ATLANTA—Multicast Media Technologies, Inc., announced today the addition of live streaming and on-demand video for the iPhone and iPod Touch to its comprehensive, hosted Multicast Media Suite solution. A market leader in live Internet broadcasts and on-demand video, Multicast is the first online video platform provider to offer the complete set of functionality needed to transcode, manage, deliver and display content on the iPhone. With the new version, Multicast is opening new channels of communication for companies to deliver interactive rich media content directly to their staff, prospects, members, and customers.
According to Nielson Online, there were 6.4 million iPhone users in the United States as of April 2009. Of the total number of users, 2.6 million people watched a video on their iPhone, and 16 percent were moved to action through mobile advertising.
“Multicast is always looking for better, more effective ways to deliver messages from our clients to their audience,” explained Lou Schwartz, chief executive officer of Multicast. “With our enhanced capability to deliver both live and on-demand content to the iPhone and iPod Touch, we are extending the capability we offer for publishing live and on demand video, audio and rich media presentations via the Internet to enable companies to reach out to their target audiences when, where and, most importantly, how those people prefer.”
iPhone streaming capabilities create a new world of information sharing opportunities. With Multicast, organizations are able to promote products and services without the time and expense of developing a specialized iPhone app; deliver visually-oriented training materials to a mobile workforce; and extend existing mobile marketing initiatives to leverage rich media content.
“Our clients who want to publish video to the iPhone use the same efficient, project-based workflow that they use to publish videos on the Internet,” said Chris Jeffs, VP of Solutions Management. “As a result, they now have a fast,easy-to-use option for quickly delivering branded content to the iPhone with no additional training required. Because we offer a complete, hosted solution for managing all of an organization’s video publishing needs, companies can get started quickly, deliver high quality, branded viewing experience and leverage media assets across both the Internet and the iPhone. And, they can do that all without the time, expense and risk involved in creating do-it-yourself video solutions for the Internet or an iPhone applet.”
Jeffs continued, “These new capabilities create many options for organizations. For example, sales people can listen to live corporate updates while on the road, or review training materials before calling on a prospect. Field service personnel can leverage videos that show exactly how to service equipment. Marketing organizations can promote products and services within a highly engaging mobile experience, driving calls to action and influencing buying decisions. The possibilities are practically endless.”
With Multicast Media Suite, people who want to publish to the iPhone or iTouch can easily:
For more information on Multicast’s iPhone capabilities, call +1 (877) 664-6137 to arrange a demonstration or purchase.
{extended} ]]>WHO: Multicast Media Technologies, Inc.’s Mark Battaglia (EVP of Sales and Marketing), along with MarketingPilot Software LLC’s David Ostrov (VP of Sales)
WHY: In today’s marketplace, delivering a message—and having it noticed—is harder than ever before. Smart companies are learning that using a mix of dynamic media can make all the difference in messages being seen and retained. This webinar will teach how marketing resource management systems, along with live and on-demand Internet and mobile device broadcast technologies, can help organizations of all types manage campaigns and deliver impactful videos, audios and rich media presentations that move clients, users and prospects to action.
Attendees will learn:
WHEN: Thursday, November 12, 2009—11:00 AM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern
REGISTER: Click here or call MarketingPilot at +1.847.864.4777 ext 100.
About Multicast Media Technologies, Inc.
Multicast is a market leader in live event broadcasting, Internet video and targeted multimedia communication that moves people to action. Founded in 2000, Multicast is relied on by more than 2,000 organizations of all types and sizes around the world that use a mixture of media to inform, educate, entertain, promote and inspire. Multicast broadcasts over 50,000 live events each year, and its best-in-class hosted solutions deliver 250 million streams a year (more than any network except ABC, CBS or NBC).
About MarketingPilot
MarketingPilot develops leading-edge integrated marketing software and advertising agency management systems that save time, reduce costs and improve performance. Used by more than 500 organizations worldwide, MarketingPilot software products are built on our Unified Marketing Software Platform which integrates marketing and business functions into a seamless, easy to use and operate system.
{extended} ]]>WHAT: Multicast Media Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of online live events and on- demand streaming media solutions will present a special live online event to explain how live and on-demand video, combined with other online media, can help organizations anywhere in the world improve their return from user conferences, corporate events, trade shows or meetings.
