MediaFirst PR - Atlanta - Business

Technology Public Relations Atlanta

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:19:14 +0000

For more than ten years, MediaFirst has helped power clients to successful acquisition and exit. These include Gideon Technologies (acquired by Symantec 2010), LeanLogistics (acquired 2008), Optimus Solutions (acquired 2008), Eircom (IPO 2004), ExtremeLogic (acquired by HP 2003), and many more.

MediaFirst combines creative and engineering to deliver great strategy, positioning, writing, and guidance. We get you more press coverage by better serving reporters and editors.

Awareness of your successes increases the valuation of your firm and generates sales leads, investor interest, and competitive advantage. Beyond PR, MediaFirst services win speaking opportunities, gain industry analyst praise, draw consistently better media coverage, and garner significant industry awards.

To accomplish your goals, we craft programs that:

Create awareness in your target markets
Build mind share
Impart knowledge of your value proposition
Establish customer loyalty
Synchronize the marketing attack
Secure executive thought-leadership
Engage and grow audiences
Outmaneuver and outshine the competition

Grow Mindshare & Valuation

jimcaruso — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:24:04 +0000

MediaFirst is a high-tech, public relations and marketing services firm with unique abilities that best publicize and promote the business of your technology. MediaFirst draws on a depth of technology business experience that other PR and marketing firms just do not have. This powers great strategy, positioning, marketing, publicity, writing, and guidance. We get you more press coverage by better serving the media, reporters and editors, and your firm, customers, and partners.

We exceed expectations for media coverage through better service to the media, you, and your audience. The valuation of your business increases as we expand targeted audiences of prospects, customers, analysts, employees, alliance partners, investors, and the media. Steady increases in awareness generate sales leads, investor interest, and competitive advantage.

Clients enjoy combining PR with services that win speaking opportunities, gain industry analyst praise, draw consistently better media coverage, and garner significant industry awards.

Hot tech ventures, such as Aether, Bradley Ward, Canvas Systems, Extreme Logic, Frontline Selling, Gideon Technologies, Industrial Computer Corp., Insight, LeanLogistics, Optiant, Optimus, and many others select Media First PR - Atlanta on their way to success, funding, IPO, acquisition, and exit.

To accomplish your goals, we craft programs that:

Create Awareness In Your Targeted Audience
Build Mind Share
Impart Knowledge of Your Value Proposition
Establish Customer Loyalty
Synchronize The Marketing Attack
Secure Executive Thought-leadership
Engage Media & Analysts
Outmaneuver & Outshine Your Competition

LinkedIn + Facebook + Twitter Lead The Social Media Charge For Today's Business (& Business Professional)

jimcaruso — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Businesses and individuals increasingly see the value in online social media for industry connections or introductions and clearly for employment opportunities. Beyond these are company branding, business reputation management, and professional business networking. It is true that online networking can degenerate into the kind of networking event where you show up and everyone else is there to sell you what they have. But most online social networking can be contained to the important kind, not just a virtual room of vulturous vendors. "Old Style" professional connections are not dead, they've just met up with the latest technology tools.

Connect To Audiences Via Social Networks

These tools, such as LinkedIn (very B2B), Facebook (evolving to more B2B from a college-oriented service at it's start), and MySpace (very B2C and younger) let your firm have an online page or presence with it's own fans. These connections are individuals connecting to the business. Some list current and former employees. They are increasingly tied to other feeds, maybe your great press coverage. In any case, a forum where your firm and customer experiences are discussed. Beginning to see the value in monitoring and participating? The better known online social media services enable personal or professional, 1-to-1 connections. These services provide access and information on you and your firm.

Begin Here With This Social Media Starting Point

Here is a minimal plan for a social media presence for you and the company:

Customer-facing employees should be on LinkedIn and Facebook, and participate
The company should have it's own page on LinkedIn and Facebook
Employees should have a photograph on their LinkedIn page - 1/3 do not
Press releases and news should be aggregated on the company Website and probably via online services, such as del.icio.us (also now at Delicious.com), Digg.com, Reddit.com, or StumbleUpon.com
News and events can be posted on Twitter. Direct messages or replies on Twitter should be monitored, so you may respond - engaging with the audience for your firm.

There it is, a straightforward way to implement social media at your company. Remember that these tools represent are an innovation - just like any new tool that you might adopt for the business - so think of Social Media tools as part of the company's continual improvement program. (I'm a fan of W. Edwards Deming, a famous proponent of quality and continual improvement).

Get Started, Use Social Media For Your Business

Call Jim at 770/642-2080, x218 to talk more about social media for business.

Awareness Is The First Step In The Process Of Customer Creation (Sales)

jimcaruso — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:54:35 +0000

"Customer Creation" is the lifeblood and purpose of any business, according to management guru, Peter Drucker. One view of the sales cycle is that Awareness is the first step in the multi-step process of Awareness ~> Knowledge ~> Selling ~> Closing.

Guide Sales Prospects Through The Sales Cycle

This process of creating customers requires identifying prospects and guiding prospects through a well-conceived sales cycle. The process of engaging prospects should lead prospects to awareness of your brand and towards knowledge of your offerings and value proposition. Awareness is that first step in customer creation.

PR Is Selling The Client's Story To The Media

Our process of getting targeted industry press for clients is analogous to a sales process, in that we sell reporters and editors on using your organization's spokesperson, clients, partners, or technology providers to complete a story. In our efforts, we seek to understand the needs of reporters and editors and meet those needs. Reporter's needs vary from breaking news, to background on industry trends, to industry expert views on the changing shape of competition. We provide the service of helping the media do it's job—by delivering spokespersons and interviews that make good stories.

Identify Your Audiences to Focus Resources

Sales efforts begin by identifying the audiences you wish to reach. In PR, the right media and publicity tools are conduits to your target audiences of investors, financial analysts, industry analysts, and prospective or current employees, business partners, prospects, or customers. PR is a direct complement to sales because it leads prospects through these first two steps of Awareness and Knowldge.

Effective Programs Communicate Features, Advantages, & Benefits

Clients see our public relations and marketing efforts clearly complementing their efforts to sell products and services. By understanding the relationship that you have with customers, we frame your value proposition in the very words of your prospects. Your offerings are framed in the authentic context of customer needs.

PR Wins Third-Party Endorsement of the Media

Public relations enhances awareness by endowing your firm with the third-party endorsement of the media. Your venture's spokespersons reveal or address industry issues and trends—their quote makes them the expert. Our business experience covers business and technology, which allows us to better help the media by supplying newsworthy comment or story ideas that focus on you, your partners, and customers.

Speaking Opportunities Reach Target Audiences Effectively

Speaking opportunities leverage the valuable time of your most articulate spokespersons across large, targeted audiences. We manage opportunities by identifying desirable opportunities and securing your slot.

Marketing Programs & Materials Educate Prospects

Marketing programs, such as trade shows, conferences, direct mail, lead generation, Web sites, collaterals, and others, reach out to capture the interest of your target audiences — imparting knowledge about your firm's offerings and value proposition.

Market Smarter - But Keep On Marketing!

Becky Boyd — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:51:23 +0000

Per a recent survey from Alterian titled, "Marketing: The Year Ahead," marketers, in 2009, will focus on delivering programs that save their organizations money, while attracting new and repeat business using focused engagement strategies.

One key point of the survey is that in previous downturns, the firms that learned to market smarter have fared better than those that decreased their marketing budgets.

The following top 10 predictions fall under a broad theme of focusing more on existing customers, being more innovative with marketing, and using technology to make marketing more effective and accountable.

Marketing: the Year Ahead-10 Predictions for 2009

1) Smart organizations will continue to market throughout the downturn.
2) Marketing activities will be increasingly under the microscope and marketers will now be held accountable for the success or failure of those activities.
3) Marketers will turn to their website as the single most important and flexible lead generation and customer engagement channel.
4) Marketing programs that do not show a return quickly are not going to make it.
5) Mobile marketing has had a tough 2008, so 2009 will be a make-or-break year.
6) Marketers will act on a need to get more value from their existing CRM systems.
7) Marketing will not be about just creating content for the people; it will be about getting content to the people, meaning multichannel, social networks, and consistent marketing.
8) Companies will shift focus toward increasing revenue from current customers.
9) Digital media and social networks will continue to provide cost-effective delivery channels for customer messaging, but will be most effective when integrated with other marketing channels.
10) With consistently tighter budgets, it will increasingly fall to marketers rather than IT staff to drive marketing technology. This will change the buying process for such systems and will favor suppliers that have marketer-friendly software with a quick implementation time.

So, how can marketers make their budgets work harder?
- PR is one of the most cost effective marketing activities you can do to generate leads and build your brand
- Expand PR beyond the traditional newsroom to social media outlets

Social Media Merging Online Reputation, Personal & Business

jimcaruso — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:09:23 +0000

The online craze that is social media or social networking is creating a greater overlap between an individual's personal and business reputations.

For most of us, this phenomenon is most evident from Facebook. Facebook is now the largest of the social media networks, closely followed by MySpace. MySpace, however, is a younger demographic or heavily entertainment (notably music) oriented. LinkedIn is what many of us believe is the professional's online social network of choice. Yet, my rough guess says this is only true if you were born after about 1976, or so. If you were born earlier than 1976, odds are that the vast majority of your online connections are on Facebook.

The effect is that Facebook is only going to get bigger, having already secured the mindshare of the professionals and managers of the future. ...and, although the LinkedIn crowd are not Luddites - in fact they are online in high percentages - this group can't grow at the rate of professionals on Facebook.

This matters because the social connections and activities we do, while younger, are becoming documented on communities, such as Facebook.

