools, who often have limited manpower and resources, to prohibit the use of external devices like flash drives and external hard drives. While these devices are convenient, they are also the easiest way for threats to enter your network. We always recommend that network administrators disable a machine’s ability to use external devices via Group Policy or at a computer level for small workgroups. The ban on these devices should be a part of any organizations’ Internet usage policy, and of course, must be strictly enforced.”

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

Construction Nearly Complete on Data Center!

2009-01-29T03:14:00-05:00

V I D E O U P D A T E ! -- (High Definition Quality)

-- DataCenter3 Key Facts - Liquid Web World Headquarters --
* 90,000 square feet of secure reliable data center capacity
* Space to support 25,000 new high performance web servers
* 600 Additional high-tech Jobs with training and full paid benefits
* An additional 80 million dollar investment in Michigan Internet Infrastructure

Pictures and news coverage of DataCenter3: http://www.liquidweb.com/dc3event/

For a personal tour of DataCenter3 contact tstoliker@liquidweb.com

http://www.gawkwire.com/video_tv/construction_nearly_complete_on_data_center.html

Barrett Joins Global Technologies as Director of Sales and Marketing

2009-01-30T09:25:00-05:00

Spring Lake, MI (Gawkwire.com) Global Technologies, a worldwide provider of network connectivity products and a leader in manufacturing custom cable assemblies, is pleased to announce that Jim Barrett has recently joined the company as Director of Sales and Marketing. He will be responsible for new business development in the company's Datacomm, e-commerce and OEM product offerings. Mr. Barrett has more than 20 years of management experience in marketing, sales and business development. His previous positions include Chief Executive Officer of a civil engineering firm, Regional Manager of a national Datacomm distributor, and Director of New Business Development for a marketing agency.

"We are extremely fortunate to have someone with the depth and diversity of Jim's background join our company," said Global Technologies President Stan Lichenstein. "His proven track record and ability to bring several disciplines together is a tremendous asset to our firm and our customers."

Global Technologies is an integrated manufacturer and distributor of custom electronic assemblies and connectivity system solutions, serving Datacomm and OEM sectors around the globe. The company is headquartered in Spring Lake, Michigan with offices in Dayton, Ohio and Deer Park, New York. Product offerings include custom fiber optic cable assemblies, Cat 5E and Cat 6 cable assemblies, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, electro-mechanical assemblies, ribbon cables, value-added assemblies, D-sub assemblies, and an extensive list of premise distribution products.

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

Why Internet Marketing Strategy Must Include Public Relations

2009-01-30T09:23:00-05:00

Kenosha, WI (Gawkwire.com) With the economic downturn, executives eagerly seek ways to differentiate themselves from competitors and to build their brand and reputation. PR distribution through the Internet gives business marketers access to all traditional and new media types including newspaper, radio, TV, industry trade publications, consumer magazines and influential blogs. With the right tools at hand, marketers have direct and instant access to more than 500,000 media professionals, including editors, journalists, news directors, producers and industry analysts.

Tim Cascio, co-owner of GS Marketing Group, comments, "Our clients are just now beginning to see how money once spent on trade advertising is better directed toward PR. It offers a much higher degree of credibility and, when combined with the power of the Internet, adds metrics and unprecedented reach." Web syndication drives immediate exposure of press releases to web-channel publishers internationally, including those who also publish print publications. It's not uncommon for a distributed press release to get the attention of editors who request high-resolution photography or additional information to adapt the story for their readership.

Cascio says that it's an education process for small to medium sized businesses that haven't had much experience in Public Relations. He explains, "Often, PR is dismissed as part of a company's Internet marketing strategy, not because of its limitations, but because of a lack of understanding. Once clients comprehend that their subject matter expertise is sought by journalists who want to make a stronger connection with their audience, the possibilities begin to emerge."

Publishing has been one of the hardest hit segments of the economy. This bodes well for marketers willing to develop feature articles with and for understaffed publishers. "Our access to the 2009 editorial calendars of media outlets provides valuable insight as to whom to pitch, on which topics and when. Odds of a feature story, pick-up or mention for our client increases exponentially as our goals are aligned to that of the columnist, radio host or TV producer. We regularly receive heartfelt thanks from editors who are grateful we've reached out to them with our timely information, expertise and new product announcements," said Cascio.

Companies with a long-term publicity strategy benefit from putting together a digital media kit and making it easily accessible for media representatives to download. A digital media kit often contains a letter to the editor, media releases, biographies of spokespersons, common interview questions and contact information. "Anything we can do to simplify the job of the media is in our best interest," adds Cascio.

As for common misconceptions about PR, Cascio says, "It continues to surprise me that many C-level executives believe that to get press attention, one must be currently advertising in the same publication. This simply is not true. The integrity of a publication and its journalists are at risk if they abide by such a policy. Other misconceptions include a belief that PR comes at a high cost and without accountability. Marketing experts tend to agree, when business growth is the objective, dollar for dollar, PR wins over advertising nearly every time. Our technology to monitor media mentions and pickups provides the proof business marketers need to justify their investment. Furthermore, keyword-rich releases improve their search engine visibility, something every business has on their list of goals."

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/why_internet_marketing_strategy_must_include_public_relations.html

Free Webinars Help Maximize Productivity, Reduce Costs, and Improve Efficiency

2009-01-30T09:20:00-05:00

New York, NY (Gawkwire.com) Arkadin Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkadin SA, a global audio conferencing and web conferencing provider, today announces its offering of a free webinar series that will provide valuable information from industry leaders to help companies of all sizes maximize productivity, cost-effectiveness and profitability.

"In the wake of the current economic environment, and as companies are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, we want to be in a position to provide businesses information on relative topics including online meetings, remote collaboration, communication skills, goal setting, lead generation, management skills, and online marketing," said Glenn Fleischman, President of Arkadin Inc.

Arkadin's next complimentary webinar will be held on February 11, 2009 at 4:00pm ET and features Ken Molay, president of Webinar Success, who will speak about Improving Your Online Presentation Skills. This presentation will provide tips to help online presenters become more engaging and persuasive while feeling comfortable and in control during any type of virtual event utilizing phone conferencing, web conferencing, or webcasting.

This webinar is appropriate for anyone who delivers public presentations over the web. It is valuable for those currently using webinars in their business and for those just getting started with webinars as a new communications medium.

The audience will learn:
- How to set up your physical environment for an online presentation
- Tips and tricks for improving your vocal style
- How to script and practice a presentation to build comfort and confidence
- Common presentation errors that drive your audience crazy
- Effective audience interaction techniques

Register now for this free webinar. Go to http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/r.htm?e=129864&s=1&k=C72AF0FA6D8CE93B37A3654513D6C287&partnerref=pr.

To view additional Arkadin webinars, visit the Arkadin website at http://www.arkadin.com/press_room/sub-page.cfm?ID=356.

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

SnapNamesÂ® and MonikerÂ® Announce Domain Name Self-Serve Listing Service

2009-01-30T09:27:00-05:00

Hollywood, Calif. (Gawkwire.com) SnapNames, the world's most active daily online domain name auction site, and Moniker, a top ten domain registrar and premium live auction house, said today that sellers can now list domain names for sale on SnapNames.com directly from their Moniker registrar accounts.

The Oversee.net companies made the announcement at DOMAINfest Global®, the domain name industry's premier conference and trade show, where both live and online auctions are taking place this week.

The listing service gives sellers further reach into the industry's largest worldwide pool of qualified domain name buyers, who purchase more than 15,000 names each month. In turn, domain buyers benefit from an increased selection of quality domains at all price points.
"After listening intently to buyer and seller marketplace requirements, we are offering this new functionality to our community of users," said Oversee.net President Jeff Kupietzky. "As people continue to develop Internet identities and expand their demand of domain names, it's absolutely essential to offer a comprehensive selection of quality domains. By allowing users to list from their Moniker accounts, we can quickly increase the availability of quality domains that may otherwise not be available."

Key service functionality and benefits include:

Sellers can choose the best listing format for the domain's quality and price (auction or fixed price "Buy It Now" listings).
Domains will be transferred from seller to buyer automatically on the day of the transaction.
No work is required for sellers to complete a sale; funds are automatically collected, domains transferred and ownership verified by Moniker.
Proceeds from the sale are available to sellers within seven days (in most cases).
SnapNames will also extend visibility of sellers' names into other distribution networks in the coming months as well as offer bulk upload listing tools.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/snapnames_and_moniker_announce_domain_name_self-serve_listing_se.html

DotNetPanel Adds Value to its Windows Control Panel with SmarterMail

2009-01-29T12:05:00-05:00

Phoenix, AZ (Gawkwire.com) “Our goal is to deliver feature-rich solutions for hosting businesses and this partnership allows us to provide an industry-leading mail server to our customers,” said Feodor Fitsner, director of DotNetPanel. “SmarterMail provides users with an industry-leading Webmail interface and is the perfect complement to DotNetPanel for hosting and hosted service providers.”

SmarterMail is the cost-effective Microsoft Exchange alternative, bringing enterprise-level functionality to businesses, ISPs, and Web hosting environments. SmarterMail Lite users can set up unlimited email accounts and unlimited domains with a select set of advanced features at no additional charge, adding substantial value for DotNetPanel customers. SmarterMail Lite is only available in conjunction with the Standard or Enterprise editions of DotNetPanel. A full list of features is available on the SmarterMail Edition Comparison page of the SmarterTools Web site.

SMB SAAS Systems Inc. wanted to provide a premium mail server with support for unlimited domains to its DotNetPanel customers for no additional cost,” said Tim Uzzanti, CEO of SmarterTools. “We are excited that SmarterMail Lite was chosen and believe DotNetPanel customers will benefit from SmarterMail and its ability to expand into enterprise-class features such as synchronization with the iPhone, Blackberry and other Windows Mobile devices.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/dotnetpanel_adds_value_to_its_windows_control_panel_with_smarter.html

6 Secrets to Boost a Customer Retention Strategy

2009-01-29T09:30:00-05:00

Boston (Gawkwire.com) A business lives and dies by repeat customers or clients, especially in uncertain economic times like these. Studies show it can cost up to 10 times more to land a new customer than to keep an existing one. The problem is that most customer retention programs are ineffective. To make matters worse, according to Allegiance, a technology firm in Salt Lake City, the average business hears from only 4 percent of dissatisfied customers -- the rest just bolt. FuelNet, an Internet-based resource for companies looking to grow their business, offers these six secrets to boost a customer retention strategy:

1. Check in with your best customers. At least once a quarter, touch base with the 20 percent of your customers who generate 80 percent of your business to find out how they're doing. "You aren't trying to sell anything or be the bearer of any profound news, but are merely placing a courtesy call to convey a sense of calm and clarity," says Duncan MacPherson, coauthor of Breakthrough Business Development. As an extra personal touch, send a handwritten note.

2. Find out how you're doing. Robert Basso, president of Advantage Payroll Services in Hicksville, N.Y., regularly surveys staff to see if they understand the firm's customer service standards. He also talks to customers to make sure they're receiving the service they deserve. Surveys should be short, free of bias, and well structured, Basso notes.

3. Teach your employees well. Schedule a weekly half-hour meeting with staff to address customer care topics, such as how to deal with crabby or impatient customers. "A postmortem analysis on any customer interaction that doesn't go well can be an eye-opening exercise," says Lori Jo Vest, head of LJV Consulting in Troy, Mich.

4. Send referrals your customers' way. For customers who may own their own businesses, spread the word about their products or services, or offer to share resources if it makes sense.

5. Act fast when someone grouses. Research indicates that a complaint addressed with swiftness and creativity can turn a dissatisfied customer into a highly loyal one, notes Kyle LaMalfa, best practices manager at Allegiance.

6. Think long-term. "Think of a new customer as the beginning of a long relationship where you are going to help them get what they want," says Tessa Stowe, editor of the Sales Conversation newsletter. Positioning yourself as a resource for life differentiates you from companies looking for a quick sale, she adds.

For more insights on customer acquisition and retention, download the free FuelNet Smart Paper "10 Secrets for Successful Customer Relationship Marketing."

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/6_secrets_to_boost_a_customer_retention_strategy.html

â€˜Technology Will Drive Economic Recoveryâ€™

2009-01-29T09:33:00-05:00

LIVERMORE, CA (Gawkwire.com) “Companies embracing increased productivity through technology will drive the world’s economic recovery.”

Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), said the statement above is what drives top-ranked technology companies to continue to support strong research and product development (R&D) efforts.

“The current economic recession provides an incredible window of opportunity for forward-thinking companies in the construction, survey, civil engineering and agriculture markets,” O’Connor said.

“In tough times, increasing productivity through the acceptance of technological breakthroughs will be the difference in success and failure, the difference in being competitive and trailing the competition.

“The economic turnaround will be technology-fueled, driven by the products of forward-thinking companies and the forward-thinking businesses that buy the products that increase productivity,” he said.

The key to any successful business “is managing time to optimize results. If you can save time on every phase of every job, you put more money in your pocket. If you find a technology that will make your machines and people more productive, you become more competitive. And, if you look at what technological breakthroughs can do to not only help you make it during the tough times, but exceed, or even double, the industry averages, you will be in the driver’s seat when business turns around.”

History, he said, "shows us this is true. The companies that emerged from the Great Depression in the 1930s strong and viable adopted emerging technologies when times were tough. They made investments in technology to maximize productivity in every phase of their operation.

“The same opportunities exist today.”

Some instrument and product technology manufacturers tend to pull back research-and-development (R&D) resources when business is down. O’Connor points out that Topcon takes the exact opposite approach.

“Our entire precise positioning business is based on innovative thinking, on conceptualizing products and technologies that have not even been thought of by our customers and potential customers,” O’Connor said, “and then bringing those ideas to the marketplace ahead of the competition.”

The seeking out, testing and acceptance of new technology drives “aggressive business models for companies that don’t want to just survive in tough times, but actually plan to grow their market share.

“It is these companies,” O’Connor said, “that will not be crawling and merely existing when the economic turnaround happens. These are the companies that will be running full speed, and growing their business exponentially because they took advantage of existing opportunities.”

O’Connor pointed to Topcon’s extensive R&D budget for developing “two of the most innovative technologies for construction to be announced in the last few years” as examples of what technology can do “to make a good company better and a great company unbeatable.”

Topcon’s 3D-MC2 is not just another improvement on an old technology, O’Connor said. “We’re talking about a unique technological innovation. When you think about dozer machine control think of a countdown for a rocket launch,” he said: “4 – Four times faster than a standard dozer; 3 – three times smoother than any machine control; 2 – two times the speed of any 3D dozer system; and; 1 – one dozer doing the work equal to two 3D dozers.”

He said the technology driving 3D-MC2 combines cutting-edge hydraulic control software, the latest in inertial sensor technology and the “industry’s leading GNSS receivers to provide more than 100 blade positioning checks per second – about five times higher than the industry machine control average.

“That’s not science fiction. That’s science fact.”

An often-overlooked segment of company operations is asset management. O’Connor said, “Remote asset management is a crucial element in maximizing the machine production on every job site.”

Topcon Tierra is a web-based telematics service that provides “real-time information on every piece of rolling stock on any job site in the world,” O’Connor said. Topcon Tierra introduces a “unique on-site job management system that provides meticulous data to companies interested in maximizing productivity and drastically reducing unexpected and unnecessary equipment maintenance.”

Simply put, O’Connor said, “Topcon’s system lets you monitor every piece of equipment regardless of location, regardless of make or model. And it provides you with instant documentation on the job site information you want to receive.”

If a company's management team "recognizes the need to do whatever is necessary to create a lean, efficient operation in the economic conditions we are all facing today, the first thing to check out is what technologies are available to increase productivity in their operations . . . and do whatever is necessary to obtain that technology," O'Connor said.

"In this economy, the future viability of many companies will depend on expanding upon or adopting that forward-thinking philosophy."

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

GoDaddy Web Hosting Firm, Invites Public Voting, for Super Bowl Commercial

2009-01-29T09:26:00-05:00

Scottsdale, AZ (Gawkwire.com) Online voting closes Friday evening and right now it's a very tight race. As of the last report, 'Shower' has an edge over 'Baseball.' The lead has changed multiple times since Go Daddy launched its online voting campaign to help decide which commercial to air in the Feb. 1 Super Bowl broadcast.

Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons came up with the plan to have the public help after an unprecedented twist. This year, Go Daddy received network approval for TWO GoDaddy-esque commercials weeks in advance of the Super Bowl broadcast. Historically, censors have rejected Go Daddy's risque ads, requiring edits and creating the kind of drama critics came to expect from the web hosting and domain name firm.

Mr. Parsons remarked, ''It's a little different for us this year - having not one, but two ads approved so early. People think we submit edgy ads just to be rejected. The truth is the censors and critics threw us lemons and we made lemonade.''

As is tradition, critics have panned Go Daddy's new Super Bol ads. One television network even refused to broadcast Go Daddy's already approved 'Baseball' ad. It features Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick and spoofs baseball's steroids scandal with an emphasis on a certain part of the female anatomy being 'enhanced.'

'Shower,' the current front-runner, features Patrick in a shower with another woman as three college students control the women's movements from a computer keyboard.

Whichever Go Daddy commercial airs Super Bowl Sunday, viewers will be invited to visit www.GoDaddy.com where they can see the Internet-Only versions of each, which are too hot for television and pick up where both ads end.

GoDaddy is a provider of services designed to enable individuals and businesses to establish, maintain and evolve an online presence. GoDaddy provides a variety of domain name registration plans and web site design and hosting packages, as well as a broad array of on-demand services. These include products such as SSL Certificates, Domains by Proxy private registration, ecommerce web site hosting, blog templates and blog software, podcast packages and online photo hosting. The GoDaddy Group, Inc. has more than 28 million domain names under management. GoDaddy registers, renews or transfers a domain name every second. GoDaddy.com is the world's No. 1 domain name registrar according to Name Intelligence, Inc. GoDaddy.com is also the largest paid hosting provider in the world, according to Netcraft Ltd. During 2007, The GoDaddy Group registered more than one-third of all domain names registered in the top six generic top-level domains, or gTLDs, including .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .mobi.

For more information about GoDaddy, please visit: www.godaddy.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/godaddy_web_hosting_firm_invites_public_voting_for_super_bowl_co.html

SEO: Increase Web Traffic By Up to 1000%

2009-01-25T23:41:00-05:00

London, UK (Gawkwire.com) With businesses and consumers complaining about the "credit crunch" crisis, Lee Smith, Director of Marketing for Utopia Creative Solutions says "2009 could be the best time to get your website to the top of the search engines using search engine optimisation (SEO), due to the cost effective and long-term benefits to businesses."

With high returns on investment (ROI) and proven results, website SEO is in high demand and to win new business you need to be on the top ten results to attract lucrative web traffic.

19% of companies have increased their online advertising spend, just when marketing budgets are being lowered. The UK's top two websites in November 2008 were Google with 30.3 million visits and MSN/Windows Live with 23.9 million visits, this is a clear indication that website owners need to capitalise on the proven powers of website promotion via SEO.

With industries being hit by the economy and companies finding it harder to win contracts, now is a good time to invest in SEO services, which has long-term benefits for web sites if done correctly and ethically.

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/seo_increase_web_traffic_by_up_to_1000.html

Assuritas Partners with GlobalSign to Provide Extended Validation SSL

2009-01-28T09:35:00-05:00

London, UK (Gawkwire.com) GlobalSign (www.globalsign.co.uk), one of the longest established Certification Authorities (CA) and specialists in SSL Partner Programs, today announced that Assuritas, (www.Assuritas.com ) a leading UK provider of identity management and anti-fraud products and services has joined the GlobalSign Partner Program, and will be offering the full range of GlobalSign SSL Certificates to its customers, including the new Extended Validation Certificate standard.

By immediately promoting the benefits of GlobalSign’s Extended Validation SSL Certificate, which activates the green address bar in new high security browsers such as IE7, Firefox, Opera and Safari, Assuritas has been able to provide its customers, including major brands such as Tesco with a new level of defence in the fight against Cardholder Not Present fraud. GlobalSign Extended Validation SSL Certificates, commonly referred to as “EV” SSL Certificates, continue to gain respect amongst trusted enterprises, government agencies and security vendors, and can be an effective tool for rebuilding consumer confidence in online transactions with strong visual cues linked to the identity of the site operator.

Previously partnering with Entrust in the UK, Assuritas has made the decision to switch to GlobalSign’s Partner Program to take advantage of GlobalSign’s highly trusted and simplified SSL product range, comprehensive provisioning system, excellent customer support and overall expertise in the channel market - all the relevant tools to enable partners to successfully resell SSL. With the ability to offer three main types of Certificate - Domain Validation, Organization Validation or the newly standardised Extended Validation SSL Certificate, all with free Server Gated Cryptography (SGC - to “step up” weak 40 bit browser to server connections to strong 128 bit) and issued from GlobalSign’s widely distributed 2048 bit Root CA Certificate, Assuritas can provide its customers with the most secure SSL Certificates available in today’s SSL market. Also with the option of including additional premium features (for example, Subject Alternative Names (SANs) and wildcard characters to allow the securing of multiple sites with a single certificate), Assuritas is able to meet their customers individual requirements by offering tailor made SSL solutions - saving their customers time, effort and cost in the longer term.

“Our newly formed relationship with GlobalSign will allow us to immediately improve our SSL certificate provisioning infrastructure in support of the launch of our new Managed SSL service,” said Alistair Murray, CEO, Assuritas. “We are confident in offering the full range of feature-enhanced GlobalSign SSL certificates as a first line of defence for our security-conscious customers. We expect to maintain a long and fruitful relationship with this leading CA.”

“GlobalSign is very pleased that Assuritas is joining the GlobalSign Partner Program and will help promote the benefits of using EV SSL Certificates in the UK,” said Paul Tourret, Managing Director GlobalSign Ltd. “As organisations deploy EV SSL, the world will see how this new technology can be used in the fight against the increasing levels of online fraud and brand abuse. EV is set to become a critical tool for organisations to rebuild consumer confidence in online transactions and identities.”

GlobalSign SSL Certificates are available through Assuritas at www.assuritas.com.

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

34SP.com Adds Customer Service Resources

2009-01-28T09:36:00-05:00

Manchester, UK (Gawkwire.com) According to information released by the company, the customer service investments include hiring additional staff, improved office hardware, and expansion of the customer service footprint within the 34SP.com global headquarters.

Part of initiative for the additional investments were the results of an extensive client survey conducted by 34SP.com in January 2009. The survey queried a large subset of 15,000 website hosting clients at 34SP.com and included shared, business, VPS and dedicated server clients. According to the survey results, when given a choice between: price, features, working with a local company, or service and support - the vast majority of clients chose 'service and support'.

Co-founder of 34SP.com, Stuart Melling, explained the reasoning behind the customer service investments, ''Our clients have clearly confirmed what we have known since launching 34SP.com - service and support are the drivers behind our success and rapid growth. Our clients have rewarded our service focus with loyalty and referral business. These additional investments in our customer service department are an obligation for us in order to maintain the highest levels of service and support. Our clients deserve nothing less.''

In addition to increasing staff levels by 20 percent, 34SP.com has also added an improved chat functionality to its customer service offerings. The combination of increased manpower and an additional communication channel for service inquiries is expected to reduce wait times while adding convenience in the support process. The investments in additional staff also created the opportunity for 34SP.com to expand the footprint of the customer service department while upgrading the hardware used to support clients.

34SP.com also revealed one other interesting statistic from the client survey - referral rates. When asked, ''How likely are you to recommend 34SP.com?'' a stunning 98 percent affirmed that they would refer the company. The company points to this data as confirming the positive effect that outstanding customer service has on referral rates.

To learn more about 34SP.com and its business web hosting services, please visit: http://www.34sp.com/business-hosting.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/34sp_com_adds_customer_service_resources.html

Host Color Announced VPS Hosting Rebate

2009-01-27T23:33:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The VPS Hosting provider Host Color (http://www.hostcolor.com) said to web hosting media that it has launched $35 instant rebate on its VPS Start (http://www.hostcolor.com/vps/vps-start) virtual private server.

VPS Start is powered by Virtuozzo Containers, the world's leading OS virtualization solution. It is also one of the best prices reliable VPS hosting solutions in the industry. The virtual server costs only $19.95/month (paid on annual base) before the $35 hosting rebate.

"We are happy to welcome any website owner who needs to use virtual private server powered by Parallels Virtuozzo virtualization technology.

