News

Pretzelmaker® Feeds Any Craving With New Mini Pretzel Dog Combination

Company Launches Facebook® Snack Attack! Deals for Fans

ATLANTA, Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pretzelmaker announced today that it has created a new combination featuring the hunger-stopping Mini Pretzel Dogs. The combination is being introduced during Pretzelmaker's Stop Your Growl With a Bite celebration and includes a 12-piece order of Mini Pretzel Dogs as well as a regular beverage. Pretzelmaker is managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group.

To help launch the new combination, Pretzelmaker is rolling out a series of Snack Attack! deals exclusively for fans of the brand on Facebook® (http://www.facebook.com/pretzelmaker).  Launching in late January, fans will be able to visit the fan page to receive a variety of special offers, including deals on the Mini Pretzel Dogs.

"Mini Pretzel Dogs are one of our newest, most satisfying snacks and many of our customers purchase them as a meal," said Julie-Ann Reid, Pretzelmaker brand director for GFG Management, LLC. "We're excited to introduce the new combination with this series of special deals just for our loyal customers and Facebook fans." 

In addition to being a fan of the brand on Facebook®, customers can stay up to date on all of Pretzelmaker's new products and promotions and get access to offers and discounts throughout the year by joining Pretzelmaker's e-mail fan club at http://www.pretzelmaker.com

About Pretzelmaker®(http://www.pretzelmaker.com)
Since 1991, Pretzelmaker has specialized in serving fresh baked, hand-rolled soft pretzel products, dipping sauces and beverages. Long recognized as an innovator in their industry, the brand is credited with inventing the popular Pretzel Dog, Mini Pretzel Dogs, and the portable Pretzel Bites. Following integration in 2010, the Pretzelmaker brand now also includes Pretzel Time®. Pretzelmaker is currently the second largest soft pretzel concept in the United States and is also rapidly expanding worldwide with locations in Canada, Guam and Mexico.

About Global Franchise Group, LLC (http://www.globalfranchise.com)
Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a focus on franchising. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes four quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies®, MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab Creamery®, Pretzelmaker® as well as two retail franchise concepts: TAF® and Shoebox New York®. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is an affiliate of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, an independent investment firm, with $5 billion of capital under management and substantial franchise management experience.

Media Contacts:
Jacob Hawkins
Ogilvy Public Relations
404-881-2339
jacob.hawkins@ogilvy.com

SOURCE  Pretzelmaker

Pretzelmaker

Web Site: http://www.pretzelmaker.com

Anytime Collect Available as Private-Label Service to Help Banks Increase Treasury Deposits 12 Days Faster

CHARDON, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- e2b software announced today that Anytime Collect, a cloud-based credit and collections management solution, is available for banks and financial institutions to private label and offer to their business customers to help them automate accounts receivable collections.

"Most banks offer the same types of services to help their business customers get their money into the bank faster but they all start to look the same and offer no real competitive advantage," said e2b software President Lynne Henslee. "None of these solutions address the real problem - collecting the cash in the first place. Most businesses write-off 4% of receivables annually and the longer an invoice goes unpaid - the less likely it will ever be paid. Banks offering true cash flow solutions to help their customers manage their receivables will see an increase in deposits, improved credit worthiness for increased lending, and the money will be in the bank 12 days faster. It's a win-win for the business and the bank."

When sharing the concept of a private-label version of Anytime Collect with bank executives attending the 16th Annual Small Banking Conference, banking professionals were enthusiastic about the opportunity to help their business banking customers better manage their collections and receivables but also the ability to provide a private-label version of Anytime Collect to their business banking customers as a part of their own product and service offering to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Private label licensing for Anytime Collect is immediately available for banks interested in expanding their product and service portfolio for business customers to include cash flow management solutions.

e2b software (http://www.e2bsoft.com) develops, sells, and supports Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud-based business applications including Anytime Collect (http://www.anytimecollect.com) credit and collections management software. Anytime Collect integrates with popular accounting software enabling finance professionals to reduce outstanding receivables, track collections activities, automate communications, forecast payments, and effectively manage disputes.

    --  Logo: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/12-0112-e2bsoft_72dpi.jpg
    --  RSS newsfeed for e2b:
        http://send2pressnewswire.com/author/e2b-software/feed

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE  e2b software

e2b software

CONTACT: Whittney Gilstrap of e2b software, +1-440-352-4700, wgilstrap@e2bsoft.com

Web Site: http://www.e2bsoft.com

ePath Learning Launches eSource - Social Network for the Enterprise

NEW LONDON, Conn., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ePath Learning, Inc., a leader in cloud-based learning services, announced the release of eSource, an enterprise social network offering.   

ePath Learning eSource is a cloud-based service that empowers all employees to contribute, ask questions, share information, connect with colleagues, and search for experts throughout the organization.  Employees can collaborate in teams and instantly see what others are working on, share content and post updates.  Problems are solved organically, and answers to questions are crowd sourced eliminating the silo effect.  Organizational knowledge is unleashed. 

eSource functionality is similar to today's most popular social networks, except eSource is private, secure, supports multiple languages and is a controlled social network for the enterprise that is offered fully integrated into ePath Learning's learning management service (ASAP), or as a stand-alone service in the cloud. eSource inherently builds a searchable database of all eSource communications and the expertise of users enabling the organization to retain knowledge and develop best practices.  Individual knowledge becomes organizational knowledge in a safe, secure internal environment.

"We are excited to introduce both the integrated version of eSource to our ASAP customers, and the stand-alone version to the market as well," said Dudley Molina, CEO and President, ePath Learning.  "We believe that enabling open communications across the organization and sharing knowledge at all levels is a catalyst for success.  eSource provides the means to get information to those in need, when they need it.  As individuals we can crowd source answers to questions on the Internet, with eSource we can now crowd source solutions to our corporate challenges.  To sum it up, while knowledge is power, we believe sharing it creates success." 

About ePath Learning
ePath Learning, Inc. is a leader in cloud-based learning services.  ePath Learning ASAP is a cloud-based learning management service that combines the features of an LCMS with the functionality of an LMS into one, easy to use service available anytime, anywhere on any web browser.  ePath Learning eSource is a private, secure, social network for the enterprise.  ePath Learning also offers course development and conversion services through its award winning Pro Services team.  ASAP gives organizations of any size an easy, cost-effective way to create, manage, measure and deliver learning content and training programs online. 

Call us today at 908 722-6622, or go online to http://www.ePathLearning.com.

*ePath Learning is a registered trademark and ePath Learning ASAP and eSource are service marks of ePath Learning, Inc.

ePath Learning Contact:
Donna Lord
860-444-6989 x16
dlord@epathlearning.com

SOURCE  ePath Learning, Inc.

ePath Learning, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.epathlearning.com

PA Consulting Group Acquires 7Safe Ltd to Enhance its Cyber Security Service

LONDON, January 12, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

    PA Consulting Group is pleased to announce that it has acquired 7Safe Ltd, a leading
cyber security consultancy head-quartered in Cambridge. 7Safe's expertise in security risk
assessment, computer forensics, eDiscovery and educationcomplements PA's own
long-established cyber security, risk and resiliencecapability, which has been in high
demand in securing the businesses of both public and private sector clients.

    The acquisition of 7Safemeans that PA now offers amarket-leading, end-to-end cyber
security service - helping organisations become more secure while making the most of the
opportunities that cyberspace presents.7Safe's deep testing and forensic skills will
complement PA's wider cyber security experience andexpertise.

    Jon Moynihan, Executive Chairman at PA Consulting Group, stated: "We are very pleased
that 7Safe has chosen to join PA, thus rounding out our already extensive set of
capabilities in cyber security. 7Safe are our kind of people; they have the same highly
professional, ethical and people-focused approach to business as PA. The combination of
the two businesses will enable us to meet all of our clients' cyber security needs. We are
delighted to welcome 7Safe into the PA group."

    Alan Phillips, co-founder of 7Safe, says:"We are all excited by the opportunities that
this provides to better help our clients. Cyberspace offers great opportunities for
businesses; we can help ensure that their operations are conducted safely and with
resilience. PA has an enviable market reputation for delivering cyber security solutions.
We are delighted to join forces to provide an integrated range of cybersecurity services
to clients."

    Neira Jones, Head of Payment Security, Barclaycard, says: "Barclaycard and 7Safe have
been working together for over four years, ensuring the security of online payments around
the world from all of our global partners. We look forward to working with PA and 7Safe in
the future, as they bring together both specialist technical capabilities and wider cyber
security, IT, management and technology expertise."

    7Safe formally became part of the PA Group of companies on 1 January 2012.

    For more information, visit http://www.paconsulting.com/cybersecurity

    Notes to the editor

    About PA Consulting Group

    We are a firm of more than 2,000 people, specialising in management and IT consulting,
technology and innovation. Independent and employee-owned, we operate globally from
offices across Europe and the Nordics, the United States, the Gulf and Asia Pacific.

    We work with businesses and governments to anticipate, understand and meet the
challenges they face. We have outstanding technology-development capability and a unique
breadth of skills, from strategy to performance improvement, from HR to IT. Our expertise
covers energy, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, government and public
services, defence and security, transport and logistics, telecommunications, consumer
goods and automotive

    PA has extensive experience working closely with our clients in both the public and
private sectors at the forefront of cyber security. From world-leading energy firms to
major government departments, we help organisations significantly strengthen security and
reduce risk - and ultimately, improve business performance. We take an integrated and
practical approach to cyber security, bringing together people, organisational and
technical elements to create an effective strategy for protecting business assets.

    About 7Safe

    7Safe is aleading technical cyber consulting company, which specialises in penetration
testing, forensics, e-Discovery, PCI DSS and MSc-accredited education. It is one of
Barclaycard's preferred data security auditors, helped the Association of Chief Police
Officers author its guidance on forensics and provides specialist training into some of
the most sensitive parts of UK government.

    The deal was originated and managed by Baker Tilly's Corporate Finance team, led by
Tom Gallop.

    For more information contact Laura Hamblin on +44(0)20-7333-6191 or email
laura.hamblin@paconsulting.com

Source: PA Consulting Group

New HyperSocial(TM) Agent Search Tools Now in Beta on Realtor.com

Mobile-Enabled Agent Profiles Surfacing Deep Social Connections and Agent Recommendations Connect Real Estate Buyers, Sellers and Agents on Largest and Most Accurate Real Estate Site

CAMPBELL, Calif., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While technology continues to evolve the way people buy and sell properties, real estate transactions remain largely based on relationships and trust between agents and clients. To help them connect through online networks and communities, Realtor.com®( )announces the beta roll out of its mobile-enabled HyperSocial(TM) agent search tools.  Realtor.com, the #1 homes for sale web site, is operated by Move, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE), the leader in online real estate.

The first two HyperSocial(TM) agent search tools are now in beta and include HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profile Pages and HyperSocial(TM) Agent Recommendations.  They will be integrated into the Realtor.com Find a Realtor® (FAR) directory at the beginning of the 2012 home buying season, and accessible on the Realtor.com desktop FAR and Showcase Listing Enhancement iPhone, iPad and Android mobile app experiences.

Now available in beta for registration by Realtors® with a valid NRDS number at http://www.socialbios.com, these HyperSocial(TM) agent search tools will initially span Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and FourSquare.  Information on how to register in seconds can be found at:  http://lockbox.realtor.com/realtor-technology/how-to-set-up-a-socialbios-account/.

HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profile Pages are mobile-enabled pages viewable from desktops and most mobile devices. Through social graphing technology, the HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profiles surface mutual connections, extended relationships, and shared interests by layering the social networks of agents and consumers.  These agent profiles, which serve as safe places for agents to direct their clients for all relevant contact information in one convenient location. 

HyperSocial(TM) Agent Recommendations live within each HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profile as an agent branded URL and is an easy way for clients to share a recommendation an agent has earned without any registration requirements.  Recommendations are reviewed and approved for display by each agent, and can be manually or automatically broadcasted to the agent's online network from one central hub with one easy click. When the recommendation URL is emailed or texted, users are directed back to the agent's HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profile featuring other key agent information.

