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Put the Spring Back into Your Workers' Steps

2010-01-29T07:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Are your employees happy? Chances are good the answer is no. The most recent survey by the Conference Board research group suggests that only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work—an all-time low since the study was established in 1987. And according to Dave Anderson, unhappiness on the job has some very real consequences.

"It is impossible to create a healthy company with unhealthy employees," says Anderson, author of How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK: A Biblical Blueprint to Bless Your Business (Wiley, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-4704964-2-8, $24.95). "And make no mistake: Unhappy employees are unhealthy employees—psychologically, emotionally, and sometimes even physically. Their misery infects everything they do. And it certainly prevents them from working at top capacity."

The good news is that great leaders can inspire and motivate their employees and help them find renewed passion for their work—even in a less-than-thriving economy. Read on for a handful of tips to help you do just that:
Redefine the vision for your company in 2010.Get clear about where you're going and enroll others in the campaign. It's time for leaders to pull those dreams out of the mothballs and create a new and bold vision for their organization. They should also redefine performance and behavioral expectations (core values) for their people. These aspects of business are often watered down or forgotten about completely during a downturn. But the fact is, it motivates people to know where they're going and what is expected of them along the way—as well as what's in it for them when they reach the destination.

"Without clarity of vision, core values, and performance expectations, you have chaos in the cubicles as people run on their own agendas—and unwittingly work against one another—since the leader failed to create a common vision that unites the team," says Anderson. "Great leaders don't allow people to live in gray areas because they know that it is tough to be aggressive and confused at the same time. Get clear about where you're going and what you want! There are plenty of things you can delegate as a leader, but vision and clarity for your organization isn't one of them."

Stop micromanaging.The tendency during a downturn is to begin nitpicking and second-guessing your people, making every decision and coming up with every idea yourself. This sort of micromanagement saps the energy and morale from your team. You treat people like children and then wonder why they act like children! Increase the latitude and discretion of your best people and watch their motivation and creativity levels soar!

Celebrate singles. Business leaders love to celebrate the homeruns in their business. But in a downturn, there are fewer "big hits" to cheer, and much time can elapse between such occasions. This lack of positive reinforcement can lull a culture to sleep. Begin looking for the "little" things that people do right and that go right and celebrate those. Reinforce them publicly, quickly, and loudly! This attitude of "good finding" begins to shift the culture in a positive direction, as it builds up people and starts a positive chain reaction throughout your organization. Remember: Reinforced people tend to reinforce other people.

Lead from the front.Get out of your office and reengage with your people and customers. Become more visible, accessible, instructional, and motivational and eventually you'll become unstoppable. Ask more questions and give fewer answers. Questions engage employees and show that you value them.
Some leaders have gotten so dazed by data and numbed by numbers that they've lost touch with their people, Anderson points out. They're sitting in their offices collecting calluses on their backsides trying to "turn the numbers around," when they need to get out front, put some calluses on their feet and turn their people around—and then their people will turn the numbers around!
"Quite frankly, the biggest morale problem in most businesses today is rooted in the fact that the leaders of the organization have stopped leading," says Anderson. "Instead, they tweak, tinker, tamper, manage, massage, maintain, administer, and preside—but have no positive impact on their people or culture. This is why the old saw is true: 'A fish rots at the head.' In other words, when you're having problems in an organization, you don't try to fix it in the middle or at the bottom. If you want the organization to 'get right,' the leadership must 'get right' first!"

Set shorter-term goals.Long-term goals are less relevant during a downturn because of uncertainty. Besides, when things are tough, you need to see something happen now.Shorter-term goals—daily goals—narrow an employee's focus and cause him or her to get into motion and take action today! These goals liven up a workplace, creating energy, urgency, and more teamwork as people rally together to meet them.
You can set a combination of activity and results goals, since if you manage the right activities, you will end up with the desired results. By putting the additional structure that daily goals bring into your workplace, you create positive motion and employee energy that evokes emotion and shakes out apathy.

About the Author:
Dave Anderson is president of Dave Anderson's Learn to Lead and has given over 1,000 leadership presentations in thirteen countries. He is the author of If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown; Up Your Business!; How to Deal with Difficult Customers; and the TKObusiness series, all from Wiley. He and his wife, Rhonda, are cofounders of The Matthew 25.35 Foundation, which helps feed, educate, and house destitute people throughout the world.
For more information, please visit www.learntolead.com.

About the Book:
How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK: A Biblical Blueprint to Bless Your Business (Wiley, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-4704964-2-8, $24.95) is available at bookstores nationwide, major online booksellers, or directly from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797.

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

Domeny.pl signs OEM partner agreement for CM4all WebsiteCreator

2010-01-29T07:24:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CM4all, a leading provider of web-based applications, is pleased to announce that Domeny.pl recently signed a multi-year deal for CM4all's core products WebsiteCreator Business and Consumer Editions.

"Over recent years Poland has proven to be among the fastest growing Internet markets in Central Europe. We are very pleased to have the chance to work on further expanding our market share with such a highly specialized, well established and trusted partner as Domeny.pl. Being just at the beginning of our cooperation, we are looking forward to a prosperous and successful long-term partnership," said Robert Schovenberg, CEO of CM4all.

Founded in 1997, Domeny.pl was one of the first Polish domain registrars and hosting companies on the market and primarily conducted business with such global players as Hitachi, Era GSM, and Yamaha. Today the company is one of the leading providers of domain and hosting services in Poland, serving tens of thousands of large and medium-sized enterprises. Over the years, Domeny.pl successfully expanded its portfolio by offering a broad range of products and services related to internet security, server monitoring, E-Advertising, and E-Business. Committed to accelerate its growth in the SMB and consumer markets, Domeny.pl will fulfill the markets' needs for web-based solutions by incorporating CM4all website builders.

"Adding CM4all technology is a big step forward in terms of improving our portfolio and will strengthen our position as a provider of the best solutions available on the market. The CM4all WebsiteCreator with its huge variety of specially created design templates will help our customers to easily build and maintain a state-of-the-art web presence, necessary to increase their recognition in today's competitive market," explains Arkadiusz Szczurowski, CEO of Domeny.pl.

With the integration of CM4all WebsiteCreator Business and Consumer Editions, Domeny.pl’s customers will soon be able to create professional-looking websites with no programming knowledge required. Business users will find industry related templates and benefit from the site builder's powerful features such as online shops, business blogs, RSS-feeds, Live Statistics, and Search Engine Optimization. Consumers will benefit from the latest web 2.0 features such as multi-author video blogging, Community Media Albums, and event planning tools, which are all activated by a click of a mouse.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/domeny_pl_signs_oem_partner_agreement_for_cm4all_websitecreator.html

Haitian Relief Support by Codero and Industry Partners

2010-01-29T07:23:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) In an effort to support the American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti, Codero, a dedicated and managed hosting provider, has joined with others in the hosting community to support and promote Hosting for Haiti.

Partnering with the American Red Cross, Hosting for Haiti was created to promote and encourage relief efforts to Haitians who are in need of relief. Following the devastating 7.0 earthquake that occurred January 12, 2010, an estimated 1.5 million people have been left without a home. As a result, organizations such as the American Red Cross are critical in providing aid, shelter and other supplies such as food and water to these survivors.

“In times of need, we recognize the importance of banding together with others in our industry,” stated Ryan Elledge, Chief Operations Officer at Codero. “While our donation is a small step in repairing Haiti, we hope it encourages our employees, customers and other friends in the industry to participate.”

For those interested in donating, a direct link to the American Red Cross can be found at Hostingforhaiti.com. 100% of donations will go directly to the Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

In an effort to spread the word to increase relief efforts, Codero has posted information about Hosting for Haiti on its blog and encourages others to follow the progress on Twitter by following @hostingforhaiti or use the hash tag #hostingforhaiti in related posts. Industry partners who would like to participate should email info@hostingforhaiti.com for details.

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

Internet Alliance Announces New Executive Director

2010-01-29T07:20:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Executive Vice President Linda Woolley announced today that Tammy Cota has been named executive director of the Internet Alliance (IA), the nation’s leading Internet, e-commerce and technology advocacy group. Cota had served as interim director since July of 2009, when former executive director Emily Hackett retired.

Cota announced Wednesday that Venable LLP, a DC-based Internet and intellectual property firm, has also joined the IA team. Venable attorneys Michael A. Signorelli and Julia Kernochan Tama will provide legal drafting support to IA members working on Internet and ecommerce issues in legislatures in the 50 states.

KSE FOCUS, a strategic communications company with offices in DC, Boston and Vermont, provides strategy, legislative policy support and 50-state tracking to IA members. Scott Mackey, a KSE partner and formerly the chief economist for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) joined the IA roster in July. KSE Partner Bob Sherman and Legislative and Regulatory Analyst Jenna Dimmick complete the IA team.

Woolley explained the new leadership and expanded services at the IA come at a critical time in the states. Woolley added: “While Congress has been slow to act, state regulation and taxation of the Internet and e-commerce continues to be fiercely debated in legislatures across the country. The IA has been the leading voice for industry in the states since the birth of the commercial Internet. The challenges and opportunities we face this year are great. We have expanded our staff to better represent our members and deliver a clear, consistent message to lawmakers.”

Cota, a Champlain College graduate, has worked with the IA internally for the past 10 years through her employment at KSE. She will begin working from the IA’s D.C. office February 1.

Woolley added: “We are excited to have Tammy here in D.C. She has an excellent grasp of the issues, the players and the politics in states. As a longer term player, Tammy also knows the history. This is an invaluable asset to our members.”

Signorelli has many years of experience from his legal and regulatory work representing clients on privacy and Internet-related issues. Signorelli has counseled clients on advertising, marketing, and data security related matters before state and federal policy makers.

Tama has experience in privacy and data security matters and advises clients on compliance with such laws and regulations. Prior to joining Venable, Tama served as Judiciary Committee Counsel to U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).

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

CloudLinux to Unveil CloudLinux OS at Parallel’s Summit

2010-01-29T07:19:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CloudLinux Founder and CEO, Igor Seletskiy will deliver his first public address at the popular hosting industry conference, the Parallels Summit, on February 23 in Miami, FL. Mr. Seletskiy will debut CloudLinux, the only Linux–based, commercially supported operating system (OS) optimized for shared hosting providers and datacenters. Mr. Seletskiy will address how hosting service providers can squeeze more efficiency from their infrastructure while simultaneously increase profit margins and new revenue opportunities.

In his address, Mr. Seletskiy will discuss how to strike the perfect balance between number of users per server and the load the server can carry, especially when resource hogs and load spikes remain a constant challenge. This challenge is compounded by the foggy visibility administrators have into servers, making it harder for providers to respond efficiently to ever-changing needs. The new CloudLinux OS solves these issues by leveraging its proprietary LVE™ technology.

“I created CloudLinux OS based my previous work developing the H-Sphere Control Panel. I could see the need to give providers a way to control the CPU and IO demands of individual users to achieve high level of server stability,” states Igor Seletskiy, CEO of Cloud Linux Inc. “This work is based on a lot of research that has been done over the years. We went deep into Linux kernel to achieve high level of resource isolation. We also wanted to be able to offer the OS with a professionally staffed, 24/7 support operation and at a low cost for providers. So on behalf of my team and after these many months of hard work, I am proud to be introducing this new technology here at the Parallel’s Summit.”

CloudLinux was founded by Igor Seletskiy who has a 13-year, successful track record of delivering innovative new products to the hosting industry, including: H-Sphere, the first multi-server, commercially available control panel; FreeVPS, a container-based virtualization product; CP+, a simple, single server control panel; WebShell, a web-based file manager and SiteStudio, a browser-based website building tool. CloudLinux builds on Mr. Seletskiy’s extensive understanding of the unique needs of hosting service providers and is now available for download at http://www.cloudlinux.com/download.html.

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

Thoughts.com selects Atlantic.Net for Colocation Service

2010-01-29T07:16:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Atlantic.Net (www.atlantic.net) a privately–held high performance data center services company, today announced a multi-year agreement with Thoughts.com. Thoughts.com is a new social media networking platform that requires a fully redundant and highly scalable server colocation solution. Under the terms of the agreement, Atlantic.Net will power Thoughts.com’s social networking engine with its fully redundant and robust infrastructure backed by its World Class Data Center operations.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with a new breed of social media networking company like Thoughts.com,” says Neal Hiscock, Chief Operating Officer of Atlantic.Net. “Thoughts.com not only has a unique concept but they also utilize cutting edge technology. Atlantic.Net is honored to help facilitate this extremely high traffic network to keep the discussions flowing on Thoughts.com.”

"Our Social Media platform requires 100% uptime and we feel that Atlantic.Net provides the best solution to host our server colocation platform" says Ben Ogden, Founder and CEO of Thoughts.com. "Atlantic.Net's dedication to 100% network uptime, to their customers, and their long standing reputation in Florida are all key factors in our decision. As Thoughts.com grows we are confident that Atlantic.Net's superior infrastructure will continue to provide a scalable and robust solution. We also strongly believe that doing business locally helps support our local community staying true to our mission to engage our community."

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

Apple Introduces the iPad

2010-01-27T19:09:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Apple has introduced the iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds— thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. The iTunes® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.

iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**

iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

*Apple tested wireless battery life by browsing web pages and receiving email over an AirPort® network, never letting the system go to sleep during the test, and keeping the display at half brightness. This is a typical scenario of use on the go, resulting in a battery performance number that is very relevant to mobile users.

**A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

http://www.gawkwire.com/reviews/apple_introduces_the_ipad.html

HostNine Re-Launches Their Affiliate Program

2010-01-28T08:08:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Shared, reseller and dedicated server web hosting provider, HostNine has relaunched their affiliate program offering up to $100 per sale.

HostNine is offering payouts of up to $100 per sale referred on both their unlimited shared web hosting and affordable world-wide reseller services. Coupled with one of the highest conversion rates in the industry, HostNine offers a very lucrative opportunity for affiliates.

With the re-launch, HostNine has also included newly designed banners and dedicated affiliate support provided by AffiliateApex.com. Affiliate Apex is an outsourced affiliate program management firm specializing in web hosting affiliate programs.

HostNine’s affiliate program is free to join and you can begin earning money now! Simply visit http://www.hostnine.com/affiliate-program/ to sign up today!

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/hostnine_re-launches_their_affiliate_program.html

DiscountASP.NET Wins Best ASP.NET Hosting Company Editor’s Choice Award

2010-01-28T08:07:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) ASP.NET hosting and SQL hosting leader, DiscountASP.NET proudly announces receiving the 2010 Editor’s Choice Award for the “Best ASP.NET Hosting Company” category from c-sharpcorner.com parent company, Mindcracker Network.

“We were extremely thrilled to learn that we were named Editor’s Choice." said Takeshi Eto, VP Marketing and Business Development at DiscountASP.NET. “We are honored that our ASP.NET hosting product was recognized by the editors of C# Corner. We will continue to work to improve our hosting service to provide the best hosting solution for the developer community.”

According to Mindcracker, the Editor’s Choice Awards are given to the best products and service providers in Microsoft technologies for year 2009. These awards are selected by the Mindcracker Network editorial team led by Mahesh Chand and Mike Gold. Other members of the Mindcracker editorial team include Praveen Kumar (MVP), Puran Mehra, and Sundar Lal.

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

AttainResponse Selects The Planet to Host its IT Infrastructure

2010-01-28T08:06:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Planet, the global leader in IT hosting, today announced AttainResponse (http://www.attainresponse.com) has chosen the company to host its IT infrastructure. Headquartered in Erie, Colo., AttainResponse develops and manages content delivery applications, including text and video e-mail, e-mail marketing and streaming video hosting.

The AttainResponse Web-based applications are unified into a single platform known as ComF5, which allows customers to combine core services such as business e-mail hosting and e-mail marketing with visual communications, including video, audio communications, images and other content. ComF5 also offers customers an industry-leading online video and publishing platform.

This new approach to unified communications and video commerce allows businesses to increase response rates for outbound marketing and affiliate programs, at the same time providing a lower cost of ownership for business e-mail and e-mail marketing.

The geographically redundant infrastructure includes private racks, load balancers, gigabit switches and private networks in multiple data centers located in both Houston and Dallas. The company also takes advantage of Advanced Services that provide additional monitoring capabilities for their servers.

“Our infrastructure is complex and must be fast, reliable and scalable to meet the demands of our broad and dispersed customer base,” said Wade Weston, CEO and Founder of AttainResponse. “We evaluated ten companies to host our infrastructure, and The Planet understood exactly what we needed. They worked hand-in-hand with us to design the core systems, backend network and redundancy that are critical to our business.

“I don’t want the headaches of managing IT, so I rely on The Planet. That’s their business, and it’s what they do well. Since I’ve turned over my infrastructure and have been able to focus on my customers, we’ve grown substantially. I can sleep at night, knowing I’m in good hands with my IT operations managed around the clock,” concluded Weston.

“Companies in every corner of the world rely on their Web presence and IT infrastructures for driving business, and we are seeing even more decide to unshackle the chains and move to a hosted environment,” said Tom Blair, vice president of global sales with The Planet. “Our network, data centers and around-the-clock support deliver a world-class experience and peace of mind. The unparalleled value of reliability – and the ability to scale by adding new servers in hours rather than in days or weeks – means companies can be more flexible and nimble as they grow.”

AttainResponse Snapshot
Wade Weston is a driven and passionate entrepreneur focused on his customers and his vision for AttainResponse. A telecommunications veteran, Weston gained an acute understanding of IT operations and customer requirements early on in his career, which set the stage for the success of his company.
During those early years, Weston observed the changes occurring in the industry and knew from his own business development and sales experience what worked – and didn’t – as e-mail began to emerge as a key marketing tool for businesses.

“Research tells us that people remember 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, but 50 percent of what they see and hear simultaneously,” Weston notes. “That’s the foundation of our MediaF5 solution. There’s a lot of mystery around how to reach customers. Ultimately it comes down to the initial connection you make with a single campaign. Our customers can create and send campaigns in minutes, with visual communications that set them apart from their competitors. They make memorable impressions, so when it comes time to buy, the people they’ve touched will remember them.

“Our clients look to us for advice on how to deliver their marketing messages in a fast, cost-effective methodology,” he says. “With our easy-to-use Web interface, there’s no software required. MediaF5 uploads media, videos, images and documents, and content is delivered across our robust delivery platform. Sending newsletters and auto-responders to hundreds of thousands of clients is no longer the headache it once was. We make it simple, fast and cost-effective.”

Weston cites a renowned hearing specialist who was evaluating new ways to help his patients better understand the surgical procedures he performed to enable their hearing. The surgeon had heard of AttainReponse, and he challenged Weston to help him identify ways to better inform his patient base.

“In a year’s time, this doctor doubled the size of his practice, simply by demystifying the surgeries. Using video content and communicating with visual and verbal messages helped educate his patients and ease the worry of the surgical procedure. Hearing directly from the doctor also gave patients an opportunity to engage with him beyond the office.”

Weston notes there’s another added benefit for his customers. Much like his own desire to offload his IT infrastructure, he enables the same for his customer base.

To hear first-hand about AttainResponse, visit The Planet Web site and watch a new video featuring Wade Weston: http://www.theplanet.com/videos/#attainresponse.

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

Aflexi Releases Version 2.0 of New CDN Software

2010-01-28T08:05:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The new Aflexi CDN software version 2.0 adds new layers of customization and ease of use to the Aflexi CDN software platform. (http://www.aflexi.net)

Aflexi CDN software is a high performance, secure, and scalable content delivery network (CDN) solution for web hosts and content distributors at extremely competitive pricing.

For example, Aflexi 2.0 software's new traffic policies now makes it easier for web hosts to create flexible and customized geographically-based packages for content delivery options.

According to Whei Wong, CEO of Aflexi, "As bandwidth in the USA is significantly less expensive than the rest of the world, a publisher can save money by using only US based edge servers. Only if they require international delivery to Asia and EU, will they have to pay the higher bandwidth charges to the operator for additional non US edge servers. These changes can be made instantaneously by the operator via the (Web-based) Aflexi control panel."

Version 2.0's "Themability" function now allows CDN operators to "brand" their DNS redirection with their own domain names via CNAME redirection. The software exposes the API and hence enables CDN operators to build their own customized, branded portals. Aflexi's new migration rewrite rules makes it possible and easy for publishers to migrate existing websites to a CDN enabled format.

The new Aflexi CDN software version 2.0 also now provides Purge URL (Uniform Resource Locator) capability that enables CDN operators and publishers to quickly and easily replace old URLs with new ones within their edge server caches. http://www.gawkwire.com/reviews/aflexi_releases_version_2_0_of_new_cdn_software.html

SoftLayer Completes Annual Audit for Second Year

2010-01-28T08:04:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SoftLayer Technologies has recently completed the SAS 70 Type II audit for a second year. An independent auditing agency was selected for the review. The audit included extensive testing performed over a 12-month period. It involved all existing SoftLayer data center facilities in Dallas, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

SoftLayer’s SAS 70 data centers must maintain prescribed levels of data security and redundancy, as well as personnel controls. Specific procedures for accessing servers or data must be followed by data center staff in order; all systems access and activity must be logged, and all physical access must be highly controlled.

“A SAS 70 Type II review is an in-depth survey of a service organization’s control objectives and activities,” said Steve Kinman, Customer Service Manager for SoftLayer. “With an objective evaluation of our organization’s effectiveness in meeting our control objectives, we can continue to assure our customers the highest levels of security and reliability. It is an important step for any service organization supporting outsourced, mission-critical, and information technology services.”

The survey includes a full assessment of:
 Executive management oversight
 Operations and customer service
 Development and information technology organization
 Human resources policies and procedures
 Risk assessment monitoring

In addition, SoftLayer is in the process of achieving Payment Card Industry (PCI) Level 1 certification, with expected completion by midyear. PCI compliance helps to ensure the security of credit card data transmitted online. Level 1 is the highest level of compliance, necessary for merchants processing large quantities of online credit transactions.

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

Young Consumers Sensitive to Poor Web Address Choices

2010-01-26T10:31:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Many small firms may be held back due to poor web address choices, according to research released today by Streamline.net, (www.streamline.net), a leading provider of value web hosting. The study of 1300 consumers(1) finds that 1 of 5 Britons who use small business websites regularly struggle with domain registrations that are convoluted or difficult to recall. Younger age groups are far more critical, with around 1 in 3 judging the SME domains they use to be unattractive. A further poll of 189 UK firms(2) showed that whilst 1 in 3 (34 per cent) were not satisfied with their web sales, only 3 per cent are considering making any change to their primary domain name. With 70 per cent of Britons are now willing to conduct business with SMEs via the Web, the ability for a consumer to easily recall a web address has never been so important.

Streamline.net’s study of 1300 shoppers during the Christmas shopping period, found that the web addresses of small firms are a bugbear for 1 in 4 men (25 per cent) and 1 in 5 women (20 per cent). Younger age groups were far more critical than older ones with around 1 in 3 Britons aged 16 to 35 reporting unattractive or unmemorable business domains, as compared to only 13 per cent of those aged over 55 years. In terms of region, London is by far the most critical with 32 per cent of all consumers affected as opposed to only 11 per cent in Northern Ireland and 14 per cent in Wales.

An additional poll of 189 UK firms found that the average small business aims to grow its online sales and lead generation in the coming year. 1 in 3 (34 per cent) reported dissatisfaction with their level of web sales. However, few businesses recognise that their choice of domain name could be holding back their business. Only 3 per cent of firms are considering changing their main URL as a way to improve sales. In fact, making modifications or additions to a company’s web identity is one of the quickest and cheapest ways for businesses to optimise their use of the web. It appears that many firms could benefit from reviewing the pros and cons of available domain options and using feedback from external audiences, such as potential customers.

Steve Holford, Marketing Director at Streamline.net, said “The data suggests that many small businesses undervalue the effect their web address can have on their consumers’ behaviour. There is a real danger their work and investment on the web can be undermined by the simple fact that consumers cannot remember their URL. Domains have reached a level of affordability whereby every business owner can now afford to experiment with alternative domain choices”.

Graham Jones, Internet Psychologist (www.grahamjones.co.uk), advises businesses on how best to connect with consumers on the web. For choosing domain names, he advises, “If you truly want more people to visit your web pages you need URLs that human beings can remember (and hopefully pass on). If a page is quite important for your business, than nothing really beats having a specific domain name that is easy for people to remember, that can then be linked to the page as necessary”.

Streamline.net recommends that companies explore opportunities within less obvious TLDs such as .biz, .net and .eu. It is often the case today that the best available domains belong to such suffixes. Domain prices have rarely been cheaper in the UK market. Budget providers such as Streamline.net can offer a high quality professional domain service at low cost. For example, Streamline.net offers the .LTD.UK domain registration, a good addition or alternative for many firms, for only £4.25/year+VAT. Additionally, web hosting packages from only £1.24/month+VAT are supplied with free inclusive .UK domains and free set-up, no hidden fees guaranteed.

As the market leader for value web hosting, Streamline.net offers a comprehensive range of web solutions for the beginner through to the web professional. Packages include everything needed for a successful web project including free, easy to use website builder tool, graphical web statistics and eCommerce functionality.

For more information on Streamline.net, see the website at www.streamline.net

(1) 1324 UK adults who have used small business websites surveyed via electronic feedback form
(2) 189 UK firms with a website surveyed via electronic feedback form
http://www.gawkwire.com/domains/young_consumers_sensitive_to_poor_web_address_choices.html

myLittleTools announces web-based MS SQL Server administration tool.

