Social Networking related Press Releases

INQ LAUNCHES TWO AFFORDABLE 3G SOCIAL MOBILES WITH TWITTER AND iTUNES MEDIA SYNC

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:30:59 -0400

- New line-up includes INQ Chat 3G - INQ's first qwerty mobile - and the compact and colourful INQ Mini 3G
- INQ brings Twitter, free push Gmail and media sync with PC and Macs to mass market social mobiles

LONDON - August 4, 2009 - Today INQ Mobile took the next step in its mission to bring easy-to-use mobile internet to the mass market with the launch of two new 3G Social Mobiles complete with internet-based Twitter and media sync capabilities.

The new phones offer high-spec functionality without the hefty price tag - shaking up the market by giving operators a unique proposition - a 3G social mobile with the speed, usability and suite of applications capable of driving data usage in the mass market.

The INQ Chat 3G is the company's first qwerty-style phone, while the compact INQ Mini 3G expands the range and provides an entry-level social mobile ideal for the price-sensitive prepay market. They complement the award-winning INQ1.

For the two new phones, Twitter joins the suite of communications applications that INQ has already woven into the heart of its social mobiles: which include Facebook, Skype and Instant Messaging.

Working closely with the Twitter team, INQ has developed an authentic Twitter application for both its new Social Mobiles. After the initial log in, Twitter will be ‘always on'. Consumers can send tweets and retweet via the internet rather than using SMS. With the INQ Chat, a specially designed Twitter widget will deliver Twitter updates straight to the home screen.

The INQ Chat 3G was developed in response to consumer and operator demand for a qwerty-style keypad device from INQ. It has a new email client developed by INQ that incorporates free push Gmail - removing a cost for push mail typically borne by operators or passed on to consumers. The INQ Chat 3G comes complete with the expanded suite of INQ applications; Facebook, Skype, email, IM and Twitter.

The INQ Mini 3G is a slimline Social Mobile that offers Twitter, Facebook, IM, Skype and web-based email services like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and GMail. It brings the usability that INQ is known for to a new form factor. Like the INQ Chat, the INQ Mini offers impressive capability at a fraction of the price of other application-rich devices.

Both phones have plug and play HSDPA modems enabling high-speed wireless broadband on PCs and Macs.

The INQ Mini 3G and the INQ Chat 3G represent a new design direction for the company; both can be customized with a range of seven coloured backs.

The INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G applications can be updated over the air - a unique feature essential to keep pace with how online applications change and consumer usage evolves.

INQ is also introducing seamless media syncing between its devices and PCs or Macs. The software, powered by doubleTwist, syncs music from iTunes and WMP straight to your INQ mobile and, unlike most other sync solutions, doesn't require the customer to give up using their favourite media player on their computer. The new mobiles from INQ will also be able to sync video and photos.

INQ's ground-breaking platform was built from the ground up for the mobile internet and offers unprecedented integration throughout the handset. Popular internet applications are not simply bolted on (as they are with proprietary systems which are primarily voice and text) - but embedded within the underlying software, delivering benefits such as native messaging and an address book that consolidates phone contacts with those from relevant applications.

This allows INQ to remove many of the cumbersome steps that have made using these services on ordinary mobiles frustrating or time-consuming. INQ phones multi-task, so key applications like Facebook, Skype, IM and email are ‘always on' and accessible with one click from the home screen; a log-in to any application is required only once.

Frank Meehan, INQ's CEO, said: "We build phones that focus specifically on what people want to do most on mobile, and deliver it at a price point that's easy for consumers and profitable for operators. We have completely broken the vice grip hold that high end smartphones had on great mobile internet experiences, and made them available to everybody."

"With the INQ Chat 3G, we've reinvented the qwerty for consumers by creating a fantastic social mobile. With the INQ1, we were blown away by how much consumers were writing just using the standard 12 keys - 30% of them were regularly sending emails. So we know that a keypad will go down a storm."

INQ Mobile launched in 2008 to give consumers high-quality yet affordable mobile internet, and enable carriers to stimulate data usage across their customer base. The company recently released data detailing device usage on UK and Hong Kong networks that show usage patterns typically seen only on high-end smartphones. An average of 65% of INQ users use Facebook regularly, 30% use their INQ frequently for email, and Windows Live Messenger activity is three to four times greater than on comparably priced 3G phones. In February 2009, INQ1 won ‘handset of the year' at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G will be available in Q4 2009.

Sprint Strengthens Social Network Connections with Customers

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:39:37 -0400

June 22, 2009 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Sprint's device portfolio continues to grow; Samsung Exclaim and HTC Snap on America's most dependable 3G network allow customers to easily enjoy social networks

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE: S) has launched two devices that make it easier to stay connected with your friends and colleagues through increasingly popular social networking sites.

