Comcast, Cable Europe Labs & Liberty Global to Keynote at Light Reading's Cable Next-Gen Broadband Strategies Conference Tweet

Conference will feature keynotes from Comcast, Cable Europe Labs, and Liberty Global execs, plus presentations by many other industry executives.

NEW YORK -- UBM Techweb's Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the principal research-led media company serving the global communications marketplace, and Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com), its prestigious market research division, will host their third annual Cable Next-Gen Broadband Strategies conference on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the Cable Center in Denver. Cable Next-Gen Broadband Strategies -- hosted by Heavy Reading Senior Analyst Alan Breznick, Light Reading Cable Site Editor Jeff Baumgartner, and Heavy Reading Contributing Analyst Craig Leddy -- will take a comprehensive look at the cable industry's plans to deploy powerful Docsis 3.0 wideband technology, delve into wireless broadband, and develop such new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) architectures as Radio Frequency Over Glass (RFOG) and Passive Optical Networks (PONs).

The Cable Next-Gen Broadband Strategies conference will feature morning keynote speaker Jorge D. Salinger, VP of Access Architecture for Comcast, who will describe a new access architecture for the cable delivery of broadband and video signals. The conference will also feature a joint afternoon keynote session with Peter Percosan, CTO of Cable Europe Labs, and Timothy J. Burke, VP of Strategic Technology for Liberty Global, who will outline the aggressive efforts by European, Asian, and other MSOs to deploy Docsis 3.0 services across the planet.

"This should be the most comprehensive conference yet on the cable industry's next-gen broadband plans and ambitions," Breznick said. "With our stellar lineup of speakers, we expect to break some news and dig deeper into cable's broadband progress and challenges."

Other featured speakers will include: Paul Brooks, Director of Network Engineering at Time Warner Cable; Jeff Finkelstein, Director of Network Architecture at Cox Communications; Saifur Rahman, Distinguished Engineer at Comcast Cable; Chris Bastian, Executive Director of Network Architecture at Comcast Cable; Matt Schmitt, Director of Docsis Specifications at CableLabs; Doug Jones, VP of Access Technologies at Comcast Cable; Eamon O'Leary, VP of Engineering & Operations at Clearwire; Pragash Pillai, Senior VP of Engineering & Technology at Bresnan Communications; Peter Roberts, VP of Sales Strategy & Development at Starz Entertainment; Alan Tschirner, VP, Technology at NCTC; Joseph Jensen, Executive VP & CTO at Buckeye CableSystems; and Dean Stoneback, Co-Chairman of SCTE IPS Working Group 5.

Speakers from sponsoring companies will also be presenting. The event's nine sponsors include: Platinum Sponsors Arris and Motorola; Gold Sponsors Aurora Networks, BigBand Networks, CommScope, Hitachi, and JDSU; and Silver Sponsors Alloptic and Calix. More than 130 cable and telecom executives are expected to attend the conference on Thursday at the Cable Center in Denver.

Registration for press and analysts is free. To register for Cable Next-Gen Broadband Strategies, please visit: www.lightreading.com/cabledenver.

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Into the New Wave - the Samsung Wave S8500 Tweet

Samsung launched its newest smartphone, the Wave, at MWC 2010. We managed to get our hands on it for a few minutes ahead of the launch event. Here, you can take a deep-dive into everything this awesome phone has to offer....

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CCF Announces 2010 Board of Directors Tweet

ZTE Embraces Leadership Role as an Executive Board Member.

SAN DIEGO -- The CDMA Certification Forum® (CCF), a global non-profit organization that certifies CDMA2000 devices, announced that ZTE has joined its Board of Directors. ZTE has appointed General Manager Li Jichao as its representative on the CCF board, which retains six incumbent members: Nokia, Qualcomm, Sierra Wireless, Telus Mobility, Verizon Wireless and VIA Telecom. These industry leading companies will drive the strategic direction of the CCF during 2010, including streamlining the certification of EV-DO Rev. B and CDMA2000® 1X, EV-DO Rev. A/B and LTE Worldmode(TM) mobile broadband devices.

Mr. Li Jichao is the senior manager responsible for CDMA handset management at ZTE Corporation. Under his leadership of the company's CDMA terminal production team, ZTE has experienced a durative increase of sales volume in the global CDMA market over the past several years. Mr. Li has also led the effort to introduce ZTE's devices and increase sales with leading CDMA2000 operators, including China Telecom and Verizon Wireless.

"We are delighted to welcome ZTE to the CCF Board of Directors," said Lou LaMedica, Director of the Wireless Handset and Device Evaluation and Implementation Laboratory for Verizon Wireless and Chairman of the CCF Board of Directors. "ZTE is embracing its role as a global leader in CDMA devices and network infrastructure, and we look forward to working in close collaboration with Mr. Li to communicate the importance of global CDMA device certification."

2009 was a milestone year for the CCF, highlighted by the consolidation of the CTIA's CDMA certification program and CDMA Development Group's (CDG) 1, 2 and 3 test guidelines into a single, global certification process. As a result, the CCF offers a clear and concise certification process that includes all of the minimum performance, interoperability and conformance testing necessary to ensure that all CDMA2000 devices are certified to operate in accordance with their respective global industry standards. More importantly, it streamlines and automates the device testing and certification process, minimizing time-to-market and reducing costs.

"The CCF is proud to add another global industry leader to the impressive list of companies represented on our Board of Directors," said Thomas Erickson, President and CEO of the CCF. "ZTE comes onboard at a critical time to serve several high-growth CDMA markets such as China, where a rapid proliferation of CDMA2000 devices is reinforcing the need for clear, consolidated testing and certification."

China Telecom is now offering CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A broadband data services to one out of every two Chinese 3G subscribers. The number of 3G CDMA devices available in China is expected to grow exponentially this year, fueled by an increasing number of domestic device manufacturers like ZTE. Additionally, China Telecom has formed agreements with top global device manufacturers such as HTC, RIM, Motorola and Nokia to bring high-end 3G devices to market, including Worldmode smartphones, multimedia devices and netbooks.

For more information about the CCF or CDMA device testing and certification, please visit www.globalccf.org.

About the CCF

The CCF is a partnership of CDMA vendors and operators worldwide that has established and maintains a single core global device certification process. The CCF process allows quick and affordable certification of devices so they meet prescribed international performance requirements. This process improves quality through consistent interoperability, signaling conformance, and performance testing. More information at: www.globalccf.org.

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Slacker Radio Announces Android Station Caching For Listening to Your Favorite Music Everywhere Tweet

Slacker Radio 2.0 for Android Includes Station Caching for Listening Even Without a Wi-Fi or Mobile Network Connection.

SAN DIEGO -- Slacker, Inc. announced the availability of Slacker Radio 2.0 for Android phones. For the first time ever, Android users can cache their favorite Slacker stations right to their phones to listen anywhere – whether they are connected to a wireless network or not. The application is available immediately by visiting www.Slacker.com from an Android phone or by searching for Slacker in the Android Market.

With Slacker Radio 2.0 and a Radio Plus subscription, music enthusiasts using their Android-powered smartphone can select stations to cache by simply selecting "Cache Station" from within the app. Listeners can choose to manually cache their favorite stations or use "Auto Refresh," enabling their Android-powered smartphone to automatically wake during overnight charging and wirelessly refresh station content, providing new music daily with no additional effort.

Cached stations are stored on the smartphone and can be accessed on subways, planes and everywhere in between with no network drop-outs and minimal battery usage. Along with the ability to store stations, Slacker Radio Plus features ad-free listening, song lyrics, unlimited song skipping, unlimited song requests and more.

Android owners can now listen to Slacker personalized radio without a Wi-Fi or mobile network connection to take their favorite stations wherever they go without having to manage playlists or transfer music from their home computers. Listeners of the free Slacker Basic Radio service will be able to cache stations for up to 14 days, providing everyone the opportunity to try this new feature on their Android phone, risk-free.

"Android users can now enjoy their music anywhere they go with our personalized and feature-packed Slacker Radio for Android 2.0," said Jonathan Sasse, senior vice president of marketing at Slacker. "The benefits of the new station caching feature enable listeners to travel far beyond Wi-Fi or mobile connections to enjoy a continuous and unrivaled music experience."

The millions who listen to the free Slacker Basic Radio service will continue to enjoy the same unparalleled music experience that now includes a free trial of the complete station caching solution. With access to a song library that is nearly four times the size of the leading competitor, Android owners can use Slacker Basic Radio or Slacker Radio Plus to create their own Personal Radio stations or listen to and personalize over 120 expert-programmed genre stations.

Slacker Basic Radio and Slacker Radio Plus also enable access to artist biographies and album reviews, station fine-tuning, "peek ahead" song previews and custom artist stations. In addition to marking songs as favorites, listeners can also ban songs and artists to create perfect custom radio stations.

Slacker Radio 2.0 for Android:

* Music library featuring millions of songs
* High-quality stereo playback
* Over 120 professionally programmed genre stations
* Create custom stations based on artists or songs
* View artist biographies and photos
* View album art and reviews
* "Peek Ahead" artist and album preview
* Pause and skip songs
* Rate songs as favorites
* Ban the songs and artists you don't like


Slacker Radio 2.0 with Slacker Radio Plus:

* Wireless station caching - listen to Slacker Radio without a Wi-Fi or mobile network connection
* Greatly improved battery life on cached station playback
* Auto Station Refresh - effortlessly updates cached stations overnight
* Unlimited song skipping
* Ad-free listening
* Complete song lyrics*
* Unlimited song requests for creating stations


Pricing and Availability

Slacker Radio 2.0 for Android is available immediately by visiting www.slacker.com from an Android smartphone or by searching for Slacker in the Android Market. Owners of the DROID by Motorola can find Slacker quickly in the Verizon channel of the Android Market. Slacker Radio Plus is available for as low as $3.99 per month and can be purchased by visiting www.Slacker.com/RadioPlus or selecting the "upgrade" button from within the application.