2010-01-26T10:28:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) myLittleTools, a leading provider of web-based applications for the webhosting industry, announces myLittleAdmin v3.6.

myLittleAdmin is the first web-based management tool specially designed for MS SQL Server 2005 and 2008. It is used by the greatest Windows web-hosting companies and is fully integrated with best control panels (Parallels Plesk, Parallels Helm, DNP, HC, etc.)

myLittleAdmin allows managing most objects of MS SQL Server databases and servers through a web browser. It provides a reliable, efficient and secure solution to manage SQL Server databases in a (web) hosting environment that has already seduced hundreds of hosting providers and IT companies.

Pricing keeps unchanged at $990.00 per MS SQL Server instance or $9,990.00 for a Datacenter license. Existing customers can upgrade for free.

For more information and pricing, visit http://www.mylittleadmin.com http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/mylittletools_announces_web-based_ms_sql_server_administration_t.html

ExactTarget develop Online Marketing Campaign Management

2010-01-26T10:27:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) ExactTarget announced today that Hitachi Data Systems continues to reduce its global email marketing costs while boosting brand governance and accountability following the implementation of its Online Marketing Campaign Management platform.

Seamless integrations between technology providers ExactTarget and Webtrends, made possible by ExactTarget’s Extensions Network, allowed the California-based corporation to create an online marketing platform to support its global network of field marketing offices and sales representatives who had previously managed their own digital marketing campaigns.

“In the economic downtown, we have greater pressure to demonstrate marketing accountability and deliver ROI,” said Sean Mattson, Hitachi Data Systems’ director of global web marketing. “Our integrated system allows us to track results for each business unit while also regulating the design and implementation of each unit’s marketing efforts to create one comprehensive global campaign.”

Using ExactTarget’s Lock and Publish feature, Hitachi Data Systems’ corporate marketing team created a global email template that was locally customised and translated into as many as 18 foreign languages. Regional marketing managers share marketing materials and successful campaign content across the company’s global network through ExactTarget’s enterprise content library.

As part of Hitachi Data Systems’ international deployment, the company turned to ExactTarget’s professional services team to create a solution to ensure customers across Europe and Asia did not receive duplicate messages from multiple business units. Implementing the global subscriber list boosted overall email performance and reduced SPAM complaints.

ExactTarget’s services team also helped Hitachi Data Systems create a training program to educate its global sales and marketing teams to maximise the return on its investment. The training program, which provided tips on account administration and content creation, also included education and development of a custom lead nurturing campaign.

“ExactTarget provides marketers the sophisticated platform required to connect with customers around the globe,” said Tim Kopp, ExactTarget’s chief marketing officer. “From Asia to California, global companies are choosing ExactTarget for our unmatched ability to automate and deliver the world’s most complete one-to-one marketing solution.”

Designed to provide software developers a venue to build, test and prove integrations with the ExactTarget platform, ExactTarget’s Extensions Network has grown to one of the industry’s largest collection of certified integrations between an email service provider and supporting technologies including CRM, Web analytics, Web content management, on-site search, surveys and product recommendations.

The news of Hitachi Data Systems’ success comes less than a month after Forrester Research named ExactTarget a “leader” in email marketing and awarded the company a perfect 5 of 5 in the Customer Category of “The Forrester WaveTM: Email Marketing Service Providers Q4 2009” (December 2009) report. The independent research firm found ExactTarget to be the only email service provider to score a perfect score in the Customers Category, noting “with high satisfaction scores and online community, ExactTarget can successfully meet marketers’ complex business needs.” To download the report, visit www.ExactTarget.com/Wave09. http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/exacttarget_develop_online_marketing_campaign_management.html

NeoSpire Earns Exception-Free-SAS-70 Type II Certification

2010-01-26T05:35:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) NeoSpire, Inc., a provider of mission critical managed hosting; today announced it has again received an exception–free Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS–70) Type II certification, performed by independent auditors BKD, LLP, one of the 10 largest CPA and advisory firms in the U.S.

The SAS–70 Type II certification is an internationally recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. An exception–free SAS–70 Type II Certification report is well–known by organizations in the United States and Europe as a reliable indicator that a service provider has implemented an effective control environment. The report is also acknowledged as a critical component for companies due to the Sarbanes –Oxley Act of 2002.

Under Section 404 of Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX), most companies require a SAS–70 Type II certification report from their service providers to evaluate controls, data centers, security, backup and system availability. NeoSpire's SAS–70 Type II certification permits the company to deliver confirmation of the controls required for compliance with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act.

"We understand the ever increasing importance of corporate governance and the impact our services have on our clients' systems of internal control," explained Mitch Gervis, CEO of NeoSpire. "Another year of attainment of an exception–free SAS–70 Type II certification validates our continued commitment to maintaining the highest level of internal control to deliver the most reliable, stable and secure compliance processes available."

NeoSpire's SAS–70 controls covers physical security of the facilities, environmental controls, network security, server security, backup and restore, problem management, and change management. Independent auditors BKD, LLP collected evidence and held detailed testing of NeoSpire's controls over a six–month auditing period and found NeoSpire's controls to be effective and implemented consistently without exception.
http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/neospire_earns_exception-free-sas-70_type_ii_certification.html

CirtexHosting Drops All Bandwidth Limits and Overhauls Hosting Lineup

2010-01-25T06:28:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CirtexHosting has announced it has dropped all bandwidth limits in a momentous overhaul of its entire hosting lineup, a significant move designed to broaden the company’s appeal and ensure it remains a leader in the industry. For the first time in the company’s history, it does not have a single hosting plan with a bandwidth limit.

Unlimited bandwidth Shared Web hosting, which is now offered in five plans, starts at $2.99 per month for 5000 MB of disk space, Colortex cPanel, and a wide variety of other value-added features. Prices were not raised in conjunction with the upgrades, and existing customers are automatically moved to the new, more generous equivalent plan configuration.

“With today’s announcement, we have transformed our entire array of hosting plans into a completely unlimited offering. From our vantage point, the days of fixed bandwidth limits for shared hosting are over, and this represents a major shift in strategy and methodology for our company, and a new era for the industry,” said CirtexHosting President John Xie.

Prior to today’s announcement, CirtexHosting also offered a premium array of unlimited bandwidth hosting plans, starting at $15.99 per month. With the overhaul, CirtexHosting dropped all disk space limits on these plans, which now offer both unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space.

CirtexHosting has also dropped the bandwidth limit on all Reseller hosting and Semi-dedicated hosting packages, without raising prices. Reseller hosting starts at $25.99 per month for 25GB of disk space, and Semi-dedicated hosting starts at $35.99 per month for 20GB of disk space. Semi-Dedicated hosting plans are housed on powerful servers that can deliver the level of system resources needed to sustain optimal performance for each individual account.

In December, CirtexHosting added PostgreSQL Hosting, enabling its customers to create and manage PostgreSQL databases through the cPanel control panel. The vast majority of shared Web hosts currently do not support PostgreSQL, instead supporting only the MySQL database platform.

To learn more about CirtexHosting, please visit http://www.cirtexhosting.com.

CirtexHosting is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cirtex Corp., on the web at http://www.cirtex.com.

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

MaximumASP Partners with SmarterTools to Offer Sowtware Bundles

2010-01-25T06:27:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) MaximumASP today announced a partnership with SmarterTools to offer bundled SmarterTools software to qualified customers at no additional cost.

Under the terms of the partnership, all MaximumASP clients on dedicated servers or its cloud server platform, MaxV, will receive the SmarterBundle at no additional cost. Valued at $800, the SmarterBundle includes professional editions of the SmarterMail mail server (250 mailboxes), SmarterStats Web log analytics and SEO software (50 sites), and SmarterTrack customer service software (2 agents).

“This bundle offers excellent solutions for mail, customer service, and statistics for our client base.” said Silas Boyle, MaximumASP’s managing partner. “Partnering with SmarterTools brings performance, value, and stability to our clients. That is particularly appropriate in the current economic times.”

For more information, visit www.maximumasp.com.

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

SMX West Rates to Increase on January 31, 2010

2010-01-25T06:25:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Search engine marketers interested in registering for the industry's leading conference, Search Marketing Expo – SMX West, should do so before January 31 in order to receive special early bird registration pricing. The early bird All Access conference rate of $1245 ends at 11:59PM PST on January 30; the All Access ticket price increases to $1395 on January 31.

SMX West will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley from March 2-4. The conference agenda 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), local & mobile search, real-time search and social media marketing.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will deliver the featured keynote on March 2, marking the first time a Microsoft CEO will speak at a search industry event.

For those new to the field, SMX Boot Camp offers four sessions of search engine marketing fundamentals. The program also features "days" for in-house SEO program managers, advertising agency professionals and web application developers who need to understand the impact of site architecture on SEM.

Registration Information
Registration from now through January 30 will be $1245, and then until March 1 the rate will be $1395. On-site registration will be $1595. One day access passes, a Boot Camp only pass, networking and expo passes are also available.

About Search Marketing Expo – SMX West and Third Door Media
SMX West features sessions just for you, whether you are just starting out in search or looking for advanced tactics, work on an in-house SEM team, hail from an agency, or own your own business.

Attend SMX West for:

Exceptional content so compelling, you’ll want to implement what you’ve learned before leaving the conference. Super-charged sessions on PPC, SEO, local search, search friendly design and social media marketing will help you succeed today, tomorrow and in the future.

Invaluable connections made possible by the ultimate mix of structured networking opportunities and social events. SMX makes it easy to make new contacts and exchange ideas with industry thought leaders and colleagues.
Essential conveniences to help you juggle your every-day responsibilities while maximizing your conference time: always-available and free Wi-Fi; hot lunches, snacks and beverages all day; access to all presentations and tools to plan your custom itinerary.

The Search Marketing Expo - SMX conference series is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media's mission is to empower internet and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful. Search Marketing Expo conferences are held around the world and include: SMX West (Santa Clara, CA), SMX East (New York City), SMX Advanced (Seattle, WA and London, England), SMX Munich, SMX Sydney, SMX Toronto and SMX Stockholm.

Third Door Media publishes Search Engine Land, the leading search marketing news and analysis site. The company also produces Search Marketing Now, a lead-generation marketing solution for suppliers of SEM-related products and services, and operates Sphinn.com, a social news site that allows search and internet marketers to share news stories, participate in subject-specific discussion forums, and build their professional networks.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/smx_west_rates_to_increase_on_january_31_2010.html

SEO Image Announces Opening of New Regional Office in Melville, NY

2010-01-25T06:24:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SEO Image, Inc.recently announced the opening of its new regional office in Melville, NY. Located on Long Island, about forty miles from its Manhattan Corporate office, this additional facility allows the company to better serve is expanding Long Island clients. Internet Marketing, and specifically Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (PPC) growths in popularity are fueling the company's expansion.

"In these uncertain economic times, Long Island's large commercial and industrial base is looking for additional sources of revenue. Many companies are just now beginning to realize that Internet Marketing offers a new sales channel for them, and that they don't really know how to go about it. Now our local office will allow us to work more closely with them and get things done more quickly", said Alan Rabinowitz, SEO Image's CEO.

Our search engine optimization services help our client's websites stand out on the search engines' results pages, and our professional web design builds a prominent corporate image for them. We also manage their search engine marketing campaigns to increase website visitors and conversion rates.

"Now with our expanded personnel and local presence, our team works diligently to define our client's image and presence on the web. This shows the ability of SEO Image to cater to each individual client's Internet Marketing needs. We continue to maintain the same clients year after year, quite the contrary to other SEO firms. We are an effective SEO company and we work hard to retain all of our clients. Some of our new clients see immediate results, while others take longer based on their service plans, but they all do see top results." Rabinowitz stated.

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

iNetGlobal to Hold First 2010 Freedom Conference in New York

2010-01-25T06:23:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) iNetGlobal™ will hold its first 2010 Regional Freedom Conference on Saturday, January 23 and Sunday January 24 at the Sheraton LaGuardia East located at 135-20 39th Avenue in Flushing, New York.

iNetGlobal™ is a global Internet Service Company that provides essential services for its target market - entrepreneurs, home-based businesses, small businesses, and corporations - all those who need to market on the Internet. These "V" core services include - V-Webs™, V-Mail™, V-Newswire™, V-Local and V-Shops™ - in addition to its online advertising services make up the bulk of the company's business. Through its humble beginnings in 2006, iNetGlobal™ finally perfected what is now its current product lineup in July 2008. Since introducing the iNetGlobal™ services, the company has become one of the fastest growing Internet service companies in the world with over 40,000 members.

The iNetGlobal™ “2010 Freedom Conference” hosted by Patricio Diaz, International Marketing Director (Latin/US Markets) with Steve Allen, International Marketing Director (US Markets) - with a very special presentation by Matt Renner, Executive VP of V-Local™.

Matt will be introducing the new V-Local.com™ “lifestyle” and “business” directory.

Matt states, “I am excited about the new V-Local™ and extremely proud of what our team has accomplished in a short period of time. We took 6 people who have never worked together and in 90 days delivered a brand new and improved website when many of the top firms said it couldn't be done in 6 months. Even more exciting is the future. With the quality of the tool we put out in 90 days - it is exciting to imagine what we will accomplish in 2010."

Also, at this conference, iNetGlobal’s™ Donny Allen, V.P./Operation Director-News Division and Public Relations will introduce V-Newswire™; V-Newswire™ is iNetGlobal’s™ Global News Distribution Network and part of the V-News Network providing a top-of-mind news and information delivery in the United States, the UK and Canada.

Donny says, “V-Newswire™ is a proven and tested service that will deliver news and information for iNetGlobal™ members about businesses, events and brands to the ‘front door’ of local and national media outlets. I look forward to great success in 2010 with V-Newswire™.”

The iNetGlobal™ 2010 Freedom Conference will also feature a special appearance by network marketing legend Jim Fobair, “The Most Successful Network Marketer Ever.” Jim will be introducing his famous Proven Plan of Action!

The Freedom Conference starts Saturday at 9:00 a.m. (EST). To see the schedule, visit http://V-Newswire.com/business/2616/.

Saturday Morning Session (Opportunity Meeting) is FREE to all Members and Guests to attend. Tickets are available for $50 at the door for training meeting. All Access VIP Tickets - $100 - Includes VIP Dinner Saturday Night. (Participants will need tickets to attend the Training Sessions - Saturday Afternoon - All Day Sunday) The morning session will be broadcast live at www.inetglobal.com.

Lunch will be provided both Days. Come early, registration starts at 8:15 a.m.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/inetglobal_to_hold_first_2010_freedom_conference_in_new_york.html

Hosting Companies Team Up for Hosting for Haiti

2010-01-21T06:29:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) On January 12, 2010, earthquakes and the resulting aftershocks have devestated Haiti. A recent joint effort by hosting providers has created the online project Hosting for Haiti in an effort to raise awareness and funding for the American Red Cross.

he American Red Cross is dedicated to providing emergency relief and recovery to help those affected by the disaster.

The effort to provide this relief has come from hosting providers such as SoftLayer, Peer1 Hosting, GoGrid, The Planet, SerInt, and Rackspace. All of these companies have been involved in raising awareness and helping in donations.

If you would like to get involved, follow the info link at http://hostingforhaiti.com/.

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

“Empower Your Customers” with Hostopia & HostingCon

2010-01-22T07:56:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) On January 26th at 1:00pm EST, Paul Engles of Hostopia will be presenting “Empower Your Customers with Online Tools to Increase Their Sales”. Attend the webinar and find out how to give your customers what they really need; services that will increase their sales while saving them time and money.

Paul Engels has a 20-year background in senior sales, marketing and product management roles in leading technology and Internet-related businesses. As Chief Marketing Officer for Hostopia, Paul has helped lead the company through 30 consecutive quarters of growth and its IPO in November 2006. He is a well-known and accomplished industry commentator, speaker, panelist and contributing editor who has addressed large audiences at ISPCON, HostingCon, the USTA and others.

Also be sure to check out our Featured Webinars page for all upcoming HostingCon Webinar Series events.

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

Indian SEO Services Offers All Services at Promotional Pricing

2010-01-22T07:55:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) "Indian SEO services" has started creating buzz with its SEO services all over the world.The company has come up with its official blog to interact with customers and provide them first feel of their quality services.

The company is offering all the SEO services at promotional prices, ranging from Manual Directory Submission Service to Bookmark Services. The company also provides article submission, video creation and submission; RSS feed Submission and Press Release Submission services. All the services offered by company are manual making it different from other SEO services provider world wide.The company offers a full on page and off page optimization process for you search engine visibility that includes keyword research, keyword analysis, competition analysis, Meta tag suggestions and various link building services.

The official blog is also providing information on search Engine Optimization. Various tips and lists can be collected free of cost from the official company blog. "Indian SEO Services" is in its pre-launch Period. These prices are applicable till the company launches its site. The site is slated to come in this summer. The company is looking forward for a feed back from all points of view. The company will keep on updating various trends and processes related to search engine optimization.

The company is looking forward for a grand opening in the coming months. The company will deal in all the aspect of search engine marketing including SEO. "Indian SEO Services" has already started receiving positive feed backs at various SEO forums for quality services.

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

SES Announces Pre-Conference Meet and Greet Night

2010-01-22T07:49:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Search Engine Strategies (SES) London is to host an informal and spontaneous evening open to people involved in interactive marketing. SES London Meet and Greet will be held at The Hilton London Islington Hotel Bar on Monday 15th February, doors open at 6pm. Whether they are new to SES London or returning alumni, guests will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with their colleagues and professional peers.

Mike Grehan, VP, global content director, with Incisive Media, publisher of Search Engine Watch and ClickZ and producer of the Search Engine Strategies international conference series
For details and to confirm your attendance please go to http://www.meetup.com/SESLondon/calendar/12089871/

Mike Grehan, VP and Global Content Director, said:

“I’m really looking forward to what will be a great evening. It will be a unique opportunity for guests to hang out, talk shop, meet speakers, exchange ideas and casually swap notes about sessions they are looking forward to attending. If you’re thinking of coming the only rule is you must put the laptops away and share your experience and interest in marketing! (Over some drinks of course). I look forward to seeing you there.”

Further details of SES London, including keynote presentations and the full program can be found at http://www.SearchEngineStrategies.com/london. More advanced marketers can attend sessions on search advertising tools, web analytics and advanced paid search tactics.

SES London is the leading UK event for education in interactive marketing. The SES Conference & Expo is designed to ensure that delegates are given the skills and knowledge to help them maximize search marketing for their business. It also provides a forum for delegates to communicate with the search engines themselves as well as connect with colleagues and friends.

SES London will feature sessions that will help marketers at all levels of understanding to maximize success online – whether they are new to online marketing or have advanced skills and experience. Intermediate workshops and panel debates cover key applications such as video, podcasts and blogs as well as design and writing for search engines. More advanced marketers can attend sessions on search advertising tools, web analytics and advanced paid search tactics.

All sessions are uniquely ranked according to content and degree of understanding, making SES a crucial event for anyone interested in search marketing.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/ses_announces_pre-conference_meet_and_greet_night.html

Top Trends to Test CEOs This Decade

2010-01-22T07:57:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The second decade of the new century promises to be a turbulent one for corporate CEOs, according to Arlington, VA, management consultants Healthy Companies International.

We help CEOs build healthy, high-performing companies."The challenges confronting top executives will only multiply and intensify," said Stephen Parker, Chief Commercial Officer of Healthy Companies, which for 20 years has maintained a continuing dialogue with 300 CEOs in 40 countries. "Our research indicates widespread uncertainty about the future. Many CEOs will be severely tested in the decade ahead."

Healthy Companies identified ten trends that it believes are creating an adverse environment for corporate leadership:

1. Volatile Markets: With increasing unpredictability in market conditions, CEOs must place more emphasis on thriving in chaos and less on prediction and control.

2. Wary Consumers: With organic growth threatened by reduced consumer confidence and restricted credit, CEOs must make the most of scarcer business opportunities by getting back to business basics and focusing on execution.

3. Cynical Public: With the lingering anger from the recession naturally focused on the "haves," a group in which most top executives fit, CEOs must work hard to rebuild trust, even if they feel they were not to blame.

4. Diminished Loyalty: With institutions floundering and short term rewards illusory, CEOs must respond to people's yearning for organizations that are both sustainable and in service of a clear higher purpose.

5. Global Competition: With increasingly fierce global competition for reputation, customers, money and talent, CEOs must make their organizations distinctive—with a compelling customer and employee brand—while creating growth, innovation, differentiation and superior performance.

6. Escalating Costs: Due to rising human capital costs and greater emphasis on the health of people and companies, CEOs must understand and manage all the levers that create healthy companies, not just the costs.

7. Fear of the Future: As people have lost their collective confidence in top leaders and businesses, especially in the United States, CEOs must find platforms to speak and act pragmatically while creating a convincing vision of a better future.

8. Public Scrutiny: With increased board and regulator accountability, as well as intense media exposure, CEOs must make collaboration, win-win partnerships, equitable rewards systems and stakeholder balance a part of the DNA of their organizations.

9. Instantaneous Global Communication: With hydra-like electronic blogs and social networks making it possible for news—good, bad or fabricated—to go global in a matter of minutes, CEOs must be impeccably authentic, globally literate and facile with the new rules of social media.

10. Limited Natural Resources: With greater public awareness of diminishing natural resources and the impact of business on the environment, CEOs must visibly deploy strategies to earn their credibility in a greener world.

According to Parker, the overarching challenge that these trends bring to many CEOs relates to communication. "CEOs are struggling to build trust with their employees. They need to develop communication channels to mobilize their workforces and other stakeholders in a way that combats the noise and distraction of working in today's tumultuous environments. CEO communication is the foundation of building a healthy company."

http://www.gawkwire.com/reviews/top_trends_to_test_ceos_this_decade.html

Hostway Integrates Automatic SiteMap to Boost Search Traffic

2010-01-21T06:28:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) In February, Hostway Corporation will begin rolling out to its 1.5 million retail and channel customers new technology that submits each page of their Web site directly to major search engines.

The integration with AutomaticSiteMap is part of Hostway's strategy to deliver advanced online marketing technology at no cost to its customers. The agreement allows Hostway customers to receive AutomaticSiteMap's basic service level, a $60 annual value, at no cost.

AutomaticSiteMap ensures that Google, Yahoo!, Bing and Ask.com have up-to-date, page-by-page information about every Hostway customers' site without waiting for the search engines to find the content among millions of sites on the Web. Hostway is the first major Web hosting provider to integrate this new direct XML Sitemap submission technology, now recommended by all major search engines. Hostway customers will be able to manage their AutomaticSiteMap service (including optional expanded service levels) from within their Web hosting control panel.

“This is the only system we found that can handle Web site submission on a massive scale to boost search engine rankings for all our customers. AutomaticSiteMap is an exact fit with the other technologies and services we provide to help our customers make more money online,” said John Lee, Hostway's senior vice president of small business hosting. “AutomaticSiteMap's turnkey system is directly integrated into our control panel and automatically delivered to our customers so that they can increase search traffic without taking any additional action."

“By making this a standard feature of all Web hosting plans, and automatically deploying it across their entire network, Hostway solves a common problem--getting traffic--for all its customers," added AutomaticSiteMap Vice President of Business Development Troy McCasland. “Since introducing AutomaticSiteMap last year, tens of thousands of sites of all types and sizes have discovered a new and innovative way to get traffic and be more successful."

Lee has seen the success firsthand. Before finalizing the partnership, Hostway product managers tested dozens of Web site submission products and found AutomaticSiteMap worked the best. One of the product managers tested AutomaticSiteMap on a personal Web site.

"Signup was simple, and within just hours my site started appearing in organic search results on Google and Yahoo!," he said.

Lee added, "this is something all our customers need. It's a great addition to our hosting plans and services.”

What does AutomaticSiteMap technology do?
AutomaticSiteMap's service is new technology that helps Web sites and blogs boost search engine visibility, targeted site traffic and sales. The service crawls Web sites for content, even discovering pages, such as dynamic content not normally found by search engine crawlers. All pages are then automatically formatted into an XML Sitemap and directly submitted to the XML interface of major search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. The service is completely Web-based, with no software to install. Customers manage their service using a feature-rich online dashboard that provides extensive reporting, search engine optimization data and recommendations.

AutomaticSiteMap for Hostway Customers
All Hostway's retail customers will receive a no-cost, monthly AutomaticSiteMap account. No implementation steps are required as Hostway will automatically update each customer's robots.txt file with the unique URL where AutomaticSiteMap will host the customer's XML Sitemap file.

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

Comodo and Deutsche Post Announce New Partnership

2010-01-21T06:27:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Deutsche Post and Comodo, a leading certificate authority, announced a new partnership today. Deutsche Post Com GmbH -a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Post - will offer Comodo digital certificates to its customers, and will provide complete localization of Comodo's SSL services.

Throughout Germany, Deutsche Post Com provides innovative communications services.

The company offers, through its business division and trustcenter 'Signtrust,' high-end encryption and authentication technologies to turn the Internet into a secure platform.

Now Deutsche Post will offer Comodo digital certificates to its customers, including Extended Validation (EV), EV Server Gated Cryptography (SGC), and Premium SSL/Premium SSL Wildcard certificates.

"Comodo is immensely proud to enter into this partnership" said Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and Chief Security Architect of Comodo. "Together we can offer digital certificates that will secure online communications not only throughout Germany, but all over the Internet."

