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Vol 1, #1, March 17, 2009
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Combining assets from the AOL Canada network such as the AOL and MapQuest websites, as well as the Advertising.com network, the new Platform-A model allows marketers to more easily plan and execute online advertising strategies by creating a single point of contact to purchase ad space on individual sites or across multiple Internet destinations.

Platform-A will also offer products such as the Adtech ad serving program and the Quigo AdSonar sponsored link network to online publishers.

“Fundamentally it’s about aggregating all of AOL’s online advertising assets under a single brand with the objective of delivering the most effective marketplace for online advertising,” says James Prudhomme, senior director of Platform-A Canada.

New tools from Yahoo
In order to help marketers better target their online ads, Yahoo Inc. has unveiled several new tools that will match users with ads. Services include targeting geographical ads to users who have searched for particular terms in Yahoo’s search engine. The offers in ads can then be customized based on what websites a consumer has visited and what they have done on those sites. Also expected to go live next month is a service that will allow marketers to buy text ads next to search results that are targeted to users during a certain time of day. Top of Page

Red Wolf Online announces beta launch of MeetingMade™
MeetingMade™ is a web-based meeting scheduling tool that automates and simplifies the scheduling of meetings and events by removing the tedious 'back & forth' over the phone or email.

MeetingMade accelerates the process of scheduling meetings between individuals and groups by working in concert with your existing email and calendaring programs and integrating seamlessly with programs such as MS Outlook, Lotus Notes, GMail and Google Calendar.

Only the person originating the meeting needs to be a subscriber - the participants use it for free. MeetingMade is a pure web-application that does not require any downloading of software and works seamlessly with most known browsers, utilizing established calendaring mechanisms present in all of today's email programs, online services, and smart mobile devices. Top of Page

Toronto Board of Trade goes digital with Onestop
Onestop Media Group's Board of Trade Network is demonstrating how digital technology can help companies streamline communications and marketing messages in real time, while minimizing carbon footprints and creating a modern, timely and relevant experience.

As part of its 2009 strategic plan to modernize its community engagement efforts, The Board of Trade has launched a state-of-the-art Communication Display Network. The new digital storefront captures the attention of passers-by and engages the interest of those already inside.

"More than 3,000 people walk by our office in First Canadian Place on a daily basis," says Board of Trade President and CEO Carol Wilding. "Onestop's Communication Display Network has helped us dramatically improve our ability to promote our partners and our members. Our vibrant, multimedia lobby display showcases their commitment to city-building and our commitment to innovation and technology." Top of Page

Google to target ads based on Web surfing habits
Google will use the information it collects on people's Web surfing habits to show more ads tailored to their individual interests.Under the program announced last week, someone who frequents sites about dogs might see more ads for flea treatment products.

The program expands upon the Internet search leader's efforts to figure out which marketing messages are most likely to appeal to different people at different times.

Google already makes billions of dollars showing ads tied to search requests and other content on a Web page. Now, it will analyze people's favorite Web sites to divine individual tastes and package ads falling under the same areas of interest. Top of Page

For whom the Bell texts
Twitter recently activated its full, two-way SMS service for Canadian Twitter-ers who are also customers of Bell Mobility. If you're a Bell Mobility customer, you can update Twitter via SMS and receive updates from Twitter via SMS. There are no limits and no added fees (beyond your normal texting plan). If you haven't already, you can activate your phone to Twitter over SMS. Top of Page

BOMA Toronto's CDM program launches new website
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Toronto (BOMA Toronto) has launched the BOMA Conservation & Demand Management (CDM) Program website www.bomacdm.com. The improved site includes simplified program rules, new program video testimonials and a project incentive calculator.

Future enhancements will include actual project case studies, technology reviews and a conservation information resource centre. BOMA Toronto's Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Program is a $60 million fund to incent building owners to conduct electricity conservation projects within their real estate. Top of Page

Upgraded mobile website for MySpace
The world's leading social portal announced the launch of a new integrated and optimized mobile Website for the 20 million worldwide members accessing its mobile platform every month.

The new mobile Website (m.myspace.com / wap.myspace.com) further enhances the look and feel of MySpace on mobile, making it even more consistent with the popular online MySpace experience. The new mobile Website is supported in 13 languages and localized for 29 countries, including Canada.