About Slacker, Inc.

Slacker is the world's first Personal Radio company offering "Your Radio Everywhere." Slacker allows music lovers to play highly personalized music online at the Slacker web site or on the go with Slacker Personal Radio players and mobile phones. Slacker mobile applications are currently available for Android, BlackBerry smartphones, Palm webOS, and the iPhone. For more information visit http://www.Slacker.com/everywhere.

For regular Slacker updates follow us at www.Twitter.com/SlackerRadio, become a Fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SlackerRadio or visit www.Slacker.com.

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New ScanLife Mobile App Brings UPC Barcode Scanning to Top Smartphone Platforms: Android, BlackBerry and iPhone Tweet

Widely used application can now read all common 1D and 2D barcodes from packaging and traditional media to view comparison pricing and related product information.

NEW YORK -- Scanbuy, Inc., the global leader in mobile barcode solutions, announced it has released new versions of its ScanLife barcode scanner for the Android, BlackBerry and iPhone operating systems. ScanLife uses the camera in a mobile phone to scan barcodes that automatically display product information, show videos, dial a phone number and more without needing to type or search for information.

ScanLife is one of the first applications that can read all major barcode formats on three of the leading Smartphone platforms. The app can already read all popular 2D barcode formats such as Datamatrix, EZcode and QR. With the new version of ScanLife, phones with auto-focus cameras – such as the DROID by Motorola, BlackBerry Tour and iPhone 3GS – can read 1D barcodes like UPC, EAN and ISBN. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have already downloaded ScanLife, and the app is being preloaded on millions of handsets by leading mobile operators like Sprint™ and Telefonica.

"Mobile barcode scanning has quickly become a popular activity among Smartphone users, and there are now a wide variety of apps that can each scan different barcode formats," said Jonathan Bulkeley, Chief Executive Officer of Scanbuy. "Our ScanLife app will now allow someone to scan virtually any barcode they see to instantly get more information, creating an all-in-one barcode reader which is ideal for our users and our customers."

UPC and EAN barcodes can be found on packaging around the world, and now ScanLife can take the information to provide a list of price comparisons and consumer reviews from multiple online retailers like Amazon. This is especially useful for products like books, DVDs and consumer electronics. More retailers and features will be added to the application like local search results.

ScanLife will continue to read 2D barcodes, which are commonly used as physical hyperlinks from traditional media such as magazine ads, business cards and direct mail. The ScanLife Code Management Platform has been used by larger marketers from Coca-Cola to Volkswagen, as well as a wide variety of local businesses. Consumers can scan these codes to get product discounts, enter promotions or load videos – right from the phone. The ScanLife Platform can also be used to generate free personal codes that link to social networking profiles or contact information.

Consumers can download ScanLife free of charge from their mobile phone at www.getscanlife.com or from Android Market, BlackBerry App World™, and Apple's App Store.

About Scanbuy, Inc.

Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application and an interoperable Code Management Platform. The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, and Asia. Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable mobile barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.

Scanbuy has the largest and oldest patent portfolio of any company in the industry, with over 30 patents granted covering the entire solution. The company's investors include Motorola Ventures, Longworth Venture Partners, Masthead Venture Partners and Hudson Ventures. For more information on Scanbuy, please visit www.scanbuy.com or www.scanlife.com.

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Knoxville Attorney Wins 2010 Cellular South Cup 'Getaway' Contest Tweet

Prize Includes All Expense Paid Trip For Two To BNP Paribus Open Tennis Championships Next Month.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A 31-year-old Knoxville attorney will be taking the "trip of a lifetime" when she and her husband board a plane next month to attend the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. after winning the grand prize in Cellular South's recently completed Cellular South Cup "Getaway" contest and promotion.

Dana Dalton, an attorney for a small private law firm in Knoxville, won the grand prize package as part of a month-long online register-to-win contest sponsored by Cellular South leading up to this week's 2010 Cellular South Cup, a Sony Ericsson WTA professional women's tennis tournament in Memphis.

The package, worth more than $6,000, includes round-trip airfare and ground transportation, a 3-night stay at the prestigious Esmeralda Renaissance Hotel, special event passes, a behind-the-scenes personal tour and courtside box seats at the BNP Paribas Open men's and women's tennis finals March 20 and 21 in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

"I'm still in shock right now, but absolutely ecstatic about winning the contest," Dalton said. "This will definitely be the trip of a lifetime as we've never won anything like this before. The trip is absolutely unbelievable." Dalton plans to share the experience with her husband, David, an operations supervisor for a securities broker.

Dalton's name was selected from among hundreds of submissions and she credits her good fortune to clicking on a Cellular South banner ad that helped her navigate to the contest entry page on the company's website. "I found the link to the contest online while looking for information on the outcome of another tennis tournament," Dalton said. "As it turns out, it really paid off for me to take a minute to complete the online registration form."

An avid tennis fan, Dalton said she is looking forward to seeing some of the best players in the world at the BNP Paribas Open next month. "My favorite players are Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick and both of them are scheduled to compete in this tournament – so I'm really looking forward to some quality tennis."

The grand prize package won by Dalton was part of a month-long 2010 Cellular South Cup "Getaway" contest and program by Cellular South that also featured a trip for two to the Cup singles and doubles tennis championships in Memphis and weekly prizes, including 45 Prince tennis racquets autographed by former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova and 45 $100 Cellular South gift cards redeemable for merchandise and service.

"We're very pleased with the success of the promotion in raising brand awareness through all of the interest in women's tennis in our markets," said Jim Richmond, director of Corporate Communications for Cellular South, the nation's largest privately owned wireless communications provider.

The 2010 BNP Paribas Open is the largest combined ATP World Tour and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event in world and the most heavily attended tennis tournament in the world outside of the four major events. This year, the tournament will celebrate its 35th anniversary and host more than 300 of best men's and women's players in the world.

ABOUT CELLULAR SOUTH

Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The nation's largest privately owned wireless carrier accomplishes this goal by providing the most reliable and advanced 3G nationwide voice and data network, offering industry-leading family and unlimited flat rate voice, text and mobile web plans and through its online and in-store Discover Centers, which give customers easy, simple and convenient tools, tips, advice and information to get the most out of their mobile phone. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.

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One to One Interactive Acquires fhios Tweet

Acquisition Expands OTOinsights Service Offerings in Customer Experience Research.

BOSTON and LONDON -- One to One Interactive, Inc. (OTO), a Boston-based digital marketing firm recently ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, announced a definitive agreement to acquire fhios, with operations in the UK, Singapore, and Brazil.

The merger expands One to One Interactive's comprehensive suite of digital marketing products and services by incorporating fhios' user experience, research, and design practice with OTOinsights and its patent-pending Neuromarketing research platform, Quantemo.

The move represents the fifth time OTO has grown through a merger or acquisition, a strategy the company embarked on beginning in 2005. The addition of fhios provides OTO with expanded UK/European presence while adding new offices in Brazil and Singapore. fhios has run programs for clients such as Reuters, Motorola, Hilton, eBay, Dell and Philips in industries such as financial services, travel/tourism and media/publishing.

fhios specializes in customer experience strategy, research and design covering areas such as usability, eye tracking, concept testing, brand perception and competitive benchmarking to help answer key business issues to help its clients provide their customers with that all important stellar customer experience.

fhios has a wealth of experience in both public and private sectors in industries ranging from financial services to travel in both B2B and B2C markets. Since 2002, fhios has completed over 400 projects in over 30 countries across multiple channels such as web, mobile, PDA's, I-TV, call centres, retail outlets and product testing.

"Our acquisition of fhios will help OTO achieve several of its 2010 strategic objectives. We are expanding our Web 3.0/semantic customer experience research, design and strategic capabilities at a time when brands are transitioning significant marketing budget from traditional to digital," said Ian Karnell, CEO of One to One Interactive. "Additionally, fhios' substantial international presence gives OTO access to new markets for all of its products and services."

"We are excited to become part of One to One Interactive," said Dr. Philip Rhodes, CEO of fhios, who will be the SVP, Managing Director of OTOinsights. "We see this as an opportunity to bring our deep human experience expertise to new North American audience, add OTOinsights neuromarketing research capabilities to our client offerings, and to engage more deeply with our clients' projects."

About One to One Interactive

Complete One-To-One Solutions for Brands, Agencies, and Publishers

Established in 1997, One to One Interactive is the first enterprise to assemble a complete solution for brands, agencies, and publishers executing one-to-one marketing strategies. By bringing together one of the nation's leading digital marketing agencies, the worlds most comprehensive portfolio of permission marketing platforms, performance marketing solutions, and cutting edge neuromarketing research techniques, the companies of One to One Interactive build informed and creative customer/constituent strategies on the belief that digital media's ability to enable engaging one-to-one dialogues is the future of marketing.

One to One Interactive has recently been ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, one of the Top Interactive firms in the United States according to B2B Magazine, and one of the world's 20 hottest independent digital marketing firms by Ad Age.