For more information visit http://www.signtrust.de http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/comodo_and_deutsche_post_announce_new_partnership.html

Detailed Analysis of 32 Million Breached Consumer Passwords

2010-01-21T06:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Imperva, the leader in Data Security, announced today the release of study analyzing 32 million passwords recently exposed in the Rockyou.com breach. Imperva’s Application Defense Center (ADC) analyzed the strength of the passwords in a report, Consumer Password Worst Practices, that analyzes 32 million passwords to help consumers and website administrators identify the most commonly used passwords they should avoid when using social networking or e-commerce sites.

The report can be downloaded at: http://www.imperva.com/ld/password_report.asp (registration not required).

The report identifies the most commonly used passwords:
123456
12345
123456789
Password
iloveyou
princess
rockyou
1234567
12345678
abc123

“Everyone needs to understand what the combination of poor passwords means in today’s world of automated cyber attacks: with only minimal effort, a hacker can gain access to one new account every second—or 1000 accounts every 17 minutes,” explained Imperva’s CTO Amichai Shulman. “The data provides a unique glimpse into the way that users select passwords and an opportunity to evaluate the true strength of passwords as a security mechanism. Never before has there been such a high volume of real-world passwords to examine.”

Some key findings of the study include:

- The shortness and simplicity of passwords means many users select credentials that will make them susceptible to basic forms of cyber attacks known as “brute force attacks.”

- Nearly 50% of users used names, slang words, dictionary words or trivial passwords (consecutive digits, adjacent keyboard keys, and so on). The most common password is “123456”.

- Recommendations for users and administrators for choosing strong passwords.

For enterprises, password insecurity can have serious consequences. “Employees using the same passwords on Facebook that they use in the workplace bring the possibility of compromising enterprise systems with insecure passwords, especially if they are using easy to crack passwords like ‘123456’,” said Shulman.

“The problem has changed very little over the past 20 years,” explained Shulman, referring to a 1990 Unix password study that showed a password selection pattern similar to what consumers select today. “It’s time for everyone to take password security seriously; it’s an important first step in data security.

Imperva will host a webinar detailing the study’s findings. To register, please sign up here: https://imperva.webex.com/imperva/onstage/g.php?d=792179849&t=a&SourceID=004

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/detailed_analysis_of_32_million_breached_consumer_passwords.html

European Cloud Hosting Provider, Cloud.bg Launched

2010-01-21T06:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Cloud.bg, a fully featured Cloud hosting service has been launched in Europe today! It is a subsidiary of FColor.bg, the Bulgaria's longest running web hosting provider, a company that serves the local web hosting market since 2000. The Cloud.bg is the first European and probably the world's first cloud hosting service that runs the most popular web hosting control panel cPanel/WHM.

Cloud.bg, a fully featured Cloud Hosting service ( http:// www.cloud.bg ) has been launched in Bulgaria, one of the newest members of the European Union, country with rapidly growing IT hosting industry. The service which is available through the local Bulgarian web site www.cloud.bg is a standards based cloud, delivered from a fully redundant and scalable clustered architecture built on Red Hat Cluster Suite ( http://www.redhat.com/cluster_suite/ ) and on Fuscan LBC ( http://www.fuscan.com), a Cloud Hosting Automation platform of the U.S. software producer SingleOS. The Fuscan LBC, the platform used by Cloud.bg to automate the web hosting cloud debuted last year as Silver sponsor of HostingCon 2009, the largest conference and expo in the hosting industry.

The new Bulgarian Cloud hosts its infrastructure in the local facility of Interoute (Interoute.com), a UK data center solutions provider, which operates 59 data centers and fiber optic network of twelve rings connecting 93 cities in 26 countries.

Fully redundant, scalable Cloud hosting that runs cPanel/WHM

Cloud.bg operates its own fully redundant network which uses Internet connectivity providers such as Interoute, Cogent plus few other international and local providers of premium bandwidth. The cloud hosting service of the company features 100 GB of space in a storage area network, 1,000 GB data transfer per month and allows site owners to host up to 100 personal and small-business websites. However the main advantage of the Cloud.bg is that it is a cPanel Cloud Hosting service and brings cPanel / WHM the most popular web hosting control panel and web hosting manager on the cloud.

"I think that we are the first hosting provider in Europe and probably the first one worldwide that uses cPanel/WHM to deliver web hosting services from the cloud. Thanks to Fuscan LBC, a unique Cloud platform of SingleOS we have managed to automate our clustered server infrastructure we have built in 2009 and to launch fully featured cPanel based on cloud hosting service", said Dimitar Avramov, the CEO of the Cloud.bg. He added that his development team appreciates a lot the support of cPanel Inc. (cpanel.net). "They have been very helpful and co-operative in the process of integrating cPanel/WHM control panel on the cloud", adds Mr. Avramov.

Cloud Hosting that works good for all European users

Although the hosting service of Cloud.bg is aimed to serve mostly the local Bulgarian market, the company has tested the connectivity of its infrastructure from different point in Europe and shared the results.

The average round-trip delay (RTT) time for European home users who ping Cloud.bg ranges from 10 ms to 60 ms. Pinged from London Cloud.bg is reachable for 47 ms, from Ljubljana, Slovenia - 35 ms, from Paris -
71 ms, from Madrid - 77, from Berlin - 47 ms, from Sofia, Bulgaria -
1.5 ms, etc. The average RTT for Israel is 97 ms.

The Cloud.bg hosting service has passed 45 days test period which began in December 2009. During the test period the cloud platform has operated in beta version and was tested by 200 owners of high traffic websites including e-commerce websites, publisher of video content and public utility service providers with hundred thousands of customers.
The front end of the Cloud.bg hosting service platform is build on MODx CMS ( http://www.modxcms.com ) and framework.

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

AKQA to Opens office in Berlin

2010-01-21T06:25:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) AKQA announces today that it will expand its operations in Europe with a new office in Berlin. Guy Wieynk, AKQA’s European Managing Director, will be responsible for the launch of the Berlin office which will be the company’s third in Europe. AKQA Berlin’s launch client is Nokia and the agency will be developing key applications for Ovi, the mobile internet services platform for Nokia, the world’s leading maker of mobile devices.

"We are delighted to introduce AKQA to Berlin: one of the most creative and exciting cities in the world,” said Ajaz Ahmed, AKQA chairman. “We look forward to developing our global client relationships in Germany and working with the very best local talent."

AKQA has started recruiting across Europe for the best creative, strategy and technical staff for the office. An advance team of UK employees has been working in temporary space in Berlin and AKQA will open its new office in late March 2010. In 2006 and 2007, AKQA opened offices in Amsterdam and Shanghai, respectively.

“After delivering a strong performance in a tough economy last year, AKQA is poised for continued growth in 2010,” said Mr. Tom Bedecarre, AKQA CEO. “Expanding to Germany, Europe’s largest market, is an important step in our global growth plan for AKQA.”

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

Severe Storms Cause Outage at NaviSite Data Center

2010-01-20T06:30:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Navisite's San Jose Data Center Facility experienced a power outage early Wednesday morning around 4:45 PST. The outage was a result of servere weather that impacted the area around the facility.

Generator power has been restored to the data center in San Jose, but the site was without power for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. NaviSite engineers are in the process of restoring connectivity to impacted client environments. Client updates are being communicated every 15 minutes via email direct to client’s management contacts.

Customers requiring additional information can call the NaviSite Operations Center directly at 1-888-264-4662 (US), 978-946-5999 (Outside the US) or nocmonitor@navisite.com. In addition customers can view frequent updates posted at www.navisite.com/blog.

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

Now Accepting Session Proposals for HostingCon 2010

2010-01-20T06:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Are you interested in speaking at HostingCon 2010 in Austin, Texas? Do you have expertise in the sales, marketing, emerging trends, technology, operations, or business development areas of the web hosting industry? If so, we’d like to hear from you.

We’re looking for the best and brightest the web hosting industry has to offer. If you’re interested in speaking at the largest gathering of hosted services professionals in the world, submit a session proposal today.

We’ll be evaluating proposals as they are submitted. If your proposal is chosen you will be contacted with more details. For a full timeline of dates and deadlines, please see the speakers page.

Submit your HostingCon 2010 session proposal now!

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/now_accepting_session_proposals_for_hostingcon_2010.html

EZPZ Hosting Releases Industry’s First Automated Business Management Module

2010-01-20T06:25:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) EZPZ Hosting announced today it has introduced the industry’s first module to truly automate business management for reseller hosting customers, by enabling resellers to automatically provision and manage all new sub-reseller accounts through a single application.

The new module, which was developed internally by EZPZ Hosting over the course of several months, provides an interface between WHMCS, a client management and billing system for hosting businesses, and WHMPHP, a master reseller hosting control panel. EZPZ Hosting already provides both the WHMCS software suite (a value of $15.95 per month) and WHMPHP (a value of $7 per month) to all resellers at no additional charge. With today’s announcement, it also provides the custom WHMCS WHMPHP module free of charge, giving resellers everything they need to start a hosting company.

Traditionally, reseller hosting customers had used WHMCS to manage their business, and had separately used WHMPHP to provision sub-reseller accounts. In effect, sub-reseller accounts allow reseller hosting providers to themselves sell reseller hosting to other customers. With EZPZ Hosting’s new module, sub-reseller accounts created through WHMPHP are automatically provisioned through WHMCS.

“Reseller hosting remains a strategic focus for our company and we see the growth of our resellers as vitally important to our long term success. By releasing this module, we become one of the first in the industry to add an additional level of automation to the reseller hosting business, ultimately saving our resellers time and money,” said Daniel Butcher, director of EZPZ Hosting. “Our entire team is committed in helping our resellers succeed, and we’re prepared to answer questions and troubleshoot problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

In 2008, EZPZ Hosting received the Planet Positive certification. As part of the process, EZPZ Hosting measured the carbon footprint of its business, made a commitment to reduce it on an annual basis, and offset it by 110% into verified carbon projects.

To learn more about EZPZ Hosting, visit http://www.ezpzhosting.co.uk.

To learn more about reseller hosting from EZPZ hosting, please visit http://ezpzhosting.co.uk/resellers.html.

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

Level 3 Delivers High-Speed Internet Services to the Philippines

2010-01-20T06:23:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Level 3 Communications, Inc. recently announced an agreement with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). PLDT will use Level 3's landing station connectivity at the Asia America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable system – a key communications link between the two continents. Level 3's services provide a diverse and scalable extension of the PLDT pan-Asian network to carry voice, data and video traffic in the United States.

"As broadband and wireless communications continue to grow, PLDT faces increasing demands for network connectivity and performance," said Genaro C. Sanchez, vice president of International Network Operations for PLDT. "Level 3 offers the global network connectivity and scalability to ensure that we continue to meet our goal of greater efficiency, cost savings and innovation – today and in the years to come."

Cable landing station connectivity provides a critical component of the global network architecture for international carriers. The Level 3 network offers multiple options for cable landing station connectivity that enable cost-effective and reliable transmission of subsea cable traffic.

"In an increasingly connected world, Level 3 provides reliable network infrastructure and services for global carriers to extend their networks around the world," said Andrew Crouch, president of Wholesale Markets for Level 3. "Level 3 is proud to support PLDT as they continue to transform their next generation network and set new standards for global communications."

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/level_3_delivers_high-speed_internet_services_to_the_philippines.html

Cloudvox Aquired by Ifbyphone

2010-01-20T06:22:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Cloud telephony leader, Ifbyphone, Inc. has recently entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cloudvox.

In addition to its suite of self-service Web configured and highly customizable phone applications, the acquisition positions Ifbyphone as an industry-leading application developer platform.

“By acquiring Cloudvox, we’re sending a message to businesses of every size: If you’re interested in using telephone applications to automate sales, marketing, business processes, and Web applications, we're the place to start,” said Irv Shapiro, CEO of Ifbyphone. “Businesses can rent an existing application from us and tightly integrate their business with that app. Or they can now use Cloudvox to build their own portable, open application from scratch and still take advantage of our cloud infrastructure and phone expertise.”

The addition of Cloudvox positions Ifbyphone as the only cloud telephony provider that enables customers to rent a phone-based application, integrate with an existing Ifbyphone app, or build a custom app. Cloudvox lets developers automate phone calls using their own software - code they write and control.

Cloudvox leverages the industry-leading Asterisk open-source phone server, and is similar to “Asterisk in the cloud.”

While Asterisk is quite powerful, creating a reliable, scalable, feature-rich phone platform is difficult and capital-intensive. Cloudvox is compatible with existing Asterisk applications and software libraries; further, it is scalable, deployed in a carrier-grade environment, and simple for developers to use.

Cloudvox is well known among developers for its unique, standards-based solution. A hosted service, Cloudvox bridges Web apps with phone services, enabling developers to place, receive, and control phone calls from their own software (including Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, C#, and simple HTTP/JSON).

“Cloudvox handles all of the telecom features, giving developers complete control of the phone call and their app,” said Troy Davis, Cloudvox Co-Founder. “Cloudvox is the most practical way to launch comprehensive phone services, and with Ifbyphone's infrastructure and experience, we've created the best cloud model in the industry.”

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. For more information about Ifbyphone’s Cloud Telephony applications, including IVR, Voice Broadcasting, Call Tracking, and Virtual Call Center, visit www.ifbyphone.com. To learn about or use Cloudvox, visit www.cloudvox.com.

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

The Planet Adds New Value-Based Servers to its Portfolio

2010-01-19T12:30:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Planet, the global leader in IT hosting, today added two new value-priced servers to its product portfolio that include the latest in Intel processing horsepower. Featuring the new Intel Pentium G6950 processor, these powerful servers are now the entry point for the company’s Dell server fleet.

As an additional value, all new server purchases from The Planet receive free-of-charge the choice of a cPanel or Parallels Plesk control panel, free Symantec antivirus software and 10GB of free cloud storage.

“There’s an ever-present requirement to provide customers with the fastest processing power at affordable price points,” said Todd Mitchell, The Planet’s General Manager for Dedicated Hosting and Global Services. “Companies considering hosting, or even those who have already recognized the value of replacing their do-it-yourself IT infrastructures, investigate the best value for their business. With these new servers and free bundles, The Planet is staking its claim as the hosting industry’s value leader.”

Both new servers – the G6950 SATA and the G6950 SATA Plus – come equipped with the Intel Pentium G6950, featuring a dual-core 2.8 GHz, 32nm processor for more computing power in a small package. Both are showcased in a Dell PowerEdge R210 chassis, which provides the smallest power footprint in the 11th generation PowerEdge portfolio.

With the Pentium G6950 SATA, customers can take advantage of 2GB of RAM, a 250GB SATA hard drive and 2TB of bandwidth for $99 per month. The G6950 SATA Plus model – priced at $125 per month – provides twice the RAM and hard drive space.

For more information, visit the Web site at https://www.theplanet.com/servers/

About the New Dell Servers
The new servers offer enhanced workload efficiency and the newest Intel Pentium processors:

New Intel 64-Bit Architecture: Released this month from Intel, the G6950 has a dual-core, 32nm processor and 64-bit computing, which improves server performance by allowing systems to address more than 4GB of both physical and virtual memory.

Energy Optimized: The PowerEdge R210 chassis is Energy Smart, with a 250-watt power supply that provides the smallest power footprint in its server portfolio.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/the_planet_adds_new_value-based_servers_to_its_portfolio.html

Report Snow Conditions in Real Time via Twitter

2010-01-19T12:29:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) According to the official UK weather service, the Met Office, the UK has just suffered through its longest spell of freezing conditions since December 1981.

The recent winter storms across the whole of the UK wreaked havoc with public transport and generally disrupted the lives of millions of UK residents. In calculating which regions were affected and determining where snow was falling or not and in what amounts, millions of UK residents turned to Twitter. Hundreds of thousands of them also turned to a specific Twitter-based application created by East Midlands resident and freelance web developer, Ben Marsh. The UK Snow Map lets Twitter users report where snow is falling and see those reports on a map in real-time. It works regardless of the cloud cover, which weather satellites do not.

The system works like this: anyone with a Twitter account (for those who don't know, Twitter is an Internet-based microblogging service which limits messages to 140 characters) can report on local snow conditions. The person tweets (the name for an individual message) the hashtag #uksnow, plus their location - either the placename or first half of the local postcode, and a rating of snowfall from 0 (no snow) to 10 (blizzard). Those results are then placed on a map of the UK in real-time through the development expertise of Mr. Marsh - and give a visual reference on the local snow conditions as reported by actual residents on the ground in that location.

The UK Snow Map has been active since last February, but has increased in use exponentially year over year - mirroring the growth in popularity of Twitter in the UK. Last year approximately 50,000 UK residents used the map. This year, the map received 50,000 visits in one day during the height of the snowfall last week. During the recent wintry weather, the application received over 100,000 unique snow reports from all over the UK with rates of over 100 tweets per minute at peak times.

Such intense traffic loads can bring a website to a crawl if not properly managed. Mr. Marsh therefore chose website hosting firm, 34SP.com in Manchester to execute on the technical end of the web hosting and web server support. Ben Marsh explained the importance of the web hosting component in the application, ''You need a host that can keep an eye on your server's traffic and usage levels and do what they can to keep the site available and running smoothly. When the winter storms hit again this year, demand on the snow map peaked and was much higher than I experienced the previous winter with the original snow map. The app was struggling to serve content to all users so I asked 34SP.com to upgraded the account to a virtual web server as quickly as they could. Within a few hours the app had been migrated to a new virtual server and the app was then easily able to handle the number of visitors it was receiving.''

Mr. Marsh concluded by commenting on the viral nature of the application, ''The main thing that surprised me was the way it really caught the public imagination and how popular it became, and how quickly! I think it illustrates well how having a good visualisation of data can encourage people to participate and add to to it. So much so, that #uksnow was the number 8 top trending news topic on Twitter for the whole of 2009, which in itself is astonishing!''

To view the UK Snow Map please visit: http://uksnow.benmarsh.co.uk.

To learn more about the website hosting products from 34SP.com, please visit: http://www.34sp.com/hosting.

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

Perimeter List the Top 10 Information Security Threats

2010-01-18T17:27:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Perimeter E-Security, the trusted market leader of information security services, has unveiled its Top 10 Information Security Threats for 2010.

"The start of a new year is a great time for companies to evaluate their information security practices and begin thinking about what threats they'll be facing in the coming year," said Kevin Prince, CTO, Perimeter E-Security. "As these security threats are becoming more serious and difficult to detect, it is vital for companies to understand what they can do to best protect their systems and information."

Perimeter's ranking of the Top 10 information security threats for 2010:

1. Malware (Rising Threat)
Last year, Malware was listed as the second highest ranked threat to organizations on Perimeter E-Security's list of top threats. There are many methods to install malware on systems, including the use of client-side software vulnerabilities. Browsers remain a top target for vulnerabilities. In 2009, the FBI reported that for the first time ever, revenue from cyber crime had exceeded drug trafficking, estimated at taking in more than one billion annually in profits.

2. Malicious Insiders (Rising Threat)
Malicious insiders were listed as the top threat for 2009, but have fallen to the #2 spot for 2010. With the downturn in the economy last year, it was no surprise that many desperate and disgruntled employees attempted to exploit the companies they currently or previously worked for. There is no way to eliminate the threat of malicious insiders completely, but through good security policies and followed procedures, the incidents could be a fraction of what they are today. With the economy still suffering and still high unemployment levels, Malicious Insiders w2ill continue to be a threat.

3. Exploited Vulnerabilities (Steady Threat)
Vulnerability exploit is at the heart of hacking and data breaches. Worms, viruses, malware, and a host of other attack types often rely on vulnerability exploit to infect, spread and perform the actions cyber criminals want. And yet, organizations are still not doing what they need to for patch management. Hackers are more often exploiting client side vulnerabilities and other vulnerabilities associated with 3rd party applications.

4. Careless Employees (Steady Threat)
Careless and untrained insiders will continue to be a very serious threat to organizations in 2010. Insiders can be broken down into three categories: careless & untrained employees, employees that are duped or fall prey to social engineering type attacks, and malicious employees. Protecting a network and critical and sensitive data is done very differently for each type. Policies, procedures, training and a little technology can make a world of difference in reducing an organization's risk to careless insiders.

5. Mobile Devices (Rising Threat)
Mobile devices have become a plague for information security professionals. There are worms and other malware that specifically target these devices such as the iPhone worm that would steal banking data and enlist these devices in a botnet. Theft is still a major cause of data breaches as mobile devices, especially laptops, are the main culprits. Tens of thousands of laptops are stolen each year and often these have sensitive data that require public disclosure as a data breach.

6. Social Networking (Rising Threat)
Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others have changed the way people communicate with each other, but these sites can pose serious threats to organizations. One main problem is that there is a trust component to these sites which makes them fertile ground for identity thieves. There is also a personal safety issue. Social networking sites are a stalker's dream come true. Social networking sites are breeding grounds for SPAM, scams, scareware and a host of other attacks and these threats will continue to rise.

7. Social Engineering (Steady Threat)
Social engineering is always a popular tool used by cyber criminals and phishing is still a popular method for doing just that. In fact, these new venues make social engineering even more effective. This year will have an added measure of complexity when it comes to social engineering attacks. Beginning sometime mid-2010, domain names will be expanded to include Japanese, Arabic, Hindi and even Greek characters, and with all of these characters being available for domain names, no longer will looking at a domain help one determine if it's legitimate or not.

8. Zero-Day Exploits (Rising Threat)
Zero-day exploits are when an attacker can compromise a system based on a known vulnerability but no patch or fix exists, and they have become a very serious threat to information security. Zero-day vulnerabilities are being discovered in traditionally very secure protocols such as SSL and TLS. The zero-day vulnerability could also be in providers.

9. Cloud Computing Security Threats (Rising Threat)
Using cloud based (i.e. Internet based) applications may not be as secure as once thought with many stories in 2009 regarding cloud based security issues. Many are calling for forced encryption to access "in the cloud" services. As cloud computing grows in popularity over the next few years, cloud security will become a very big issue.

10. Cyberespionage (Rising Threat)
Cyberespionage is a threat that's being heard more and more all the time and there have been a flood of stories in 2009 on this subject. Most of these incidents surround government bodies and agencies and therefore have not been a huge threat to most individual organizations. However, since cyberespionage has major implications for the government, it is a rising threat that must be closely monitored.

"Information security is an ever-evolving discipline that requires tremendous expertise, time, and money to effectively manage. Every organization should take stock of what they are doing today and how well their current solutions mitigate the risk of the top 10 threats. In most cases, adjustments will need to be made and new technology should be implemented to ensure that the organization is properly prepared for what cyber criminals, spammers, phishers, and hackers are planning for 2010," added Prince.

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/perimeter_list_the_top_10_information_security_threats.html

DiscountASP.NET Earns Three Microsoft Competencies

2010-01-19T06:26:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) DiscountASP.NET successfully renewed their Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status with three Microsoft competencies, providing recognition for their 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.

“We are extremely pleased to have renewed our Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program for 2010. As the Microsoft Partner program evolves we have kept pace with the new requirements and this allows us to clearly promote our expertise and relationship with Microsoft to our customers,” said Takeshi Eto, VP Marketing and Business Development at DiscountASP.NET. “The benefits provided through our Gold Certified Partner status will allow us to continue to enhance the offerings that we provide for customers and allow us to bring programs like our free ASP.NET 4.0 hosting sandbox to the developer community.”

“Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities,” said Allison Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp. “They need to trust in a company that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies. Today, Microsoft recognizes DiscountASP.NET as a new Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise in providing customer satisfaction using Microsoft products and technology.”

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 new Hosting Solutions competency, the Networking Infrastructure competency and the Security Solutions competency.

The Hosting Solutions Competency is designed for partners that have proven proficiencies in developing hosting solutions based on Microsoft solutions. This competency is vital as partner hosted services play a key role in how customers consume Microsoft software.

“The starting point for promoting partner proficiency in developing hosting solutions to customers is by attaining the Hosting Solutions Competency,” said John Zanni, general manager of the worldwide software + services industry for the Communications Sector at Microsoft Corp. “Partners need resources designed to support their expertise in creating hosting solutions based on Microsoft Solutions for Windows-based Hosting and Hosted Messaging and Collaboration in the context of real-world business scenarios.”

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/web_hosting/discountasp_net_earns_three_microsoft_competencies.html

SEO Training Courses Offered at the Bay Area Search Engine Academy

2010-01-19T06:23:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Bay Area Search Engine Academy recently opened registration for their upcoming SEO classes and internet marketing training for businesses. Registration will be limited to fifteen people per class.

Thomas W. Petty, President"We keep the classes small so each of the students gets lots of individual attention during the course of the week," Thomas Petty said. Petty is the President of the Bay Area Search Engine Academy, and will be teaching both hands-on workshops. "We teach a lot of advanced techniques, but anyone can learn them. We want to make sure everyone understands it so they can put it to use as soon as they leave the classroom."

The Academy starts the week by teaching a six-step process that gets its students started quickly without having to know technical code. "Anyone can learn our six-step process and get results," Petty adds. The rest of the week is spent learning techniques that can get a business listed on the search engines many different ways.

Each student is encouraged to bring their wireless-enabled laptop and work on either their own Web site or their client's in the class. They are each given class time to present problems to the other students, get constructive feedback, and help each other.