As one looks at the entirety of social media offerings - and see the interconnections made by the OpenSocial standards - one can see how photographs, vacations planned, sports, and many personal events are documented and commented upon within Facebook or posted across all of your social networks via interlocking feeds.

For business professionals this requires two actions: the first is to embrace, not fear social media; and the second is two actively participate.

As a dear friend once said, "a friend is someone who knows you and likes you anyway." What this really means is that people respond to authenticity - to the real you. Fearing social media deprives you of the opportunity and pleasure of knowing and working with people who appreciate you. This works for your employer, too. Customers seek the same authenticity in dealing with suppliers (vendors). Companies, like yours are comprised of real people - so be real.

Active participation is a key because you can't be authentic, if invisible. You can't get your secretary (personal assistant), mom, or child to be the authentic you online. Moreover, as social media adoption continues to take off, you as a professional, manager, or executive fall further behind in "getting it." You don't need to compete for the most connections, but you should seek out your real life friends and connect with them online.

In another blog post, I'll cover what I believe constitutes a minimal professional (and business) presence for today's social media.

Biography: Becky Boyd, Vice President, Marketing Services

Becky Boyd — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:52:07 +0000

Becky brings to the team more than 20 years experience in information technology with marketing and sales successes. She is responsible for developing and implementing the tactical marketing programs for MediaFirst PR - Atlanta and its clients. Before joining MediaFirst PR - Atlanta, she worked at a start-up Internet software development company focusing on electronic commerce, Web-based training, network services, and Web line-of-business applications. Her responsibilities included defining markets, competitive analyses, market analysis, writing integrated business and marketing plans, training the sales department, coordinating trade shows, producing sales support materials, creating prospect database, implementing direct mail campaigns, and designing and placing advertisements. Other functions included technical writing of collateral and content for Web site, graphics design of marketing materials, and creating and developing sales presentations. Becky previously owned a consulting business that performed contract marketing and teleprospecting duties. She worked as the product marketing manager for Dickens Data Systems where she was responsible for determining target partners, formalizing relationships, and implementing marketing and sales plans. She developed prospect data bases, created lead generation campaigns, and managed trade shows and user's conferences for several of her former HP customers. While at Hewlett-Packard Company, Becky worked in the Georgia territory selling technical solutions to engineering companies, manufacturers, and universities. She also worked with software and hardware resellers, helping position them within HP, developing and implementing marketing programs for them, and training their sales representatives. In 1988, Becky was one of five women who received the prestigious President's Club Award. This annual award is bestowed upon 85 sales representatives throughout the world who have exhibited exceptional customer service, generated award winning marketing and sales campaigns, contributed significantly to establishing HP in the marketplace or creating a better working environment, and are perceived as mentors to other HP employees and clients. She was consistently ranked as the number one sales representative in the HP Southern Sales Region. Becky graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics. She is a member of the Business Marketing Association and the Technology Association of Georgia.

Uniform Domain Name Registration Agreement - Exhibit A, Registration Agreement

jimcaruso — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:19:55 +0000

1. In this Registration Agreement ("Agreement") "Registrant", "you" and "your" refers to the registrant of each domain name registration, "we", "us" and "our" refers to Tucows.com Co., and "Services" refers to the domain name registration services provided by us as offered through InfraStructure Data Management International, Inc. [IDMI, Inc.] d/b/a MediaFirst PR - Atlanta, the Registration Service Provider ("Reseller"). Any reference to a "registry," "Registry" or "Registry Operator" shall refer to the registry administrator of the applicable TLD or ccTLD. This Agreement explains our obligations to you, and explains your obligations to us for the Services. By agreeing to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, you are also agreeing to be bound by the rules and regulations set forth by a registry for that particular registry only.

2. SELECTION OF A DOMAIN NAME. You acknowledge and agree that we cannot guarantee that you will obtain a desired domain name registration, even if an inquiry indicates that a domain name is available at the time of your application for same. You represent that, to the best of the your knowledge and belief, neither the registration of the domain name nor the manner in which it is directly or indirectly to be used, infringes upon the legal rights of a third party and further, that the domain name is not being registered for nor shall it at any time whatsoever be used for any unlawful purpose.

3. FEES. As consideration for the Services, you agree to pay Reseller the applicable service(s) fees prior to the effectiveness of a desired domain name registration or any renewal thereof. All fees payable hereunder are non-refundable even if your domain name registration is suspended, cancelled or transferred prior to the end of your current registration term. As further consideration for the Services, you agree to: (1) provide certain current, complete and accurate information about you as required by the registration process, and (2) maintain and update this information as needed to keep it current, complete and accurate. All such information shall be referred to as account information ("Account Information"). You represent that the Account Information and all other statements put forth in your application are true, complete and accurate. Both Tucows and each registry reserves the right to terminate your domain name registration if: (i) information provided by you or your agent is false, inaccurate, incomplete, unreliable, misleading or otherwise secretive; or (ii) you have failed to maintain, update and keep your Account Information true, current, complete, accurate and reliable. You acknowledge that a breach of this Section 3 will constitute a material breach of our Agreement which will entitle either us or a registry to terminate this Agreement immediately upon such breach without any refund and without notice to you.

4. TERM. This Agreement will remain in effect during the term of your domain name registration as selected, recorded and paid for at the time of registration or any renewal thereof. Should the domain name be transferred to another registrar, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall cease.

5. MODIFICATIONS TO AGREEMENT. You acknowledge that the practice of registering and administering domain names is constantly evolving; therefore, you agree that Tucows may modify this Agreement, or any other related and/or applicable agreement, as is necessary to comply with its agreements with ICANN, a registry or any other entity or individual, as well as to adjust to changing circumstances. Your continued use of the domain name registered to you will constitute your acceptance of this Agreement with any revisions. If you do not agree to any change, you may request that your domain name registration be cancelled or transferred to a different accredited registrar. You agree that such cancellation or request for transfer will be your exclusive remedy if you do not wish to abide by any change to this Agreement, or any other related and/or applicable agreement.

6. MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR ACCOUNT. In order to change any of your account information with us, you must use the Account Identifier and Password that you selected when you opened your account with us. You agree to safeguard your Account Identifier and Password from any unauthorized use. In no event shall we be liable for the unauthorized use or misuse of your Account Identifier or Password.

7. NO GUARANTY. You acknowledge that registration or reservation of your chosen domain name does not confer immunity from objection to the registration, reservation or use of the domain name.

8. DOMAIN NAME DISPUTES. You agree that, if the registration or reservation of your domain name is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified in the dispute policy adopted by the applicable registry. You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the applicable policy. If Tucows is notified that a complaint has been filed with a judicial or administrative body regarding your domain name, Tucows may, at its sole discretion, suspend your ability to use your domain name or to make modifications to your registration records until (i) Tucows is directed to do so by the judicial or administrative body, or (ii) Tucows receives notification by you and the other party contesting your domain that the dispute has been settled. Furthermore, you agree that if you are subject to litigation regarding your registration or use of your domain name, Tucows may deposit control of your registration record into the registry of the judicial body by supplying a party with a registrar certificate from us.

9. POLICY. You agree that your registration of the domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to a Tucows, registry, ICANN or government-adopted policy, or pursuant to any registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with a Tucows, registry, ICANN or government-adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by us or a registry in registering the name or (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name.

10. AGENCY. Should you intend to license use of a domain name to a third party you shall nonetheless be the domain name holder of record and are therefore responsible for providing your own full contact information and for providing and updating accurate technical and administrative contact information adequate to facilitate timely resolution of any problems that arise in connection with the domain name. You shall accept liability for harm caused by wrongful use of the domain name. You represent that you will secure the agreement of any third party to the terms and conditions in this Agreement

11. ANNOUNCEMENTS. We reserve the right to distribute information to you that is pertinent to the quality or operation of our services and those of our service partners. These announcements will be predominately informative in nature and may include notices describing changes, upgrades, new products or other information to add security or to enhance your identity on the Internet.

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. You agree that our entire liability, and your exclusive remedy, with respect to any Services(s) provided under this Agreement and any breach of this Agreement is solely limited to the amount you paid for the initial registration of your domain name. Tucows and its directors, employees, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents and third party providers, ICANN and the applicable registries shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages resulting from the use or inability to use any of the Services or for the cost of procurement of substitute services. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states, our liability is limited to the extent permitted by law. We disclaim any and all loss or liability resulting from, but not limited to: (1) loss or liability resulting from access delays or access interruptions; (2) loss or liability resulting from data non-delivery or data mis-delivery; (3) loss or liability resulting from acts of God; (4) loss or liability resulting from the unauthorized use or misuse of your account identifier or password; (5) loss or liability resulting from errors, omissions, or misstatements in any and all information or services(s) provided under this Agreement; (6) loss or liability resulting from the interruption of your Service. You agree that we will not be liable for any loss of registration and use of your domain name, or for interruption of business, or any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind (including lost profits) regardless of the form of action whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

13. INDEMNITY. You agree to release, indemnify, and hold Tucows, its contractors, agents, employees, officers, directors and affiliates, ICANN, the applicable registries and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and affiliates harmless from all liabilities, claims and expenses, including attorney's fees, of third parties arising out of or relating to the registration or use of the domain name registered in your name including without limitation infringement by you or a third party with access to your Account Identifier and Password. You also agree to release, indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the applicable Dispute Policy. When we are threatened with suit by a third party, we may seek written assurances from you concerning your promise to indemnify us; your failure to provide those assurances may be considered by us to be a breach of your Agreement and may result in the suspension or cancellation of your domain name. This indemnification obligation will survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

14. TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP. The person named as registrant on the WHOIS shall be the registered name holder. The person named as administrative contact at the time the controlling Account Identifier and Password are secured, shall be deemed the designate of the registrant with the authority to manage the domain name. You agree that prior to transferring ownership of your domain name to another person (the "Transferee") you shall require the Transferee to agree, in writing to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Transferee fails to be bound in a reasonable fashion (as determine by us in our sole discretion) to the terms and conditions in this Agreement, any such transfer will be null and void.