VPS Start is an excellent choice for those who need entry-level VPS. It features 192 MB RAM, 10 GB disc space and offers 50 GB data transfer per month", said Alexander Avramov, Managing Director of Host Color. He also added that his company provides Next Color (http://www.nextcolor.com) web hosting control panel for free to its VPS customers. The web host also offers Plesk and cPanel licenses to anyone who prefer to use one of those popular hosting control panels.

Anyone who wants to benefit from VPS hosting rebate can use promotional code - STARTVPS.

Host Color has recently announced promotional campaign on Virtuozzo VPS Hosting, which continues until January 31st. As a part of this campaign the company offers 20% instant rebate on all virtual private servers.

The web host made available to all VPS customers Plesk 9.0 web hosting control panel and latest version of Virtuozzo Containers - Virtuozzo 4.0. According to Host Color, the new Virtuozzo offers many new features and makes even easier the management of a virtual private server. It has better design interface which provides access to templates and sample virtual environments, plus a streamlined installation. The new release also offers "High availability" through a several new options to ensure maximum uptime and new backup enhancements.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/host_color_announced_vps_hosting_rebate.html

ColoGuys Broadens Network with New Connection to Internap

2009-01-26T12:00:00-05:00

DALLAS, TX (Gawkwire.com) Internap’s unique multi-carrier intelligent routing technology, which uses Private Network Access Points (P-NAPs), optimizes the speed of Internet traffic between end users datacenters. The technology provides key advantages to ColoGuys and its clients, which rely on world-class data transit to meet their business needs.

“We are committed to our clients’ success and this is another important step in our on-going pursuit to provide the very latest technology to the companies that depend on us. We seek to provide the optimal connectivity to our clients and we hope this investment will accomplish these goals,” said Jon Montroll, president and CEO of ColoGuys.

The Internap connection will offer an additional 10GB of added capacity and allow ColoGuys greater connectivity to North America, Europe, and Asia.

All ColoGuys customers are automatically are able to utilize the new connection with Internap. Customers may also request their traffic to be handled exclusively through the Internap network. In addition to Internap, ColoGuys carries connectivity with Level 3 and Global Crossing.

ColoGuys plans to add additional data transit capacity as needed to satisfy increased demand and network requirements.

To learn more about ColoGuys, please visit http://www.cologuys.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/cologuys_broadens_network_with_new_connection_to_internap.html

Data Center World Conference and Expo, Sponsored by Interxion

2009-01-26T09:39:00-05:00

Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands (Gawkwire.com) The conference is the UK's largest datacentre event hosting, IT services and Internet infrastructure sectors, the Hosting Transformation Summit North America, as a Gold Sponsor.

As an element of its support for the event, Interxion will also be providing two leading industry figures to deliver keynote addresses on the latest challenges facing the sector. Anthony Foy, Interxion Group Managing Director, will be discussing the impact of the credit crunch on European infrastructure hosting strategies. And Lex Coors, Interxion VP Datacentre Technology and Engineering, will outline how organisations can optimise their datacentre efficiency by improving power usage efficiency (PUE) ratios.

Anthony Foy, Group Managing Director noted, ''The Datacentre World Conference and Expo provides a vital forum for sharing best practice on current challenges like the credit crunch and emissions management. By sharing the experience we have gained serving our customers across Europe, we aim to help attendees meet these challenges while improving their application availability and connectivity.''

>The conference is free to attend and will cover case studies, technical implementation papers, migration issues and scalability. Over the two days 30 sessions will be presented that will focus on the key topics of interest to professionals planning, managing or hosting a datacentre.

Interxion is a European provider of carrier neutral data centers. Headquartered in Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands, Interxion serves its customers from 23 carrier-neutral data centers located in 13 cities across 11 European countries. Interxion serves network and carrier based, hosting and enterprise customers who require professionally managed and strictly controlled physical environments within which to operate mission-critical applications and computer systems. Interxion's data centers offer cost effective and fast access to multiple local and global communication networks.

To learn more, please visit: www.interxion.com.

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

Hosting and SaaS Providers Benefit from the Application Packaging Standard (APS)

2009-01-26T09:37:00-05:00

RENTON, WA (Gawkwire.com) Parallels today announced the integration of Open-Xchange’s open source e-mail and collaboration software with the Parallels Operations Automation SaaS Module. Now, all Parallels service provider customers can deliver a cost-effective, enterprise-class alternative to commercial e-mail and collaboration products at a competitive price. The product integration was made simple by packaging the Open-Xchange software in the Application Packaging Standard (APS) format. The resulting solution is currently available to end-users via hosting and service providers that utilize the Parallels Operations Automation SaaS Module.

Hosted e-mail accounts have now grown from 1 billion in 2006 to 1.6 billion in 2008 and will be at 2.2 billion in 2012, according to technology market research firm, The Radicati Group, based in Palo Alto, California. Using Parallels Operations Automation SaaS Module and Open-Xchange, service providers are able to capitalize on this opportunity by offering end-customers rich email experience that goes beyond simple email. Powerful features built into Parallels Automation system allow easy roll-out of value-added services such as Open-Xchange based offerings to achieve higher average revenue per user while simultaneously allowing service providers to manage their operations more efficiently.

Exchange My Mail, a full-service provider of hosted business-class e-mail and collaboration services, is one of the first providers to utilize this solution. “The Parallels Automation SaaS Module solution and Open-Xchange packaged in the APS format, allows us to offer the most advanced and up-to-date messaging services to our customers,” said Sal DiPiazza, CEO, Exchange My Mail. “This creates an opportunity for us to reach a larger customer base and grow demand for these service offerings.”

"Open-Xchange is the only email and groupware solution which is specifically architected to meet the needs of hosting and SaaS providers," says Rafael Laguna, CEO of Open-Xchange. "Due to the open source nature, Open-Xchange can be easily integrated into existing hosting infrastructures and email storage. Now, supporting Parallels Automation, hosters and service providers can implement Open-Xchange without changing their existing authentication, user setup, system administration, provisioning and billing tools. This reduces time and effort for new deployments and enables a real fast go-to-market."

Open-Xchange enables web-hosting companies, ISPs, telecommunication companies and IT service companies to gradually expand their product range with modular SaaS offerings. By adopting the software-as-a-service model, Open-Xchange's business got a major boost with a quadrupling of paid mailboxes to 8.4 million in the past year. Open-Xchange is now certified with the Application Packaging Standard (APS).

"Leveraging the Parallels Operations Automation SaaS Module enables APS compatible application vendors such as Open-Xchange to help service providers gain competitive advantage and significantly grow profitability. Service providers can also differentiate themselves with valuable new services, increasing their average revenue per user with both new and existing end-user customers," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "We are happy to see application vendors like Open-Xchange embrace the Application Packaging Standard (APS) format as they are a highlight to the growing list of over 200 applications that can seamlessly integrate their applications into Parallels Automation products.”

The APS standard is an application packaging format that makes it easier for service providers to deliver hosted applications and services developed by independent software vendors (ISVs). APS-certified applications can be streamlined and "plugged into” hosting platforms that conform to the standard.

APS is a key element of the Parallels Automation and is used by ISVs and service providers to seamlessly integrate applications and deliver variety of services to 10 million businesses and individuals that use Parallels products. ISVs and service providers interested in the APS Certification Program can register at www.apsstandard.com/certification. For more information on the APS standard, visit www.apsstandard.com.

About Open-Xchange
Open-Xchange is the innovator of scalable and integrated open source email and collaboration solutions for enterprises, academic institutions, and government authorities. It provides an on-premise version called Open-Xchange Server Edition, along with Open-Xchange Hosting Edition, which enables web hosting companies to provide an easy-to-use and feature-rich application delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS). The Open-Xchange Hosting Edition is architected to integrate into a hosting provider's existing infrastructure such as authentication, provisioning, billing, and email storage and does not require that these systems be replaced.

Open-Xchange AG is a privately-held company headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany with offices in Olpe, Germany and Tarrytown, N.Y. For more information, please visit www.open-xchange.com.

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

New Aplus.net Premium Shopping Cart: Built for Online Store Optimization

2009-01-26T09:35:00-05:00

Overland Park, KS (Gawkwire.com) Aplus.net, a leading Web hosting company and Internet solutions provider, has just released its Premium Shopping Cart -- a more robust, fully customizable merchant tool designed to maximize online store sales in what continues to be a difficult economic climate. With its broad range of product merchandising, CRM and SEO features and multiple payment options, the new cart is a timely alternative for businesses of all sizes and supports unlimited products. This new eCommerce solution is easy to set up and designed to make the entire shopping/purchasing process easier and more secure for site visitors.

"For its price, ease-of-use and feature-set, I am confident this shopping cart will grow to become the leader in eCommerce software," says Dennis Kittrell, senior product manager at Aplus.net. "The premium shopping cart was developed with the challenges of the small business in mind. It is very Search Engine friendly and provides business owners with many of the tools previously available only to larger corporations."

For its price, ease-of-use and feature-set, I am confident this shopping cart will grow to become the leader in eCommerce software
The premium shopping cart was developed with the challenges of the small business in mind. It is very Search Engine friendly and provides business owners with many of the tools previously available only to larger corporations.
Designed by marketers for marketers, Premium Shopping Cart is included free as a standard feature with any Aplus.net eCommerce Hosting plan. The cart is also available as an add-on for all other Aplus.net Shared Hosting plans (Unix and Windows ) and Aplus.net WebImage web design (Standard or Premium) plans.

The Aplus.net Premium Shopping Cart offers a full set of features and options: One-Page Checkout, Real-Time Shipping Options, No Product Limits and No Transaction Fees. Also available are advanced marketing features that include email marketing, SEO and the ability to support Google Analytics and other metrics. The scalable, easy-to-deploy cart also comes ready to support gift cards, discount codes, recommended products and more.

This powerful PHP shopping cart application runs on Unix and Windows; minimum server requirements are mySQL databases. All carts receive Aplus.net's free 24/7/365 support.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/new_aplus_net_premium_shopping_cart_built_for_online_store_optim.html

The Rise of Democracy 2.0

2009-01-28T09:37:00-05:00

Hoboken, NJ (Gawkwire.com) When Barack Obama was sworn in as the country’s first African-American president, he was as different from his predecessor George W. Bush and his team of “old school” politicians as an iPhone is from a rotary dial telephone. And if you’re wondering how he did it, you’re not alone. Political experts around the world are asking the same question: How did a young U.S. Senator, called “inexperienced” by some and “too liberal” by others, convince so many Americans that he was the man who could lead the country through one of its most difficult times in history?

One of the keys to understanding President Obama’s stunning electoral victory, say authors Matthew Fraser and Soumitra Dutta, is his savvy mastery of Web 2.0 platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

“Obama wasn’t the only candidate to use Web 2.0 tools during the election campaign,” says Fraser, coauthor with Dutta of Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World (Wiley, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-470-74014-9, $29.95). “But he was the only candidate to master it and use platforms like Facebook and YouTube to appeal to a new generation of Web-savvy voters. He is the first occupant of the White House to have won a presidential election on the Web.”

“It is clear that Obama knew exactly what he was doing and how to be successful at it,” adds Dutta. “He brought in a 24-year-old Facebook co-founder, who helped him develop his Web blitzkrieg. He left no Web 2.0 stone unturned, from social networking sites to podcasting to mobile messaging, and as a result he created an ‘e-ruption’ not only in American politics but throughout the world.”

In their groundbreaking book, the authors explore the connected new world that helped make Obama’s rise to the Oval Office possible. It is the first book written for a wide audience about the powerful trend that is reshaping our lives: the Web 2.0 social networking revolution. The authors examine the powerful forces behind the social e-revolution, detailing often absurd and powerful reactions to it as well as making predictions about its long-term consequences. (In case you’re wondering, the book takes its title from a popular Facebook widget, sheep-throwing, which serves as one of many ways members playfully interact with their online friends.)

“The 2008 election campaign marks a rupture with the past not only because the Web was used by candidates to mobilize voters and raise money, but more importantly because the Web became a platform for spontaneous citizen engagement in the political process,” says Fraser.

“The sites and Web communities themselves also got involved. The ‘Yes We Can’ video on YouTube was not made by the Obama campaign, but by hip hop star Will.i.am who produced it and uploaded it onto the Web. The video quickly went viral, and before Obama won the election, it had been viewed 20 million times. These powerful Democracy 2.0 tools are transforming politics and may soon bring profound changes to the way governments interact with citizens. A new era of e-democracy and e-government is dawning.”

Reader’s Digest dubbed the 2008 presidential election the “Facebook Election” due to voter mobilization by all the candidates on that social networking site. During the election, Facebook launched its own political forum to encourage online debates about voter issues. In what might be an indicator of how new and old media will work together in the future, Facebook teamed up with ABC News for election coverage and forums, and CNN teamed up with YouTube to hold presidential debates.

So, what’s the reason for the Web 2.0 “e-ruption” into politics?
“In modern democracies, it’s very hard for common, everyday citizens to make themselves heard, unless large groups of them take to the streets,” says Dutta. “In the book we suggest what we saw with the recent election might be an indicator that the Internet, and specifically social networking sites, will make the emergence of a new citizen-empowered Democracy 2.0 possible. To be heard, all you’ll need is an online presence, and today that is easier than ever to create.”

If you’re reluctant to believe that the times are changing all that fast, here’s a look at how and why social networking will change the business of American politics.

Five Reasons Why Web 2.0 Is Changing the Face of American Politics

1. It allows candidates to skip the media. The two presidential candidates received their fair share of positive and negative coverage from the media. But when it came to getting out the exact message he wanted, Obama didn’t have to rely on the mainstream media. He had 2 million supporters on Facebook to John McCain’s 600,000 that he could easily reach with updates to his page, and 112,000 supporters on Twitter to McCain’s 4,600, not to mention the extensive direct e-mail list of supporters who received daily updates from the big players in his campaign including his wife, Michelle Obama. Obama’s YouTube channel attracted more than 18 million visits, while McCain’s channel attracted barely more than 2 million.

“Sites like YouTube allowed Obama to reach people in a way that he would never have been able to achieve solely through media coverage,” says Fraser.

2. It’s cheap and cost-effective. In Democracy 2.0, political candidates can reach more people with less money. Take Obama’s online advertising spending, for example. His campaign spent less than $8 million on online spending, much of which went to adwords by Google. The campaign also spent $467,000 on Facebook. What about TV advertising? Those numbers are a little bigger. It was widely reported that the half-hour TV special that aired in the final week of the election cost $4 million, but according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group, the Obama campaign spent a whopping $235,974,838 on broadcasting TV ads. While both his online campaign and TV ad campaign were crucial to his getting elected, there’s no denying that you can make your dollars go a little farther online, a fact that opens up the political game to many more players.

The Web is low-cost but high-reach, which makes it a great tool for campaigning. The PewResearchCenter found that 46 percent of Americans used the Web, e-mail, or text messaging for news about the presidential campaign, to contribute to the debate, or to mobilize others. Some 35 percent of Americans said they’d watched online political videos—three times more than during the 2004 presidential election (before YouTube was created). And roughly 10 percent said they’d logged on to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to engage in the election.

“Web 2.0 seems to be an attractive way for people to get involved with what’s going on politically, and it’s cheap enough that you don’t have to have millions or billions of dollars if you want to use it to make a name for yourself in the political world,” says Dutta. “Web 2.0 could very well be the platform that reinvigorates political debate, fosters civic engagement, and allows grassroots movements outside the political duopoly of Democrats and Republicans to gain in popularity.”

3. It makes grassroots fundraising highly effective. In June 2008, reversing a previous stance, Obama announced that he wouldn’t accept public financing and the restraints that come with it to run his campaign. The decision caused uproar from the Republicans and raised more than a few eyebrows in his own party. As a New York Times article at the time put it: “His decision to break an earlier pledge to take public money will quite likely transform the landscape of presidential campaigns, injecting hundreds of millions of additional dollars into the race and raising doubts about the future of public financing for national races.”

“Obama’s team speculated that he could bring in $200 to $300 million for the general election,” says Fraser. “And indeed, through online donations alone, he was able to raise over $500 million. And of that $500 million more than $160 million came from supporters who gave comparatively tiny amounts of $200 or less. These numbers prove once again that without a grasp of Web 2.0 and the fundraising capabilities it offers, political candidates will not be able to compete in the future.”

4. Candidates can effectively mobilize supporters. The vision of a networked, participatory, activist democracy is not a techno-utopia. It’s precisely what Alexis de Tocqueville witnessed in America nearly two centuries ago—a robust civil society and egalitarian spirit that motivated citizens to engage in all manner of voluntary associations. The prospect, nearly two hundred years later, of harnessing these vigorous public-spirited energies not only in America but throughout the world, is surely a vision that should be encouraged.

“Obama harnessed the energies of his supporters in many ways,” says Dutta. “He used an iPhone app that allowed supporters to feel politically engaged while spreading pro-Obama messages to their contact lists. He used Twitter and text messaging to tell supporters who his VP would be before the media even knew. And he used a direct e-mail campaign with messages that constantly encouraged supporters to volunteer and donate money to the campaign. As a result, his supporters felt like they were part of the campaign and transferred that feeling of inclusion into action. They canvassed. They made calls. They convinced their friends and family that Obama was the man for the job.

“Essentially the people Obama was reaching through social networking went out and helped him reach the people who he couldn’t reach through social networking,” adds Dutta. “While some of this could have happened without a Web presence, it likely wouldn’t have been enough to get him elected, and it certainly wouldn’t have manifested in the fervent support that he sees among his biggest supporters today.”

5. It facilitates civic engagement and creates social capital. In most modern democracies, voter turnout is alarmingly low, and political life is the business of a small minority. The vast majority are passive observers of the political process, making their voice heard only in times of crisis or momentous import. However, citizens show more loyalty to a political system, and feel more compelled to engage in civic activity, when they have confidence that their voice is heard and represented.

“Obama’s supporters were able to make their voices heard through their Facebook profiles, their Tweets, or by signing up to receive his e-mail updates,” says Fraser. “His embrace of Web 2.0 social networking opportunities closed the sense of disconnect between him and his followers and gave them a way to be heard—which, in turn, made them more fervent in their support and more likely to go out and spread the word.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/the_rise_of_democracy_2_0.html

Adult Content Shaping The Future of Blu-ray and HD Downloads

2009-01-22T23:38:00-05:00

Beverly Hills, CA (Gawkwire.com) Leading home theater and consumer electronics news and review site, HomeTheaterReview.com, is out with a lead story that sheds light on the often seedy world of pornography and how that industry once again is leading the way with home video content - now with high definition video for Blu-ray and HD downloads. This time the adult entertainment industry may not just reshape the lucrative world of mainstream home video, they could redefine the mainstream Hollywood theatrical business model.

"People forget that without the support of the adult industry that VHS was unlikely to beat out Beta as a leading home video format a generation ago, and that without VHS there wouldn't be a home theater market like we know today," says HomeTheaterReview.com publisher Jerry Del Colliano. "Adult content was key in DVD-Video getting over 91 percent U.S. household market penetration and is now helping Blu-ray get over 15 percent penetration just one year after the Blu-Friday format war victory at CES 2008. Beyond Blu-ray as the current HD home video format, the adult industry is pushing limits for HD video downloads from the Internet which represents the future of Hollywood, not just the San Fernando Valley."

Today, over 500,000 people pay $1 extra per month to get high definition content on Blu-ray discs from leading online rental house Netflix. Netflix doesn't rent adult content, sticking with more traditional and less "blue" content for its subscribers.

Clearly, there is a lot for the adult industry to learn and experiment with in terms of lighting, make-up, sets and especially talent. Many of today's titles define the term TMI or "too much information", but in time this multi-billion dollar industry likely will find the sweet spot for the next frontier of its content.

Dr. Ken Taraszka's full article on the topic of the future of HD content through the eyes of the adult industry can be seen at http://www.hometheaterreview.com/av-news/2009-home-theater-news/2009-feature-news-stories/adult_content_shaping_the_future_of_hi-def_content002306.php

Home Theater Review is best seen at http://hometheaterreview.com. Newsletter subscriptions are free at http://hometheaterreview.com/subscribe.

For more information or additional comment on the topic - contact Jerry Del Colliano at 310.860.9988.

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/adult_content_shaping_the_future_of_blu-ray_and_hd_downloads_jus.html

GNAX / NetDepot Announces Expansion to Dallas and the formation of the DallasNAP

2009-01-23T09:59:00-05:00

ATLANTA, GA (Gawkwire.com) “We have been offering dedicated servers longer than most companies in the market and have focused on sustained healthy financial growth “ Jeff Hinkle, President of GNAX, stated. “We are proud to announce that we will continue this expansion with that in mind. This market represents the center of the dedicated market and we believe we will fill a need for cost-effective high quality solutions that have gone by the way side. Most of the other providers in the market have had to raise prices to attempt to reach profitability after years of unhealthy growth.”

Hinkle continued: “We are coming to Dallas as a very healthy entity and intend on shaking things up in the market, which will be of great benefit to the customers who have seen prices increase in the past year. Other providers have gotten wind of the impending launch and appear to be rushing to lock in customers on long term contracts. This would be foolish for customers at this point, given the pricing pressure that will be forth-coming to the Dallas market”.

General availability is expected on February 15, 2009 and expect to see some exciting deals to celebrate the launch of the new location.

The new market will include the newest NetDepot servers and all features, including a state-of-the-art portal and back end network, high capacity network based on Cisco Systems gear, Toplayer IPS and DDoS protection and some surprises that will be announced on launch day on the www.netdepot.com site. The location of the new DallasNAP co-location is 8435 Stemmons in partnership with TELX. Network connectivity will initially include 20 gigs of connectivity to providers, including Level3. It will terminate on diverse fiber paths to the Infomart on Stemmons and also to 2323 Bryan at TELX. This diverse connectivity will put the NetDepot / DallasNAP location ahead of much of the competition that still relies on single building locations for network termination.

As part of the expansion – GNAX will geographically diversify its DNS clusters.

Hinkle said that a third location in the US will be announced in the 2nd half of 2009 and this year looks to be the most exciting in the company.

NetDepot provides its customers with the best value in the industry by coupling attractive pricing with our world-class data centers and network.
The companies currently provide service to thousands of customers worldwide with 24x7x365 support by seasoned best in industry professionals. We provide the best choice of servers / support and network. NetDepot enables your company to focus its attention on core competencies and gain competitive advantages in your core line of business by providing you a flexible quick expanding and top notch it support operation in top notch facilities with the ultimate in redundancy.

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

Globalization Symposium Helps IT Executives Compete

2009-01-23T09:43:00-05:00

Batavia, IL (Gawkwire.com) Unprecedented changes in communications and computer technologies make globalization the new frontier today, sweeping away the old business order and redefining career success. As award-winning American journalist, columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman predicts, the pace of this "flattening of the globe" is quickening and will continue to have a growing impact on business organization and practice . As an IT executive, are you ready? Do you know what it takes to compete in today's global economy?

"Globalization from a Business, Economic, Technical and Cultural Perspective" - a must-attend symposium on February 12-14, 2009 for IT executives, co-sponsored by the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) and the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC) - will answer these questions and more. ITSMF is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to fostering senior-level executive talent among African-American IT professionals; HITEC was founded by senior Hispanic IT executives who have built outstanding careers in information technology.

The Symposium, held at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. IT executives who are interested in attending should contact the ITSMF office at info@itsmfonline.org. Topics include:
   -How to remain competitive during economic turmoil in a global marketplace;
   -The trends, unprecedented challenges and opportunities globalization creates;
   -How your role in IT is changing and what you can do to adapt your skills;
   -Learn how the international nature of business will shape IT.

"The ITSMF/HITEC globalization symposium is the perfect opportunity for IT executives at the C-level, or striving for a C-level position, to learn, share and network with other Fortune 500 IT executives in an atmosphere of trust, camaraderie and openness," explained Viola Thompson, Executive Director of ITSMF. "Our lineup of speakers will help IT executives grasp the importance of globalization, and help them move this issue to the forefront within their organizations."