"Some of the terms people hear are 'SEO', 'social media marketing', 'internet marketing', and so on. We dispel the myths around all of this, and make it clear so business owners can get results with what we teach," Petty said. "After all, we use these same techniques with our own clients."

The Bay Area Search Engine Academy is part of the larger Search Engine Academy, started by John Alexander and Robin Nobles many years ago. They teach a standardized curriculum at all their academies around the world.

Once a student has completed the workshop and passed the exam, they receive a certificate showing they have have a thorough understanding in search engine marketing. In addition, students can request nationally-recognized continuing education units (CEUs) through the University of Southern Mississippi (an additional $60 fee covers the cost of the paperwork).

Interested students can register online at the Bay Area Search Engine Academy's registration page or contact them directly toll-free at (888) 807-5658.

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

Slingshot SEO Ranked as a Top Search Engine Optimization Firm

2010-01-19T06:22:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Slingshot SEO has recently been named the 4th best SEO company for January 2010 by topseos.com. This firm, along with hundreds of other SEO agencies, was put through an extensive evaluation process by an experienced research team with topseos.com. That evaluation combined with customer reviews has shown that Slingshot SEO is clearly one of the best.

Their ranking as a top five SEO firm is only a confirmation of the quality of work that this Indianapolis-based firm has accomplished since their founding in 2006. Their company highlights include a 100% client success rate. Every client with Slingshot SEO has been on the first-page of results for every targeted keyword within 3-12 months of starting the SEO campaign. Additionally, this top firm has setup their business to be scalable to handle the needs of any client that would come their way. Kevin Bailey, President of Slingshot SEO, explains, "By scalable I mean that regardless of the size of a new client or the competitiveness of the keyword phrases they would like to target, we are able to ramp up our operations to handle the new work almost instantaneously. This tends to be a large hang-up for the majority of our competitors."

These accomplishments have set Slingshot SEO apart from the rest. In addition, Slingshot only requires necessary and crucial programmatic website modifications, ensuring that they are helping their clients while not overburdening the client's IT staff. They set out with a clear and straight-forward proposal to explain thoroughly the goals of the campaign. This allows the client to be able to identify the clear measurable steps of the campaign, and to know whether it has been successful.

Bailey notes, "topseos.com is rightfully known as one of the most reliable sources on SEO companies. Slingshot SEO is truly honored to be ranked among the top 5 SEO companies in the United States. We have always believed that we were one of the most effective SEOs in the country, but it's reassuring to know that an objective comparison with our peers has confirmed this." topseos.com, the independent authority on search vendors, has continued to search for the best in the internet marketing industry since its inception in 2002. They would like to congratulate Slingshot SEO for their outstanding work in the search engine optimization industry.

To learn more about Slingshot SEO, visit:

http://www.topseos.com/slingshot-seo-inc.

To view the current rankings of the best search engine optimization firms, visit:

http://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-search-engine-optimization-companies

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

The Planet Now Offers Free Service Bundle with New Server Purchase

2010-01-18T13:49:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Planet, the global leader in IT hosting, today announced sweeping changes to its server fleet with the addition of free services bundled with every new server purchase. Across the board, customers now benefit from a free control panel, free antivirus software and 10GB of free Cloud Storage on every server leased from The Planet.

The bundle includes Symantec Endpoint Protection -- business-class antivirus software -- along with Storage Cloud, the company’s robust cloud storage solution. Customers can also choose from either Parallels Plesk Panel or cPanel/WebHost Manager (WHM) for their hosting environments.

“As more companies adopt hosting for their IT infrastructures, we’ve seen that they often choose not to invest in additional security and storage to protect their servers,” said Rob Walters, director of product management with The Planet. “We have a vested interest in ensuring our customers are protected, so we’re providing these services at no charge on every server from The Planet. Coupled with their choice of control panels, again at no charge, we’re delivering even more value.”

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

Rack-Soft to Exhibit at ITEXPO East 2010

2010-01-18T13:47:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Rack-Soft announced today its participation to ITEXPO East 2010 where the company will show the 4PSA VoipNow Platform, a suite of software solutions targeting IP Communications Service Providers. Rack-Soft will exhibit in booth 618 together with the strategic partner Open-Xchange, a market leader in e-mail and collaboration solutions.

Designed following the latest industry trends, 4PSA VoipNow Platform allows service providers to deliver distributed, scalable VoIP services using cloud computing technologies and to build carrier class IT infrastructures using commodity hardware. The 4PSA VoipNow Platform integrated solution includes VoipNow Professional, VoipNow Automation and VoipNow Core.

At ITEXPO East 2010 Rack-Soft will introduce the Release Candidate version for VoipNow Automation, the new component of the VoipNow Platform. VoipNow Automation is a business and operations automation that allows service providers to deliver cloud services while minimizing the management overhead and reducing costs. VoipNow Automation integrates with VoipNow Core and VoipNow Professional to offer a complete end-to-end solution.

VoipNow Platform brings cloud closer to the telecom market. "Rack-Soft’s participation at ITEXPO exemplifies why this show is widely recognized as the #1 venue where service providers, enterprises, government agencies, resellers, and developers gather to learn about the benefits inherent in IP Communications products and services", said Rich Tehrani, TMC Chief Executive Officer. "The evolution in this industry has been monumental and it still continues to grow, outpacing other economic sectors. We are pleased to have Rack-Soft and VoipNow Platform as an innovative participant."

VoipNow Professional is a software Unified Communications solution that allows service providers to deliver rich multimedia communications services like voice, video, presence, instant messaging, and faxing. VoipNow Professional customer base is growing at an accelerated rate; the software is currently deployed with service providers from more than 40 countries.

4PSA VoipNow Core is the first distributed cloud VoIP delivery solution in the world. The software is using Rack-Soft’s 4Grid technology and allows service providers to deliver high volume SIP trunking and wholesale VoIP services to end-users and resellers. VoipNow Core also includes distributed media gateway features, allowing service providers to interconnect SIP and PSTN at minimal costs.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/rack-soft_to_exhibit_at_itexpo_east_2010.html

HosTek Offers PHP 5.3 Hosting On All Platforms

2010-01-18T06:37:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Tulsa, Oklahoma based HosTek.com announced the offering of PHP 5.3 to customers. This new framework gives customers the option for PHP 5.3 to be hosted on all platforms, such as Windows .NET, Windows ColdFusion and Linux cPanel plans.

PHP 5.3, being recently released, was requested almost immediately by customers and non-customers wanting a web host to provide this new framework. New customers can request PHP 5.3 as well as existing customers. HosTek.com will make PHP 5.3 available on all new server deployments while maintaining PHP 5.2 on existing servers for software compatibility.

Support for the recently released PHP 5.3 deployment on their hosting platforms is provided by their U.S.A based support team, which is available 24/7/365 by ticket system, email, chat or phone.

Developers, hobbyists and beginners can utilize the new features of PHP 5.3 in their custom applications as well as in software packages such as Wordpress. HosTek.com maintains a list of popular software packages which are PHP 5.3 compatible.

"Our main focus is the customer," says Jon Cavanaugh, Operations Manager of HosTek.com. "By offering PHP 5.3 we are satisfying our commitment to our customers and the php community, to provide the best hosting experience."

HosTek.com is currently developing a custom control panel for Windows ColdFusion 9 and Windows .NET web hosting.

HOSTEK.COM was founded in 1998, with the goal of providing hosting services with the focus on excellent customer service. For more information see http://hostek.com/hosting/linux/cpanel/php5.3-hosting.asp.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/hostek_offers_php_5_3_hosting_on_all_platforms.html

Infinity Technology, Inc. Purchases Build My Own Site, Inc.

2010-01-18T06:37:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Infinity Technology, Inc. today announced it has joined forces with web development company, Buildmyownsite, Inc. Buildmyownsite has been very successful at developing a priority content management solution (CMS). Infinity Technology has been seeking a content management solution for all size clients. From small businesses to large corporations, Buildmyownsite is the perfect solution for anyone wanting to control their own website. Buidmyownsite’s original CMS was built in 2003 and has been used by hundreds of clients since that time. Now, in response to evolving client needs, the buildmyownsite team has released Engage, its newest content management tool. With Infinity Technology’s development team, they will continue to enhance the Engage platform, which leverages search engine-friendly features in a user-friendly interface. To help with the development of Engage, Infinity Technology has hired employees from Buildmyownsite.

Infinity Technology has been simplifying technology since 1995. Their success in the industry is due in large part to the relationships they have built with their clientele. Infinity Technology started as a software development company, and evolved as their clients have needed, building new divisions based on client requests. It was through clients’ trust that Infinity Technology grew to the success they have today. Infinity Technology offers a wide range of services such as Networking, IT Staffing, Hosting & Data Services, and Internet Access to businesses. In addition, Infinity Technology offers Residential Services such as Computer Repair and Internet Access. To learn more about their services, please visit InfinityTechnology.com

Additionally, Infinity Technology has recently redeveloped a new brand, tag line, and website. Infinity Technology's vision is: your business uses technology, Infinity Technology's business is technology. They understand that technology is not a luxury of business today - it's a necessity. Let Infinity Technology's real people, show you how technology can be simplified. While simplifying technology, Infinity Technology provides the most logical solution for your company. Once the solution is agreed upon, Infinity Technology's experts work with you on every step during implementation no matter what type of solution: a new website, storage area network, staffing, or SharePoint.

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

Lone Bird Studio Introduces Asheville Web Hosting Services

2010-01-18T06:36:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Ashville, North Caroline based Lone Bird Studio (LBS), a website development and search engine optimization (SEO) company, today announced the offering of Ashville Web Hosting. The new hosting platform is reliable, cost-effective, and geared toward customers who prefer service with a personal touch.

Personalized Asheville Web Hosting Through LBS Web WorldThere is a flat $10 per month fee to use Lone Bird Studio's Asheville web hosting services, which run on up-to-date Linux servers complete with the latest security. The package also supports most major languages and databases and includes the client's own email server.

LBSwebworld.com details a feature-rich package in which the key inclusions are: the ability to host multiple websites (sub-domains) on one cPanel account, a multi-language control panel, a multi-language site builder, and the ability to install over 50 software titles in just a couple of clicks. All hosting packages include unlimited FTP accounts, unlimited emails, RV Site Builder, Image Magick, customer's choice of shopping carts, content management, customer's choice of blogs, streaming audio and video, Spam Assassin, Fantastico Deluxe, Instant Guestbook, and AWStats. Further explanation of each of these package components can be found at LBSwebworld.com or by calling the Lone Bird Studio.

Chris Kaminski, head web designer of LBS, touts the all-inclusive hosting package offered by the Asheville web hosting company as an ideal solution for both businesses and individuals looking for a stable hosting platform. "We are not a large 'global' web host," Kaminski explains. "We are not trying to build an empire on hosting. We are a small "niche" host and offer hosting for sites we build and service, and to those who still expect personal service... That's what sets us above the others- we offer the features and the service that the discount hosts don't."

Aside from providing web hosting services, Lone Bird Studio is, first and foremost, a web development company that sells design and search engine optimization (SEO). The winner of three Golden Web Awards, the team at Lone Bird Studio harnesses its extensive design background and marketing experience to create attractive, user-friendly web presences for a variety of clients. Chris Kaminiski believes his depth of experience and years in business sets Lone Bird apart from other companies that provide web hosting, Asheville, NC and beyond.

Lone bird has been marketing businesses since 1979 and saw the writing on the wall early on, with their first Lone Bird site going live in 1996. "I registered our domain the spring of 1996 and Lonebird.com went live shortly after. At that time there were only 700,000 sites worldwide (PC Magazine). Anyone can buy software and turn out a canned site," says Kaminski, "then, as now, we are years ahead of our competition."

Lone Bird Studio adheres to a philosophy that you can't have a successful website without SEO. The company employs a comprehensive suite of proven SEO strategies and best practices geared toward launching websites to top search engine rankings.

For more information about Asheville website hosting, design or SEO call 828.216.1451, or visit Lone Bird Studio on the web at lonebird.com or LBSwebworld.com.

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

Cybertegic Garners Top Search Engine Positions for Clients

2010-01-18T06:35:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Cybertegic is an Internet Marketing Services and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company that is instrumental in helping clients reach the first page of search results for certain keywords. Cybertegic’s sustained month-to-month success placing clients at the top of Google and Yahoo rankings serve as an example of its dedication to the practice of search engine optimization (seo).

LollicupStore.com, a premier online supplier of Torani Syrups and other beverage needs can be found in the top 10 of Google’s search results for “Peppermint Syrup,” “Lychee Syrup,” “Thai Tea Leaves,” “Da Vinci Syrup,” “Boba Tea,” “Torani Sauce,” “Pumpkin Spice Syrup,” and “Restaurant Blender.”

Ceriwholesale.com, a large online wholesale distributor of wholesale shoes for women also finds its way in Google’s top 10 search results for “Bumper Shoes,” “Wholesale Shoe,” “Wholesale Women’s Shoes,” “Wholesale Wild Rose Shoes,” “Wholesale Fashion Shoes,” “Wholesale Shoe Prices,” “Lady Wholesale Shoes;” and Yahoo’s top search results for “Wholesale Shoes.”

CeriJewelry.com, a large online wholesale distributor of wholesale jewelry has also earned Google’s top search results for “Wholesale Large Rings,” “Swarovski Rings Engagement,” and “Epoxy Ring.”

According to James Hsieh, search engine optimization (seo) expert as well as Cybertegic’s founder and CEO, the process of search engine optimization (seo) is a tedious one as search engine algorithms are constantly changing. A fully optimized website may quickly lose its rankings once an adjustment to a search algorithm takes place.

“At Cybertegic, we do not allow this to happen. Even as our clients reach page one of Google and Yahoo, we constantly monitor their standing and ensure that they stay there,” says James.

Over the years, Cybertegic has developed tried and tested search engine optimization (seo) methods. Because the world of search engine optimization (seo) is truly dynamic, Cybertegic continuously expands its knowledge and masters all techniques for the benefit of all its clientele, as shown in the company blog.

To emphasize Cybertegic’s continuous improvements, the search engine optimization (seo) and Internet marketing services company has revamped its website. The newly designed website features intuitive navigation as well as comprehensive information on Cybertegic’s Internet marketing services.

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

6th Data Centres Europe 2010 Announces Patron of the Event

2010-01-18T06:34:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The organizers and researchers APC by Schneider today has been announced by event organizers and reseachers as Patron of 6th Data Centres Europe 2010.

Data Centres Europe is the premier regional networking hub for service companies engaged in the sector, and enterprise IT leadership. The event will take place at the Espaces Antipolis, near Nice, France 22-23 April 2010.

The 6th Data Centres Europe 2010 will include a special focus on enterprise customers of data centres and their evolving outsourcing needs as emerging private clouds, new technologies and market shift impact across the sector. Uniquely the conference is provided each year with results of new research conducted by BroadGroup Consulting. Special workshops will cover Data Centre Security, Architecting and Building new Data Centres and the implementation of the European Code of Conduct.

“We are especially delighted by the participation of APC by Schneider Electric at the 2010 event as through its unparalleled commitment to innovation, the company delivers pioneering, energy efficient solutions for datacenters. ,” commented Philip Low, ceo of BroadGroup. “Supported by an all-industry steering group, our own research programmes and unique content, and an exciting line-up of star speakers, data centre players are ensuring they secure presence at the flagship networking event”.

“Energy Efficiency is not a new commitment for Schneider Electric and as it is soon likely to see legislative action over carbon emissions, we are happy to share at Data Centres Europe that profitable steps can be taken to move toward a clean energy future” says Laurent Vernerey, CEO IT Business, Schneider Electric. “The world’s energy system is today at a crossroads. Current global trends in energy supply and consumption are clearly unsustainable - environmentally, socially, and economically. But that can be changed. Our future depends on how successfully we tackle the two energy challenges facing us today: securing the supply of reliable and affordable energy; and effecting a rapid transformation to a low –carbon, efficient and environmentally benign system of energy supply.

Schneider Electric is committed to more than just reducing energy consumption – we are pledging to be a best in class example of energy efficiency in our operations and to set the pace for others in the industrial sector. We engage to answer our customers' problems and help them make the most of their energy,” adds Laurent Vernerey.

Data Centres Europe provides a networking platform for end users, services and solution providers, investors, and professional intermediaries. The event includes the conference, special workshops, exhibition and the annual Awards Ceremony.

Patron of the event is APC by Schneider Electric. Sponsors of the event are: Interxion, TelecityGroup, XKL LLC, Euclyde SA, Strategies/CadwinFM, Lamda Hellix Datacentres, APL, CB Richard Ellis. Keynote/Participating Organization: Microsoft. Industry Partners: Colocation Exchange, Noodlesoft Technologies, TMT Consultants, Media Partners: IX News Search, Data Centre News, Telecom Deal Alert, IT One. PR Partner: VP Communications.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/6th_data_centres_europe_2010_announces_patron_of_the_event.html

How SEO, Web 2.0, New Media is Changing PR

2010-01-04T06:16:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) There used to be a time when professional public relations consisted of typing up a news release and placing it into a fax machine. One can remember taking dozens of news releases packed neatly into elegant, clean white envelopes addressed to AP, Reuters and UPI and dropping them off at their central post office in New York, London or Paris.

Joel Leyden - Digital PR, SEO, New Media Pioneer
"If you were smart, you would follow up with a call to the editor or newsroom to confirm that they received the news release or as they are referred to today as the PR," says Joel Leyden, CEO of the Leyden Communications Group.

"Today, the fax is reserved only for legal documents or papers that you don't want exposed to the open Internet. We have moved to using email to get our messages out in real time.

But email has become so over used and abused that today many editors are afraid to even look at their inboxes. That a tidal wave of spam may just engulf them and swallow up their precious deadline minutes," said Leyden.

So how is the general and trade medias being reached today?

According to the Leyden Communications Group the new and relevant media news channels are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and SEO optimized Web and news content.

The Leyden Communications Group, which was established in New York in 1982 and has become a pioneer in digital PR, SEO and New Media and own and operates the United States News Agency Agency and the Israel News Agency recently created a group on Facebook supporting Israel's right to defend herself against terror attacks. The room swelled to 100,000 members and TIME, CNN and FOX all took notice.

Did they email Leyden? Not exactly. Leyden's Google Gmail account never saw any editorial inquires. Rather they tracked Joel Leyden down through Facebook!

When classic PR, advertising, marketing and branding integrates with Web 2.0, New Media and social networking the results are nothing less than dazzling.

But let's begin with some definitions. What is PR?

"It is not the same as sales, branding or marketing," says Leyden.

"Public relations is the activity of working with the news media to gain and or control visibility for a B2B or B2C business, crisis communications management for governmental public affairs campaign or getting the message out for a non-profit organization."

Leyden says that public relations gains an organization or individual exposure to their markets using topics of public interest and news items that do not always demand direct payment. Common activities include event marketing, speaking at conferences and employee communication. It was something that was not tangible and thus set it apart from advertising.

But today, a news release or PR which is sent out over the Internet using one of several PR news release carriers, can be tracked. The demographics, impressions and read throughs can and our monitored. And the results can be provided to the client for fine tuning.

What is SEO or search engine optimization?

Leyden defines SEO as the means of optimizing or making Web content found by search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing, AOL. It takes a thorough understanding of HTML code and how the algorhythms work on each of the search engines.

For those, and that is the majority of surfers on the Net, who do not know SEO and need to get their messages out there, they usually resort to a Google Adwords campaign.

Illustrating the public's lack of knowledge of SEO is Google's total advertising revenues. They were 21 billion USD in 2008 . Google AdWords offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for both text and banner ads. The Google AdWords program includes local, national, and international distribution.

All of these elements can and are addressed by a PR SEO professional.
But how does PR integrate with Web 2.0, New Media and SEO?

"It doesn't", says Leyden. " Well at least it has not fully matured as of yet. The reason is simple.

The PR professional is one who has a rich background in journalism, marketing and or sales. Journalists who earn their degrees in creative writing, understanding how to create an effective headline and how to put together sentences and facts in the most interesting manner. They are not computer programmers."

Leyden says that that the SEO professional is usually a computer programmer who has studied computer engineering and also knows how to write. But these programmers are writing computer codes such as JAVA, HTML and FLASH. They are creating computer software applications. They are not PR professionals.

"These are two completely different disciplines," says Leyden.

As the Internet moved into Web 2.0 becoming far more interactive with applications such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn sending and receiving information in real time, many PR professionals were forced to discover the practical use of New Media, social networking and SEO.
But how many PR professionals have actually taken the time to learn SEO, HTML code and integrate their creative nouns and adjectives with META tags and dozens of other computer programming parameters? How many PR and SEO professionals know and understand the new Google Caffeine search engine to be launched in 2010?

Very few. But yet, many claim that they offer SEO services.

So what is honest and what is not?
Where can you truly find an experienced PR professional who has a solid background in classic PR, branding, advertising and marketing with SEO and New Media skills?

"You must ask several questions," says Leyden. " Problem is, most companies seeking international SEO Internet marketing and PR support do not know the questions to ask."

The Leyden Communications Group and Leyden Communications Israel provides below a list of questions for every company from New York, Tel Aviv, London, Washington and Los Angeles to Paris, Japan, India, Russia and China to ask the SEO or international Internet marketing and PR company before they sign a contract.

"First, if your target audience is in New York, London, Manchester or Los Angeles, or any native English speaking market, be certain to hire a native from that country. One whose English is at mother tongue level and understands the marketing culture of your target market. If you do hire a native speaking PR SEO professional, make certain that they have lived and worked in your target market locale for at least ten years.

Second, you want to know what experience and for how many years they have worked in PR, SEO, New Media, international marketing, conventional distribution channels, social networking, sales, marcom, viral marketing, production of brochures, advertising and public relations?

Third, what professional experience do they have in copy writing, journalism and research?

Fourth, what practical experience do they have in SEO programming?

And last but not least, how long have they been working on the Internet?
How many friends do they have on Facebook or followers on Twitter? Are they really into social networking?

An international PR and Internet marketing professional must wear many hats to succeed.

The Internet SEO professional must be an experienced international marketing or PR person - one who understands how to penetrate and motivate a market outside of their own locale without the Internet.

They need to understand the basics of international marketing, branding, distribution and sales channels in order for them to integrate the digital world with the classic print, broadcast media and sales markets.

The PR SEO professional must be an accomplished, creative and professional writer who can write for both the reader and the search engine."

Leyden says that this news article is an example of how one can write for both the reader and the Google and Yahoo search engines. The English may suffer a bit as the writer finds a creative balance between getting your attention and the eyes of the search engines. But what is more important?

"The search engine!," says Leyden.

"For if your customers in the UK, France, Jordan, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea do not find your Website, then having a Website with the best of conventional copy writing and FLASH will find itself lost in cyberspace."

Can you find a Webmaster, Internet graphic design, Internet programmer, professional Internet marketing, international PR guru and professional journalist and or copywriter all in one person?

"Many will say yes just to take your money," says Leyden.

"You will be lucky to find a team with each one of these professionals in no more than perhaps a dozen international Internet PR SEO marketing companies - most of them based in the US. And being limited by knowing only the US market."

What then would be the real acid test for securing a professional PR SEO - search engine optimization Web promotion marketing company?

Leyden suggests to simply perform a search on Google for "New York SEO PR", "London SEO PR" or "Israel SEO PR".

"Perform a search for the market you are seeking to penetrate with the key words SEO PR. Ignore the paid for, sponsored Google Adwords results. In fact, if the PR SEO company is relying solely on Google Adwords and does not have a top five organic position listing on Google, then you know that they are not for you.

If they cannot promote themselves on the Web, how can they promote your good and or services?"

"Google Adwords are a very powerful advertising tool used by PR SEO New Media and social networking international Internet marketing companies in New York, London and Tel Aviv, but they are not a substitute for having your commercial Website, blogs and news content stand on its own digital legs," says Leyden.

"Adwords are not a substitute for getting out optimized news stories on Google News and PR news releases into the many corners of the Net. Adwords do not substitute for New Media - that is the creation of blogs, professional rooms and forums in Facebook, Google and Yahoo groups and the creation of videos on YouTube."

"The real PR professional of 2010 will know how to break through the noise and place your message in the face of your potential clients - either at home or at the office by bouncing optimized Web and news content off New Media and social networking media channels," says Leyden.

"We have gone from the fax machine to Facebook in less than ten years. The PR professional who has adapted to this media revolution will increase your visibility, media control and ROI."

The Leyden Communications Internet Digital PR, Marketing and SEO Group wishes you and your families a healthy, happy, peaceful and prosperous new year.

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/how_seo_web_2_0_new_media_is_changing_pr.html

Hostgator Announces Over 50% Growth in 2009

2010-01-15T07:09:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Global Industry News, in an interview with Hostgator, is reporting an amazing amount of growth for the web hosting giant in the past year. Douglas Hanna, the Customer Service Manager of Hostgator, declared: “The number of customers we have increased by more than 50% over the course of 2009”.

In explaining the growth Douglas Hanna continued, “A large portion of our growth is a result of word of mouth advertising that comes from our existing customers. We really pride ourselves on the quality of our customer service and spend a lot of time and money ensuring that we’re providing the best service we can and that we’re always improving in areas where we might be falling relatively short. That is something our customers seem to appreciate and as a result, they continue to refer us to their friends, family, and co-workers.”