15. BREACH. You agree that failure to abide by any provision of this Agreement, any operating rule or policy or the Dispute Policy provided by us, may be considered by us to be a material breach and that we may provide a written notice, describing the breach, to you. If within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of such notice, you fail to provide evidence, which is reasonably satisfactory to us, that you have not breached your obligations under the Agreement, then we may delete the registration or reservation of your domain name. Any such breach by you shall not be deemed to be excused simply because we did not act earlier in response to that, or any other breach by you.

16. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES. You agree that your use of our Services is solely at your own risk. You agree that such Service(s) is provided on an "as is," "as available" basis. We expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. We make no warranty that the Services will meet your requirements, or that the Service(s) will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error free; nor do we make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of the Service(s) or as to the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained through the Service or that defects in the Service will be corrected. You understand and agree that any material and/or data downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of Service is done at your own discretion and risk and that you will be solely responsible for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that results from the download of such material and/or data. We make no warranty regarding any goods or services purchased or obtained through the Service or any transactions entered into through the Service. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from us or through the Service shall create any warranty not expressly made herein.

17. INFORMATION. As part of the registration process, you are required to provide us certain information and to update us promptly as such information changes such that our records are current, complete and accurate. You are obliged to provide us the following information:

(a) your name and postal address (or, if different, that of the domain name holder);

(b) the domain name being registered;

(c) the name, postal address, e-mail address, and voice and fax (if available) telephone numbers of the administrative contact for the domain name;

(d) the name, postal address, e-mail address, and voice and fax (if available) telephone numbers of the billing contact for the domain name; and

(e) the name, postal address, e-mail address, and voice and fax (if available) telephone numbers of the technical contact for the domain name.

Any voluntary information we request is collected in order that we can continue to improve the products and services offered to you through your Reseller.

18. DISCLOSURE AND USE OF REGISTRATION INFORMATION. You agree and acknowledge that we will make domain name registration information you provide available to ICANN, to the registry administrators, law enforcement agencies and to other third parties as applicable. You further agree and acknowledge that we may make publicly available, or directly available to third party vendors, some or all, of the domain name registration information you provide, for purposes of inspection (such as through our WHOIS service) or other purposes as required or permitted by ICANN and applicable laws.

(a) You hereby consent to any and all such disclosures and use of, and guidelines, limits and restrictions on disclosure or use of, information provided by you in connection with the registration of a domain name (including any updates to such information), whether during or after the term of your registration of the domain name. You hereby irrevocably waive any and all claims and causes of action you may have arising from such disclosure or use of your domain name registration information by us.

(b) You may access your domain name registration information in our possession to review, modify or update such information, by accessing our domain manager service, or similar service, made available by us through your Reseller.

(c) We will not process or maintain data about any identified or identifiable natural person that we obtain from you in a way incompatible with the purposes and other limitations which we describe in this Agreement.

(d) We will take reasonable precautions to protect the information we obtain from you from our loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction of that information.

19. OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN WHOIS. Your wilful provision of inaccurate or unreliable information, your wilful failure promptly to update information provided to us, or any failure to respond to inquiries by us addressed to the email address of the registrant, the administrative, billing or technical contact appearing in the WHOIS directory with respect to a domain name concerning the accuracy of contact details associated with the registration shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement and be a basis for cancellation of the domain name registration. Any information collected by us concerning an identified or identifiable natural person ("Personal Data") will be used in connection with the registration of your domain name(s) and for the purposes of this Agreement and as required or permitted by ICANN or an applicable registry policy.

20. REVOCATION. We, in our sole discretion, reserve the right to deny, cancel, suspend, transfer or modify any domain name registration to correct a mistake, protect the integrity and stability of the company and any applicable registry, to comply with any applicable laws, government rules, or requirements, requests of law enforcement, in compliance with any dispute resolution process, or to avoid any liability, civil or criminal. You agree that we shall not be liable to you for loss or damages that may result from our refusal to register or cancel, suspend, transfer or modify your domain name registration.

21. INCONSISTENCIES WITH REGISTRY POLICIES. In the event that this Agreement may be inconsistent with any term, condition, policy or procedure of an applicable registry, the term, condition, policy or procedure of the applicable registry shall prevail.

22. NON-WAIVER. Our failure to require performance by you of any provision hereof shall not affect the full right to require such performance at any time thereafter; nor shall the waiver by us of a breach of any provision hereof be taken or held to be a waiver of the provision itself.

23. NOTICES. Any notice, direction or other communication given under this Agreement shall be in writing and given by sending it via e-mail or via regular mail. In the case of e-mail, valid notice shall only have been deemed to be given when an electronic confirmation of delivery has been obtained by the sender. E-mail notification to Tucows must be sent to lhutz [at] tucows [dot] com. Any notice to you will be sent to the e-mail address provided by you in your WHOIS record. Any e-mail communication shall be deemed to have been validly and effectively given on the date of such communication, if such date is a business day and such delivery was made prior to 4:00 p.m. EST, otherwise it will be deemed to have been delivered on the next business day. In the case of regular mail notice, valid notice shall be deemed to have been validly and effectively given five (5) business days after the date of mailing Postal notices to Tucows shall be sent to:

TUCOWS.Com Co..
Registrant Affairs Office
96 Mowat Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M6K 3M1 CANADA
Attention: Legal Affairs

and in the case of notification to you shall be sent to the address specified in the "Administrative Contact" in your WHOIS record.

24. ENTIRETY. You agree that this Agreement, the applicable dispute policy and the rules and policies published by Tucows and any applicable registry or other governing authorities are the complete and exclusive agreement between you and us regarding our Services.

25. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND INTERPRETED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF PROVINCE OF ONTARIO AND THE FEDERAL LAWS OF CANADA APPLICABLE THEREIN WITHOUT REFERENCE TO RULES GOVERNING CHOICE OF LAWS. ANY ACTION RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT MUST BE BROUGHT IN ONTARIO AND YOU IRREVOCABLY CONSENT TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS.

26. INFANCY. You attest that you are of legal age to enter into this Agreement.

27. FORCE MAJEURE. You acknowledge and agree that neither we nor the applicable registry shall be responsible for any failures or delays in performing our respective obligations hereunder arising from any cause beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, fires, wars, riots, earthquakes, storms, typhoons and floods.

28. PRIVACY. Information collected about you is subject to the terms of Tucows' privacy policy, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Tucows' privacy policy can be found at: http://www.tucows.com/privacy.html

29. CONTROLLING LANGUAGE. In the event that you are reading this Agreement in a language other than the English language, you acknowledge and agree that the English language version hereof shall prevail in case of inconsistency or contradiction in interpretation or translation.

30. TLD'S. The following additional provisions apply to any domain names that you register through Tucows with the various registries:

(a) .com/net Domains: In the case of a ".com" or ".net" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Submission to UDRP. Registrant agrees to submit to proceedings under ICANN's Uniform Domain Dispute Policy ("UDRP") (http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm) and comply with the requirements set forth by the Registry; these policies are subject to modification.

(b) .org Domains: In the case of a ".org" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Registrant's Personal Data. You consent to the use, copying, distribution, publication, modification, and other processing of Registrant's personal data by Afilias, the .INFO registry, and its designees and agents, in a manner consistent with the purposes specified pursuant to its contract.

(ii) Submission to UDRP. Registrant agrees to submit to proceedings under ICANN's Uniform Domain Dispute Policy ("UDRP") (http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm) and comply with the requirements set forth by the Registry. These policies are subject to modification.

(iii) Reservation of Rights. Tucows and Afilias expressly reserve the right to deny, cancel, transfer, or modify any registration that either registrar or Afilias deems necessary, at its discretion, to protect the integrity and stability of the registry, to comply with any applicable law, any government rule or requirement, any request of law enforcement, any dispute resolution process, or to avoid any liability, civil or criminal, on the part of the registrar and/or Afilias, as well as their affiliates, subsidiaries, executives, directors, officers, managers, employees, consultants, and agents. The registrar and Afilias also reserve the right to suspend a domain name or its registration data during resolution of a dispute.

(d) .biz Domains. In the case of a ".biz" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) .biz Restrictions. Registrations in the .biz top-level domain must be used or intended to be used primarily for bona fide business or commercial purposes. For the purposes of the .biz registration restrictions, "bona fide business or commercial use" shall mean the bona fide use or bona fide intent to use the domain name or any content, software, materials, graphics or other information thereon, to permit Internet users to access one or more host computers through the DNS:

(A) to exchange goods, services, or property of any kind;

(B) in the ordinary course of business; or

(C) to facilitate (i) the exchange of goods, services, information or property of any kind; or (ii) the ordinary course of trade or business.

For more information on the .biz restrictions, which are incorporated herein by reference, please see: http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/biz/registry-agmt-appl-18apr01.htm.

(ii) Selection of a Domain Name. You represent that:

(A) the data provided in the domain name registration application is true, correct, up to date and complete, and that you will continue to keep all of the information provided correct, up-to-date and complete;

(B) to the best of the your knowledge and belief, neither this registration of a domain name nor the manner in which it is directly or indirectly to be used infringes upon the legal rights of a third party;

(C) that the domain name is not being registered for nor shall it at any time whatsoever be used for any unlawful purpose whatsoever;

(D) the registered domain name will be used primarily for bona fide business or commercial purposes and not (a) exclusively for personal use, or (b) solely for the purposes of (1) selling, trading or leasing the domain name for compensation, or (2) the unsolicited offering to sell, trade or lease the domain name for compensation;

(E) you have the authority to enter into this Registration Agreement; and

(F) the registered domain name is reasonably related to your business or intended commercial purpose at the time of registration.