To view a Realtor® profile live in the HyperSocial(TM) Agent Profile Page beta experience, click the following links, and then log in with Facebook to view mutual connections, affiliations and networks.  http://beta.realtor.com/realestateagents/Nicole-Winsauer_Denver_CO_297699

"For years Realtors® have built very successful businesses by networking within their local communities.  The relationships and trust that develops from networking often delivers the highest quality client connections to a Realtor®'s door step," says Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com. "Today, approximately eight in ten agents and brokers are in charge of marketing their listings, and 56% consider social media important for generating connections with prospective clients.(1)  By developing our recently acquired SocialBios technology into a scalable search tool to find Realtors®, millions of people can quickly find a Realtor® based on common connections, interests, and groups. Realtors® can also use our new HyperSocial(TM) search tools to manage their online social reputations and proudly broadcast recommendations across the web as they're transitioning their networking talents into the online world."

Today, almost all agents (93%) and brokers (90%) use social media to market their brands and listings, with Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube as the most used social media tools followed by Twitter.(2) Through Realtor.com's HyperSocial(TM) Agent Recommendations hub, Realtors® can broadcast client recommendations featuring fresh and timely content across most social media platforms.

"Recommendations are one of the most important pieces of unstructured content on the web for attracting and engaging new customers," says Move's SocialBios General Manager, Ernie Graham.  "Until now, most recommendation solutions for real estate focus on a destination website, not the agent or broker.  Our HyperSocial(TM) Agent Recommendations hub puts the agent in control of this content and provides a convenient platform for distributing it to multiple websites and networks with one click. We're very excited to deliver an easy-to-use social reputation management tool Realtors® can use to capture higher quality connections with prospective clients."

When combined with the Realtor.com Ask a Realtor question and answer platform http://www.realtor.com/blogs/ask-a-realtor-application/, the Realtor.com Facebook business pages http://support.realtor.com/training/facebook/facebook-business-page/menu-id-114, and the Social Connections app from Realtor.com http://marketing.realtor.com/cmp/NAR/ba/fbapp/120111/,  Realtors® can take advantage of Move's acceleration into the development of social media tools that connect them with buyers and sellers interested in property transactions.  All Realtor.com branded mobile apps integrate social media into the search experience, and enable users to instantly find and share homes for sale or rent with others within their online communities and networks.

Move, Inc. acquired the award-winning SocialBios technology and talent in July 2011.  In just six short months, Move developed the SocialBios technology into the HyperSocial(TM) line of search tools to create high-quality connections between Realtors and buyers or sellers. SocialBios was a 2011 Best Tech Startup winner at the Inman Connect event in New York City, and won 'Most Innovative Startup 2011' at Inman Connect later that year in San Francisco.

ABOUT MOVE, INC.
Move, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE) is the leader in online real estate with 20.6 million visitors(3) to its online network of websites within the Realtor.com Real Estate Network.  Move, Inc. operates: Move.com, a leading destination for information on new homes and rental listings, moving, home and garden and home finance; REALTOR.com®, the official website of the National Association of REALTORS®; Moving.com; SeniorHousingNet; ListHub; and TOP PRODUCER Systems. Move, Inc. is based in Campbell, California.

ABOUT REALTOR.COM®
REALTOR.com®, where the world shops for real estate online, is operated by Move, Inc., (NASDAQ: MOVE) and is the official Web site of the National Association of REALTORS®. Ranked as the #1 homes-for-sale site, REALTOR.com® currently offers potential home buyers access to over three million property listings, as well as the most brokers and agents. It also provides REALTORS® and the home sellers they represent with the Internet's largest real estate marketplace, reaching more than 10.5 million consumers in November 2011(4). Agents and companies have the power to customize REALTOR.com® resources to maximize their brand and productivity.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of Move's future expectations, plans and prospects, within the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the results of Move, its subsidiaries, divisions and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements.  These risk factors and others are included from time to time in documents Move files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, its Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks.  Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on Move's future results.  The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Move cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.  Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  Finally, Move expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

(1) 2011 NAR Technology Survey Results - http://www.realtor.org/technology/crt_web/crtsurvey

(2) 2011 NAR Technology Survey Results - http://www.realtor.org/technology/crt_web/crtsurvey

(3) comScore Media Metrix, Key Measures Report, November 2011

(4) comScore Media Metrix, Key Measures Report, November 2011

SOURCE  Move, Inc.

Move, Inc.

CONTACT: Julie Reynolds, +1-818-264-5594, Julie.Reynolds@move.com, or Jennifer DuBois, +1-818-220-8839 Jennifer.DuBois@move.com

Web Site: http://www.move.com

MSLGROUP Launches 'The People's Lab'

PARIS, January 12, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

   
         Flexible Crowdsourcing Platform Helps Companies Tap Insight for Innovation,
                                 Storytelling and Change

    MSLGROUP, Publicis Groupe's strategic communications company, today launched a global
crowdsourcing platform and approach, designed to help business leaders lead innovation and
change in their industry. The People's Lab [http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights
] enables companies and institutions to gain a rich understanding of issues, situations
and aspirations relevant to their business.

    MSLGROUP's People's Lab [http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights ] differs from
existing crowdsourcing solutions on the market by offering an all-in-one solution: a
complete and cost-effective crowdsourcing platform that can work across multiple
application areas; end-to-end support including custom design and development, community
management and content creation; and real-time access to MSLGROUP's own insight +
foresight team.

    Pascal Beucler, Chief Strategy Officer at MSLGROUP commented, "Crowdsourcing people's
insights is key to innovation and change. With innovation never higher on our clients'
agendas[1] we felt the time was right to produce a cost-effective crowdsourcing solution
that could be used across multiple application areas."

    The People's Lab helps companies build and nurture public or private, web or mobile
crowdsourcing platforms around four areas: Expertise Requests; Innovation Challenges;
Research & Insights and Contest & Activation. With public or private, web or mobile,
hosted or white label modes, powerful community, game-thinking and social analytics
features and full email integration, organizations can use People's Lab to create powerful
multi-stakeholder crowdsourcing platforms.

    Over the last 18 months, MSLGROUP has used the People's Lab platform and approach to
create communities for both itself and its clients. In 2010, Dell India used an early
version of the People's

    Lab platform to create the Dell Go Green Challenge for design students and others to
share ideas on how to redesign, reuse and recycle gadgets to make them go green. The
network is also currently helping a global consumer products company identify beauty
influencers in several key markets using The People's Lab and its community-driven
insights and foresights approach.

    For more information about The People's Lab, please contact MSLGROUP's Chief Strategy
Officer at pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com

    About MSLGROUP

    MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe's strategic communications and engagement group, advisors
in all aspects of communication strategy. http://www.mslgroup.com +
http://blog.mslgroup.com + Twitter [https://twitter.com/#!/MSL_GROUP ] + YouTube
[http://www.youtube.com/mslgroupofficial ].

    About Publicis Groupe

    Publicis Groupe is the world's third largest communications group.
http://www.publicisgroupe.com

    1. According to the PwC 2011 Global CEO Survey.

    Contact: Trudi Harris - trudi.harris@mslgroup.com +33(0)6-13-73-83-03

Source: MSLGROUP

Sage Achieves Oracle Database Ready Status

PARIS, January 12, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

    Sage ERP X3 Tested, Tuned and Ready to Runon Oracle Database

    Sage announced today that Sage ERP X3 has achieved Oracle Database Ready status
through Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), demonstrating that Sage has fully tested and supports
Sage ERP X3 on Oracle Database 11g Release 2. Additionally, support for Oracle Database
11g Release 2 allows Sage to run its application databases on Oracle Database Appliance,
providing them a simple, highly available, cost-effective solution for their critical
business applications. Sage is a Gold level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork.

    Sage is recognized by Oracle for developing, testing and tuning their applications on
the latest engineered systems from Oracle[1]. Oracle Database 11g Release 2offers Sage
industry leading performance, reliability and scalability to power the most demanding
business critical applications. It also helps customers save money by lowering storage
usage, reducing administration tasks, and enabling consolidation onto secure private
database cloud environments.

    By achieving Oracle Database Ready status, Sage has also demonstrated that Sage ERP X3
will effectively run with the Oracle Database Appliance. Oracle Database Appliance is a
simple, reliable, affordable engineered system of software, servers, storage and
networking that helps Oracle customers and partners save time and money by streamlining
deployment, maintenance, and support of database workloads.

    The test demonstrated that the installation of Sage ERP X3 application databases on
the Oracle Database Appliance was done very easily and only took a few hours, where it can
take days to perform the same installation on an equivalent clustered database configured
manually, saving costs and increasing efficiency.Additional potential benefits to Sage ERP
X3 customers include maximizing productivity while reducing downtime, reducing or
eliminating integration risk and flexibility for midsize companies with Oracle's 'pay as
you grow' licensing option*. With Oracle Database Ready status, Sage will receive access
to corresponding Oracle branding, logos and related benefits to effectively differentiate
their offerings in the market.

    Christophe Letellier, CEO of Sage ERP X3 commented, "The successful testing of Sage
ERP X3 on Oracle Database 11gRelease 2 and with the Oracle Database Appliance means that
we can offer medium companies a simpler, faster to deploy and more cost effective option.
The 'pay as you grow' model is specifically targeted at companies that need a flexible way
of scaling up as they increase their database requirements. We believe the combination of
benefits with flexible licensing will be very attractive to our existing and new
customers."

    "By achieving an Oracle Database Ready status, companies such as Sage demonstrate that
their solution can efficiently run on the world's leading database - Oracle Database 11g
Release 2 - as well as with the Oracle Database Appliance. This gives customers confidence
that their application database is running on a highly available infrastructure that will
operate as promised," said Chris Baker, Senior Vice President, Worldwide ISV and OEM
Sales. "By achieving Oracle Database Ready status, Sage has the ability to leverage a
complete, cost-effective foundation for their application database, allowing them to
reduce maintenance cost and complexity."

    Sage ERP X3 V6.3 is already available on Oracle Database 11g Release 2.

    * For more information about the flexible licensing options, please go to
http://oracle.com/partners/en/opn-program/oracle-exastack-ready-411632.html

    Notes to Editors

    About the Oracle Exastack Program

    The Oracle Exastack program helps enable Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and other
members of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) to rapidly build and deliver faster, more reliable
applications. Leveraging the Oracle Exastack Program, qualifying OPN members have access
to Oracle performance experts and dedicated labs for testing and tuning their applications
on Oracle Exadata Database Machine and Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud. Customers can be
confident when selecting Oracle Exastack Optimized applications that they have been tested
and tuned to achieve optimal performance, scalability and reliability. Also part of the
program, Oracle Exastack Ready is dedicated to helping ISVs run their solutions on the
latest major release of Oracle Exadata Database Machine, Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud and
their component products, including Oracle Database, Oracle WebLogic Server, Oracle
Solaris, Oracle Linux and Oracle VM. These products provide partners with a lower cost and
high performance infrastructure for database and application workloads across on-premise
and cloud based environments. To find out more, visit
http://www.oracle.com/partners/goto/exastack

    About Oracle PartnerNetwork

    Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is the latest version of Oracle's partner
program that provides partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle
solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of
Oracle products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product
portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is
the ability for partners to differentiate through Specializations. Specializations are
achieved through competency development, business results, expertise and proven success.
To find out more, visit http://www.oracle.com/partners.

    About Sage ERP X3

    Sage ERP X3 is a dedicated solution for mid-market and larger companies with
international demands that enables its clients to transform and perform through
technologies. 3,300 customers representing over 180,000 users worldwide have already
chosen Sage ERP X3 because it is easy to use, fast to deploy and cost effective. For over
10 years Sage ERP X3 has been a proven and comprehensive ERP solution addressing
mid-market company's specific requirements and challenges in industries from manufacturing
and services to distribution and many more. Sage ERP X3 has presence in 55 countries and
counts a network of more than 1,800 Sage professionals and 220 partners in its ecosystem.