Stellar speakers help IT execs move to the next level in today's global world

Do you know what CEOs really want from CIOs? When was the last time you were absolutely sure about the correct way to behave in a foreign country? How about where the future of the global economy will be in two years? Or how to move from a CIO to a CEO? These and other questions will be answered over the three-day symposium. Speakers include:

•Leo Abruzzese, Editorial Director in North America for The Economist Intelligence Unit (www.eiu.com). What began as a slump in the US housing market has become a synchronized global downturn, with the world economy headed for its worst year in more than a quarter century. Governments have committed more than $3trn to rescuing banks and protecting depositors, but the fall-out continues to spread. Leo Abruzzese, the Economist Intelligence Unit's Editorial Director in North America, offers a global forecast for the next two years for an economic crisis that has spread from Iceland to Indonesia and may have much further to run. Abruzzese writes regularly on the US economy and leads the EIU's financial services coverage, which provides analysis of conditions in 60 markets.

•Mark Polansky, Senior Client Partner & Managing Director, Information Technology Officers Practice, of Korn/Ferry, the executive recruitment industry's leader and innovator. Polansky's session, "What CEOs Want from CIOs," will look at how senior management's expectations of the Chief Information Officer position have evolved towards a leadership role as a catalyst for change, transformation, innovation and value creation. This is an especially important message for both current and aspiring CIOs in these very challenging and uncertain times. The very substantial strategic differences between the present economic climate and the technology downturn of 2000-2001 will also be examined. With more than 25 years of executive search experience, all in technology, Polansky has extensively recruited chief information officers, chief technology officers and other senior IT leaders across a wide range of vertical industry sectors.

•Terri Morrison, Co-Author of Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than Sixty Countries. International business is challenging. Companies may be investing in global travel and entertainment, advertisements, relocations, and gift-giving - now's the time to protect that investment. Cross-cultural expert Morrison will speak about local customs and proper business etiquette throughout the world, with highlights from the revised and expanded version of her highly acclaimed book, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than Sixty Countries, which now contains new countries like Ireland, Austria, South Africa and Vietnam, and new data on security, top business tips, negotiating techniques, protocol, and business practices. For more information, visit www.getcustoms.com.

•Clarence Nixon, founder and Managing Partner of CNC Group, a management consulting firm specializing in "business transformation" or turnaround management. Dr. Nixon's soon-to-be released book, CIO to CEO: "Passport to a New Paradigm," articulates a concise business case for a career development path moving from the CIO to the CEO position. It provides insight into a new paradigm for CIOs and CEOs. Participants will gain insight into numerous topics, including the evolution of the CIO position and its impact on industry and the economy; a new CIO Model; a new CEO Model (especially IT competence); suggested strategies for moving from CIO to CEO; and expected new benefits and impact on industry and the economy.

Awards Ceremony honors minority IT leaders and features first-ever online "executive auction"

On the second evening of the ITSMF symposium, the "Who's Who" of IT leaders from the public and private sector will gather to honor five leading organizations and their executives for their extraordinary contributions to the advancement of information technology, while continuously demonstrating proactive leadership in advancing diversity, at the 5th Annual Awards Ceremony on February 13, 2009, at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. Additionally, UBS will be honored as the ITSMF Corporate Sponsor of the Year. The executives to be honored are:
                 •Monte Ford, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for American Airlines;
                 •Dr. Randal D. Pinkett, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners;
                 •Dr. Elva Jones, Chairman of the Computer Science Department at Winston Salem State University;
                 •Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Chairman Middle East & Africa for Microsoft Corporation;
                 •James D. Cook, VP Data Center Transformation at Hewlett-Packard.

The Awards Ceremony, which attracts approximately 500 corporate, government and association executives and guests, is open to the public and will feature a keynote address from honoree Dr. Randal D. Pinkett, an established entrepreneur, speaker, author and community servant, and winner of NBC's top-rated show The Apprentice. Pinkett is the founder, President and CEO of BCT Partners, a technology and policy consulting firm based in Newark, New Jersey.

New this year, attendees will be able to benefit from one-on-one networking with some of the nation's most sought after executives from America's top global organizations. In an unprecedented move, 14 CIOs and executives have donated their time and expertise to ITSMF's first-ever Executive Online Auction. The online bidding is open to the public until 9:00 pm EST on February 13, 2009. For a list of the executives, visit https://www.regonline.com/custImages/249880/Executive%20Auction%20info.pdf; and to place a bid, go to www.itsmfonline.cmarket.com.

The ITSMF Awards Ceremony sponsors are American Airlines, Bank of America, Blackwell Consulting, Chubb, Cisco, the Coca Cola Company, Comerica Bank, Cox Enterprises, CrestPoint, Cummins, Deloitte, Delta, EDS an HP Company, EMBARQ, Estee Lauder, Global Lead, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Korn/Ferry International, Liberty Mutual, Lockheed Martin, Macquarium Intelligent Communications, Marriott, Medtronic, Microsoft, Oracle, PepsiCo, Pitney Bowes, Procter & Gamble, UBS, VisionIT, Wachovia/Wells Fargo, Whirlpool and WSF Associates. Additional personal contributions were made by Larry Quinlan and Michael Robinson.

For more information about the "Globalization from a Business, Economic and Cultural Perspective" Symposium and Awards Ceremony, visit ITSMF's website at www.regonline.com/itsmf.

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

Fuze Again Sets the Bar for SaaS System Uptime

2009-01-23T09:42:00-05:00

Seattle, Wash. (Gawkwire.com) Fuze Digital Solutions announced today that its hosting infrastructure experienced only 74 minutes of unscheduled system downtime and 60 minutes of scheduled downtime during all of 2008. Since its inception in 2002, Fuze has experienced less than 300 minutes of downtime, which equates to an industry leading uptime exceeding 99.99%.

Fuze provides a web-based customer care software solution, the Fuze Suite. Says Chuck Van Court, president and founder of Fuze, "We clearly understand that our infrastructure supports mission-critical applications that can impact our customers' brands and profitability. For over six years now we have proven that we know how to deliver a fault-tolerant environment that our on-demand customers can count on."

Says Christi Graybill, Customer Service Director at Calendars.com, "The cost of our customer care solution being unavailable is significant, especially during the holiday season. We've been a Fuze client for over 4 years, and they have proven to be a partner we can count on to provide a stable and highly performing application."

Added Michael Taylor, Senior Operations Services Manager for Careerbuilder.com, "Fuze has been a solid partner for us during our 5 years working together. Their product is robust with reliable and consistent performance, and their support is attentive and flexible."

Online consumers have little tolerance for poor system performance and will quickly move to another company if they have a poor user experience. A recent survey completed by close to 1,000 consumers on the GetHuman.com website regarding online expectations reinforced this with over 90% of consumers expecting service levels to be posted online and 60% expecting responses to their questions within 4 business hours. Detailed results of this survey (including the metrics which consumers hold companies accountable) can be found at http://www.fuzeqna.com/fuzeds/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=972

"At Fuze, we recognize that the end-user experience is everything, and service uptime is one of the most critical elements of this experience," added Van Court. "We're glad to provide the system uptime and performance that our clients and their end-users demand."

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/fuze_again_sets_the_bar_for_saas_system_uptime.html

6 Tips for Making Your Email Marketing Stand Out

2009-01-22T09:38:00-05:00

Boston (Gawkwire.com) While email is fast becoming the marketing channel of choice for most growing businesses, concerns remain. In an effort to reduce stuffed in-boxes, consumers are increasingly using spam filters that block even the most legitimate email marketing, and JupiterResearch reports that 17 percent of Americans change email addresses every six months. But there are proven ways to make your message resonate with a target audience. FuelNet.com, a Web site designed to help small and midsize companies grow their business, offers these six tips:

1. Build your list, don't buy it. Even though the price may be modest for tens of thousands of names, the demographics of a purchased or rented list are a crapshoot, and there's always a risk you'll be accused of spamming. Instead, give visitors to your Web site an easy way -- and a legitimate reason -- to opt in to your emails.

2. Make it more than a sales pitch. Email campaigns that only hawk products are doomed to the trash folder. Instead, use email to provide valuable insights and guidance that further the reader's understanding and appreciation of your product or service. "Have something to say," recommends Ben Chestnut, cofounder of the Rocket Science Group, an Atlanta firm that produces the email software MailChimp. "Don't just add to the clutter."

3. Keep it short. An email marketing effort wrapped in a newsletter can be overwhelming for the reader. Rebecca Leigh Brian, owner of the New York-based marketing and branding firm Tribecca Designs, prefers "e-blasts" -- succinct emails that highlight products or events. "Usually, we keep e-blasts to six sentences or less," she notes.

4. Link to a blog. Blogs and email marketing aren't mutually exclusive. If your email is brief, include a link to a blog for more comprehensive information. "A brief email and a link to a blog go together," Chestnut says. "They're like peanut butter and chocolate."

5. Build momentum. Email campaigns work best when they build on prior material, creating a complete picture of what you do. "Each one should offer a nugget of value," Brian points out.

6. Solicit feedback. Email marketing is a great opportunity to connect with customers and best prospects. Jamie Carney, president and CEO of RugsDoneRight.com, asks for suggestions on ways to improve her Web site.

For more online marketing insights, download the free FuelNet Smart Paper "Internet Marketing: Online Advertising Tips for Business Growth."

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/6_tips_for_making_your_email_marketing_stand_out.html

DOMAINfest Conference Brings Experts Together To Discuss Industry Evolution

2009-01-22T09:35:00-05:00

Los Angeles, CA (Gawkwire.com) DomainSponsor™, the domain monetization business of Oversee.net and organizer of DOMAINfest Global®, the domain name industry's premier conference, has published the final DOMAINfest® agenda, which features a comprehensive list of experts who will offer insights and opinions on the key changes impacting the domain, search and advertising industries.

The conference is January 27-30, 2009 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Calif. Full agenda and speaker information is available at www.domainfest.com/agenda.

Agenda, Wednesday, January 28:
DOMAINfest Global 2009 is packed with sessions that focus on change and the strategies and tactics necessary to succeed.

    * Domaining 2.0™ - What Does the Next Evolutionary Phase of Our Industry Look Like? This session focuses on trends driving the industry and includes industry thought leaders: Gregg McNair (Strata Services Limited), Nico Zeifang (Zeifang.com), Ofer Ronen (Sendori), Michael Berkens (Worldwide Media, Inc.) and Steve Hisey (Oversee.net).
    * Keynote. Tech icon Steve Wozniak, the legendary entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple Computer, will share his perspective on technology, innovation and change.
    * Domain Build-out Showcase features speakers who have built domains into thriving businesses. Panelists are the Castello Brothers (Castello Cities Internet Network, Inc), Elliot Silver (Silver Internet Ventures, LLC), Pinkard Alan "Pinky" Brand (dotMobi), Ari Goldberger (ESQwire.com), Rick Waters (Webcast1), and Larry Fischer (DirectNavigation.com).
    * Domain Build-out Nuts and Bolts panelists include Danny Sullivan (Search Engine Land), Lee Gientke (OrangeSoda), Mike "Zappy" Zapolin (Internet Real Estate Group, LLC), Michael Zacharski (CPX Interactive), Jamie MacMillan (LinkShare), Bruce Clay (Bruce Clay, Inc.) and Alex Gardner (Casale Media). They will offer specific advice in their particular area of expertise, such as SEO/SEM, affiliate marketing, branding and content.

Thursday, January 29: * What Can We Expect from the Legal and Regulatory Environment? This session will leverage the fresh, new perspective of expert panelists not seen at other industry events. Speakers include Doug Brent (ICANN) and David McGuire (463 Communications).
* The Google Perspective: Winning over the Advertiser and Optimizing Site Performance through Analytics. Google executives Matt Parry and Hal Bailey will share their knowledge of the evolving analytical tools available and show how to use those tools to optimize the monetization of domain portfolios, with the goal of maximizing quality and conversions.

Domain Industry Bootcamp Session, January 27:
Bootcamp sessions are designed for beginning and intermediate domainers interested in refining their portfolio strategies and learning about best practices. The sessions promise immediate benefits.

    * Domain Industry Trends--What's Your Action Plan? Industry experts will discuss the latest trends, revealing how business models should be changed to capitalize on or mitigate the impact of these trends. Speakers include Andrew Allemann (DomainNameWire.com), Michael Gilmour (WhizzBangsBlog.com), and Adam Strong (DomainNameNews.com).
    * Domain Monetization 101 & 201. Experienced domain name investors will share their knowledge and insights on the critical factors to consider when weighing monetization options. Speakers include Howard Hoffman (PPC Income, Inc.), Leonard Holmes (ParkQuick), Donny Simonton (Parked), Randy Charach (Synergy Domains Inc.) and Sam Tseng (DomainSponsor).
    * Legal Issues to Consider as You Build Your Business. Panelists William Delgado (Willenken Wilson Loh & Lieb LLP), Paul Keating (Renova, Ltd.), Derek Newman (Newman & Newman) and John Berryhill will discuss the latest legal issues to consider in creating and building a domain business.
    * The Art & Science of Buying and Selling Domains will focus on the different domain buying and selling strategies and tactics. Speakers include Anthos Chrysanthou (Lease Domains, Inc.), Lance Wolak (.ORG, The Public Interest Registry), Ron Jackson (DN Journal), Monte Cahn (Moniker/Oversee.net), and Kathy Nielson (Sedo).

Structured Networking:
This year's conference will offer a new twist on networking called "Structured Networking." Industry experts will be available at the end of each day to facilitate dialogue and build mutually beneficial business relationships with participants. Google's Domain Management Team and Yahoo's Domain Match Team will also participate.

Moniker Auctions:
DOMAINfest Global 2009 will feature two Moniker live domain auctions. The Low and No Reserve Auction will be held on Tuesday, January 27 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PST with live and online bidding. The Premium Live Auction will be held on Thursday, January 29 from 1:30-5:00 p.m. PST with live and online bidding. An Extended Online Auction is available from Thursday, January 29 to Thursday, February 5 and will only involve online bidding.

Fun at Universal and the Mansion:There will be a Welcome Party at Universal Studios Hollywood on Wednesday, January 28. DomainSponsor's legendary DOMAINfest party this year will be held at the Playboy Mansion on Thursday, January 29, and will benefit Autism Speaks™, an organization dedicating to researching the causes, prevention and treatment of autism. DFG guests will spend the evening with an eclectic crowd, including Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes.

Sponsors:
DOMAINfest's 2009 list of sponsors is its longest yet and includes a wider range of leading service providers. Companies sponsoring and/or exhibiting at DOMAINfest include DomainSponsor, Moniker, SnapNames, CPX Interactive, Casale Media, Parked, Name.com, Banks.com, .travel, Bank of America, DomainMonster.com, dotMobi, InterNetX, Sedo, Hostway, NameDrive, Skenzo, VeriSign, .ORG, DomainCapital, DDC, NameJet, DotAsia, euroDNS, Modern Domainer, Affinity, Domainer's Magazine, Trellian, offshoring.com, Escrow.com, 7search, RevenueDriver, SafeNames and Sendori.

Registration Information:
Visit the DOMAINfest website to register for the event: http://www.domainfest.com. Registration is $995 up until the conference begins. A spouse pass for meals and the evening parties is available for $495. On-site registration is $1195. win.

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

Hostway Announces Second Winner in Go Mobile with Exchange Giveaway

2009-01-22T09:32:00-05:00

Chicago, IL (Gawkwire.com) Hostway Corporation, the global Web solutions leader, named Barry Hull as the second of three winners in its Go Mobile with Exchange Giveaway. As a winner, Hull gets his choice of one of the latest smart phones--BlackBerry Bold, HTC Touch Diamond or Apple iPhone 3G--free.

Hull was automatically entered to win the drawing when he ordered hosted Microsoft Exchange mailboxes for Athene Inc., the business consulting company where he works.

"Before Exchange, it used to take me up to two hours to schedule a conference call with my work group. Now I can check everyone's availability and schedule a conference call in minutes," said Hull, who began using Exchange in November. "My most valuable resource is time. If I can save time, it's like having money in the bank."

A long-time Hostway Web hosting customer, Hull said he chose Hostway's Microsoft Exchange solution because he already had a "great" experience with the company.

Hosted Microsoft Exchange offers enterprise-level messaging with access to synchronized email, shared calendars, contact lists and task lists through multiple devices.

The Go Mobile with Exchange Giveaway awards each of three winners their choice of one of the hottest smart phones available. Prize drawings took place on November 15, December 15 and January 15. All customers who signed up for one or more Exchange accounts between October 15 and midnight on January 14 were eligible to win.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/hostway_announces_second_winner_in_go_mobile_with_exchange_givea.html

Intermedia Adds Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 to Channel Offering

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

New York, NY (Gawkwire.com) Intermedia, the leading software as a service (SaaS) provider specializing in messaging and collaboration solutions, has announced that it is now offering Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 as a hosted service through its private label channel partners. This offering extends Intermedia's reach within the productivity and collaboration space, offering an easily deployable and customizable customer relationship management (CRM) solution to its existing hosted Exchange email and collaboration, SharePoint collaboration platform and Office Communications Server instant messaging and presence services.

Unlike other one-size-fits-all hosted CRM offerings, Intermedia's hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is customizable to the specific needs of the individual end customer. This level of customization is possible because each CRM customer is guaranteed its own virtual dedicated server. Other vendors rely on shared server infrastructure and a basic control panel which limit their ability to meet every customer's specific needs. With Intermedia's new offering, customers gain a clear competitive edge because they are able to narrow sales leads, tactics, and sales and marketing campaigns to their unique core competencies and market demands. Intermedia's channel partners gain an enhanced revenue stream from the opportunity to fine-tune and tailor the CRM solution to the needs of each customer.

Intermedia's hosted Dynamics CRM 4.0 enables us to add a high-margin recurring revenue stream offering into our product mix that tightly integrates into our existing hosted Exchange offerings
The flexibility of their service enables us to customize solutions for our customers, making us much more relevant to them than standard off-the-shelf software
.
CRM has become a business critical application because optimizing and tracking the sales process has become more and more important to increasing sales and growing customer relationships
We're excited to provide a solution that will help our partners meet the specific needs of individual businesses, in turn allowing them to increase revenue and form closer relationships with their customers.
"Intermedia's hosted Dynamics CRM 4.0 enables us to add a high-margin recurring revenue stream offering into our product mix that tightly integrates into our existing hosted Exchange offerings," said Joseph Kowalenko, President of a mid-sized Chicago-based managed services provider, and a Intermedia channel partner. "The flexibility of their service enables us to customize solutions for our customers, making us much more relevant to them than standard off-the-shelf software."

In addition to customization benefits, Intermedia's Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is tightly integrated with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, allowing a minimal learning curve and quick return on investment. It can be fully synchronized with email, tasks, contacts and calendars. Users can also seamlessly export data into Excel for fast analysis and reporting.

Businesses around the globe looking for a trusted provider of and partner for hosted and private label SaaS, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, Microsoft Exchange 2007, SharePoint, Office Communications Server 2007, visit Intermedia's Web site at http://www.Intermedia.net.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/intermedia_adds_hosted_microsoft_dynamics_crm_4_0_to_channel_off.html

Launch New Weekly Radio Show "Inside Internet Dating"

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

Inside Internet Dating will feature exclusive interviews with CEOs and executives of some of the premier online dating companies in the world. The interviews will be conducted by show hosts Mark Brooks, the Editor of Online Personals Watch, and the organizer of the Internet Dating Conference, Marc Lesnick.

"Webmaster Radio has always been the cutting edge in information and marketing technology. They are great and fun people to work with," Lesnick said. "In addition, the listening audience is well educated and far reaching in terms of their scope of internet knowledge."

Mark Brooks operates a boutique consultancy that exclusively serves internet dating and social networking companies. He has advised the CEO's of Friendster, Friendfinder, Cupid, Webdate, PlentyofFish, TRUE among others, and has worked in the online community space since 1998. His expertise in the industry has made him a regular keynote speaker at conferences around the world and a highly sought after consultant to social networking companies.

"I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of man when an industry has 'emerged' so quickly and taken captive so many human beings," Brooks said. "This show will help people get an idea of what's going on within the social networking industry, from the inside out, in the words of the CEOs themselves."

"Inside Internet Dating" further expands its media partnership with WebmasterRadio.FM, the official radio/podcast network of the Internet Dating Conference series since 2006.

The program airs every Wednesday at 12:00 pm EST and on demand inside the Conference Channel under" Internet Dating Conference" at www.WebmasterRadio.FM.

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

Who's the Biggest Search Geek in America: New Leader Emerges

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

San Francisco, CA (Gawkwire.com) Marin Software, provider of the leading enterprise-class paid search management application for advertisers and agencies, and Search Marketing Expo (SMX West), today announced that a new top scorer has surfaced in the final weeks of the Biggest Search Geek Contest.

With a top score of 76.8%, the new leader beats out the previous top score of 71.25%. The SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest is open to anyone with the mettle to answer 20 tough questions about the ins-and-outs of search marketing.

Contest questions have proven to be challenging, with the median score to date (of those answering at least one question) being 33.33%. Thus far, the highest scoring contestants have taken the longest to complete the test. There is no time limit, so contestants who are serious about winning should take their time in answering this complex set of questions.

The winner will receive a free trip for two people to SMX West in Santa Clara, California, February 10-12, 2009. The prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and passes to SMX West 2009 for the winner and a travel companion. The winner will also receive an award on stage from Danny Sullivan, and will gain nationwide recognition as the Biggest Search Geek.

The winner of the SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest will be chosen based on who answers the most questions correctly. In the event of a tie, the time taken to complete the test will decide the winner. Search marketing experts have until January 28 to take the questionnaire and the winner will be notified during the first week of February. What's more, the top 10% scoring contest entrants will be eligible to receive a "Search Geek" recognition award from Marin Software at SMX West Feb 10-12. The first names, locations and scores of the top 10% will also be listed on the Marin Software site the first week of February.

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

Introducing Comodo System Cleaner

2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00

Jersey City, NJ (Gawkwire.com) According to FreewareGeeks.com,"COMODO System Cleaner is a light-weight, simple to understand and install application and has all the tools you need for optimizing, cleaning and tuning-up your system." PC owners can use Comodo System Cleaner to make their computers faster and more responsive.

Like its award-winning Comodo Internet Security and antivirus software, Comodo Security Solutions, Inc., provides Comodo System Cleaner to users around the world free of charge.

Comodo System Cleaner features thousands of individual security and performance enhancements for personal computers. Users can improve their computer performance by cleaning unwanted files, tuning up their systems to run faster, diagnosing problems and installing utilities to help them manage their files.

* Improves visibility and control over computer's hardware, software, processes and performance with powerful diagnostics tools
* Helps users manage their computer registries, including cleaning up incompletely-deleted software
* Ensures complete on-line and off-line privacy by clearing the history, cache and temp files of Internet browsers, instant messengers and Windows applications
* Protects privacy and data with essential security utilities like Permanent File Wiper and built-in hash value checker and more

Users may also be interested to know that the latest beta version of Comodo System Cleaner, featuring all-new 'safe delete' feature, can be downloaded from http://forums.comodo.com.

Comodo System Cleaner is available in 32 bit and 64 bit versions for XP and Vista and Windows 2003 server. For more information, visit http://system-cleaner.comodo.com/index.html. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/introducing_comodo_system_cleaner.html

Internet Domain Seizures Blocked by Appeals Court

2009-01-20T23:35:00-05:00

Frankfort, KY (Gawkwire.com) The Kentucky Court of Appeals issued a ruling today prohibiting the seizure of 141 Internet domain names by the state.

In a 2-to-1 majority opinion, the court ruled for the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) in its suit against Judge Thomas D. Wingate (No. 2008-CA-002000-OA), by blocking the seizure orders issued by the Franklin (KY) circuit court judge for the domain names, all related to Internet gambling (Commonwealth of Kentucky, Franklin Circuit Court, Division II, 08-CI-1409).

Judge Michelle M. Keller, in her majority opinion, found that Internet domain names for online gambling Web sites were not illegal "gambling devices" by Kentucky law, as had been claimed by attorneys representing the Commonwealth, in their attempt to seize control of the names from their owners. Judge Keller stated that while the Kentucky legislature could have chosen to include Internet domain names in its gambling devices law, it had not, therefore the Commonwealth could not rightfully proceed with its forfeiture action.

"(I)t stretches credulity to conclude that a series of numbers, or Internet address, can be said to constitute a "machine or any mechanical or other device...designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling," Judge Keller wrote. "We are thus convinced that the trial court clearly erred in concluding that the domain names can be construed to be gambling devices."

Judge Jeff S. Taylor, also writing for the majority, added that the Commonwealth could not seek a civil forfeiture based on a criminal statute when there had been no criminal proceeding. Since there had been no criminal proceeding or conviction against any of the Internet domain name owners, the Commonwealth could not take control of their property.

