BlackArrow, a provider of multiplatform ad-management systems for viewer-controlled video, today announced it will be demonstrating its advanced advertising system for delivering dynamic, targeted ad campaigns against viewer demographics and content metadata in on-demand video sessions streamed by Cisco’s Content Delivery System (CDS) platform. This SCTE 130-enabled solution is being showcased as part of today’s exclusive preview tour of next-generation cable technologies organized by the CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) On Demand Consortium, and in the Cisco booth (#2811) during the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) Cable Show in New Orleans this week.

BlackArrow is an active participant in, and contributor to, the SCTE 130 standards definition. This technology is integrated into the BlackArrow ad-management system and underscores the company’s commitment to using open standards – thereby enabling partners and customers to deploy standards-based, advanced advertising systems that target and reach audiences across multiple viewing environments.

Ars Technica, one of the leading technology sites on the Web with 4.4 million unique monthly visitors and 30+ million monthly page views, will become part of WIRED Digital, operating as an independent unit of the fast-growing division, it was announced today.

The announcement was made by Sarah Chubb, president of CondéNet, the digital division of Condé Nast, which has managed the growth of the WIRED Digital sites, and David Carey, group president, Condé Nast, who oversees the sales and marketing efforts for WIRED Digital.

In addition, Webmonkey, the popular web developer tutorial site, will be re-launched under WIRED Digital. Plans are also underway to revive HotWired.com, recognized as a pioneer in the industry as one of the first commercial web brands.

The combined sites of WIRED Digital now reach close to 19 million unique visitors per month.

InsightExpress, a leading provider of digital marketing research, announced today that they have been approved as a third party ad-effectiveness research vendor within the Google content network. This approval signifies that InsightExpress has complied with Google’s new formal certification process, and is now authorized to conduct brand effectiveness research studies across the Google content network.

The Google content network is one of the world's largest advertising networks, encompassing hundreds of thousands of Web sites that range from premium publishers to long-tail niche sites. The content network reaches more Internet users worldwide than any other online property or network.

The Digital Media Measurement group at InsightExpress is a unique practice area made up of digital media professionals, focused on measuring, testing and optimizing digital and traditional media. At the core of this group is AdInsights®, a leading digital ad-effectiveness solution developed in 2002 to measure a campaign’s impact on key brand measures. AdInsights measures the attitudinal effect of digital advertising via a test/control methodology. Using traditional barometers common to measuring branding effect, i.e. brand awareness, message association, favorability and purchase intent, advertisers and their agencies can gauge the success of digital campaigns as they do offline and in other media.

Penton Media’s Windows IT Pro® and SQL Server Magazine®, have announced the finalists in the “Best of Tech•Ed North America Awards 2008” competition. The judges reviewed more than 280 IT and developer products and services submitted for the Tech•Ed 2008 IT Professionals Conference and the Tech•Ed 2008 Developers Conference, both to be held in Orlando, Fla. Finalists will be interviewed at each of the shows and one winner from each category will be selected. Winners will be featured in the August issues of Windows IT Pro and SQL Server Magazine.
The Best of Tech•Ed 2008 Developers finalists are:
• Database Development Category
o ComponentOne Studio for WinForms by ComponentOne
o eXpressApp Framework by Developer Express, Inc.
o SQL Compare Pro by Red Gate Software
• Developer Tools Category
o Intercept Studio by AVIcode
o JNBridgePro by JNBridge
o NetAdvantage for .NET by Infragistics
o Sitefinity CMS by Telerik Corp.
• SharePoint Development Category
o K2 blackpearl by K2
o Office Canvas by Neudesic
o PointFire by IceFire Studios
• Software Components & Middleware Category
o /n software Red Carpet Subscription by software
o ComponentOne Studio Enterprise by ComponentOne
o DXperience by Developer Express, Inc.
The Best of Tech•Ed 2008 IT Professionals finalists are:
• Business Intelligence Category
o OfficeWriter by SoftArtisans
o Quest MessageStats by Quest Software
o Vantage 2.0 by WebSpy Ltd
• Database Administration Category
o LiteSpeed for SQL Server by Quest Software
o SQL Diagnostic Manager by Idera
o SQL Sentry Event Manager by SQL Sentry, Inc.
• Hardware, Networking and Storage Category
o EMC Celerra NS20 by EMC Corporation
o StoreVault™ S550 by NetApp
o Strangeloop WS1000 Web Services Accelerator by Strangeloop Networks
• Messaging Category
o Mail Attender for Exchange by Sherpa Software
o OneServer Virtual Edition by Azaleos
o Symantec Enterprise Vault 2007 for Microsoft Exchange by Symantec Corporation
• Productivity & Collaboration Category
o Colligo Contributor Pro for SharePoint by Colligo Networks, Inc.
o Easy CRM SharePoint by BPA Solutions
o Resource Central by Add-On Products
• Security Category
o GFI LANguard by GFI Software
o Quest Archive Manager by Quest Software
o ScanMail for Exchange by Trend Micro
• SharePoint Category
o DocAve Software Platform by AvePoint
o Quest Site Administrator for SharePoint by Quest Software
o Universal SharePoint Manager 2007 by iDevFactory
• Systems Management and Operations Category
o Athena Add-In for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 by Odyssey Software
o ChangeAuditor by NetPro Computing
o PowerGUI by Quest Software
• Virtualization Category
o Enterprise Configuration Manager (ECM) for Virtualization 1.0 by Configuresoft
o EverRun VM by Marathon Technologies
o Invista V2.1 by EMC Corporation
o VM Express 1.1 by Prowess
o VMware Infrastructure 3 by Vmware

After a year of slow growth Genese Music and Entertainment has launched its first web radio station, Genese Gospel. The radio station will feature Genese Gospel artists, as well as other contemporary, and traditional artist. "You can't play contemporary artists without knowing where it got its roots" Says Ralph Rogers founder and CEO of Genese Music and Entertainment. "Gospel greats such as Aretha Franklin, Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, Alex Bradford, and The Mighty Clouds of Joy are just a few of those who have been instrumental in the development of the Gospel Music genre.