New technologies have made the distribution of live and on-demand video, audio and other rich media presentations easier than ever before. Multicast will deliver over 50,000 live events this year. Multicast executives will draw on that experience to explain how to increase the reach, impact and useful life of live events. Among the ways discussed are:
WHEN: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - Time: 1:00 PM Eastern
REGISTER: Click here or call +1 (877) 664-6137
BONUS: All event registrants will qualify for a FREE INCREASED ROI PLAN consultation.
{extended} ]]>ATLANTA—Multicast Media Networks, LLC, a leading provider of streaming media for live and on-demand events, is a sponsor and technology provider for PINK’s Empowerment Series’ event in Atlanta on November 6, 2009.
Multicast will make portions of the Empowerment Series’ sessions on career and life balance, business improvement, and personal development activities available on demand to registered participants after the conference.
“PINK has proven itself to be a leader in knowledge and advice for smart women in business,” said Lou Schwartz, chief executive officer of Multicast. “We’re proud to partner with PINK and use our best-in-class technology to give new, extended life to the conference after it ends through on-demand access. We want this partnership to take PINK to a new level of serving its audience.”
Each year, PINK’s Empowerment Series reaches thousands of women nationally, connecting them with the most powerful women in America for daylong explorations of issues related to careers, finance, leadership and work/life balance.
And join Multicast on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - Time: 1:00 PM Eastern for a special web event - Realizing Higher Returns From Conferences, Corporate Events, Meetings or Trade Shows.
{extended} ]]>ATLANTA—Travel industry professionals have a new option for participating in one of the industry’s leading annual conferences—without booking a flight or renting a car to do it.
Thanks to its proven online video platform, Multicast is helping PhoCusWright successfully launch its new streaming content and revenue-generating initiative—PhoCusWright’s Online Ticket. Users will have the ability to see and hear key sessions from PhoCusWright’s conference, both live and on demand afterwards.
Nearly 1,000 people are expected to use Multicast’s technology to access the conference online during the in-person sessions November 17-19, and then via archives for up to 60 days afterward. The video and audio platforms provided by Multicast will be accompanied by other tools, such as a Twitter feed to allow participants to submit questions and connect with each other.
“Multicast will enhance the PhoCusWright Conference in the same way it has helped other companies change how they are thinking about and implementing those events,” explained Lou Schwartz, chief executive officer of Multicast. “We’re helping these organizations’ members access essential information. We’re also creating entirely new revenue streams for them.
Multicast is delivering The Online Ticket for PhoCusWright via Multicast Media Suite, considered the most complete, best integrated suite for using video, audio and rich media presentations to deliver messages that move people to action.
PhoCusWright conducts qualitative and quantitative research on the evolving dynamics that influence travel, tourism and hospitality distribution. To complement its primary research in North America, Europe and Asia, PhoCusWright produces several high-profile conferences in the U.S. and Germany, and partners with conferences in the U.K., China and Singapore.
And join Multicast on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - Time: 1:00 PM Eastern for a special web event - Realizing Higher Returns From Conferences, Corporate Events, Meetings or Trade Shows.
{extended} ]]>ATLANTA—Multicast announced today that Lee University, one of the nation's premier church-affiliated universities, has selected Multicast to expand and enhance Lee's online media presence. Lee represents the latest addition to Multicast's faith-based client list, which reads like a "Who's Who" of churches, ministries and faith-based organizations, and includes Rick Warren/Saddleback Church, Joel Osteen/Lakewood Church, Willow Creek Association, Joyce Meyer, In Touch Ministries, Focus on the Family, T.D. Jakes, and Max Lucado.
Chance Mason, Multicast's President, Faith-based Initiatives, commented, "We are excited to partner with Lee University. We look forward to serving them, and other faith-based organizations, as they engage with, educate, inspire and serve people around the globe."
Lee University, a private university with a current enrollment of 4,000, is located in Cleveland, Tennessee. Founded in 1918 by the Church of God, it maintains a strong Christian identity and denominational affiliation today. Known for its religious education, pre-medicine, business, elementary education, and music programs, Lee is consistently ranked by US News and World Report among the top Southern liberal arts colleges.
Lee continues its tradition of innovation by being among the first institutions of its kind to embrace online delivery of media on a global scale. They plan to leverage online media to keep students, parents and alumni informed, and to enable people with ties to the university around the world to participate in on-campus events such as concerts, recitals, chapel services, commencement services, and other special events.