Judge Micheal Caperton, in his dissenting opinion, wrote that the Internet domain names were one part of a larger mechanism for gambling, which included computers and Internet service, and thus, in his opinion, met the definition of a "gambling device" under Kentucky law.

"This decision confirms why we went the way we did with suit," said Jon L. Fleischaker, attorney for iMEGA and managing partner at Dinsmore & Shohl in Louisville, KY. "We knew when we brought this to the Court of Appeals, that we would get justice for iMEGA and the domain names in Kentucky."

Fleischaker had argued in a December 12, 2008 hearing before the Court of Appeals that the Internet domain names were no more than "billboards" for the Web sites, and not mechanisms for gambling. Fleischaker had also argued that the Commonwealth's attorneys could not try to fashion a civil law remedy with a criminal statue to justify the seizure of the domain names.

"We are very happy with the court's ruling today," said Joe Brennan Jr., chairman of iMEGA, an Internet trade association in Washington, DC. "The judges clearly agreed with our interpretation of the law, and thankfully, this reverses what would have been a terrible precedent for our country and the Internet."

The Court in its decision declined to review additional arguments submitted by the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and attorneys representing Sportsbook.com, also seeking to have the domain name seizures blocked.

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

Teen Torture iPhone App Discontinued Due to Public Alarm

2009-01-21T09:33:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) It has come to Inner Four's recent attention that there is some very unfortunate confusion as to the intentions of its iPhone application previously for sale on Apple's iTunes App Store entitled "Teen Torture". Due to its attention-grabbing name, and the unfortunate media confusion and common misconception now surrounding this app, Inner Four is currently in the process of voluntarily removing the "Teen Torture" product from sale.

The application's prior name of "Teen Torture" was originally chosen merely to get people's attention, not to in any way condone or suggest actual torture of anyone. The company's marketing thought that not using a cell phone for torture was obvious, especially considering the iPhone is incapable of producing dangerous high volume. Inner Four deeply regrets and apologizes for any public alarm, misconception, inconvenience, or confusion caused by the now-discontinued app.

The intended purpose of this app was, and has always been, strictly educational and informational in nature. The "technology" of high frequency electronic sound generation has been around for over 20 years. There are currently countless cell phone ring tones, high tone generating devices, and various other similar products on the worldwide market. Only recently has this old technology been given a new name, and gained so much media attention and controversy, due to its recent and unfortunate uses.

The controversy revolves around the fact that as you age, you lose the ability to hear high frequencies (called presbycusis). This concept was put to use with a certain electronic device which emits an ultrasonic sound, similar to a Mosquito (~17.4 kHz at 85dB). The device is typically heard by people who are less than 25 years old. The device is unfortunately used in certain countries for preventing behavior such as gang loitering, graffiti, vandalism, drug usage, drug distribution, and violence. Inner Four condemns any such usage of its apps on anyone including but not limited to young people, and reiterates that any such usage is strictly forbidden. Students have recently taken advantage of this concept by using so-called "Mosquito" ringtones on their cell phones that only they could hear, but their teachers could not.

Inner Four insists that any comparison of its educational apps to that of any such "Mosquito" devices is incorrect. The primary effectiveness of Mosquito-type devices is due to their high volume (decibel) level. The iPhone and iPod Touch portable devices are incapable of producing sound at ultra high volume levels with their onboard speakers.

Inner Four had hoped that by bringing attention to the controversial misuse of high frequency tone generators being played at high volume (or any such devices targeted towards a certain age group of human beings), that it would assist the worldwide community to help educate people in the potentially damaging effects of playing such sounds at high volume. Inner Four has clearly succeeded in its goal of bringing worldwide attention to this issue, although deeply regrets the public alarm caused by the now-discontinued application's name.

Inner Four is a responsible publisher of over 25 applications currently for sale on Apple's iTunes App Store. Previous customers of "Teen Torture" will be automatically offered a free replacement app from Inner Four, entitled "Teen Hearing Test", which more accurately describes and educates the end-user to the issues described herein.

The replacement app will be made available at:
Teen Hearing Test
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301115533

Warning: The applications described above are designed for the iPhone which is incapable of dangerously high volume. Do not use the application with external amplification devices. As with any sound, high volume may cause hearing damage. Use the program responsibly only for its intended educational and informational use, and do not violate anyone's human rights with this application. Do not purchase or use this app if controversial or illegal in your country. Always adhere to your local laws, and use entirely at your own risk.

Inner Four encourages responsible law-abiding citizens worldwide to download the replacement app to find out if other people can really hear high frequency sounds that you can't, and decide for yourself if there is any truth to the incredible media hype surrounding this issue. Check it out today!

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

DiscountASP.NET Renews Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status

2009-01-21T09:31:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) DiscountASP.NET, today announced it has successfully renewed their Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status with four Microsoft competencies, recognizing DiscountASP.NET’s expertise and impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, DiscountASP.NET has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers’ needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support, giving them a competitive advantage in the channel.

As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Partner status, DiscountASP.NET had to declare a Microsoft Competency. Microsoft Competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner’s capabilities with specific Microsoft technologies to customers looking for a particular type of solution. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the technology industry. DiscountASP.NET attained the Advanced Infrastructure Solutions and Networking Infrastructure competency to qualify for the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner level in 2006 and the Security Solutions competency in 2008. DiscountASP.NET has now added the new Hosting Solutions Competency as their fourth competency.

In their commitment to the hosting ecosystem, Microsoft introduced a new Hosting Solutions competency last year and has introduced new exams to qualify for this competency. The new competency provides hosting partners access to sales, marketing and training opportunities and establishes the organization as a hosting expert.

“As a hosting provider that focuses 100% on Windows-based shared web hosting, we felt that it was very important for us to obtain the Hosting Solutions competency and we are extremely proud to join the expert group of hosts that have attained this competency,” said Takeshi Eto VP Marketing and Business Development for DiscountASP.NET. “Having achieved four competencies firmly demonstrates our expertise and commitment to Microsoft technology and innovation.”

The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in October 2003 and represents Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners’ businesses be successful.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/discountasp_net_renews_microsoft_gold_certified_partner_status.html

Web.com and Go Daddy Enter into Patent Cross-License Agreement

2009-01-21T09:29:00-05:00

JACKSONVILLE, FL (Gawkwire.com) The confidential settlement and patent cross-license agreement fully resolves the lawsuit Web.com filed against Go Daddy in 2006 alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,789,103, 6,842,769, 6,868,444 and 6,654,804.

Under the agreement, Web.com and Go Daddy are granting each other a non-exclusive cross-license covering the parties’ respective patent portfolios, including all patents that may in the future issue from pending applications. The remaining terms of the agreement are confidential.

Other Web hosting and domain registration companies licensing Web.com’s patents and intellectual property include Register.com and Hostopia. Web.com has 21 patents related to its proprietary technology and business processes. http://www.gawkwire.com/business/web_com_and_go_daddy_enter_into_patent_cross-license_agreement.html

Live Streaming of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama

2009-01-20T10:50:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) On January 20th, follow the inauguartion of Barack Obama and the live scene from across Washington DC with streaming video from multiple sites.

To follow the coverage click here http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/live_streaming_of_the_presidential_inauguration_of_barack_obama.html

At Just 16 Years Old, Will Perkins is Revolutionizing the Web Hosting Industry

2009-01-20T12:00:00-05:00

Brandon, FL (Gawkwire.com) Will Perkins may be only 16 years old, but he is also a phenomenal, rapidly rising and highly experienced businessman, as well as President and CEO of Host-Monkey, a feature-packed hosting solution for customers who are serious about meeting their business needs at an affordable price. Host-Monkey's shared accounts system flawlessly delivers a service with 50 gigabytes per month of traffic, 5 gigabytes of web space, unlimited domains and POP3/IMAP email accounts, web-based control panels and the industry's leading 30-day money-back guarantee. Most alluring, in addition to all these features customers who sign up with the service for one year receive a free domain registration and free set-up.

"Our hosting service provides the marketplace with an extremely affordable, feature-rich and an unbeatable performance rate," Will Perkins says. "Today's hosting marketplace has evolved a great deal, and customers are looking for an optimum value with competitive pricing." Perkins insists upon honesty and fair dealing with Host-Monkey, and treating customers individually according to their hosting needs. Perkins values these simple strategies in doing business, making Host-Monkey stand out clearly among competing hosting services. Providing a top-quality service and connectivity is Host-Monkey's priority, rather than merely providing a lower priced but also lower quality hosting service. "Host-Monkey's exceptional customer service staff works 24/7/365 to provide you with top quality hosting needs; we understand that every second your website is offline you could be losing potential clients" says Perkins.

Perkins says, "There is no better value than what Host-Monkey provides. There is no hosting service that surpasses what we offer. Discriminating hosting customers always look for superior features, honest providers and exemplary service; this is exactly what we deliver at Host-Monkey. We don't make impossible claims in order to procure more customers and their hard-earned cash."

Perkins invites all those who are searching for a hosting company that combines outstanding service with affordability and honesty in business to visit Host-Monkey and discover its superiority for themselves. "I'm surprised that more companies have chosen not to adopt this simple strategy," says Perkins.

For more information, visit the Host-Monkey web site at www.host-monkey.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/at_just_16_years_old_will_perkins_is_revolutionizing_the_web_hos.html

Introducing Extreme Fast Industrial Mini PC Small Enough to Fit in Your Hand

2009-01-20T09:24:00-05:00

Toronto, Canada (Gawkwire.com) Stealth.com Inc. (Stealth Computer) a leading ISO 9001 manufacturer of industrial rugged computers and peripherals has released our most powerful mini pc yet, the LPC-650 Series LittlePC. The new Stealth LPC-650 small form PC offers tremendous power in a tiny package that measures 6.5" x 6" and less than 2" tall or about the size of a hard cover novel yet surpasses the performance of most desktop and notebook PCs available today. Engineered with the latest Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors featuring 64-Bit EMT64 Technology, you'll experience blazing speed performance that will handle your most processor intense applications.

"The Stealth Model: LPC-650 is the most powerful small form Little PC we have ever offered. This full featured machine utilizes the latest Intel core 2 duo processor technology and we believe it offers the most processing power per square inch of any personal computer available today," stated Ed Boutilier President & CEO of Stealth.com Inc.

The LPC-650 mini PC features a multitude of I/O connectivity built into its impressively small design such as; Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11g, 4-USB 2.0, Serial, 2-VGA Video, Audio and HDMI ports. The LPC-650 supports up to 4GB in memory and has a built-in 2.5" high-shock hard drive with up to 500GB's of storage space for archived data. For applications that require extra high shock, vibration and wide temperature ranges an optional SSD (Solid State Hard Drive) is available. A slim DVD/CD-RW optical drive comes standard with an optional DVD burner available. Systems are compatible with Microsoft Vista/XP, Linux etc and can be custom configured to meet the exact needs of the OEM or end user. Stealth's LittlePC products serve a demanding market where powerful solutions are being deployed in space-challenged applications around the world. Digital Signs, Kiosks, Embedded Control, Thin-Clients, POS & Human/Machine Interface are just a few of the applications that are ideal for Stealth's LittlePC products.

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

Free Webinar Jan. 21: The Recession-Ready Wiki

2009-01-20T09:22:00-05:00

Fremont, CA (Gawkwire.com) Aberdeen Group, a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence and eTouch SamePage, a dynamic enterprise wiki, are hosting a free webinar entitled, "The Recession-Ready Wiki - Surviving the Economic Storm through Sales Collaboration and Knowledge Management."

The webinar will be held at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009. Anyone interested can register at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/654248983. It will be an interactive discussion on how Enterprise 2.0 collaboration and knowledge management tools can benefit sales organizations in selling more effectively in these challenging times.

"The recent challenges in the economic landscape have necessitated the urgent search for tools that immediately and effectively deliver a positive return on investments," said Alex Jefferies, senior research associate at Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks company (NYSE: HHS). "Enterprise 2.0 tools present an evolutionary approach to improve the efficiency of processes and productivity of your workforce in these times. This will be a valuable and informative event for companies in any business sector."

Jefferies will discuss key findings of two relevant reports - Sales 2.0: Social Media for Knowledge Management and Sales Collaboration published September 2008 and Sales Intelligence: The Secret to Sales Nirvana, which he will publish later this month. Devang Mehta, marketing and business development, eTouch SamePage, will present a brief overview of the enterprise wiki's capabilities.
er" the servers up.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/free_webinar_jan_21_the_recession-ready_wiki.html

GoGrid Moves API Specs to Creative Commons Licensing

2009-01-19T13:19:00-05:00

San Francisco, CA (Gawkwire.com) GoGrid, the Cloud Computing division of ServePath, LLC today announced the release of its cloudcenter API OpenSpec (open specification) under the Creative Commons ShareAlike license. This allows any Cloud Computing provider to build an API based on this OpenSpec, as well as to modify, share, and republish changes to the specification itself and profit from these efforts.

This innovative move reaffirms GoGrid and ServePath's continuing commitment to the Open Source and Open License movement as well as setting an example in establishing open standards, transparency and commonality within the Cloud Computing Marketplace. Tools written to this OpenSpec standard will control both the GoGrid cloud platform and the products of other compatible cloud computing providers.

GoGrid is simultaneously releasing the GoGrid cloudcontrol™ command line utility, which exercises the functionality in the cloudcenter API OpenSpec. This utility is released under the Lesser General Public License (LGPL) which enables the broadest adoption while also encouraging reuse and sharing in conjunction with the OpenSpec.

This release is in the spirit of the original IETF mission statement (RFC3935) that specifies the creation of standards based on "rough consensus and running code." GoGrid actively encourages the support and interest of the Cloud Computing Community in further developing this OpenSpec and will be revising and working towards updating the cloudcenter API and the its OpenSpec in a manner that fosters the community, interoperability and ease of use.

"This OpenSpec for the GoGrid API shows our commitment to openness, standards and innovation in the Cloud Computing space. We're the first Cloud vendor to actively allow other Clouds to copy our API, creating more competition while also deepening cooperation," said Randy Bias, VP of Product Strategy of GoGrid. "This move will encourage collaboration in defining Cloud interoperability that will be important for both Cloud Computing vendors and their customers."

Further information on the GoGrid cloudcenter API OpenSpec and license can be found at: http://wiki.gogrid.com/wiki/index.php/API

Information on the GoGrid cloudcontrol command line utility can be found at: http://wiki.gogrid.com/wiki/index.php/API:cloudcontrol

GoGrid's Application Programming Interface (API) allows GoGrid users to programmatically control their GoGrid environments. While the existing GUI enables users to easily and quickly create complex network infrastructures, the addition of the GoGrid API provides the ability to:

- skin their own GoGrid portals
- retrieve real-time billing and usage information
- script and chain various GoGrid commands for automation
- instantly query GoGrid environments to retrieve variables about all objects
- hook GoGrid functions into other computing environments or management tools

The GoGrid API is for Developers, System Administrators, SMBs, Start-ups, Web 2.0 companies and Resellers, providing them the freedom to control the GoGrid Cloud Infrastructure via the clearly documented public API. The GoGrid API uses a REST-like Query interface where queries are sent via HTTP GET or POST requests to the API server. API keys are easily generated and managed within the GoGrid portal, can have role-based access controls (RBAC) applied to them and are unlimited. The current API output formats are JSON and XML. All commands delivered via the API are immediately reflected within the GoGrid web interface. Users can, for example, build API scripts that "get" available unused IP addresses, "add" servers with the unassigned IPs, and "power" the servers up.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/gogrid_moves_api_specification_to_creative_commons_licensing_und.html

GotWebHost.com Introduces Pay-per-Click Campaign Management

2009-01-20T09:17:00-05:00

Valparaiso, IN (Gawkwire.com) GotWebHost.com, the original SEO web hosting company, is happy to announce the addition of managed pay-per-click and email campaigns. This is made possible by the introduction of a new member to our staff, Missi Maynard. Ms Maynard is a seasoned digital media professional with the unique ability to grasp both the business and technical sides of media campaigns. A Google Professional and Yahoo Ambassador, Missi has directed multi-million dollar paid search and media campaigns for the Direct Response and Event-Based Seminar industries.

Director of Marketing, Tanya Martin, explained, "We are pleased to welcome Missi as our Director of Media. Missi's six years of media, paid search, affiliate and social marketing experience guarantees results and customer satisfaction.

Lloyd Brown, Director of Business Development, said, "We have been aware of Missi for several years. When we heard about her availability it was a no-brainer to approach her to join the GotWebHost team. We feel her addition secures our position as a full service SEO web host."

Missi knows media inside-out, from analytics, ad serving and trafficking; creative development, business development and project management; media planning and buying, accounting and customer support.

"I am extremely happy for this new opportunity. I know GotWebHost has always provided a quality product and I am pleased to be a part of this dedicated team," Maynard stated.

As an introductory offer GotWebHost will accept trial campaigns with a minimum budget of $500 monthly. For further details please contact Missi at 1-888-631-4001, email sales@gotwebhost.com or visit our PPC Campaign Management section of our website to learn more about our PPC department.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/gotwebhost_com_introduces_pay-per-click_campaign_management.html

topseos Announces Winners of 2008 SEO and PPC Competition

2009-01-19T09:31:00-05:00

Plymouth, IN (Gawkwire.com) After a year long evaluation process, topseos announced the 10 best SEO companies and 10 best PPC companies that excelled in their field in the year 2008.

Independent Authority on Search
topseos SEO & PPC Competition was designed to find competent, trustworthy and genuine SEO and PPC companies that provide services on the highest level. An independent panel consisting of staff members of topseos.com determined the winners after a year-long, rigorous evaluation process.

"We compared customer satisfaction, the depth of knowledge in the field, reporting methods, practicing internally what is preached to clients, and additional discrete competitive advantages. Each core competence was examined in great detail over the course of the year. In addition to that, we interviewed customers of each entrant on four separate occasions during the year, to be able to provide the real measure of customer satisfaction. During the interviews we enquired about the status of the project, the quality of services being performed, and the status on the return of their investment. These companies experienced a one year scrutiny of their processes and methodologies - they certainly showed consistency and ability to perform," said Jeev Trika, Partner at e-ventures, LLC.

Each company went through the following phases of evaluation:

All Phases - Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is measured in every phase by ensuring that we communicate to the customers of each entrant on a quarterly basis during the one year long evaluation. Queries on the status of the project, the quality of services being performed, the status on the return of their investment are asked on four separate occasions during the year to ensure that no fluke winners are announced at the end of the evaluation.

Phase 1 - Depth of Knowledge
The depth of knowledge in the field is determined by reviewing the mission of the company, the quality of the entrant's website, practical experiences, blog entries, press releases, their vision of the industry, and the specificity that they go into in informing their clients on how search marketing results are generated.

Phase 2 - Reporting Methods
Reporting methods are reviewed. Actual reports generated for clients are scrutinized. The formats, the ease-to-read factor, levels of specificity that are provided to customers, and the frequency of reports are all carefully evaluated.

Phase 3 - Internal Principles
Ensuring that the entrants practice what they preach is a clear indication of a "buy in" on the strategy. If an entrant proposes the distribution of press releases to their clients, do they perform such services for themselves? If a vendor proposes to its clients that their website meets various stringent online standards, do their own sites meet such standards?

Phase 4 - Competitive Advantages
Additional discrete competitive advantages are carefully examined. New product offerings, proprietary processes, customization combined with speed to market, quality of employees, organizational hierarchy and any trademarks and patents can all be sources of competitive advantage.

Winners of the 2008 SEO Competition:

Rank
1 Bruce Clay
2 Customer Magnetism
3 SEOP
4 Direct Hit Solutions, Inc.
5 Weblinx Limited
6 ArteWorks SEO
7 SEO Image Inc.
8 1st on the List Promotion Inc.
9 SEMS (Italy)
10 Portent Interactive

Winners of the 2008 PPC Competition:

Rank
1 JumpFly, Inc.
2 Bruce Clay Inc.
3 SEOP
4 Clicks2Customers
5 GDMI
6 Customer Magnetism
7 Direct Hit Solutions, Inc.
8 Portent Interactive
9 Webrageous Studios
10 Whoast Inc.

To learn more about the topseos SEO and PPC Competition visit: http://www.topseos.com/competition

To view the complete evaluation process visit: http://www.topseos.com/seo-and-ppc-competition/index/evaluation-criteria

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/topseos_announces_winners_of_2008_seo_and_ppc_competition.html

3FN Offers Best Conditions for Dedicated Server Hosting

2009-01-19T09:34:00-05:00

San Jose, CA (Gawkwire.com) 3FN Inc., Triple Fiber Network, the world's leading provider of web hosting, including dedicated server, shared and collocation hosting and other web hosting services, today announces the best conditions for dedicated server hosting.

Triple Fiber Network is proud to be known for offering the best conditions for dedicated server hosting. In reference to dedicated server hosting 3FN is providing the cutting edge technology, modern tools and absolute confidentiality for its clients. Recent changes in web hosting and dedicated server offers impresses with its new prices and added features.

"3FN has provided dedicated server hosting services for more than a decade, and now it hosts thousands business and corporate web sites as well as personal and quite popular web resources. We provide unlimited possibility, advanced technology, high reliability and security of dedicated server hosting to our valuable customers. We have achieved new level, offering our clients new enhanced web hosting services and in the same time we demonstrate the great flexibility of our price policy. The outstanding conditions for dedicated server hosting by 3FN have been recognized by our customers all over the world," says Dean McToner, the 3FN official representative.

"Now our dedicated server hosting is suitable for the new web sites as well as for the customers looking to switch into something bigger and greater in terms of dedicated server hosting. Webmasters all over the world prefer our dedicated server hosting for its quality and stability. Making the transfer they confess the move to be right."

Providing the best conditions for dedicated server hosting 3FN offers easy and powerful advanced control panel, 24 hr and 7 days support, online technical support and surprising low prices. Dedicated server web hosting by 3FN is all about what is best for our customers. A dedicated web hosting by 3FN is beneficial for complex business and high-end e-commerce sites, as every business strives for more space and security.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/3fn_offers_best_conditions_for_dedicated_server_hosting.html

Sibername.com Announces Pre-Booking Open For.TEL Domain Names

2009-01-17T06:00:00-05:00

Ottawa, Canada (Gawkwire.com) Sibername.com, one of Canada's leading domain name registrars, today announced pre-booking of .TEL domain names for submission to registry operator Telnic as soon as Landrush opens. Pre-booking enables customers of Sibername.com, through the web page Sibername.com .TEL Landrush Website, to submit requests for .tel domain names the instant that Landrush -- the period where anyone can purchase any available .tel domain -- opens on 3rd February 2009.

"Sibername.com is an experienced registrar and we're pleased that they've joined the launch at this time to help their customers secure their .tel domains at Landrush. With the additional benefits that .TEL domains provide without further investment, businesses and individuals are realizing that .tel is an easy way to be discovered online from any device," said Justin Hayward, Communications Director, Telnic Limited.

.tel enables you to store, update and publish all your contact information, web links and keywords directly on the internet under your own unique domain name. Simple, fast and accessible from any device, .tel provides a new internet standard to take full control over how and where people reach you. The .tel delivers:

- integration of any and all means of communication (i.e. Phone numbers, IM, VOIP, email, social media)

- real-time publishing of your contact information on the internet

- full ownership of your published data

- protection of your private data, only viewable by people you authorize

- simple structured navigation to easily reach the most relevant information

- high speed global access optimized for mobile devices

- multi-language, search engine-friendly structured information and keywords

Registration for registered trademark holders is already open during the Sunrise period (December 3/08 - February 2/08). With .tel being billed as the biggest innovation since the release of .com domains, anticipation of what has been dubbed 'The Google of online phone books' and 'the whitepages killer' by the media is expected to be high.

Founded in 2000, Telnic Limited is the Registry Operator and Sponsoring Organization for the new .tel sponsored top level domain (sTLD). For more information regarding Telnic Limited, please visit Telnic Web Site.

Founded in 2000, Sibername.com, based in Ottawa, Canada, is one of Canada's leading ICANN, CIRA and Eurid accredited domain registrars and web hosts, offering registrations for over 20 different TLDs and a variety of web hosting packages aimed at both home and business users. Sibername.com has a proven record of success in .CA, .MOBI and .EU Landrush. For more information regarding Sibername.com Internet and Software Technologies Inc. and .tel domain names, please visit Sibername.com Canadian .TEL Domain Name Website.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/sibername_com_announces_pre-booking_open_for_tel_domain_names.html

GoDaddy Web Hosting Firm Super Bowl Ads Approved

2009-01-16T11:45:00-05:00

Scottsdale, AZ (Gawkwire.com) This is the first time that Go Daddy has attained two commercial approvals in such a time frame. The question remains, however, which thirty-second commercial will air? Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons invites the public to cast votes online. Both versions are available at the company's website.