Sprint, which is listening to and reaching out to its customers through Twitter and Facebook^®, understands the power of the changing nature of communications. The new Samsung Exclaim^TM and HTC Snap^TM make it easier than ever for customers to use the social networks of their choice.

"Social networking is a powerful tool that helps people stay connected whenever and wherever they want," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president-Product Development for Sprint. "HTC Snap and Samsung Exclaim are designed with social networking in mind, and they leverage America's most dependable 3G network¹ to deliver the promise of staying in touch with those who matter most; and Sprint's Ready Now retail experience offers the perfect opportunity for customers to learn all about the key features and functionality of these new devices."

As part of the company's focus on a great customer experience, Sprint has expanded its social networking presence to meet and interact with customers where they are in order to provide direct and timely responses to their inquiries. Customers can receive Sprint updates on Twitter via @Sprint or @SprintGreenNews for specific company-wide green initiatives. Become a fan of Sprint on the company's Facebook page, or check out Sprint's Flickr^® and BuzzAboutWireless sites.

Sprint recently highlighted two popular social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, in its advertising. The company's Palm Pre Facebook and Social NOW TV spots both showcase what is happening on Sprint's Now Network.

Social networking requires access to the Web, and Sprint understands that people can't always be chained to their personal computer. With the new Samsung Exclaim and HTC Snap, Sprint offers customers easy one-click access to staying connected with friends and family:

Samsung Exclaim: Samsung Exclaim features a messaging-centric form factor in two great colors - Blueberry and Raspberry. The device's dual-slider design hides both a numeric keypad and a full QWERTY keyboard. Exclaim is focused on social networking, with new interactive Facebook and MySpace tiles right on the home screen as part of Sprint's award-winning One Click customizable user interface. Customers can now add Twitter to their home screen using One Click as well. These new One Click tiles give customers a much richer experience than links to Facebook and MySpace on other feature devices in market today:

Facebook tile - Provides One-Click access to share "What's on your mind," check status updates, monitor your news feed, manage your inbox and track the status of your friends.
MySpace tile - Offers the ability to update your status, monitor your friend lists, review your pictures and albums, manage your inbox and friend requests and track your comments.
Twitter tile - Allows you to post Tweets with one click, check updates for everyone you are following, see responses to your Tweets, manage the list of people you are following and those who are following you and see what the whole Twitter-verse is saying.

Samsung Exclaim will be available beginning June 21 in all Sprint retail channels, including www.sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1, for $79.99 (excludes taxes) with a new two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate.

HTC Snap: HTC Snap is the first wireless phone to feature Inner Circle^TM, which allows people to prioritize emails from the most important people to them. Sprint is the exclusive nationwide provider of the 3G-enabled HTC Snap. Among the email standards this device supports are POP3, IMAP4 and seamless Microsoft Exchange email compatibility, which includes Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile software.

Inner Circle - One-touch access to the people who matter the most. Add your most important contacts to your Inner Circle, and then see email from these people in one place regardless of which account received them.
One-Touch Camera - Capture the moment before it's gone. Capturing and sharing photos doesn't get any easier.
One-Touch Messaging - Monitor all your messaging and email accounts at a glance.

HTC Snap is easy to hold and carry, and the ergonomically sculpted QWERTY keyboard makes text entry a breeze. With a 1500 mAh battery, HTC Snap can keep up with the busiest of lifestyles. Paired with Sprint Navigation and built-in GPS, Snap makes getting from place to place easier than ever, and the crisp 2.0 megapixel camera means never missing a moment once there.

HTC Snap will be available beginning June 21 in all Sprint retail channels, including www.sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1, for $149.99 (excludes taxes) with a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate.

These devices, along with Palm® Pre^TM, operate on America's most dependable 3G network. The Sprint 3G Network is faster in more places than AT&T's 3G network², and Sprint has more than 20 times the coverage of T-Mobile's current 3G network, based on square miles³. No carrier has a larger voice calling area than Sprint. The Nationwide Sprint Network (inclusive of roaming) reaches more than 304 million people in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with a Sprint national calling plan that includes roaming.

In addition to America's most dependable 3G network, Sprint offers customers significant savings for individuals and families compared to similar plans from AT&T and Verizon. With Sprint's Everything Data plans, customers can save $120 or more per year compared to AT&T and Verizon. Families can save $360 or more per year with Everything Data Family plans from Sprint vs. AT&T and Verizon. These plans include unlimited messaging and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation and exclusive applications.

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 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

1 "Dependable" based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from January 2008 to February 2009. Not all services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network when 3G unavailable.