Please visit one of One to One Interactive's web sites for more information:

* One to One Interactive: www.onetooneinteractive.com
* OTOi: www.otoi.com
* OTOlabs: www.otolabs.com
* OTOnetworks: www.otonetworks.com
* OTOinsights: www.otoinsights.com


About fhios

fhios has been a leading international customer experience research consultancy founded in 2002 and has successfully conducted over 400 customer experience and usability research projects across over 35 countries, with many brand perception, customer segmentation, concept & design validation, competitive benchmarking, online communities and user needs projects to provide its clients such as Orange, O2, Samsung, Pay Pal, Motorola, Hilton and Shell/Ferrari with the insight to understand customers needs, goals, expectations, behaviours and experience levels when they engage with them and their competitors.

fhios provides One to One Interactive with operations in London, UK; Sao Paolo, Brazil and Singapore.

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Clear Choice Healthcare Selects Ruckus Wireless 'Smart Wi-Fi' for 10 Skilled Nursing Facilities throughout Florida and in Denver Tweet

Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n Smart WLAN System Chosen to Replace Cisco to Support Electronic Medical Records and Provide Broadband Access to Patients and Staff.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Ruckus Wireless™, the smart mobile Internetworking company, announced that Clear Choice Healthcare, a health care management company, selected Ruckus advanced "Smart Wi-Fi" products and technology for its nine skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout Florida. Clear Choice also operates a skilled nursing facility in Denver, which will also utilize the Ruckus system.

According to Kevin Neighbor, IT Director at Clear Choice Healthcare, the company's needs for Wi-Fi grew from the federal government's requirements for hospitals and health care facilities to transition to Electronic Medical Records (EMR).

"The entire healthcare industry is undergoing a major transformation to the use of Electronic Medical Records, making the need for reliable, high-performance Wi-Fi in facilities like ours critical," said Neighbor. "Doctors and nurses are now relying on mobile laptop carts to access EMR and other software and web-based applications from any room or corner of our facilities – for them, an always-on, robust and far-reaching Wi-Fi signal is crucial. With Ruckus, we've been able to meet their requirements, and then some."

Clear Choice has 1,250 employees across 10 locations along with the company's corporate offices in Melbourne, FL. Each facility has approximately 120 beds in 20,000 square feet of space. To unwire these locations, Clear Choice purchased 42 ZoneFlex 7962 dual-band indoor 802.11n access points for its 10 facilities. Neighbor will also use the Ruckus FlexMaster remote Wi-Fi management software from the corporate office as a single point of configuration, event and firmware management system.

"A lot of our patients have their own laptops and PCs, and like to get online to send emails or interact with friends and family at home using video software like Skype," he said. "We also use rehabilitative software with patients in some of the therapy rooms. A reliable Wi-Fi connection offers big benefits to all of these types of applications."

He also explained that with so many medical devices and microwaves in use all the time, and with thick firewalls in every other room, the environment at each facility is very hostile to Wi-Fi.

With limited IT staff and budgetary constraints, Neighbor was tasked with finding a next-generation 802.11n wireless LAN (WLAN) system that could overcome the problems with interference present in each facility, and which delivered far-reaching, reliable connections required for each building's layout. After evaluating a several different WLAN vendors, he turned to Ruckus.

Range and Reliability Make Ruckus the Clear Choice for Wi-Fi

Previously, some of the Clear Choice facilities had wireless connectivity through sporadic placement of Cisco access points (APs), which couldn't provide the range and reliability required. Also, according to Neighbor, the Cisco equipment wasn't turn-key. "I wanted to go into each facility and take a cookie cutter approach to the network," he said. "I estimated it would have taken me to the end of this year to install Cisco systems in all the facilities – but I wanted to have this project finished in a couple of months. With Ruckus, I can."

Neighbor said expense was also a major factor in his wireless choice. "Other vendors evaluated were consistently 60-80 percent more expensive than the Ruckus ZoneFlex system, and sometimes much more," he said. According to Clear Choice, the Xirrus XN-8, for example, provided an eight-radio static, sectorized array but was limited to 100 milliwatts per radio with only three radios configurable to 2.4GHz. In a dramatically smaller form factor, a single Ruckus ZoneFlex 7962 priced at $999 with a dynamic intelligent antenna array delivered same coverage as the eight-radio Xirrus XN-8 priced at $7,500.

The ZoneFlex WLAN systems are built with Ruckus' patented dynamic beamforming, one of the newest breakthroughs in Wi-Fi technology that constantly forms and directs Wi-Fi signals over the best performing signal path, continually steering signals around obstacles and interference that can degrade performance. Dynamic beamforming uses constant feedback from the client to ensure that the path selected is performing properly using standard acknowledgements built into the standard 802.11 protocol. The result is an adaptive system that provides better performance and longer range, and automatically adapts to environmental changes – like those present in Clear Choice's facilities – without IT staff having to perform any manual tuning.

"With a reliable Wi-Fi network that's available from virtually anywhere in the facility, we'll be able to provide a real value to our patients – not to mention our doctors, nurses and staff," Neighbor said. "Ultimately we want to create computer kiosks our patients can use to stay connected to friends and family around the country. Thanks to Ruckus, we'll be able to do this sooner than later. I'm excited to discover all the possibilities this technology will open up for us."

About Ruckus Wireless, Inc.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Ruckus Wireless is supplier of advanced wireless systems for the mobile Internetworking market. The company markets and manufactures a wide range of indoor and outdoor "Smart Wi-Fi" products for mobile operators, broadband service providers and corporate enterprises around the world. Ranked as the top telecom company in the 2009 Inc. Magazine 500 list and named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, Ruckus Wireless has realized dramatic growth. Since 2006, revenue and shipments have grown by over 1000 percent. Ruckus invented, and has patented, innovative state-of-the-art wireless technology that steers signals around obstacles and interference. This unique capability extends signal range and ensures consistent reliable distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi. The company has shipped over 2 million Smart Wi-Fi systems around the world and has raised $51 million in funding from premier investors such as Sequoia Capital, Focus Ventures, Sutter Hill, Motorola, T-Ventures, Telus Ventures and Firelake Capital. The company is led by Ms. Selina Lo, president and chief executive officer. For more information, visit Ruckus Wireless at http://www.ruckuswireless.com.

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Lockheed Martin and Adaptive Digital Technologies Sign Marketing Agreement for Vocoder Technology Tweet

Companies to collaborate to deliver ultra-low rate voice coding technology to the VoIP Market.

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Adaptive Digital Technologies have signed an agreement to introduce Lockheed Martin's voice compression technology Time Domain Voicing Cutoff (TDVC) to commercial markets. TDVC is a robust speech-coding algorithm that delivers superior voice quality, while operating at much lower bit rates than standard voice codecs of comparable quality. TDVC is highly suitable for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) wireless communications as well as other markets.

"Through joint marketing, development and distribution, we look forward to working with Adaptive Digital to provide advanced voice compression technology," said Larry Easton, Director of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services-Defense's Ventures organization. "Adaptive Digital's expertise in all facets of voice communications offers us an opportunity to bring our TDVC technology to a wider set of customers and applications."

Lockheed Martin's TDVC vocoder was originally developed for military applications where it provided a much-needed low bandwidth, high voice-quality coding scheme to combat harsh communication environments. TDVC is expected to find the same success in the commercial communication arenas due to the continuing need for more bandwidth to accommodate the increasing number of users and data.

"I anticipate this technology being ported across many platforms and not only wireless and VoIP but eventually leveraged into wideband applications," said Brian McCarthy, president of Adaptive Digital Technologies. "TDVC is a codec that will give wireless and IP communication service providers the means to minimize bandwidth demand while continuing to provide the high quality of service their customers expect."

Adaptive Digital is a leading developer and provider of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms and custom solutions for VoIP, telephony, audio, and video applications. Recognized internationally for its world class, carrier-grade G.168 echo cancellation, and first-rate voice communication software, Adaptive Digital's customers include British Telecom, Cisco Systems Inc., Cantata Technology, Digium®, General Dynamics, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Sonus, and Texas Instruments. Adaptive Digital is a member of ARM's Connected Community, ARM's Solution Center for Android (SCA), and boasts twelve years as a strategic member of Texas Instruments' Third Party Developer Network.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

For more information concerning Adaptive Digital Technologies, visit http://www.adaptivedigital.com or call 610-825-0182 x120

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ABBYY Recognized for Fourth Consecutive Year as One of KMWorld's '100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management' Tweet

MILPITAS, Calif. -- ABBYY, a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic software, announced that it has been named one of the "100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management" by KMWorld for the fourth consecutive year. The publication, a leading information provider serving the knowledge, document and content management systems market, each year recognizes companies that have helped to create, enhance, or define the knowledge management market.

"ABBYY strives to develop information transformation technologies that deliver unmatched accuracy, leading to more efficiency and enabling greater sharing of data," said Dean Tang, chief executive officer at ABBYY USA. "KMWorld's continued recognition underscores our market leadership and ability to deliver impactful solutions that meet the needs of a wide range of vertical markets."

ABBYY solutions include optical character recognition (OCR), intelligent character recognition (ICR), barcode recognition, and data capture technologies. Embedded in imaging hardware devices from leading manufacturers like Epson, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Xerox, ABBYY has established itself as the premier developer of knowledge management solutions.

"In today's knowledge economy, ABBYY USA does more than simply throw sophisticated technology at its customers, it provides real solutions through inspired planning and execution throughout the entire constituency chain," says Hugh McKellar, KMWorld editor in chief.

The annual KMWorld list of "100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management" was compiled by knowledge practitioners, theorists, analysts, vendors and their customers and colleagues. It recognizes commitment to taking full advantage of all the information at an organization's disposal and delivering it to the appropriate constituencies.