Mr. Parsons explained, ''I'm looking forward to seeing how people vote - I like both ads. I say we give the viewers what they want to see.''

Both approved ads are GoDaddy-esque, meaning the ads are fun, edgy and slightly inappropriate, as is the Go Daddy tradition. Both spots feature IndyCar's most popular driver and Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick.

The first option features Danica taking a shower with another woman as three college students watch.

Mr. Parsons continued, ''The 'Shower' commercial is the one people usually pick sight unseen. It's hot all right, no doubt about it, but the twist is what really makes this ad great.''

The second option, like Go Daddy's legendary 2005 Super Bowl ad, spoofs a controversial issue. Baseball takes on the steroids scandal in typical GoDaddy-esque style. Its cast includes recurring character actor Booth Colman, who appeared in the original Go Daddy Super Bowl ad, and CEO Bob Parsons. Both ads were created in-house by Go Daddy Productions.

AdWeek advertising expert Barbara Lippert has a history of panning Go Daddy ads, but was unusually critical after previewing the baseball spoof. Mr. Lippert remarked, ''This is lower than the usual Go Daddy low - it's pathetic.''

Go Daddy has a history of notoriety, when it comes to Super Bowl campaigns. Go Daddy's first-ever Super Bowl ad in 2005 parodied the infamous wardrobe malfunction. The FOX network pulled the ad before airing it a second time in that game, generating an avalanche of publicity.

Beyond its risque reputation, the company has generated business along with the buzz. Go Daddy's 2006 Super Bowl ad generated unprecedented Web traffic. Its 2007 spot was honored by IAG as the Most-Recalled commercial of the entire year. Last year, FOX censors refused to approve Go Daddy's Exposure ad, so Parsons quickly developed another commercial encouraging viewers to watch the intended Super Bowl ad online. The broadcast commercial produced 1.5MM Go Daddy Web hits before the game ended.
Clearly, the Super Bowl commercials have boosted Go Daddy's bottom line. Prior to the first Super Bowl ad, Go Daddy's market share was 16 percent. That number climbed after each Super Bowl campaign. Today, Go Daddy's market share of new domains is an overwhelming 46 percent, putting Go Daddy at a level more than three times the size of its closest competitor.

To vote on which commercial you want to see in next month's Super Bowl broadcast, visit www.GoDaddy.com. Voting ends Friday, Jan. 23, 2009.

For more information about GoDaddy, please visit: www.godaddy.com.

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

Wii & Nintendo DS Set New Industry Records

2009-01-16T11:43:00-05:00

REDMOND, WA (Gawkwire.com) Before 2008, no video game system had ever been purchased by ten million Americans in a single year. But according to independent sales data released today by the NPD Group, the Wii™ console from Nintendo did just that, even during these economic times, with 2008 unit sales of 10.17 million. The Nintendo DS™ portable handheld system came in a close second, with 2008 unit sales of 9.95 million. Each of them broke the previous yearly unit sales record set in 2007 by Nintendo DS with sales of 8.52 million.

Consequently, Wii represented 55% of all next generation home console sales in 2008, while Nintendo DS claimed 72% of all portable system sales in 2008.

“Our type of entertainment has now moved to the point where there is no longer a question that if you offer consumers an expanded definition of what a video game can be, and deliver that idea with quality and affordability in mind, millions of new people will start playing video games,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Concepts like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band never would have seemed feasible just a few years ago, and now they’re driving growth for our the entire industry.”

NPD data released for December and all of 2008 also included the following:

The industry’s top 4 selling games of 2008 were: Wii Play™ at No. 1, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 2, Wii Fit™ at No.3, and Super Smash Brothers™ Brawl, at No. 4.

Industry annual revenues jumped 19% in 2008 over 2007, and Nintendo products were responsible for 99% of those additional retail dollars.

Nintendo DS set another industry record for system sales in any month, with 3.04 million units sold in December.

Wii broke its own monthly record, set in December 2007, by selling 2.14 million units last month.

In December, Nintendo titles filled 20 of the top 30 spots on the best-seller list. Six games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10, including Wii Music™ for Wii (No. 9), which has now sold 865,000 units following its launch in October 2008, and Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS (No. 7), which has sold a total of 4.3 million units 38 months after launch.

Activision’s Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero® World Tour, and MTV Games/EA’s* Rock Band Special Edition Bundle all sold more units on Nintendo platforms than any other platforms in 2008.

More 3rd party units were sold for Wii than any other home consoles in December for the 2nd consecutive month.

For the year, more than 132 million games were sold in America for play on Nintendo systems.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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

"Telephone.net" Domain Name Currently up for Auction at GreatDomains.com

2009-01-16T11:42:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The domain name Telephone.net is currently listed in Sedo's Premium Domain Auction at GreatDomains.com, which runs until Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 12:00 PM EST.

The generic domain name, Telephone.net, could prove to be a solid acquisition for the right buyer.

The name not only represents an industry, but is directly related to a multitude of products and services in the telecommunications arena including: telephones, cellular telephones, voice over IP (VoIP) services, long distance services, and telephone network equipment.

For more information about the Telephone.net auction and to view the listing, please visit

http://www.greatdomains.com/auction/auction_detail.php?language=us&auction_id=48118&tracked=&partnerid=32392

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

Strategic Partnership HP and LeaseWeb on Green Hosting

2009-01-16T11:40:00-05:00

AMSTERDAM (Gawkwire.com) Within the partnership LeaseWeb will offer a variety of products and services. These will include HP ProLiant Servers DL120 and DL180, a ‘Scalable Configurable Infrastructure’ server custom-made for LeaseWeb, Factory Express services for configured and cabled racks and remote management, and virtual KVM switches via iLO (remote IP management).
One of the key reasons for opting for HP is that the activities and products of HP’s solutions with regard to energy-efficiency are compatible with LeaseWeb’s vision and with LeaseWeb’s green proposition via the energy-efficient data center EvoSwitch (www.evoswitch.com).

Green hosting
Energy-efficiency in the data center is a key aspect for LeaseWeb and HP was chosen partly because of this. “HP has a broad portfolio of innovative products and technologies which enable companies to optimize their data centers and so contribute to improving the environment, says Ruud Mous, Sales Director of LeaseWeb: “HP has invested considerably in green technology and the development of energy-efficient servers. That makes HP the ideal partner for us.”
LeaseWeb, as a hosting provider, manages more than 15,000 servers in four different data centers, including the CO2 neutral and energy-efficient EvoSwitch data center (www.evoswitch.com).

Hosting cost
“LeaseWeb is a major player in the hosting market and like HP wants to reduce energy consumption. We are therefore very pleased with this partnership, because partners such as LeaseWeb are essential for the success of HP and for creating energy-efficient and environment-friendly hosting platforms,” says Laurent Pacqué, Business Unit Manager Industry Standard Servers, HP Nederland. “By viewing the IT platform from an environmentally conscious standpoint, companies can reduce their energy consumption, and also realize more hardware per square meter. They hence not only contribute to improving the environment but also reduce their costs.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/strategic_partnership_hp_and_leaseweb_on_green_hosting.html

Hosted Solutions Expands Management Team Naming Its First VP of Marketing

2009-01-16T11:37:00-05:00

Raleigh, NC (Gawkwire.com) Hosted Solutions, the East Coast’s premier data center and managed services provider, announced today that Noreen Allen has joined the company as Vice President of Marketing.

Allen joins Hosted Solutions from Motricity, where she spent three years as Vice President of Marketing. During that time, she built significant brand awareness for the company and played a key role as the company grew from approximately $35 million to $100 million in annual revenues. Before that, she spent eight years with SpectraSite Communications, serving as Vice President of Marketing and leading marketing initiatives from the time of the company’s inception until it was sold in 2005 to American Tower Corp for more than $3 billion.

“This is the perfect time to bring in someone with Noreen’s background,” said Rich Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. We’ve built a strong, profitable business organically over the last seven years without a marketing strategist on our executive team. Noreen led marketing for two very prominent local brands that were in similar high growth situations.
Her experience with marketing, branding and positioning will be invaluable for us as we take the business to the next level.”

“I’m incredibly excited to join the Hosted Solutions team,” Allen commented. “Rich and his team have built a solid business in a very controlled, strategic manner. Given the current economic climate, the managed hosting sector is one of the most attractive areas of business with great potential for continued growth as things like cloud computing and virtualization move to the forefront. Hosted Solutions is in a great position in the market and I see tremendous opportunity to continue to grow the business.”

Allen’s addition to the team comes on the heels of a record growth year for Hosted Solutions. In April, the company announced that it was acquired by Boston-based private equity firm ABRY Partners for $144 million. The company has had great momentum since then with significant growth in both customers and employees. New customers included Belk, Atlanta Falcons, UNC Charlotte and Britax Child Safety, joining a prestigious list of existing blue chip customers like Krispy Kreme, Carolina Panthers, McClatchey Broadcasting, Capitol Broadcasting and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In addition, the employee base doubled since Q4 of 2007.

“We just finished a very strong year,” Lee added. “Our business has continued to flourish even in the midst of a tough economy because we offer solutions that enable companies to manage through and survive difficult markets. Many businesses are struggling today, and they’re looking for cost savings in their IT budgets. Our solutions allow our customers to minimize capital expenditures and control operating expenses, making it much easier for them to focus on the business and navigate a tough climate.”

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

Top Ten Internet Marketing Predictions for 2009

2009-01-14T16:12:00-05:00

Gainesville, FL (Gawkwire.com) With business owners and executives experiencing slumping sales and tightening their belts everywhere they can, there is a pervasive and ongoing exodus of marketing dollars out of print, radio and television and into Online Marketing. Businesses of all sizes are becoming more aware of the effectiveness and high ROI of generating leads through the development of their own personal brand of web system.

Top Ten Jorn and Price Internet Marketing predictions for 2009.

10. Continual Keyword Research is now more important than ever as the web marketing landscape becomes more crowded. Most companies would be wise to re-analyze their choice of keywords right now. If a company's focus or positioning has changed or if they have added new products or services, a new keyword list is in order.

9. RSS subscriptions will increase dramatically. Consumers are becoming more savvy and particular about the information they take in from the web and already many people would be more likely to subscribe to your RSS feed than your e-mail list. This trend will continue as the awareness and popularity of RSS feeds will rise substantially.

8. Websites that focus on entertainment will do very well. Entertainers have always expanded their influence and thrived during tough economic times and in 2009, consumers will land more and more on creative and engaging video, art, music and news sites.

7. Despite the fact that total ad spends will be down, there will be huge increases in corporate spending on Internet Marketing and Advertising in 2009, due in large part to advances in geographical targeting, greater local advertising opportunities and a general need for all businesses to be included in relevant search results. This welcome change represents a great opportunity for search marketing firms to start new relationships and expand existing accounts.

6. User-controlled advertising will become a viable marketing tool as consumers embrace the idea of dovetailing with advertisers to provide only ads that are relevant to their interests and hobbies. Bloggers and site owners that sell advertising space will love it because they will experience higher click through rates and higher returns. YouData.com takes the lead in user controlled advertising in 2009 and forges a path to an entirely new way of thinking about paid internet advertising.

5. In the world of Search Marketing and SEO, content remains king. Quality blogs rule the Google rankings thanks to fresh content on a regular basis coupled with lots of linking. Article marketing to bloggers and news sites will be one of the best ways for site owners to cut through the clutter of search results and target prospective clients directly.

4. New online startups will be everywhere. There are lots of very skilled people that have been and will be laid off or asked to take unacceptable cuts in pay. Many of these people will decide to go into business for themselves rather than fight a tough job market.

3. There will be a significant rise in large corporations use of social media. This will prove to be wildly successful for some and a complete disaster for most. In the close knit world of social networking, greed is punished immediately. Companies that focus on making friends and sustaining relationships through permission marketing and providing useful content are guaranteed success. MySpace and Facebook will remain the 900lb gorillas in social marketing and contrary to popular belief, Twitter is not a fad. Twitter will continue strong growth and is a great marketing tool for companies that respect the privilege of attention.

2. The line has become quite blurred between the online experience and television and the use of Video Marketing will continue to expand in importance. YouTube's domination will continue and interesting or exciting video will be a wonderful tool for the creative web marketer.

"Drum roll please, the #1 most important change in 2009 to Internet Marketing is..."

1. Google will begin to incorporate user's actual preferences into their search algorithm! Personalization and customization of search results will wreak havoc on many search marketers, as Google makes major adjustments to its search algorithm to place a heavy emphasis on how consumers actually use the returned results. Ultimately this makes Google's flagship product even better, and will mark the death of the "black hat" search optimization era. Spammy, irrelevant sites and directories that are ranking but are useless to consumers will no longer reside on the first page and the cream rises to the top in 09. Legitimate businesses have nothing to fear. On the contrary, they have reason to be excited as their high rankings will increase in importance and trustworthiness as the most genuine value of the internet, relevant search results, is preserved and expanded thanks to this wonderful advance.

In 2009, Internet Marketing and Advertising will witness explosive growth, so tweak your site, make some money, give relentlessly and have an absolutely phenomenal year.

This article was written by Christian Jorn, President and CEO of Jorn and Price Marketing Inc., Internet Marketing and Website Promotion company based in North Central Florida, with offices in Gainesville and Ocala. This article is posted in its entirety at Website-Marketing.pro, to contact me directly send mail to Christian (at) Website-Marketing (dot) pro http://www.gawkwire.com/business/top_ten_internet_marketing_predictions_for_2009.html

Hosting Controller Offers Latest Microsoft HMC Solution Support

2009-01-15T12:09:00-05:00

Los Angeles, CA (Gawkwire.com) Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration version 4.5 gives service providers the opportunity to offer the widest range of messaging services. HC HMC Solution offers the convenience of deploying services over any type of HMC infrastructure. HC is unique in delivering software support for diverse platforms and has demonstrated a commitment to web hosting community for well over a decade.
According to the company’s Tuesday announcement, the specific implementation for HMC automation is designed as an independent implementation. The HMC automation suite can be used with any other control panel and the integration with Hosting Controller comes just as a reference implementation.
"Now that we have fully supported HMC 4.5, we can begin focusing on adding new features and growing market share in the automation software industry," says Syed Nauman Hashmi, CEO of Hosting Controller. “HMC 4.5 is definitely the way to go to offer messaging services as it is most richly-featured and best supported HMC.
Considering that HMC is being used by large hosting companies and big enterprises, Hosting Controller offers very flexible terms to allow such companies to enhance and maintain the code on their own.
http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/hosting_controller_offers_latest_microsoft_hmc_solution_support.html

Fpweb.net Celebrates 10 Years of SharePoint Hosting

2009-01-15T12:06:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Since 1999, Fpweb.net has focused their business on SharePoint hosting, gaining experience and expertise along the way. As they celebrate this significant anniversary, CEO Rob LaMear IV reflects on how far they’ve come. “We began hosting SharePoint during the first year it was released, making us the pioneers for SharePoint hosting,” LaMear said. “We had no idea how essential it would become, but we took the chance and it’s been well worth it.” Today, Fpweb.net has more than 1 million SharePoint users around the world.

Fpweb.net offers both managed Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) hosting plans to meet each client’s specific collaboration needs. To commemorate this 10 year milestone, Fpweb.net plans to pass on the benefits of SharePoint and MOSS servers to customers at a discounted price later in 2009.

Since the early days of SharePoint hosting, Fpweb.net has spent a great deal of time and resources to ensure their team and infrastructure are highly qualified for the SharePoint environment. “Our goal is to be the leader for WSS and MOSS hosting,” said LaMear. “Through extensive training, certification and partnerships, I believe we’ve positioned ourselves to reach that goal.” Today Fpweb.net has a 24/7 staff of SharePoint certified engineers dedicated to building, maintaining and supporting each client’s SharePoint solution. For more information on Fpweb.net SharePoint (WSS) Hosting and Dedicated MOSS Servers, call them toll free at 866.780.4678.

Founded in 1996, Fpweb.net provides managed hosting services for SharePoint, MOSS, Exchange, CRM and Project Server. Their worry-free solutions offer clients the ability to focus on their core business, while cutting IT costs 60%. With customers in more than 80 countries around the world, Fpweb.net strives to become the leading customer service organization in the hosting industry. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with 24/7 US support, they’ve earned the trust of over 5,000 enterprise clients including the NY Yankees, U.S. Air Force, IBM and DOW Chemical. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/fpweb_net_celebrates_10_years_of_sharepoint_hosting.html

Parallels Summit 2009 Attracts Over 1000 Attendees

2009-01-13T10:33:00-05:00

RENTON, WA (Gawkwire.com) Attendee registration for the Parallels Summit 2009 has surpassed 1000, marking Parallels Summit 2009 as the biggest event in the hosting industry. Sponsors of the Feb 2-4 event in Las Vegas, NV, represent some of the world's top technology companies including Gold sponsors Intel, Microsoft, and Enom, along with Silver sponsors AMD, OpenSRS, Mesh.eu, ZT Systems, R1Soft, WebhostingDay 2009, Open-Xchange, Cloudmark, Verisign, ePages, InterNetX, Sarito, Acronis, and Global Relay. The annual conference will also include a hands-on technical lab for Parallels solutions, sponsored by HP.

"Parallels Summit 2009 represents a great opportunity for the hosting industry to gather and discuss the evolution of the industry and exchange information on topics such as Cloud Computing, Software as a Service, virtualization and automation and the role we all play in this ecosystem," said Morris Miller, Founder, Rackspace. "Parallels plays a key role in the hosting space and I look forward to the interaction between the world's top hosters at the Parallels Summit this year."

The event will focus on how end-user organizations can optimize their IT through Cloud Computing, Software as a Service, and the implementation of virtualization and automation technologies. This not only enables businesses of all sizes to reduce their total costs of IT ownership and increase productivity, it also represents strong potential revenue streams for independent software vendors (ISVs), the channel and service providers.

“Cloud computing is emerging as an exciting and energy efficient approach to providing dynamic IT resources,” said Bernie Meyerson, VP Strategic Alliances and CTO, IBM. “We are happy to be able to participate in Parallels 2009 Summit to present the path the computing industry has taken to this stage, from the origins of the power challenges to the holistic approach to these problems.”

The event is free for Parallels customers, partners and anyone interested in learning more about how virtualization and automation software can optimize their use of technology. In addition to the in-depth product, strategy and insight sessions, attendees are invited to participate in two networking events; an opening reception on Monday night and on Tuesday, and a Parallels Plesk Panel 9.0 Launch Party at Mix Lounge on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

The Parallels Summit 2009 features keynotes by industry leaders and innovators, as well as a panel session entitled “Weathering the Storm: Finding Silver in the Clouds.” Speakers include Morris Miller, Founder of Rackspace; Bernie Meyerson, CTO and VP of Strategic Alliances at IBM; Paul Ghostine, VP and GM of the Desktop Virtualization Group, Quest; Dylan Larson, Director of Server Platforms at Intel; Bill McNee, Founder, Saugatuck Technology and Andreas Gauger, Founder of 1&1. Industry expert Micheal Sippey from Sixapart will also be on hand to discuss the advantages and complexities of social media and explain how business and technical professionals can take advantage.

“Cloud Computing is transforming and disrupting the IT industry,” said Antonio Piraino, Senior Analyst, Tier 1 Research. “The most meaningful conferences being hosted in the IT sector today should be focusing on the affects that new Cloud Services are having in the market. This is why we participate in focused conferences like Parallels Summit 2009; to ensure that industry peers are collaborating, and that emerging success stories and technologies continue to be assessed, illustrated, and embraced.”

"We are pleased to be welcoming such an impressive group of globally recognized industry leaders and innovators to the Parallels Summit 2009," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "Current economic conditions create unique opportunities for those in the hosting industry with foresight and agility to execute and capture those rewards. Attendees will be given a rare opportunity to network with industry heavyweights and share insights on important computing trends such as cloud computing, virtualization, software as a service, automation, and more."

Please visit www.parallels.com/summit to register, reserve hotel accommodation or become a sponsor. Hotel availability is limited and rooms are on hold until January 12th, 2009. A detailed agenda of planned sessions and activities is available at www.parallels.com/summit/agenda. http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/parallels_summit_2009_attracts_over_1000_attendees.html

myLittleAdmin Web-Based SQL Manager for SQL 2005 and SQL 2008

2009-01-13T10:35:00-05:00

Pasadena, CA (Gawkwire.com) DiscountASP.NET, a leading innovator in SQL 2005 and SQL 2008 hosting, and myLittleTools, a leading provider of web-based applications, announces a partnership to add myLittleAdmin web-based SQL Manager to the DiscountASP.NET feature set. DiscountASP.NET is providing their customers access to the myLittleAdmin SQL web administration tool at no additional cost.

“Web-based SQL Management was a highly popular feature request, so it made sense to partner with myLittleTools, which offers the most robust web-based SQL manager on the market today,” said Takeshi Eto, VP Marketing and Business Development at DiscountASP.NET. “The SQL web admin tool works for SQL databases hosted in both our US and UK datacenters.”
As an alternative to using SQL Management Studio and remotely managing SQL databases, myLittleAdmin provides a web-based method to manage SQL databases and is especially convenient for developers who are travelling or otherwise not working on their development computer.

“We are very pleased to partner with DiscountASP.NET, one of the world leaders in SQL hosting,” said Elian Chrebor, founder or myLittleTools. “The addition of myLittleAdmin will help them bring an extra level of service to their customers.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/mylittleadmin_web-based_sql_manager_for_sql_2005_and_sql_2008.html

Gearworx Introduces Private Label Virtual Private Servers

2009-01-12T12:00:00-05:00

FREMONT, CA (Gawkwire.com) Private label VPS accounts are powered by dedicated VPS containers, hosted on CentOS 5.2 and Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003 servers. Starting at just $100 per month, customers can utilize both Windows and Linux platforms simultaneously, and manage both through a central interface.

Individual hosting accounts are controlled through Parallels™ Plesk™ 8.6.x, which offers best-in-class usability and is widely recognized as an industry leader. Additionally, Gearworx provides customers with a full suite of value-added features through the Plesk Application Vault, which offers productivity tools, productivity applications, GroupWare, ZenCart & OScommerce, blogs, Wiki applications and more.

“Our Private Label VPS hosting is part of an organic evolution in the Web hosting market, where resellers demand more flexibility while minimizing their overhead by outsourcing their IT infrastructure. We can meet their demands using our new plans and we feel that we're one of the few companies openly offering a solution that's ready for use out of the box,” said William Gregorian, CEO of Gearworx. “By combining a genuine private label solution with the enterprise-level Virtual Private Servers that Gearworx has been offering for years, we have created an attractive alternative for hosting resellers.”

Private Label hosting differs largely from traditional shared Web hosting in its ability to provide customers with access to virtual root-level administrator control of the server. Customers also are able to leverage high-performance technology and a multitude of software solutions without directly purchasing or licensing the infrastructure.

Gearworx recently introduced a line of ColdFusion Virtual Private Servers, designed to offer developers with the tools and resources they need to run powerful and scalable applications for their clients.

Gearworx’s network features a gigabit Ethernet backbone, built on redundant routing
architecture with hardware failover and the Cisco® HSRP (Hot Spare Router
Protocol). All server hardware (Powered by Dell™) is owned and operated by Gearworx, and not outsourced or leased from a third party.

To learn more about private label solutions from Gearworx, please visit http://gearworx.net/private_label.

For more information about Gearworx, please visit http://www.gearworx.net. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/gearworx_introduces_private_label_virtual_private_servers.html

2ip Adds Servers in United Kingdom, Canada for Shared Hosting

2009-01-12T12:00:00-05:00

FREMONT, CA (Gawkwire.com) The new services will be offered alongside existing shared hosting service offered within the United States, and will be attractive for customers seeking a Canadian or United Kingdom based IP address to either optimize local search engine placement or to minimize latency in their geographic region.