Lee President Dr. Paul Conn said, "Concerts, recitals, special events and chapels are only the beginning. Working with Multicast is a huge gain for our telecommunication students. We plan to use Multicast's full suite of Internet video offerings in many other ways, including recruitment, alumni relations, public relations, student services, music and athletics."
Ron Gilbert, Director of the Lee University Video Production Center noted that Lee videotapes hundreds of live concerts and events each year. He stated, "Lee plans to take full advantage of Multicast's live web streaming, its video on demand, and its video e-mail offerings."
{extended} ]]>NASHVILLE, ATLANTA, AND OKLAHOMA CITY—Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope, which took place on Thursday, April 23, 2009, was broadcast to over 6,000 locations and seen by more than 1.4 million people. The event, which focused on the economy, was the most viewed live via the Internet broadcast events ever, and during the event occupied both the #1 and #4 spots on Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service.
Ramsey, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and New York Times best selling author, spoke live from LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma about what's happening with the economy, how we got here, and where we are going. Throughout the meeting, he took questions live from viewers by phone, email, Twitter, Facebook and other technologies.
The event was arranged by Ramsey's company, the Lampo Group, which provides hope to everyone from the financially secure to the financially distressed via biblically-based, common sense financial education and empowerment. It was hosted by LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma, a venue that was chosen both for its heartland location and for its on-site technical capabilities, which are embodied in LifeChurch.tv. Multicast, an Atlanta-based company that is a leader in live Internet broadcasting, handled the technical aspects, including the streaming video transmission. In addition to delivering for Town Hall for Hope live, Multicast held exclusive syndication rights for the event's availability on its two faith-based internet communities, Streaming Faith (www.streamingfaith.com) and 316 Networks (www.316networks.com).
Tony Bradshaw, Lampo's Web Team Manager commented, "The state of the global economy affects us all. Dave Ramsey's message of personal responsibility and hope struck a chord with people throughout the nation. We're thankful for LifeChurch.tv, Multicast, and our other partners who made this extraordinary event possible. Their expertise and commitment to service made it happen."
Bobby Gruenewald, Pastor, Innovation Leader for LifeChurch.tv added, "This event was a milestone for the use of technology to reach both people of faith via the participating churches, and to reach out to our nation at large. We're pleased to have been selected to host this event, and look forward to the possibility of reaching people via other events in the future."
Chance Mason, Multicast's President, Faith-based Initiatives, said, "This event proved that the maturation of streaming video technology has reached the point where innovative new models of large-scale live event distribution are realistic. I'm thankful we were able to prove our capabilities in support of this event, and am looking forward to working with other leaders who want to use digital media in new ways to reach and serve people."
For information about Town Hall for Hope, please visit www.townhallforhope.com. For information about LifeChurch.tv, please visit www.lifechurch.tv. For information about Multicast, please visit www.multicastmedia.com.
About Dave Ramsey
A personal money management expert, Dave Ramsey is an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace and More Than Enough. He is also host of "The Dave Ramsey Show" on Fox Business Network. Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life—living a true rags to riches to rags to riches story. By age twenty-six he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself full-time to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right. Through his proven plan, Ramsey helps people eliminate debt and credit cards, learn to budget, avoid bankruptcy, build wealth and find financial peace. "The Dave Ramsey Show" is syndicated to more than 400 radio stations nationwide with more than 4 million weekly listeners.
About LifeChurch.tv
Since its beginning in 1996, LifeChurch.tv's purpose has been to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel, the Edmond, Oklahoma-based church hosts over 26,000 people each weekend during more than 60 experiences throughout 14 campuses, including a fully interactive internet campus. LifeChurch.tv has also leveraged the web in other ministry endeavors including YouVersion.com, One Prayer, OPEN.LifeChurch.tv, and MySecret.tv.
{extended} ]]>ATLANTA—Promising to radically change how publishers create, and consumers access, content in online videos, audios and webcasts, Multicast today announced the acquisition of the Veotag technology, which makes content easier to find, engages people longer, and lets them quickly reach the information that's relevant to them.