About ABBYY

ABBYY is a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic software. Its products include the ABBYY FineReader line of optical character recognition (OCR) applications, ABBYY FlexiCapture line of data capture solutions, ABBYY Lingvo dictionary software, and development tools. Paper-intensive organizations from all over the world use ABBYY software to automate time- and labor-consuming tasks and to streamline business processes. ABBYY products are used in large-scale government projects such as those of Australian Taxation Office, Lithuanian Tax Inspectorate, Ministry of Education of Russia, Ministry of Education of Ukraine, and Montgomery County Government of the USA. Companies that license ABBYY technologies include BancTec, Canon, EMC/Captiva, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, NewSoft, Notable Solutions, Samsung Electronics and more. ABBYY OCR applications are shipped with equipment from the world's top manufacturers such as BenQ, Epson, Fujitsu, Fuji Xerox, Microtek, Panasonic, Plustek, Toshiba, and Xerox. ABBYY is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, with offices in Germany, the United States, Ukraine, the UK, Japan and Taiwan. For more information, visit http://www.abbyy.com/.

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Siegel+Gale Selects Lisa Bertelsen to Lead Expanded Research Practice Tweet

NEW YORK -- Global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale, www.siegelgale.com, announced the appointment of Lisa Bertelsen as global director of its Research Insights practice.

Bertelsen brings a diverse set of qualitative research expertise to Siegel+Gale's research offerings, including over 15 years of consumer and B2B experience as a usability engineer, interface designer, online strategist and market researcher. In her new role, Bertelsen's primary responsibility is to build a powerful global practice that uncovers innovative research insights in language, cognition and behavior to inform clear, credible and compelling brand-building programs.

"In order to deliver elegantly simple brand strategies and experiences that advance our clients' businesses, we must remain at the forefront of exploring innovative research methods, products and technologies to guide our solutions," says David Srere, co-president and chief executive officer. "As Lisa and her team expand our research offerings, we'll continue to deliver world-class brand programs rooted in simplicity—backed by deep insights and relevant data."

The Research Insights team utilizes a variety of innovative proprietary techniques that balance qualitative and quantitative research processes to produce actionable client results. The team will tap the attitudes and opinions of client stakeholder groups globally and add to the robust suite of research products and services that have helped build brands across the world.

"Siegel+Gale has long been respected for its research capabilities, and I'm excited to lead this talented team," says Lisa Bertelsen, global director of Research Insights. "By diversifying our techniques to include social media and mobile devices as resources for gathering data, we'll further build our portfolio of methodologies to secure the insights necessary to building lasting brand strategies. We recognize that gathering data is only half the process, the other half is in story-telling—communicating the research findings clearly and succinctly so that our clients immediately understand both the problem and the solution."

Bertelsen's experience delivering research results includes projects executed in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Australia for brands like Merrill Lynch, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Visa, Yahoo!, Samsung and Microsoft. Prior to joining Siegel+Gale, Bertelsen managed her own company, LB Research Group, specializing in marketing intelligence, human factors and information design for website and online applications. She also worked as vice president of Qualitative Research at Ipsos, one of the world's largest market research firms.

Bertelsen holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California. She also holds Specialty Degrees in Politics from the University of Kent in England and in Multimedia from San Francisco State University. She is a certified Web/Software Internationalization developer.

About Siegel+Gale

Siegel+Gale (www.siegelgale.com) is one of the world's premier strategic branding companies and a pioneer in simplifying complex customer communications. Since it was founded by Alan Siegel in 1969, the firm has built world-class brands for many of the world's most successful companies through elegantly simple strategies, communications and experiences. Driven by its philosophy of "Simple is Smart," Siegel+Gale has led the way in bringing innovation to the corporate branding field, including transforming complex, incomprehensible customer communications into plain English; helping clients create distinctive brand voices across all their communications; transporting brands onto the Internet; and aligning the brand experience with the brand promise.

The firm's clients include AARP, Aetna, American Express, Bank of America, Dell, The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Internal Revenue Service, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, 3M, Microsoft, Motorola, the National Basketball Association, Pfizer and Sony PlayStation. Siegel+Gale has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai and strategic partnerships around the world.

Siegel+Gale is part of the Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms serve over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

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Frost & Sullivan Finds a More Positive Mobile World Congress in 2010 Tweet

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- This year's edition of the largest mobile communications trade show in the world, Mobile World Congress (MWC), which took place in Barcelona February 15-18, 2010, had a more positive tone compared to that of 2009. Given the start of the economic recovery, there was an increased focus on such topics as the migration to the NGN, 4G/LTE, and innovation for applications, operating systems and the wireless ecosystem.

Ronald Gruia, Program Leader and Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, covering Emerging Communications Solutions, summarizes some of the key themes from the show that will continue to unfold as the year progresses:

* Fewer new handset models introduced: Nokia and RIM had none, Motorola had one and Apple was not even at the show; other vendors such as Sony Ericsson (Vivaz Pro, Xperia X10 Mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro) and Samsung (Wave) introduced new models.
* Increased focus on applications and their environment: Microsoft (Windows Phone 7), Nokia (Symbian^3 and MeeGo) and Samsung (bada) introduced or announced new operating systems; RIM showcased new UI features and a new browser (Torch, to be available in 2H 2010); Android continues to gain more OS mindshare (Huawei, Motorola and other Android sets were introduced).
* Mobile application fragmentation: The ongoing proliferation of various OS environments is an issue that was brought up by the BBC news organization at the show, as it struggles to reformat its apps for all different device types.
* Data growth monetization more difficult: The introduction of flat rate, "all-you-can-eat" plans is making operators struggle as they attempt to reconcile the gap between traffic and revenue growth.
* CAPEX shift from radio to core: Core (including backhaul and packet core infrastructure) investments will continue to grow, as will IT systems to manage the changes in telecom service dynamics brought by the data explosion.
* Operators seeking a host of alternatives to manage traffic growth: Capacity upgrades (HSPA and LTE deployments), cellular offload (Wi-Fi and femtocells) and policy control (introduction of caps, toggling down of throughputs, off-peak versus on-peak usage) are all in use.
* Ongoing pricing pressure: Chinese vendors (Huawei and ZTE) are fueling most of the price erosion, with equipment cost pricing falling dramatically (e.g. Telenor's 6 year LTE overlay contract of $200m is just 1.1 years of Telenor's current Norwegian CAPEX outlay).
* Ecosystem changes: Operators recognized the need to achieve a higher level of cohesion in a fragmented marketplace and, led by the GSMA, a group of 24 carriers (including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Vodafone, China Mobile, China Unicom and Deutsche Telekom) formed an alliance (Wholesale Applications Community) to create an open industry platform. However, the presence of some fiercely competing operators within the alliance and the less than stellar results of other similar initiatives in the past cast some doubt on this effort.
* The advent of RCS: Another GSMA-led initiative, the Rich Communication Suite actually has a better shot of panning out, with various activities being undertaken as part of this effort, including a trial in France involving the country's three mobile operators (Orange, SFR and Bouygues).


In summary, this year's MWC was a more optimistic one, given the fact that global recession is less of a worry and that the industry continues to firmly march on its path towards the NGN. More importantly, the show also offered many interesting insights into the future, with innovation being shown in areas such as Ultra Low Cost Handsets (with the introduction of a $15 phone to be offered by Vodafone in some emerging markets and powered by Mediatek – that is $15 unsubsidized), augmented reality (Comverse's "Social Augmented Reality" demonstration was one example) and interfaces (NTT DoCoMo demonstrated an eye-controlled headset that can control a handset with the movement of a user's eyeballs).

For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Information & Communication Technologies practice, please contact Jake Wengroff, 210-247-3806, jake.wengroff@frost.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.awards.frost.com.

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PocketGear Acquires Handango, Creating the World's Largest Cross Platform, Open App Store Tweet

PocketGear's App Store supports 2,000+ mobile devices and every major OS platform, connecting consumers in 175+ countries with 140,000+ paid and free titles.

DURHAM, N.C., -- PocketGear, Inc. announced the acquisition of Handango, the leading provider of smartphone applications globally, creating the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles that are available for discovery and download by the more than 4 billion consumers worldwide using Android®, Symbian OS®, BlackBerry®, Windows Mobile®, Palm®, Linux, and Java® powered mobile devices. PocketGear and Handango are the two largest independent app stores and combined to date have generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues from customers living in more than 175 countries and using over 2,000 unique mobile devices.

With the acquisition, PocketGear's mobile app marketplace has been expanded to connect more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program with over 40 PocketGear-powered storefront and distribution partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. The reach of PocketGear's direct to consumer app stores has also expanded to include the largest independent app store, Handango.com, joining PocketGear's app store network that includes PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com. In addition, more than 1,000 app developers are now using PocketGear's developer storefront solutions to market and sell their mobile apps directly to consumers from their own websites and other marketing channels.

Upon closing, Jud Bowman will remain as President and CEO of PocketGear and Alex Bloom, current chief executive of Handango, will become Chief Operating Officer of PocketGear.

"Our vision is to facilitate an open app store ecosystem that supports every mobile device, every application, and every carrier network globally," said Jud Bowman, President and CEO of PocketGear. "By combining the two largest independent app store companies, we're creating significantly more scale and value for all of the stakeholders in the open app store ecosystem."

Bowman added, "Handset manufacturers, carriers, and media companies now have a single marketplace where they can quickly and easily connect with developers, source a catalog of apps developed specifically for their supported devices, and create a branded, revenue generating storefront and app discovery engine that works across all devices, platforms, geographies, and carrier networks."

