Alan Weinkrantz PR Web Log

Chris Brogan on the Starting Points of Social Media

Organizations have a lot to consider once they decide they want to jump into social networks and social media.

As Chris Brogan says, "...there are many opportunities to slide off the rails, or worse, to let the effort fall into disarray..."

Read Chris' well thought-out post addressing questions about guidelines, a toolbox, and how to grow a community.

Worth Reading

N-trig Expands With Opening of North American Operations

Our client, N-trig, a leading  provider of dual mode  technology combining pen and zero-pressure touch for mobile computers into a single device, announced today its expansion into North America with the opening of its U.S. sales and technical support office in Austin, Texas.

You may download the news release here.

Download ntrig_n_america_expansion_final_rev3.pdf

We've spent summer working on messaging, positioning, advance work with analysts and now bringing our client forward with this announcement and others into the future.

Stay tuned...

McGraw-Hill Publishes “Hacking Exposed: VoIP” Book Co-authored by TippingPoint and SecureLogix Experts

TippingPoint and our client, SecureLogix has announced the release of “Hacking Exposed VoIP: Voice Over IP Security Secrets and Solutions,” published by McGraw-Hill and co-authored by TippingPoint Director of Security Research David Endler and SecureLogix Chief Technology Officer Mark Collier.

This new book focuses on the specific threats to enterprise voice over IP (VoIP) networks, and is the latest addition to McGraw-Hill’s internationally best-selling Hacking ExposedTM network security book series. The series aims to educate network security practitioners by detailing actual strategies, tactics, and weapons used by hackers to penetrate corporate data networks. A companion website with free security diagnostic tools can be found at www.hackingvoip.com.

As enterprise VoIP adoption continues to increase, so will the scope, frequency, and severity of VoIP-related network attacks. Although VoIP security has become a hot topic of discussion among voice administrators, the media, and industry analysts; little is really understood about which types of attacks are likely to be most prevalent, how these attacks will manifest, and what network administrators should do to prioritize and defend against these threats today and tomorrow.

CopperGate Communications Expands North American Operations; Announces New Promotions

Today at the TelcoTV Conference and Expo, our client, CopperGate Communications, the leading provider of standards-based technology for networking high-speed entertainment data throughout the home over existing wires, announced the expansion of its North American operations and that it has promoted two of its executives.

CopperGate announced that it has expanded its Newark, CA offices to include additional field support and executive offices.  This development, following the July announcement that CopperGate opened a branch office in Taiwan, represents another phase in Coppergate’s expansion plans to better serve the rapidly growing interest in its CopperStream chipset solution.

CopperGate’s co-founder, David Baum, formerly Director of Communications Technologies, has relocated to the U.S. and has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development for North America.  Nadav Katsir, formerly Director of Sales and Technical Support, has been promoted to Vice President of Sales for North America.

CopperGate is exhibiting at the TelcoTV Conference and Expo in Booth 1421 and Rich Nesin, Vice President of Marketing (who is also President of HomePNA) is speaking today from 2:10 – 3:10 PM on the subject of Broadband Access Networks.

CopperGate’s Rich Nesin to Present at the TelcoTV

Our client, CopperGate Communications today announced that Rich Nesin, vice president of marketing, will be speaking at the TelcoTV Conference and Expo in Grapevine, TX which takes place November 7 - 8.  Rich also president of HomePNA, the industry organization responsible for developing, promoting, and successfully driving ITU standardization of the HomePNA specifications.

The panel session, entitled “Home Networking: Evaluating Your Options” will explore the question of how best to distribute video signals throughout the home and include proponents of the leading distribution options.  Mr. Nesin will discuss the advantages of HomePNA for complete IPTV distribution including broadcast, whole-home networked PVR and VoD in the home.

CopperGate is exhibiting at the TelcoTV Conference and Expo in Booth 1421.

If you are a member of the media or an industry analyst and will be at the event, we'd welcome the opportunity to set up a meeting with Mr. Nesin.

Pulver Launches Network2

Watch out mainstream television networks and cable. The Internet is coming after you.