"Everyone knows video is high impact and can deliver information in compelling ways. But even so, people tend to be impatient and prefer not to watch entire videos—or listen to entire audios—when they aren't certain that there's a payoff for doing so," said Lou Schwartz, CEO of Multicast. "To pull out valuable ideas you may have to watch or listen to the entire presentation several times. If you want to use the material as a reference, you have to remember where the content you want is, and use clunky slider controls to imprecisely rewind. People just don't have the patience for that, and as a result, the value of the information in videos and audios isn't fully realized."
Schwartz continued, "This technology creates more valuable videos and audios by exposing what's in the asset to consumers, which increases people's willingness to stick with the content, and by enabling people to jump right to the information they most want. That makes the hunt for on-target information and ideas incredibly more efficient, and drives more traffic to the web page, the video or audio, and even the specific content within the media."
Veotag is used by some of America's largest companies including Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Bearing Point, the Better Business Bureau, Ernst & Young and the University of Pennsylvania.
Veotag changes consumers' online media experience from requiring start-to-finish viewing to a more interactive and productive one. The technology is applicable for many users, including training, the delivery of information about products, speeches and events, and corporate communications. In general, any video or audio of more than five minutes duration can benefit from being Veotagged.
The process for creating more interactive digital media assets is straightforward:
1) Video and audio publishers add "metadata" in the form of summary sentences, titles, keywords or other text at points where there is vital information. For example, a 10-minute equipment repair video may be given a section labeled "How to Remove Parts" at time sequence 3:30 and "How to Test" at 5:42. Additional markers can be placed within each section.
2) These markers appear in a table of contents format on the right side of the player, linked to the appropriate content. Consumers can see what is coming, and can simply click the links to jump to the content of greatest personal interest and relevance.
3) Publishers can also enhance the content with synchronized slides, and can make supporting documents or Web pages and other content—all available from links within the player.
No special technical skills are needed to mark content or to add ancillary materials. The same asset can be associated with more than one set of metadata, enabling it to be easily tailored for more than one target audience. The players in which the content appears can be modified via style sheets and more significantly via programming to establish a custom, branded look.
Veotag publishers also can use searches to create, save and share audio and video mixes of content on a particular topic. This makes it possible to easily view all the scenes in a video library featuring a specific person, or to listen to all the segments in a series of audios in which a particular topic is discussed.
Veotag also increases the value of videos and audios by making their content visible to internal and popular Internet search engines. Search engines can't "see" what is inside a video or audio, and so the bulk of the content isn't considered in searches. All of the metadata created by Veotag publishers is visible to the engines, improving the ranking of the media for the topics it focuses on, and causing the media to appear on searches from more words. In addition, because each marker can be a distinct URL, consumers who access the media via these links are not forced to watch the entire presentation to see the information they want, they can jump directly to the desired content from organic search results.
Veotag works with all the major audio and video formats, such as QuickTime, Flash, Windows Media, and MP3. It is compatible with both PC and Apple platforms.
"Not long ago, our business focused on delivering online video. As that technology has matured, our full-service approach has led us to provide a more complete multimedia communications offering for our clients. Multicast will use Veotag to create entirely new opportunities for our clients and help them achieve their information delivery goals," said Schwartz. "With Veotag, we're increasing the return on investment in their video productions by extending the content's lifespan. We're opening up expertise and information that would have been gathering 'digital dust' on some obscure Web page and making it accessible for years to come."
Samples of Veotag-enhanced videos can be found at www.veotag.com.
{extended} ]]>ATLANTA—Multicast, a market leader in live event broadcasting, Internet video and multimedia communication, today announced that it has been selected by GiANT Impact as the live Internet delivery partner for the Maximum Impact simulcast. The one-day leadership event, featuring a world-class line-up of brilliant minds intent on communicating the art and science of whole leadership, will be broadcast from Atlanta live to over 60,000 business professionals in more than 400 locations on May 8, 2009.
Multicast delivers a seamless, end-to-end Internet broadcast service that mirrors a traditional broadcast experience, as well as other related solutions for digital media preparation, management and delivery. The company is on track to deliver approximately 50,000 live events this year. Those events will be viewed live by over 70 million people, and eventually seen by 250 million people. On April 23rd, Multicast delivered one of the largest live via the Internet events ever, a simulcast of Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope.