In the interview, Brent Oxley, CEO and founder of Hostgator, explained why Hostgator is outpacing their competitors: “Our customer service is definitely an important differentiator. There aren’t many companies that provide 24/7/365 US-based support over the phone, email, and live chat in the web hosting industry, much less at our price point. We also have a competitive set of product and service offerings that give our customers the tools they need to succeed on the Internet and get the most out of their web hosting. A good product lineup coupled with good customer service is something that has worked very well for us so far.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/hostgator_announces_over_50_growth_in_2009.html

Netfirms Introduces Direct Purchase Via Control Panel

2010-01-15T07:07:00-05:00

(Gawkkwire.com) New Relic, Inc., the leading software-as-a-service provider of application performance management solutions and GigaSpaces Technologies, developer of the industry-leading eXtreme Application Platform (XAP), today announced that New Relic RPM fully supports GigaSpaces’ platform offering on and off the cloud, and that the two companies are partnering to make RPM available to GigaSpaces customers at preferred prices.

XAP supports mission-critical applications that demand extreme performance, including large-scale web applications based on popular frameworks like Java EE, Spring Framework and Jetty. It is the only product that allows existing enterprise applications to run in both virtualized environments—in private or public clouds—or in traditional data centers and move among them quickly and easily with only minor code changes.

New Relic RPM is a leading on-demand application performance management solution that operates seamlessly in both cloud and dedicated server environments, making it uniquely suited for monitoring, troubleshooting and tuning web applications deployed on GigaSpaces’ platform. Together, these solutions enable organizations to deploy and manage web applications that meet high standards for performance and availability.

“As more and more organizations begin to leverage the cloud in combination with their data center activities for IT efficiency and cost savings, we can offer them tremendous advantages through our partnership with New Relic,” said Nati Shalom, GigaSpaces CTO. “By adding New Relic’s deep visibility into application performance to the power, speed and reliability of the XAP platform, our customers are better equipped to deploy, manage, and optimize their applications, both in testing and production.”

"We are pleased to be working with GigaSpaces and this close partnership demonstrates both companies’ firm commitment to customer success,” said Bill Lapcevic, New Relic's vice-president of business development. "RPM installs in minutes and automatically scales with GigaSpaces applications, making it the easiest, most effective way to manage production web applications on the GigaSpaces platform. Together, our joint solutions are a perfect combination for easing migration to the cloud and enabling business and IT agility. "

New Relic offers several RPM subscription levels to meet the unique needs of organizations deploying mission-critical web applications. RPM Lite, Bronze, Silver and Gold provide a wide set of capabilities from basic production monitoring, to troubleshooting incidents, to deep-dive diagnostics to application optimization and long-term trend analysis. As part of the partnership between GigaSpaces and New Relic, GigaSpaces customers are eligible for a preferred partner discount on RPM pricing and a complementary trial of RPM Gold premium service. Qualifying organizations need only to log into the GigaSpaces customer support portal, select the “Log a Case” tab, and follow the directions to sign up for RPM. Customers can select a subscription level that right for them and discounts will be applied automatically.

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

GigaSpaces & New Relic Partner to Help Customers Manage Java Applications

2010-01-15T07:06:00-05:00

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

Data Centres Europe 2010 Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

2010-01-14T11:10:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Nominations for ten Awards categories for the 6th Data Centres Europe 2010 (www.datacentres.com/dce) have been released today. The final shortlist and Awards winners will be announced at the official ceremony and Gala Dinner which will take place at the Espaces Antipolis near Nice, in France on the evening of 22nd April 2010.

The Awards categories are as follows: Best New Entrant in European Data Centre Market, Best European Colocation Facility, Best European Enterprise Data Centre Facility, Best Regional European Data Centre, Best European Green Initiative Award, Best New European Cloud Services Award, Best European Sustainable Data Centre Design Award, Best Industry Cooling Innovation Award, and the Best European Managed Services Provider. In addition two special awards will be given: European CTO Award for Innovation in Data Centres and the Judges Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Data Centre Sector.

http://www.datacentres.com/dce/awardsnominations/

For the first time, companies can accompany their entry with a video which can be used to enhance their entry nominations. The videos of winning companies will be played at the Awards Ceremony.

“Data Centre operators confront many new challenges as the pace of change in technologies increases and market growth is sustained,” commented Ashley Davies, managing director at JP Morgan, and chairman of the Judges Panel. “These annual Awards continue to define best in breed benchmarks for service quality, management excellence and technical achievement for the European Data Centre industry”.

The Judges Panel for the 2010 Awards includes, Chairman: Ashley Davies, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase; Facilitator: Marion Howard-Healy, Senior Consultant, BroadGroup; Panel Members: Tim Anker, Founder & Director, Colo-X, Andrew Harrison, Director, ARUP, Bernard Lecanu, President, BLIC Consulting, France and Alex Rabbetts, Managing Director, Migration Solutions.

The 6th Data Centres Europe 2010 will include a special focus on enterprise customers of data centres and their evolving outsourcing needs as emerging private clouds, new technologies and market shift impact across the sector. Uniquely the conference is provided each year with results of new research conducted by BroadGroup Consulting. Special workshops will cover Data Centre Security, Building new Data Centres and the implementation of the European Code of Conduct.

Patron of the event is APC by Schneider Electric. Sponsors of the event are: Interxion, TelecityGroup, Euclyde SA, Strategies/CadwinFM, Lamda Hellix Datacentres, APL. Keynote/Participating Organization: Microsoft. Industry Partners: Colocation Exchange, Noodlesoft Technologies, TMT Consultants, Media Partners: IX News Search, Data Centre News, Telecom Deal Alert, IT One. PR Partner: VP Communications.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/data_centres_europe_2010_award_nominations_now_being_accepted.html

FCC ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules Endanger Truly Open Internet

2010-01-15T07:10:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Federal Communications Commission is planning new rules to dictate how Internet providers can manage the information that flows over their private networks. These rules would foreclose the evolution of innovative, pro-competitive network and business models and, worse, would inject politics into the governance of Internet networks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute warned in a public comment submitted to the FCC today.

“America’s challenge is not for FCC to ‘do something’ in the communications and Internet realm, but rather to dismantle and move beyond earlier regulatory impediments that have limited our creative freedoms in expanding infrastructure and content access,” explained Wayne Crews, CEI Vice President for Policy.

The FCC’s proposed net neutrality rules rest on the fallacy that government action is needed to ensure a vibrant, innovative Internet. In reality, today’s Internet is as free and innovative as ever, while consumer choice among broadband providers is at an all time high. Net neutrality rules, announced late last year by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, would empower a heavily politicized federal agency to dictate the outcomes of otherwise-private disputes over network access and pricing, and will also likely extend to the content sectors now advocating the rules.

“Banning proprietary business models is just the opposite of true ‘openness,’” said Crews. “The FCC seems to be forgetting that not every network has been built yet, and tomorrow’s networks and business models need not resemble those that prevail today. The FCC is wrong to assume that today’s politicians and regulators know what’s best for companies not yet created, networks not yet deployed, and business plans not yet formulated."

Key Points to the FCC:
• The "Agency Neutrality" proposed here would mean regulators must not be allowed to “discriminate” and choose sides (content over infrastructure) in any market confrontation.
• At stake is less today’s ground-level dispute, but, rather, the principle of proprietary control vs. the principle of collective control in the creation and management of infrastructure and communications wealth, decades hence.
• When liberalizing a heavily regulated segment of a mixed economy, the gauge of the impending reform’s appropriateness is simple: The body of private activity subject to regulation must decline rather than increase.
• It is important to appreciate the significance of the fact that the FCC is unwilling to even affirm that it will leave “managed” and “specialized services” alone.
• The deliberate conflation of competition with government-defined openness and a penchant for compulsory access (and the attendant government role in price and entry regulation) colors the entire proceeding.
• Pricing and access freedom would result in a constant escalation in the basic capabilities of the network, an intensification of the “background hum” of the Internet as a whole, much as we’ve already witnessed without neutrality mandates interrupting the process over the past decade.
• The principle of neutrality should be replaced by a new principle, that of fostering competition in the creation of networks. Today’s task is one of lowering transactions costs of building infrastructure.

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

Dynamic Cloud Server Launched at 1&1 Internet

2010-01-14T06:14:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) 1&1 Internet Inc., www.1and1.com, the world's largest Web host by known servers, today announced a new server category with highly flexible configuration options – the Dynamic Cloud Server. RAM, virtual CPU cores and disk space can be individually customized and adapted on-demand. In doing so, users only have to pay for the capacities that they need, for example, for websites, online shops, game servers or Web applications.

When ordering the product, the user determines the basic settings, including the preferred operating system. Several Linux variants are offered as well as Windows Server 2008 R2 in Web or Standard edition. 1&1 also offers recommended configuration settings for standard server applications such as email, database, Web hosting or a game server.

Should the server load change over time, perhaps because an advertising campaign achieves an increase in website traffic, the configuration options can be adapted via the Control Panel, which is highly intuitive and easy to use. In this way, users are free to select up to 4 virtual processors, between 1 and 15 GBs of RAM, as well as between 100 and 800 GBs of disk space. With the Dynamic Cloud Server, it will also be possible to change between Linux and Windows operating systems though additional fees will apply for a Windows OS.

Currently, customers purchasing new packages are eligible for $49.99 off of their Dynamic Cloud Server package for the first 3 months if they commit to a 12 month agreement. The virtual CPU allotment, RAM or disk space can be changed daily. Billing for these features will be made monthly.

The Basic package of the Dynamic Cloud Server is priced at $49.99/month and includes 1 virtual CPU core, 1 GB of RAM and 100 GBs of disk space. Each additional virtual CPU core and extra gigabyte of RAM is available for $15/month. Customers can also purchase parcels of 100 GB of disk space for only $10/month. As a special introductory offer, the 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server basic package is offered free for the first 3 months, a $149.97 value.

The virtual processor cores of the multi-core AMD Opteron 2352 CPUs each deliver 2 GHz of processing power. Furthermore, the product includes, at no additional cost, 1 domain name for as long as the customer keeps their package, 100 email accounts on the 1&1 email system and 2,000 GB of traffic included with a 100 Mbit port speed. Additional IP addresses, domain names and other features can easily be added at any time via the customer’s control panel.

For more information on 1&1 Internet or the Dynamic Cloud Server, visit the website at http://www.1and1.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/dynamic_cloud_server_launched_at_1_1_internet.html

The Planet Fights Unemplyment by Offering Free Servers

2010-01-14T06:12:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Planet, the global leader in IT hosting, today launched Sand Castle, a program designed to eliminate technology costs, and help individuals and entrepreneurs with great ideas and visions. For one year, The Planet will provide one server to individual developers and entrepreneurs looking to develop new applications and products. The Sand Castle program includes up to 500 servers.

According to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, small businesses have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years, and hire 40 percent of high-tech workers, including scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

“While there are indicators of a turnaround, the economy cannot recover without job creation, and we continue to hear the recovery will not automatically mean new jobs,” said The Planet’s Chairman and CEO Douglas J. Erwin. “With eight data centers, we’re in a position to offer a single server to 500 individuals who want to start their own businesses. These 500 servers could create 500 jobs, and then we’ll have taken one small step to pay it forward and be part of the solution.

“We challenge other companies to think outside the box and create meaningful opportunities and incentives. If more companies follow this path, our collective contributions will help move the needle toward job creation,” Erwin concluded.

The Sand Castle Dell servers are equipped with Dual Xeon processors, a 146GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 10Mb per second of unmetered bandwidth, and loaded with the CentOS 5 operating system.

Qualifying credentials are straightforward: Individuals simply outline their vision for a software application or Web-based design service. They must produce a new domain within six months of acceptance into the program and may not currently be a customer of The Planet.

The Planet encourages interested individuals and company to evaluate the Sand Castle project criteria and apply online at http://www.theplanet.com/sand-castle.

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

Virgin Holidays Implements GlobalSign’s EV SSL Technology

2010-01-13T08:56:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) GlobalSign Inc(www.globalsign.com) , one of the longest established Certification Authorities (CA) and specialists in SSL Certificate security, today announced that Virgin Holidays is the latest major brand to implement GlobalSign’s Extended Validation (EV) SSL technology to secure its public facing web site www.virginholidays.com - the second Virgin brand to choose GlobalSign’s most advanced SSL Certificate, after Virgin Atlantic adopted the technology on its website in May last year. EV SSL activates the browser’s green address bar in IE7 and 8, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome and Safari representing the most significant advancement in how consumers identify a secure site since the inception of SSL over 10 years ago. .

In addition to turning the address bar green, websites using EV SSL feature the standard SSL “padlock”, as well as displaying advanced security and identity information, including the organization name behind the website and the issuing SSL Certification Authority. These additional features provide visitors with visual reassurance that the site they are visiting is legitimate and that their personal information is fully secure - a clear business differentiator for online companies taking preventative action against today’s relentless phishing attacks. The adoption of EV SSL by Virgin Holidays clearly shows their customers a strong ongoing commitment to online safety and security.

By choosing to upgrade their existing SSL Certificate to GlobalSign’s EV SSL from the more traditional type of Organization Validated SSL, Virgin Holidays will not only protect its brand from copy cat websites and safeguard customers’ from phishing attacks, but will elevate their site image, inevitably leading to reduced shopping basket abandonment rates and increased sales conversions; a win-win situation for both Virgin Holidays and its online customers. Virgin Holidays’ adoption of EV SSL is also perfectly timed to coincide with the travel industry’s expected seasonal January sales peak.

“Virgin Holidays chose to implement EV SSL from GlobalSign due to their competitive prices and more importantly speed of issuance”, said Maria Carlin, IT Infrastructure Team Leader, Virgin Holidays. “We wanted to ensure that our website was completely secure for our customers. Displaying the green bar through the use of EV SSL achieves this”.

As previously commented by Alex New, IT Architect at Virgin Atlantic; “Virgin Atlantic made the decision to migrate their existing standard level SSL Certificates to the latest Extended Validation SSL to provide the highest level of identity trust available to their online customers. GlobalSign were able to deliver the platform and EV SSL products that meet our operational and security requirements and have helped make the switch to EV SSL Certificates straightforward.”

“With the number of phishing attacks constantly on the rise, it is essential for online brands to use the latest technology available to secure their websites. We are very pleased to welcome Virgin Holidays on board after Virgin Atlantic’s successful adoption of the glowing green bar last year.” said Paul Tourret, Managing Director, GlobalSign Inc, “With another Virgin company switching to GlobalSign’s EV SSL, the internationally recognized Virgin brand is demonstrating its dedication to ensuring its customers’ online security”.

For more information on EV SSL and to see a GlobalSign Extended SSL certificates in operation please visit http://www.globalsign.com/ssl/buy-ssl-certificates/extended-validation-ssl .

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

Fortis Bank Global Clearing N.V. Colocates at Interxion London Data Centre

2010-01-13T08:54:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Interxion, a leading European operator of carrier-neutral data centres, today announced an agreement with Fortis Bank Global Clearing N.V., one of the largest independent third-party clearers in Europe, Asia/Pacific and the US, to house their Market Access platforms and provide client hosting services, as well as providing colocation for specific markets at Interxion’s City of London data centre.

The agreement will enable Fortis Bank Global Clearing (FBGC) to provide its customers with low-latency access to the major financial markets in London from the Interxion Financial Hub – a close-knit community of Interxion-based capital markets participants. FBGC will run their services from a highly secure private suite with industry-leading service level agreements and guaranteed N+1 power and cooling redundancy.

“Interxion is one of the key access points for the London markets, and their dedicated capital markets infrastructure will help us give our customers a competitive edge,” said Neil Singleton, Global Head of Market Access Architecture, Fortis Bank Global Clearing. “By colocating at Interxion’s City of London, data centre we are able to provide clients with faster access to the markets, allowing them to increase their trading efficiency and grow their business volumes while being able to react faster to changes in the exchanges and trading venues.”

Fortis Bank Global Clearing N.V. will be housed in Interxion’s dedicated Financial Hub. Designed for capital market participants, the Financial Hub provides one of the lowest possible latencies of any independent colocation provider to Europe’s leading liquidity venues, and already houses a range of trading venues, broker-dealers, proprietary trading firms, hedge funds, and financial service providers.

As a carrier-neutral data centre operator, Interxion also provides a choice of connectivity options for direct cross connects within the data centre, in addition to a wide range of network service providers for external connectivity. High-density power configurations from 5 kW up to 30 kW per cabinet are available as standard, with industry-leading service level agreements and reliability and 24x7 secure access to equipment.

“As well as being one of the key clearing houses in Europe, Fortis Clearing provides an array of access and hosting services that will be enhanced by Interxion’s low-latency proximity-hosting offer,” said Anthony Foy, Group Managing Director, Interxion. “Our City of London data centre is situated in very close proximity to the top five liquidity markets in London, so we are well placed to service capital-market participants’ low latency hosting requirements.”

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

Continued Growth Projected for 2010 in E-commerce Spending

2010-01-13T08:50:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) E-commerce has continued to rocket its way forward throughout 2009 reporting year-over-year growth rates hitting the mid teens according to many reports. Consumer ecommerce spending for the holiday and post-holiday season-to-date was roughly $25.5 billion, nearly a 4% increase over 2008, even in what is called a tough retail environment. Cyber Monday, November 30th, boasted sales that totaled $887 million dollars(1).

AspDotNetStorefront shopping cart e-commerce customers continue to experience the same upward trends. With over 36 months of usage, Phillip Kellogg of Daffy Apple states: “We moved to the AspDotNetStorefront system 3 years ago. We doubled our internet sales each of the first 2 years and this current year [2009 we are up an additional 70%. Because of the architecture and the search engine [SEO friendly pages, our visibility on the Internet drove this sales growth. Switching to AspDotNetStorefront was a great move, and it blew our prior home grown e-commerce system out of the water in terms of performance and driving sales.”

Another customer, Jeff Rein, of PoolPartsOnline.com said: “Year after year we have seen constant enhancements from AspDotNetStorefront….Year after year we have achieved steady double digit percentage increases with AspDotNetStorefront….And year after year we are thankful for the decision we made in 2004 to choose AspDotNetStorefront as the new ecommerce platform for PoolPartsOnLine.com”.

Cables for Less, a customer of AspDotNetStorefront for over 36 months, reports in 2009 a 57% growth in orders alone! “Let me start by saying this: We did a study when we had to switch shopping carts recently and wanted to make sure we used THE BEST shopping cart on the market. We reviewed every imaginable cart with a cost range of free to $70,000. We found that AspDotNetStorefront is THE BEST product out there – perfection at its best” states Robert Plummer.

Developers as well have been raving about continued steady growth within the e-commerce industry. “We’ve had a good year and have seen growth. It seems the economy is staying flat for some but growing for many like ourselves in the e-commerce space, focusing on providing customized solutions based on the AspDotNetStorefront shopping cart software platform,” stated Chris McKellar of Vibe Commerce.

Retail businesses not online in 2010 are foregoing a 100+ Billion marketplace which is growing year over year(2). Businesses in nearly every industry can leverage AspDotNetStorefront's state-of-the-art product merchandising features and near-limitless extensibility to grow sales by providing a world-class online shopping experience to customers, while advanced, intelligent SEO features can an enhance visibility organically, allowing businesses to out-reach competitors and reduce traditional search engine marketing costs at the same time.

The AspDotNetStorefront e-commerce platform includes powerful, high performance, full-text product searching, helping shoppers find what they are looking for faster and keeping them anchored to your site. Additionally, AspDotNetStorefront will intelligently build related products as shoppers browse your site and display them on your product pages, allowing merchants to effortlessly increase upsell percentages and capitalize on cross-marketing opportunities.

“If the economy as a whole has seen a dramatic slow-down it has not been present within the ecommerce sector. AspDotNetStorefront sales continue to climb, as do the number of AspDotNetStorefront powered sites and partners. We are very proud to continue to provide a top notch product with the customer service and support to back up one of the most feature rich ecommerce platforms available” states Lisa Van Kuren, AspDotNetStorefront Marketing Manager. “eCommerce customers should take advantage of this powerful medium to propel and drive sales within 2010.”

With the continued growth of the AspDotNetStorefront platform, e-commerce will continue an upward climb in 2010. Will your ecommerce site be one of them? The AspDotNetStorefront ML eCommerce shopping cart software is available starting at $1,295 at http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com. Full source code is available for developers. For information about AspDotNetStorefront, contact sales at (602) 490-0243 option 2 or email sales@aspdotnetstorefront.com. Multi-Store version also available. Developer discounts, and reseller discount license bundles available.

http://www.gawkwire.com/reviews/continued_growth_projected_for_2010_in_e-commerce_spending.html

CyberWurx Host LAN Party in Celebration of Introducing Gamer Server Hosting

2010-01-13T08:46:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CyberWurx Hosting has recently announced their entry into the Game Server Hosting arena. To introduce their new service to gamers and industry professionals, the company is sponsoring a LAN party in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants will get a taste of what kind of game server and hosting solutions CyberWurx can provide.

CyberWurx has been offering shared hosting, dedicated servers and colocation hosting solutions to their customers since 1997. After more than a decade of offering fully supported web hosting solutions to businesses and organizations of all sizes, the company is poised to bring that same dedication to the increasingly popular field of game server hosting.

Nick Gray, Datacenter Manager at CyberWurx, explains, “It's a natural outgrowth of what we do best – provide hosting solutions that work, backed by outstanding customer service. The online gaming industry is growing rapidly, and dedicated, efficient game servers are crucial to an exceptional gaming experience. We're sure our LAN party will prove to participants that we are ready to provide all the support, technology and expertise that's needed to provide a seamless gaming experience.”

In 2009, CyberWurx was the host company for the annual Atlanta LAN Fest for charity. The two day event in June drew hundreds of gamers to participate in games such as Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty 4 and Left 4 Dead. Proceeds went to various charities, including March of Dimes and Relay for Life.

Gray comments, “The success of our hosting duties at Atlanta's premier gaming event in 2009 was an example of just what our company is capable of providing in terms of game hosting expertise. When we were ready to launch our newest service, we knew a local LAN party was the most appropriate way to bring it to the attention of the public. Of course, we're also excited about the opportunity to give local gamers another chance to demonstrate their skills and network with others in the community. It's going to be a true celebration of the joy of gaming.”

CyberWurx currently offers both managed and self-managed dedicated servers, virtual private servers, reseller hosting options, and load balancing solutions that can be tailored to the individual needs of their clients.

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

AIT Domains Offers Free Web Site Builder, Shopping Cart & More for 2010 Buyers!

2010-01-13T09:04:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) As the first few weeks of the New Year come to a close many small business owners and large Enterprises are already well into the execution of their strategies. According to web design experts, the largest increase in new designs, hosting accounts and domain registration occurs during the first quarter of each New Year.

“In 2010, we plan to completely overhaul our website and to create several other web sites to meet our strategic goals.” says J. Biao of Chicago, IL. “All the benefits to us associated with our AIT Domains account is a real value to us. We are like everyone else, we want as many features as possible for an affordable price.” continue Biao.

AIT Domains (http://www.AITDomains.com) an ICANN accredited domain registrar and fourteen year old web hosting provider offers domain names at an industry low price and has repeatedly stated that no reasonable offer would be refused when negotiating bulk registrations, renewals and transfers. AIT Domains also offers free private registration which is typically a paid service that allows domain owners to remain anonymous and reduce unwanted spam and sales solicitations. The company’s most recent announcement is certain to pave the way for competitive response as all AIT Domains customer are provide a comprehensive free web site builder, Ready4Design (http://www.Ready4Design2007.com) and a complete ecommerce shopping cart all included with the registration of a new domain name. Other benefits include automatic inclusion into the company’s tyBit search engine (http://www.tyBit.com) as well as a $1.00 upgrade to become a domain reseller.

“At the beginning of each year we see large amounts of new domain registrations and renewals. Our customers are usually acting on plans to start a new web site or to add new names to their portfolios for the new year.” said Avery Skelton VP of Sales & Marketing for AIT Domains. Company officials have also stated that all new web design projects received by March 30th of 2010 will receive up to a twenty percent discount.

Total host names according to Netcraft reached approximately 156 million in 2009 and industry insiders speculate a continued growth trend as the appeal of ecommerce, improved communication, and entertainment beginning to saturate emerging markets. “Continued acquisition of the name space should prove to raise the overall value of existing names while driving the demand for new top level extensions. This constant growing universe of names will maintain domain reselling for the foreseeable future as a viable and profitable venture.” said Sean McCoy Chief Marketing Officer for AIT Domains.

Individuals interested in a new domain registration, domain transfers, a new hosting account, or web design should visit the company’s web site at, http://www.AIT.com or call 1-877-549-2881.

Advanced Internet Technologies Inc, offers web hosting, domain name registration, web design, email marketing and is home to over 210,000 customers that include Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses. Founded in 1996 AIT has grown into a multimillion-dollar web hosting and technology company, from its humble beginnings in a garage to its current 93,000 SF headquarters. AIT has achieved 14 straight years of sustained profitability and been named 2 times to The Inc. 500 list of fast growing firms, 3 times to the Deloitte & Touché Fast 500 list, and NC Entrepreneur Firm of the Year. For more information, email sales@ait.com or call 1-800-878-4084 to take advantage of these special offers. http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/ait_domains_offers_free_web_site_builder_shopping_cart_more_for_.html

Liquid Web Inc Launches New Cloud Hosting Product “Storm On Demand”

2010-01-12T11:34:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Liquid Web Inc., a Lansing-based Web hosting company with more than 20,000 clients in more than 120 countries, today launched Storm On Demand, a flexible cloud hosting platform that can benefit any business that has or needs a computer server.