Today, our client, Internet Communications pioneer and entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver, announced the launch of Network2, a selection of the best independent TV shows available only on the Internet.

The site features a guide to episodic programming, ranging from reality-show style features to cooking shows to puppet theater, and including all the topics one might expect to find on TV, including sports, politics, technology, arts, and family features.

Network 2 is effectively a new, internet-powered television network, with all the characteristics of commercial networks delivered over cable and broadcast.
"Somewhere between the world of professionally produced TV shows and personal video blogs lies the world of what can be best described as TV Shows Only Available on the Internet," said Jeff Pulver, founder and chairman of Network2.

"In the last year, the technology to make Internet-delivered TV happen has become inexpensive enough to make it more available for everyone. So we're about to see a boom of content by lots of people who are finally able to access the technology and show off their talent. This is another example of disruptive technology which will change media and entertainment as we know it."

Network2 allows users to rate the shows they watch and also includes a current list of the most popular Internet-only TV shows, as judged by visitor clicks. More than 100 shows can be watched on the website, including:

     -- Alive in Baghdad - Citizen journalists cover the war with a camcorder.
     -- CC Rider TV - Videos about motorcycle design and racing.
     -- Channel Frederator - Some of the world's coolest and funniest
        cartoons.
     -- Cube Fabulous - A new reality web series that makes over office
        cubicles.
     -- Fearless Cooking - Gloria Piper cooks anything, including squid.
     -- Galacticast - A weekly sci fi comedy.
     -- Mommy TV - A weekly video magazine for mothers.
     -- Nurse TV - 13 Weeks - A travel reality show that follows the lives of
        six nurses.
     -- Rocketboom - A daily news and information show featuring technology,
        social issues, and more.
     -- Something to be Desired - A weekly web sitcom/drama set in a
        fictitious radio station, magazine publisher, and coffee shop.
     -- The Show with Ze Frank - commentary on current events.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the quality of the user experience is just going to improve with these shows, and the success of some of these sites will just encourage others to join the fray of TV Shows Only Available on the Internet," said Pulver. "It is just a matter of time before more of these shows find their way from being 'Internet Only' to becoming available for viewing on TiVo, broadcast TV, or cable, and these independently produced shows will really alter the landscape of television viewing."

To be included on the Network2 site, TV shows must be a source of video content that is original, consistently updated, entertaining, and only available over the Internet. The show must also have a working RSS feed. Unlike YouTube, Network2.tv includes only high-quality episodic shows. Network2 is a continually expanding site, and readers are encouraged to email feedback@network2.tv about any TV Shows Only Available on the Internet that they are aware of.

Interphase Corporation and Surf Communication Solutions Collaborate on Voice-over-IP and Media-over-Packet Solutions

Interphase Corporation (NASDAQ:INPH), a leading provider of robust building blocks, highly integrated subsystems and innovative gateway appliances for the converged communications network, and our client,  Surf Communication Solutions, a leading developer of high-capacity multimedia processing boards for the telecommunication infrastructure market,  announced their partnership to jointly develop and market AdvancedTCA®- and AdvancedMC™-based convergent media solutions to the communications market.

The initial combined Interphase/Surf solution is a highly-scalable, modular application subsystem which enables the delivery of next generation convergent AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA, and proprietary communications systems, such as IP-to-IP and TDM (Mobile)-to-IP media gateways, media-enhanced servers, session border controllers, CTI applications (e.g., voice and video mail), conference bridges, wireless base stations, iPBX, and softswitches.

If you are a member of the media or an industry analyst  going to the ATCA Summit in Santa Clara, please send an email to: elizabeth@weinkrantz.com to schedule an appointment with our client where Surf will be showcasing it products.

FierceIPTV Selects CopperGate Communications as one of its “Fierce 15" IPTV Companies of 2006

Our client, CopperGate Communications announced that it has been named to FierceIPTV’s first annual Fierce 15 list.

CopperGate is the leading provider of standards-based technology for networking high-speed entertainment data throughout the home over existing wires.