"There is a fundamental shift taking place in live event broadcasting. Live events that were delivered via satellite can now being delivered over the Internet at a better price, more reliably and with higher quality," said Chance Mason, President of Faith Based Initiatives at Multicast. "Our technology has advanced to the point that our clients can reach and engage distributed audiences via the Internet with a viewing experience that is equal to a broadcast television experience. Multicast is privileged to deliver cutting-edge Internet broadcast solutions to GiANT Impact, and to assist GiANT in fulfilling its mission to deliver thought leadership to a global audience."
The Maximum Impact speakers include Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 major golf championships and voted Sports Illustrated's Individual Male Athlete of the Century; Bill George, Harvard business professor, former Medtronic CEO, and author of True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership; John C. Maxwell, best selling author, speaker and thought leader; Al Weiss, President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and others. The speakers will cover a broad range of leadership topics, including understanding character qualities that activate and empower leadership, connecting and networking with local leaders, and increasing your ability to influence others.
For information about the Maximum Impact Simulcast,
please visit www.maximumimpactsimulcast.com.
ATLANTA—Multicast, a market leader in live event broadcasting, Internet video and multimedia communication, today announced the addition of two senior executives.
The two new management team members are Mark Battaglia, who is Multicast's Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and Benj Smith, Multicast's Executive Vice President, Client Management. Each brings more than twenty-five years experience in software and information technology to Multicast.
Lou Schwartz, Multicast's CEO, commented, "Today's economic pressures are causing organizations of all types and sizes to look for ways to work better, faster and smarter. One of the best ways to do that is to take advantage of advances in digital media technology to better engage with their prospects, customers, staff, and other audiences. Because Multicast is a clear market leader in hosted, full-service multimedia solutions, we are experiencing continued business growth, with 170 new clients in the first four months of this year. Adding customer-focused executives is a way for Multicast to better meet today's increased demand and to continue to grow in the years ahead."
Battaglia leads enterprise sales and marketing, corporate marketing and business development. He joins Multicast from Enclarity, a healthcare information solution company, where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing. Prior to that, Battaglia was in a series of senior roles in general management, marketing, sales and business development at leading software and information services companies, including Initiate Systems and SPSS.
Smith leads the client management function and oversees the operating processes that touch Multicast's nearly 1,000 clients. He joins Multicast from InovaOne Studios, an interactive marketing agency, where he was President. Prior to that, Smith was in a series of senior roles in strategic planning, customer development and information technology at various not-for-profit and commercial organizations, including The Coca-Cola Company.
{extended} ]]>Multicast, a market leader in live event broadcasting, Internet video and multimedia communication, today announced that it has been selected as the live Internet delivery partner for Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 8 PM EDT. It will be broadcast live from Life Church in Oklahoma to over six thousand locations across the country free of charge, where it will be seen by an estimated viewing audience of over 900,000 people.
Ramsey, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and New York Times best selling author, will cover what's happening with the economy, how we got here, and where we are going. Throughout the meeting, Ramsey will take questions live from viewers by phone, email, Twitter, Facebook and other technologies.
Multicast is a leader in live Internet broadcasting. The company is on track to deliver approximately 50,000 live events this year. Those events will be viewed live by over 70 million people, and eventually seen by 250 million people. In addition to delivering Town Hall for Hope live, Multicast holds exclusive syndication rights for post-event availability on its two faith-based Internet communities, Streaming Faith (www.streamingfaith.com) and 316 Networks (www.316networks.com).
Chance Mason, Multicast's President of Faith Based Initiatives commented, "The state of the global economy affects us all. Multicast is honored to partner with Life Church and Dave Ramsey to make this practical, hopeful message widely available."
For information about Town Hall for Hope, please visit www.townhallforhope.com.
{extended} ]]>Multicast, a market leader in live event broadcasting, Internet video and multimedia communication, today announced the general availability of Multicast Transcoding. Multicast Transcoding is a software-as-a-service solution that meets a market need for reliable, affordable, one-to-many digital video, audio and image file conversion. This announcement represents yet another step in Multicast's strategy of offering a wide range of solutions that enable organizations to communicate more effectively and efficiently.
Using digital assets in a particular way, or in more than one way, usually requires transcoding—converting the original file to one or more other formats, bit rates and/or resolutions. The market need for transcoding is growing because organizations of all types and sizes are using more digital video, audio and images to engage their target audience and communicate effectively with them. Meanwhile, the complexity of transcoding is increasing due to the proliferation of formats and display options, in part because of the rising popularity of social communities and user generated content.