(iii) Provision of Registration Data. As part of the registration process, you are required to provide us with certain information and to keep the information true, current, complete, and accurate at all times. The information includes the following:

(A) your full name;

(B) your postal address;

(D) your voice telephone number;

(E) your fax number (if applicable);

(F) the name of an authorized person for contact purposes in the case of a registrant that is an organization, association, or corporation;

(G) the IP addresses of the primary nameserver and any secondary nameserver for the domain name;

(H) the corresponding names of the primary and secondary nameservers;

(I) the full name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and, when available, fax number of the administrative, technical, and billing contacts, and the name holder for the domain name; and

(J) any remark concerning the domain name that should appear in the WHOIS directory.

(K) You agree and understand that the foregoing registration data will be publicly available and accessible on the WHOIS directory as required by ICANN and/or registry policies, and may be sold in bulk in accordance with the ICANN agreement.

(iv) Domain Name Disputes. You acknowledge having read and understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the following documents, as they may be amended from time to time, which are hereby incorporated and made an integral part of this Agreement:

(A) The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy ("Dispute Policy), available at: http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm;

(B) The Restrictions Dispute Resolution Criteria and Rules ("RDRP"), available at: http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/biz/registry-agmt-appm-27apr01.htm;

(collectively, the "Dispute Policies").

(v) The Dispute Policy sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with a dispute between a Registrant and any party other than the Registry or Registrar over the registration and use of an Internet domain name registered by Registrant.

(vi) The RDRP sets forth the terms under which any allegation that a domain name is not used primarily for business or commercial purposes shall be endorsed on a case-by-case, fact specific basis by an independent ICANN-accredited dispute provider.

(e) .name Domains. In the case of a ".name" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) .name Restrictions. Registrations in the .name top-level domain must constitute an individual's "Personal Name". For purposes of the .name restrictions (the "Restrictions"), a "Personal Name" is a person's legal name, or a name by which the person is commonly known. A "name by which a person is commonly known" includes, without limitation, a pseudonym used by an author or painter, or a stage name used by a singer or actor.

(ii) .name Representations. As a .name domain name registrant, you hereby represent that:

(A) the registered domain name or second level domain ("SLD") e-mail address is your Personal Name.

(B) the data provided in the domain name registration application is true, correct, up to date and complete and that you will continue to keep all of the information provided correct, current and complete,

(D) that the domain name is not being registered for nor shall it at any time whatsoever be used for any unlawful purpose whatsoever;

(E) the registration satisfies the Eligibility Requirements found at: http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/name/registry-agmt-appl-8aug03.htm; and

(F) you have the authority to enter into this Registration Agreement.

(iii) E-mail Forwarding Services. The Services for which you have registered may, at your option, include e-mail forwarding. To the extent you opt to use e-mail forwarding, you are obliged to do so in accordance with all applicable legislation and are responsible for all use of e-mail forwarding, including the content of messages sent through e-mail forwarding.

You undertake to familiarize yourself with the content of and to comply with the generally accepted rules for Internet and e-mail usage. This includes, but is not limited to the Acceptable Use Policy, available at http://www.nic.name/downloads/aup.pdf as well as the following restrictions. Without prejudice to the foregoing, you undertake not to use e-mail forwarding:

(A) to encourage, allow or participate in any form of illegal or unsuitable activity, including but not restricted to the exchange of threatening, obscene or offensive messages, spreading computer viruses, breach of copyright and/or proprietary rights or publishing defamatory material;

(B) to gain illegal access to systems or networks by unauthorized access to or use of the data in systems or networks, including all attempts at guessing passwords, checking or testing the vulnerability of a system or network or breaching the security or access control without the sufficient approval of the owner of the system or network;

(C) to interrupt data traffic to other users, servers or networks, including, but not restricted to, mail bombing, flooding, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, wilful attempts to overload another system or other forms of harassment; or

(D) for spamming, which includes, but is not restricted to, the mass mailing of unsolicited e-mail, junk mail, the use of distribution lists (mailing lists) which include persons who have not specifically given their consent to be placed on such distribution list. Users are not permitted to provide false names or in any other way to pose as somebody else when using e-mail forwarding.

(iv) Registry reserves the right to implement additional anti-spam measures, to block spam or mail from systems with a history of abuse from entering Registry's e-mail forwarding. However, due to the nature of such systems, which actively block messages, Registry shall make public any decision to implement such systems a reasonable time in advance, so as to allow you or us to give feedback on the decision.

(v) You understand and agree that Registry may delete material that does not conform to clause (c) above or that in some other way constitutes a misuse of e-mail forwarding. You further understand and agree that Registry is at liberty to block your access to e-mail forwarding if you use e-mail forwarding in a way that contravenes this Agreement. You will be given prior warning of discontinuation of the e-mail forwarding unless it would damage the reputation of Registry or jeopardize the security of Registry or others to do so. Registry reserves the right to immediately discontinue e-mail forwarding without notice if the technical stability of e-mail forwarding is threatened in any way, or if you are in breach of this Agreement. On discontinuing e-mail forwarding, Registry is not obliged to store any contents or to forward unsent e-mail to you or a third party.

(vi) You understand and agree that to the extent either we and/or Registry is required by law to disclose certain information or material in connection with your e-mail forwarding, either we and/or Registry will do so in accordance with such requirement and without notice to you.

(vii) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the dispute policy that is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at http://resellers.tucows.com/opensrs/legal. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy. In addition, you hereby acknowledge that you have read and understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the following documents, as they may be amended from time to time, which are hereby incorporated and made an integral part of this Agreement.

(A) the Eligibility Requirements (the "Eligibility Requirements"), available at: http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/name/registry-agmt-appl-8aug03.htm;

(B) the Eligibility Requirements Dispute Resolution Policy (the "ERDRP"), available at: http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/name/registry-agmt-appm-8aug03.htm; and

(C) the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "UDRP"), available at: http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm.

(viii) The Eligibility Requirements dictate that Personal Name domain names and Personal Name SLD e-mail addresses will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. The following categories of Personal Name Registrations may be registered: (i) the Personal Name of an individual; (ii) the Personal Name of a fictional character, if you have trademark or service make rights in that character's Personal Name; (iii) in addition to a Personal Name registration, you may add numeric characters to the beginning or the end of the Personal Name so as to differentiate it from other Personal Names.

(ix) The ERDRP applies to challenges to (i) registered domain names and SLD e-mail address registrations within .name on the grounds that a Registrant does not meet the Eligibility Requirements, and (ii) to Defensive Registrations (as defined by the Registry) within .name.

(x) The UDRP sets forth the terms and conditions in connection with a dispute between a Registrant and party other than the Registry or Tucows over the registration and use of an Internet domain name registered by a Registrant.

31. ccTLD'S

(a) .ca Domains. In the case of a ".ca" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the Dispute Policy, which is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at http://www.cira.ca/en/cat_Dpr.html. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy.

(ii) Registry Policy. You agree that your registration of the domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to any Registry-adopted policy, or pursuant to any registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with a Registry adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by Tucows or the Registry in registering the name or (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name.

(iii) Transfer of Ownership. Any transfer of ownership in and to a domain name registration shall be affected in accordance with registry policies and procedures.

(iv) Registry Agreement and Policy. You acknowledge and understand that by accepting the terms and conditions of this agreement you shall be bound by the Registry's Registrant Agreement, the Registry's policies and any pertinent rules or policies that exist now or in the future and which are posted on the Registry website at http://www.cira.ca/en/doc_Registrar.html. You are responsible for monitoring the Registry's site on a regular basis. In the event that you do not wish to be bound by a revision or modification to any Registry agreement or policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your domain name registration by following the appropriate Registry policy regarding such cancellation.

(v) You acknowledge and agree that the Registry shall not be liable to you for any loss, damage, or expense arising out of the Registry's failure or refusal to register a domain name, it's failure or refusal to renew a domain name registration, it's registration of a domain name, it's failure or refusal to renew a domain name registration, it's renewal of a domain name registration, it's failure or refusal to transfer a domain name registration, it's transfer of a domain name registration, it's failure or refusal to maintain or modify a domain name registration, it's maintenance of a domain name registration, it's modification of a domain name registration, it's failure to cancel a domain name registration or it's cancellation of a domain name registration from the Registry;

(b) .cc Domains. In the case of a ".cc" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the Dispute Policy that is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at http://www.nic.cc/policies/dispute.html. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy.

(ii) Registry Policy. You acknowledge and understand that by accepting the terms and conditions of this agreement you shall be bound by Registry policies and any pertinent rules or policies that exist now or in the future and which are posted on the Registry website at http://www.nic.cc. You are responsible for monitoring the Registry's site on a regular basis. In the event that you do not wish to be bound by a revision or modification to any Registry policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your domain name registration by following the appropriate Registry policy regarding such cancellation.

(i) Registry Policy. You acknowledge and understand that by accepting the terms and conditions of this agreement you shall be bound by Registry policies and any pertinent rules or policies that exist now or in the future and which are posted on the Registry website at http://www.switch.ch/id/terms. You are responsible for monitoring the Registry's site on a regular basis. In the event that you do not wish to be bound by a revision or modification to any Registry policy, your sole remedy is to cancel your domain name registration by following the appropriate Registry policy regarding such cancellation.