2 Speed claim based on total network size, square miles, multiplied by network upload/download speed capability. User's speed experience may vary.

3 Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 4/1/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles..

Contacts

Natalie Papaj, 703-586-0048
natalie.lariviere@sprint.com
or
Caroline Semerdjian, 415-278-5364
Caroline.Semerdjian@sprint.com

WeFi Reaches Ten Million Wi-Fi Access Points

Lynnette Luna — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:54:21 -0500

Delaware, USA, November 24, 2008: WeFi Inc. (www.wefi.com), creator of the first open, community-based global Wi-Fi network, announced today that it has reached a milestone of ten million discovered Wi-Fi access points which have been recognized and classified by WeFi. As a further testament to the company's rapid growth, WeFi also announced that it has passed one million users, spread over 215 countries and territories worldwide. These users contribute to what is the largest virtual global Wi-Fi network, and the largest worldwide map of Wi-Fi access points available today.

Since the company was founded, the phenomenal growth is indicative of the surge in open Wi-Fi use worldwide, as well as the widespread social networking phenomenon. Spread through WeFi's consistently growing user community, new Wi-Fi access points have been added by the WeFi software on members' devices at an increasingly growing rate. As the network is user-generated, the more users, the more access points discovered and added to the network.

WeFi brings open Wi-Fi communication to everyone and everywhere with free, easy-to-use downloadable software that enables automatic connection to the best Wi-Fi hotspot around. With versions available for PC, Symbian, and Windows Mobile, WeFi is leveraging the fact the more mobile devices are Wi-Fi compatible, to further expand the global network of Wi-Fi access points. In addition to collecting gaining access to hotspots by simply downloading the WeFi software, members of the WeFi community are invited to map and rank open hotspots in any given location around the world, forming an aggregate picture of all the available Wi-Fi connections.

WeFi has also proved itself to be at the head the global social networking trend, as the first of its kind in enabling real-time location sharing with your friends, anywhere and everywhere around the world through their Wi-Fi connection. Users can locate each other on the WeFi global map and send messages, share content and much more. Users can also be updated on a fellow user's location via WeFi's applications with popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

"Hitting the ten-million hotspot mark is an accomplishment we're extremely proud of," said Zur Feldman, CEO of WeFi. "Our rapidly growing groups of users, located all across the world, are building a global community that is for the people, by the people, WeFi has been successful in being able to give our users the ability to add hotspots themselves and to share them with others. WeFi stands strong as the leader of this phenomenon and will continue to work toward our vision of creating a seamless network aggregating all Wi-Fi access points worldwide."

About WeFi Inc.

WeFi Inc. is the creator of the world's first open and free global Wi-Fi network. Leveraging the power of Wi-Fi, WeFi brings free wireless Internet communications to everyone, everywhere with easy-to-use downloadable software that enables automatic connection to the fastest Wi-Fi hotspot around. WeFi is a social network, whose members benefit from a free, fun and interactive experience, while helping to build a truly seamless global Wi-Fi network by mapping open access points in any given location worldwide. Established in February 2006, WeFi Inc. is backed by leading VC companies Lightspeed, Pitango and Gemini Ventures. The company is incorporated in Delaware, U.S. with R&D facilities in Israel. For additional information on WeFi, please visit: www.wefi.com.

Media Contact

Jason Silberman at Koteret Public Relations: Email: Jason_s@koteret.com or Tel: +972-3-5755778 ext 109.

Calling Innovators: Build Voice Mashups for Cash Prizes

Jim O'Neill — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:55:07 -0400

GAITHERSBURG, MD, July 8, 2008 - BroadSoft, Inc., the leading provider of VoIP application software, today announced the BroadSoft® Xtended Voice Mashup Contest to create telephony mashups that provide new, valuable services for businesses and consumers.

Running through Sept. 2, the Xtended Voice Mashup Contest challenges Web 2.0 and telecom developers to combine the multitude of BroadWorks® VoIP features with other applications, including customer relationship management, business collaboration and social networking. Telephony applications such as SMS, voicemail, fax and mobile clients also qualify for submission. Developers will have access to the Xtended Services Interface (Xsi) RESTful API during the contest.

Developers will compete for the three top prizes, which are valued at $15,500, $5,500 and $3,500. A panel of experts will select the winners, who will demo their mashups to hundreds of telecom executives from around the globe at the BroadSoft Connections 2008 executive users conference, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona from Oct. 5-8. Noted author Tim O'Reilly, who is credited with coining the phrase "Web 2.0," is the event keynote speaker.

The contest winners will be announced at the Web 2.0 Expo New York 2008, which takes place Sept. 16-19.