Historically, organizations' transcoding options have been limited. On-premise solutions require a significant upfront investment in hardware and software, and require staff time to monitor and troubleshoot the process. Hosted alternatives have either been full-featured and expensive, or low-priced with limited capabilities.
Lou Schwartz, Multicast's CEO commented, "We are launching Multicast Transcoding as a stand-alone solution now because the market demand for transcoding is increasing rapidly, and because we can offer many companies a significantly better alternative than what's been available.
"For many years, we've done transcoding day in and day out as part of the hosted end-to-end video and audio solution we provide to our clients," he explained. "As a result, we understand both the technology and business issues. Multicast Transcoding is unique in that it is enterprise-class and affordable. And, because we know that clients want transcoding to happen quickly without requiring a lot of time and attention from their staff, our experienced service team is available live—not via-email—24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
Multicast Transcoding supports a wide range of commonly and occasionally used file formats, and a wide range of functionality, including customizable widgets to ingest practically any file type; full-featured process automation capabilities including profiles for repetitive tasks; moderation to catch unlicensed and inappropriate content; automatic creation of player-optimized thumbnail images; watermarking; metadata capture, editing and preservation; progress notification signals; file delivery options, and reporting.
"Multicast Transcoding's usage-based, pay-as-you-go, no-hidden-fees pricing model makes it attractive to many organizations as their total transcoding solution. In addition, organizations that use on-premise solutions will find Multicast Transcoding a reliable, cost-effective alternative to adding occasionally used hardware capacity and software licenses for peak periods," Schwartz said.
{extended} ]]>The TAG Top 40 was chosen based on a number of criteria, including: degree of innovation; scope and financial impact of innovation; likelihood of success; and promotion of Georgia's innovative efforts nationally and internationally.
"Our congratulations to Multicast Media Technologies for making this year's Top 40 list," said Tino Mantella, president of TAG. "This was another solid year for the Top 40, with the next generation of Georgia innovators poised to further expand the State's reputation for being a technology hotbed," he added.
Multicast's selection recognizes the company's success in, and reaffirms its commitment to, enabling organizations of all sizes to communicate more effectively via an innovative, Software-as-a-Service solution for creating, preparing, managing and publishing multimedia assets, according to Lou Schwartz, CEO, Multicast Media Technologies.
"We appreciate being recognized by TAG as a member of the Top 40. Especially given the current financial situation, every day more and more people use various types of media to break through the noise and reach people more effectively, and to save travel costs. Our technology enables organizations and individuals to easily and affordably use video, audio and other digital media to inform, educate, promote and inspire. We broadcast more live events than any other business, and our hosted multimedia communications platform is used by nearly one thousand organizations of all types and sizes around the world," said Schwartz.
About TAG
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support its members by generating opportunities for personal, professional and business growth. By forging strategic alliances, TAG serves as a primary catalyst to foster a rich environment for economic development in Georgia's technology community.
Founded in 1999 through the merger of the Business & Technology Alliance (B&TA), the Southeastern Software Association (SSA) and Women in Technology (WIT), TAG is one of the largest state technology associations in the nation. TAG is made up of 4,000 members representing technology leaders from over 1500 Georgia-based companies, affiliated technology and business organizations. For more information on the Summit visit www.tagonline.org, email info@tagonline.org or call (404) 817-3333.
{extended} ]]>CHARLESTON, SC—Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB), concluded its ninth annual Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits today. With more than 1200 nonprofit leaders from around the world, the three-day conference featured 120 sessions focused on Internet strategy, fundraising, technology, financial management, prospecting and analysis, marketing, and leadership.
"My colleagues from the Florida State University Foundation and I found Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits to be very beneficial," said Jeanne Pecha, the Foundation's assistant vice president, Advancement Services. "The information presented at the application and technology sessions, particularly related to the Infinity platform seems very promising. Also exciting is the impact that the Internet and social networking will have on future fundraising strategies.
"Meeting and networking with colleagues from around the country enabled us to form connections that are important to FSU since we are a relatively new enterprise client of Blackbaud's. Most impressive was the availability of, not only the consultants, but also the key executives. They were all willing to spend their time discussing current issues and sharing ideas about the future."