Storm on Demand's unparalleled ease of use augmented by Liquid Web’s industry-leading customer support will help differentiate the product, company executives said.
“Virtually every business or anyone with a personal Web site can benefit from Storm On Demand,” said Liquid Web founder and CEO Matthew Hill. “Cloud hosting is revolutionizing computer server deployment, migration and cloning. Storm clients will enjoy its intuitive and responsive interface, speed and flexibility, and the superior customer support that we are well known for here at Liquid Web.”

Liquid Web Director of Marketing Travis Stoliker said Storm On Demand is a cost-effective, secure, easy to use, and fast solution for any company that wants to deploy a server, replace a server, clone a server, or simply increase server capacity.
"Cloud hosting and cloud computing are technology advances that make it easier and less expensive for clients to deploy, migrate, backup, and scale their server in near real time with the click of a mouse,” Stoliker said. “This will be a significant advance for Liquid Web, our clients and for the State of Michigan, which is working hard to move its economy from smokestacks and assembly lines to advanced computing technologies and fiber lines.”

Storm On Demand is being launched after nearly two years of product development by Liquid Web engineers and private beta testing by Liquid Web clients.

In November, Liquid Web opened a new $80 million, 90,000 square-foot data center in Lansing to support the launch and deployment of Storm On Demand. The company is in the process of hiring 600 new employees to service clients from the data center over the next five years. Already because of Storm on Demand, 38 new jobs have been created over the past three months at Liquid Web, which also operates two other data centers in the Lansing area with 150 employees. The three data centers will hold 35,000 computer servers that host the Web sites of clients across the world.

Cloud-computing is an application that has been taking IT and the technology sector by storm. The term “cloud” is translated loosely to mean “the Internet.” “Hosting on the cloud” means resources from several servers are pooled together to power a Web site or application. Cloud hosting is attractive to many IT professionals because products such as Storm On Demand allow easy scaling up and down for various levels of Web traffic. Storm customers will only pay for the amount of server space they use, much like any company or home pays only for the amount of electricity or water consumed. Storm also has the remarkable ability to “clone” entire servers in minutes and to test changes to Web sites before they are launched and activated.

Other companies offer Web hosting services via "the cloud," including Internet giant Amazon.com. Its subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, offers a collection of cloud-platform Web services.

Because so many companies have computer servers, the number of companies seeking cloud hosting services is growing at a strong pace. Even the White House is looking to the cloud to cut IT costs. The Obama administration announced in September 2009 a long-term cloud-computing policy intended to cut costs on infrastructure and reduce the environmental impact of U.S. government computing systems.

To learn more about the cloud-hosting platform Storm, visit www.StormOnDemand.com

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

Experts Predict Major Shifts in the Gaming Industry

2010-01-12T19:58:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) “The next year will mark some pretty significant shifts in the gaming industry,” said Joshua Hong, CEO of GamersFirst. “We see casual players becoming the key to the global video game industry in both PC and Console games. MMO Game development has witnessed a paradigm shift that has begun to address the interests of all cultural and social demographics; exposing the ‘gamer’ in everyone and highlighting our personal corporate mission, of putting Gamers First!”

The GamersFirst team has developed major gaming trends to watch for; predicting that the online gaming industry will regain some of its pizzazz over the next year and increasing fierce competition between MMO games globally.

1. What’s in your Shopping Cart? Games analysts Justin Smith and Charles Hudson predict that virtual goods will reach $1 billion in the US in 2010. It’s no wonder! Outside of virtual goods in other online markets (like cell phones, retail, gambling, etc.), the interest and potential of purchasing online goods in MMO’s is unmarked. In 2010, virtual goods will overflow the market and garner record growth in the MMO market.

“Virtual items in Knight Online can be valued anywhere from $0 to $500 USD (maybe more), it just depends on how much the player wants the item and how difficult it is to get,” says Joey Hibberd, associate producer of Knight Online at GamersFirst about KOL’s virtual economy.

2. The Global PC Explosion – Although, North America has maintained a consistent following of console games; Online PC games are putting up a challenge against some of their better known console “cousins”. Trends in the past year have shown extreme promise in Latin America and East and Central European countries. New and region localized game development are surfacing from emerging countries, thus we predict the big three markets for PC gaming adoption and development for 2010 will be explosive in Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle-East.

3. Catching CyberCrime – Online fraud, hacking and security continues to be heightened concerns in 2010– companies that can handle all the difficulties presented by the new global game space will have huge advantages when delivering the product to gamers. In 2010, Cybercrime will be tackled using a combination of technologies, pattern analysis and close collaboration with International law enforcement agencies.

“Online security is consistent point of contention for online businesses,” says Bjorn Book-Larsson, COO and CTO of GamersFirst. “It is important to handle fraud and hacking carefully, both at a personal and technological level. GamersFirst takes security very seriously, so that we can provide our gamers with the most positive experience possible.”

4. Core Free2Play Games Emerge - In the past 5-10 years people expected to play more casual games for free; but were also expected to pay $50 for large scale 3D “boxed” games. Big-time publishers are now adopting the long-running Asian trend of Free2Play games and creating true immersive core game experiences for the Free2Play gamer. With the increase of quality of PC games and the varietal of content in the genre; content will be the most important draw to the core gaming experience; moving gamers towards steadily evolving Free2Play games. The desire for ever-changing content and community participation will drive gamers to Free2Play MMO’s in 2010.

5. The Rise of the Picky Gamer - Gamers will fragment further to specialty and niche games. The number of leisure (casual gamers) will increase two-fold throughout the year, increasing opportunity for development and increased competition in the market.

6. Gaming in the Cloud -One of the biggest downsides to playing most online PC games is their lack of portability. 2010 will bring the emergence of cloud technologies for gaming. This method of game delivery will give gamers the more consistent and portable game delivery methods that are traditionally tied with console gaming. The integration of cloud technologies will compliment PC game delivery methods, especially in the Free2Play space.

7. You are not alone – The NPD Group, a research analyst firm, reported that online gaming as a whole has increased from 19 to 25 percent in 2009. This shows a steady rise of both PC and console online gaming, with a clear break for MMO games. The development of MMO games will increase two-fold over 2010, increasing community game involvement and the overall gaming audience on a global scale.

8. Catch me on FB! – Mafia Wars paved the way for social gaming applications on both MySpace and Facebook. The potential for social gaming is far more than what has been utilized so far with social gaming apps like Mafia Wars, and more recently Farmville. Social gaming will overflow social networks with targeted and very specific applications for each type of online personality.

To learn more about GamersFirst’s Free2Play titles, please visit www.GamersFirst.com. You can also follow us on Twitter (@GamersFirst) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/GamersFirst).

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

Bocada Expands Contract with IBM to Provide Better Soltuions

2010-01-12T08:03:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Bocada, Inc., the leading provider of data protection management software, today announced that it has significantly expanded its contract with IBM to help provide advanced data protection, backup and recovery services for IBM clients. Under the expanded agreement, Bocada will continue to provide solutions that help enable backup reporting and analysis for IBM storage solutions.

The latest agreement results from a long-term relationship between Bocada and IBM and reflects the value of Bocada software which is designed to deliver data protection services that improve backup and recovery success rates, enhance SLA delivery, and increase customer satisfaction and retention.

Combining best-in-class networking technologies with world-class service management helps enable highly available, cost-effective storage management. IBM currently uses Bocada Enterprise to manage thousands of backup clients across its customer base.

”We are pleased to continue a long-term working relationship with a company like IBM to deliver value to its many clients around the world,” said Nancy Hurley, CEO, Bocada. “We view data protection as a service built around our Data Protection Service Management model, and we are convinced that the Bocada Enterprise solution allows IBM to provide its clients the kind of protection and recovery capability unmatched in the industry.”

Through the Bocada Data Protection Service Management process, organizations can improve backup success, enhance services delivery, reduce risk, prove compliance with regulations and significantly reduce overall data protections costs. Using Bocada Solutions, IT organizations can ensure data protection services meet business objectives, including:

• Consistently improving data backup system performance • Enabling timely, successful data recovery • Maximizing under-utilized systems and refining processes • Satisfying regulatory compliance and audit requirements • Controlling the ever increasing data burden • Communicating results enterprise-wide

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

Napatech Introduces of Full IPv6 Support

2010-01-12T08:02:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Napatech today announced the introduction of full IPv6 support in all Napatech PCI-Express network adapters. IPv6 usage is expected to grow with IPv4 addresses running out and the number of Internet users set to increase by 45% over the next 5 years. Napatech has therefore ensured that the advanced packet capture, analysis and transmission capabilities offered for IPv4 today are also supported for IPv6.

“IPv6 is here and is becoming more important as new IP-based services are being rolled out to a growing number of users. It is therefore important to have the capability to monitor and analyze IPv6 traffic with the same precision and detail as IPv4 traffic”, says Erik Norup, President, Napatech, Inc.

Current projections indicate that the IANA’s pool of unallocated IPv4 addresses will be exhausted by late 2011. At the same time, Forrester Research predicted in July 2009 that the number of people online will grow 45% to 2.2 billion users by 2013. IPv6 is enabled by default in the latest versions of Windows, Linux, Apple and Solaris and is a requirement in 4G mobile network standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Napatech’s network adapters provide full line-rate packet capture, analysis and transmission of IPv4 and IPv6 packets. Full IPv6 header decoding is provided including header extensions. Napatech network adapters also recognize tunneling protocols such as SCTP, GTP and GRE , as well as a number of encapsulation methods, such as VLANs, multiple MPLS labels and Cisco ISL. This allows advanced filtering, flow identification and flow distribution to up to 32 CPU cores where hash keys based on IPv6 can now be used to identify flows. http://www.gawkwire.com/business/napatech_introduces_of_full_ipv6_support.html

SoftLayer Now Offering VeriSign Identity Protection

2010-01-12T08:01:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SoftLayer Technologies® today began offering the VeriSign® Identity Protection (VIP) two-factor authentication system as an additional layer of security protecting customer account access. SoftLayer is an infrastructure as a service provider, and allows customers to manage their entire IT environment via a proprietary Customer Portal. With VIP, customers can now require a second level of authentication to log into the Portal.

“Our customers want the highest assurance their infrastructure is protected. Authentication is key to that confidence,” said George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer for SoftLayer. “VIP provides a powerful safeguard against unauthorized access, protecting our customers from the costs and challenges of online fraud and malicious activity.”

The VIP system requires a unique security code (in addition to a user name and password) to access an online account. Each time a user wants to access their account, they create a new security code via a VIP “credential”—a VIP Security Card, VIP Security Token, or the new VIP Access for Mobile application for iPhone® or Blackberry®. Requiring the security code significantly increases security; user names and passwords can be guessed or otherwise discovered, but users alone have access to their VIP credential and can generate a valid code. VIP is available free of charge for one user for all SoftLayer customer accounts, and only $3/month for each additional active user.

“We’re proud to partner with VeriSign to offer this important service. They’re the gold standard, protecting online services that range from shopping to banks and brokerages,” said Nathan Day, Chief Technology Officer for SoftLayer. “VIP gives our customers the confidence that comes with the VeriSign name, and the ability to use the same authentication method they utilize with other VeriSign partners.”

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

KEMP Technologies Launches Virtual Appliance Load Balancer

2010-01-12T08:00:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) KEMP Technologies today announced the launch of its Virtual LoadMaster (VLM). This new virtual-appliance application delivery controller (ADC) will be sold under a Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) starting at $99 per license per month with no startup or setup fees. The SPLA pricing model enables managed hosting providers (MHPs) and managed service providers (MSPs) to offer a dedicated server load balancer with the same functionality as KEMP’s hardware appliances at a price point affordable to a much broader range of business customers while significantly reducing operating costs.

As a “virtual appliance,” the Virtual LoadMaster removes the need to maintain hardware and reduces or eliminates costs associated with power consumption, cooling, rack space constraints and other environmental dependencies of hardware-based appliances. The VLM can be quickly configured and deployed, accelerating service provisioning and simplifying ongoing management, which aids in further reducing operating expenses and increasing ROI.

“As businesses increasingly demand sophisticated application delivery solutions to maintain their competitive edge, managed hosting and service providers are trying to figure out how to offer these while keeping service pricing affordable and maintaining margins. By decoupling the application from the hardware through a virtual machine, they can offer advanced application delivery functionality in a software-only application, which allows them to deliver cost-effective and profitable services,” notes Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data at Infonetics.

MHPs and MSPs implementing the Virtual LoadMaster are able to reduce the risk associated with stranded investment when customers disconnect services and leave the provider with hardware that has not yet been fully depreciated. Furthermore, the MHP is better positioned for aggressive marketing with the lower-priced software-based solution compared with hardware-based ADCs. When deploying the VLM, MHPs can then maintain margins while pricing their high-value services low enough to attract a new base of customer such as small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that previously thought the benefit of ADCs were out of reach.

“The VLM offers the same functionality as our hardware appliances, including advanced Layer 7 content switching, health checking, persistence, caching, compression and SSL offloading. As MHPs and MSPs consolidate and virtualize servers in order to reduce hardware and related management costs, the Virtual LoadMaster delivers high value at an incredible price point from which both the provider and its customer can benefit,” said Kevin Mahon, founder and president of KEMP Technologies.

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

GMX Integrates Facebook Connect in its Webmail Interface

2010-01-12T07:57:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) GMX, the free email service for more than 11 million active users, is delighted to integrate Facebook Connect in its webmail interface (www.gmx.co.uk). GMX pairs a mainstream communication service with one of the Web's most popular social utilities and enables Facebook users to log into their GMX email with their Facebook login credentials.

Facebook Connect lets users log into their existing GMX mailboxes using their Facebook username and password and also register a new GMX.co.uk email address. People do not need to create, and likewise memorize, a new ID. Once logged into GMX, any email received from a Facebook friend is personalised with the person's profile picture and relays their latest status within the GMX Inbox.

Also included in GMX is the Facebook News Feed. Now, GMX users will have the updates fed directly into their GMX interface. In addition, email attachments can be directly uploaded from GMX to a user's Facebook profile. This means GMX users can quickly and easily share links or content sent to them in email with their Facebook friends.

Two predominant elements of a Web-savvy society unite

"Email and connecting with friends through the social web are two of the most frequently used tools online. Based on feedback from our GMX users, we know that there is a longing to link these two separate 'online worlds'. Facebook Connect lets us bring them one step closer to finally closing this gap," says Eva Heil, Managing Director, GMX.

Heil sees a positive change on the horizon for how people and online applications may interact in the future. "I think combining efforts will be the direction many Web services take in the near future", she said.

Javier Olivan, International Manager at Facebook, added, "The way GMX has integrated Facebook Connect in its webmail service perfectl illustrates how two services can enrich the experiences for their users by bringing together their everyday e-mail communications and the social web".

With over 13 million active users, GMX offers a reliable, secure email service combined with great looks, great performance and state-of-the-art functionality. Free email has grown up, find it at GMX. The free email service can be seen at www.gmx.co.uk.

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

Dynamic Cloud Server Unveiled at 1&1 Internet

2010-01-11T06:41:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) 1&1 Internet Ltd today announced Dynamic Cloud Server, a new server category with highly flexible configuration options. RAM, CPU cores and disk space can be individually customized and as needed adapted during the whole contract lifetime. In doing so, users only have to pay for the capacity that they need, for example, for websites, online shops, games or web applications.

When ordering the product, the user determines the basic settings including the preferred operating system. Several Linux variants are offered as well as the Windows Server 2008 in Web or Standard edition, and the Windows 7 version "R2". For standard applications such as email, data base, web hosting or game server, 1&1 still offers optimized default settings.

Should the server load change in time, perhaps because an advertising campaign achieves an increase in website traffic, the configuration options can be adapted via the Control Panel, which is highly intuitive and easy to use. In this way, users are free to select up to 4 processor kernels, between 1 and 15 GB RAM, as well as between 100 and 800 GB disk space. With the Dynamic Cloud Server, it will also be possible, for the first time, to change between Linux and Windows operating systems.

The minimum contract term (MCT) for the Dynamic Cloud Server can be selected as either 1 or 12 months. Additional CPU store, RAM or disk space can be changed daily. Billing for these features will be made monthly.

The Basic package of the Dynamic Cloud Server is priced at £29.99/month+VAT and includes 1 Core, 1 GB RAM and 100 GB disk space. Every additional processor kernel, further RAM or 100 GB disk space is available for only £5/month+VAT. As a special introductory offer, the 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server Basic package is offered free for the first 3 months.

1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server is based on the virtual platform XEN. The virtual processor kernels of the multi-kernel AMD Opteron 2352 CPUs deliver 2 GHz processing power. Furthermore, the product includes 1 domain name, one IP address, 100 email accounts on the 1&1 email system and unlimited traffic. Additional IP addresses, domain names and further features can easily be added.

For more information on 1&1 hosting visit the website at www.1and1.co.uk

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/dynamic_cloud_server_unveiled_at_1_1_internet.html

CRE Secure Simplifies PCI Compliance for Magento Ecommerce

2010-01-11T06:40:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CRE Secure has announced the release and availability of a drop-in module for Magento Ecommerce community edition shopping carts. The new Magento Ecommerce module further expands the list of leading online shopping cart integrations that CRE Secure has developed to allow online retailers and web-based applications easy connection to CRE Secure’s online payment acceptance and security services. CRE Secure using its patent pending HTML Clone™ technology isolates sensitive cardholder data from any online store or application, and greatly reduces the complexity and associated costs of achieving compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) requirements.

“I heartily endorse the CRE Secure payment module for online shop owners who want to open a Magento store without spending thousands on your own PCI secure dedicated server," says Kerry Watson, author of the user-friendly osCommerce Manuals Series including the ShowMe Guide Manual for Magento. “Following the PCI Compliance rules, I found using CRE Secure made it much easier to install and automatically looks just like my online store".

“CRE Secure is the only payment system that automatically protects both cardholder privacy and the ecommerce merchant from potential attacks by combining a 100% outsourced payment solution with a patent pending process that mirrors any retailer's website design and uniquely serves up a PCI compliant hosted payment page to the end user,” says Greg McGraw, CEO and President of CRE Secure Payments. “When a Magento online store is powered by CRE Secure's HTML Clone™ technology, shoppers never know they left the site when they're ready to pay, even though their payment transactions are hosted in one of the most secure PCI-compliant data centers in the country.”

CRE Secure takes the worry out of the daunting PCI-compliance process. The service--which is available for a free 30 day trial and thereafter for a nominal fee per month--integrates with retailers' existing online shopping cart programs or custom developed ecommerce applications and connects those programs to popular payment gateways like Authorize.net, PayPal Payflow Pro, PayPal Website Payments Pro and Chase Orbital. CRE Secure continues to roll out new secure connections to all major payment gateways and online shopping carts to meet the increased demand for payment acceptance security.

“The Magento module and the CRE Secure service are clearly filling a gap that is needed in the security arena; accessible PCI compliance for the average independent e-retailer,” says Jeremy Dost, founder and owner of Sharpdot, a certified Magento community developer. “With its easy setup, configuration and offered as a PCI certified hosted solution, CRE Secure opens up a high security option to many more businesses running Magento community shopping carts. By providing the Magento template functionality, CRE Secure is allowing designers the freedom that they expect,” added Dost.

CRE Secure's payment modules for leading shopping carts and the custom API toolkits for enterprise merchants or unique online applications are available for download from http://www.cresecure.com.

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

SEO Moves Selected as a Top Pay Per Click Management Company

2010-01-11T06:38:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) topseos.com has selected SEO Moves as the #2 ranked PPC management firm worldwide, and the #1 ranked pay per click firm in the UK and Australia. Their exceptional client services and proven track record make them the obvious choice for the best pay per click management services.

Founded in 2007, this Maryland-based firm has sought to provide consistent results for their clients. John Wieber, CEO of SEO Moves, comments, "The numbers speak loud and clear: Conversion costs are being reduced by an average of 58%, combined with a 67% increase in conversions or sales. In some verticals, conversion costs are being reduced by 70% from their original starting point, while being completely managed by Profit Per Click. These numbers are representing the average success ratio across a wide array of verticals." Taking these results one step further, SEO Moves prides itself on providing a personal approach to their services increasing client satisfaction.

Wieber continues, "SEO Moves is excited to be recognized by topseos for our accomplishments with our new PPC management offering "Profit Per Click". Just 120 days since the initial release to the public, we have 120 clients using our PPC software with 100% success and retention." He explains that this tool allows pay per click to be controlled like never before producing conversions at a specified cost.

"SEO Moves is proud to be diversifying our offering from our foundation of search engine optimization to become a complete internet marketing resource now including Pay Per Click management," says Wieber. To learn more about the services offered by SEO Moves you can visit: http://www.topseos.com/seo-moves

Or to view the rankings of the best pay per click management firms, visit: http://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-pay-per-click-management-companies

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

DNS Made Easy Continues Their Commitment to Increase Capacity in Europe.

2010-01-11T06:37:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) DNS Made Easy has recently announced additional capacity to all European nodes in early 2010. Since 2003, DNS Made Easy has remained an industry standard for IP Anycast DNS service and has been the fastest growing IP Anycast provider since the company’s inception. DNS Made Easy currently provides authoritative DNS service for more domains than any other enterprise DNS provider in the world.

DNS Made Easy“Providing 100% DNS uptime for the past 8 years is something that we are very proud of at DNS Made Easy,” states Steven Job, President of Tiggee, the parent company of DNS Made Easy. “We are looking to expand our dominant position as being the IP Anycast DNS leader by increasing our capacity and redundancy in all of our European data facilities by early February 2010. Increasing performance for our current users is part of the many exciting tasks that we have in store for DNS Made Easy and Tiggee in 2010.”

DNS Made Easy started deploying their servers on IP Anycast networks in 2003. The decision that Tiggee made to move to an IP Anycast network was unprecedented at the time and shocked the industry as DNS Made Easy was able to offer services at a fraction of any IP Anycast competitor and offer the industry’s leading ROI at the same time. “We are still excited today to offer the best possible ROI in the DNS industry and become the standard of IP Anycast services,” stated Steven Job. “Continuing to increase our network infrastructure just shows the internal dedication that DNS Made Easy has at maximizing all of our services to reach the maximum ROI for our clients.”

DNS Made Easy has stated that it is only because of their history in offering IP Anycast DNS services that they are able to increase network performance now. “As one of the original IP Anycast services we were revolutionary in offering such enterprise services at prices that all organizations can afford,” stated Steven Job. “Everyone at Tiggee had to work hard to figure out ways to offer services that were a percent of any other IP Anycast DNS provider. Removing bloated sales staffs and the idea of commission based sales were two ways we were able to reduce costs heavily. After five years of offering IP Anycast services there is still no other IP Anycast DNS provider that has come close in reaching the ROI that we have achieved for our clients. The exciting part for DNS Made Easy and Tiggee is just starting as many of our original multi-year contracts with our providers are now ending. We plan to reallocate our resources with those old contracts to maximize our client’s investment in our services.”

More information about the DNS Made Easy service is available at www.dnsmadeeasy.com.

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

Registration Now Open for 3rd Annual Green Grid Global Technical Forum

2010-01-11T06:19:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) The Green Grid has recently announced open registration for The 3rd Annual Green Grid Technical Forum. The Green Grid is the IT industry’s leading voice for advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. The Forum will be held on February 3-4, 2010, in San Jose, CA.

The Forum’s theme, “Get Connected: Drive Change with Global Strategies for Efficient IT,” reflects the opportunity within organizations of all sizes to become more efficient in managing their most important computing infrastructure in ways that lower costs and support global sustainability initiatives. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to review new tools, processes, regional trends and best practices for managing data centers for efficiency. The 2010 Technical Forum will offer many opportunities for data center managers to network with their peers from around the world.

The Forum’s keynote on February 4 will be delivered by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Kennedy’s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet” for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 130 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.

“Those who are committed to running more energy efficient computing environments will find the topics discussed at the Technical Forum to be practical and relevant to their day-to-day business functions,” said Larry Vertal, executive director of The Green Grid. “The Green Grid’s annual technical forum has become the leading venue to provide valuable input and feedback on the metrics and technologies that are helping to define energy efficient computing across the globe.”

Attendance is open to members of The Green Grid on February 3, and then opens to the public and the media on February 4. Registration costs are:

- Member companies on February 3-4: One free pass per member company, and $250 for each additional representative.

- Non-member attendees on February 4: $500 per attendee.

To review the full agenda and register for The 3rd Annual Green Grid Technical Forum on February 4, please visit: http://www.thegreengrid.org/events/tech-forum-2010.aspx.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/registration_now_open_for_3rd_annual_green_grid_global_technical.html

iWeb Announces Plans for New Data Center in Montreal

2010-01-12T08:04:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) iWeb today announced its plans to build a new 31,000 square foot data center Montreal, QC Canada, with the capacity to host 20,000 dedicated servers. This new facility will bring iWeb's total dedicated server capacity to nearly 35,000 servers.

“The new data center will be built with automation in mind; automation is one of the Company’s priority in 2010” declared Cyrille Mertes, who was recently named iWeb’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). “Because we are essentially building a new center, we can design it according to current standards with no restrictions due to previous technologies already installed.”