“We’ve recognized a noticeable increase in signups from customers in Canada and the Untied Kingdom, and there is growing demand for us to replicate our successful United States-based hosting model for other parts of the world,” said Jimmy Tanzil, managing director of Ichthys Media LLC, 2ip’s parent company. “Offering localized hosting solutions in other countries allows us to expand to scale and scope of our services, and we foresee this strategy as contributing to our growth in the next two to three years.”

2ip will locate its Canadian servers in the iWeb data center in Montreal, Canada. Servers in the United Kingdom will be located in the RapidSwitch data center in Berkshire, U.K. 2ip also plans to add points of presence in a variety of countries in 2009, including China by 2Q 2009.

As part of today’s launch announcement, 2ip is offering a limited-time 50% discount on all new orders placed for Canadian or United Kingdom shared hosting. With the discount applied, pricing for each starts at $12.95 USD (one time payment). Customers can use the coupon codes UKPROMO and CAPROMO, respectively to receive the promotion. Discounts do not apply to domain name registration or transfer.

For more information abut 2ip and localized shard hosting services, please visit http://www.2ip.com, or call 1-877-275-2IP5 (toll-free in the United States) or 0-808-120-1988 (freephone in the United Kingdom). http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/2ip_adds_servers_in_united_kingdom_canada_for_shared_hosting.html

Network Solutions WHOIS Tool Ranked No. 1

2009-01-12T09:26:00-05:00

Herndon, VA (Gawkwire.com) Network Solutions®, the leading provider of web services for small business and the pioneer of domain registration services, announced that its free WHOIS Tool has been ranked number one among the other WHOIS gadgets available on Google® gadgets. Google gadgets are mini-program applications that add features to an existing web page or mobile device.

Network Solutions' engineering team developed the WHOIS Tool to provide a quick and easy way to search for or look up domain names. In addition, if the domain registrant is using Network Solutions' business listing service, the WHOIS Tool will also list their company's location, hours of operation, customer service information, contact information or indicate if the domain is for sale.

The Network Solutions WHOIS Tool is free and is available at: http://cli.gs/hs6nM8

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/network_solutions_whois_tool_ranked_no_1.html

1&1 Partners with Sedo to Offer Already Registered Domains

2009-01-12T09:24:00-05:00

Philadelphia, PA (Gawkwire.com) 1&1 Internet Inc., the world's largest web host by known servers, today launched a new facility on http://www.1and1.com for finding already registered domain names up for sale alongside unregistered names. Powered by Sedo, the world's leading marketplace for buying and selling domain names, the service delivers more options to clinch the perfect web identity. 1&1's participation will bring registered domains to a wide range of consumer and business user groups and will enable the user to make a more appropriate choice from the very start of an online project. For businesses operating in a highly competitive Internet environment, investing in a memorable web address can often help drive traffic to a website or e-commerce venture.

1&1's newly launched 'Domain Marketplace' allows the user to browse an expanded selection of domain possibilities from unregistered names to already registered domains for sale with a set price. The registered 'for-sale' domains are listed in addition to the unregistered domain suggestions, which are offered via DomainsBot technology. One can purchase or bid on registered domains with Sedo by clicking-through directly from their 1&1 shopping cart.

Oliver Mauss, CEO 1&1 Internet Inc., said, "Our new Domain Marketplace feature provides an enhanced overview of available domain options. As the Internet further matures, there has never been a more relevant time to consider leveraging an already registered domain."

Sedo, a sister company to 1&1, is the world leader in brokering registered domains. Trading domains in more than 21 languages globally, the company is uniquely positioned to provide 1&1 customers to the fixed price domains listed in Sedo's marketplace of over 14 million already registered domains and can deliver a seamless service for purchasing and transferring your new domain name to your web host.

Tim Schumacher, CEO of Sedo, said, "Sedo is pleased to extend our domain marketplace offers to 1&1 customers. This gives 1&1 customers a greater selection of domains to choose from, and expands the audience of potential buyers for all sellers on Sedo."

A recent survey of US small businesses(1) conducted by MaCorr Research, found that SMBs most often choose their primary domain name in haste, and believed that their choice of domain name could have been better. 1 in 4 businesses (28 percent) surveyed admitted to wanting improvements in either their domain name wording or suffix (e.g. .biz, .info). Furthermore, a significant one third (37 percent) believe that their sales revenue would improve as a direct result of a change in web address. An attractive already registered domain name can often help accelerate traffic to a website and enhance a company's online sales and image.

Mauss added, "Businesses often choose their primary domain names in haste at the start of an online project. Businesses today should review all the available domain options periodically and consider the business case for investments in this area."

1&1 Internet, the world's largest web host by known servers, is well placed to provide a high quality web hosting service to online businesses. 1&1 currently holds over 7.8 million customer contracts worldwide and manages over 10 million registered domain names.

For more information on 1&1 Internet Inc. visit the website at http://www.1and1.com

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/1_1_partners_with_sedo_to_offer_already_registered_domains.html

Opus Interactive Joins VMware vCloud Initiative As A VMware Service Provider

2009-01-12T09:20:00-05:00

Portland, OR (Gawkwire.com) Opus Interactive, a leading managed services provider of professional hosting solutions, today announced it has joined the VMware vCloud initiative as a member of the VMware Service Provider Program. The VMware vCloud initiative is aimed at helping enterprises and service providers of all sizes safely tap compute capacity inside and outside their firewalls - how they want, when they want, and as much as they want. This helps ensure availability and quality of service for any application, whether it is running internally or as a service.

"This relationship with VMware validates our efforts to drive best-of-breed technologies that enable our customers to reach their business goals," said Jason Nuss, Opus Interactive Chief Operating Officer. "Opus Interactive has a full-service Internet Data Center, providing a robust managed services offering with Virtual Dedicated Servers, full-scale migrations, support and maintenance for VMware virtualized environments, shared web and application hosting, firewalls, load balancing, and dedicated high-speed Internet access. As a VMware service provider partner, Opus Interactive is expanding the breadth of its custom hosting solutions while reducing its eco footprint."

"Over the past several years, we've made a significant investment in our virtualization environment," added Eric Hulbert, Chief Technology Officer at Opus. "With technologies from VMware, LeftHand Networks, and HP Blades we can truly provide on-demand, fully scalable, and redundant solutions. VMware's industry-leading virtualization platform is the foundation of our solution delivery."

"The VMware vCloud Initiative introduces an entirely new model for IT where organizations can leverage their existing investments in the VMware platform to increase business agility and reduce costs by transitioning to the cloud," said William Shelton, Director of Product Management for Emerging Business at VMware. "With the vClustr™ hosting environment from Opus Interactive, our enterprise and SMB customers can benefit from fully redundant and dedicated virtual environments. Opus Interactive enables these customers to deploy secure virtual machines, on demand, allowing for rapid scalability of infrastructure."

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/opus_interactive_joins_vmware_vcloud_initiative_as_a_vmware_serv.html

The Smartest Online Strategies to Sustain and Grow Your Business in 2009

2009-01-12T09:19:00-05:00

Reston, VA (Gawkwire.com) On January 29, leading Web Design and Development firm Siteworx Inc. will host the next in its ongoing executive networking events. Each event is designed to highlight the best online strategies to sustain and grow business in the down economy.

The briefing, titled "Drive Online Revenue & Reduce Costs with Teleaf® Customer Experience Management Solutions," will present an in-depth discussion and demo of Tealeaf -- a highly effective way that businesses can increase online conversions and reduce inbound calls and emails.

Tealeaf enables companies to see and act on what customers experience - without relying on the customer to call - resulting in more successful transactions (and greater revenues), while at the same time reducing in-bound calls and dramatically decreasing operating costs.

"Now more than ever, Marketing and IT executives are being tasked with what seems to be an unattainable goal: do more with less. This event will expose attendees to a unique solution that will help them increase their top-line while helping to control bottom-line costs, from virtually day one," says Tim McLaughlin, President of Siteworx.

Together, Siteworx and Tealeaf will provide five best practices with solution information to help IT, marketing, customer service and product management executives:

Ensure a great online customer experience that promotes cross selling opportunities and drives higher customer retention rates.

Reduce the time spent identifying and resolving usability and technical problems, including complex UI issues that are often associated with privacy and security requirements (two-factor authentication mechanisms).

Improve customer support call resolution rates by immediately understanding and effectively responding to customer issues.

Manage online customer disputes with records of actual customer interactions.

This live event will also be broadcast via webex. Attendance is by invitation-only and registration is required. To learn more, visit www.siteworx.com.

Interested parties can also view a recording of the December 2008 session, Spotlight on Search Technologies now available on siteworx.com.

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

HostGo Upgrades Network with Increase of PAIX Connection

2009-01-10T06:00:00-05:00

IRVINE, Ca (GAWKWIRE.COM) Located in Palo Alto, Calif., PAIX provides Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with a physical infrastructure to interconnect directly and exchange IP traffic. By directly interconnecting in a single physical location, instead of relying on 3rd party IP transit providers, Internet Service Providers are able to reduce latency, cost, and bandwidth consumption.

“We have experienced dramatic growth across our entire network and have been actively working to improve network connectivity by upgrading exchange points throughout the United States,” said Michael Fritsch, HostGo president. “The result of these upgrades is ultimately increased network speed to an even broader assortment of ISPs.”

HostGo recently added 10 gigabit ports Telehouse New York, Equinix Ashburn, and Equinix San Jose. With the PAIX Palo Alto upgrade completed, HostGo now boasts 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports at five different locations across its global network. The company will continue to roll out network upgrades as needed to create short-term and long-term network capacity.

Shared hosting packages from HostGo range from $6.95 to $19.95 monthly. The company also offers a reseller program and affiliate program.

To learn more about HostGo, please visit http://www.hostgo.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/hostgo_upgrades_network_with_increase_of_paix_connection.html

UltraQuantix Partners with Hyperspin to Offer Discounted Monitoring Services

2009-01-10T06:00:00-05:00

TURNERSVILLE, N.J.(GAWKWIRE.COM) With the Hyperspin partnership, UltraQuantix customers are able to access monitoring services at lower costs than are available to the general public. Clients can take advantage of instant text message or e-mail notification in the event that their site or hosted service is not responding. Virtual Private Server (VPS) clients can also use Hyperspin to monitor the performance of self-managed Web sites or client Web sites that may be configured incorrectly.

“As a Web hosting provider, it is important we offer our clients the tools they need to most effectively manage their Web sites. Although we rigorously monitor the performance of our servers, sometimes Web site configuration issues or problems with self-managed accounts can result in unexpected downtime,” said Peter Marek, founder of UltraQuantix. “Hyperspin monitoring allows our clients to quickly detect downtime and immediately begin the process of rectifying it, often with our help.”

UltraQuantix selected Hyperspin after searching for a monitoring services partner for several months. Hyperspin’s unique blend of affordability, flexibility, and enterprise-class quality ultimately made it the most attractive option to UltraQuantix.

“This partnership is built on the strengths of both companies. We look forward to serving UltraQuantix’s clients with our award-winning enterprise-class monitoring services. It is important that Web hosting providers view their clients as partners on the same team when it comes to managing Web sites, and I think UltraQuantix embodies that ideal,” said Hyperspin Managing Director ChoonKeng Chua.

Monitoring starts at less than two dollars per month, and pricing varies depending upon monitoring interval and the number of services monitored. More details on Hyperspin monitoring from UltraQuantix are available at http://monitor.ultraquantix.com.

UltraQuantix offers Linux-based shared Web hosting plan choices, starting at $12/monthly for an entry-level solution and ranging to $96/monthly for more advanced solutions with greater resource allotments. The company also offers four Linux-based Virtual Private Server hosting plans, starting at $33.70/monthly.

All hosting plans include access to world-class customer support from UltraQuantix. The company offers telephone, live chat, and helpdesk support each weekday from 9am to 9pm EST. Server hardware is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition to Web hosting, UltraQuantix offers domain name registration, IT consulting for small businesses, Web design, and now service monitoring.

To learn more about UltraQuantix, please visit http://www.ultraquantix.com.

To learn more about Hyperspin service monitoring from UltraQuantix, please visit http://monitor.ultraquantix.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/ultraquantix_partners_with_hyperspin_to_offer_discounted_monitor.html

P2Pwordsâ„¢ Wins 2008 "Product of the Year" at CES P2P Summit in Las Vegas

2009-01-10T06:00:00-05:00

Las Vegas, NV (GAWKWIRE.COM) The Distributed Computing Industry Association (www.DCIA.info), a trade organization with more than one-hundred Member companies including peer-to-peer and social networking software developers and distributors (P2Ps), Internet service providers (ISPs), content rights holders (CRHs), and service-and-support companies, announced P2Pwords™ by Brand Asset Digital is the recipient of its 2008 DCIA Groundbreaker's "Product of the Year" Award.

The award was presented at a special ceremony to Joey Patuleia, Brand Asset Digital's Co-Founder, during the second annual P2P MEDIA SUMMIT at CES.

"The DCIA Groundbreaker's Award is presented annually to that company which has achieved the greatest breakthrough in attracting distribution partners to advance distributed computing technologies for commercial purposes," said DCIA CEO Marty Lafferty in making the award.

"Brand Asset Digital's first-and-only search-engine marketing platform for P2P search, P2Pwords, has quickly become the product of the year. This platform, which is the first pay-per-click (PPC) for P2P search, gives advertisers the unique ability to target and connect their branded content directly to consumers via P2P search. P2Pwords applies the highly successful business model of PPC keyword targeting to the 1.5 billion searches a day that comprise P2P traffic, a consumptive marketplace accounting for almost 70% of Internet bandwidth. P2Pwords campaigns have already generated over two billion impressions a day - over sixty billion a month - across all P2P search engines."

The P2P MEDIA SUMMIT at CES featured keynotes from top P2P software and digital video distributors, panels of industry leaders, and special workshops.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/p2pwords_wins_2008_product_of_the_year_at_ces_p2p_summit_in_las.html

Web Hosting Leader, UK2 Group Acquires Virtual Internet

2009-01-09T09:23:00-05:00

(GAWKWIRE.COM) The acquisition of VI.net is a strategic fit for growing UK2’s footprint in the UK market, but will offer the opportunity to build the VI.net service in both the UK and the US. The VI team have created a company with an unparalleled level of service in their market.

Peter Rees, outgoing Managing Director of VI.net remarked, “Our business has been built on delivering outstanding customer service through a highly motivated team of exceptional people. I am confident that the acquisition by UK2 will allow the customer to feel confident about VI’s future going forward and will offer the team the opportunity to build the business into a market dominating brand.”

Martin Baker, Managing Director of UK2.net and now VI.net also commented, “I am very pleased that we have been able to complete this important acquisition and can assure the VI.net customers that we intend to continue to deliver the products and service levels they associate with VI.net. I have been very impressed with the VI team and am looking forward to working with them to build the business in the UK and the US.”

UK2 Group will continue to operate VI.Net as a separate brand focused on the Public and Corporate Sector.

In the first quarter of 2009 a new cloud service called VPS.net (www.vps.net) will be launched across the UK2 group. VPS.net is expected to be an extremely important and valuable addition to the VI.net portfolio for both existing and new VI.net customers.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/web_hosting_leader_uk2_group_acquires_virtual_internet.html

GO DADDY EXPANDS NASCAR DEAL WITH DALE EARNHARDT JR.

2009-01-08T12:00:00-05:00

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (GAWKWIRE.COM) Go Daddy is announcing its return to NASCAR for the 2009 season with another sponsorship deal featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. The agreement also includes Brad Keselowski and spans both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports.

Go Daddy will be the primary sponsor for 20 races in the 2009 Nationwide Series. Back for another season is NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who designed the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolets for the 2009 Nationwide Series season.

“I’m happy to be partnered with GoDaddy.com again, and I appreciate the much larger role they are playing in our organization this season,” said Earnhardt Jr., who also owns JR Motorsports. “I look forward to seeing Brad drive the Go Daddy car this season in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.”

Keselowski, JR Motorsports’ second-year driver, was recently announced the winner of the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver Award. He will pilot the No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolets in 18 Nationwide Series races. After finishing third in the point standings in the Nationwide Series, with two wins, the up-and-coming Keselowski is in a prime position to be a 2009 championship contender.

Go Daddy will also be the primary sponsor of the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolets for seven races in the Sprint Cup Series with Keselowski behind the wheel. In addition, Go Daddy will be an associate sponsor on Mark Martin’s No. 5 Chevrolets in the Sprint Cup Series.

“Go Daddy has an all-star lineup of drivers including NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. and IndyCar’s Danica Patrick,” said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “What could be better than to expand our sponsorship of these powerhouse racers and return to Sprint Cup competition with Brad Keselowski.”

Go Daddy is a world leader when it comes to helping individuals and businesses build their online presence. Go Daddy is the world’s largest domain registrar, the number one provider for new SSL Certificates and is the largest hosting provider in North America.

Earnhardt Jr. was actually a Go Daddy customer before signing on as a spokesman and recently visited with Go Daddy employees. “I was fortunate enough to visit the Go Daddy headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona recently and was extremely impressed with what I saw – not only in the technology, but also the people,” added Earnhardt Jr. “I consider myself quite knowledgeable when it comes to computers and the Web, and it’s fun to be able to bounce ideas off each other in making this partnership really click.”

To learn more about how to get online quickly and easily, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

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

Liquid Technology Appears on INC. 5,000 List

2009-01-08T12:00:00-05:00

New York, NY (GAWKWIRE.COM) Liquid Technology, a computer liquidation and IT asset management company, has joined the ranks of the prestigious Inc. 5,000 list for 2008, placing in 1193 position of the top 5,000 fastest growing private U.S. companies and ranked No. 95 in the Top 100 Businesses in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA.

Liquid Technology, founded in 2000 by I.T. Professionals, provides equitable solutions to companies worldwide in need of managed asset-disposition and strategic advice. "We are pleased to be recognized as a prominent and growing business. We hope to continue to expand in 2009 and are pleased that we have been able to increase our profitability and revenue growth at the same time," said Richard Greene, Vice President of Operations of Liquid Technology.

The Inc. 5,000 list was created to expand on the well-regarded Inc. 500 list. The list is made up of the fastest growing private companies in America. Many of today's most profitable public businesses were on the list before they became public.

Liquid Technology's four main services are:I.T. Asset Management, Brokering and Purchasing Excess I.T. Equipment, Auditable Data Destruction and Environmental Disposal of Electronic Waste. Clients of Liquid Technology come from a broad spectrum of industries, most of which are in various transitional situations from moving to merging, downsizing, entering Chapter 7, 11, 13 Bankruptcy or updating the current I.T. inventory. Liquid Technology provides fair asset evaluations and impartial solutions to companies in need of Managed I.T. Asset-Disposition. An acute understanding of current market conditions enables Liquid Technology to integrate specialized knowledge and technological expertise in recommending and executing deliberate business strategies and plans of action for asset disposal and recovery.

For additional information on Liquid Technology please visit: LiquidTechnology.

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/liquid_technology_appears_on_inc_5_000_list.html

FreeBSD Project Announces Release of FreeBSD Version 7.1

2009-01-08T12:00:00-05:00

San Jose, CA (GAWKWIRE.COM) The FreeBSD Project announced this week the release of FreeBSD Version 7.1. FreeBSD 7.1 provides Dtrace support as well as userland and driver updates, and extends ongoing work on multi-processor scalability. The release includes other improvements that enhance the functionality of FreeBSD 7.0 and introduces some new features. Highlights of the FreeBSD 7.1 release include:

Support for using DTrace inside the kernel has been imported from OpenSolaris. DTrace is a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework.
The ULE scheduler is now the default in GENERIC kernels for amd64 and i386 architectures. The ULE scheduler significantly improves performance on multicore systems for many workloads.
A new and much-improved NFS Lock Manager (NLM) client.
Boot loader changes allow, among other things, booting from USB devices and booting from GPT-labeled devices.
The cpuset(2) system call and cpuset(1) command have been added, providing an API for thread to CPU binding and CPU resource grouping and assignment.
KDE updated to 3.5.10, GNOME updated to 2.22.3.

"The FreeBSD Project is very pleased to announce FreeBSD 7.1, which represents significant refinement of and enhancements to our very successful 7.0 release. This release extends our work on multi-processor scalability significantly through the new ULE scheduler and UDP network performance", says Robert Watson, FreeBSD Core Team Member.

FreeBSD 7.1 is earning rave reviews from technical experts due to the freedom it gives developers to further improve FreeBSD. According to John Hixson, senior software engineer at iXsystems, Inc., "With the addition of DTrace, system administrators and developers will have the ability to debug application issues with even more fine grained control. Furthermore, the ability to bind threads to individual CPU's will improve multithreaded applications dramatically."

Members of the open source business community are also touting the performance improvements associated with FreeBSD 7.1. "ISC benefits from the improved UDP support in FreeBSD," says Peter Losher, Operations Engineer, Internet Systems Consortium. "We already have seen the improvement in the performance of BIND under FreeBSD 7.1 and the public will benefit in improved ISC DNS services with SNS@ISC and f.root-servers.net."

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/freebsd_project_announces_release_of_freebsd_version_7_1.html

How to Never Let Negative People Bring You Down -- Ever!

2009-01-08T09:28:00-05:00

Sedona, AZ (Gawkwire.com) Hale Dwoskin, Featured Teacher in "The Secret" and author of the New York Times best seller "The Sedona Method," reveals how people can avoid ever letting another negative person bring them down in their job, relationships or any aspect of life.

An excellent New Year's resolution people can make this year -- one that will serve them well emotionally for their entire life -- is to not let others bring them down.

The negative person type is often characterized as those who complain about anything and everything, and have a knack for telling people exactly what's wrong with them and their life.

People who exude negative energy such as this can be a major risk for other people's well-being. If people are not careful, the negative individual's pessimism may begin to rub off on them, or make them doubt their instincts or path in life.

At the most basic level, people can stop a negative person from bringing them down simply by not being around them. As soon as they start droning on about the bad things in life, they can just leave. Of course, this isn't always an option, particularly if the negative person is someone they work with, live with or must see often. So a backup plan is necessary -- one that will work every time, no matter what.

Positive people should make it a point to stay positive, and it is their right to stay that way. If someone begins to bring a person down, here's how to circumvent it:

Step away from their negativity. One way to do this is to imagine taking a pair of scissors and cutting the cord linked to the negative person. Using this visualization technique, someone's negative thoughts cannot interfere with another person's positive ones.

People can also find something to love about the negative individual. Nothing squelches negativity faster than love, so they should find something positive about the individual, even in the midst of that individual's complaining. When a person shares that positive something with the negative person, they may even see that negative person's frown turned upside down.

Another tactic people can do is to make themselves open and transparent.

"Allow yourself to feel and be as transparent and as open as possible," says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. "What this means is if you are trying to protect yourself or prevent others from pulling you down, you are much more likely to be pulled down."

"However, if you allow yourself to simply open and welcome whatever feelings are brought up while you are around others, you become more transparent and therefore create less ways for people to hook into you and pull you down," he continues.

People need to remember that they can be positive no matter what. "Use The Sedona Method to let go of the belief that others can pull you down," Dwoskin says. "If you believe that someone can pull you down, you make it so. But it doesn't have to be that way."

Right now everyone can get a free Insiders Guide to The Sedona Method email course sampler by inputting just their name and email in the sidebar on the right of the article at http://www.sedona.com/no-negative-peeps.aspx.

For more insights on the topic of releasing, Hale Dwoskin, New York Times Best-Selling author of "The Sedona Method", featured expert in the film and New York Times bestseller "The Secret," and CEO and Director of Training of Sedona Training Associates, is available for interviews.

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/how_to_never_let_negative_people_bring_you_down_--_ever.html

Sunbelt Software Announces Top Ten Spyware/Malware Threats for December

2009-01-08T09:26:00-05:00

Clearwater, FL (Gawkwire.com) Sunbelt Software, a leading provider of Windows security and management software, today announced the top ten most prevalent spyware and malware threats for the month of December 2008. The report, compiled from monthly scans performed by Sunbelt's award-winning antispyware tool, CounterSpy™, and its new anti-malware solution, VIPRE™ Antivirus + Antispyware, is a service of the Sunbelt Software Malware Research Labs.

The results represent the number of times a particular spyware or malware infection was detected during CounterSpy and VIPRE scans that report back to Sunbelt's community of opt-in users.