    Trademarks

    Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

    1. , including Oracle Exadata Database Machine, Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud and the
Oracle Database Appliance

Source: The Sage Group plc

For Sage ERP X3 media enquiries, please contact: Sage, Cora Béghin, +33(0)6-07-54-92-54, cora.beghin@sage.com ; Juice PR, Shelley Facius, +44(0)7802-753653, shelley@juicepr.biz .

XanEdu Introduces Android App and Evolves its Folio-X eLearning Platform for Custom Course Materials

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- XanEdu Publishing, Inc. today announced the release of the XanEdu Android app, a major upgrade to the company's Folio-X e-learning platform. XanEdu now offers a device- and platform-neutral solution that leverages e-learning tools for custom-sourced course materials and textbooks. The XanEdu Android app is now available for free download in the Android Market.

The XanEdu Android app, as part of Folio-X, provides educators with a means to aggregate content from a vast array of disparate sources including traditional texts, articles, multimedia and e-learning tools; clear copyright permissions; and then deliver that content to students in ways that improve student engagement, learning and efficiency. 

"Our customers look to us to provide creative and reliable solutions to these growing market needs related to custom course materials," said Alar Elken, CEO, XanEdu Publishing, Inc. "These market requirements have been accelerated by the rise of tablet devices that are portable and economical, where the student experience becomes the ultimate baseline for effective delivery."

The Folio-X suite of solutions supports the wired campus by leveraging existing technology investments at universities such as learning management systems.   

"Universities already face many complexities related to campus technology, and the delivery of course materials in innovative formats should not be one of them," said Nicole Pinard, Senior Vice President, Product Development at XanEdu.  "Our goal is to streamline and simplify the process, while offering the widest array of options for students and educators." 

Now Android tablet users working with XanEdu can enjoy the same features and benefits that their iPad classmates have enjoyed for more than a year using the company's award-winning XanEdu iPad app.

SOURCE  XanEdu Publishing, Inc.

XanEdu Publishing, Inc.

CONTACT: Dianne Michalek of XanEdu Publishing, Inc., dmichalek@xanedu.com, +1-734-302-6770

Web Site: http://www.bellhowell.infolearning.com

TOSY Robotics® Introduces Transforming Dancing Robot Called mRobo Ultra Bass(TM)

Justin Bieber to Appear with TOSY Robotics at CES 2012

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TOSY Robotics JSC®, a leading robotics and high-tech toys manufacturer based in Vietnam, today unveiled mRobo Ultra Bass(TM), a state-of-the-art portable speaker that doubles as a dancing robot. Alongside mRobo will be Multi-Platinum selling Pop & R&B singing sensation Justin Bieber, who will be making an appearance with the brand new robot at CES 2012 on Wednesday, January 11th in the TOSY Robotics booth, #21964 (LVCC South Hall Ground Level).

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34460-a )

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34460LOGO-b )

Boasting two gigabytes of internal memory, the battery powered mRobo allows users to upload about 500 songs into the device via a USB port and select which tracks to play using a provided remote. The music will play through an integrated speaker, with the ability to produce bass at 40Hz. Once the music begins playing, mRobo, which can listen to its own music, music from other devices, or music streamed via Bluetooth, will instantly transform, growing a head, legs and arms, and will groove through a series of pre-programmed dance moves to virtually any genre of music.

"mRobo is one of the most innovative and interactive entertainment devices ever introduced," said Ho Vinh Hoang, Founder and CEO, TOSY Robotics JSC. "It gives music and dance lovers the ability to enjoy their passions in a whole new way. Not only do they have a great new way to listen to their favorite songs but they also have a new partner to dance to their favorite music with. We're thrilled to be able to unveil mRobo Ultra Bass here at CES 2012 with the help of one of the world's most recognized stars, Justin Bieber."

Its capacity to transform back into a speaker makes mRobo completely portable and ideal for the consumer on the go. As a speaker, mRobo weighs approximately 3.3 pounds and measures 4.3 inches (W) x 6.3 inches (L) x 7.9 inches (H), and stands at just under 18 inches when it transforms into a robot. The battery operated mRobo uses software to analyze music for beats and rhythms to which it responds with corresponding moves.

mRobo Ultra Bass is expected to retail for $199.00 (USD) and launch in the fall of 2012. For additional information regarding mRobo and the full line of TOSY robotics, please visit http://www.tosy.com and visit the TOSY Booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall Ground Level Booth #21964 during CES 2012.

About TOSY®

TOSY was founded by a robotics guru team and first went into operation in 2002 after many years of experience in mechanical engineering. From the very beginning, the Vietnam-based company has always placed the highest priority on research and development with the motto "Creativeness and modern technology are key factors for success." It is the manufacturer of the award-winning TOSY® AFO(TM), a flying boomerang with a smart LED system that can return precisely to its point of origin, and the Guinness World Records holder TOSY TOOP, a non-stop collectible battling top with flexible controllability. For more information on TOSY and its products, visit http://www.tosy.com.

SOURCE  TOSY Robotics JSC

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34460-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34460LOGO-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
TOSY Robotics JSC

CONTACT: Nicole Tiedemann, MWW Group, ntiedemann@mww.com, +1-201-806-3144

Web Site: http://www.tosy.com

Kobo Positioned for International Growth as Acquisiton by Rakuten Closes

eReading Company Posts Record Holiday Sales

TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Global eReading leader Kobo Inc. ("Kobo")
today announced the successful acquisition of all its outstanding
shares by Rakuten, Inc. (JASDAQ:4755) ("Rakuten") for US $315 million.
The acquisition has been completed following customary closing
conditions, including approval under the Investment Canada Act. Kobo's management team will remain with the company, which will
continue to be headquartered in Toronto.

The acquisition by Rakuten, one of the world's leading Internet service
and e-commerce companies, provides Kobo with a strong growth
opportunity to expand its footprint into new and expanding markets. The
move comes as Kobo set new sales records this past holiday season:

        --  December 25th was Kobo's best day ever for eBook downloads,
            with several ebooks downloaded every second by readers in over
            150 countries
        --  Kobo saw a 10-fold increase in new customers compared to the
            company's pre-holiday period
        --  Compared to last year's holiday season, eGifting increased by
            500%, eReader sales and eBook sales more than doubled
        --  More than 1 million new Kobo users were added in December alone

"During this holiday season, Kobo has demonstrated strong sales and
continued leadership within the competitive eReading market; we are
very excited to complete the acquisition of Kobo and look forward in
supporting its global expansion," said Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and
CEO of Rakuten. Beyond Kobo's established presence in the U.S., Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, the company also saw dramatic
gains in the UK, France and Germany this holiday season."

"While the transformation to digital reading is well underway, it is
still in its infancy.  As a part of Rakuten, we will accelerate our
growth internationally, bringing new products, a leading eReading
experience and a world class catalogue to passionate readers
everywhere," said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo Inc.

Kobo was founded in 2009 as a contender in the global eReading market.
Since its inception, the company has become a fierce competitor in the
marketplace with its family of innovative eReaders, global ebookstore,
industry-leading social platform and a wide range of free eReading apps
for smartphones, tablets, netbooks and desktop computers.

About Kobo Inc.

Kobo is a global eReading service with more than 2.5 million eBooks,
magazines and newspapers - one of the largest eReading catalogues in
the world.  As part of its "Read Freely" philosophy, Kobo believes
consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device and
has attracted millions of readers from over 100 countries across the
globe.  Kobo has top-ranked eReading applications for iPad, iPhone,
BlackBerry, Android, Windows and MacOS, and is the eReading application
of choice for leading tablet OEMs.  Kobo eReaders, including the Kobo
Touch and the newly launched Kobo Vox are available at leading
retailers, including Indigo, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Future Shop,
WHSmith, FNAC, Collins Booksellers and Whitcoull's.  Kobo's innovative
Reading Life is an industry-first comprehensive social eReading
experience where Kobo users can earn awards simply for time spent
reading and encouraging others.  For more information on Kobo, and to
download free eReading apps, visit http://www.kobo.com.

About Rakuten

Rakuten, Inc. (JASDAQ:4755), is one of the world's leading Internet
service companies, providing a variety of consumer- and
business-focused services including e-commerce, travel, banking,
securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing
and professional sports. Rakuten is expanding globally and currently
has operations throughout Asia, Western Europe, and the Americas.
Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000
employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://global.rakuten.com/group.

# # #

SOURCE  Kobo Inc.

Kobo Inc.

CONTACT:  Jim Hughes/Karina St. Jean
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8275/212.445.8419
jhughes@rogersandcowan.com/kstjean@rogersandcowan.com

GPS Tracking Device Provides Ultrafast Tracking Updates and Installation Time

VALENCIA, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LiveViewGPS announced this week the launch of its new GPS tracking device - the Live Trac EZ GPS Vehicle Tracker - that takes only seconds to install and provides 10-second vehicle-tracking position updates.

So, how does it work? A port known as the "On Board Diagnostic Port" or OBD-II port is installed on most trucks and cars built after 1996. It is designed to help technicians diagnose and troubleshoot vehicle problems. Typically, the port is located somewhere under the dash on the driver's side. Once the port is located, it's simply a matter of plugging it in and vehicle tracking begins.

And, this easy installation also makes it portable. If needed, it can quickly be moved from one vehicle to another.         

This GPS vehicle tracking device is 100 percent web-based via a tracking portal. It also provides alerts for items such as speed and ignition start-up; historical playback; satellite/hybrid/bird's eye view mapping; and comprehensive reports.

"It's ideal for personal and commercial use," explains Christa Markman, director of product development for LiveViewGPS. "Parents of teen drivers can rest a bit easier when their car is taken out for a spin; and businesses may realize an improvement in employee efficiency and productivity."

It also enhances customer service. For example, if a client calls to find out where a delivery is, this vehicle tracking device can provide highly accurate data.       

About LiveViewGPS

Located in Southern California, LiveViewGPS is a Location Based Service Company (LBS). It provides wireless location products and services for businesses, law enforcement and family safety. Its GPS tracking devices include vehicle and fleet-tracking systems, asset trackers, trailer tracking systems, surveillance monitoring tools, people tracking devices and GPS asset protection equipment.

From detailed reports to accurate position updates, its GPS tracking systems provide clients with effective tracking solutions. Clients include numerous federal, state and local government agencies, Fortune 100 and 500 corporations, as well as numerous privately held companies throughout the United States and abroad.

For more information, visit: http://www.LiveViewGPS.com.

- Logo 72dpi: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/12-0111-lvgps_72dpi.jpg

This release was issued on behalf of the above organization by Send2Press(R), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE  LiveViewGPS, Inc.

LiveViewGPS, Inc.

CONTACT: George Karonis of LiveViewGPS, Inc., +1-661-294-6805, info@liveviewgps.com

Web Site: http://www.liveviewgps.com

AirTight Networks Joins Juniper Networks Technology Alliance Program

AirTight Integrates Wireless Security Portfolio with Juniper and Provides Wireless Intrusion Prevention Worldwide

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AirTight® Networks, the leading provider of wireless intrusion prevention (WIPS) products and cloud-based wireless security, compliance and secure Wi-Fi access, today announced that it has joined the Juniper Networks Technology Alliance Program. AirTight's award-winning WIPS products are integrated with Juniper Networks® WLC Series WLAN controllers to provide customers with the most accurate and reliable wireless intrusion prevention and security on the market today.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110920/SF70792LOGO)

Juniper's Technology Alliance program is designed for partners who work with Juniper to deliver exceptional customer experiences through complementary technology solutions. AirTight's SpectraGuard® wireless IPS, together with Juniper's WLAN infrastructure, allows administrators to deploy a flexible, scalable and secure wireless network that improves performance and reliability and precisely enforces their wireless security policies across all users and locations.  AirTight is the only WIPS provider that delivers the necessary controls to restrict access of personal smart devices on enterprise networks, eliminating data leakage, malware and wireless backdoor entries through unapproved smart devices.

"AirTight is pleased to be part of Juniper's Technology Alliance Program. Together we can help our joint customers keep ahead of wireless threats by delivering an integrated access and security solution while lowering operational costs," said David King, Chairman and CEO of AirTight. "This integration allows customers to unify their security controls into one single pane of glass and provides them with a robust wireless security solution which protects against current and emerging threats."