Scheduled to be brought online in April, the data center will initially have the capacity to host 3,000 servers. Because the building has never been used as a data center, it must be adapted to meet the Company’s strict operational standards. iWeb has signed a 30-year lease agreement, with options to purchase at regular intervals.
The facility will require an initial investment of $3 Million in infrastructure. During its recent fourth quarter results conference call with financial analysts, iWeb confirmed finalising a financing agreement with one of its main financial partners.

Details on the new center:

• Size: 31,000 square feet
• Capacity: 20,000 dedicated servers (phase I: 3,000 servers)
• Electrical input: 6,000 Amps
• Network: Redundant Fiber-optic interconnection to two of iWeb’s other data centers; iWeb’s current total network capacity is 76 Gbps
• Investment: $3,000,000 (for phase I)

The new data center, like iWeb’s three current IP hosting facilities, will feature a redundant electrical system which will be entirely run through uninterrupted power systems (UPS), diesel-powered generators and a ventilation and cooling infrastructure. The facilities and the server will be protected by a multi-layered security system, including biometric recognition, video surveillance, secure access and a VESDA fire-prevention system.

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

CED Solutions Offers the Most Complete Windows 2008 Server Boot Camp

2010-01-08T07:16:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) CED Solutions has started offering the most complete Windows 2008 Server Boot Camp available. This training camp will provide full-day, hands-on training for two weeks. This course will also incorporate the new Microsoft Windows 7 Desktop operating system and include a free licensed copy for each attendee.

CED Solutions Boot Camp StudentsThe 7 certifications of the course are: MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (Windows 7); MCITP: Windows 2008 Server Administrator; MCITP: Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Administrator; MCTS: Windows 7 Configuration; MCTS: Windows 2008 Server Active Directory Configuration; and MCTS: Windows 2008 Server Applications Configuration.

"This course is the most complete Windows 2008 Server Certification course available and now includes Windows 7," said Rich Rodgers, CEO of CED Solutions. "Three different MCITP and 4 different MCTS certifications can be obtained from this one two-week c
"This course is the most complete Windows 2008 Server Certification course available and now includes Windows 7," said Rich Rodgers, CEO of CED Solutions. "Three different MCITP and 4 different MCTS certifications can be obtained from this one two-week course."

The course includes roundtrip airfare, lodging during the course, Microsoft Official courseware, practice exams, all certification exams taken onsite (extra test vouchers, only if needed), breakfast and lunch, snacks and refreshments.

CED Solutions is proud of our servicemen and women from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines. Military grants are available for active duty, reserve, national guard, and veterans of our military services.

CED Solutions provides training for thousands of students each year. Students occupy nearly 18,000 room nights per year and take up to 800 certification exams in a two-week period.

CED Solutions will continue to provide training for corporations, government organizations, and individuals who have paid for training at Intense School by allowing the students to attend CED Solutions' classes.

Organizations and individuals may call (800) 611-1840 to find out details of attending the training classes. Individuals from government organizations and corporations, and single individuals who have fully paid may participate, and students who have partially paid classes may pay the remainder due to participate.

About CED Solutions, LLC
CED Solutions, LLC is the largest provider of Microsoft technical certifications in North America and continues to be through November 2009. With campuses and onsite training in North America, CED Solutions has provided training to tens of thousands of individuals and thousands of organizations alike. With more than 100 programs available CED Solutions offers everything from CompTIA certification classes, .NET MCPD for Developers, and MCITP: SQL 2008 Server for Database Administrators and Developers. As a Microsoft Gold Partner and Certified Partner for Learning Solutions, all CED Solutions' instructors are Certified Instructors for all vendors, and certified in the courses taught. To learn more about CED Solutions please call (800) 611-1840 or visit us online at www.cedsolutions.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/ced_solutions_offers_the_most_complete_windows_2008_server_boot_.html

SEO Consult Australia Named Best SEO Company Again

2010-01-08T07:15:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SEO Consult Australia is currently celebrating its recent as the number one search engine optimization company in Australia for the fourth consecutive month by TopSEOs.com.

TopSEOs.com determine various different factors when analysing a company’s monthly performance in the field of SEO, including needs analysis, keyword analysis, on-page optimization and off-page optimization, and reporting methods. SEO Consult Australia scored ‘excellent’ on all the above measures – scoring ‘very good’ for off-page optimization – giving them an overall score of 96%.

The score means SEO Consult Australia retain their first place position in the rankings for Australian SEO companies for the fourth month in succession. SEO Consult Australia has grown impressively since its inception, and has 59 active clients and a 90% client retention rate.

“To be named in first position for the fourth consecutive month shows just how much we have grown in the last few months,” stated Matt Bullas, Managing Director of SEO Consult Australia. “We’re pleased with our progress and feel we have hit the ground running when offering search engine optimisation techniques to our clients for their websites. It’s great news that we’ve started the month in such a positive fashion and are looking to carry it on throughout 2010 and beyond.”

For more information or to find out more about SEO Consult Australia, please visit www.seoconsult.com.au

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

Smartertools Partners with ZNet Technologies to Offer SmarterTools Products

2010-01-08T07:12:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) ZNET Technologies Private Limited (formerly ZNET India) recently announced it has partnered with SmarterTools Inc. providing customers with the entire SmarterTools product line at great discounts and easy leasing options.

Under the terms of the agreement, ZNET Technologies will continue its role as a bundle provider, reseller and lease reseller of SmarterTools software. As a bundle provider, ZNET Technologies can also distribute professional editions of SmarterMail mail server, SmarterStats Web log analytics and SEO software, and SmarterTrack customer service software to qualified customers at no additional cost.

“This partnership is going to take our customer interactions to a new level where we’d be able to render them higher value for their money,” said Munesh Singh, CEO and founder of ZNET Technologies.

SmarterMail 6.x is a very economic alternative to Microsoft Exchange, offering enterprise-level functionality to businesses and web hosting companies. With features like advanced outlook synchronization, detailed reporting, message archiving, events/notifications, intrusion detection/prevention and out-of-the-box antispam and antivirus, ZNET Technologies clients will be able to enjoy a hassle-free and user-friendly mail server platform.

SmarterStats 5.x provides businesses, hosting environments, and webmasters with an in-depth understanding of keywords and visitor navigation trends by providing on-demand website statistics, SEO tools, custom reports, data mining, geographic mapping, and more.
SmarterTrack 4.x is a powerful help desk solution that provides tracking, reporting and managing functions for customer service and communications. Features include a state-of-art ticketing system, Live Chat, WhosOn, cost analysis, surveys, data mining, and reporting, branding and language support, and a Knowledge Base.

Globally, more than 15 million end users rely on these various applications by SmarterTools to communicate and collaborate, manage customer interactions, and track their online marketing performance. All SmarterTools products are designed to be through popular Web browsers and are thoroughly tested and optimized for the Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera browsers, allowing end users to access their mission-critical software from anywhere in the world.

About SmarterTools Inc.
Founded in 2003, SmarterTools Inc. is an information technology-management software company based in Phoenix, Arizona. SmarterTools builds a Windows mail server, customer service software, and Web log analytics and SEO software that simplify and automate the day-to-day IT operations of businesses and hosting environments in over 100 countries. Additional information about SmarterTools Inc. and the SmarterTools product line is available at www.smartertools.com.

About ZNET Technologies
ZNET Technologies Private Limited (formerly ZNET India) is a Jaipur, India-based Web hosting and IT infrastructure company founded in 1999 by techpreneur Munesh Singh. The core of the company is to provide domain name registration, Web hosting services (Windows, Linux and Java), business rmail hosting, SSL certificates, dedicated and Hyper-V powered VPS servers and reseller hosting services to global and local clients.

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

AspDotNetStorefront & eBridge Provide Accounting Packages for eCommerce

2010-01-07T09:05:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) AspDotNetStorefront announces a partnership with eBridge Software to provide mutual customers the opportunity to leverage accounting integrations by offering 37 of the world’s top accounting packages, including products such as Intuit Quickbooks®, PeachTree® by Sage, Sage MAS 90/200® and MAS 500®, Microsoft® Dynamics® AX, GP, NAV, and SL, and SAP® Business One.

“Enabling e-commerce store owners to concentrate on their businesses and not the manual entry of orders removes an enormous obstacle for them,” said Colin Brown. “In addition, having integration touch points into 37 major accounting packages will help AspDotNetStorefront expand their current solution offerings to their client base”.

“AspDotNetStorefront has always listened to our customers' needs and responded in a proactive manner. Many of our customers can benefit from an accounting package integration without having to take the time to build the integration from scratch. This new strategic partnership with eBridge is so exciting because it will offer AspDotNetStorefront users an easy tool to accomplish their accounting needs,” said Lisa Van Kuren, Marketing Manager for AspDotNetStorefront.

The eBridge integration leverages AspDotNetStorefront's powerful web service automation interface (WSI), allowing for seamless integration without modifying core application files. The AspDotNetStorefront ML eCommerce shopping cart software is available starting at $1,295 (WSI module sold separately) at http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com. Full source code is available for developers. For information about AspDotNetStorefront, contact sales at (602) 490-0243 option 2 or email sales(at)aspdotnetstorefront(dot)com. Ask us about discounts for multiple license purchases and developer pack specials.

About AspDotNetStorefront
AspDotNetStorefront.com, a division of Discovery Productions, Inc., is a privately held company headquartered in Westlake, OH, that provides online e-commerce shopping cart software for over 10,000 merchants and over 6,000 developers and DevNet partners. For more information, visit http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com or call 602-490–0243, x2.

About eBridge
Founded in 1993, eBridge Software leads the small to medium sized (SME) market in accounting software integration. Their powerful combination of Integration-as-a-Service (laaS) ePortal – including over 250 predefined connectors for EDI, ecommerce, CRM, and warehouse management – and our eBRIDGE adapters with over 37 accounting packages, makes eBRIDGE Software the only “last mile” integration-as-a-service company to offer such a wide range of integration solutions. The complete and flexible integration solution streamlines the business processes, saving you time and money. For more information visit www.ebridgesoft.com an EDI CRM SCM and Webstore front business software integration company.

©2010 AspDotNetStorefront.com. AspDotNetStorefront is a trademark of Discovery Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Product names mentioned herein are for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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

SMX West Announces Schedule for Training Workshop

2010-01-07T09:04:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SMX West announces three workshops conducted by leading experts in search marketing have been added to the Search Marketing Expo schedule.

SMX West will be held March 2-4, 2010 in Santa Clara, CA at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The conference agenda features more than 50 sessions over three days and a keynote address by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. See the SMX West agenda at http://searchmarketingexpo.com/west/2010/agenda.

The workshops will be held March 5, 2010. Attendees can choose from:

Bruce Clay SEO Training: Bruce Clay is one of the most knowledgeable, experienced and quoted search marketers on the planet. Bruce’s SEO Training workshop teaches marketers how to implement an effective search engine optimization process. He’ll cover how a search-engine-friendly web site impacts traffic, conversions and online revenue. And he’ll get down to the nitty gritty, white-hat-only tactics that improve site performance.

Google Analytics Training: Google Analytics is free, but only valuable if you know how to use it. Learn to optimize web traffic and drive conversions by planning an analytics strategy, understanding reports and defining what constitutes success for your business. This workshop is led by experts Brian Clifton, the former head of Web Analytics for Google EMEA, and Feras Alhlou, a Google Analytics Authorized Consultant and founder of E-Nor, a web marketing agency.

In-house SEM Exchange: In-house search marketers face unique challenges. That's why Jessica Bowman, a leading advocate for in-house SEO, created this all-interactive workshop focused exclusively on the issues faced by in-house search marketers. The content is guaranteed relevant because attendance is limited to in-housers. Attendees will share solutions and build relationships. It’s unlike any event you have ever attended!

Tickets to these workshops are limited, so prospective attendees are encouraged to register early. Combination SMX West All Access + Workshop passes are priced at $1,945 until the end of January, and include access to all four days of sessions, keynotes, networking activities and meals.

Passes for the Workshops only are also available and priced at $795 until January 31, 2010.

About Search Marketing Expo - SMX West and Third Door Media

SMX West 2010 features sessions just for you, whether you are just starting out in search or looking for advanced tactics, work on an in-house SEM team, hail from an agency, or own your own business.

Attend SMX West for:
- Exceptional content so compelling, you’ll want to implement what you’ve learned before leaving the conference. Super-charged sessions on PPC, SEO, local search, search friendly design and social media marketing will help you succeed today, tomorrow and in the future.
- Invaluable connections made possible by the ultimate mix of structured networking opportunities and social events. SMX makes it easy to make new contacts and exchange ideas with industry thought leaders and colleagues.
- Essential conveniences to help you juggle your every-day responsibilities while maximizing your conference time: always-available and free Wi-Fi; hot lunches, snacks and beverages all day; access to all presentations and tools to plan your custom itinerary.

The Search Marketing Expo - SMX conference series is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media's mission is to empower internet and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful. Search Marketing Expo conferences are held around the world and include: SMX West (Santa Clara, CA), SMX East (New York City), SMX Advanced (Seattle, WA and London, England), SMX Munich, SMX Toronto, SMX Sydney, SMX Xiamen (China) and SMX Stockholm.

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

WebspaceHosting Marks the New Year with Special $20.10 Pricing

2010-01-07T09:02:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) WebspaceHosting, a provider of cPanel-powered shared Web hosting solutions, announced today it is marking the New Year with special pricing on its most popular hosting plan, dropping the price to just $20.10 total for the first six months—a savings of nearly $70.

The Ultimate hosting plan, which is normally priced at $14.99 per month, offers unlimited data transfer, 500GB of storage space, and no limits on core features, including email accounts, FTP accounts, and MySQL databases. The flat $20.10 pricing on the plan covers the entire first six months, and pricing returns to a monthly $14.99 per month thereafter.

“For more than a decade, WebspaceHosting has offered high-quality, affordable shared hosting solutions for thousands of individuals and small businesses in the Midwest and around the world. As we ring in the New Year, we thought it would be appropriate to open our doors to a new wave of customers, and celebrate the success we’ve had in the last decade,” said Aaron Kolodjski, owner of WebspaceHosting.

WebspaceHosting offers two other hosting plans. Its entry level Mini plan starts at $4.99 per month and offers unlimited data transfer, 10GB of storage space, and the ability to host up to five web sites. All hosting plans include the Plesk Website Builder and a 99.9% Uptime Guarantee.

To learn more about WebspaceHosting, please visit http://webspacehosting.com.

To learn more about shared hosting plans from WebspaceHosting, please visit http://webspacehosting.com/uncomplicated-hosting-plans.html.

About WebspaceHosting
WebspaceHosting has been hosting Web sites since 1998, and is dedicated to meeting the latest in hosting needs. With its Fantastico script installer, Plesk Site Builder, and world-class cPanel control panel, WebspaceHosting serves thousands of satisfied individuals and small businesses worldwide . WebspaceHosting offers 24/7 support and a 99.9% uptime guarantee for all customers.

http://www.gawkwire.com/promotions/webspacehosting_marks_the_new_year_with_special_20_10_pricing.html

GreenSoft Solutions announces enhanced security to its Client Portal

2010-01-07T09:00:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) GreenSoft Solutions, Inc. ("GSI"), a managed services provider, has announced it has enhanced security to its Client Portal, providing GSI clients secure access to a detailed view of their system activity. All GSI clients can now access the Client Portal by using PhoneFactor two-factor authentication, which uses any phone as a second form of authentication. This two-factor method replaces the former authentication that relied solely on username and password.

"GSI supports the health of our clients' overall business processes through our managed service delivery, and with this enhancement to our Client Portal, our clients can now more securely conduct their own real-time 'health checks' at any time," said Kelly Kephart, CEO of GSI. "The client can assess exactly what GSI is doing for them on a daily basis. And they can use the tool as yet another avenue of communication with GSI to perform administrative functions, as well as view specifics like capacity and device status."

The implementation of the PhoneFactor service is in line with GSI's customized secure managed services that often require specific compliance with Payment Card Industry or other data security standards. GSI conducted in-depth analysis of how to provide its clients the most comprehensive view of their daily activities, in the most secure manner. GSI's subsequent decision to use the two-factor authentication service means that, before granting the client entry into the Client Portal, the PhoneFactor system calls a client-provided phone number and requests verification of the client's PIN.

Once in the Client Portal, clients have access to comprehensive information specific to their account, such as trouble ticket history and status, records of communication with GSI, bandwidth usage, server status, and much more. They can also define who, within their company, can have access to the Client Portal.

"GSI's security expertise is one of our primary differentiators," said Kephart. "It is only fitting that our clients should have the most secure access to their own information. Implementing two factors of security is one more way of demonstrating our commitment to the integrity of client data."

About GSI
GSI (www.gsihosting.com) provides managed hosting services to companies with complex infrastructure, connectivity, or data security and compliance needs. GSI's enterprise-class data centers in the United States, Canada and Europe, combined with 24x7 ServerHeroes™ management, enable the utmost availability and security of client applications. Our "Let's Get It Done Right" commitment brings a superior level of confidence and freedom to IT professionals, allowing GSI's clients to achieve a more strategic approach in their business operations.

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

Five Considerations for Data Center Outsourcing

2010-01-07T09:16:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Managed data center operators, Online Tech has compiled a list of the top five considerations when thinking about outsourcing a data center.

Colocation or Dedicated Servers? Colocation is an excellent choice if you already own your servers or have the capital expense budget for the hardware. However, a dedicated server solution may be a better option for companies with a little less flexibility in their budget because it removes the CAPEX burden from the server-hosting model by providing the server hardware and administration for a simple monthly fee.

Stripped Down, Fully Managed or Something In-between? The best choice often depends on the availability and bandwidth available from your IT staff. Raw colocation and basic dedicated servers typically only include Internet connection, protected power and network connectivity. Everything else, including network security, monitoring and managing your servers is left to you, the client, to solve. These solutions are primarily targeted to organizations with robust IT staffs.

Managed servers are best suited for organizations with limited IT staffs. Managed servers include a full set of services from the data center operator, including 24/7 monitoring of the server, network and applications, and acting as the first responder by troubleshooting problems and coordinating remediation.

Tape or Online Backup, Onsite or Offsite? One trend that has really accelerated over the last year is the move from tape backup to online backup. With the costs of storage and Internet bandwidth continuing to drop, it has become very cost effective to backup and archive data online.

For less than $100 per month, you can backup your server across a separate backup network on a flexible backup schedule, with multiple restore points and bare metal restoration. And with data center operators like Online Tech that have multiple geographically dispersed data centers, you can also backup your server to another data center for just a few dollars more per month.

Virtualized or Dedicated? The problem with many dedicated servers is that they are often only using 10-15% of their computing capacity. With virtualization, it’s possible to reclaim the unutilized capacity for other applications on the same platform.

While vendors like VMware still seem to do their best to make it seem complicated, managed data center operators can make virtualization a hassle-free experience. When you’re looking at outsourcing options, your colocation or managed server partner should be able to discuss virtualization options with you.

Private or Public Cloud? There are still issues around data security, privacy and performance guarantees that have many users still fearful of the cloud. One can suspect that the reason why public cloud vendors don’t offer a defined SLA is because they are still “figuring out” how to deliver the service reliably and securely.

The opportunity to move the computing infrastructure into a “private cloud” – where the computing power and data resources are dedicated to a specific client in a specific location with a trusted data center partner – yet shared in a cloud formation to allow expansion and contraction of applications within the private cloud has become appealing to more security and control conscious IT departments.

When deciding to outsource your data center, you should begin with the above considerations in mind. Always speak about your decisions with a data center operator to determine if they can provide you with the best-optimized solution.

For more information about any of the above items, please visit Online Tech at www.onlinetech.com.

About Online Tech
Online Tech is one of the Midwest’s Premier Managed Data Center Operators. Online Tech helps companies manage their growing demand for data and computing capacity through its SAS 70 secure and reliable multi-tenant data centers. With a full range of managed colocation and managed dedicated server offerings, industry leaders trust Online Tech to insure their servers are always on, always online, and always safe.

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

Web Hosting Plan Discovers Googles Adsense Payout Ratio

2010-01-06T06:27:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Web Hosting Plans added a dofollow web hosting blog to the services it provides to Web Hosting clients and the internet generally. This service is aimed at helping both its new clients and its experienced clients keep up to date with the latest SEO, applications and security issues in the industry by providing real case studies from its partnerships with existing web hosting clients.

Web Hosting Plan recently completed an Adsense and Adwords campaign for one of its clients - Darwin Fishing Charters. This program was into researching the market for a suitable choice of domain name and to establish search volume in that market niche so that this business had the best chance of picking up those vital Google SERPS.

While undertaking the study we saw that some Adwords advertisements from other partnerships were being displayed on Darwin Fishing Charters website. Given that this was a new website there was no real direct traffic, however there was a click on the Adsense advertisement of this other partner. As this click was noticed immediately we were able to look into the Adsense account and the Adwords account of the other client. Here are the results:

Adsense = $0.62 was the income.
Adwords = $0.43 was the expense.
Payout ratio =43/62 = 69%. Given that there is rounding 70% is more accurate.

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

Peak 10 Expands Credit Facility to $95 Million

2010-01-06T06:24:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Peak 10, a managed services company which recently acquired Fort Lauderdale-based 1Vault Networks, has amended and expanded its credit facility to $95 million. RBC Capital Markets was the Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Book Runner for the bank syndicate. GE Capital Corporation was the syndication agent and Royal Bank of Canada was the documentation agent. The majority of the $95 million credit facility will accelerate Peak 10’s capacity expansion plans and fund development in its high-growth markets. Royal Bank of Canada will act as Administrative Agent for the Lenders.

“Our consistently improving financial results and strong cash flow coupled with the expanded credit facility further position us to execute our business plan centered on accretive organic growth and new market expansion,” said Brian Noonan, the chief financial officer of Peak 10. “Being able to obtain flexible and competitive terms in the current market and attract new lenders speaks volumes about our disciplined business operating philosophy and financial metrics.”

The expanded $95 million credit facility is an integral part of Peak 10’s strategic plan which has been methodically executed since the company’s inception. The company has managed a path of steady and consistent growth organically in its local markets and through its acquisitions of established data center companies in Louisville, Ky., Nashville, Tenn., Richmond, Va. and most recently, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In late 2007 and early 2008, Peak 10 opened greenfield data centers in Atlanta, Ga. and Cincinnati, Oh. respectively. Additionally, over the last 18 months Peak 10 has completed construction of additional facilities in its Nashville, Tenn.; Tampa, Fla.; and Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. markets to meet customer growth and demand.

“We have consistently invested significant success based capital into our existing facilities and are continuously enhancing and upgrading our technology solutions for our customers,” said David Jones, the president and CEO of Peak 10. “Our management team remains committed to an aggressive posture in executing our strategy of organic in-market growth and expansion into new metropolitan markets with attractive growth prospects.”

Peak 10 will invest additional resources and capital into its managed services platform, particularly its next-generation private cloud infrastructure. The company has been delivering cloud-based solutions to customers for several years and will be performing a technology refresh to stay ahead of the market. Peak 10 customers who utilize its private cloud solutions will enjoy increased scalability and performance with access to external cloud resources, all while maintaining a high level of security and integrity.

“Peak 10’s ability to expand its credit facility is a result of its dedicated and experienced management team and commitment to scale the business in a disciplined manner,” said Kevin Brandon, Peak 10 board Chairman. “With a strong balance sheet and rising cash flow, Peak 10 has tremendous momentum entering 2010.”

Peak 10’s managed IT and data center services improve performance, reliability, lower costs and maximize internal resources for customers while keeping their valuable information technology assets close to the business. The company combines its secure, private network and enterprise-class data centers with world-class engineering and support to serve market-leading companies nationwide. As a managed services leader, Peak 10 offers a wide range of technology services including virtualization, managed hosting, and cloud-based services in a cost-efficient and reliable platform for its customers. The company owns and operates data centers in ten key markets that include Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlanta, Ga.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; Tampa, Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; and Richmond, Va.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/peak_10_expands_credit_facility_to_95_million.html

The Character-Driven Company: Five Simple Rules to Help Yours Become One

2010-01-06T06:22:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Now that the clean slate of 2010 is here, most people have bid their old bad habits a not-so-fond farewell (okay, in theory, anyway) and are trying to make good on their new year's resolution.And if you own a business, you may have your own version of this custom. Right now you're probably busy taking inventory, organizing your books, and evaluating what you did right (and not so right) in hopes of preparing yourself for a profitable new year. Dave Anderson has a suggestion: Instead of focusing solely on financial matters, why not take a good hard look at the character of your company?

"When you really think about it, the Ponzi schemes and shady CEO scandals that made headlines throughout 2009 boil down to a lack of solid character," says Anderson, author of How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK: A Biblical Blueprint to Bless Your Business (Wiley, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-4704964-2-8, $24.95). "Character does matter in business. And right now, at the beginning of a new year, is a great time to sit down and define your goals for the character of your company with your employees. "

That's right. Anderson is asking business leaders to get serious about defining what their company stands for—and share those values with employees.
"It's amazing how few leaders take the time to do this," says Anderson. "They may feel uncomfortable discussing character issues, or maybe they've never given a lot of thought to what they really stand for themselves. But just resolving to sit down and articulate your beliefs is a powerful exercise—and one that yields powerful results."