The top ten most prevalent spyware threats for the month of December are:

1.   Virtumonde   4.40%
2.   Trojan-Downloader.Zlob.Media-Codec    4.12%
3.   Explorer32.Hijacker   2.27%
4.   Rootkit.TDss.Gen   1.82%
5.   Trojan-Downloader.Generic   1.70%
6.   Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen   1.46%
7.   Trojan.FakeAlert    1.40%
8.   Trojan.Win32.Monder.gen   1.38%
9.   INF.Autorun (v)   1.03%
10.   Trojan.DNSChanger.Gen   0.91%

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

Bloggers Converge at The Third Annual "It Won't Stay In Vegas" Blogger Party

2009-01-07T23:24:00-05:00

Redmond, WA (Gawkwire.com) The Parnassus Group, a Redmond-based Social Media Consultancy, is hosting the third annual "It Won't Stay in Vegas" Blogger Party at CES from 5:00pm to 8:00pm (PST) on Friday, January 9th, where hundreds of top technology and gadget bloggers are scheduled to converge for free food, drinks, and videogames.

The event features entertainment and thousands of dollars in giveaways provided by the event sponsors.

It Won't Stay in Vegas
This is the largest blogger-specific gathering at CES
I'm really looking forward to catching up with friends and seeing the latest in tech gadgetry.
It Won't Stay in Vegas
"This is the largest blogger-specific gathering at CES," said Robert Scoble, noted tech blogger and Managing Director at Fast Company.TV. "I'm really looking forward to catching up with friends and seeing the latest in tech gadgetry."

AMD, as Platinum party sponsors, will have several people traversing the party floor showing off cool new gadgets and gizmos. Sony is sponsoring the game lounge, which will provide several PlayStation 3 consoles for bloggers to play against each other or online.

MagicJack, a Gold sponsor, has arranged to bring VH1's magician and comedian Murray SawChuck to the party, where he will be performing tricks and conducting giveaways. LoveSac, a Gold party sponsor, will be providing some fantastic seating for the lounge area.

Sonos and Rhapsody, as Music sponsors, will be providing at the event (and giving away to an attendee) a multi-room home entertainment system, capable of playing different music in different rooms simultaneously.

Free transportation will also be provided to and from the party through various pick-up and drop-off locations along the strip and at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The AMD Blogger Party Shuttle and the LoveSac Blogger Bus will be assisted by the CntrStg Shuttle in transporting bloggers between all three locations for the duration of the party.

Put this kind of gadgetry in a room full of geeky and influential bloggers like Robert Scoble, Gary Vaynerchuck, Brian Solis, Richard Trenholm (from CNET), John Furrier, and Andru Edwards (from GearLive.com), and you're going to get...well, the third annual "It Won't Stay in Vegas" Blogger Party!

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

DomainPeople Accepts Preregistrations for .Tel Landrush Phase

2009-01-08T09:23:00-05:00

Vancouver, British Columbia (Gawkwire.com) DomainPeople, Inc., the eighth official domain name registrar accredited by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), urges people to preregister their first-choice .tel domain names as soon as possible.

"Once the landrush registration period opens, unregistered names will be available to anyone on a first-come, first served basis," said Chris Kruk, product manager at DomainPeople. "Given the high value of this new top-level domain for businesses and individuals, customers will want to get a jump on the competition for the best names."

By preregistering, a customer completes the application for the domain name before registration opens. As soon as the registration period opens, DomainPeople submits the preregistration applications, giving preregistrants a much better chance at being the first to request a particular domain name. Customers are not charged the registration fee until their names are successfully registered.

.Tel is a revolutionary new top-level domain that gives owners the power to control and distribute their contact information. Businesses can use it as an online listing, accessible from the popular search engines, to drive customers to their Web site or storefront. Individuals can use it to stay in touch with family, friends and online acquaintances.

.Tel is a new concept because it stores contact information directly in the domain name server, shortening response times and eliminating the need for a Web site.

Registration for trademark owners officially opened on December 3, 2008 and ends February 2, 2009. This sunrise period gives trademark owners first rights to register the exact name of their trademark, protecting their identity and brand from the competition. The landrush phase opens February 3, 2009 to the general public, but registrations carry a premium price as the domain names registered during this phase are likely to be highly valuable. General, ongoing registration for .tel begins March 24, 2009.

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

Host Color Gives Web Hosting Customers Free .US Domains On King's Birthday

2009-01-08T09:20:00-05:00

"We are rocking on January 8th, because it is the King's birthday", said Host Color in a press release sent to web hosting media. It has announced that it marks the birthday of Elvis Presley with a promotional campaign on domain names and web hosting services. The company's hosting customers will get instant discount when they sign up or renew any of the web hosting plans available on Host Color's corporate website.

"We have decided to give a free .US web address to those who need a new domain because dot-US is the America's top level domain, and Rock & Roll is essentially American. It is not just about Elvis. It is a very long line of great American artists who released great songs and great albums through the last 7 decades", says Alexander Avramov, the Host Color's Managing Director. He adds that he is addicted to rock music as well as most other managers and employees of Host Color.

"To be honest we have to tell you that Host Color is a Rock & Roll addicted hosting company. We are rocking since we are born as a web host", says also Alexander and adds that his company understands that Rock & Roll is a music styles that has the American spirit of freedom, something that makes it unique. His company offers three options to customers as a part of its Rock & Roll promotional campaign.

The first one is the free .US domain name registration for anyone who signs up for web hosting service and needs to register new web address.

Another one is a free .US domain name renewal to those customers who want to renew their web hosting accounts and to benefit of the promotional campaign.

Host Color also offers 10% instant web hosting rebate on all web hosting plans including Shared Hosting (http://www.hostcolor.com/webhosting),
VPS Hosting (http://www.hostcolor.com/vps) and Dedicated Servers (http://www.hostcolor.com/dedicatedhosting). The promotional campaign starts on January 8th and expires on January 11th 2009.

Besides the news that it is rocking this week, Host Color has reported in December that it made available Plesk 9.0 web hosting control panel to all VPS hosting customers.

It also upgraded VPS plans to the latest version of Virtuozzo Containers
- Virtuozzo 4.0. According to the web host, the new Virtuozzo offers many new features and makes even easier the management of a virtual private server. It has better design interface which provides access to templates and sample virtual environments, plus a streamlined installation. The new release also offers "High availability" through a several new options to ensure maximum uptime and new backup enhancements.

The hosting provider is well-known with its approach to hosting business named Quality Web Hosting. Its executives say that Host Color "customizes not just VPS and Dedicated Hosting, but even Shared Hosting services to allow anyone to work in personalized business environment".

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/host_color_gives_web_hosting_customers_free_us_domains_on_king_s.html

LinMinâ„¢ Introduces Bare Metal Provisioning 5.3

2009-01-07T14:36:00-05:00

REDWOOD CITY, CA (Gawkwire.com) LinMin (http://www.linmin.com), provider of award-winning LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning™ (http://www.linmin.com/site/products.html), today unveiled Release 5.3, featuring an enhanced user interface that makes it even easier for first time users to remotely install Linux and Windows on servers, blades, workstations and virtual machines within minutes of downloading the product.

LinMin 5.3 also includes provisioning support for recently released or soon to be released Linux distributions including 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 5.3, Novell® SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 and 10 SP3, Ubuntu® 8.10, Fedora 10, OpenSUSE® 11.1 and CentOS 5.3, as well as 64-bit versions of Windows® Server 2003. The combination of breadth of platform support (http://www.linmin.com/site/platforms.html), ease of use and affordability all contribute to LinMin’s adoption in companies from AT&T and Kodak to small and midsized hosting companies.

Browser-based One-Click provisioning role creation detects what operating system media has been uploaded in the LinMin server and automatically completes the form with paths to all relevant files needed to provision systems. The user no longer needs to reference printed documentation, rely on memory or navigate up and down the operating system media to locate files. This feature essentially eliminates the possibility of human error for standard Windows and Linux deployments.

“Ease of use is too often overlooked by providers of systems management solutions that cater to IT domain experts rather than to all IT users,” said Laurent Gharda, CEO and founder of LinMin Corp. “LinMin’s approach is to simplify things as much as possible, hide the underlying complexity and let the user get a job done quickly and without errors. One-Click provisioning role creation is a representative example of this philosophy whereby users don’t need to know the intricate differences between provisioning Red Hat, Novell, Windows or Ubuntu. Simply point, click and you’re ready to remotely install an operating system on systems of your choice.”

Pricing:
LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning is available for purchase and download at www.LinMin.com. LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning for Linux and Windows is priced at $249 for up to 10 client systems, $999 for up to 100 client systems, $1,999 for up to 250 client systems, $3,499 for up to 500 client systems and $5,999 for up to 1,000 client systems.

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/linmin_introduces_bare_metal_provisioning_5_3.html

New Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" RAID Solution

2009-01-07T14:34:00-05:00

San Francisco, CA (Gawkwire.com) Other World Computing (OWC(r)) http://www.macsales.com, a leading Mac(r) and PC technology company, debuted the new OWC Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" rack mount RAID solution today at Macworld Expo in San Francisco, at the OWC Booth # S-2218.

Designed For Demanding A/V Production and Data Centers
Specifically designed to meet the performance demands of Audio/Video production and data/network operation centers, the Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" expands on OWC's existing Mercury Rack Pro FireWire 800/USB 2.0 "dual interface" and eSATA only interface models with higher capacity of up to 6.0TB additional, new Hardware RAID selection flexibility. With its easily accessible rear panel selector switch, the Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" enables simple configuration of the Hardware RAID settings - Span, 0, 1, 5, 10 - for the best combination of data storage capacity, reliability, and overall data transfer performance.

Enterprise Edition for 24/7 Use
Enterprise Editions of the Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" line use Enterprise class SATA I/II drives manufactured to tighter specifications intended for the more demanding requirements of 24/7 server environments. All OWC Mercury Rack Pro standard solutions are covered by a two year warranty, while the Enterprise Editions are covered by a five year warranty. In addition to the longer warranty, the Enterprise Editions also include a one year cross-ship warranty and three years of Level One Data Recovery, if needed.

Six Mac and PC Compatible Solutions Up To 6.0TB from $899.99

The Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" is immediately available in six pre-configured solutions, from 2.0TB to 6.0TB, priced starting at $899.99 MSRP from Other World Computing at www.macsales.com.

OWC Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" Model Pricing:
2.0TB Standard Solution with 2 year warranty - $899.99
3.0TB Standard Solution with 2 year warranty - $997.99
4.0TB Standard Solution with 2 year warranty - $1129.99
6.0TB Standard Solution with 2 year warranty - $1299.99
2.0TB Enterprise Edition with 5 year warranty - $979.99
4.0TB Enterprise Edition with 5 year warranty - $1499.99

Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" features:

* Supports up to four 2.0TB 3.5" SATA I/II type hard disk drives for up to 8.0TB total storage capacity
* Up to 128MB total data buffer
* Up to 10,000RPM speeds
* Oxford 936DS chipset
* Rear panel selectable Hardware RAID settings: SPAN, 0, 1, 5, 10
* Super quiet operation
* System status & drive activity LED indicators
* All interface connection cables
* Internal US/International 100/240V Auto Switching power supply
* Warranty: 2 year Standard Solution, 5 year Enterprise Solution
* Mac and PC compatible
* Includes ProSoft Engineering(r) Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP(r), and Intech(r) SpeedTools Utilities(tm) software (a $200 retail value)

The Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" is compatible with Apple OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, OS X 10.0.x, and 10.2.8 or later, and Windows 98SE and later operating systems and comes complete with all interface connecting cables, a $200 retail value disk utility software bundle, and up to a 5 year solution warranty.

For more information on OWC Mercury Rack Pro Solutions, visit:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/RAID/Rack_Mount/

For more information on all OWC External Storage Solutions, visit:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/External_Storage

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/new_mercury_rack_pro_quad_interface_raid_solution.html

A Marketing Plan for the New Year is Essential

2009-01-07T09:40:00-05:00

Wyckoff, NJ (Gawkwire.com) Small businesses are starting out 2009 with the challenges of a weak economy that most pundits say will get worse before it gets better. Already working on shoestring budgets, small businesses have to tighten the straps even more and dig down deep to weather the storm.

One of the most important things business owners can do for themselves is to create a marketing plan that continues targeting new and prospective customers.

"While it is always important to have a good handle on operations, inventory and cash flow moving forward, sales and marketing efforts need special planning to succeed in these challenging times," said Marlene Bauer Pissott, President and founder of WebSwagger.com, an InGroup, Inc. small business solution.

A separate plan maps, by month, marketing action steps, while tracking the budget and project deadlines. Plans should address customer needs and wants as well as company goals and objectives. Here are some tips to consider while developing your marketing plan:

- Maintain regular contact with customers - make sure they know you are there for them and ready to serve their needs
- Reach out to old customers - remind them of your great service in the past and how you can serve them better
- Focus on product innovations - find new products or expanded services to sell to existing customers
- Build strategic alliances - enlist the help of others who share your goals and work ethic to grow your business
- Repeat what has worked well - reconsider marketing methods with a proven return on investment
- Allocate for competitive advantage - set aside an additional budget to go after customers that are not being effectively marketed to
- Utilize cost-effective solutions through Web and social media - get your name out there using free or inexpensive means of promotion on the Web

"Simple, easy to implement plans are best, especially for small businesses," says Pissott. "Having the plan on paper shows you everything you need to do to maintain and grow your business through 2009."

A free marketing plan template is available for download at http://www.webswagger.com/pirate_webswagger.html

Serving the needs of small businesses and professional service firms around the nation, WebSwagger.com offers unique, professional and affordable Web sites and print marketing materials. http://www.gawkwire.com/business/a_marketing_plan_for_the_new_year_is_essential.html

Fpweb.net Announces Managed Hosting Reseller Program

2009-01-07T09:36:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) With the Fpweb.net Hosting Reseller Program, resellers can provide customers with reliable services for hosted Microsoft SharePoint, MOSS, Exchange, Dynamics CRM and more, all with 24/7 solution monitoring and support. “Our competitive Partnership program grows as the reseller’s business grows, ensuring a solid return on investment month after month,” said Rob LaMear IV, Fpweb.net CEO.

Reseller opportunities are available for all Fpweb.net hosted technologies and include free pre-sales support for consulting, product expertise and infrastructure recommendations. The program’s already deep discounts increase as more services are added to the reseller’s account. Plus, resellers can start small, with as few as one customer. “We believe partnerships of any kind should be an easy, natural fit that’s mutually beneficial,” said LaMear, “so we built our program around that belief.”

Qualified applicants can get started immediately with no contracts or fees; they just begin selling. Fpweb.net’s private label hosting allows the reseller to brand the services, so they can act as a one-stop-shop, owning the relationship with the customer. Additionally, the reseller has access to Fpweb.net’s 24/7 support via phone, email and the Web, with an online ticketing system to track the status of customer issues. To apply or get more information on the Fpweb.net Hosting Reseller Partnership program, visit their site at http://www.fpweb.net/hosting-reseller.aspx or call 866.780.4678.

Fpweb.net provides managed hosting services for SharePoint, Exchange, CRM, Project, Office Communications Server and SQL to customers around the world. Fpweb.net offers shared, semi-dedicated and dedicated server environments to cater to the client’s need for speed, security and control, while cutting IT costs 60%. All hosted services are housed in SAS 70 Type II data centers with PCI, SOX and HIPPA compliance to ensure the highest level of data security. Additionally, each solution is backed 24/7 by expert, U.S.-based service and support. With Fpweb.net’s rapid server deployment, clients can access the infrastructure they need today, without a significant up-front investment. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, they serve over 5,000 enterprise customers including the NY Yankees, U.S. Air Force and DOW Chemical. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/fpweb_net_announces_managed_hosting_reseller_program.html

SEO Consult Maintains Its Ranking As The UK's Number 1 SEO Company

2009-01-07T09:34:00-05:00

Cheshire, England (Gawkwire.com) TopSEOs, the independent authority on search vendors, has ranked SEO Consult, the UK's leading Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) company, as the number one SEO company in the UK for the second month running.

In the ongoing study by TopSEOs, 300 UK-based SEO agencies are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: 1) client retention rate, 2) average response time/time-to-resolution for client problems, 3) average Return on Investment (ROI) for SEO clients, 4) the speed in which first page SEO listings are achieved and 5) how competitive the company's prices are compared to the industry average. TopSEOs actively obtain feedback from at least three clients of the agencies to verify and vouch for services performed.

"This is the second month in a row that we've received this award and it confirms our leadership position in the SEO industry," Matt Bullas, Managing Director of SEO Consult, comments. "Although every employee at SEO Consult is proud to work for the best SEO company in the UK, we are not satisfied. Indeed, we are restless. In order to achieve many more number one rankings for our company, we must build on our success, not rest on it."

For more details about SEO Consult, please visit www.seoconsult.co.uk or call 0845 205 0292. http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/seo_consult_maintains_its_ranking_as_the_uk_s_number_1_seo_compa.html

VPS Hosting for 10 Cents from 34SP.com

2009-01-07T09:32:00-05:00

Manchester, United Kingdom (Gawkwire.com) Service focused UK VPS hosting brand, 34SP.com, has announced a new promotion for virtual server clients that aims to ease the first time transition from shared hosting or a dedicated server to VPS hosting. The company will offer the first month on any VPS hosting account for just 10 cents. This is also in addition to free setup on all VPS accounts.

Details on the special VPS offer can be viewed at: http://www.34sp.com/vps-hosting.

According to information released by the company, demand for its virtual servers has grown exponentially over the past year as developers and designers discover the convenience and price advantages of virtual servers. 34SP.com offers a range of VPS hosting options from 10 GB to 50 GB in standard configurations. 34SP.com VPS hosting comes with a choice operating systems including: CentOS, Debian, Fedora Core, Suse and Ubuntu. Each VPS server is guaranteed a certain amount of the server's RAM at all times. In times of low server load, users will find they can burst above this limit.

Stuart Melling, 34SP.com's business director described the motivation for the new offer, ''Our clients have told us many times that one of the biggest barriers to trying out VPS hosting is the initial cost, so we created this special offer to help them adopt a virtual server for the first time. They already know that virtual servers permit quick scaling and testing of online applications and can host unlimited websites. 34SP.com also can be supply VPS with the Plesk interface installed, and you then have full root access to both the server and Plesk. Alternatively, you can have a plain VPS without any control panel software for maximum flexibility. Often a virtual server can do everything that a dedicated server can do for a fraction of the cost, and the upgrade path to a full server is very simple with no downtime.''

The company has stated that there is no long term commitment on this offer, just the same great service and support that 34SP.com delivers consistently. The 10 cent VPS offer is for a limited time only. International clients will receive the first month for just 10 pence or 10 euros.

For more information on the 34SP.com or to learn more about the VPS hosting special offer, please visit: http://www.34sp.com. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/vps_hosting_for_10_cents_from_34sp_com.html

New Portable Modems for Inmarsat BGAN Global Satellite Broadband Network

2009-01-07T09:30:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) satellite modem is a small laptop-sized device which weighs less than a kilogram (T&T Explorer 110) and which ensures transfer and reception of files of any size within a satellite network from almost any place on Earth. Equipped in USB, WLAN, Bluetooth and ISDN - BGAN makes a control unit or communications center with a decision centre in any place in the world. On land, water, or in the air, both high in the mountains and on deserts - BGAN makes your portable office ready for work within minutes.

BGAN terminals are gaining more and more interest, particularly among foreign correspondents, soldiers, crisis management units, police, fire brigades, emergency services and other safety services. Travelers, participants of exotic expeditions, extreme sports lovers, sailors and officers of international organizations all over the world also form a numerous group of users.

The new technology can be used for communications even in most extreme weather conditions. The terminal is resistant to water, humidity, shock, dirt and temperatures ranging from -40ºC to +80 ºC. Its additional accessories such as a solar panel, car antenna or power generating unit eliminate additional limitations. Its user-friendliness and possibility to connect several computers and other compatible devices to one modem make it suitable for use in countless situations.
http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/new_portable_modems_for_inmarsat_bgan_global_satellite_broadband.html

SEO -- A Must During a Recession

2009-01-06T09:28:00-05:00

Laguna Niguel, CA (Gawkwire.com) Increase Visibility, a leading search engine optimization and marketing firm has discovered that more companies are seeking SEO/SEM advice to survive and prosper during this recession. Part of the reason for the increase in popularity of the services is due to online marketing being less expensive and much simpler to accomplish when compared to traditional forms of advertising such as television, print and display ads. Also, it's easier to track the results.

The internet has evolved into the highest performing sales instrument and also offers prospects for growth during economic hard times. For businesses already on the web, redesigning websites is a relatively inexpensive, effective approach to expanding sales during a recession. Sometimes search engine optimization experts replace a word or two or make a few modifications to a pay-per click ad or a landing page and the website is rewarded with substantial increases in traffic and sales.

During a slow growth economy, marketing budgets are sometimes slashed, however some experts suggest that search engine optimization services have held steady or have increased during this recession. Being cost effective and providing positive results are some of the primary reasons for the popularity of SEO. In addition, during economic hard times more shoppers will be staying at home and looking for a bargain online which increases the need for websites to be effectively optimized.

Most small businesses will find it more cost effective to hire a professional seo/sem firm than to hire an in-house person. Small business owners can attempt to optimize their website by reading articles on the topic. However as Jim Lisi, President of Increase Visibility states "Most of the SEO articles cover just the basics since SEO professionals simply won't offer their unique, successful strategies for free. These experts can't afford to loose their competitive advantages and dilute the effectiveness of their strategies, which will occur if everyone is using them."

With the increasing number of people losing their jobs, some of the laid-off workers who have no search engine optimization experience will be establishing home based SEO companies and calling themselves experts in the field. Website owners need to be prudent in selecting a SEO/SEM firm. Inquiries need to be made regarding skills, experience and proven results.

Increase Visibility has been ranked #1 or #2 August - December 2008 by the highly regarded TopSEO's.com by providing clients with top search engine placements. The firm has also been ranked #2 in the nation for SEO services for November, 2008 by the well known PromotionWorld. Jim Lisi, states "The rankings of search engine optimization firms are especially important due to the vast number of new arrivals in the industry who don't have a track record of achieving first page search engine rankings."

Economic experts have recently claimed the United States has been in a recession for about a year. Each month during this recession, the unbiased TopSEO's.com interviews the clients of SEO firms and asks them to rate their overall experience with their search engine optimization company from 1 to 10. These monthly rankings indicate which SEO services providers have been declared successful by their clients during the ongoing recession.

Increase Visibility is located in Laguna Niguel, California and is a leader in the search engine marketing services industry. The firm provides organic search engine optimization, pay per click management, reputation management, press releases and social media optimization services. The firm offers search engine marketing plans to fit small and large marketing budgets. Increase Visibility has numerous clients in the Fortune 1000. Visit the Increase Visibility blog for search engine optimization tips and internet marketing information.
http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/seo_--_a_must_during_a_recession.html

New Web Developer Community Called LinkTogether

2009-01-06T09:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Network Solutions® announces LinkTogether™, a community created specifically for Web designers and developers. Currently in Beta, LinkTogether.com is a place for the Web developer community to grow business, leverage tools to increase productivity, and save money on products and services.

"LinkTogether is free to join and there's so much to take advantage of," said Warren Smith, Product Director at Network Solutions. "In my spare time, I run my own Web design agency so I can verify the usefulness of the tools offered and possible connections to be made in a Web developer community like this one."

LinkTogether members are provided the opportunity to win even more work by creating a profile on the site, which in turn allows Web designers, developers and other professionals to display portfolios of their work. Each profile is optimized to be found by searches on that member's services and expertise. Once a member has joined, he or she can download apps, Web site templates and other items shared by others in the community. Members can post their own original content for peer review.

"One of the major benefits of LinkTogether is the ability to connect with other developers and designers for discussions, advice and tips," Smith added. "Members can also increase their own knowledge base with educational resources that include whitepapers and video tutorials, and improve client conversations using the site's Smart Guides and professional educational videos."

In addition the free membership, LinkTogether also offers a Pro Membership for a monthly subscription fee of $19.99. Pro Members can access over 7,000 Web site templates, 300 turnkey Web sites, 100,000 graphical elements, more than 40 customizable legal and business documents, and receive exclusive pricing on services from Network Solutions.

For more information, or to join the community of Web designers and developers, visit www.LinkTogether.com. http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/new_web_developer_community_called_linktogether.html

Dedicated Server Provider, 3FN, Finalizes Backbone Enhancements

2009-01-06T09:24:00-05:00

San Jose, CA (Gawkwire.com) The company has achieved considerable improvement of IP network connectivity performance, by installing highly reliable network equipment. 3FN has provided its web hosting customers with fully resilient network, for faster and more reliable web hosting services for all our European customers. The company maintains that its development strategy also embraces further backbone upgrades all over the world.