The conference kicked off with a presentation by Marc Chardon, Blackbaud's chief executive officer on "Laying the Foundation for the Nonprofit of the Future." "Standing here today, I am proud of the work we have done to offer a portfolio of applications that empowers nonprofits like yours to manage all the different ways supporters connect with you," said Chardon. "We'll keep working on it to ensure you're ready for the challenges you'll face in 2015."
Chardon was joined by Jeane Chen, the Kintera Division's executive vice president of engineering, who gave a live demonstration of the Sphere-Raiser's Edge Connector and Shaun Sullivan, Blackbaud's chief technology officer, who gave a technology preview of the company's new cloud computing platform code-named "Nimbus" that is currently in development. The Sphere-Raiser's Edge Connecter enables a bi-directional data exchange between The Raiser's Edge and Blackbaud Sphere. The Nimbus technology layer builds on the Infinity platform to provide existing Blackbaud customers access to new Infinity-based offerings from their current solutions and to help smooth the transition for these customers as they upgrade to the company's Infinity-powered, next-generation solutions.
Sullivan also unveiled the new Facebook Developer Toolkit for Blackbaud NetCommunity developers and announced the winner of Blackbaud's Developer Network Challenge. View the winning entry from Garrett Keating of The U.S. Naval Academy and Alumni Association, sample code, the Toolkit and the product screencasts at www.blackbaudlabs.com. Through a partnership with live Internet event specialist Multicast, the live feed of the general session presentation has been archived, and is available for viewing here. In addition, several of the sessions were archived on the Blackbaud UStream.tv channel.
Peter Thum, founder of Ethos Water presented the keynote session on Tuesday. Thum spoke about his eight-year odyssey that has changed an industry, generated millions of dollars, and saved lives by addressing water, education and sanitation needs all over the world. "I think the reason people support Ethos Water is that this brand is special and different—it has a mission at its core," Thum said. "Every time someone buys a bottle, they become a shareholder and a part of the solution."
Social media played a huge role at the 2008 Conference for Nonprofits. Conference news was posted on the Conference for Nonprofits Blog and in the discussion forum. Here are some of the technologies that helped attendees, media, and staff stay connected and share news:
For more information, read the official Social Web Guide (PDF).
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Approximately 22,000 organizations — including University of Arizona Foundation, American Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, The Taft School, Lincoln Center, InTouch Ministries, Tulsa Community Foundation, Ursinus College, Earthjustice, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the WGBH Educational Foundation — use one or more Blackbaud products and services for fundraising, constituent relationship management, financial management, website management, direct marketing, education administration, ticketing, business intelligence, prospect research, consulting, and analytics. Since 1981, Blackbaud's sole focus and expertise has been partnering with nonprofits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Headquartered in the United States, Blackbaud also has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.
Moseley, chair of the event's executive board, added, "Despite the difficult economic climate, it reminds everyone of the entrepreneurial spirit that creates our next great companies."
David Hartnett, vice president at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce told TechJournal South that more than 100 venture capitalist from 20 states attended. "This is the largest venture forum in Georgia history," he said.
The Chamber, the Atlanta CEO Council, and the Technology Association of Georgia collaborated to develop the conference. Hartnett said one thing that helped make it a reality was that Ashish Mistry, president of the CEO Council, Tino Mantella, president of TAG, and Hartnett were all former business executives.
Carlos Dominguez CEO of Cisco gave the opening address and Bernard Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot keynoted the event at lunch.
Presenting companies included:
TerraGo Technologies, which develops and markets software that extends the access and application of maps and images to business professionals who rely on geospacial information to do their jobs.
MDdatacor, the first and only U.S. healthcare information technology company to partner with health plans and doctors to provide patient clinical data that helps physicians improve patient care, which in turn reduces healtcare costs.
GMT, a provider of workforce optimization solutions to help service organizations improve customer experiences while reducing payroll expense.
Worthpoint Corp., a pioneer in building an Internet information database for the $150 billion a year antiques and collectibles marketplace.
Others were 04 Corp.; Nexidia, Vigtrue, 2080 Media, Control Scan, Silverpop, REACH Call, Acculynk, Vocolocity, SoloHealth, Multicast Media Technologies, Purewire, Moneta, Snapfinger, and MFG.com.
TechJournal South has profiled a number of these companies and will profiling most of the others in coming months.
Atlanta will continue to grow it's venture presence when TechJournal brings its own regional venture conference series, the Southeast Venture Conference, to the area in March of 2009.
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