Genese Gospel Web Radio will broadcast great gospel music programming. However, they also will offer blocks of advertising to their non-profit partners, business clients, and other radio show producers. "If you think you have a product or a program that you would like to advertise and don't think that Genese Gospel Radio audience is not broad enough hang on." Says Rogers, "We are just getting started." In a week after the launch of Gospel Radio, Genese Music and entertainment will also launch Obia Soul Radio, Jazz on Pierre Noir, and All Around Radio. By combining all Radio Stations, Advertisers can select from specific or general audience targeted media campaign.


Waitrose new brand advertising campaign speaks to food lovers
Waitrose is to make the first major changes to its brand advertising for seven years with a new campaign designed to celebrate the enjoyment of food. The new campaign, aims to reach out to food lovers everywhere and promote the enjoyment of eating socially.

The 60-second TV commercial, which will run for four weeks, features a huge picnic scene on a giant blanket spread out on a hillside and will convey the pleasure of quality food. The ad will also feature a completely new brand strapline - 'Everyone deserves quality food. Everyone deserves Waitrose'. This message reflects the retailer's desire to invite more people to try Waitrose and to enjoy better quality food.

According to the National Advertisers' report, the platform has been employed more for the B2B than B2C companies in the past three years. Initially, Web 2.0 was formulated to incorporate two-way communication through user-generated content on the websites including pod casts, videos, blogs and comments. Then the potential of the platform began to be harnessed for B-to-B solutions. It soon became an integral part of the PR functions of any business and thus, Online applications were developed, based on this platform.

The key Public Relations' tools for B-to-B companies, accomplished through Web 2.0 Platform include-

a) Brand building: The 'branding' or the 'image-building' is now being done through formats like blogs, social networking portals, viral videos, wiki and through in-house business websites
b) Lead generation: It is achieved through direct marketing (e-mail), SEO and SEM techniques
c) Customer Loyalty: A loyal customer-base is created through interactive webinars like blogs, e-communities, forums and pod casts

The B-to-B companies are in a better position to afford new media platforms like Web 2.0 than B-to-C companies which utilize paid keyword searches, Online advertising and social networking for positioning and promotion of their brands.

VoiceMailTel, a virtual telecommunications provider for businesses, recently released Call Analysis, a feature that allows companies to analyze all their telephone communications. This new service provides businesses with valuable market research and helps them improve efficiency and cut their costs by monitoring call expenses.

Call analysis collects information about each incoming and outgoing phone call, when and why the call was made, where the call was made from or to, the call's length and more. The information provided helps business owners measure the efficiency of their staff so they can identify areas for improvement. The new feature also tracks sales conversion rates and measures advertising campaign results.

Great news for bicycling enthusiasts everywhere:www.BikeWearWorld.com. The CEO, Sami Tauber, has been able to conjure up some crazy marketing ploys, advertising miracles and capture some amazing video footage. Tauber says that, "www.BikeWearWorld.com is the chain in the industry for the BMX, Motocross, Mountain, Road, Spin, Track and Triathlon industries." She has taken the e-commerce retail shop to a whole new level. Tauber did not want to only sell a catalog online. She wanted to give back to the community and emphasize health, nutrition, GO Green, and empower businesses with a new riding vehicle - BikeWear World video zone.

BikeWear World video zone offers the cycling community the capability of uploading their own video commercials, cool rides, races, and wipeouts. A special community within Meet My Friends will be designated to mechanics, race directors, athletes, coaches/ trainers/ nutritionists, bike shops, manufacturers, gyms, pools, special events, magazines, personals, and donations/ causes.

Fuse, the national music television network, has signed a three-year agreement with the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, to become the exclusive television partner of the Festival, which takes place on a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, June 12-15. The deal marks the first time in its seven-year history that Bonnaroo has ever aired on a national television network and will include live on-air programming and on-demand content, as well as extensive marketing and promotion. This year’s Festival will feature performances by Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Kanye West and Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, along with more than 100 other bands.

With more than six hours of programming, fans will get an insider’s view into Bonnaroo like never before. “Fuse Live from Bonnaroo,” will provide viewers with live primetime weekend coverage from the grounds of the 2008 Festival, including highlights of each day’s performances taken from the main stage, artist interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access. “Best of Bonnaroo Vol. I” showcasing some the best performances and happenings from the seven year history of the Bonnaroo, will air on Fuse just prior to the Festival and Vol. II and III will air quarterly thereafter. Fuse host Steven Smith will be shooting “Steven’s Untitled Rock Show” episodes from the grounds of Bonnaroo and be reporting back live to the Seventh Avenue Studio in New York City on Festival happenings, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes action, which will also be available on www.fuse.tv and Fuse Mobile.

Resource Interactive, one of the nation's preeminent digital marketing agencies, invites members of the media to its iCitizen Client Symposium. iCitizen: The OPEN Imperative is an invitation-only event where Resource Interactive clients and partners gather together for networking, beta 'first looks' and super-charged dialogue. This intimate event gathers Resource Interactive leadership, Fortune 500 executives, industry experts and visionaries to explore the future of open branding, digital marketing and technology.