This distinction honors CopperGate as one of the top 15 emerging IPTV companies for 2006. FierceIPTV is a weekly email newsletter distributed by FierceMarkets <http://www.fiercemarkets.com/news>  that covers news and insights on the emerging IPTV industry, providing more than 18,000 subscribers a quick, authoritative briefing on the week’s top wireless stories and markets.

“With AT&T ‘s recent announcement to deploy HomePNA 3 technology, and CopperGate being the leading chip supplier in that space,  this  alone gives CopperGate the right to be on the Fierce15 list,” said Brian Dolan, editor of FierceIPTV.  “Coppergate has an impressive list of global design wins and investors, and is sure to be a big winner at the end of this race.”

The FierceIPTV Fierce15 awards represent the best companies in the IPTV space that are making significant strides in technology and product development for the delivery of IPTV on a global scale. The complete list of winning companies is available today in a special issue of FierceIPTV and on the FierceIPTV Wweb site at http://www.fierceiptv.com <http://www.fierceiptv.com/> .

CopperGate and BroadLight Announce Joint Solution Enabling IPTV over Fiber to the Home and MDU

Our client, HomePNA 3 technology leader CopperGate Communications Ltd. and BroadLight Inc., a leading supplier of ITU Passive Optical Network (PON) semiconductor solutions today announced that they have partnered on a joint solution that enables a variety of fiber based access applications including MDU access solutions and delivery and in-home distribution of voice, data, and high-definition video services - commonly known as "triple play" - over a single channel.

The solution combines gigabit-per-second access over fiber networks with in-home distribution to multi-media and computing appliances over coaxial cables and phonelines with guaranteed quality of service (QoS).

Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and Building (FTTB) are being deployed widely with the new ITU-T G.984 GPON standard," said Gabi Hilevitz, CopperGate's CEO. "With over 25 GPON design wins, BroadLight is an excellent partner for a joint reference design which will enable ONT OEMs to develop cost-effective equipment that utilizes the massive amount of data transmitted to the residence over the fiber technology."

"Telephone service providers are focused on deploying new IPTV services and see FTTH as a means to gain advantage over their cable competitors," said Didi Ivancovsky, VP of marketing for BroadLight. "This reference design leverages CopperGate's position as a major supplier of TelcoTV home networking products to deliver a solution that will lower the cost of ONT deployment and in-home connectivity for this rapidly growing application."

Coppergate's CopperStream(tm) chipsets, embedded in set-top boxes and gateways from leading manufacturers, are the first to comply with the ITU G.9954 (HomePNA 3) home networking standard. HomePNA 3 technology is being deployed today by AT&T and other major telcos for the in-home distribution of triple play services and in MDU access applications worldwide.

Together, BroadLight and CopperGate promise to help OEMs build equipment that delivers broadband media over fiber-optic networks directly to multimedia appliances in the home and apartments in MDU applications.

Waves Opens Semiconductor Office in China- (And How To Economically Reach the High Tech Media in China)

Our client, Waves Audio, announced today that it has opened a new semiconductor sales and technical support office in Shenzhen, China.  Waves’ semiconductor sales continue to show strong growth to OEMs in China and Asia due to its valuable audio technologies, low cost products and simple IP business model. 

Waves’ new China sales and technical support office is located on the 51st floor of the prestigious Di Wang Commercial Centre in Shenzhen.  The Di Wang Commercial Centre is the tallest building in Shenzhen and the eighth tallest building in the world, surpassing the Empire State Building by a few feet.

Waves’ IP business model is ideal for OEMs in China, and it’s very simple – you can buy and use MaxxBass chip today without additional licensing or royalty payments. While many technology firms have struggled with how to license intellectual property in China, Waves solves this problem by embedding our patented and proprietary technologies into low cost ASICs.  This model is much simpler for OEMs and also reduces risks to Waves.

How to Economically Reach the High Tech Media In China

PR Newswire offers an economical distribution circuit that lets you reach China's major high tech and business media covering technology.  Cost includes translation.  Be sure and give PR Newswire 2 - 3 days advance notice before your release to allow time for translation.

Here is the news release in Chinese:

Download waves_by_eric.doc

Information on this circuit is available by clicking below:

Download high_technology_major_cities_china_distribution.doc