"Juniper and its partners deliver a wide range of mobility solutions that bring high-performance mobile access to everyone from mobile workers accessing corporate data centers to service providers designing next-generation mobile networks to serve them," said Steve Troyer, vice president, wireless product management, Juniper Networks. "AirTight has demonstrated a commitment to innovative thinking around the moving target that is the wireless threat landscape. It is, therefore, a welcome addition to our Technology Alliance Program and will make a significant contribution to our Simply Connected product portfolio, assuring that we continue to deliver value by providing leading wireless access and security."

About AirTight's Products

The AirTight SpectraGuard solution family has achieved industry leadership based on patented technology that blocks wireless threats immediately and automatically, locates wireless devices and events with pinpoint precision and eliminates the false alarms that plague busy network operations and IT professionals.

Both its onsite WIPS product, SpectraGuard Enterprise and its pioneering on-demand AirTight Cloud Services(TM) are low touch solutions providing easy deployment and automated scanning and reporting with little human intervention. AirTight's patented technology has proven over and over again that security and simplicity are not mutually exclusive.

About AirTight

AirTight Networks is the global leader in wireless security and compliance solutions. AirTight's patented technology protects enterprises from the growing problem of Wi-Fi security threats, while allowing organizations to better manage their WLAN environment and comply with emerging wireless compliance standards (i.e. PCI). The Company's award-winning SpectraGuard wireless intrusion prevention solution (WIPS) family provides enterprise security and compliance professionals with unparalleled capabilities to accurately detect, classify, block and locate all Wi-Fi security threats, while helping network operations staff to quickly monitor and troubleshoot WLAN performance issues. AirTight's pioneering Cloud Services family of cloud-hosted subscription services delivers the world's first and only "No Capex" multi-tenant WIPS, PCI wireless compliance and controller-less WLAN access solutions all in a single device. 

AirTight's award-winning solutions are used by customers globally in the government, financial, retail, hospitality, telecom, technology, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare and education sectors. AirTight owns the seminal patents for wireless intrusion prevention technology with 24 U.S. and international patents granted to date (UK, Australia Japan) and more than 20 additional patents pending. AirTight Networks is a privately held company based in Mountain View, CA.

AirTight Networks, the AirTight Networks logo, Cloud Services are trademarks; AirTight and SpectraGuard are a registered trademarks of AirTight Networks, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE  AirTight Networks

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110920/SF70792LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AirTight Networks

CONTACT: Della Lowe, +1-650-934-8191, della.lowe@airtightnetworks.com

Web Site: http://www.airtightnetworks.com

Wall Street Invests $2 Million in Payoff.com to Empower Main Street

Payoff.com offers fun and rewarding approach to help more Americans achieve serious financial goals

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Payoff.com secured a $2 million financing round led by Anthemis Group, Firstmark Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital and several individual investors from Wall Street. Since inception, Payoff has raised a total of $5.8 million.

Payoff has been well received since its 2011 debut as an engaging alternative to help individuals gain control of their financial lives in a supportive online community. Using a unique blend of cutting edge research from personal finance, games and behavioral science, Payoff has developed a novel platform that has helped achieve savings and debt reduction in excess of $25 million for Americans in all 50 states.

Sean Park, Founder of Anthemis Group, said, "Payoff has developed a unique and powerful platform which leverages technology and behavioral psychology to help people manage their personal finances more effectively, in effect leveraging the proven power of game dynamics to improve users' financial literacy. Their approach fits perfectly with our vision of building a new customer-centric, digitally-native group of financial services businesses naturally adapted to the needs of 21(st) century consumers and so we are very excited to have Payoff join our ecosystem."

Scott Saunders, CEO and Founder of Payoff.com, said, "Payoff enhances people's intrinsic motivation to achieve financial goals through rewards and by illustrating the connection between short-term financial behaviors and long-term goals. We want to help more people sleep better with funded savings and lighter debt loads. This capital infusion will help us do just that as we expand our service offering and reach more Americans."

About Payoff

Payoff (http://www.payoff.com) helps people around the country take control of their financial destiny as they achieve goals and fulfill lifelong dreams. Payoff allows users to share their dreams, set financial goals - like paying off a credit card or saving up for a trip - and track their financial pictures without any complex pie-charts, spreadsheets or data entry. It offers practical tools to help users quickly achieve their goals, and even rewards their progress along the way with badges and cash prizes. Payoff was founded in 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

About Anthemis Group

Anthemis Group (http://www.anthemis.com) is a strategically focused holding company guided by its vision of building the leading "digitally native" diversified financial services group of the 21(st) century. Their approach is predicated on investing in great entrepreneurs and companies who leverage technology to build innovative, disruptive business models and supporting them with their deep financial services domain expertise and networks.

SOURCE  Payoff.com

Payoff.com

CONTACT: Dan  Sinner, +1-310-737-8320, dan@payoff.com

Web Site: http://www.anthemis.com

Ford Collaborates with Microsoft, Healthrageous and BlueMetal Architects for In-Car Health and Wellness Research

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

    --  Ford, Microsoft Corp. and Healthrageous are researching how connected
        devices can help people monitor and maintain health and wellness
    --  Trends show people are spending more time in their cars; this new
        alliance is examining how to extend health management into the personal
        vehicle in a nonintrusive way
    --  The prototype system developed by BlueMetal Architects leverages Ford
        SYNC(®) technology, Microsoft HealthVault, Windows Azure and the
        interactive services Healthrageous provides in conjunction with
        compatible biometric measurement devices
Ford, Microsoft, Healthrageous and BlueMetal Architects announced an alliance today to research technology to help people monitor and maintain health and wellness while on the move.

The alliance was unveiled during the "Doctor in Your Car" keynote address at the Digital Health Summit at the International CES.

"People are spending more time in their cars, and with the tremendous growth in mobile healthcare solutions, Ford is dedicated to understanding the value of being able to connect to health and wellness-related services while driving," said Gary Strumolo, manager of Infotainment, Interiors, Health and Wellness at Ford Research and Innovation. "Our connectivity platform - Ford SYNC - provides easy, voice-controlled access to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and therefore it makes sense to research areas that are important to our customers."

Customer research and societal trends suggest there's a strong business case for Ford to explore opportunities in health and wellness technology, Strumolo said.

Health info online and on the go

While chronic illnesses are on the rise, the number of healthcare providers has remained relatively flat, which effectively limits patient access. For this reason and others, people of all ages and from all income groups are taking a more hands-on approach to their own health and wellness.

More people now visit online health sites than go to the doctor's office, making health and wellness the most popular activity on the Web after email and general searches.

The reasons why are not hard to understand. According to a study conducted by Pew Research:

    --  93 percent said they seek out online health information because it's
        convenient - they want to get information on their own timetable, not
        the doctor's
    --  83 percent said it's because they can get more information from the Web
        than they can get from their own doctor
    --  80 percent said getting this information privately is important to them
Moreover, beginning last year, medical and healthcare was the third-fastest-growing category of smartphone apps, with more than 17,000 available for download.

And by 2015, some 500 million people are expected to be using mobile healthcare apps.

"Taken together, these trends point to a natural role for the automobile in the emerging digital health and wellness field," Strumolo explains.

The car that cares

Strumolo said Ford seeks to develop "the car that cares." As people spend more time in their cars, the ability to manage health and wellness on the go becomes more important. There are several reasons why the automobile is an ideal platform for research and development in this area:

    --  It's convenient and private
    --  It facilitates personalized access to the information, products and
        services people need
    --  And it's a logical place for them to manage their health while they are
        more often stuck in traffic
The goal is to figure out how to extend health management into the personal vehicle in a nonintrusive fashion. The prototype system was designed by BlueMetal Architects.

Using information collected from blood pressure monitors, activity monitors and glucose meters along with behavioral data shared by the user, Healthrageous is able to help people lead healthier lifestyles by shedding unhealthy habits.

Microsoft's contribution is to translate robotic sensory information provided by the vehicle into an application that also provides a voice and touch-screen interface, while integrating biometrical data that come from a wearable device.

Ford SYNC allows this all to be done hands-free.

"This alliance signifies an important step in bringing health innovation into people's everyday lives," said Todd Bremner, chief technical officer for BlueMetal Architects. "Ford's SYNC platform allows us to imagine, design and build natural user experiences leveraging voice and touch, which seamlessly bring wellness into your everyday commute."

How it works

The system would capture biometric and vehicle data as the basis for real-time health and wellness advice and monitoring.

The driver can provide voice inputs, detailing important aspects of his or her health routine - such as the number of glasses of water consumed during the day, or what pills have been taken.

The data received from the driver are then uploaded into the HealthVault cloud, at which point they are transferred to Windows Azure. The information is processed with other health data, which are used to create graphical reports the driver can access after having left the vehicle.

"It's all about making health more accessible, and engaging and thereby helping more people lead healthier and more enriching lives," said Mary Beth Chalk, Healthrageous cofounder and chief marketing officer.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, (NYSE: F) a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About Healthrageous

Healthrageous, Inc. is a health engagement company that delivers digital, self-management prevention and chronic condition health solutions via the web and a mobile app. It achieves superior engagement through its proprietary platform that incorporates personalized goal setting, health journey map with gaming dynamics, timely biometric feedback and interactive digital coaching. The digital coach, leverages multiple tools such as inspirational messages, recognition and incentives, challenges, social networking, trackers and reminders and interactive educational content, Healthrageous is headquartered in Boston, MA and its investors include North Bridge Venture Partners (Boston, MA/San Mateo, CA), Egan Managed Capital (Boston, MA) and Long River Ventures (Amherst, MA). For more information, go to http://www.healthrageous.com.

About BlueMetal Architects

Founded in 2010, BlueMetal Architects is an interactive design and technology architecture firm which specializes in the development of innovative applications and experiences. Our goal is the creation of outstanding solutions which positively impact how our customers do business with a focus on creative design married to advanced software architectures. BlueMetal is a privately held company and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts. For more information, visit http://www.bluemetal.com.

SOURCE  Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company

CONTACT: Alan Hall, Ford Motor Company, +1-313-594-3744, ahall32@ford.com; Emily Rosen, WPP for Ford, +1-281-380-9661, Emily.Rosen@hkstrategies.com; Mike Werner, BlueMetal Architects, +1-617-431-5758, mikewe@bluemetal.com

Web Site: http://www.ford.com

City Index: Why you Should Consider Trading the Retail Sector not Just Retailers

LONDON, January 11, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

    Spread betting provider City Index explains why you should consider trading the retail
sector and not just retailers within the sector.

    While the UK retail sector continues to enjoy notable gains on the FTSE 100 between
the 19th December 2011 and 11th January 2012, the gap between high street winners and
losers is widening.

    While new traders may be tempted to put all their eggs in one basket and spread bet on
renowned retailers, like Marks and Spencer, it is often far safer and can be more
profitable spread betting [http://www.cityindex.co.uk/spread-betting ] on the entire
retail sector instead. This is because your trade is diversified across a number of
companies in the same industry.

    There is also a tendency for less volatility as most stocks will follow the general
trend of the sector. This means that fluctuations are less likely, even if some companies
fail to follow these trends. So by trading the entire sector, your exposure to
fluctuations in individual stocks is greatly reduced.

    For example, Sainsbury shares rose 1% in the initial hours after reporting a trading
update on the 11th January 2012which saw Christmas sales beat forecasts. Store extensions
and the company's expansion into convenience outlets, online shopping and non food ranges
helped it to weather the tough market.

    Shares in Marks and Spencer saw gains of 3% on Tuesday 10th January after the firm
reported a 2.4% rise in group sales excluding VAT, with UK sales rising 1.8% as food sales
hit record levels over the Christmas period.

    However, shares in Game Group plummeted over 40% on the same day after the struggling
game retailer warned it may breach the terms of its loans after a bad Christmas sales
period. The firm said sales were even worse than predicted over the last eight weeks, down
14.7%.

    HMV shares have continually suffered in the face of tough economic conditions, falling
99% since 2005 from 282p to 2.9p from February 2005 to January 2012.