(ii) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the .ch Dispute Policy that is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at http://www.switch.ch/id/disputes/rules. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy.

(d) .cn Domains. In the case of a ".cn" registration, the following terms and conditions shall apply:

(i) "Registry" means the China Internet Network Information Center, which is the authority responsible for the administration of the national top-level domain of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese domain name system;

(ii) "Registry Gateway" means the service provided by the Registry Operator that facilitates the registration of .cn domain names by registrars operating outside of the People's Republic of China;

(iii) "Registry Operator" means Neustar, Inc., the company authorized to facilitate the registration of .cn domain names by registrars operating outside of the People's Republic of China.

(iv) Restrictions. You agree that you shall not register or use a domain name that is deemed by CNNIC to:

(A) be against the basic principles prescribed in the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China ("PRC");

(B) jeopardize national security, leak state secrets, intend to overturn the government or disrupt the integrity of the PRC;

(D) instigate hostility or discrimination between different nationalities or disrupt the national solidarity of the PRC;

(E) spread rumours, disturb public order or disrupt social stability of the PRC;

(F) spread pornography, obscenity, gambling, violence, homicide, terror or instigate crimes in the PRC;

(G) insult, libel against others and infringe other people's legal rights and interests in the PRC; or

(H) take any other action prohibited in laws, rules and administrative regulations of the PRC.

(v) Business or Organization Representation. .cn domain name registrations are intended for businesses and organizations and not for individual use. By registering a .cn name, you accordingly represent that you have registered the domain name on behalf or a business or organization. It should be noted that, although .cn policy is permissive in terms of registration, and enforcement is generally in reaction to a complaint (as opposed to proactive review), registrations that are not associated with an organization or business may be subject to deletion. The foregoing prevents an individual from registering a .cn domain name for a business operating as a sole proprietorship.

(vi) Domain Name Disputes. You acknowledge having read and understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the CNNIC Domain Name Dispute Policy & Rules for CNNIC Dispute Resolution Policy ("Dispute Policy"), as they may be amended from time to time, which are hereby incorporated and made an integral part of this Agreement. The Dispute Policy is currently found at: http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1526.htm.

(vii) You acknowledge that, pursuant to the Dispute Policy, Registrars must comply with all reasonable requests from the applicable domain name dispute resolution institutions including the provision of all relevant evidence in any domain name disputes in the specified time frames.

(viii) If we are notified that a complaint has been filed with a judicial or administrative body regarding your use of our domain name registration services, you agree not to make any changes to your domain name record without our prior approval. We may not allow you to make changes to such domain name record until (i) we are directed to do so by the judicial or administrative body, or (ii) we receive notification by you and the other party contesting your registration and use of our domain name registration services that the dispute has been settled. Furthermore, you agree that if you are subject to litigation regarding your registration and use of our domain name registration services, we may deposit control of your domain name record into the registry of the judicial body by supplying a party with a registrar certificate from us.

(ix) Adherence to Policies. You agree to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and policies of the Peoples Republic of China's governmental agencies and the China Internet Network Information Centre ("CNNIC"), including but not limited to the following rules and regulations:

(A) Provisional Administrative Rules for Registration of Domain Names in China (currently at http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1520.htm);

(B) Detailed Implementation Rules for Registration of Domain Names in China (currently at http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1522.htm);

(C) Chinese Domain Names Dispute Resolution Policy (currently at http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1526.htm); and

(D) CNNIC Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration (currently at http://www.cnnic.net.cn/html/Dir/2003/11/27/1503.htm).

You acknowledge that you have read and understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the policies of the CNNIC, as they may be amended from time to time.

(x) Suspension and Cancellation. You agree that your registration of the domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to any Tucows, Registry Operator, CNNIC or government-adopted policy, or pursuant to any registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with a CNNIC or government-adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by a party in registering the name, (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name, (3) to protect the integrity and stability of the registry, (4) to comply with any applicable laws, government rules or requirements, requests of aw enforcement, (5) to avoid any liability, civil or criminal, on the part of Tucows, Registry Operator or CNNIC, as well as their affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, representatives, employees and stockholders or (6) for violations of this Agreement. Tucows, Registry Operator and CNNIC also reserve the right to "freeze" a domain name during the resolution of a dispute.

(xi) Jurisdiction. For the adjudication of disputes concerning or arising from use of the domain name, the Registrant shall submit, without prejudice to other potentially applicable jurisdictions, to the jurisdiction of the courts (1) of the Registrant's domicile, (2) where Tucows is located, and (3) the People's Republic of China.

(xii) Governing Law. For the adjudication of a dispute concerning or arising from use of a .cn domain, such dispute will be governed under the Laws of the Peoples Republic of China.

(e) .de Domains. In the case of a ".de" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Selection of a Domain Name. You represent that:

(A) you have reviewed and have accepted the Registry's Terms and Conditions and the Registry's Guidelines and have provided your Reseller with written confirmation of same;

(B) either you, or the person designated as the administrative contact for the domain name, shall be resident or shall have a branch in Germany;

(C) to the best of the your knowledge and belief, neither this registration of a domain name nor the manner in which it is directly or indirectly to be used infringes upon the legal rights of a third party and, further, that the domain name is not being registered for nor shall it at any time whatsoever be used for any unlawful purpose whatsoever.

(ii) Domain Name Disputes. You agree that, if the registration or reservation of your domain name is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified by the Registry or any court of law. You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions specified by the Registry or any court of law. (iii) Registry Policies. You agree to be bound by the Registry's Registration Terms and Conditions and the Registration Guidelines. English language translations of the Registry's documents are provided for convenience; in the event of a discrepancy between the English and the German language agreements, the terms of the German agreement will prevail. The Registry documents may be found at:

11.2. English:

(A) Registration Terms and Conditions
http://www.denic.de/en/bedingungen.html

(B) Registration Guidelines
http://www.denic.de/en/richtlinien.html

11.3. German:

(D) DENIC-Registrierungsbedingungen
http://www.denic.de/de/bedingungen.html

(E) DENIC-Registrierungsrichtlinien
http://www.denic.de/de/richtlinien.html

(F) DENIC-Preisliste
http://www.denic.de/de/preisliste.html

(f) .fr Domains. In the case of a ".fr" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Representation of Registrant. .fr domain names are available for registration to companies and persons who fulfill the following criteria. As a condition of registration, you accordingly represent that you are:

(A) A legal entity:

(I) whose head office is in France; (or),

(II) which possess an address in France which is expressly listed in the public electronic databases of the registrars of the commercial courts or the National Statistical and Economic Studies Institute (INSEE), (or),

(III) State institutions or departments, local authorities or associated establishments, (or),

(IV) which own a trademark registered with the National Intellectual Property Institute or own a registered EU or international trademark which expressly includes French territory; or

(B) A natural person:

(I) of French nationality; (or),

(II) of foreign nationality who are domiciled in France; (or),

(III) who own a trademark registered with the National Intellectual Property Institute or own a registered EU or international trademark which expressly includes French territory.

(ii) Administrative Contact. Each registrant must designate an administrative contact to act as a coordinator between the registrant and the Registry. In the case of .fr registrations, the administrative contact must be based in France where it can receive legal and other documents.

(iii) Registry Policies. You agree to be bound by the Registry's Naming Charter, its registration rules for .fr. English language translations of the Registry's documents are provided for convenience. The Registry documents may be found at: www.afnic.fr/obtenir/chartes/nommage-fr.

(iv) Domain Name Disputes. You agree that, if the registration or reservation of your domain name is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified by the Registry or any court of law. The current .fr dispute resolution policy and procedures can be found at http://www.afnic.fr/doc/ref/juridique/parl. You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions specified by the Registry or any court of law.

(g) .nl Domains. In the case of a ".nl" registration, the following terms and conditions shall apply:

(i) Registration Criteria. Registration of a .nl domain name is unrestricted save and except that applicants who are not based in the Netherlands or who do not have a registered address in the Netherlands must provide an address in the Netherlands where written documents can be sent to the applicant and where legal summonses can be served.

(ii) Registry Policies. You agree to be bound by the policies of the Registry including but not limited to the Registry's Registration Regulations. English language translations of the Registry's documents are provided for convenience and may be found at www.domain-registry.nl/sidn_english/flat/ General/Rules/Regulations.

(iii) You agree that, if the registration or reservation of your domain name is challenged by a third party, you will be subject to the provisions specified by the Registry or any court of law. The current .nl dispute resolution policy and procedures can be found at www.domain-registry.nl/sidn_english/flat/General/Rules/Regulations_for_a.... You agree that in the event a domain name dispute arises with any third party, you will indemnify and hold us harmless pursuant to the terms and conditions specified by the Registry or any court of law.

(h) .tv Domains. In the case of a ".tv" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another Registrar, you agree to be bound by the Dispute Policy that is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy.

(ii) Policy . You agree that your registration of the .tv domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to any ICANN or government adopted policy, or pursuant to any Registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with an ICANN or government-adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by us or the applicable Registry in registering the name or (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name. You acknowledge that you have reviewed the .tv General Terms of Service which may be found at: http://www.tv/en-def-5066945b5fcc/en/policies/tos.shtml and expressly agree to the terms outlined therein.

(i) co.uk, .org.uk, ltd.uk, net.uk, plc.uk and me.uk Domains. In the case of a co.uk, .org.uk, ltd.uk, net.uk, plc.uk or me.uk registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) "Nominet UK" means the entity granted the exclusive right to administer the registry for .uk domain name registrations.

(ii) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the Dispute Policy which is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. The current version of the Dispute Policy may be found at: http://www.nic.uk/DisputeResolution/DrsPolicy/. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this policy.