"BroadSoft is committed to bringing voice to Web 2.0," said Leslie Ferry, Vice President of Marketing for BroadSoft. "This contest will spur the creation of even more innovative telephony mashups using the new REST-based API. Our customers are eager to find new services to offer to their millions of enterprise and residential end-users."

The prizes are:

First Place - $5,000 in cash, and an all-expenses-paid trip to BroadSoft Connections 2008 with a free Solutions ShowCase booth (valued at $10,500).
Second Place - $2,000 in cash, and an all-expenses-paid trip to BroadSoft Connections with a complimentary pass (valued at $3,500).
Third Place - $1,000 in cash, and a complimentary pass to BroadSoft Connections 2008 (valued at $2,500).

After winners are announced, approved entries will be posted on the Xtended Marketplace (http://marketplace.broadsoft.com), an online portal where service providers and their end-users can download mashups. Developers can generate revenue by charging a fee for their applications or by building customized versions of their apps for service providers.

"I was able to sell my app to a major service provider in the U.S.," said Joseph Farrar, President of JoeDeveloper.NET, who created the Click2Message application that integrates BroadWorks calling features with the Facebook social-networking site. "By working with BroadWorks through the Xtended program, I have access to a global pool of service providers who could try out my mashup. For the opportunity to sell more mashups to service providers, I will definitely be entering the Xtended Voice Mashup Contest."

"The applications on the Xtended Marketplace have already given us a competitive edge," said Dave Gilbert, President of SimpleSignal. "By offering the salesforce.com mashup—the Unified Connector for Salesforce—we were able to win a contract over a Tier 1 competitor. Xtended and voice mashups are the obvious next evolutionary phase of telephony services."

BroadSoft Xtended Marketplace, the first of its kind for the telecommunications industry, was launched in March 2008 to drive the integration of voice with Web 2.0 technologies. The initiative has spurred the creation of voice mashups with leading business and consumer applications, including Facebook, WebEx, Lotus Notes, ACT! by Sage and GotVoice. Newly created mashups are available to BroadSoft's nearly 300 service providers in 59 countries.

For rules and prize details for the Xtended Voice Mashup Contest, visit http://developer.broadsoft.com/contest. The contest is free to enter. Developers can register at http://developer.broadsoft.com/contest.

About BroadSoft
BroadSoft® provides VoIP application software that enables the delivery of hosted telephony and multimedia services. Its award-winning flagship BroadWorks® technology empowers wireless, wireline and cable carriers to deliver next-generation voice and multimedia applications and advanced features that enable them to increase revenue, enhance competitive differentiation and elevate customer satisfaction. BroadSoft's family of carrier-class software products delivers the scale, open architecture and reliability that the world's leading telecommunications companies demand to serve mission-critical enterprise and residential broadband customers. BroadSoft provides VoIP applications to seven of the top 10 and 13 of the top 25 largest carriers worldwide, as measured by recent annual revenue, including Korea Telecom, KPN, SingTel, Sprint, Telefonica de Espana, Telstra, T-Systems, and Verizon. For additional information, go to www.BroadSoft.com.

Cisco Visual Networking Index Projects Global IP Traffic to Reach Over Half a Zettabyte(1) in Next Four Years

Jim O'Neill — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:12:55 -0400

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 16, 2008 - The Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast for 2007-2012 was released today, providing key findings on a variety of consumer and business Internet Protocol (IP) networking trends driven largely by the increasing use of video and Web 2.0 social networking and collaboration applications. The combination of these technologies represents what is known as visual networking. Based on Cisco's analysis and the forecasts of independent analysts, the updated study is part of the company's ongoing effort to forecast the growth and usage of IP networking worldwide.

Cisco VNI projections indicate that IP traffic will increase at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent from 2007 to 2012, nearly doubling every two years. This will result in an annual bandwidth demand on the world's IP networks of approximately 522 exabytes2, or more than half a zettabyte.

In the consumer market, the advent of rich online video communications and entertainment, as well as social networking, has greatly increased the impact of online video on the network. In 2012, Internet video traffic alone will be 400 times the traffic carried by the U.S. Internet backbone in 2000. Representative of this trend, Internet video has jumped from 12 percent of the global consumer Internet traffic in 2006 to 22 percent in 2007. Video on demand, IPTV, peer-to-peer (P2P) video, and Internet video are forecast to account for nearly 90 percent of all consumer IP traffic in 2012.

Global business IP traffic is forecast to grow strongly at a CAGR of 35 percent from 2007 to 2012. Increased broadband penetration in the small-business segment and the increased adoption of advanced video communications (such as Cisco TelePresence) in the enterprise are major drivers for business IP traffic growth. Business IP traffic will grow fastest in the developing markets and Asia-Pacific. In volume, North America will continue to have the most business IP traffic through 2012, followed by Asia-Pacific and Western Europe.