    By diversifying trades across a number of companies in the same industry, your spread
bets become less vulnerable to fluctuations in individual company share prices, because
these are stabilised by the sector as a whole.

    Trading a sector also allows for more considered speculation on market movements. At
present the UK's major retailers face tough headwinds in the form of squeezed disposable
incomes from high prices, muted wage growth and government austerity measures.

    Spread bettors are using risk management tools and charting to forecast potential
changes in the retail sector instead of putting all your eggs in one basket and risking it
all on the shares of one company that may be impacted by a wider range of factors.

    Learn more about sector spread betting at:
http://www.cityindex.co.uk/range-of-markets/sectors-spread-betting.aspx

    Spread betting and CFD trading are leveraged products which can result in losses
greater than your initial deposit. Ensure you fully understand the risks.

    About City Index:

    Today more and more individual traders are discovering the benefits of derivatives,
and many of them are discovering them through a City Index trading platform.

    As a group, we transact in excess of 1.5 million trades every month for individuals in
over 50 countries worldwide. We provide access to a wide range of instruments including
margined foreign exchange, CFDs and, in the UK, spread betting.

    Learn more about the markets with daily news and insights from the City Index trading
floor at http://www.cityindex.co.uk/market-analysis

Source: City Index

Contact: Joshua Raymond, City Index, +44(0)20-7107-7002, joshua.raymond[at]cityindex.co.uk

Gameloft Unveils a Rich Catalog of Games for Lenovo K91 Smart TV at CES 2012

Five high quality games offer thrilling gaming experience through Lenovo K91 Smart TV

BEIJING, January 11, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

    Gameloft, a leading global publisher of digital and social games, unveiled at CES
today a catalog of five HD game applications tailored for Lenovo's upcoming K91 Smart TV
range of products. All Lenovo K91 Smart TV products will come preloaded with 3 of
Gameloft's best-selling games: N.O.V.A. 2 -Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, Dungeon Hunter 2
and Asphalt 6: Adrenaline. Two other titles, Backstab and Shadow Guardian, will be
available for Lenovo K91 Smart TV users to download from Lenovo K91 Smart TV App Store.
All 5 titles will be released in 720p HD resolution.

    "We're glad to extend the reach of our games to more TV users, thanks to Lenovo's
brand new K91 Smart TV platform." Gonzague de Vallois, Gameloft's Senior Vice President
Publishing said: "Gameloft and Lenovo have established a very strong partnership across
multiple platforms over the past few years. We will continue developing more and better
cross-platform games for Lenovo users, facilitating Lenovo's mobile Internet and new CE
product launch strategy."

    "As Lenovo's largest provider of games on smartphones and tablets, Gameloft has been
providing an unrivalled gaming experience to our users "said Xiong Wen, GM and Executive
Director, Smart TV, Lenovo. "Now, we expand the scope of our cooperation to the smart TV
field, to bring console-like gaming to our new Idea TV consumers."

    Lenovo K91 Smart TV will be released on the Chinese market in Q2 2012.

    About Gameloft

    A leading global publisher of digital and social games, since 2000 Gameloft(R) has
established itself as one of the top innovators in its field. Gameloft creates games for
all digital platforms,-including mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (Apple(R) iOS and
Android(R)), Triple Play Boxes, connected TVs, and consoles. Partnerships with leading
licensors such as UNO(TM), Spider-Man(R), James Cameron's Avatar(TM), Ferrari(R) and Sonic
Unleashed(R) allow Gameloft to form strong relationships with international brands.
Gameloft also operates its own established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt(TM),
Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance(R). Gameloft is
present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs over 4,500
developers. Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg:
GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).

   
    Media Contact:
    Stephanie Cazaux-Moutou
    Mail: stephanie.cazaux-moutou@gameloft.com
    +33(0)1-58-16-21

    For more information, please visit http://www.gameloft.com.

Source: Gameloft

LifeLearn Launches New Web Resource for Veterinarians, Pet Owners, Partners

GUELPH, Ontario, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeLearn, Inc. has launched an engaging corporate web site with improved navigation, helpful resources, multimedia tools, and expanded services. The new site uses the same platform as LifeLearn's WebDVM4 web site design and hosting service, which enables improved interaction with site visitors through blog articles, visitor comments, and social media.

"A large part of LifeLearn's business is geared toward helping veterinarians create a strong online presence that enables better client communication and education, leading to better compliance, better business, and better patient care," said James Carroll, chief operating officer of LifeLearn. "We are following our own advice with LifeLearn.com. Our new site allows us to better connect with our customers, highlight the broad scope of our services, provide more proactive service levels, and deliver information that helps veterinarians run a better business."

Veterinarians and corporate partners are able to access several new services:

    --  Demonstrations, technical support videos, and frequently-asked questions
        for LifeLearn's ClientEd Online and WebDVM4 products.
    --  Webinars, blog articles and whitepapers on various topics from business
        and practice management to marketing, branding and social media.
    --  Upcoming events such as continuing education courses and industry trade
        shows.
    --  Real-time streams from LifeLearn's Twitter and Facebook pages.

Pet owners can also find and subscribe to LifeLearn's new MyPetED service and mobile app, focused on "connecting people, pets and vets." With educational content written by LifeLearn veterinary authors, MyPetED helps to reduce the amount of misinformation regarding pet health and drive pet owners to their veterinarian in an empowered manner.

MyPetED also includes a "Find a Vet" search database, "Adopt a Pet" search function, "My Pets" area to log pet health information and appointment records, and "My Vet" area to keep important contact information. The MyPetED mobile app is available through the Apple App Store.

"Today's consumers want to interact with businesses through a rich, multimedia experience that's current, engaging and easy to navigate," said Leah Stephenson, chief creative officer of LifeLearn. "The new LifeLearn.com not only delivers this for our customers but also demonstrates our ability to deliver superb online engagement on behalf of our corporate and veterinary clients alike."

For more information, visit the new site at http://www.LifeLearn.com, or view a demonstration at Booth #1437 at the NAVC conference, Jan. 14 - 18 in Orlando, FL.

About LifeLearn®LifeLearn is an educational publisher and interactive digital media developer. The company's mission is to Bring Learning to Life through the development of leading educational resources for life sciences professionals, improving the health and welfare of human and animal patients around the world.  LifeLearn began in 1993 as part of the Veterinary Continuing Education program at the Ontario Veterinary College. Today, LifeLearn is a privately held company with headquarters in Guelph, Ontario.  For more information, visit http://www.LifeLearn.com or http://www.facebook.com/LifeLearnInc.

SOURCE  LifeLearn, Inc.

LifeLearn, Inc.

CONTACT: James Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of LifeLearn, +1-800-375-7994 x243, jcarroll@LifeLearn.com

Web Site: http://www.lifelearn.com

Health and Wellness Products Retailer Introduces New Web Site for Healthy Living and Shopping

SHERIDAN, Mich., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan-based e-commerce retailer of health and wellness products, Sheridan Online Ventures, today announced the launch of a new online store: http://www.NutristoreVitamins.com.

President of Sheridan Online Ventures, Vicki Bohn, said, "There are many great natural products available that help revitalize your body and lead a healthier life. We're excited to start sharing all of these products through our new Web site."

NutristoreVitamins.com was designed for health-minded adults and offers a vast array of health and wellness products. Product categories include Amino Acids, Antioxidants, B-Complex Formulas, Calcium Formulas, Digestive Health Products, Heart-Healthy Formulas, Herbal Supplements, Mental Performance Products, Multiple Vitamins and Minerals, Natural Food Supplements, Sports Nutrition Products, Vitamin C Formulas and Vitamin E Formulas.

All products on NutristoreVitamins.com include an overview of ingredients with key benefits to review before purchasing.  Items purchased can be shipped anywhere in the United States and all major credit cards are accepted, including PayPal.

New and competitively priced products are added to the site routinely and NutristoreVitamins.com is committed to high quality transactions and shipping.  In addition to online transactions, a customer service team is available during normal business hours for customer support and can be contacted through a form on the Web site.

For more information on Sheridan Online Ventures and its newest Web site, visit http://www.NutristoreVitamins.com.

SOURCE  Sheridan Online Ventures

Sheridan Online Ventures

CONTACT: Michelle Boyd, +1-813-382-8810

Web Site: http://www.NutristoreVitamins.com

FireScope Stratis Ushers in New Era of Enterprise Management

Only multi-tenanted and elastically scalable solution designed FOR the cloud to support highly variable environments, regardless of size or location.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FireScope Inc., the leader in aligning customers' technology performance to their business and customer experiences, today announced FireScope Stratis, the first and only elastic cloud-enabled enterprise management solution designed to support truly massive and highly dynamic environments.

The Enterprise strategy of moving to Private, Public and Hybrid Clouds in order to deliver greater agility, lower costs, and better customer satisfaction is no longer a point of discussion, its happening. However, the organizational and technology transformations required to deliver on these promises are huge, and in particular, legacy management tools based on a potpourri of acquisitions are ill equipped to cope with such an agile and changing environment.

To support this new strategy, IT requires a capability that deploys on-demand and is easily managed.  It should deliver a single, top-down view, focused on aligning the IT stack, from both a cost and performance perspective, with the businesses services being delivered, the customers who consume them, and the financial impact associated with any degradation of the service. Only then can business owners gain clarity into how their large, complex and constantly changing environments are supporting agreed upon business objectives.

Only FireScope Stratis delivers on this need.

"EMA expects to see FireScope rock the complacent cradle of more entrenched, overly complex and expensive incumbents," said Dennis Drogseth, Vice President for Enterprise Management Associates. "FireScope's potential in the industry, moreover, is unique in that it's tuned and focused to the real-time exigencies of operational dynamics, while combining IT Service Management governance with cross-domain and even executive-level concerns.   Moreover, FireScope has done this with consistently impressive customer testimonies regarding time to value and ease of use--attributes that seem to have eluded most of the company's larger competitors."

FireScope Stratis is the only solution designed from the ground up to leverage cloud-era technologies such as Big Data, elastic scalability, multi-layered redundancy, multi-tenancy and more.  This is in stark contrast to the rest of the industry, where legacy architectures have been adapted to run from the cloud, yet suffer from the same inherent bottlenecks as before just on a larger stage.  As a result, FireScope's approach delivers capabilities that no other vendor can deliver, such as:

    --  ONLY solution that can give you complete visibility, from user
        experiences to power and air and encompassing all of your virtual and
        non-virtual assets, from across the globe in a single interface with a
        Top-Down service-aligned approach.
    --  ONLY elastic management platform, leveraging Infrastructure As A Service
        ('IAAS") and Big Data technology to scale on-demand automatically to
        support dynamic infrastructure growth and capable of supporting truly
        massive environments with hundreds of thousands of assets.
    --  ONLY solution that can deliver layered elastic redundancy and secure
        multi-tenancy out of the box.
    --  ONLY solution that delivers insight into the business implications of
        events and performance in terms of lost revenue, productivity and
        regulatory risk and enabling you to analyze capacity in terms of
        forecasted business growth.

"FireScope Stratis represents a bold move to address key issues facing enterprises today," said David Hekimian, CTO of Trace3. "While most management vendors are focused on bolting on new features, FireScope is the only player we've seen who's taken a step back and really investigated where the industry is going and what customers really need.  This has resulted in a solution offering incredible value for our customers."

Innovative ArchitectureFireScope Stratis is comprised of three elastically scalable components; the Elastic Web Component, Elastic Application Component and Elastic Storage Component.  In addition to enabling customers to start using their first dashboards on day-one, this simplified architecture features a cloud management interface that continually evaluates the load and performance of each layer to automatically self-adjust resources to deliver optimal performance without over utilization.  A universal Edge device, configured from the cloud-based FireScope Stratis interface, performs localized discovery and data collection, and makes expansion of coverage for new business locations or growth as easy as starting the edge device and executing discovery and auto-configuration.

"Few enterprise solution providers have the vision to consider the far future needs of their users," said Richard Heard, President of Insight Investments. "In FireScope Stratis, we see a platform for tackling tomorrow's business problems today."