"This is an exciting time in the app store market and we're thrilled to be joining forces with PocketGear," said Alex Bloom, CEO of Handango. "As we increase our scale, not only can we further accelerate speed to market of new devices and applications in a rapidly changing marketplace, but we're also better positioned to help our distribution and developer partners increase the overall revenues per download from both paid and free apps."

PocketGear was represented in this transaction by Kip Johnson of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC.

About PocketGear, Inc.

PocketGear is the world's largest cross platform, open app store and content marketplace with a catalog of more than 140,000 paid and free titles available for discovery and download. To date, PocketGear has generated over $400 million in mobile application revenues for the more than 32,000 developers in the PocketGear Developer Program. PocketGear powers storefront and content solutions for over 40 partners, including 4 of the world's top 5 handset manufacturers, 4 of the top 5 mobile operators in the US, 3 of the top 10 mobile operators globally, and leading media and ecommerce companies, including Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Research in Motion, Microsoft, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. In addition, PocketGear operates the largest network of independent app stores, including Handango.com, PocketGear.com, Mobile2Day.de, SymbianGear.com, AndroidGear.com, RIMGear.com, Smartphone.net, and PalmGear.com.

PocketGear is headquartered in Durham, NC with offices in Munich, Germany and Irving, TX. For more information, please visit http://corp.pocketgear.com.

About Handango

Handango is the leading provider of smartphone applications globally for the BlackBerry®, Palm®, Windows Mobile®, Symbian OS®, and Linux platforms. Leveraging its 140,000+ apps, network of 23,000+ content partners, and vast distribution network, Handango delivers top-selling mobile applications including games, business and entertainment apps and productivity tools to millions of consumers. Applications can be downloaded via www.handango.com, partner Web sites, SD cards and Handango's proprietary on-device catalog, InHand, the industry's leading content delivery platform that allows consumers to purchase mobile apps directly from their smartphone and download them over the air. Handango's unparalleled content expertise has attracted numerous mobile industry partners, including Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Alltel, AT&T, 3UK, LG, SoftBank, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Best Buy, The CarPhone Warehouse, CNET, and AOL.

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Microsoft and Amazon.com Sign Patent Agreement Tweet

Agreement covers a broad range of products and technology.

REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. announced that it has signed a patent cross-license agreement with Amazon.com Inc. The agreement provides each company with access to the other's patent portfolio and covers a broad range of products and technology, including coverage for Amazon's popular e-reading device, Kindle™, which employs both open source and Amazon's proprietary software components, and Amazon's use of Linux-based servers. Although specific terms of the agreement are confidential, Microsoft indicated that Amazon.com will pay Microsoft an undisclosed amount of money under the agreement.

"We are pleased to have entered into this patent license agreement with Amazon.com," said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft. "Microsoft's patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement demonstrates our mutual respect for intellectual property as well as our ability to reach pragmatic solutions to IP issues regardless of whether proprietary or open source software is involved."

The licensing agreement is another example of the important role IP plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 600 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that make it possible for customers, partners and competitors to access its IP portfolio. The program was developed to open access to Microsoft's significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio. In recent years, Microsoft has entered into similar agreements with other leading companies, including Apple Inc., HP, LG Electronics, Nikon Corp., Novell Inc., HOYA CORPORATION PENTAX Imaging Systems Division, Pioneer Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd.

More information about Microsoft's licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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eBeam Initiative Membership Grows to 27 Tweet

Initiative Introduces Design For E-Beam Mask Roadmap for High-Volume Integrated Circuits.

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- The eBeam Initiative, a forum dedicated to the education and promotion of a new design-to-manufacturing approach known as design for e-beam (DFEB), announced that six additional companies spanning the entire semiconductor value chain have joined the Initiative to support the new DFEB mask roadmap for high-volume applications. The roadmap incorporates new innovations to e-beam mask making using DFEB in conjunction with e-beam mask writing equipment currently on the market. Leading mask manufacturers, mask-writing equipment manufacturers, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), foundries, as well as lithography experts, have joined the 21 founding members. The addition of these new members validates the industry's support for expanding DFEB's role to enable cost-effective production of complex photomasks needed for high-volume chip designs at the 22-nm node and beyond.

Extending 193-nm immersion lithography to the 22-nm node has been an incredible challenge for the semiconductor industry, requiring a number of innovations that have made it technically feasible but costly as well. The last critical piece of the puzzle to enabling cost-effective optical lithography at the 22-nm node turns out to be e-beam mask writing.

New members in the Initiative include: GLOBALFOUNDRIES, JEOL, KLA-Tencor, NuFlare Technology, Petersen Advanced Lithography (PAL) and Samsung Electronics. CEO of D2S and managing sponsor of the Initiative, Aki Fujimura, stated, "The support from all of the Initiative members will enable the cost advantages of DFEB to be brought to bear on one of the fastest cost growth areas in optical lithography—the photomask. We are excited about the new member base given the expertise they bring in mask making, and where DFEB is headed."

"Using DFEB mask technology with 193i lithography is an innovative approach to a difficult industry problem and I'm delighted to work with other eBeam Initiative members to implement it," said John S. Petersen, president and chairman of Petersen Advanced Lithography, Inc. and past fellow of International SEMATECH. "As we approach the 22-nm logic node, assist feature patterns become more complex and with this complexity the individual features need to become more and more curvilinear. But we have to solve the problem of increased mask costs due to significantly higher e-beam shot counts when using curvilinear assist features. The DFEB mask technology solves this by taking advantage of the naturally rounding nature of electron beams to reduce shot count."

A new white paper on DFEB mask technology and further details surrounding this announcement can be found on the Initiative's website (www.ebeam.org).

About The eBeam Initiative

The eBeam Initiative provides a forum for educational and promotional activities regarding a new design-to-manufacturing approach, known as design for e-beam (DFEB). DFEB reduces mask costs for semiconductor devices by combining design, design software, manufacturing, manufacturing equipment and manufacturing software expertise. The goals of the Initiative are to reduce the barriers to adoption to enable more integrated circuit (IC) design starts and faster time-to-market while increasing the investment in DFEB throughout the semiconductor ecosystem. Members and advisors, which span the semiconductor ecosystem, include: Advantest, Alchip Technologies, Altos Design Automation, Cadence Design Systems, CEA/Leti, D2S, Dai Nippon Printing, Martin M. Deneroff, e-Shuttle, Jack Harding from eSilicon Corporation, Fastrack Design, Fujitsu Microelectronics, GenISys GmbH, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, JEOL, KLA-Tencor, Magma Design Automation, NuFlare Technology, Petersen Advanced Lithography, Colin Harris from PMC-Sierra, Riko Radojcic from Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Tela Innovations, Toppan Printing, Virage Logic and Vistec Electron Beam Lithography Group. Membership is open to all companies and institutions throughout the electronics industry. To find out more, please visit www.ebeam.org.

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WildTangent Launches BrandBoost(TM) Advertising Platform for Social Games, MMOs and Virtual Worlds Tweet

Platform enables advertisers to offer consumers free access to premium online game play and virtual goods through brand engagement.

REDMOND, Wash. -- WildTangent, the world's largest games media company, announced the launch of a unique advertising platform, BrandBoost™, which provides brand marketers the opportunity to reward gamers with complimentary game play and virtual items in return for brand engagement.

BrandBoost has recently been deployed on Sony Online Entertainment's "Free Realms," Outspark.com, and OMGPOP.com. WildTangent is also set to announce additional partnerships with top social game developers which will give the company a growing footprint on Facebook and MySpace.

Building on the success of the company's Sponsored Session™ advertising model for downloadable games, BrandBoost will now make it possible for leading national advertisers to scale major brand campaigns across the rapidly growing areas of social games, MMOs and virtual worlds with guaranteed engagement and proven results. Over the last few years, WildTangent has run hundreds of millions of Sponsored Sessions impressions for brands including Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Kraft, General Mills, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Disney, Sony, Nintendo, EA and Activision across its game service.

"BrandBoost enables brands to address the enormous scale of social gaming and virtual worlds with engagement based advertising that is non-intrusive and delivers tangible value to gamers," said David Madden, executive vice president at WildTangent. "We've created a paradigm in which gamers are seeking out ads because they know that their experience will be enhanced with access to content that is typically behind a paywall."

BrandBoost was created to help marketers address the transition of online gaming audiences to social games, free-to-play (FTP) and subscription-based MMOs and virtual worlds, all of which employ some form of a pay wall or micro currency model. Some of the ways that BrandBoost is currently being deployed include:

* Downloadable Games: Ad engagement unlocks a free game session
* Subscription-based Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs): Ad engagement unlocks a free one-day subscription
* Social Games and Free-to-Play (F2P) MMOs and Virtual Worlds: Ad engagement unlocks virtual items, boosts and special in-game privileges


BrandBoost embraces an opt-in advertising model, giving consumers the choice of either paying for game content with micro-currency or accessing it for free by engaging with the brand.

A recently released Nielsen survey of 27,000 consumers indicates that over 85 percent of gamers would prefer to not pay for their digital games content, highlighting the significant opportunity for trusted brands to play a role in the online games ecosystem.

When given the choice, more than 95 percent of consumers across the WildTangent game network choose to engage with brands to access content for free.

The BrandBoost advertising typically takes the form of a large format rich media experience consisting of video with a branded, interactive skin and in some cases players engage with branded mini-games prior to accessing their game content. This rich media experience is amplified by IAB-standard companion ads running before and after the experience delivering multiple impressions with each engagement. The BrandBoost platform supports all rich media formats in addition to third party ad serving and advanced targeting capabilities.