Additional key findings from the Cisco VNI Forecast include:

Global IP traffic will reach 44 exabytes per month in 2012, compared to less than seven per month in 2007.
By comparison, global IP traffic in 2002 was five exabytes which means that the volume of IP traffic in 2012 will be 100 times as large.
Monthly global IP traffic in December 2012 will be 11 exabytes higher than in December 2011, a single-year increase that will exceed the amount by which traffic has increased in the eight years since 2000.
Mobile data traffic will roughly double each year from 2008 through 2012.

"The broad and increasing adoption of visual networking is having a significant impact on IP traffic growth for both consumer and business services markets worldwide," said Suraj Shetty, vice president of service provider marketing for Cisco. "Until just a few years ago, 'exabyte' was an unheard-of term. However, because of the massive growth we're seeing, by 2012 we will have to reorient our vocabulary once again, as the metric that we need then will be the zettabyte."

The Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast and Methodology, 2007-2012 and the associated updated Cisco "Approaching the Zettabyte Era" White Paper are part of the Cisco Visual Networking Index, an ongoing Cisco initiative designed to provide quantitative and qualitative information regarding trends in IP network demand and usage.

_{⁽¹⁾ A zettabyte is equal to: 1 trillion gigabytes; 1,000 exabytes; 250 billion DVDs.}

_{⁽²⁾ An exabyte is equal to: 1 billion gigabytes; 1,000 petabytes; 250 million DVDs.}

About Cisco Systems

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Platform Partnership With Transpera Brings Dave Navarro, Gaming, Music, Comedy and Action Sports Television Content to Personal

Jim O'Neill — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:26:43 -0400

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - June 16, 2008) - maniaTV, the first online television network and birthplace of original web television hits "Dave Navarro's Spread TV" and "Tom Green Live," today announced the launch of maniaTV Mobile. The service, powered by Transpera's comprehensive mobile video delivery and monetization platform, allows viewers to access online television content from any video-enabled mobile device, and creates additional advertising inventory and enhanced interactive programming options for maniaTV. Select maniaTV Mobile content can now be viewed by going to http://maniatv.com from mobile browsers.

maniaTV Mobile will offer more personal ways for mobile users to experience their favorite programming on the go with features such as "Send-to-Friend" for mobile-to-mobile sharing and forthcoming "Send to Mobile" for online to mobile device interaction. The Transpera platform, optimized for all video capable phones including the newly announced 3G iPhone, also gives users the ability to search for videos, save their favorites, and receive mobile alerts when new shows appear through integration with top social networking services such as Twitter.

"Mobile content is an important part of engaging viewers in a way that suits their lifestyle while delivering timely and highly engaging brand experiences for advertisers," said Peter Hoskins, maniaTV CEO. "maniaTV Mobile will change the way we conceive and create segments and can add a new level of interactivity down the road."

"With more and more mobile phones, like the iPhone, out there with powerful video capabilities, having a mobile video channel is a no-brainer. But the complexity and cost of developing, deploying and monetizing these channels is a barrier for many content providers," said Frank Barbieri, founder and CEO of Transpera. "Transpera's platform eliminates that complexity, adds incremental revenue though targeted advertising integration and allows video publishers to focus on their core competencies -- creating and delivering the most exciting video possible to their audiences."

About maniaTV

The maniaTV Network launched in 2004 as the world's first Internet TV network. The company produces, sells and distributes made for internet programming targeting the 18 to 34 year old audience while delivering innovative branded entertainment opportunities to leading brands and advertisers. With a state-of-the-art production studio in Hollywood, maniaTV produces groundbreaking, award-winning programming for 8+ million viewers each month. maniaTV's programming slate ranges from music and comedy, to drama, video gaming, and action sports. Leading shows include "Dave Navarro's Spread Entertainment," "Tom Green Live," "National Lampoon's Lemmings," "Arcade," and "All Access." maniaTV delivers unique brand experiences within each show and has served over 50 of Advertising Age's Top 100. Through its visionary market leadership and focus on premium content and distribution partnerships, maniaTV is redefining television for the 21st Century. We like to call it "Television 2.0."