More information about FireScope Stratis, including the EMA report "FireScope Stratis Delivers Business-aligned Service Management with Flexibility, Intelligence and Scale" can be found at http://stratis.firescope.com.  There, users can also register for an upcoming webinar featuring Dennis Drogseth, Vice President of Enterprise Management Associates.

About FireScopeFireScope is the leader in aligning customers' technology performance to their business and customer experiences through highly innovative, on-demand solutions. FireScope's suite of products includes three primary enterprise offerings: FireScope Stratis(TM) - The only Cloud-Era enterprise management solution; FireScope Unify(TM) Business Service Management (BSM) - your dashboard for enterprise IT strategy; FireScope Orchestrate(TM) Configuration Management Database (CMDB) - your playbook for IT Operations. FireScope Inc., headquartered in Huntington Beach, California has offices in Sydney, New York, Dallas and London. To learn more about FireScope and its advanced ITSM solutions, visit http://www.firescope.com or call 877-780-3473.

SOURCE  FireScope Inc.

FireScope Inc.

CONTACT: FireScope, 1-877-780-3473, pr@firescope.com

Web Site: http://www.firescope.com

Web-Based Platform Revolutionizes How Retail Companies Market Their Brands

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 11, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that responds to the growing needs of today's businesses, Ulterior Motives International (UMI) has introduced the UMI Local Marketing Toolkit that revolutionizes the way major retail companies are marketing their brands.  According to Brooke Furness-Pollock, president of UMI, this proprietary web-based platform integrates all of a brand's marketing programs, print elements and company communications within a centralized, virtual environment, allowing a multi-unit retail chain to manage all of its marketing activity within a dynamic, user-friendly, virtual platform. 

"Entering the virtual world with this web-based platform is an example of how important it is to stay ahead of the changing market and to provide clients with tools that help them manage in today's challenging economy," said Furness-Pollock.

The UMI Local Marketing Toolkit is customized for each client.  Once the platform is created, any authorized user can login and access their company's marketing information, customize and order print materials and e-marketing programs, review the latest television or radio spots or perform detailed demographic analysis around their local units and order customized marketing programs that support that research.  "This system does everything with a click of the button and in minutes versus days," said Furness-Pollock.

"We do everything but media," said Furness-Pollock. "As a result, our clients don't have to work with five different vendors to implement their marketing strategies, which results in an immediate savings to their bottom-line." 

UMI's industry leading technology has attracted the attention of several major restaurant companies including Whataburger, Boston Pizza International and YUM! Brands, Inc., parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. "Our custom toolkit allows us to give flexibility to more than 4,000 Franchise restaurants while maintaining control of the look and feel of our brand," said Cynthia Koplos, senior director of field marketing, Yum! Brands, Inc. Jack Civa, Whataburger's corporate director of field marketing, added, "UMI understands the power or grassroots marketing and executes programs like no other agency.  The cost efficiencies they bring to the table speak for themselves."

SOURCE  Ulterior Motives International

Ulterior Motives International

CONTACT: Amy Freshwater, +1-972-400-1238, amy@freshwatercommunication.com, for UMI

Daimler and Google Deepen Strategic Partnership

-- Cooperation offers Daimler early access to Google's application programming interfaces for building automotive applications

-- Daimler and Google provide access to Google Maps and Places for drivers

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Daimler and Google announced a deepening of their strategic partnership to provide Daimler with access to the suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) known as Google Maps API for Business for the use of cloud-based, map-related applications in Daimler vehicles and early access to other new APIs as they are developed. These applications significantly accelerate time-to-market in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The existing services, which include the Google Maps and Places APIs, will create an enhanced motoring experience for Mercedes-Benz drivers across the world.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY33517 )

The collaboration will enable Daimler to use Google Maps for their in-car map displays, and significantly improve their ability to quickly and seamlessly integrate useful Google services into Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles. By making innovative Google products available directly within its cars, Mercedes-Benz is able to accelerate the adoption of cutting edge technologies.

Daimler has a strong history of bringing innovative solutions to market. After demonstrating their technological leadership with AMG Performance Media, an in-car telemetry system powered by Android(TM) in autumn 2011 at the launch of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, Daimler was named "International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree."

Ongoing successful long-term cooperation

Google and Daimler have been working in close partnership for many years. In 2007 Daimler was the first automotive manufacturer in the United States to launch the Google "Send-to-Car" functionality in a vehicle. This gave Mercedes-Benz customers the opportunity to easily send destinations from Google Maps to their in-vehicle navigation systems. As of 2011, Mercedes-Benz offers COMAND Online, a telematics system with cloud-based Mercedes-Benz apps that brings Google Street View, Panoramio and local search technologies to most Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Mercedes-Benz customers also have the opportunity to send individualized routes from Google Maps to their vehicles, as Daimler is first-to market with the implementation of this Google service. In the second quarter of 2012 all these services will also be available with mbrace2 to Mercedes-Benz customers in the USA.

Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.

Further information from Daimler is available at: http://www.media.daimler.comand http://www.daimler.com

About Daimler

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. 125 years later, in anniversary year 2011, Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. The Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in all three technologies of hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel cells, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable automotive brand, Daimler's brand portfolio includes smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In the year 2010, the Daimler Group sold 1.9 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 260,000 people; revenue totaled euro 97.8 billion and EBIT amounted to euro 7.3 billion.

SOURCE  Daimler

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY33517
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Daimler

CONTACT: CONTACT: Matthias Brock +49(0)711-17-91404, or Benjamin Oberkersch +49(0)711-17-93307

Web Site: http://www.daimler.com

Kaba® Expands Enterprise Software to Work With Both Offline and Online E-Plex® Locks

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaba Access Control announces the availability of Enterprise Software, Version 3.0 for use with both offline and online E-Plex Locks. With the implementation of Enterprise Software, users can manage stand-alone E-Plex Locks centrally without configuring a wireless network or engage the wireless option on some or all of the access points for real-time functionality without the wires.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/CL34222 ) 
(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101018/KACLOGO )

According to Rick Shuford, CRL and Kaba's product trainer, "We designed our E-Plex Enterprise Access Control System with Wireless Option to be flexible and scalable so customers can create a cost effective access control system that fits their needs today as well as in the future. For example, users can add wireless functionality to a stand-alone E-Plex Lock in the field by simply adding a Lock Upgrade Kit and enabling online communication within Enterprise Software."   

Wireless-enabled software features a Dashboard that provides a snapshot of the system's performance and events. In a single screen, users can view near real-time data, including user access with photo, date/time, door name, and event. In addition, the Dashboard provides quick access to reports and emergency commands such as Emergency System Lockdown and Emergency Passage.

Enterprise Software supports a broad range of credential options, including PIN codes and the following cards: iClass(TM), PROX, Mifare(®), DESFire(®). Users can configure an E-Plex Lock to require PIN only, card only, or PIN and card.

To find out more about Enterprise Software Version 3.0 or the E-Plex Access Control System with Wireless Option, please consult with a Kaba E-Plex Distributor, visit http://www.kabaaccess.com, or call 800-849-8324 or 336-725-1331.

About Kaba Access Control
Kaba Access Control, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, offers a diversified product line of access control solutions. With Peaks® patented key control systems, Simplex® mechanical pushbutton locks and E-Plex® advanced electronic access control, including smart card systems -- Kaba Access Control offers a solution for every access point and every budget.

SOURCE  Kaba Access Control

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/CL34222
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101018/KACLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Kaba Access Control

CONTACT: Jo Brown, Kaba Access Control, jo.brown@kaba.com, +1-800-849-8324, Ext. 1352, http://www.kabaaccess.com

Web Site: http://www.kabaaccess.com

JVC Unveils World's First Handheld 4K Camcorder

GY-HMQ10 Records Four Times Resolution of 1080p to SDHC/SDXC Media Cards

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced the GY-HMQ10, the world's first handheld 4K camcorder, which captures, records, and plays video images at four times the resolution of high definition television. Powered by JVC's Falconbrid large-scale integration (LSI) chip for high-speed signal processing and a 1/2-inch CMOS imager with 8.3 million active pixels, it delivers real-time 3840x2160 footage at 24p, 50p, or 60p.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34184 )

"We're witnessing the birth of what is destined to become a broad market for full 4K end-to-end production," said Edgar Shane, general manager of engineering. "The GY-HMQ10 is a breakthrough product that opens up 4K imaging to users who previously wouldn't have considered it."

High resolution 4K still picture imaging has been around for several years in DSLR cameras. Motion video capture with these cameras has always been done at a lower video resolution because of lack of processing power. Likewise, high end digital motion picture cameras may capture 4K images, but often provide a raw data output to an external storage array for later processing--again due to lack of processing power in the camera. There just hasn't been the ability to capture, process, display and record full 4K images in real time until now.

JVC's exclusive Falconbrid LSI processing takes raw image data from the camera's CMOS device and dematrixes (deBayers) it in real time. Unlike many high end 4K cameras, the GY-HMQ10 is able to output 4K images to a monitor or projection system in real time with virtually no latency. This capability opens up applications in cinematography, medical microscopy, telepresence, specialized observation / surveillance, and live wide-view event coverage.

Using MPEG-4 technology and a variable bit rate H.264 codec operating at up to 144 Mbps, the GY-HMQ10 records up to two hours of 4K video to economical SDHC or SDXC memory cards.

In addition to 4K imaging, the GY-HMQ10 also captures and records astonishing 1080i or 1080/60p full HD, with extraordinary detail provided by its 8.3 megapixel imager and superior lens. HD is recorded on a single memory card in a format compatible with most editing systems. This combination of superb 4K and HD imaging was requested by attendees of JVC's 4K forums, conducted throughout North America last year, and is unique in the camera industry.

Another feature requested by forum attendees was the ability to crop an HD image from a 4K frame. This can be accomplished in post production, or in real time during camera playback. The "trimming" feature makes HD cropping easy using the camera's touch panel LCD monitor.

Similar in size to JVC's popular GY-HM150 ProHD camcorder, the GY-HMQ10 includes a build-in F2.8 10x zoom lens with optical image stabilizer, as well as a color viewfinder and 3.5-inch touch LCD monitor with a new, intuitive user interface. The GY-HMQ10 is built in a familiar, comfortable and lightweight form factor for hours of field production with minimum fatigue.

The GY-HMQ10 is equipped with manual level controls for audio, with audio metering in the LCD and viewfinder displays. A microphone holder and two balanced XLR connectors with phantom power are located on the handle. The camera is equipped with a built-in stereo mic for ambient sound pickup.

Other features include JVC's patented Focus Assist, as well as manual and auto control of focus, iris, gain, shutter, gamma, color matrix, and white balance. Plus, the camera has the unusual capability of live 4K output via four HDMI terminals.

"Historically, JVC has been a leader in camcorder and display technology, and the GY-HMQ10 is our latest breakthrough," added Shane. "It's part of a larger move at JVC to bring 4K technology to a wide range of customers." In September 2011, JVC introduced an affordable line of 4K projectors to the home theater market. The company's high-end 4K projectors are widely used in commercial flight simulators and planetariums. "4K is the logical step beyond HD," said Shane. "And JVC is uniquely positioned to lead the industry in this new direction."

JVC's innovative approach to professional 4K will be unveiled in a series of industry announcements beginning at CES and continuing throughout 2012.

At a retail selling price of $4,995, the GY-HMQ10 launches today, with market deliveries beginning in March, 2012.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY

Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Products Company is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC Kenwood Corporation. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video and audio equipment, security products including IP network cameras and recorders, premium front projection systems for home theater use, and projection displays and optics used in aviation simulators. The JVC Technology Center provides advanced technology in support of major JVC business alliances. For further product information, visit JVC Professional's Web site at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800)582-5825.