(iii) Nominet UK Policy. You agree that your registration of the domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to any Nominet UK-adopted policy, term or condition, or pursuant to any registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with an Nominet UK-adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by a registrar or the registry in registering the name, or (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name. The current Nominet UK terms and conditions can be found at: http://www.nominet.org.uk/ReferenceDocuments/TermsAndConditions/TermsAnd...

When you submit a request for a domain name registration with Tucows and/or Reseller, you will be entering into two contracts - one contract with Tucows and/or Reseller and one contract with Nominet UK.

Tucows and your Reseller will act as agents on your behalf by submitting your application to Nominet for you, however, you will still be entering into a direct contract between you and Nominet UK. This is a separate contract from this agreement; may be found at http://resellers.tucows.com/contracts/uk/ukterms. Tucows and Reseller must also make you aware that by accepting Nominet's terms and conditions you are consenting to Nominet using your personal data for a variety of reasons. In particular, your name and address may be published as part of Nominet's WHOIS look-up service.

(iv) Transfer of Ownership. Any transfer of ownership in and to a domain name registration shall be affected in accordance with Nominet UK policies and procedures..

(j) .us Domains. In the case of a ".us" registration, the following terms and conditions will apply:

(i) "DOC" means the United States of America Department of Commerce.

(ii) us Nexus Requirement. Only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive lawful connection in the United States are permitted to register for .usTLD domain names. Registrants in the .usTLD must satisfy the nexus requirement ("Nexus" or "Nexus Requirements") set out at: http://www.neustar.us/policies/docs/ustld_nexus_requirements.pdf.

(iii) Selection of a Domain Name. You certify and represent that:

(A) You have and shall continue to have, a bona fide presence in the United States on the basis of real and substantial lawful contacts with, or lawful activities in, the United States as defined in Section (ii) hereinabove;

(B) The listed name servers are located within the United States;

(C) The data provided in the domain name registration application is true, correct, up to date and complete, and that you will continue to keep all of the information provided correct, up-to-date and complete;

(D) To the best of the your knowledge and belief, neither this registration of a domain name nor the manner in which it is directly or indirectly to be used infringes upon the legal rights of a third party;

(E) That the domain name is not being registered for nor shall it at any time whatsoever be used for any unlawful purpose whatsoever;

(F) You have the authority to enter into this Registration Agreement.

(iv) Domain Name Dispute Policy. If you reserved or registered a domain name through us, or transferred a domain name to us from another registrar, you agree to be bound by the Dispute Policy and the usDRP, as defined below, that is incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement by reference. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with these policies.

(A) Domain Name Disputes. You acknowledge having read and understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the following documents, as they may be amended from time to time, which are hereby incorporated and made an integral part of this Agreement:

(B) The Nexus Dispute Policy ("Dispute Policy), available at: http://www.neustar.us/policies/docs/nexus_dispute_policy.pdf. The Dispute Policy will provide interested parties with an opportunity to challenge a registration not complying with the Nexus Requirements.

(C) The usTLD Dispute Resolution Policy ("usDRP") available at: http://www.neustar.us/policies/docs/usdrp.pdf. The usDRP is intended to provide interested parties with an opportunity to challenge a registration based on alleged trademark infringement.

In addition to the foregoing, you agree that, for the adjudication of disputes concerning or arising from use of the Registered Name, you shall submit, without prejudice to other potentially applicable jurisdictions, to the jurisdiction of the courts (i) of your domicile, (ii) where Tucows is located, and (iii) the United States.

(v) Policy. You agree that your registration of the domain name shall be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer pursuant to any Tucows, Registry Operator, the DOC or government-adopted policy, or pursuant to any registrar or registry procedure not inconsistent with a DOC or government-adopted policy, (1) to correct mistakes by us or the applicable Registry in registering the name or (2) for the resolution of disputes concerning the domain name. The Registry Operator's policies can be found at http://www.neustar.us/policies.

(vi) Indemnity. The DOC shall be added to the parties you have agreed to indemnify in Section 13 hereinabove.

(vii) Information. As part of the registration process, you are required to provide us certain information and to update us promptly as such information changes such that our records are current, complete and accurate. You are obliged to provide us the following information:

(A) Your full name, postal address, e-mail address and telephone number and fax number (if available) (or, if different, that of the domain name holder);

(B) The domain name being registered;

(C) The name, postal address, e-mail address, and telephone number and fax number (if available) telephone numbers of the administrative contact, the technical contact and the billing contact for the domain name;

(D) The IP addresses and names of the primary nameserver and any secondary nameserver(s) for the domain name;

(E) In addition to the foregoing, you will be required to provide additional Nexus Information. The Nexus Information requirements are set out at http://www.neustar.us/policies/docs/ustld_nexus_requirements.pdf.

Any other information, which we request from you at registration, is voluntary. Any voluntary information we request is collected for the purpose of improving the products and services offered to you through your Reseller.

(viii) Disclosure and Use of the Registration Information. You agree and acknowledge that we will make domain name registration information you provide available to the DOC, to the Registry Operator, and to other third parties as applicable. You further agree and acknowledge that we may make publicly available, or directly available to third party vendors, some, or all, of the domain name registration information you provide, for purposes of inspection (such as through our WHOIS service) or other purposes as required or permitted by the DOC and applicable laws.

You hereby consent to any and all such disclosures and use of information provided by you in connection with the registration of a domain name (including any updates to such information), whether during or after the term of your registration of the domain name. You hereby irrevocably waive any and all claims and causes of action you may have arising from such disclosure or use of your domain name registration information by us.

You may access your domain name registration information in our possession to review, modify or update such information, by accessing our domain manager service, or similar service, made available by us through your Reseller.

We will not process data about any identified or identifiable natural person that we obtain from you in a way incompatible with the purposes and other limitations which we describe in this Agreement.

We will take reasonable precautions to protect the information we obtain from you from our loss, misuse, unauthorized accessor disclosure, alteration or destruction of that information.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE TO ALL ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU HAVE INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED THE DESIRABILITY OF THE SERVICE AND ARE NOT RELYING ON ANY REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT, GUARANTEE OR STATEMENT OTHER THAN AS SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT.

Careers: Inquire About Flexible, Rewarding Careers For Technology Business Evangelists

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:39:24 +0000

Flexible, Rewarding Careers For Technology Business Evangelists

Thank you for inquiring about careers at Media First PR - Atlanta. Our main office is in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Roswell, Georgia is located about twenty five miles North of the downtown and along Georgia-400, a technology corridor. The firm maintains other offices, is flexible about location, and routinely works with clients from Asia to Europe, and across North America.

Know Thyself

Before your call or e-mail, make sure our technology business focus is yours.

If you are new to Atlanta, we suggest attending events at the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT), Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association (AiMA), the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Social Media Club of Atlanta, the TweetUp, or tech events posted on Upcoming, MeetUp, etc. These give you a perspective on the local technology community.

Find What You Are Good At That You Love To Do

Evaluate the environment in which you enjoy working and the types of industries, technologies, and clients. Assess the work and specific tasks that you enjoy. Search your strengths to match the tasks you enjoy with those at which you excell.

Richard Nelson Bolles wrote an excellent book, "What Color Is Your Parachute" that helps you assess your ideal carrer. This book is updated yearly. MediaFirst careers focus on business to business promotion of technology solutions.

Quality Is Conformance To Expectations

Our clients typically want to reach audiences of business customers, prospective and current employees, analysts, and business partners. We also promote firms to consumer audiences when there is a technology angle. Broadly, we cover telecommunications, the Internet, and computing; whether equipment, software, or services. The technology focus means that clients expect a clear understanding of their business markets and competitive landscape. We understand our clients's customer in order to phrase our writing in words that resonate with the target audience. The firm's flexiblilty supports dedicated, effective professionals Careers are more that just jobs.

Today's employment climate requires that employer and employee respect mutual goals and needs. If, in your job search, you seek a flexible opportunity, we offer reliable employees and contractors flexibility, such as the freedom to telecommute. The business culture reflects our effort to best balance the needs of client with those of employee or contractor, within an unique, virtual company model. Meeting client demands is expected, but considerable personal or family flexibility may be available.

Current Openings:

Today we have no specific opening.

Example, recent postings:

Social Media Evangelist with project implementation and budget responsibility. Typical projects involve creating the proper presence and raising awareness of clients via a combination of LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or FriendFeed.
PR Researcher responsible for researching and compiling Editorial Calendars (seasonal). Also, responsible to find Reporters covering specifc beats and making database updates.
Writing or editing opportunity, depending upon qualifications. Worldwide:

Principals and Alliance Partners

The firm is interested in discussing affiliation with professionals that can successfully manage daily client relationships and workloads with the asisstance of headquarters support for sales, contracts, billing, and back-office support. These are team efforts within a virtual company model.

Contact for Career & Alliance Inquiries

Please e-mail your resume and writing sample to "jim" [at] "mediafirst" [dot] "net" or call Jim at 770.642.2080, x218.

Successes: Consistency Establishes MediaFirst As The Best Choice

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:53:14 +0000

Client Successes Establishes MediaFirst As The Best Choice For Tech PR

Clients rely on MediaFirst's record of success in the business of technology and years of superb results. Clients enjoy applying this experience that reaches beyond PR and marketing to reach audiences and create customers by best methods. Many clients stay with us for years. Others enjoy merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, after implementing media campaigns in the right way and with the right message.