The priorities of further backbone upgrades will be determined by the demand of its web hosting customers. The company's main aspiration is to make web hosting services available with a top level of quality from every spot on a globe. Thus, in the near future, all of its web hosting services will be upgraded and enhanced, even if there is no obvious need present.

Dean McToner, 3FN official representative remarked, ''We are happy to announce such an upgrade as it means faster and more reliable web hosting services for all our European customers. Our development strategy also embraces further backbone upgrades all over the world. The priorities of further backbone upgrades will be determined by the demand of our web hosting customers. Being a world leading web hosting provider, our company's main aspiration is to make our web hosting services available with a top level of quality from every spot on a globe. Thus, in near future all our web hosting services will be upgraded and enhanced even if there is no need in it; all upgrades are implemented in order to power our customers with unprecedented quality of web hosting.''

As new better network equipment appears on a web hosting market 3FN immediately implements it in its entire web hosting network. Although, the web hosting company utilizes only best and proven equipment as this is a guarantee of high performable and reliable web hosting. This upgrade combining with recent improvements allow 3FN's web hosting customers to benefit from the outstanding backbone providing premium web hosting.

As the requirements for better IP connectivity grow in order to provide web hosting with outmost quality the company has made this upgrade. Such an upgrade of European web hosting backbone is a long term investment that will bring much more advantages with web hosting services by 3FN. All European customers will now experience the best and fast IP connectivity performance of the whole network.

In December, 3FN enhanced services, with hardware monitoring and replacement service upgrades. Triple Fiber Network announced the major improvement of hardware monitoring and replacement services, to significantly enhance web hosting services. The web hosting company constantly improves hardware monitoring and replacement services in order to achieve maximum reliability and efficiency of its web hosting.

The improvement of web hosting hardware monitoring and replacement services allows to perform any replacements or upgrades immediately providing web hosting with the flawless functioning and maximum possible uptime of all web hosting services. Due to recent improvement web hosting by 3FN remains stable and persistent. In case of malfunctioning within any web hosting service broken server part: central processor, power unit, RAM, or HDD, is replaced by a new one immediately. In addition, the servers can be upgraded instantly if that is required by web hosting customers. As the result such web hosting powered with 24/7/365 monitoring and replacement services becomes a perfect web hosting solution suiting any web hosting requirements. 3FN utilizes the best and most proven hardware as well as hardware monitoring and replacement approaches in all its datacenters, therefore, achieving maximum reliability and stability of its web hosting services.

The US based provider of dedicated servers, shared hosting and collocation hosting services, Triple Fiber Network, 3FN, Inc. is best known for the quality excellence and high reliability of all hosting services provided on a global basis. Triple Fiber Network has a flawless reputation of reliable hosting provider, providing the high-quality and efficiency of all dedicated hosting services within last 10 years. Since that time the company has created one of the most biggest and powerful network of dedicated servers with main datacenter located in Silicon Valley. The Headquarters are located in San Jose, California, the company has also established offices in UK, India, Ukraine and EU. Triple Fiber Network has founded the subdivision called 3FN Marketing - an online pay per click advertising network and webmaster affiliate program. 3FN Marketing offers optimized targeted pay per click advertising for those who want to promote their websites or products and generous revenue shares up to 95% for webmasters. The company provides customers with 24/7/365 support via the toll-free telephone, online chat and ticket system.

To learn more, please visit: www.3fn.net. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/dedicated_server_provider_3fn_finalizes_backbone_enhancements.html

WebmasterRadio.FM and Social Networking Con Launch "Social Networking Now"

2009-01-06T09:23:00-05:00

Fort Lauderdale, FL (Gawkwire.com) WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace, is pleased to announce the premiere of a new weekly program in conjunction with the Social Networking Conference Series called "Social Networking Now".

Social Networking Now will feature exclusive interviews with CEOs and executives of some of the premier social media and social networking companies in the world. The interviews will be conducted by show hosts Mark Brooks, the Editor of Social Networking Watch, and the organizer of the Social Networking Conference, Marc Lesnick.

"Webmaster Radio has always been the cutting edge in information and marketing technology. They are great and fun people to work with," Lesnick said. "In addition, the listening audience is well educated and far reaching in terms of their scope of internet knowledge."

Mark Brooks operates a boutique consultancy that exclusively serves Internet dating and social networking companies. He has advised the CEO's of Friendster, Friendfinder, Cupid, Webdate, PlentyofFish, TRUE among others, and has worked in the online community space since 1998. His expertise in the industry has made him a regular keynote speaker at conferences around the world and a highly sought after consultant to social networking companies.

"I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of man when an industry has 'emerged' so quickly and taken captive so many human beings," Brooks said. "This show will help people get an idea of what's going on within the social networking industry, from the inside out, in the words of the CEOs themselves."

"Social Networking Now" further expands its media partnership with WebmasterRadio.FM, the official radio/podcast network of the Social Networking Conference series since 2006.

The program airs every Wednesday at 12:00 pm EST and on demand inside the Conference Channel under "Social Networking Conference" at www.WebmasterRadio.FM. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/webmasterradio_fm_and_social_networking_con_launch_social_networ.html

GIGATRIBE VERSION 3 PUBLIC BETA AVAILABLE AT CES

2009-01-05T12:00:00-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada (Gawkwire.com) GigaTribe www.gigatribe.com, the company revolutionizing file-sharing, today announced a public beta of GigaTribe Version 3 of its free, community-based file-sharing software. GigaTribe will preview Version 3 next week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Las Vegas, at Booth #IP228 (Sands). Available now in public beta, with the final version available in the first Quarter 2009, GigaTribe Version 3 lets users easily share unlimited amounts of photos, videos, music, and other files with their “tribe” of friends, family, and coworkers, quickly and securely in a private, fully-encrypted peer-to-peer environment.

Community File Sharing Software

GigaTribe lets users set up communities of friends, family and coworkers. When a GigaTribe user invites a friend to their community, the friend can access all of the user’s shared files: photos, videos, music, personal documents and more. Community members can invite others, and communities grow as each new user offers their own files for sharing. There are no files to upload, no size limitations, and all transfers are encrypted, so file sharing is fully secure. Users can share individual files or entire folders, and file transfers can be resumed if a user goes off-line.

New in GigaTribe Version 3

New features in GigaTribe Version 3 include an easier interface for a quick and simple user-friendly experience and more web community features, such as personal file sharing, where users can comment or rate the files they share with friends; and a Personal Blog, with content only available when you are connected for added privacy (unlike the Public Blog). In addition, newly added content is more obvious to see -- recently added files are highlighted with a different color than older files.

Easy to Use – 1 Million Users strong

Using GigaTribe Version 3 is so simple, there are only three steps required:
1.      Download the software and set up a free user account.
2.      Invite friends and family to join the community.
3.      Share folders and start downloading.

GigaTribe’s over 1 million members know that GigaTribe is the best solution for sharing files with friends and family. Unlike other photo and video sharing sites, files shared through GigaTribe remain in their original size -- resolution is never lowered for posting, as required by most photo and video sharing sites, such as Flickr and YouTube. In addition, with GigaTribe’s instant messaging feature, users can chat with friends to tell them about new updates or other projects.

GigaTribe Version 3 Free Features:
•   Share large photo, music, video, and data files with friends, coworkers, and family.
•   No size limitations for shared files, and no upload or download limits.
•   Intuitive interface for a simple, quick, user-friendly experience.
•   Users can comment on or rate the files they share with friends.
•   Personal blogs with content only available when users are connected for optimal privacy.
•   Recently added files are highlighted so they stand out from older files.
•   100% encrypted and private - only the people users have chosen will see shared folders.
•   Small business networking - an easy way to set up a network in any office to share folders with coworkers on or off-site.
•   Easy to use - anyone can share his or her own content, no technical knowledge required.
•   Instant messaging feature - lets users chat online with their “tribe.”
•   Easy to install.
•   Shortcut buttons make the most common actions available with a single click.
•   Fully encrypted and private - users can choose who can access their folders.

Pricing and Availability:

GigaTribe 3 is free, available now for Windows in public beta. The final version of GigaTribe Version 3 will be released first Quarter 2009. There is also an upgrade available to the “Ultimate” version of GigaTribe, priced at $29.95 per year, with additional features:

•        Faster downloads.
•        Unlimited amount of simultaneous downloads.
•        Downloads from multiple sources, if available.
•   Remote Internet Access - users can access their computer from anywhere via the Internet.
•   Group access - users can select which folders are available to which groups of people (i.e. friends, family, work, etc.).
•   Shared folders can be password-protected.
•   Unlimited tech support by e-mail.
•   EasyConnect service. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/gigatribe_version_3_public_beta_available_at_ces.html

DemoDemo.com Launches Monthly Subscription Tutorials

2009-01-05T10:00:00-05:00

Brampton, Canada (Gawkwire.com) DemoDemo.com ( http://www.demodemo.com ), the market leader in Flash web hosting tutorials, is pleased to announce the launch of monthly subscription tutorials.

SInce 2002, DemoDemo has provided hosting Flash tutorials on a one time upfront purchase basis only. As of today, monthly subscription plans are now available. Customers can now pay a small monthly fee rather than having to deal with the larger upfront purchase. This allows medium to large sized hosts the option of minimizing purchasing costs and otherwise using funds for advertising, support and other ways of building their business. But more importantly, it opens the door to small web hosts who would otherwise be unable to confront the one time upfront cost of purchased tutorials due to budget restraints.

The subscription plans range from $14.95 per month to $29.95 per month. The largest plan (Jumbo Plan) sells for $29.95 a month and includes over $3,000.00 of tutorial product.

The subscription tutorials still include the customer's logo branding throughout and they are still hosted on the customer's site. The only difference is the cost. Subscription tutorials display for as long as the customer's account is in good standing. Logo changes and tutorial series updates are included in the monthly fee, which would otherwise incur an additional cost if the tutorials were purchased outright. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/demodemo_com_launches_monthly_subscription_tutorials.html

Biggest Search Geek Competition Heats Up

2009-01-05T09:41:00-05:00

San Francisco, Calif. (Gawkwire.com) Marin Software, provider of the leading enterprise-class paid search management application for advertisers and agencies, and Search Marketing Expo (SMX West), today announced that over 1,100 search marketers have already entered the Biggest Search Geek Contest.

The SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest is open to anyone with the mettle to answer 20 tough questions about the ins-and-outs of search marketing. Contest questions have proven to be challenging, with the top score to date being 71.25%.

The winner will receive a free trip for two people to SMX West in Santa Clara, California, February 10-12, 2009. The prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and passes to SMX West 2009 for the winner and a travel companion. The winner will also receive an award on stage from Danny Sullivan, and will gain nationwide recognition as the Biggest Search Geek.

The winner of the SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest will be chosen based on who answers the most questions correctly in the least amount of time. Search marketing experts have until the end of January to take the timed questionnaire and the winner will be notified on the first week of February. What's more, the top 10% of contest entrants answering the most correct questions in the shortest amount of time will each receive a "Search Geek" recognition award from Marin Software.

Relevant Quotes:

"Compared with other forms of advertising media including display, TV, print, radio, and direct mail, search marketing is certainly one of the more complex and intellectually challenging, but when done well it's also among the most rewarding," said Chris Lien, chief executive officer of Marin Software. "We wanted to recognize the top experts in the SEM industry with the first-ever award for those we fondly refer to as search geeks."

"The SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest celebrates the unsung heroes of search marketing who make SEM campaigns successful for the brands and agencies they work for every day," said Danny Sullivan, SMX West program chair and Search Engine Land editor-in-chief. http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/biggest_search_geek_competition_heats_up.html

Search Marketing Expo - SMX West Rates Increase January 10, 2009

2009-01-05T09:38:00-05:00

Redding, CT (Gawkwire.com) Search engine marketers interested in registering for the industry's must-attend conference, Search Marketing Expo - SMX West, should do so before January 10, 2009 in order to receive special early bird registration pricing. The early bird All Access conference rate of $1195 ends at 11:59PM PST on January 9; at midnight on January 10, the All Access ticket price increases to $1395.

SMX West will take place in Santa Clara, CA from February 10-12. The agenda for the three-day multiple track event contains more than 50 sessions focusing on all aspects of search marketing.

Internet and search engine marketers of all skill and experience levels, from novice to expert, will benefit from attending SMX West. Sessions are organized thematically on topics including search engine optimization (SEO), paid search advertising (PPC), online/offline issues and landing page conversion. For those new to the field, SMX Boot Camp offers five sessions of search engine marketing fundamentals. The program also features "days" for in-house SEO program managers and web application developers who need to understand the impact of site architecture on SEM.

SMX West is being programmed by the editorial team of Search Engine Land, the leading news blog for search engine marketers. Search Engine Land Editor-in-Chief Danny Sullivan, who programmed the industry's first conference ten years ago, is program chair.

The full SMX West agenda is available online, as well as Sullivan's conference preview post published on Search Engine Land.

Registration Information

Registration from now through January 9th will be $1195 and then until February 9th the rate will be $1395. On-site registration will be $1595. One day access passes and networking-only passes are also available.

Register online for SMX West or by calling (877) 242-5242.
http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/search_marketing_expo_-_smx_west_rates_increase_january_10_2009.html

IDG World Expo Announces Town Hall Meeting at Macworld

2009-01-02T12:26:00-05:00

IDG World Expo today announced that next week’s Macworld Conference & Expo® will feature a Town Hall Meeting open to all attendees interested in helping to shape Macworld® in 2010 and beyond. Future Macworld events will have a sharpened focus on the Mac community, with its passionate and creative user base and wide array of developers whose innovations shape and extend the platform. This forum gives voice to that community and underscores IDG World Expo’s commitment to the event in 2010 and beyond.

The Town Hall meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, at 5 PM PT in Moscone’s Gateway Ballroom, room 102. The meeting will serve as an exchange of ideas on potential new show attractions, content, and features, and will offer an opportunity for members of the Mac community to ask questions about next year’s event.

“While there is no question that Macworld is going to evolve and change in 2010, the fundamental importance of the event remains the same: the unique ability to put exciting new Apple-related products directly into the hands of users and to inspire those users to put their products to work in new and innovative ways,” said Paul Kent, vice president and general manager, Macworld Conference & Expo. “Macworld will continue to foster the deep sense of community that has been at the heart of the show for the last 25 years. As part of this commitment to the community, we look forward to sharing our thoughts and ideas for future Macworld events, as well as hearing ideas and suggestions from the community.”

Each year, Macworld provides Apple product users with the opportunity to see hundreds of the hottest Mac products in one place at one time, in a unique, fun and exciting environment, making it more than just a tradeshow. The event also boasts an innovative and cutting-edge educational experience featuring a conference faculty that includes the Mac industry’s most respected and influential speakers.

The 2010 event promises to offer new show features, programs and other activities that will continue to show attendees the most innovative uses of Mac products.

About Macworld Conference & Expo

Owned and produced by Framingham Mass.-based IDG World Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo showcases products and services for professionals involved in media and creative content development for corporate and home applications, as well as prosumers using the Mac at home. Macworld Conference & Expo brings together audiences in creative services, education, application development, entertainment, small office/home office and Internet-based environments. Macworld Conference & Expo offers professionals and prosumers alike the opportunity to discover the latest developments and hottest products these markets offer. For more information or to register for the event, please visit the website at www.macworldexpo.com, or call (800) 645-EXPO. For exhibiting opportunities, please contact Annie Rice McKnight at (508) 424-4839 or amcknight@idgworldexpo.com, or Ron Moreau at (508) 424-4804 or rmoreau@idgworldexpo.com. For sponsorship opportunities contact Ellen Moorehead at (508) 988-7830, or emoorehead@idgworldexpo.com.

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

PHASE 2 Unaffected by Island-wide Power Outage

2009-01-02T12:22:00-05:00

PHASE 2 International (www.phase2.com), a premier Software as a Service provider based in Hawaii, reported today that the Oahu island-wide power outage that occurred on December 27th did not affect any of its operations or customers. The widespread power issues lasted for over 14 hours and severed commercial power to every home and business, leaving over 900,000 people in the dark. This included President-elect Barack Obama and his family who are visiting the island for vacation prior to his official inauguration on January 20th.

“It is times like these that our significant investment in facilities and infrastructure really pays off,” said Kevin Doherty, CEO of PHASE 2. “The initial power fluctuations raised some concerns. The engineering team analyzed the management systems, and no glitches were detected as the power subsystems switched over. We received no reports from customers who had trouble accessing their data during this time.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/phase_2_unaffected_by_island-wide_power_outage.html

Go Daddy 2008 Charity Donations Hit $1.7MM

2009-01-02T12:12:00-05:00

When GoDaddy.com CEO and Founder Bob Parsons does something, he usually does it BIG – which is exactly how you could describe his company’s charitable donations this year. Go Daddy’s 2008 philanthropic contributions to local, regional, national and international charities have reached $1.7 million for the year. That tops Go Daddy’s own company record, set last year with $1.4 million to charity.

“Why not give back?” asks Parsons. “Our company had its best year ever. Considering our country is in the midst of an economic recession now is exactly the time to help out good organizations and people less fortunate.”

Go Daddy is the world’s largest domain name registrar, meaning they register Web site addresses. The Scottsdale-based company is also a leading Web host provider and offers products aimed at getting people online affordably and easily. This time of year, the company draws attention for its Super Bowl commercials, but Go Daddy works on less publicized endeavors throughout the year, such as helping charities and keeping the Internet safe.

During the past two years, Go Daddy’s philanthropic works supported a wide variety of charitable and community organizations dedicated to such causes as domestic violence, child abuse, disabled children, teenage homelessness, Parkinson’s research, breast cancer, animal shelters and more. Major recipients of Go Daddy contributions include the Arizona Children’s Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Make A Wish Foundation, Toys for Tots, Arizona Humane Society, Phoenix Zoo, Chrysalis, HomeBase Youth Services and The Salvation Army.

Go Daddy employees helped too. This year, 750 Go Daddy employees, family and friends turned out for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International’s Walk to Cure Diabetes in Tempe. Parsons and the Go Daddy corporate team donated $135,000 to support continued juvenile diabetes research.

Parsons, a Purple Heart Marine, is also strongly committed to supporting injured military personnel. In October, Go Daddy sponsored “The Ride for Semper Fi” charity bicycle ride to benefit the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund. The four-day, 430-mile excursion stretched from Scottsdale, AZ to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA.

In addition to charitable donations this year, Go Daddy was instrumental in passing two significant pieces of legislation into federal law. Both aimed at keeping the Internet safe. One protects kids from online sexual predators by prohibiting the transfer of live images of child abuse via the Internet, increasing funding to fight child exploitation on the Web, and providing Internet companies easier measures to shut down online predators targeting children. The second law gives Web companies much-needed tools to take illegitimate Internet pharmacies offline.

“Go Daddy has spent considerable time and energy on bi-partisan legislation this year,” said Parsons. “We feel very good about that, along with the charity work we’ve done. Go Daddy definitely made a difference this year. Now in 2009, it’s onward and upward baby!”

To learn more about Go Daddy’s work to help charity, visit Go Daddy Cares.

http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/go_daddy_2008_charity_donations_hit_1_7mm.html

Gawkwire: Web Hosting and Internet News Resource

Global Confidence in Innovation Holds Despite Economy

The Future of the Web Unveiled

Soonr Chosen as Finalist in MobileMonday Mobile Peer Awards

New â€œObama Wormâ€ Discovered This Week

Construction Nearly Complete on Data Center!

Barrett Joins Global Technologies as Director of Sales and Marketing

Why Internet Marketing Strategy Must Include Public Relations

Free Webinars Help Maximize Productivity, Reduce Costs, and Improve Efficiency

SnapNamesÂ® and MonikerÂ® Announce Domain Name Self-Serve Listing Service

DotNetPanel Adds Value to its Windows Control Panel with SmarterMail

6 Secrets to Boost a Customer Retention Strategy

â€˜Technology Will Drive Economic Recoveryâ€™

GoDaddy Web Hosting Firm, Invites Public Voting, for Super Bowl Commercial

SEO: Increase Web Traffic By Up to 1000%

Assuritas Partners with GlobalSign to Provide Extended Validation SSL

34SP.com Adds Customer Service Resources

Host Color Announced VPS Hosting Rebate

ColoGuys Broadens Network with New Connection to Internap

Data Center World Conference and Expo, Sponsored by Interxion

Hosting and SaaS Providers Benefit from the Application Packaging Standard (APS)

New Aplus.net Premium Shopping Cart: Built for Online Store Optimization

The Rise of Democracy 2.0

Adult Content Shaping The Future of Blu-ray and HD Downloads

GNAX / NetDepot Announces Expansion to Dallas and the formation of the DallasNAP

Globalization Symposium Helps IT Executives Compete

Fuze Again Sets the Bar for SaaS System Uptime

6 Tips for Making Your Email Marketing Stand Out

DOMAINfest Conference Brings Experts Together To Discuss Industry Evolution

Hostway Announces Second Winner in Go Mobile with Exchange Giveaway

Intermedia Adds Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 to Channel Offering

Launch New Weekly Radio Show "Inside Internet Dating"

Who's the Biggest Search Geek in America: New Leader Emerges

Introducing Comodo System Cleaner

Internet Domain Seizures Blocked by Appeals Court

Teen Torture iPhone App Discontinued Due to Public Alarm

DiscountASP.NET Renews Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status

Web.com and Go Daddy Enter into Patent Cross-License Agreement

Live Streaming of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama

At Just 16 Years Old, Will Perkins is Revolutionizing the Web Hosting Industry

Introducing Extreme Fast Industrial Mini PC Small Enough to Fit in Your Hand

Free Webinar Jan. 21: The Recession-Ready Wiki

GoGrid Moves API Specs to Creative Commons Licensing

GotWebHost.com Introduces Pay-per-Click Campaign Management

topseos Announces Winners of 2008 SEO and PPC Competition

3FN Offers Best Conditions for Dedicated Server Hosting

Sibername.com Announces Pre-Booking Open For.TEL Domain Names

GoDaddy Web Hosting Firm Super Bowl Ads Approved

Wii & Nintendo DS Set New Industry Records

"Telephone.net" Domain Name Currently up for Auction at GreatDomains.com

Strategic Partnership HP and LeaseWeb on Green Hosting

Hosted Solutions Expands Management Team Naming Its First VP of Marketing

Top Ten Internet Marketing Predictions for 2009

Hosting Controller Offers Latest Microsoft HMC Solution Support

Fpweb.net Celebrates 10 Years of SharePoint Hosting

Parallels Summit 2009 Attracts Over 1000 Attendees

myLittleAdmin Web-Based SQL Manager for SQL 2005 and SQL 2008

Gearworx Introduces Private Label Virtual Private Servers

2ip Adds Servers in United Kingdom, Canada for Shared Hosting

Network Solutions WHOIS Tool Ranked No. 1

1&1 Partners with Sedo to Offer Already Registered Domains

Opus Interactive Joins VMware vCloud Initiative As A VMware Service Provider

The Smartest Online Strategies to Sustain and Grow Your Business in 2009

HostGo Upgrades Network with Increase of PAIX Connection

UltraQuantix Partners with Hyperspin to Offer Discounted Monitoring Services

P2Pwordsâ„¢ Wins 2008 "Product of the Year" at CES P2P Summit in Las Vegas

Web Hosting Leader, UK2 Group Acquires Virtual Internet

GO DADDY EXPANDS NASCAR DEAL WITH DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Liquid Technology Appears on INC. 5,000 List

FreeBSD Project Announces Release of FreeBSD Version 7.1

How to Never Let Negative People Bring You Down -- Ever!

Sunbelt Software Announces Top Ten Spyware/Malware Threats for December

Bloggers Converge at The Third Annual "It Won't Stay In Vegas" Blogger Party

DomainPeople Accepts Preregistrations for .Tel Landrush Phase

Host Color Gives Web Hosting Customers Free .US Domains On King's Birthday

LinMinâ„¢ Introduces Bare Metal Provisioning 5.3

New Mercury Rack Pro "Quad Interface" RAID Solution

A Marketing Plan for the New Year is Essential

Fpweb.net Announces Managed Hosting Reseller Program

SEO Consult Maintains Its Ranking As The UK's Number 1 SEO Company

New â€œObama Wormâ€ Discovered This Week