SOURCE  JVC Professional Products Company

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NY34184
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
JVC Professional Products Company

CONTACT: Mark Pescatore, +1-561-531-3106, mark@pipecomm.com

Web Site: http://pro.jvc.com

ADLINK Launches Next Generation Powerful Embedded Vision System, EOS-1200

Equipped with the 2nd generation Intel® Core(TM) i7 quad-core CPU, supporting IEEE 1588 (PTP) for multi-camera synchronization

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ADLINK Technology, Inc., a leading provider of machine vision platforms and boards, announced the release of the EOS-1200, the industry's first powerful Gigabit PoE embedded vision system to implement the 2nd Generation Intel® Core(TM) i7 quad core processor, providing four independent gigabit PoE (power over Ethernet) ports with data transfer rates up to 4.0 Gb/s. The EOS-1200 further supports IEEE 1588 precise time protocol, enabling synchronization with multi-camera acquisition. With superior computing power, multi-channel support, compact size, lower unit cost, and maximum flexibility, the EOS-1200 is ideally suited to multi-camera imaging applications such as factory automation and food and packaging inspection.

The EOS-1200 supports IEEE 1588 PTP technology, providing a software trigger-mode that empowers multi-camera synchronized captures. Combining IEEE 1588 and PoE support to allow a single Ethernet cable to deliver power supply, data transfer, and data synchronization, the EOS-1200 dramatically reduces cabling requirements compared to conventional solutions, further decreasing maintenance burdens and total cost of ownership.

"The GigE Vision standard has been widely adopted as mainstream technology in the machine vision industry. The EOS-1200 is fully compatible with GigE Vision cameras and GigE Vision analysis software, meaning that customers benefit significantly by its time-to-market and ease-of-deployment advantages, with no compatibility concerns," said Neil Chen, Product Manager of digital imaging at ADLINK. "Featuring the top-of-the-line 2nd generation Intel® Core(TM) i7 quad-core CPU, five-year long-life cycle support, and equipped with two USB 3.0 ports, the EOS-1200 is second to none in the industry."

In addition, the EOS-1200 provides smart PoE function, the application programming interface (API) allowing users to program power status easily, especially when cameras are idle, impressively boosting energy efficiency. The EOS-1200 also provides auto-detection to ensure compatibility with both PoE and conventional non-PoE devices.

The EOS-1200 features rich I/O capability, including four serial ports, two USB 3.0 ports, 32 PNP/NPN isolated digital I/Os and dual storage (two SATA interface, and one CFAST slot), an internal USB port, and 1 kbit programmable EEPROM, all making the EOS-1200 simple to integrate and deploy, and providing management with copy protection and software license authentication for system development, further accelerating time-to-market. Driver support is provided for Windows 7/XP and Embedded standard 7, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

                           List Price           Availability
                           ----------           ------------
    i5 Series              From $1885            In stock and available in the
                                                 authorized ADLINK channel
    ---------              ----------            -----------------------------
    i7 Series              From $2098            In stock and available in the
                                                 authorized ADLINK channel
    ---------                       ----------   -----------------------------

For more information, visit the ADLINK Technology website at http://www.adlinktech.com.

About ADLINK Technology

ADLINK Technology provides a wide range of embedded computing products and services to the test & measurement, automation & process control, gaming, communications, medical, network security, and transportation industries. ADLINK products include PCI Express®-based data acquisition and I/O; vision and motion control; and AdvancedTCA, CompactPCI, and Computer-on-Modules (COMs) for industrial computing. With the acquisition of Ampro Computers, Inc., ADLINK also provides a wide range of Extreme Rugged and Rugged Single Board Computers, Computer-on-Modules and Systems under the brand name Ampro by ADLINK. ADLINK strives to minimize the total cost of ownership (TCO) of its customers by providing customization and system integration services, maintaining low manufacturing costs, and extending the lifecycle of its products. ADLINK is a global company with headquarters and manufacturing in Taiwan; R&D and integration in Taiwan, China, and the US; and an extensive network of worldwide sales and support offices.

ADLINK is ISO-9001, ISO-14001, ISO-13485, and TL9000 certified, is an Associate Member of the Intel® Embedded Alliance, an Executive Member of PICMG, a Sponsor Member of the PXI Systems Alliance, and a Member of the AXIe Consortium. ADLINK is a publicly traded company listed on the TAIEX Taiwan Stock Exchange (stock code: 6166).

SOURCE  ADLINK Technology, Inc.

ADLINK Technology, Inc.

CONTACT: Monica Lanctot, N. America Marketing Department of ADLINK Technology, Inc., +1-408-360-4337, monica.lanctot@adlinktech.com

Web Site: http://www.adlinktech.com

Residents of Beadle County, S.D. to Benefit From Verizon Wireless 3G Network Enhancements

WOLSEY, S.D., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To continue to stay ahead of rising demand for wireless voice, 3G multimedia and Internet access, Verizon Wireless has expanded its local network in Beadle County, S.D., by activating a new cell site.

The cell site, located near the intersection of State Highway 14 and U.S. Highway 281,  improves coverage in Beadle County as follows:

    --  North to 182nd Street;
    --  South to 207th Street;
    --  East to 391st Avenue;
    --  and West to 364th Avenue.

The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data service in Beadle County, which empowers more Verizon Wireless customers to rely on their wireless phones for social networking, Internet browsing, downloading apps, exchanging email and text, picture and video messaging, as well as making calls.

"South Dakotans are increasingly relying on smartphones and 3G applications to manage their busy lives and stay connected at home or on-the-go," said Seamus Hyland, president-Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless. "This new cell site is part of our continual investment in our network so our customers can use their devices when, where and how they need them."

In addition to the ongoing investment in its 3G network, Verizon Wireless has launched the largest 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in 190 metropolitan areas (including Sioux Falls, S.D.) coast to coast covering more than 200 million Americans. The company will continue a phased market rollout so that by the end of 2013, the 4G LTE Network will be available everywhere Verizon has its 3G network today.

Verizon Wireless' 3G network is the most reliable high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their city, or when they travel to an area already covered by 4G LTE.

Nationally, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $65 billion since it was formed-$6 billion on average every year-to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. This new cell site is part of Verizon Wireless' continual effort to expand coverage, increase capacity and enhance the quality of its wireless voice and data network in South Dakota.

For Verizon Wireless Updates on TwitterStay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in South Dakota  by following @VZWKaren on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vzwkaren. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow @VZWNews on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews.

About Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 107.7 million total wireless connections, including 90.7 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE  Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Karen Smith of Verizon Wireless, +1-763-595-2511, Karen.Smith@Verizonwireless.com, http://twitter.com/KarenVZW; or Debbie Hilt, +1-402-292-5553 ext. 6, Debbie@Alberscommunications.com, for Verizon Wireless

Web Site: http://www.verizonwireless.com

Work hard, play hard: TI's OMAP platform makes mobile devices enterprise-ready

At CES, TI presents professional-grade, enterprise-driven use cases including concurrent VDI and HD mobile video teleconferencing on its OMAP 4 platform

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) is showcasing new applications demonstrating  how OMAP(TM) platform-based mobile devices can become your trusted gateway to demanding enterprise applications at this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Building off of its near fifteen-year-long legacy in the consumer mobile device space, the OMAP platform's unique smart multicore, low power architecture now enables mobile users to conduct critical business functions such as video conferencing and desktop virtualization in a smarter, faster and more efficient way, through the convenience of their favorite mobile devices.

"Mobile device experiences--driven largely by smartphones--have redefined what users expect from technology in any environment," said Dennis Rauschmayer, general manager, OMAP enterprise business line, TI. "We expect familiar UIs, great mobility, syncing potential and the same riveting, practical apps we get from the latest tablet or smartphone to follow us into the office space. We've partnered with industry leaders and are demonstrating how the hyper-secure, smart multicore OMAP architecture is leveraged by the most cutting-edge applications to change the workplace."

At CES, TI will demonstrate power-efficient mobile devices used for enterprise applications, along with other compelling OMAP processor-based experiences in the TI Wireless meeting space N-116 (North Hall) at CES. For more information, visit: http://ti.com/ces2012.

TI's advanced enterprise applications, involving concurrent use cases, leverage some unique and differentiated OMAP platform features including:

    --  Smart multicore architecture, allowing concurrent operation of
        applications within a mobile power envelope
    --  IVA-HD-accelerated video encoding and decoding (includes H.264 and other
        formats)
    --  On-chip security-accelerated remote management
    --  Multi-display output capability including a desktop-comparable multiple
        WUXGA (1920x1200) display output

Splashtop Remote Desktop The Splashtop® Remote Desktop enables users to turn a common tablet into a fully-functional PC or Mac, while also using touch gestures to control popular desktop applications.

"Enterprises are flooding with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scenarios. It's critical that our market produce a viable remote desktop solution that can make those devices useful, professional-grade tools--with the right features, flexibility and processing performance. We aim to do that with solutions like Splashtop Pro and optimization on the OMAP4460 processor," said Mark Lee, CEO, Splashtop.

RemoteFX VDI For ultimate portability and mobility, the OMAP4460 processor-powered Microsoft® RemoteFX(TM) experience delivers VDI desktop capabilities and Android applications on a single device. Backed by cloud-based system management, users experience an out-of-office continuity of all desktop and phone services, as well as quick office setup or expansion.

Multi-Party HD VTC Real-time collaboration is essential to business success today, as colleagues travel and reside around the world. Real-time, HD collaboration is made possible via Ittiam's multi-party HD enterprise video conferencing solution. Taking advantage of OMAP platform differentiated features, users can now meet with multiple teammates in HD video, while simultaneously sharing, exchanging or editing documents. Ittiam's proprietary Bridge architecture enables this use case without the need of a dedicated multi-point control unit.

"We're committed to pushing the envelope on enterprise-grade video communications, and TI's OMAP 4 platform is just the right choice to support our efforts," said Sattam Dasgupta, vice president, video communication and networking business, Ittiam Systems. "The processor's media processing power and rich peripheral support will let OEMs bring to market a compelling enterprise experience. 1080P video conferencing with concurrent desktop virtualization is just one of the demonstrated examples possible."

Concurrent PCoIP VDI and HD Video Conferencing One OMAP4460 processor-based tablet creates the ultimate office experience by driving two screens for increased productivity.  One screen (the VDI screen), powered by Teradici PCoIP Optimized software client running on OMAP, runs a virtualized enterprise-quality Windows session. The second screen runs a full Android session, including a 1080P video conferencing client, powered by Ittiam.

"The PCoIP Optimized client running on the OMAP 4 platform securely delivers a high performance multimedia desktop experience to emerging mobile device form factors including tablets and phones," says Trent Punnett, vice president of product management, Teradici. "This pushes the boundaries of user mobility and productivity and makes secure mobile VDI access to cloud-based computing a reality."

Mobile virtualization As the BYOD trend continues to rise in the office place, so does the complexity of securely supporting these various devices with corporate resources. TI's OMAP M-Shield mobile security technology provides the essential features required to address this challenge.

Red Bend Software's vLogix Mobile(TM) type-1 hypervisor complements the OMAP 4 platform's inherent security assets to make open-platform mobile devices enterprise-ready. The resulting hardware-level security solution enables mobile devices to simultaneously, separately and securely run two operating systems--one for business use and one for personal use.

"Red Bend has worked closely with TI to bring Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updating and standards-based Device Management (DM) to hundreds of millions of mobile devices," said Yoram Salinger, CEO of Red Bend Software. "Now, we are cooperating with TI to leverage the OMAP4460 platform's security assets in a dedicated effort to drive mass-market adoption of mobile virtualization in the enterprise market."

About Texas InstrumentsTexas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be - smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun.  Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do - from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities.  This is just the beginning of our story.  Learn more at http://www.ti.com.

TrademarksOMAP and M-Shield are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE  Texas Instruments

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20010105/NEF016LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Texas Instruments

CONTACT: Heather Ailara of Texas Instruments, +1-214-567-4373, hailara@ti.com; or Lindsey Bare of GolinHarris, +1-972-341-2511, lbare@golinharris.com, for Texas Instruments (Please do not publish these numbers or e-mail addresses.)

Web Site: http://www.ti.com

Huawei's MediaPad Now Comes with Android 4.0

Huawei also unveils new MediaPad color series, operating on Android 3.2

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced that the Huawei MediaPad is now one of the world's first tablets to come pre-loaded with the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. First launched in June 2011, the original MediaPad was the world's first 7-inch Android 3.2 tablet. This latest version of the MediaPad once again provides users with the very latest Android experience, along with access to the newest and hottest services and apps available in the Android marketplace.