Success Examples:

AetherPR Launch of industry-leading, wireless start-up that went IPO

CCBN.com:Start-up PR for Jeff Parker, founder of First Call, founder says "...fabulous job"

Eirccom: marketing, events, and PR for the Irish telecom leading to IPO

Extreme Logic: Created .NET services campaign, Regional & market verticals. Great national media coverage of this Microsoft services firm led to acquisition by HP

>insight:</strong>>

Optiant: PR and social media campaigns, speaking opportunity management, award management, thought leadership campaigns, write corporate blog

Elemica: PR, messaging, SEO, speaking opportunity and award management.

LeanLogistics: PR, Web SEO, & marketing integration, leading to acquisition Merlot: PR & analyst relations resulting in 3 funding rounds, thought leadership, and acquisition.

Optimus Solutions: PR & awards for quickly growing IT equipment reseller and services provider that led to acquisition.

INSIGHT Offers First & Only Strategic Planning Tool Incorporating Both Marketing & Supply Chain Strategy

jimcaruso — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0000

INSIGHT Integrated Enterprise Strategy Improves Return on Marketing Investment

MANASSAS, VA -- January 6, 2009 -- INSIGHT, Inc., a top international provider of supply chain planning solutions for the world's foremost companies, announces the first and only strategic planning tool that explicitly incorporates both marketing and supply chain strategy and operations, thus enabling companies to develop a corporate strategy focused on the premier goal of executive management -- profit maximization. Jointly developed with Dybvig Consulting, a supply chain consulting organization, INSIGHT Integrated Enterprise Strategy (IES) builds on the functionality of INSIGHT's flagship product, SAILS 21(R), adding sophisticated marketing-oriented analytical features.

"Currently, in most organization, supply chain executives and marketing managers plan independently except for periodic meetings, potentially causing significant impacts on the supply chain, and eventually on customers," said Jeff Karrenbauer, president of INSIGHT. "This is a win/win collaboration for the marketing and supply chain communities. IES directly addresses the principal issue confronting C-level executives today: how to simultaneously balance all corporate resources so as to maximize profitability and return on shareholder equity."

"IES extends the most recent thinking of how to link strategy with execution, as described in Kaplan and Norton's book, 'The Execution Premium,' by simultaneously and optimally solving the three separate steps of Plan Operations: sales forecasts, resource capacity, and dynamic budgets," adds Alan Dybvig, president of Dybvig Consulting. "Competitive advantage, optimal resource allocation, and increased revenues result from clearly defined strategies that are linked to operations."

IES drops the traditional assumption of fixed demand for a given planning scenario, replacing it with marketing campaigns, wherein both the cost and demand impact of proposed marketing strategies take their place alongside supply chain strategies and costs. The solution opportunistically assigns targeted marketing expenditures to those markets, channels, and products with the greatest margin, given available supply chain capacity, thereby increasing demand and maximizing profit. Equally important, especially in times of business turbulence and contraction, the solution can remove, subject to client limits, resources and demand from unprofitable markets, channels, and products, once again increasing overall profit.

IES avoids a common strategic planning mistake associated with silo management-the essentially independent preparation of marketing and supply chain strategies-and goes far beyond the most sophisticated sales and operations planning (S&OP) and Business Intelligence (BI) tools available today.

"The key differentiator is the simultaneous optimization of the supply chain and marketing, taking into account all relevant costs, capacities and service requirements, under the assumption of changeable demand as a function of both marketing response and supply chain capability," adds Jeff Karrenbauer of INSIGHT.

INSIGHT's IES benefits include:

-- Maximizes profit by aligning sales and marketing expenditures with the most profitable forecast available resources can achieve

-- Identifies least and most profitable customers, channels, brands, andproducts, in any combination

-- Builds demand scenarios and "what-if" analyses

-- Incorporates all corporate operations simultaneously, including procurement, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing

-- Identifies the marketing initiatives, or campaigns (from among many proposals) that should actually be implemented (as well as those that you should not approve) and allocates those budgets to the markets, channels, and products that yield the greatest margin, while simultaneously evaluating the impact on the entire supply chain, from raw material procurement to final customer delivery

-- Explicitly includes procurement costs and capacities, manufacturing costs and capacities, all transportation, warehousing, duty, tax, port handling, and in-transit inventory costs, customer service requirements, and marketing costs and budget limits

-- Identifies the optimal set of locations: suppliers, manufacturing, distribution centers, ports, cross-docks, and so on

-- Develops a strategic sourcing plan in the context of the entire supply chain, not in isolation. In the process, it rigorously evaluates global outsourcing and other "make or buy" decisions

-- Identifies where capital should be allocated, both short and long term

-- Identifies vulnerabilities in the supply chain and suggests mitigating
strategies

INSIGHT IES, which can run on a laptop, uses a powerful mathematical optimization engine and comes equipped with a host of support databases. It can tap into detailed corporate business systems and optimize strategic planning anywhere in the world. Exceptionally easy to use, it is the evolutionary result of continuous research, development and collaboration over many decades of use by a significant percentage of the Fortune 500.

About Insight, Inc.

INSIGHT provides optimization-based supply chain design software and consulting services developed specifically to meet the dynamic business challenges of globalization, disruptions, and mergers/acquisitions prevalent in today's business environment. Founded by supply chain and logistics
experts in 1978 with the goal of using world-class technology to add intelligence to decision making, INSIGHT solves the supply chain management issues of the world's foremost companies, including Abbott Laboratories, BASF,
Clorox, ExxonMobil, Goodyear, GE, Kellogg, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and Unilever.

SAILS, INSIGHT's award-winning flagship product, can accurately represent a company's current business practices, from raw materials sourcing to capacity planning through delivery to the end customer. The X-System(R), a proprietary optimization engine, powers a family of planning and scheduling solutions, from the design of a global supply chains to crew scheduling, troop deployments, and transportation procurement. In addition, INSIGHT provides optimization components, partnering with third party software providers to deliver best-of-breed solutions. Our software and services help design optimal supply chain networks that minimize costs and free up capital, streamline operations, maximize profits, and increase customer service levels.

For more information, please visit us on the Web at http://www.insight-mss.com.

For more information, please contact:

Becky Boyd
MediaFirst PR - Atlanta
becky [at] mediafirst [dot] net
(770) 642-2080 x 214

Growth Drives Metro Atlanta Move for FRONTLINE Selling

jimcaruso — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Hiring Is Key to Business Expansion

ALPHARETTA, GA -- June 21, 2007 -- FRONTLINE Selling, the leading provider of high level, business-to-business demand-creation training solutions and outsourced services, announces moving the metropolitan Atlanta operations to larger quarters in Alpharetta, GA. Strong growth in the core business and in new areas created the need to hire more sales and marketing specialists to deliver services. FRONTLINE Selling offers a range of training, software, and services that focus on generating demand for complex and high-value goods and services. Clients want FRONTLINE Selling to help create even more demand, across more solution areas.

"Simply, we are scaling our business to meet growing customer demand. We need more space for more people because of our success, providing quality demand creation solutions for our clients, such as Microsoft, Guardian Edge Technologies, Research In Motion (RIM), etc.," said Mike Scher, president of FRONTLINE Selling.

Prospective employees are hired in locations around the United States and Canada. FRONTLINE Selling seeks solid attributes, experience, and education that reflect good listening skills, the ability to embrace a 21st Century sales methodology, and understand and meet customer expectations.

The name of the new office building is "Two Point Royal." The full address for the firm in metropolitan Atlanta is: FRONTLINE Selling, 4550 North Point Parkway, Suite # 370, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022.

About FRONTLINE Selling LLC

FRONTLINE Selling helps companies that sell "high-value" solutions become more effective at building their sales pipeline. We do this via a strategic Vision-Lock(TM) Selling approach providing structure, metrics, and a common language around your demand creation activities. To support Vision-Lock(TM), we have developed and utilize our own tactical methodology (RAMP-UP(TM)) for execution. The result is a repeatable and measurable sales process transforming sales people into highly leveraged communicators of your value offering.

Companies, such as Arcsight, BEA Systems, GuardianEdge, Microsoft, RIM, Symantec, and Sun Microsystems, take advantage of FRONTLINE Selling's as either an outsourced services provider, leveraging our RAMP-UP(TM) methodology, where Frontline identifies targeted executives and secures their TIME and ATTENTION, or in a skills development workshop, where Frontline teaches these repeatable, proprietary methodologies to the sales team.

Either way, sales people are able to engage in meaningful business dialogues with a highly coveted audience. The result creates net-new sales cycles with your solution at the forefront of dictating the business requirement and the buying process. For more information, please visit us on the Web at http://www.FrontlineSelling.com.

Economist Is Wrong To Dis Apple iPhone

jimcaruso — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000

The Economist magazine, which usually is very perceptive about global business, takes a divergent path by offering a hollow analysis of the Apple iPhone in its article "Apple pipped: The iPhone may already be outdated" [From Economist.com dated Apr 13th 2007. I sum up their argument as based solely on the data bandwidth of the phone, in the short term slower GSM (Cingular's EDGE) versus the Helio Ocean (VE-DO). It is noteworthy that The Economist spends their last four paragraphs discussing WiMAX, which is far from an option- much less a market winner, for many years. Although various MVNO (Multiple Virtual Network Operator) wireless providers may capture future market share, it seems unlikely that Earthlink (the service provider of the Helio has an upper hand. The Economist seems to forget that music resides on home computers and laptops, synchronized to a mobile device, such as an iPod or mobile phone. They seem to forget that mobile telephone use is still dominated (and may continue to be dominated) by low-bandwidth services, such a voice calls and Instant Messaging (IM) or Short Messaging Service (SMS). I am a big fan of rapid response time and a subscriber to the Economist, but this article is off the mark. It is almost as if the authors don't understand how people use mobile phones - and I mean even the "young trendsetters who appreciate ease of use and cutting-edge design." I am certain that I would enjoy an Apple iPhone, but I am pleased with both my mobile telephone, a Nokia N80, and wireless carrier, T-Mobile, despite the lower GSM bandwidth. Find the article at:
-----
URL: http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/techview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9022169

PR Trends: Social Networking Sites, Press Release Templates, etc.

jimcaruso — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 04:00:00 +0000

This is a well-considered blog entry (17 July 2006) by Andy Lark on trends affecting PR, such as the influence of social networking on public relations.