About Transpera

Transpera provides the industry's first comprehensive platform for monetizing Web videos on mobile phones. Powering mobile video channels for such powerful internet video brands as CBS News, Associated Press, Revision3, Break.com, maniaTV, eBaumsworld and Putfile, Transpera provides online content owners, network operators and advertisers the tools to capitalize on the exploding mobile video market. Through the company's patent-pending platform and bridging technology, Transpera is the only company to connect all the necessary pieces for optimizing the monetization of mobile video content. Transpera provides video content and brand owners with the ability to instantly mobilize and distribute video to mobile phone users based on their interests and communities, enhance on-deck video offerings for network operators and provide brand owners and advertisers with a direct and targeted route for marketing to their target audiences. Transpera is based in Santa Monica, Calif. and is funded by top venture firms Intel Capital, Flybridge Capital (formerly IDG Ventures) and First Round Capital Ventures. For more information, visit www.transpera.com.

Whrrl Brings Mobile Social Discovery to the BlackBerry

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:31:24 -0400

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pelago, creators of the mobile social discovery service Whrrl, today
announced new mobile support for the BlackBerry Pearl and
Curve. Available for free to millions of BlackBerry users in the U.S.,
Whrrl provides a new mobile medium for discovering and sharing local
information on people, places, events and experiences.

At the nexus of social networking, local discovery and user-generated
content, Whrrl combines mapping and micro-blogging technology into a
unique social discovery experience. Whether accessed via the Web or
mobile device, Whrrl provides users with an entirely new discovery
pathway for finding and sharing local knowledge with friends and
communities.

The release of the BlackBerry mobile application coincides with expanded
events and calendar features on Whrrl, giving users an unprecedented
amount of relevant local information from their mobile device. Whrrl can
be directly downloaded to a user’s BlackBerry
for free at www.whrrl.com.

“This is great news for BlackBerry users
looking for a new mobile application that combines the mega-trend
attraction of social networking and local discovery into a fun and
useful experience,” said Darren Vengroff, CTO
and co-founder of Pelago. “And for us, it is
just as exciting as the growth rate among BlackBerry users, particularly
within groups outside of the enterprise, which is showing huge growth.”

The Whrrl experience captures a person’s
activities, cataloging an individual history of places visited and
events attended through icons pinpointed on Whrrl’s
built-in mapping application. User ratings and reviews of these places
and events then determine how each is depicted on the Whrrl map,
color-coded as either positive, neutral or negative-charged icons.

The user-contributed information that generates the map icons is shared
through a real-time micro-blogging feature called the “Whrrld
Feed.” In addition to sharing ratings and
reviews, users can also instantly update others on their location or
status through their Whrrld Feed by checking in via SMS, the Whrrl
mobile application, or the Whrrl Web site. To ensure privacy, users
themselves set the specific group of friends that can see their actual
real-time location; other users, even other friends, cannot see their
location unless given specific permission by the user.

“Whrrl creates a new way to discover and
navigate a city’s numerous places and events
by leveraging the collective knowledge of friends, acquaintances, and
neighbors against a detailed map of the area,” said Jeff Holden, CEO and co-founder of Pelago. “Now,
anyone with a BlackBerry can tap this tribal knowledge while on the go
to find information like nearby restaurants and which are highly liked
and then share real-time status updates and invite friends to join.”

Currently, the Whrrl service is available nationally in the U.S. with an
information database detailing millions of businesses and events across
the country.

About Pelago

Pelago, Inc. is an early-stage company based in Seattle developing a new
generation of consumer experiences based on breakthrough technology,
including Whrrl, a new mobile and web-based service at the intersection
of social networking and local discovery. Pelago was founded by former
senior executives from Amazon.com and is backed by leading venture
capital firms from the U.S., Europe and India.

Nortel Takes the Complexity out of Launching Next-Generation Communications

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:53:10 -0400

MAY 19, 2008

NEW ORLEANS – Imagine being able to combine Web 2.0** concepts like social networking**, blogs**, and wikis**
with IP voice and multimedia over any IP broadband connection. Now
imagine service providers being able to offer these services to their
subscribers by simply adding a single software solution to their
network. It's all possible with new application software from Nortel*
[NYSE/TSX: NT]
that makes it easy for service providers to deliver IP voice and
multimedia services with Web 2.0 – a combination known as
next-generation network (NGN) 2.0 – without costly and complex network
upgrades.

Nortel's new Adaptive Application Engine software, unveiled today at The Cable Show**
in New Orleans (Booth 3105), is a major evolutionary step forward for
Nortel's SIP applications portfolio that brings together services
across wireless broadband, wireline and cable access networks in ways
that help service providers simplify their networks and enhance the
communication experience for subscribers. Here are some examples of
advanced service offerings to consumer and business customers made
possible with the Adaptive Application Engine software:

Unified Communications –
By bringing together email, voicemail, instant messaging (IM), text,
graphics, video files and web collaboration to the devices and
productivity tools people use everyday, users have access to a more
effective, more efficient communication experience. Imagine joining a
video conference with everyone on the To: list of an email just by
clicking a link in the message.
Federated Instant
Messaging – By uniting existing communication systems and tools, users
can take advantage of federation, a protocol that allows you to talk to
anyone, on any IM service regardless of provider so you can add friends
using third-party IM applications to the Nortel PC Client.
IP
Communications over Web Applications – By creating
communications-enabled applications and integrating them into social
networking activities, users can include a "click-to-call-me" link from
their Facebook** pages connecting their friends to any wireline or wireless device to complete the call.
VoIP
over IPTV Integration – By controlling calls and having access to a
variety of multimedia services through their TVs, viewers can use a TV
remote to send an IM to a friend, easily place calls or transfer
incoming calls to voicemail or a mobile phone.
Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) Services
– By eliminating the boundary between location and device, users can
gain new flexibility like transforming mobile phones into office
extensions. For example, mobile workers can use their cell phones to
access the corporate network and have the same voice calling features
as their desk phones, like one business phone number, conferencing and
call forwarding. Users can also "grab" a mobile call from their desktop
or vice versa.

The Adaptive Application Engine software
is specially designed to adapt to the needs of service providers of
every segment, allowing a single solution to provide advanced
communication services to as few as hundreds, or easily scale up to
millions of subscribers. Operators can choose to run the software on
hundreds of Red Hat**
Enterprise Linux compliant servers allowing them to select the hardware
that best suits their needs and budget. To accelerate development time
of new services, the Adaptive Application Engine software provides an
open programmability environment and web service Application Program
Interfaces (API's), which allow third-party software developers to
easily develop new applications which use call routing, presence and
federated IM.

"Nortel's depth of technology expertise across
carrier and enterprise sectors, wireless and wireline with focus on
both infrastructure and the application space allowed us to design
advanced SIP application software that can support the needs of any
service provider – large or small, traditional telco or integrated
communications enabled internet provider" said John McCready, general
manager, Carrier Multimedia Networks, Nortel. "Without increasing
network complexity, Nortel's Adaptive Application Engine software makes
it simple for any service provider to grow to support large increases
in demand for NGN 2.0 services. From an implementation perspective,
Nortel has the expertise to execute on this vision."

The
Adaptive Application Engine software can be deployed as a SIP
Application Server, as an IMS application server or as advanced
capabilities on the Communication Server (CS) 2000. For carrier customers who have already deployed the Nortel's CS 2000 or Application Server (AS) 5200,
the Adaptive Application Engine software allows them to build on their
existing investment by adding new software capabilities which provide
NGN 2.0 capabilities while also supporting a significant increase in
capacity. The Adaptive Application Engine software will enhance the recently announced IP Powered Home (IPPH) Solutions – innovative application bundles for the consumer market – and Nortel's IP Powered Business (IPPB) Solutions, pre-tested IP solutions for the small and medium sized business (SMB) market.

According to Dell'Oro Group, Nortel is the worldwide leader in carrier VoIP and
has maintained that position for the last six years (2002-2007). Nortel
has shipped 88 million carrier IP voice and multimedia ports to over
250 carriers globally and Nortel's IMS-ready solutions have been
adopted by over 150 customers, including carriers operating across
wireline, wireless and cable domains. The standalone Adaptive
Application Engine software is expected to be available globally in
late 2008 and the CS 2000 version is expected to be available early
2009. For more information on the Adaptive Application Engine software,
check out the Nortel podcast on the solution.

About Nortel

Nortel
is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that
make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers.
Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and
enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical
applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate
today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying
networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they
need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the
world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.

Certain
statements in this press release may contain words such as "could",
"expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates",
"targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are
considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable
securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current
expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating
environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These
statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and
uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome
may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking
statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these
and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless
otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.

*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.
**This is a 3rd party link as described in our Web linking practices.
Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. in the U.S and other countries. Used under license.

Raketu Extends Free International Calling and Free SMS-Texting With No Monthly Fee -- Unlike Services Offered by Skype

Jim O'Neill — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:32:56 -0400

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 12, 2008) - Raketu, a leading global
Internet communications, information, entertainment, and social
networking company, today announced that the company will extend its
free voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling and sms-texting
promotion. Consumers can take advantage of Raketu's free international
calling and sms-texting promotion when they make a pre-payment. Users
who pre-pay receive up to 1200 minutes (20 hours) international calling
per month for 3 months to mobile and landline phones in locations in
over 40 countries around the world -- this pre-payment is not a monthly
fee, it is placed in the user's account to be used for pay-for
services. In addition, pre-pay users will also receive 3 free sms-text
messages per month for 3 months to send to anywhere in the world.
Raketu currently has the lowest calling and sms-text rates to any
location globally.