Huawei also unveiled its new MediaPad color series - fashionable MediaPads in three new colors: shadow black, classic brown, and passion pink and running on Android 3.2. Both MediaPad versions have a high-quality display, with screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at 217 PPI and supporting 1080P Full HD video playback. Additionally, they come with a Qualcomm dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and have a battery capacity of six hours or more.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-b )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-c )

"In a tablet market defined by staid black and white tablets, the new colorful MediaPad offers a personalized look without the need for an external case," said Richard Yu, Chairman, Huawei Device. "With a hardware package that includes a high-quality screen, a powerful dual-core processor, and long battery life, these colorful MediaPad embodies a rare combination of style and performance."

Huawei's new MediaPad color series and the MediaPad with Android 4.0 will be available in selected markets in the first quarter of 2012. Existing MediaPad owners will receive an OTA Android 4.0 upgrade to their tablets by the first quarter of 2012.

About Huawei Device
Huawei Device believes that everyone can be the center of information and that the world would be a better place if access and information barriers were knocked down. Its strong suite of mobile phones, mobile broadband devices and home devices is testimony to Huawei Device's focus on customers and its commitment to providing user-friendly mobile internet experiences through ongoing innovation. Based on more than two decades of success in the information and communications industry, and with our own channel expertise, operational capabilities and global partner resources, Huawei Device is transforming from a company that sells millions of devices in single transactions to large businesses, to a "Business-to-People" (B2P) brand that also sells individual devices directly to millions of people. As at the end of 2011, Huawei Device serves more than 500 operators all over the world. For more information, visit Huawei Device online: http://www.huaweidevice.com

For regular updates on Huawei Device, follow us on:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HuaweiDevice
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiDeviceCo
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/huaweidevice

For media enquiries, please contact:
Jannie Luong
214-415-0815
jannie.luong@huawei.com

Elissa Campbell
85-291-378-062
Elissa.campbell@bm.com

SOURCE  Huawei

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120111/NE33997-c
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Huawei

Web Site: http://www.huaweidevice.com

Jenner & Block Launches New Web Site

CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenner & Block today announced that it has launched its new Web site at http://www.jenner.com.  The Web site has been completely redesigned to enhance the user experience and offers new features and expanded content.

Visit http://www.jenner.com and the opening video loop sets the contemporary tone of the new site and visually communicates the power of the exceptional people who define Jenner & Block.  It includes footage shots from all four of the Firm's offices - Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. - and its energy and activity reflect the Firm's dynamic position in the profession.

"With our new Web site, we highlight three distinguishing elements of Jenner & Block - our exceptional people, the excellence of our work and our service to our clients, the profession and the community," said Susan C. Levy, Managing Partner of Jenner & Block.  "Through the design and the content, we convey what has always set us apart - while making it easier for visitors to access information about our practices and attorneys."

Jenner & Block client work takes center stage on the home page with the "Excellence Delivered" feature, which highlights a balance of current litigation, transactional and pro bono matters. News and awards listings round out this initial snapshot of what's happening at Jenner & Block.

In the "About Us" section, key new features include expanded office pages with more information about the work and pro bono and public service of each location and an enhanced Diversity / Inclusion section that will include "In Their Words" testimonials from attorneys at the Firm.

The "Our People" section is the searchable gateway to learn more about our attorneys, and its functionality has been expanded and made more intuitive and easy to use.  Searches result in the assembly of the applicable attorney photos, creating a visual map of the information being sought and emphasizing the Firm's diversity. 

Jenner & Block's commitment to pro bono and public service is highlighted in the revised and expanded "Our Public Service" section.  This includes an "In Their Words" testimonial section with powerful descriptions from the Firm's attorneys about their pro bono and public service experiences and what it adds to their lives and practice.

The "Join Us" section showcases what makes Jenner & Block a great place to work and highlights information law students, laterals and judicial clerks need to know about joining the Firm. Another new feature is the "Your Path at Jenner & Block" section.  "Your Path" lays out the focus areas and training/development support attorneys receive at three levels within the firm - Junior Associate, Mid-Level/Senior Associate and Partner. Testimonials from attorneys at each level highlighting their unique experiences are also provided in a question and answer format. Our Summer Associate section also includes Q& A testimonials and a blog-like description of one associate's experience in the program.

Another new part of the site is the "Library" section which is the gateway to the Firm's database of assets - every news item, publication, event description, etc. is accessible.  It is searchable by keyword and users can filter results by type, resource center or practice area.  Making the search function easier and more functional was a major focus of the redesign of http://www.jenner.com.

Perhaps the most exciting new functionality of the site is a little icon in the upper right corner of every page of the site called "Your Virtual File."  By clicking it, visitors can collect multiple pieces of site information or materials into a separate file that can be emailed to a client or colleague.

SOURCE  Jenner & Block

Jenner & Block

CONTACT: CONTACT: Brian Pitts of Jenner & Block, +1-312-923-2635, Fax, +1-312-923-2703, bpitts@jenner.com

Web Site: http://www.jenner.com

Verizon's Next Generation of Interactive FiOS TV Comes to New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Company's Powerful FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide Operating System Includes Many Innovative Upgrades Developed With Customer Feedback

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FiOS TV subscribers in the Northeast woke up Tuesday morning (Jan. 10) to a new way of interacting and enjoying their TV experience.

The new benefits are the result of Verizon's continued transformation of FiOS TV viewing by bringing the next generation of its FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide to subscribers in the company's New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island service areas.  More than 4.2 million households in these states can now take advantage of award-winning FiOS TV and the advanced IMG.

Introduced in 2007, the FiOS TV IMG was the first broadband platform to pull together content from broadcast TV, the Internet and users' own personal media into one media-management system.  It has since evolved into an in-depth, interactive TV experience, with applications for advanced/intuitive search, social networking, Internet video, personal media streaming, high-definition music, remote DVR controls, account management and billing functions, multi-screen/mobile viewing and much more.

The company used customer feedback taken in through its product development labs, field trials and online consumer forums to create many of the more than 25 new upgrades to FiOS TV's advanced IMG that are now available to subscribers in the tri-state area.  The enhancements include greater personalization and customization, easier navigation, deeper search, bigger storage options and optimization for new 3D technology.  To learn more about the customer participation in the development of the IMG's new capabilities, view this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iehPRr0-LFA.

"Customers are at the center of everything we do, and that includes how we develop our products and services," said Susan Retta, vice president of marketing for Verizon's Northeast area.  "FiOS TV isn't about passive video watching - it has evolved into an entertainment and information destination.  Our new generation of FiOS TV is all about simplicity of design, increased user interactivity and ease of use.  It's yet another way we want our customers to get the most out of their FiOS services."

FiOS TV customers can find out more about the upgrades on the FiOS TV Central website.   A short video highlighting some of the changes can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/verizon?feature=mhum#p/u/6/iqQSE3TpbS8.

Highlights include:

    --  Improved search capabilities, which provide a smarter search function
        that predicts what the customer is looking for and automatically
        provides potential matches.  FiOS TV customers also can filter and sort
        by channel, and more easily locate favorite programs.
    --  DVR enhancements, which give FiOS TV customers more control with the
        following:
        --  DVR chaptering, giving viewers DVD-like capabilities to jump ahead
            or resume viewing at a particular moment of recorded programming by
            using on-screen thumbnails in 10-minute increments, providing more
            visual navigation.
        --  Multi-hub DVR, which turns any DVR or HD set-top box in the home
            into a "hub," allowing customers to record and manage DVR settings
            from any room in the home, provided one of the DVRs is a multi-room
            DVR.
        --  eSATA external storage device compatibility, available with most
            FiOS TV DVRs, allowing for increased overall storage capacity.  The
            eSATA hard drives can be purchased at most consumer electronics
            stores and will automatically record customer selections once
            plugged into the DVR.
        --  New "play all" and "delete all" options, allowing customers to play
            episodes back-to-back and automatically delete all episodes of a
            show with the push of a button.

    --  Personalization features, which let FiOS TV customers enjoy
        entertainment on their own terms, including:
        --  New parental control options that make monitoring children's viewing
            even easier, with the ability to block out portions of programming
            by rating during key hours of the day, like homework time, and
            schedule certain times for Parental Controls to be automatically
            turned on and off for greater flexibility.
        --  Guide customization, enabling a variety of settings, with a mini
            guide on the bottom of the screen, a half guide on the right side of
            the screen, and a full guide with a look at more hours of scheduled
            programming.

    --  3D content software, which automatically detects when a customer tunes
        to a 3D program or channel and instantly changes the necessary settings
        for watching those programs on a 3D television set.
Verizon's FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide can be accessed with the FiOS TV remote control or by using Verizon's FiOS Mobile application, which turns an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android device into a remote control for a FiOS HD set-top box, making parental controls, customized interactive applications and program recording options easy to access.

The next-generation FiOS TV is built upon a long series of innovations, including Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; free interactive applications including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, HSN Shop By Remote, TMZ and others; Media Manager, which allows customers to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which frees customers to use simple online tools to diagnose and resolve a range of service issues.

Existing FiOS TV subscribers can find out more information by tuning to FiOS Channel 131, or visiting http://www.verizon.com/fiostvcentral.

For the latest news, updates and information about FiOS TV, visit http://www.verizon.com/newscenter  and http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 107 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $106.6 billion in 2010 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000.  For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE  Verizon

Verizon

CONTACT: John Bonomo, Verizon New York, +1-212-321-8033, john.j.bonomo@verizon.com; Phil Santoro, Verizon Massachusetts/Rhode Island, +1-617-743-4760, philip.g.santoro@verizon.com; Heather Wilner, Verizon FiOS, +1-908-559-6407, heather.b.wilner@verizon.com

Web Site: http://www.verizon.com

RPost Debuts New Class of Mobile Messaging for When Your Message Counts

Users can now send Registered Email messages with one click from most mobile devices, providing time-stamped legal records of delivery, encryption to secure content delivered to any recipient anywhere, and simple methods of signing and obtaining recipient signatures on messages and documents.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Showstoppers @ CES 2012 -- RPost has extended its Registered Email® services to create a new class of mobile messaging for high value messages that need email proof, encryption for extra privacy, or e-signatures on messages or documents.

Understanding recent trends, email traffic is becoming more and more the method of corresponding when you have something important to say -- casual messages are moving to texting and Facebook, faxing is outdated and cumbersome, and paper-based U.S. mail has become a tool of the past when reliability, trust and speed are essential. However, standard email is feature-limited, and as is often the case when sending from mobile devices, leaves one to wonder whether or not a message that really counts was received.

With newfound comfort in decade old electronic signature and transaction laws, and more important messages being transmitted by email from mobile devices, RPost now brings its Registered Email® legal electronic messaging services to the most popular mobile platforms.  RPost calls this mobile messaging platform RMail® Mobile.

When sending messages that have consequence, senders can now send RMail mobile messages with confidence from their BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone and Android devices. RMail messages provide the sender instant proof; proof of delivery within time deadlines; legally verifiable proof of who knew what when, or who legally agreed to what when; and all with options for encryption for end-to-end privacy. RMail Mobile also includes legal electronic signatures to lock in agreements on attached documents or messages typed in email body text, enhanced deliverability with read receipts, and proof records specially routed or stored for easy reference after the fact. The recipient needs nothing on their end and can receive messages to any mobile or desktop Internet connected computer or device.

"With RMail mobile messaging installed, you can now, with confidence, cut out trips to the post office when you need a certified delivery receipt, as well as expensive couriers when you need to record signoff on documents," states RPost CEO Zafar Khan. "RPost now brings to mobile messaging the same RPost services that governments, law firms, and companies across the globe have relied on for years." RPost, founded in 2000, has proven to be a technology pioneer in the field of legal, secure, verifiable, and e-signed messaging and documents centered on email delivery with its 35 patents granted in 21 countries.

SOURCE  RPost

RPost

CONTACT: CONTACT: Jessica Hasson, Social Radius, +1-323-710-3556, jessica@socialradius.com

Web Site: http://www.rpost.com/