"We have run dozens of ad effectiveness studies indicating lifts in awareness and purchase intent that trump market norms for online branding campaigns," said Bill Clifford, vice president of global ad sales at WildTangent. "Quantitative metrics are equally as impressive, with more than 10 percent of consumers taking action with the brand beyond the engagement experience, and we're able to deliver the scale that our clients need to impact their bottom lines."

For more information about BrandBoost, visit http://about.wildtangent.com/advertise/brandboost

About WildTangent

Founded in 1998, WildTangent is a global games media company operating the fastest growing online games service and the largest game advertising network in the world. The WildTangent ORB™ games service ships with new PCs worldwide from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, and is currently adding over 3 million new users per month. The service offers consumers the most popular online and downloadable games from the world's top developers and publishers.

WildTangent's games advertising network reaches over 100 million unique users worldwide across its owned and operated properties and a growing list of partner sites giving brands access to the world's best online gaming content. WildTangent works with global brand marketers such as Microsoft, Nokia, P&G, Unilever, Toyota, Ford, Paramount, Electronic Arts, Activision and many others.

For more information visit www.wildtangent.com or www.wildgames.com.

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See Mexican Music Sensation, Camila, Perform An Acoustic Set At The Verizon Wireless Store In West Valley City, Utah! Tweet

Who/what:
In celebration of the release of Camila’s second album “Dejarte De Amar,” the popular band will perform a free acoustic set and will sign autographs for fans at the Verizon Wireless store in West Valley City.

When:
February 26, 2010
4:00 p.m. – Media interviews – arranged in advance
4:30 p.m. – Performance and autograph signing

Where:
Verizon Wireless Communications Store
2917 S Glen Eagle Dr, West Valley City, UT

Background:
Camila is the Mexican pop-rock trio of singer-songwriter and pianist Mario Domm, vocalist Samo and lead guitarist Pablo Hurtado. Their newest album, “Dejarte De Amar” was released on February 9, and has already gained extensive praise. Their first single off their second album, titled “Mientes” has already placed in the Top 5 of Latin Charts in the U.S. and Latin America.

Camila’s new album is available from V CAST Music available for download and purchase over-the-air on the nation’s most reliable wireless 3G network. Customers can also find more of Camila’s music and millions of other full tracks, ringtones and ringback tones at www.verizonwireless.com/mp3.

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Residents In Green Meadows, Indiana, Benefit From Verizon Wireless Network Enhancements Tweet

New Cell Site Means Clearer Reception, Fewer Dropped Calls.

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — Verizon Wireless has activated a new cell site in West Lafayette, which enables more customers to use their wireless phones to make calls; send and receive e-mail and text, picture and video messages; access the Internet; view high-quality videos; and download music, games and ringtones, while enjoying clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.

The new cell site, which is equipped with a permanent backup generator for times of emergency, improves voice and data coverage in Green Meadows and surrounding residential communities, including Kingswood and McQuinn Estates, as well as along State Road 26 between the Tippecanoe/Warren county line and Klondike Road.

“This new cell site was built to ensure that our customers in and around Green Meadows can continue relying on their phones for everything from making calls and sending messages to surfing the Internet and getting e-mail,” said Greg Haller, president – Indiana/Kentucky/Michigan Region, Verizon Wireless. “The most advanced device is only as good as the network it runs on. We aggressively invest in our Indiana network to increase coverage and capacity for our customers and to continue to raise the bar in network reliability.”

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $55 billion since it was formed – $5.5 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. Since 2000, Verizon Wireless has invested $1.06 billion on improvements to its wireless network in Indiana.

About Verizon Wireless in Indiana
In Indiana, Verizon Wireless has more than 550 employees and 37 company-owned retail locations in 23 cities, including Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Carmel, Clarksville, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Lawrence, Mishawaka, Merrillville, Muncie, Noblesville, Plainfield, Portage, South Bend, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and Warsaw.

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Verizon Wireless Completes South Florida "Super Switch" Tweet

$50 Million Facility Built to Enhance 3G Coverage, Can Withstand Category 5 Storm.

MIAMI, FL — Verizon Wireless, which operates the nation’s most reliable and largest voice and 3G data network, has completed construction of a $50 million high-tech “super switch” in South Florida to further strengthen wireless coverage and advanced services for customers throughout the region.

The 45,000-square-foot Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) will serve as the company’s main call-processing hub for South Florida, serving an area from Key West and continuing through all of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The MTSO is located on five acres in west Broward County.

With a comprehensive array of the most advanced wireless network technologies, the facility has the capacity to handle each day tens of millions of voice calls and wireless data transmissions such as text, photo and video messages; downloads of games, music and other applications; uploads to social media sites; Web surfing; and more.

With construction complete, technicians are currently conducting final tests for the network “cutover” of these wireless transmissions. The cutover – in which wireless traffic will be transferred to the new switch from existing Verizon Wireless facilities – is scheduled for early March.

“Our network teams have been working extremely long and hard on this giant jewel of wireless network technology,” said Frank Wise, Florida executive network director. “This is a big moment for our technicians and a great moment for wireless customers in South Florida.”

Verizon Wireless began construction on the project in late 2008, borrowing and enhancing design elements from large modern super switching facilities completed in Jacksonville and Orlando in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

The building was designed to accommodate large-scale expansion as needed and to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. The structure includes fully redundant back-up power generation, further enhancing the emergency and everyday reliability of the Verizon Wireless network. The switch will serve as the company’s Emergency Operations Center for South Florida in the event of a hurricane or other crisis.

“South Florida is one of the most dynamic and demanding markets in the nation, with millions of highly mobile tech-savvy customers squeezed along a coast,” said Pam Tope, Florida region president for Verizon Wireless. “We built this switch to ensure our customers have the most reliable, advanced coverage and services today and for decades to come.”

The project is a key component of the company’s overall effort and investment to maintain the largest and most reliable 3G network in the state. In the past year, the company has spent $240 million in Florida on network enhancements.

This year, Verizon Wireless plans to launch its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless services in 25 to 30 markets nationally. LTE will offer customers significantly greater network capacity than even today’s most advanced 3G coverage. The new South Florida switch is equipped for and will play a key role in the upcoming rollout of 4G LTE technology in this region.

For more information on the Verizon Wireless network and products and services, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

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DROID Does Music: Musical Apps To Keep You Singing Till Spring Tweet

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — With spring still a month away, Verizon Wireless customers can use their DROID by Motorola devices to tune in to the latest music applications and put a spring in their steps today. These music-based apps, all running on the largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network in the country, are sure to keep your feet tapping and spirits high as winter winds down.

This week’s highlighted apps in the Verizon Channel in Android Market™ include:

* iheartradio – Listen to over 400 of America’s favorite radio stations and some of the best talk stations in the United States for free with Clear Channel Radio Digital’s iheartradio. Bookmark your favorite radio stations, view lyrics and enjoy on-demand content including exclusive performances, songs and intimate vignettes from today’s hottest music stars.
* TuneWiki Social Media Player – TuneWiki is a free social media player that shows subtitled lyrics as you listen to your music, watch music videos, or stream songs through the SHOUTcast™ radio feature. Search for lyrics to over 2.5 million songs and get translations in over 40 languages. Other fantastic features include the Playback Widget and Facebook® and Twitter integration.
* Slacker Radio – Get free personalized radio on your mobile phone with Slacker Radio, the best way to discover new artists and hear favorite songs. Create your own custom station or choose from over 100 expert-programmed radio stations from every genre.

DROID by Motorola is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99. For more information on DROID by Motorola, visit www.droiddoes.com.

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Penske Racing Driver Justin Allgaier To Greet Fans At Verizon Wireless Store In Las Vegas, Nevada Tweet

What:
Attention, racing fans: burn rubber to the Verizon Wireless store at Flamingo and Sandhill Roads to meet Penske Racing driver Justin Allgaier on February 25!

Allgaier will be making a special free appearance to greet fans, sign autographs, and pose for photos. Fans can also take photos with the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger.

When:
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday, February 25, 2010

Where:
Verizon Wireless Communications Store
3870 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas

Other:
Verizon Wireless is the primary sponsor on the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger driven by award-winning driver Justin Allgaier.

Verizon Championship Racing is available to V CAST Video subscribers. It offers a host of multimedia options for fans, including behind-the-scenes exclusive interviews with NASCAR drivers, recaps of races, highlights, games, news and other racing information.

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AT&T to Webcast Keynote from Randall Stephenson at Morgan Stanley Conference March 2 Tweet

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) will webcast a keynote by Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, March 2 at 12:15 p.m. PT. The webcast will be available live and for replay at www.att.com/investor.relations.

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See Mexican Music Sensation Camila Perform An Acoustic Set At The Verizon Wireless Store In Tucson, Arizona! Tweet

Who/What:
In celebration of the release of Camila’s second album “Dejarte De Amar,” the popular band will perform a free acoustic set and will sign autographs for fans at the Verizon Wireless store in Tucson.

Fans will also have the opportunity to star in a music video with Camila by way of green screen virtual technology. Video clips will be sent directly to participants on their wireless phones.

When:
February 25, 2010
4:00 p.m. – Media interviews – arranged in advance
4:30 p.m. – Performance and autograph signing

Where:
Verizon Wireless Communications Store
4405 N. Oracle Road, Tucson

Background:
Camila is the Mexican pop-rock trio of singer-songwriter and pianist Mario Domm, vocalist Samo and lead guitarist Pablo Hurtado. Their newest album, “Dejarte De Amar” was released on Feb. 9, and has already gained extensive praise. Their first single off their second album titled “Mientes” has already placed in the Top 5 of Latin Charts in the United States and Latin America.