"Raketu offers the best calling and sms rates to any location around
the world, and with our free international minutes and sms-texting, it
is far less expensive than our competitors like Skype offer," said Greg
Parker, president and CEO of Raketu. "Why pay for international calling
when Raketu has it for free. And with the recent addition of our mobile
services, there are now more ways than ever for consumers and
businesses to take advantage of our free and discounted calling and
text rates."

Raketu runs over any Internet connection from roaming mobile to
dial-up to broadband and offers consumers and businesses the ability to
access their Raketu account from any device for free to lowest cost
VoIP calling and sms-text rates globally:

-- PC/Mobile to PC/Mobile -- Totally Free: Raketu to Raketu calling and
instant messaging anywhere in the world, requires both users running
Raketu's desktop or mobile application.

-- PC/Mobile to Phone -- Mostly Free: RakOut Dial-out VoIP service,
requires one user on Raketu, the other on landline/mobile phone. RakOut
offers free calling to locations in over 40 countries around the world, and
the lowest published rates on all other calls. In addition, Raketu offers
free or lowest rate sms-texting to any location around the world.

-- Phone to Phone -- Mostly Free: RakWeb calling requires no software
downloads with both users on traditional mobile or landline phones. This
service can be used by anyone with access to a web browser or can be
activated via sending a local sms-text message. RakWeb calling offers free
calling to locations in over 40 countries around the world and can be
accessed from any device including Windows, Linux, Mac OSX. Symbian OS,
Windows Mobile, Nokia, BlackBerry, iPhone and Linux mobile.
About Raketu Communications Inc.

Raketu Communications Inc. develops leading edge peer-to-peer
Internet protocol applications that provide communications,
information, media and social networking services for consumers and for
business. The company currently has users in over 150 countries around
the world. For more information on Raketu, please visit:
www.Raketu.com.

Mobile Web 2.0 revenues to reach $22.4bn by 2013, driven by User Generated Content and Social Networking: Juniper Research

Jim O'Neill — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:21:36 -0400

Hampshire UK, Wednesday 14th May 2008 - The global market for Mobile Web 2.0 will be worth $22.4bn in 2013, up from $5.5bn currently, according to a new report by Juniper Research. Embracing social networking & User Generated Content (UGC), mobile search and mobile IM (Instant Messaging), Mobile Web 2.0 provides a framework for delivery of collaborative applications, further enhanced and contextualised via LBS (Location Based Services).

The advent of the prosumer
In its latest report - ‘Mobile Web 2.0: Leveraging ‘Location, IM, Social Web & Search' - Juniper examines how a fundamental shift in Internet usage patterns is shaping Mobile Web development, driving subscriber adoption and forcing structural changes within the industry. At the core of this evolution is the user as a creator and consumer of content (i.e. the prosumer), and the ‘social web' - which describes a wide variety of social computing tools enabling users to develop detailed Web identities, create online communities and communicate with like-minded individuals.

"Combining the power of the social network map - namely: ‘who I know, how I know and where I know' - with that of mobility, presents the greatest opportunity for revenue generation of any of the applications as defined within Juniper's Mobile Web 2.0 framework," states Ian Chard, Juniper Research Analyst and author of the new report. "The phone is carried with us most of the time and contains a huge amount of personal data, making it a logical extension for the social network and a host of other collaborative Web 2.0 applications being mobilised."

Other findings from the report:

Total global revenues for mobile social networking/UGC will rocket from $1.8bn in 2008, to $11.2bn in 2013, accounting for 50% of the market, while growth in mobile search and mobile IM will be more measured

Service revenues will account for the lion's-share of total Mobile Web 2.0 revenues, although mobile advertising represents a significant opportunity

Far East & China, Western Europe and North America dominate the global market for Mobile Web 2.0, but will be surpassed by the developing regions over the forecast period

Fresh Challenges
Despite the new opportunities for players across the value chain, Mobile Web 2.0 creates fresh challenges over and above those typically associated with mobilising Internet applications. MNOs must adjust to advertising-sponsored strategies and accommodate partnerships with Web-based players, while device manufacturers and technology vendors must somehow find the means to stitch together what is at present, a highly-fragmented market. Any player in Social Web is also subject to regulatory measures concerning privacy and data retention.

Juniper Research assesses the current and future status of the Mobile Web 2.0 market based on interviews, case studies and analysis from representatives of some of the organisations leading this growing market.

Whitepapers and further details of the study 'Mobile Web 2.0: Leveraging ‘Location, IM, Social Web & Search' 2008-2013 can be freely downloaded from http://www.juniperresearch.com. Alternatively please contact John Levett at mailto:john.levett@juniperresearch.com, telephone +44(0)1256 830002.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.