Random House, Inc., a consumer book publisher, has announced that through Random House Ventures, L.L.C., its investment subsidiary, it has taken a significant minority stake in VOCEL, a wireless producer and content distributor. Two of Random House, Inc.'s other branded information imprints also announced separate but related licensing arrangements with VOCEL, enabling subscribers to access distinctive content from their mobile phones: Living Language, publisher of foreign-language self-study programs, and Prima Games, publisher of video game strategy guides.
Posted Feb 25, 2005
Adtec Digital recently became a member of the MPEG Industry Forum, an organization aiming to further the adoption of MPEG standards, by establishing them as accepted and widely used standards among creators of content, developers, manufacturers, providers of services, and end users. Adtec Digital designs and manufactures technology for digital television delivery, IP streaming, commercial insertion, and multimedia digital video applications.
Posted Feb 22, 2005
ChoiceStream, Inc., a provider of personalization solutions for online consumer services, search services, eretailers, and iTV providers, has raised $7 million in a Series A financing round led by Cambridge, MA-based General Catalyst Partners. Proceeds will fund the expansion of engineering and development activities. ChoiceStream’s technology is designed to serve personalized content to users.
Posted Feb 22, 2005
The New York Times Company has reached an agreement to acquire About, Inc., an online consumer information provider, from Primedia Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $410 million. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed late this quarter or early in the second quarter.
Posted Feb 22, 2005
TRADOS Inc., a provider of global information solutions, has announced the TRADOS Globalization Partner Program. The new program is designed to bring together globalization software and services companies to remove complex, persistent barriers that prevent enterprises from effectively reaching global markets.
Posted Feb 18, 2005
KeepMedia, Inc., a provider of online premium content, has announced that president and CEO Douglas J. Herrington has resigned from the company to pursue personal interests and other opportunities. Louis H. Borders, founder of Borders Books and Webvan and currently chairman of the board at KeepMedia, will assume the position of president and CEO, replacing Herrington.
Posted Feb 18, 2005
Avalanche Mobile, a developer of network-based SMS management technologies, has acquired a 50% ownership stake in messaging and location service provider, 1rstWAP. By using 1rst WAP’s global infrastructure, Avalanche Mobile expects to expand the availability of advanced SMS messaging and location based systems and services, for telecom operators around the world.
Posted Feb 15, 2005
Verizon Communications Inc. and MCI, Inc. have announced that Verizon has agreed to acquire MCI for $4.8 billion in equity and $488 million in cash. In addition to MCI shareowner approval, the acquisition requires regulatory approvals, which the companies are targeting to obtain in about a year. The companies will determine operational plans, such as branding strategies and organizational structure, as the transaction moves closer to closing.
Posted Feb 15, 2005
FinancialContent, Inc. , a provider of financial data and business applications to online media and financial services companies worldwide, has announced an initiative to expand its operations in China. FinancialContent will open an office in Shanghai in order to build a competitive newsroom and wire service that track the expansion of U.S. companies into China and the reciprocal penetration of Chinese companies into the U.S. market.
Posted Feb 11, 2005
Members of the Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) have announced a new secure payment solution, piracy-proof peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software, advanced micropayment aggregation engine, and technology for integrating cell-phone and P2P payments.
Posted Feb 11, 2005
Infotrieve, Inc., a provider of content software technology and information services, has announced its acquisition of GenSys Software, Inc., provider of the GenSys/ELN electronic laboratory notebook for life sciences, chemistry, and other research-intensive industries.
Posted Feb 11, 2005
WebSideStory, Inc., a provider of on-demand Web analytics, has announced an agreement to acquire Avivo Corporation, a California corporation doing business as “Atomz,” and the launch of a new suite of integrated services for online marketing professionals. Based in San Francisco, Ca., Atomz is a provider of on-demand digital marketing applications, including site search and Web content management.
Posted Feb 11, 2005
Percussion Software has announced key changes in the company's management team. Michael Alden has been promoted to president from senior vice president of corporate operations, and Patricia Nagle has joined the company as vice president of worldwide sales and alliances.
Posted Feb 08, 2005
Ask Jeeves, Inc., a provider of information retrieval technologies, brands, and Internet advertising services, has acquired Trustic, Inc., the company that owns and operates Bloglines. Bloglines is a free online service for searching, subscribing, publishing, and sharing RSS feeds, blogs, and rich Web content. Bloglines will continue to operate uninterrupted as an independent brand in the Ask Jeeves portfolio and retain its name and unique URL: www.bloglines.com.
Posted Feb 08, 2005
StreamShield Networks, a provider of real-time Internet content security solutions, has announced a new partnership by becoming a funding member of the Internet Watch Foundation. The partnership is intended to enable ISPs to simply and cost-effectively prevent their subscribers from accessing illegal child abuse Web sites over their network, thus helping to prevent access to abusive images of children that contravene the Protection of Children Act 1978.
Posted Feb 04, 2005
ProQuest Information and Learning has completed the acquisition of privately held Voyager Expanded Learning, a provider of in-school core reading programs, reading intervention programs, and professional development programs for school districts throughout the United States. Voyager’s senior management team will remain with the company and report to Ron Klausner, president of ProQuest Information and Learning and acting president of Voyager Expanded Learning. Voyager’s headquarters will remain in Dallas, Texas.
Posted Feb 04, 2005
Factiva, a Dow Jones and Reuters Company, has acquired the business and assets of 2B Reputation Intelligence Limited and Benchmarking Solutions Limited, a London-based technology and consulting business specializing in media monitoring and reputation management. The acquisition of 2B’s is expected to provide Factiva customers with editorial and visualization tools that permit the graphical representation of trends and relationships uncovered by analyzing a relevant selection of Web content along with Factiva’s collection of sources. Factiva has stated that the acquisition is intended to accelerate its strategy to offer media monitoring and reputation management solutions for corporate communications and marketing professionals based on human expertise, visualization tools, taxonomies, and text-mining technology.
Posted Feb 04, 2005
Liquid Machines, Inc., a provider of enterprise rights management (ERM) solutions, has moved its corporate headquarters to Waltham, Massachusetts to accommodate growth driven by increasing customer demand, partner interest, and product line expansion.
Posted Feb 01, 2005
Outsell has released a report on the third quarter performance of the Outsell 100.
Posted Feb 01, 2005
The European Parliament has voted with only one amendment in favor of the eContentplus program, which will support the development of multi-lingual content for innovative, on-line services across the EU.
Posted Feb 01, 2005
Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), a developer of enterprise search and real-time alerting technologies, has recently established of new offices in Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, and Rio de Janeiro.
Posted Jan 25, 2005
CM Professionals, a group of content management professionals from around the world, has elected its first formal Board of Directors.
Posted Jan 25, 2005
Sirsi Corporation has acquired Docutek Information Systems Inc., announced participation in the Normative Data Project for Libraries, partnered with Bluesocket, Inc. to deliver security and management to library WLANs, and has announced that it is working with Rittenhouse Book Distributors, Inc. to provide enhanced functionality for placing electronic book orders.
Posted Jan 18, 2005
Data Depth Corporation, a/k/a: iCopyright.net, has filed its answer, counterclaims, and third-party claims in the litigation instituted by Valeo Intellectual Property.
Posted Jan 14, 2005
Members of the electronic communications, compliance, and law communities have joined together to form The Electronic Communications Compliance Council (TE3C), a group dedicated to providing best practices and resources to companies grappling with email and instant messaging (IM) policies and compliance.
Posted Jan 14, 2005