Not exactly certain what constitutes good character? You're in luck! Anderson says there are five simple rules that every employee, from the top of the corporate ladder on down should follow to ensure that they have a rock-solid character next year:

Don't Tell White Lies. We're all guilty of telling a white lie or two. In fact, most of us do it on a daily basis and hardly even notice anymore! And while we may consider those little untruths to be harmless, consider that instructing your receptionist to tell a caller that you're out of the office when you really aren't is a reflection on your own character. White lies are still lies, after all. Think of all the business scandal stories from this past year and how many of them were the result of dishonesty—and how that dishonesty shattered the lives of so many people.

"White lies are like the gateway drug to bigger offenses," says Anderson. "And even though telling the truth is often the hard and unpopular thing to do, honesty is rule number one to developing sound character. Tell the truth because it is the right thing to do, and encourage your employees to do the same. In the end it protects your personal integrity, and honors, rather than diminishes, everyone who hears what you have to say."

Keep Your Commitments. Have you ever made a business promise that you didn't keep? Perhaps you didn't follow through with a promised promotion, or skipped out early on a day when you promised to work late. And given the past year's turbulent economy, it's even more likely that you found yourself in a situation where your mouth wrote checks in the good times that your bank account can no longer cash. Cutting expenses is necessary and understandable, but Anderson warns that breaking promises is not—even if it turns out to be more costly, inconvenient, or time-consuming than you estimated.

"Don't take your promises casually," asserts Anderson, "and explain to your employees that they shouldn't either. This is a real test of 'practice what you preach,' as your employees will be less inclined to follow this guideline if they don't see you doing the same. Before you commit to anything, make certain that you can live with the worst-case scenario resulting from what you're agreeing to, and always, always follow through. Do what you said you'd do, regardless of the cost."

Go the Second Mile. One of the most common character flaws in leaders and their employees is that they do just enough to get by; they come to work and do just enough to get paid and just enough not to get fired. That's not good enough, says Anderson. He suggests thinking about it this way: If the majority of people are doing only the minimum, then those who give just a little bit more of themselves will stand out and be highly valued—a great asset for any company or individual to have. So think about what you can do to go the extra mile each day. It may mean volunteering to take on an extra project, coming in on a Saturday once in a while, or taking a night class to improve your skill set. Whatever that extra mile may be, the benefits will be well worth your sacrifice.

"Some of the most successful business men and women will readily admit that they are no smarter than their less successful counterparts," explains Anderson. "They simply outwork them, outthink them, and, as a result, outperform them. By doing what others were unwilling to do, going where they were unwilling to go, saying what they were unwilling to say, learning what they were unwilling to learn, and risking what they were unwilling to risk, they earned a success and a lifestyle that the 'just enough' crowd was unable to attain."

Don't Give False Impressions. When it comes to business, false impressions are everywhere. From misleading advertising campaigns to padded resumes, you won't be hard pressed to find examples of people trying to make others believe things are better than they really are. But Anderson says that you have to be upfront and honest with those you work with, or you may lose your credibility and build up bitterness and resentment in a once-valuable business relationship. Think about the ways that you or your company may be misleading others, and find ways to stop it.

"There are a few simple things you can do to get your employees and organization on the road to transparency," explains Anderson. "For starters, stop any misleading advertising you may be engaged in—and if you're not sure if it's misleading, then it probably is! Make sure that you aren't spinning feedback to make someone feel as though they're doing better or worse than they really are. And certainly don't mislead any potential job candidates or employees about realities concerning compensation, advancement, or future plans. Cultivating a culture of honesty in your organization will only bless your business."

Reconcile and Forgive Immediately. Holding grudges is a common and unfortunate consequence of competitive business. Resentment builds up when employees leave organizations, mistakes are made, or when coworkers feel slighted. This is an appropriate time of year to take an inventory of grudges you may be nursing, people you're resenting, and those with whom you must reconcile. It doesn't matter how far back the offense was. If you're carrying it around, it's affecting your performance, whether you realize it or not. Suggest to your employees that they think about any hard feelings they may be harboring from the past year, and encourage them to make amends.

"When you are busy harboring resentment and holding onto grudges, you are taking time and precious energy away from the things you could be doing to increase your productivity and your business," asserts Anderson. "Bring closure to past offenses. Identify amends you must make, with whom, and do it quickly. By holding onto these hard feelings, you aren't hurting the other person; you're hurting yourself! And having a clear conscience and a sound heart is a key component to having a solid character."

Still skeptical about your ability to pull off this exercise—not to mention how well received it's likely to be? Just give it a try, urges Anderson. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. But if you can't bring yourself to discuss these matters openly, just living them sends a persuasive message.

"It's one thing to sit down with your employees and share your values, but the best way to get the message across is to make sure you are setting the example yourself," Anderson concludes. "You have to walk the walk. If you haven't been doing so, make a point to change that in 2010. Others in your organization will be sure to follow. And you'll see firsthand that a business that is based on strong core values and a shared vision is one that's headed for long-term success and prosperity."

About the Author:
Dave Anderson is president of Dave Anderson's Learn to Lead and has given over 1,000 leadership presentations in thirteen countries. He is the author of If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown; Up Your Business!; How to Deal with Difficult Customers; and the TKO business series, all from Wiley. He and his wife, Rhonda, are cofounders of The Matthew 25.35 Foundation, which helps feed, educate, and house destitute people throughout the world.

For more information, please visit www.learntolead.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/reviews/the_character-driven_company_five_simple_rules_to_help_yours_bec.html

Network Solutions Ranks Among 16 Popular Web Site Redesigns for 2009

2010-01-06T06:21:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) SmashingApps, a web site for web developers and designers, announced a list of 16 popular web site redesigns of 2009, chosen for their simple, sleek look, as well as the use of color and fonts, which contribute to the overall presentation. The list included Network Solutions® web site among other well known brands.

"We're honored to be recognized by Smashingapps along with the other great companies on the list," said Pragnesh Shah, vice president of Web Storefront & Online Sales at Network Solutions. "Our redesigned site was a large effort and has been well received by the small business and web professional customers we cater to, and our team continues to improve it every day."

Network Solutions worked closely with Pappas Group, a leading brand consultancy and design group based in Virginia, to align the company's brand strategy and web site more closely with its goal of providing businesses everything needed to succeed online. The web design team focused on simplifying the layout of products and services as well as streamlining the site navigation so customers could find the information they need quickly. In addition, the team worked to eliminate technical jargon used to describe services in order to make the site more appealing to small business owners.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/network_solutions_ranks_among_16_popular_web_site_redesigns_for_.html

Royalty Networks Reveals New Web site and Clustered Hosting Services

2010-01-05T13:00:00-05:00

MONTREAL, Canada (Gawkwire.com) Royalty Networks, a leading provider of Linux and Windows clustered hosting solutions, announced today it has released its new Web site design, along with new clustered hosting plans.

Previously known as Royalty Hosting, Royalty Networks offers quality Linux Hosting, Windows Hosting and Dual-Platform Reseller Hosting based on a state-of-the-art clustered hosting architecture. These multi-platform clustered solutions are meant to cover the needs of many individuals searching for reliable web hosting.

“Compared to traditional hosting, clustered hosting offers more scalability, better performance and higher availability by spreading the load of your Web site across multiple specialized nodes. This innovative type of web hosting is ideal for those looking for ultimate performance and uptime for their Web sites,” said David Ohayon, founder and CEO of Royalty Networks.
With its competitive hosting plans, Royalty Networks makes an upgrade to a multi-server clustered hosting environment easy and affordable.

Royalty Networks has also fully redesigned its Web site and introduced many key features, one of them being a new Network Status page to announce all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance notices in real-time via Twitter, RSS and email. Twitter integration with the company’s new Web site will open an additional communication stream to stay in touch with its client base by delivering exciting deals and up-to-the-minute information about Royalty Networks’ service status.

Royalty Networks can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/royaltynetworks.

With its new name, new design and new clustered hosting plans, Royalty Networks is confident that it will gain the trust of many clients looking for affordable and reliable hosting solutions.

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

Domain Names at Half Price

2010-01-05T13:00:00-05:00

Manchester, UK (Gawkwire.com) Following the time honoured tradition of January Sales in the United Kingdom, UK domain name and website hosting firm 34SP.com has announced a special promotional sale to run for the month of January which offers all new domain names at 50 percent off the normal retail price.

According to information released by 34SP.com, the company will offer .co.uk domain names for just £2.50 per year for the first 2 years during the promotional period. Recently conducted market research indicates that this is the lowest price currently available for UK domains. Additionally, the company said that this is the lowest .co.uk domain name price it has ever offered. The special January Sale pricing covers all top level domains offered by the company including, .com, .net, .org, .eu and .mobi to name just a few. There is no limit on the number of domains that may be ordered at the discounted price. 34SP.com is a Nominet certified domain registrar.

Stuart Melling, co-founder of 34SP.com commented on the half price domain name sale, ''We are happy to offer these historically low domain name prices during this time of economic uncertainty. Any time you can save half off a purchase that you really need, it helps out. Of course we also expect that customers will discover our service oriented web hosting products, and take advantage of our great values in hosting as well.''

34SP.com offers a wide variety of the most popular domain name types including UK domain names. The prices for these domains during the special January Sale is 50% off standard retail prices. The 50% off pricing is available on new domain purchases only (excludes renewals or transfers) and will revert to standard pricing upon renewal. The 34SP.com January Sale is for a limited time only - and will conclude at the end of January 2010.

34SP.com has solidified its reputation based on great customer service. The company recently upgraded to to the latest version of the SmarterTrack help desk application software created by SmarterTools. According to information released by 34SP.com, the company is continuing its efforts to provide the highest possible levels of technical support to web hosting clients. The company was also recently among the first web hosts to offer a new VPS template, pre-installed with the Google Go development language, ready for rapid development testing. Go is a proprietary programming language that Google has been using internally for a quite some time, and has now been released under an open source license.

To learn more about 34SP.com domain name registration and the special January Sale pricing please visit: http://www.34sp.com/domains.

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

KickAssVPS.com Partners with SmarterTools to Offer Productivity Software

2010-01-05T13:00:00-05:00

ST. PAUL, MN (Gawkwire.com) KickAssVPS.com, a leader in Linux and Microsoft Windows Virtual Private Server hosting, announced today it will continue its partnership with SmarterTools, which allows it to offer its clients access to award-winning productivity software at no additional charge.

Through the partnership, KickAssVPS customers receive access to the latest versions of the SmarterMail mail server, SmarterStats Web log analytics and SEO software, and SmarterTrack customer service software at no cost to them. The automation and productivity software enables small to medium-sized businesses to operate more efficiently. KickAssVPS customers can receive their licenses to the software via their customer control panel.

SmarterMail is a cost-effective Microsoft Exchange alternative, bringing enterprise-level functionality to businesses, ISPs, and Web hosting environments. Features include a rich Webmail interface, detailed reporting, events/notifications, throttling, email archiving, intrusion detection/prevention, advanced synchronization, out-of-the-box antispam and antivirus, and optional add-ons for Exchange ActiveSync and Commtouch Antispam.

SmarterStats provides businesses, hosting environments, and webmasters with an in-depth understanding of keywords and visitor navigation trends by providing on-demand website statistics, SEO tools, custom reports, data mining, geographic mapping, and more.

SmarterTrack is a powerful help desk application built for tracking, managing, and reporting on customer service and communications, including sales and support issues. Features include a Ticket system, Live Chat, WhosOn, branding and language support, cost analysis, data mining, reporting, surveys, and a Knowledge Base.

“For more than a year, SmarterTools has provided our clients with the feature-rich, robust software they need to succeed in running their businesses. SmarterTools enables us to make our services more valuable and competitive,” said Brian Emerson, president and CTO, KickAssVPS.com.
KickAssVPS.com provides standardized and customized Virtual Private Servers, operating with a 100% Microsoft Certified, United States-based workforce. Virtual Private Server plans, available on both Linux and Microsoft Windows platforms, start at $25 monthly. KickAssVPS.com also offers ColdFusion Hosting; SSL Certificates; Shared Web hosting; and Domain Name registration.

To learn more about KickAssVPS, please visit http://www.kickassvps.com.
To learn more about SmarterTools, please visit http://www.smartertools.com.

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

'Kill Obama' Facebook group active for a month

2010-01-05T17:28:00-05:00

(cnet) Everyone is talking security these days. Does this include Facebook?

I ask because a group called "Kill Obama" was on the social-networking site for more than a month before Facebook's attention was drawn to it by CNET late Monday evening.

The group, which appears to have been created in Alberta, Canada, had 122 members and five administrators. Its existence originally caught the eye of Brian Cuban, brother of tech entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

Brian Cuban, who has long criticized Facebook for its attitude toward Holocaust denial groups, used his blog, the Cuban Revolution, to point out the apparent criminality of the "Kill Obama" group: those found guilty of a threat to kill the president could face up to five years in jail.

The "Kill Obama" group, which was active since November, was entirely open and set out its goals like this: "We are going to kill Obama. Ten of us will surround the capital, armed with sniper rifles. Mr. Hope And Change just made his last speech."

Facebook's response might strike some as peculiarly confident. Andrew Noyes of Facebook's public-policy group in Washington, D.C., told me via e-mail: ...Go to source

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

Server-Virtualization & Colocation Company Expedient Unveils New Website

2010-01-05T06:44:00-05:00

Pittsburgh, PA (Gawkwire.com) Managed-services provider Expedient has a new look. It is excited to showcase new products such as Virtual Colocation and Managed Virtual Instances, along with a 3D virtual tour of its second Cleveland data center. The site offers wholesale improvements over the previous version in both appearance and functionality.

Expedient’s redesign improves the customer service experience by enabling them to open support tickets on the website and request a quote for a broader range of services. The redesigned quote tool provides additional options and more accurate quotes for potential customers.

A 3D virtual tour of Expedient’s eighth data center, Cleveland NEO 152, has also been added to the site. The video shows the facility being built and reveals the components required for an enterprise-class data center. This facility provides a perfect platform for Expedient’s Managed Services offerings.

“The new website is a welcome refresh,” says Bryan K. Smith, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “We are pleased to offer our potential clients and existing loyal customers better ways to find our products and solutions, including the new, up-and-coming products: Virtual Colocation and Virtual Instances. Additionally, the virtual tour of our new Cleveland data center gives potential customers a better look at one of the most advanced facilities in Ohio. We will be adding updated 3D virtual tours of all of our facilities in 2010. We’ve also taken the first step to boost our online support by allowing customers to open tickets. All in all, the improvements we’ve made should significantly enhance the site’s usability, functionality, and image.”

In the last year, Expedient opened two new data centers, including its second Cleveland and Pittsburgh facilities. The company intends to expand the Cleveland facility in the future, adding two more phases to the current campus and bringing the total square footage to almost 50,000.

For additional information on the new Expedient website or services like cloud computing, virtual server environments, and Virtual Colocation, contact Molly Fagan at 216-373-8526.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/server-virtualization_colocation_company_expedient_unveils_new_w.html

Fusepoint Managed Services Renews Commitment to Tier 1 PCI, DSS Compliance

2010-01-05T06:40:00-05:00

Toronto, Ontario (Gawkwire.com) Fusepoint Managed Services, a national provider of outsourced IT and infrastructure services, today announced it has, for the third consecutive year, been approved by VISA as compliant with the highest level of Payment Card Industry, Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Fusepoint originally achieved compliance in 2007 to meet the needs of mid-to-large sized enterprise clients who process credit cards and were required to be PCI DSS compliant themselves.

PCI DSS is a data protection standard created by the payment card industry that aims to secure credit cardholder information wherever it resides. PCI DSS applies to organizations that store, process or transmit cardholder information, and outlines steps that merchants and service providers must take to achieve compliance. Non-compliance can be costly, as companies that do not meet PCI's 12 requirements run the risk of not being able to conduct business with leading credit card companies including Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

"Outsourcing the components of your IT infrastructure that process, store or touch credit cards in any way, to a provider that is already compliant, simply makes good business sense from a bottom line perspective," said George Kerns, President and CEO of Fusepoint Managed Services. "Clients can not only leverage the extensive investments we have made in our people, processes and technologies, they can also leverage Fusepoint's certifications which include CICA 5970, SAS70 Type II, as well as Tier 1 PCI DSS."

To help clients understand the demarcation points of who is responsible for what components in becoming compliant, the company has assembled an online tutorial webcast which can be viewed here: http://www.fusepoint.com/webinars/PCI/player.html

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/fusepoint_managed_services_renews_commitment_to_tier_1_pci_dss_c.html

MySQL Expert to Demonstrate How to Configure MySQL Monitoring in Just Minutes

2010-01-05T06:38:00-05:00

Santa Barbara, CA (Gawkwire.com) As part of the World’s Shortest Webinar Series, veteran data center manager and monitoring guru, Steve Francis, will demonstrate LogicMonitor’s configuration-free MySQL Monitoring solution. The January 20th online demonstration will give datacenter managers the opportunity to see how in-depth monitoring can be configured from start-to-finish in just minutes. The company will offer webinar attendees an extended 30-day trial of LogicMonitor’s MySQL monitoring service.

Just one of many MySQL graphs that are available without any configuration

Registration is open to IT managers on a first-come, first-served basis:

The MySQL monitoring demonstration is the third episode in The World’s Shortest Webinar Series (WorldsShortestWebinar.com), the first two covering NetApp and Netscaler monitoring. On the idea for the World’s Shortest Webinars, LogicMonitor CEO, Steve Francis notes, “IT managers don’t have hours of spare time, so we thought this would be a unique opportunity to prove to them that configuring in-depth monitoring of MySQL, NetApps, Netscalers, networks, servers, and applications, doesn’t have to be a lengthy, and often-times error-prone process. We can demonstrate the value of LogicMonitor in just minutes. So why take up any more of their time than we have to?”

LogicMonitor provides full monitoring of MySQL, complete with best practices alerts and thresholds distilled from years of real life datacenter experience. The hosted solution revolutionizes monitoring by providing more metrics, and presenting them in an intuitive visual format so that issues can be easily spotted, diagnosed, and resolved to maintain maximum uptime.

“We managed datacenters for ASPs and Enterprises for over 15 years. During that time, we were never able to find a monitoring system that delivered what is really needed in the trenches by a web-focused company. So we built it ourselves,” stated Francis.

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

SEO Firm Achieves 3rd Record Qtr in a Row and Nearly Doubles Revenues in 2009

2010-01-05T06:36:00-05:00

Plymouth, IN (Gawkwire.com) ThinkBIGsites has again been ranked as a Top 10 Best Search Engine Optimization Firm for January 2010 by topseos.com. topseos.com specializes in evaluating and ranking companies in a variety of web categories each month.

ThinkBIG is a rapidly growing internet marketing leader that has achieved very notable success in the past year. The company specializes in creating more web traffic and providing outstanding SEO results. Managing Partner, Marc Arner is the creative mastermind behind developing the business model and technical strategies that have quickly propelled ThinkBIG into the global spotlight because of their proven internet marketing results. “I believe that running a world-class company and leading the way in a very competitive industry can only be accomplished with a solid and consistent team effort. In fact, at ThinkBIG we’ve surrounded ourselves with only the brightest and most innovative minds in the business today. I simply lay out the game plan for our team and then they execute it to perfection – I can’t ask for more than that,” said Arner.

This great success calls for expansion so that ThinkBIG can continue to offer great services but to a rapidly widening audience. The demand is certainly there with the company opening “an unprecedented 30 new accounts during the week before Thanksgiving.” In order to accommodate such growth and success, as well as managing the overwhelming demand for its services, ThinkBIG has hired 43 new sales affiliates since September.

Not only has ThinkBIG mastered the art of search engine optimization, the company has also molded itself into a one-stop destination for all web related needs. The company can take a site from creation or redesign, optimize it for solid SEO results, manage the site’s PPC campaigns and just about anything else necessary to keep a clients website in the forefront with a firm hold on their targeted world-wide web audience.

“At ThinkBIG we’ve been setting the standard in SEO and PPC for almost three years now regarding quality service and rapid, high level results. In fact, most ThinkBIG clients have reached page 1 on Google organically within 90 days. Many of our clients are small to midsized companies who now own a very sought after and coveted position within Google’s Top 10 organic rankings – hence, You don’t have to Be BIG to Rank BIG, you just have to ThinkBIG,” said Managing Partner, PJ Cammarata. ThinkBIG experienced tremendous growth in revenue in 2009 with three record breaking quarters in a row. And their fourth quarter revenue surpassed the record third quarter results by 25%.

Along with their proven results, ThinkBIG’s main priority is delivering high quality customer service that goes well beyond just rhetoric. The company also shows great confidence by offering short term initial contracts of only 3 months rather than the 6 or 12 months plus required by many of its competitors. After the fulfillment of the three month contract, ThinkBIG offers their services on a month to month basis so that customers have the option to stop service at anytime thereafter. “In today’s challenging economy, we feel that long term contracts may not always be in the client’s best interest. We find that many companies who are in dire need of high quality web services are often skeptical and hesitant regarding long term commitments. We’ve come to learn that when the client is comfortable and given reasonable expectations, the odds of a successful internet marketing campaign rise dramatically,” said Managing Partner, Marc Arner.

As far as new developments, growth forecasts for the year ahead illustrate that the various records broken in 2009 will be dwarfed by ThinkBIG in 2010. The company’s success in 2009 is clearly evident by its widening brand name recognition and their exceptional industry coverage including being featured recently on CNN’s “Inside Business” for being a proven leader in the internet marketing space. ThinkBIG continues to grow while staying well informed on the latest web techniques and offering exceptional customer service. topseos.com is proud to call ThinkBIGsites.com one of its Best Search Engine Optimization firms for January 2010.

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/seo_firm_achieves_3rd_record_qtr_in_a_row_and_nearly_doubles_rev.html

Vision Helpdesk offers Free WHMCS Billing Software

2010-01-05T06:34:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) TheVisionWorld.com providers of an affordable leading helpdesk Vision, Today announced their new partnership with WHMCS Ltd — A client-management and billing automation company.

“Now, Vision Helpdesk Ultimate monthly lease license plan comes with a Free WHMCS monthly lease billing software. At the cost of $29.99 per month you get a Vision Helpdesk software with unlimited Addon domains plus a Free WHMCS Billing Software — What could be better than that…? ” — said a company release.

Company HR. Preeti Sharma said — “We use WHMCS billing software to manage our clients billing — It’s is a fantastic billing software. WHMCS - Leading billing software combined with the leading Vision Helpdesk software — customers can manage their billing and support activities with an ease. Vision Helpdesk integrates with WHMCS billing software to offer five different modules” –

* Per Ticket Billing (add billing notes, create invoice, track payment status from vision helpdesk)
* Login Integration (i.e. single login for both systems)
* Override WHMCS default support module with Vision Helpdesk.
* Fetch WHMCS fields (example - Client Package, Server Login, Status, etc...) in to Vision Helpdesk.
* Migrate Tickets from WHMCS to Vision Helpdesk.

“We continually bolster our plans to meet the ever-evolving requirements of online businesses, Offering WHMCS billing software free of cost along with Vision Helpdesk is another example of our commitment to provide excellent value to our customers”, said Sharma.

For more details check our plans - http://www.thevisionworld.com/purchase http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/vision_helpdesk_offers_free_whmcs_billing_software.html

Blast Applications Purchases and Launches Tweexchange.com

2010-01-04T06:22:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Blast Applications, Inc. (OTC: BLAP – News) announced today it has officially launched newly acquired and fully developed website, www.tweexchange.com. Tweexchange.com is the fastest and easiest way to search Twitter Usernames and Internet Domain Names at the same time. Tweexchange.com also unveiled a new integration with GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar. Through the domain name search, users can backorder and register Domains using GoDaddy. If a name is taken and is currently listed for sale on Sedo.com, members can also try to purchase names through the site using the Sedo API.

This is one of the first sites to launch with the functionality to ease and reduce time securing the right name for branding purposes. With domain name investment an established industry, consumers can conveniently secure a Twitter ID to match. Cross-referencing Twitter and GoDaddy with Tweexchange.com also enables their members for a fee, to be notified when Twitter Usernames and internet domain names become available from being in a suspended state. Tweexchange.com provides Blast Applications with several different revenue streams contained within one site.

Dino Luzzi, CEO of BlastApplications.com said, “When you think about Blast, our newest web portal, Tweexchange.com truly fits the bill. This one stop shop for users to acquire and reserve user names and domain names through two of the largest providers of branding elements on the web today, Twitter and GoDaddy is truly a blast.”

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

Career Seminar for IT Professionals on January 7th @ Microsoft, Reston, VA

2010-01-04T06:11:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) Explore current job market potential and opportunities for.NET, SharePoint, SQL Server and Microsoft Business Intelligence professionals with representatives of SetFocus, and hiring partner, Avanade Federal Systems. Learn how The Master’s Program®, with its combination of technical training and placement support, can advance your career.

WHAT: SetFocus hiring partner, Avanade Federal Services LLC, will share perspectives on the job market and technology trends.

- Discover who's hiring in your area and which skills are in demand.
- Determine if you have the right qualities for today’s job market.
- Learn how to make yourself stand out and get found by employers.
- SetFocus alumni will be on hand to describe how The Master's Program can set you apart and help you advance your career.

WHEN: 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, January 7th, 2010

WHERE: Microsoft Mid Atlantic District Office
12012 Sunset Hills Rd.
Reston, VA 20190
Directions: https://www.clicktoattend.com/directions.aspx?code=143846

REGISTRATION: http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=143846

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/career_seminar_for_it_professionals_on_january_7th_microsoft_res.html