Camila’s new album is available from V CAST Music available for download and purchase over the air on the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network. Customers can also find more of Camila’s music and millions of other full tracks, ringtones and ringback tones at www.verizonwireless.com/mp3.

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AT&T Investment in Missouri Network Aimed at Enhancing Mobile Broadband Service Across the State Tweet

Plans Call for Addition of Approximately 30 New Cell Sites and the Expansion of Backhaul to Increase Wireless Network Capacity.

AT&T* unveiled its Missouri wireless network investment plans for 2010, which include the addition of approximately 30 new cell sites and the upgrade of more than 110 additional cell sites to 3G throughout the state.

The planned wireless network enhancement strategy is part of AT&T’s 2010 wireline and wireless capital investment, which is expected to be in the $18 billion to $19 billion range companywide, an increase of between 5 and 10 percent over 2009. This planned amount also includes an increase of about $2 billion in capital expenditures for wireless and backhaul related to AT&T’s wireless network. This planned level of investment is framed by the expectation that regulatory and legislative decisions relating to the telecom sector will continue to be sensitive to investment.

“To compete in the 21st-century economy, every business and family needs access to the information superhighway,” Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said. “I applaud AT&T for this significant investment, which will help Missourians access real-time information and move our economy forward.”

Today’s announcement builds on AT&T’s 2009 wireless investment, during which it added 55 new cell sites in Missouri and upgraded 97 existing sites to 3G. From 2007 through 2009, AT&T’s total capital investment in its Missouri wireless and wireline networks was nearly $1.8 billion.

“These investments in smart networks are enabling the innovation of today and tomorrow that will enhance economic growth and stimulate jobs,” said Dave Nichols, president, AT&T Missouri. “We commend the work of Governor Nixon and other leaders of our state, who are creating a positive economic environment that provides opportunities for companies to continue to invest aggressively in Missouri.”

Internet usage growth has brought tremendous benefits for consumers, but requires tremendous investments in infrastructure. This significant investment in infrastructure and jobs is possible due to policy that enables companies to compete and offer the innovative services that consumers are increasingly demanding. AT&T has been working with policy makers to support a national broadband plan that enables broadband adoption and ensures broadband access to every American by 2014.

Wireless data traffic on the AT&T network has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, largely attributed to today’s advanced smartphones that are generating dramatically increasing volumes of network traffic. In fact, roughly 40 percent of AT&T’s postpaid customer base uses a smartphone today, representing twice the number of smartphone customers than any other U.S. provider.

“We’re seeing advanced smartphones driving up to 10 times the amount of usage of other devices on average,” said Nancy Garvey, AT&T’s Vice President and General Manager for the Greater Midwest Region. “Despite these unprecedented increases in wireless data traffic, AT&T’s network investments and upgrades have enabled us to continue to deliver the nation’s fastest 3G network.”

AT&T recently completed a software upgrade at 3G cell sites nationwide that prepares the nation’s fastest 3G network for even faster speeds. The deployment of High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is the first of multiple initiatives in AT&T’s network enhancement strategy designed to provide customers with an enhanced mobile broadband experience, both today and well into the future.

Faster 3G speeds are scheduled to become available this year and in 2011 as AT&T combines the new technology with our second initiative to dramatically increase the number of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, primarily with fiber-optic connections, adding capacity from cell sites to the AT&T backbone network.

The backhaul upgrades are also a key step in the evolution toward next-generation LTE mobile broadband technology. AT&T is designing its new backhaul deployments to accommodate both faster 3G and future LTE deployments. AT&T currently plans to begin trials of LTE technology this year, and to begin LTE deployment in 2011, matching industry time lines for broader availability of compelling devices and supporting network equipment.

AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T offers 3G data roaming in more than 115 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 220 countries. The technology also provides customers the ability to talk and surf the Internet at the same time.

AT&T is also an industry leader in Wi-Fi with the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network, which complements its wired broadband and wireless 3G networks, offering Wi-Fi connectivity in more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots — including retail stores and restaurants from coast-to-coast. A full list of AT&T Wi-Fi locations is available at www.attwifi.com.

AT&T operates 38 AT&T-owned retail locations in Missouri. AT&T’s products and services are also available at a number of other authorized dealers and national retail locations.

For more information about AT&T’s wireless coverage in Missouri, or anywhere in the United States, consumers can go to http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/. The online tool can measure the quality of coverage based on a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.

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CBS College Sports Network Launches on AT&T U-verse TV Tweet

U-verse TV Customers Gain Access to Most In-Depth Coverage of College Sports.

CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK and AT&T* announced the launch of the Network on AT&T U-verseSM TV, providing fans with the broadest and deepest coverage of college sports. CBS College Sports Network is available on channel 643 and channel 1643 (High Definition) in the AT&T U450 package or The Sports Package.

U-verse TV customers now receive access to CBS College Sports Network’s extensive programming, which includes coverage of over 250 live events annually showcasing more than 25 men’s and women’s sports, in addition to a variety of studio shows, documentaries and original programs. CBS College Sports Network annually broadcasts numerous NCAA Championships, is the official cable home of the NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and is a leading programmer of women’s sports.

“Gaining nationwide carriage on AT&T U-verse TV is another big step for CBS College Sports Network, and we look forward to a great relationship as both companies continue to grow,” said Bob Rose, Executive Vice President, Distribution, CBS College Sports Network. “With March Madness almost upon us, the timing of this launch is ideal for U-verse TV customers, as CBS College Sports Network offers extensive college basketball programming in complement to CBS Sports throughout the entire NCAA Tournament.”

“CBS College Sports Network is an excellent addition to the U-verse TV Sports Package for sports fans,” said J. Christopher Lauricella, Vice President of Content, AT&T. “This new channel helps us with important strategic content initiatives and gives our U-verse TV customers access to even more exciting college sports content, and in thrilling HD.”

In addition to the robust sports lineup available in most U-verse TV packages – including the U450 TV package – sports fans can also get access to even more unique sports programming with The Sports Package. For an additional $10 a month, The Sports Package includes more than 25 channels covering college sports, regional sports, international soccer, outdoor recreation, horse racing and more. U-verse TV customers can also add HD service for $10 a month with any U-verse TV programming package for access to a lineup of more than 115 HD channels.

CBS College Sports Network, a division of CBS Sports, is the original 24-hour cable network dedicated to college sports. CBS College Sports Network is the home for U.S. Service Academy football, featuring all Army and Navy home games, as well as several Air Force games every season. For more information, go to www.cbscollegesports.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verseSM and AT&T | DIRECTVSM brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T’s Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing and advertising sales. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.

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Sprint Expands Its "Buyback" Program; Customers Can Trade in Any Eligible Cell Phone, Even from Other Carriers, for Account Credit Tweet

Sprint customers can receive instant account credit for recycling up to three old cell phones.

WASHINGTON -- Sprint Nextel [NYSE: S] CEO Dan Hesse announced the launch of an expanded wireless buy-back program for wireless devices while testifying at a green telecom hearing on Capitol Hill. Sprint's expanded Buyback program, intended to boost U.S. wireless recycling rates, now offers an instant point-of-sale credit to current and new Sprint customers who turn in up to three eligible wireless devices, per active line of service. Sprint Buyback now accepts all eligible wireless devices, regardless of manufacturer or carrier, through its expanded program. Customers can take their unwanted phones to one of the more than 1,000 participating Sprint-owned retail stores nationwide. Currently, there are more than 900 wireless devices that are eligible for an instant credit from Sprint. Device credits range in value from approximately $5 to upwards of $300 depending on the make and model of the device being turned in.

"The new Sprint Buyback program will allow customers to take advantage of the current value of their unused cell phones and will reduce the number of wireless devices that end up in landfills," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "The Buyback program is another step to help us reach our ambitious goal to recover and recycle the equivalent of 90 percent of the handsets we sell by 2017. We look forward to continuously increasing our collection rates with the support of customers through the Buyback program and all of our sustainability initiatives."

A recent ABI Research Report found that of 1,000 people surveyed who had not yet recycled a handset, 98 percent were prepared to return handsets to an operator's store, to a charity, to a refurbishing company or to the manufacturer - but only in return for some compensation, either cash, store credit, or tax deduction.

Sprint's new national Buyback program gives a financial incentive for current and new Sprint subscribers to trade in any eligible cell phone, regardless of manufacturer or carrier, for point-of-sale savings. For example, a BlackBerry(R) 9700 Bold(TM) currently has a trade in value of $161.05 while an LG VX9000 Env2 has a value of $35.59. Highlights of Sprint's program include;

* Instant account credit at any of Sprint's more than 1,000 retail stores for existing and new customers who turn in up to three used devices when activating or upgrading a Sprint phone.
* 24/7 online access to sprintbuyback.com, where current and new subscribers can find the program terms and conditions, determine device eligibility for credit, estimate current market value, download free postage-paid labels, and access guidelines for deleting personal data prior to mail-in.
* For every one device purchased, up to three eligible devices may be returned to Sprint for an account credit, per 12 months. The exact account credit is based on the model and the price in place at the time the old phone is turned in. Current credit amounts are listed on the "Eligible Phone Models" tab of the program Web site.

While many phones will qualify for the Sprint Buyback program, those that do not can be donated to Sprint Project ConnectSM. Sprint Project Connect, a free wireless recycling service available to anyone, accepts all used wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards, regardless of carrier or condition. All net proceeds generated from the sale of equipment collected through Sprint Project Connect go to fund and promote free Internet Safety resources for kids, parents and educators. Sprint's wireless reuse and recycling programs have kept more than 19 million wireless phones out of landfills and have generated more than $7 million in charitable contributions since 2001.