1.) Certainly citizen journalism is immediate and ubiquitous, but it doesn't replace professional journalists. There are micro channels, but for our clients this has not changed the basis of competition. In addition, many on the bleeding edge flock to the many innovative offerings of Web 2.0 companies. However, those of us that test the many new offerings do not constitute a mainstream audience for these services. Many Web 2.0 offerings are interesting, but not ubiquitous, unique - or more importantly critical. There are a very few Web 2.0 offerings provide reach to targeted audiences - and large audiences.

2.) A truly effective user interface that is a gateway to an integrated suite of useful applications (whether from Apple, Microsoft, or whatever firm) is appealing.

3.) Community creation forums, such as the Wiki, are creating ever higher expectations for collaboration software for corporations and consumers. Wikis are useful and informative, but I keep wondering when people will stop posting for free to Web sites that ultimately own all the content (check the Terms and Conditions at MySpace or YouTube). To me, the effect of blogging on content is similar to the decline in care and time taken to write letters - with e-mail and them IMing providing an immediate, yet less polished result. This reminds me of the quote of Blaise Pascal, who said "Si j'ai écrit une si longue lettre, c'est parce que je n'ai pas eu assez de temps pour l'écrire plus courte." It translates to "If I wrote a long letter, it's because I didn't have enough time to write one shorter."

4.) The idea of building the functionality you want within an application is very appealing. It was remarkable how Apple responded to the market demand for podcasting, to the point that Apple put "pod" (as in iPod) in podcast. Microsoft's early adoption of RSS is a good example of quickly getting on board a winning trend.

5.) The participatory communicator is an interesting idea, but not well executed = authentically executed. More later in this entry.

I liked his comment on Joga.com, but was a little surprised that as a soccer player, I had never run across it. I think there are many failed attempts to target and reach a community. It is certainly true that this is a real time of flux for the advertising marketplace - with the changes effecting budgets and spending, which changes companies and careers. However, you can gather visitors to one-off entertainment, which I think describes YouTube. It remains true that communities consistently excellent and authentic content is very difficult for corporations to create consistently. Notice that at last comment fits traditional PR activities as easily as it does the latest attempts at community building.

1.) The idea of companies hiring "conversationalists" to ignite conversations rather than just transmit the latestst information (press release, story pitch, etc.) is not really new. I believe that all good media relations, public relations, and communications require good conversationalists, persons that can write, speak, and even pitch in the authentic language of both the reporter/editor and the audience. So, every communication requires authenticity to be well-received. This authenticity is what generates a conversation, either with the reporter/editor or - most recently - with the audience at the online community.

2.) No question that media continues to fragment - and I'm not sure it will reassemble. Targeting audiences at the locations (such as online communities) where they aggregate is the latest challenge. In addition to the fractionating audience, there are many new channels and technologies to reach these divergent audiences. Citizen editors are not paid and I wonder if they will stick it out for the long-term or just experiment in today's fascinating and empowering environment of citizen journalism.

3.) The market will judge the authenticity of these ignited conversations as the market develops.

4.) Yes. As a proponent of quality (think W. Edwards Deming), measurement is a critical part of continuous improvement. As new technologies and methods (think Web 2.0 companies) emerge, testing what works is key to spending marketing dollars in the right place.

5.) Several factors influence the format of a Press Release. The new format offered by Shift is certainly valid - and better - for certain markets. Factors, such as the desired audience, which can still be a reporter or editor, who may be less interested in other formats (e.g., video or PDF), additional material (i.e., photo and logo), and additional contacts (Should everyone have direct access to the spokesperson? Does the CEO want to handle each media inquiry from the outset?). Plus, Digg, del.icio.us, and Technorati ranking may help some PR clients by reaching the right audience, but not all. Technorati mentions that a recent Pew Internet study claims there are 75,000 new blogs a day. I note that even being in the top 3% of sites tracked by Technorati won't help much because they track 48.9 million sites and 2.7 billion links as of the date of this post.

6.) RSS feeds are great and the more targeted the better. For our clients, they should maintain this on their Web sites.

7.) Media Planning is one way to talk about publicity strategy and tactical execution. Our firm often faces competitors that talk the "integrated marketing" story, while having little PR expertise and no effective integration. Similarly, the largest firms in the Advertising industry continue to acquire firms in tangential markets, such as PR, Web deb, etc. These roll-up efforts maintain revenue growth, but have little effect on the companies in our market.

8.) The lack of technology savvy in the PR is no surprise to us.

9.) Mr. Lark mentions the many hosted applications that are increasingly available and which will certainly change the way everyone works. I see a real need to integrate these into a single system that truly serves the need of the client. Point solutions are fine ways to prove technologies and gain markets. Suites of integrated, logically consistent functionalities are what clients (and agencies) want.

10.) OPML is an XML format commonly used to exchange lists of RSS feeds between RSS aggregators. This allows a RSS news feed to be integrated into another application, such as a PIM (Personal Information Manager).
-----
PING:

TITLE: Jim Caruso said...

URL: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c381553ef00d834d5dac269e2

BLOG NAME: Andy Lark's Blog - Andrew Lark: Big Trends Done Quickly

DATE: 07/19/2006 09:54 PM

This is insightful and well-considered. My only concern is the authenticity of "conversationalists" and the "ignited conversations" - an issue with even traditional media relations and PR. The interaction between PR staff and the audience must be meaningful - or else the staffer is just a distributor of information and not able to spark a conversation with the audience (reporters/editors or prospects/customers). A common issue with PR staff, internal or agency, is speaking in the "language" of the audience. The ability to pitch a story (traditional PR) is this sames ability to ignite the conversation online (given the tech savvy).

HP to Acquire Extreme Logic Inc. (a MediaFirst client at the time of acquisition)

jimcaruso — Wed, 13 Aug 2003 05:00:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

.NET deal to further boost HP's ability to deliver on Adaptive Enterprise strategy (MediaFirst suggested and implemented aggressive promotion of ExtremeLogic's .NET components capability)

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 13, 2003

HP (NYSE:HPQ) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire e-Business solution provider Extreme Logic Inc. based in Atlanta. Subject to the terms of the agreement, including the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, Extreme Logic will be merged into a wholly-owned subsidiary of HP and will operate as part of the HP Services organization.

A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Extreme Logic is a leader in the architecture and implementation of business solutions based on Microsoft® .NET and delivers business value through a combination of deep technology expertise and result-oriented business process consulting.

The agreement to acquire Extreme Logic builds on other recent acquisitions by HP and furthers HP's Adaptive Enterprise strategy, which is designed to provide businesses a more flexible and extensive link between IT infrastructure and business priorities. Adaptive enterprises are looking to the development and deployment of Web services as a vital component of IT environments that can respond more quickly to rapidly changing business needs. Extreme Logic has a strong track record of deploying .NET technologies to financial services, healthcare, retail, e-government, manufacturing and telecommunications companies seeking to implement Web services to help manage and capitalize on change.

"The Extreme Logic agreement further demonstrates HP's commitment to help customers build an adaptive enterprise," said Rick Fricchione, vice president, enterprise Microsoft services, HP Services. "Extreme Logic has strong skills in developing customized business solutions that leverage the power of .NET across a range of markets. The integration of their skills and experience will further strengthenHP's ability to bring the power and agility of Web services to our customers."

In addition to furthering HP's .NET expertise, Extreme Logic would add other innovative business services, such as e-learning, security and infrastructure for HP's vertical markets, and would expandHP's presence in the southern and eastern United States.

"Joining HP is the logical next step for our company and opens up new and exciting opportunities for all of us," said Wain Kellum, president and chief executive officer, Extreme Logic. "We feel our clients will benefit from the acquisition as they will have access to an enhanced set of capabilities under HPServices. We look forward to being a part of the world's leading IT services team."

Recently, Extreme Logic was recognized as Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center Partner of the Year for North America. Extreme Logic's client list includes numerous Fortune 1000 companies across the manufacturing, financial services, government, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and other industries.

"Extreme Logic has a proven track record in helping Fortune 1000 companies transform how they do business using innovative applications built on .NET software," said Kevin Johnson, group vice president of Worldwide Marketing, Sales and Services at Microsoft. "HP's acquisition of Extreme Logic will deepen their expertise on .NET application development and help them meet the escalating demand for .NET solutionsacross all industries in the U.S."

Under the terms of the acquisition, HP will add approximately 200 Extreme Logic employees to its growing network of .NET consulting and service professionals.

About HP

HP delivers vital technology for business and life. The company's solutions span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing for consumers, enterprises and small and medium business. For the last four quarters, HP revenue totaled $70.4 billion. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including statements related to the closing of the acquisition; statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations including the execution of integration and restructuring plans; and statements concerning products and services to be acquired. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above include the risk that the acquisition may not close due to failure to satisfy the closing conditions or otherwise; employee management issues; the challenges of integrating Extreme Logic into HP; the challenges of maintaining customers following the acquisition; and other risks that are described from time to time in HP's Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to HP's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2003, and subsequently filed reports. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, HP's results could differ materially from HP's expectations in these statements. HP assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Tags:

Press Release, HP, ExtremeLogic, .Net components, Acquisition, Exit

EXT

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 13, 2003

Exit, Acquisition

jimcaruso