"In the next few years, we expect half of all MySpace visits globally to come from a mobile device," said Dave Stevens, general manager of MySpace Canada. "It's a tremendous opportunity, and mobile will play a significant part of the business strategy in Canada in the months ahead.” Top of Page

New careers emerging in Canada's digital publishing industry
Despite the global economic downturn, new technology and consumer media consumption trends have created a host of employment opportunities in Canada's publishing industry. As the Canadian magazine sector rushes to adapt to an online audience, the shift is fuelling a need for technology-savvy professionals who can help take the publishing sector into a brave new world, says professor Denise Schon of The Centre for Creative Communications, Centennial College.

"Traditional magazines are quickly evolving into a multi-platform medium including not only print, but online with the advent of web 2.0 technologies and live video streaming," Schon says. Online audiences have grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years,and the Canadian publishing sector has been responding to these changes with various initiatives designed to train a new breed of publishing practitioners.Global .tel directory service goes 'live'.

Telnic has achieved a milestone in the delivery of a new internet service, with tens of thousands of .tel domains going 'live', creating the world's first global directory.The registry operator for the new .tel domains, which will provide businesses with a unique way of sharing all types of contact information with any device connected to the internet, successfully launched its new service."This is a momentous day for the company as eight years of development has come to fruition," said Henri Asseily, CTO and Chief Strategist at Telnic.

"We're delighted to be delivering something that will push the boundaries of communications and the internet to the next level, putting the power back into the hands of the individual when it comes to using and sharing contact information."Businesses and individuals are now logging into their own .tel domains,enabling them to store contact information, keywords and location information, which is then published to the internet quickly and securely without needing to build a website."This fundamental change in the use of the internet will break open the ability for anyone to now own a domain and be found from any device,” says Asseily. “The future of communications is now wide open to innovation. "
Top of Page

New product offering from Jive
Jive Software recently launched Social Business Software 3.0, a suite it calls an enterprise-class armada of collaborative apps. Jive SBS 3.0, available by the end of the first quarter, is designed to focus on employee engagement, marketing and sales, customer support, and innovation and to foster collaboration internally and externally. Jive SBS 3.0 will also add centralized views, analytics, detailed reports, video, social bookmarking, and an enhanced user interface. Top of Page

Endpoint security offering from IBM addresses vendor lock-in
IBM recently announced a first-of-a-kind endpoint security offering, IBM Proventia Endpoint Secure Control (ESC), that is designed to enable enterprises to escape from the constraints of vendor lock-in and to enhance endpoint security, compliance and operations at a lower cost.

This new endpoint security offering is delivered by IBM Internet Security Systems and provides endpoint security management designed to address two major problems in the industry today: the escalating cost of security and the growing complexity of endpoint security management. Companies today face a dilemma, they either have to choose between managing dozens of point security products separately to meet their needs or lock into one vendor who doesn't. The single vendor suites in the marketplace today are often a result of multiple security acquisitions that haven't been adequately integrated so that customers still need to manage separate point products.

Further, the strategy that locks-in clients to one provider allows vendors to remain complacent instead of innovating to provide the strongest security on the market. Both scenarios can mean rising operational and licensing costs for customers, and fall short when it comes to providing best-of-breed security.

The IBM Proventia Endpoint Secure Control offering balances customer needs with a single security management interface and flexible choice of some of the best security solutions in the marketplace to address those needs.

"The killer application in endpoint security is management," said Dan Powers, vice president of business development at IBM Internet Security Systems. "Historically, enterprises have had to make tradeoffs between consolidated security management and best-of-breed technology for endpoint security. With IBM Proventia Endpoint Secure Control, enterprises can benefit from best-of-breed security technology and consolidated management of the security products at the endpoint for the first time. This solution illustrates IBM's commitment to lead the next wave of innovation in the industry while helping to reduce the cost and complexity of security for our customers."

IBM Proventia Endpoint Secure Control will be available in Canada in the spring of 2009. At that time IBM will provide current IBM Proventia Desktop clients an upgrade path to the new offering. Top of Page

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