Sprint's expanded Buyback program further enhances its environmental leadership in the wireless community. Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies and #15 overall on Newsweek's Green Rankings, with a series of new environmental initiatives and green innovations. Sprint also scored highest among U.S. based wireless companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2009 Global 500 Report on carbon disclosure.

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Don't Miss a Minute of Action with AT&T's Latest Mobile TV Device Tweet

AT&T and LG Announce the 7.2 HSPA-Capable LG Arena.

AT&T* and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc., announced the LG ARENA™ will be available online at www.wireless.att.com beginning February 26 and in AT&T stores nationwide March 7. Just over a half-inch thin with brushed and polished metal accents, the LG ARENA gives customers easy and quick access to a world of entertainment and multimedia with just a tap of a finger on a 3-inch touch screen. LG ARENA boasts super-fast web browsing on AT&T’s 7.2 HSPA 3G technology. With LG’s innovative 3D S-Class User Interface; music, movies, pictures and more are quickly within reach.

Customers will enjoy a crisp viewing experience on the LG ARENA with a 3-inch WVGA screen. Customers can also shoot and share photos and DVD-quality videos with ARENA’s 5.0 MP autofocus camera and with multiple messaging options and access to popular social networking sites, sending and posting geo-tagged photos and videos to friends and family has never been easier.

The LG ARENA is also the latest AT&T Mobile TV-capable device to hit stores. AT&T Mobile TV subscribers enjoy around-the-clock access to full-length live and time-shifted programming from FLO TV, including content from top entertainment brands such as ABC, ABC Entertainment, ABC Family, ABC News, ABC Sports, CBS, CBS College Sports, CBS News, CNBC, COMEDY CENTRAL, Disney Channel, Disney Channel Original Movies, ESPN, ESPNEWS, ESPN 2, FOX, FOX News Channel, FOX Sports, FUEL TV, msnbc, MTV, NBC, NBC 2Go, NBC News, NBC Sports, nickelodeon, Playhouse Disney, SOAPNet and the movie channel Crackle. AT&T Mobile TV is available for $9.99 per month, and new subscribers receive the first seven days of their subscription for free. For more information, visit www.att.com/mobiletv.

“This device gives our customers easy access to everything, from social networking sites to their favorite TV show, with just a tap of a finger,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “LG ARENA connects people to their world while backed by the nation’s fastest 3G network.”

“LG ARENA seamlessly blends advanced mobile technology, cutting edge design, and smarter features,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of Marketing and Innovation at LG Mobile Phones. “With its exceptional 5MP camera, advanced GPS, entertainment features, and easy access to web and social networking sites, LG ARENA is a hard-working and sophisticated choice for both consumers and business users.”

In addition, the LG ARENA boasts:

* AT&T Mobile Browser – combines full HTML browsing with unique customization features so customers can easily surf the global Internet; view location-aware local news and weather; and read the latest headlines from popular news, sports and entertainment sites.
* AT&T Navigator –offers turn-by-turn voice and onscreen driving directions, automatic rerouting, real-time traffic monitoring and more. AT&T Navigator is available for $9.99 per month, and new subscribers receive their first 30 days of their subscription for free.
* AT&T Social Net – provides easy access to all your social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace in one easy-to-use interface.

The LG ARENA will be available for $199.99 (Pay $249.99 and after mail-in rebate receive $50 AT&T Promotion Card. Two year service agreement required.)

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

For more information and detailed disclaimer information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

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Sprint Challenges Wireless Industry to Embrace a Greener Future Tweet

Hesse testifies before Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.

WASHINGTON -- Sprint Nextel [NYSE: S] CEO Dan Hesse testified today before Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and members of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet about sustainability initiatives undertaken by Sprint and the wireless technology industry to benefit the environment. Hesse focused his remarks on how Sprint's environmental efforts and goals are challenging the technology industry to create a "greener" future.

Hesse announced two new initiatives as Sprint continues its leadership in developing aggressive, measurable sustainability goals. Sprint has implemented green product guidelines for all its manufacturers, and is introducing an innovative wireless recycling Buyback program. Below are excerpts from Hesse's testimony:

"We are in the midst of a new 'green' era. U.S. consumers and the members of this legislative body are sending a 'call to action' to corporations to act in the best interests of our people and our planet. Sprint is proud to embrace this opportunity as we make environmental responsibility a cornerstone of our company.

"Today I am proud to announce that Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to establish a set of green design criteria for consumer devices. Moving forward, every handset vendor who manufactures handsets to operate on Sprint's networks must produce handsets that meet or exceed Sprint's new green design criteria and specifications.

"Working in partnership with our handset manufacturers, Sprint has developed an industry-first environmental 'scorecard' to bolster progress toward Sprint's green design specifications. The criteria in the "scorecard" better enable Sprint and our vendors to gauge the degree to which each handset manufactured complies with our environmental standards.

"Sprint has been at the forefront of recycling efforts in the wireless industry. In 2008, we made a public commitment to achieve a wireless reuse and recycling rate of 90 percent as compared to our device sales. Our current wireless rate at the end of 2009 was just over 40 percent, well ahead of the industry average.

"Today we are announcing the launch of a new, vastly expanded wireless handset buyback program that offers a financial incentive, in the form of an instant account credit to current and new Sprint customers who can turn in up to three eligible wireless devices. Sprint's new, expanded Buyback program can accept all eligible wireless devices, regardless of manufacturer or carrier.

"Sprint is committed, for the long-haul, to 'green' our business operations, design more eco-friendly handsets, increase industry wireless recycling rates, and remain a leader in our industry."

For a full written transcript of Dan Hesse's testimony, please click on the link below.

http://www2.sprint.com/mr/spList.do

Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies and #15 overall on Newsweek's Green Rankings, with a series of new environmental initiatives and green innovations. Sprint also scored highest among U.S. based wireless companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2009 Global 500 Report on carbon disclosure.

For more information on Sprint programs that protect the environment, go to www.sprint.com/green , or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter.

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Sprint 4G a Perfect Match for Philadelphia Software Provider Tweet

Kayentis executives trial the new technology; see immediate benefits with customers.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Sprint's 4G technology is making a Philadelphia-based software provider for the pharmaceutical and health care industry more efficient, responsive and valuable to its customers, and leaders at the company have taken note.

Executives at Kayentis, intrigued by the benefits of much faster download speeds and significant Web experience improvements of the technology, began experimenting with Sprint 3G/4G USB Modem U300 mobile broadband cards last year.

"Communicating by our North American executives with each other and with our pharmaceutical customers has been greatly improved with the use of the Sprint 3G/4G broadband cards," said Guy Maestre, vice president, North American Operations, Kayentis. "The new e-mail and data exchange speeds that we see when acquiring research data, RFP information, and accessing our applications in our central servers through the Web are truly remarkable."

Sprint 4G technology, launched in 27 U.S. markets, delivers peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps - up to 10 times faster than the 3G service offered by any carrier today.* The new 3G/4G service lets users instantly download the files needed to get work done on the run and browse the Web from virtually any place in the city, not just a few hotspots. Sprint 4G launched in Philadelphia on Oct. 26, 2009.

Sprint 4G will be valuable in health care and where data-rich information, such as vital facts, X-rays and medical records, must be rapidly exchanged during emergencies. The new technology can also accelerate the approval of clinical trials for pharmaceutical products, which helps patients who are waiting for new life-saving medicines or operating procedures.

"Sprint 4G will also allow Kayentis customers to access our applications while away from a wired Web access point and have access to their data instantaneously, thereby accelerating the clinical data capture process," Maestre added.

"Sprint 4G will be a major shift in the way businesses use bandwidth-intensive mobile devices and offers a glimpse of the future of wireless technology for an eager market," said Todd Rowley, vice president, Sprint 4G. "Sprint 4G customers will enjoy a blazing-fast mobile broadband experience and much higher quality video conferencing, not to mention flexibility with IT spending by using 4G as a primary or backup connection rather than a wired T1, which costs more and takes longer to install."

Michael Santoli, of Barron's, likes the direction Sprint is taking with its 4G implementation across the country.

In his Dec. 7 piece, "Sprint Nextel Starts to Hit Its Stride," he writes, "This tier of service accommodates bandwidth-intensive mobile video and other functions that are in growing demand. The 4G effort and a slate of well-received smartphones (such as Palm Pre) and other devices are a part of Sprint's growth strategy that very few investors are focused on."

Sprint, the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, expects to continue introducing the technology in multiple markets, including Boston, New York, Houston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

"Sprint is more than one year ahead of competitors in launching 4G service to millions of consumers and business customers," said Jaime Jones, senior vice president, Business Markets Group. "Our lead will widen in 2010 with service to more major cities and an impressive lineup of Sprint 4G-powered modems and router/Wi-Fi devices to access blazing-fast speeds for browsing the Web, accessing multimedia-rich information, exploring social networking and lag-free videoconferencing in 4G service areas."

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company's customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About Kayentis

Kayentis provides software solutions to collect, display, share and archive information and clinical data. Kayentis Clin'Form solution, enabling Anoto functionality, is the optimal paper-based e-data capture solution for clinical trials. Clin'Form has been successfully deployed in studies conducted in more than 40 countries, involving more than 50,000 patients across all continents. Kayentis is a member of Pennsylvania BIO and BIO New Jersey. Kayentis is an Anoto Platinum Partner, an Oracle Partner and an HP Solution Business Partner.

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