Listen Up
A good two-part analysis of music subscription services on TechCrunch. I gave up my Rhapsody subscription about six months ago and haven't turned back. Everyone eventually reaches subscription overload, and for me, $120 per year for a music service that I only used once or twice a week did not make "cents." (It's clearly a subject that hits home: the number of comments speaks volumes.) I am currently buying music from a couple of sites mentioned in the article, listening to Pandora, and streaming (and burning) Internet radio using StationRipper, one of the best and most unsung programs out there.
Ignite Catches Fire
Ignite Technologies has a new CEO, and he's quite a catch. Jim Janicki formerly served as CEO of Calpont, a database solutions provider backed by Austin Ventures. Before Calpont, he grew MetaSolv Software from three employees to more than 600 and took the company public in 1999. In 2001, MetaSolv generated $130 million in revenue, leading Ernst & Young to name Janicki its "Entrpreneur of the Year."
Follow the Money
BlueLithium announced today that Bill Lonergan has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer.
VitalStream in the News
VitalStream is making news yet again ...
VitalStream Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:VSHI), a world leader in audio and video streaming, today announced that it has effected a 1-for-4 reverse split of its common stock as approved by its Board of Directors on March 24, 2006. Upon today’s market open, VitalStream’s common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis under the new trading symbol “VSHI” (OTCBB:VSHI).
VitalStream Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:VSHI), a world leader in audio and video streaming, today announced that it has effected a 1-for-4 reverse split of its common stock as approved by its Board of Directors on March 24, 2006. Upon today’s market open, VitalStream’s common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis under the new trading symbol “VSHI” (OTCBB:VSHI).
Stream On
This item from Marketwatch underscores VitalStream's tremendous market opportunity.
CBS Corp. appears to be on track to set the record for the highest number of live simultaneous viewers on the Web without any major disruptions.
The media giant's unprecedented airing of the men's NCAA tournament live and free on the Web drew a peak of 268,000 simultaneous viewers Thursday.
That level of traffic would give CBS bragging rights for handling the largest audience at any one moment for a live entertainment program on the Web.
Since there were few people in CBS's virtual waiting rooms at the peak time, the network believes it can handle an even larger audience.
The numbers were so impressive that they prompted Yahoo to send out a release reminding everyone that the Internet media giant still holds the record for simultaneous viewers of a live event - in this case a news event, rather than entertainment. Yahoo's July 2005 Webcast of the Discovery Shuttle launch attracted 335,000 simultaneous users who watched the NASA ship return to space.
That surpassed Yahoo's coverage of Howard Stern's final day in terrestrial radio, which pulled in 214,000 simultaneous viewers, according to Yahoo. The Live 8 concert shown on Time Warner's AOL.com site was said to have drawn 175,000 simultaneous viewers.
CBS Corp. appears to be on track to set the record for the highest number of live simultaneous viewers on the Web without any major disruptions.
The media giant's unprecedented airing of the men's NCAA tournament live and free on the Web drew a peak of 268,000 simultaneous viewers Thursday.
That level of traffic would give CBS bragging rights for handling the largest audience at any one moment for a live entertainment program on the Web.
Since there were few people in CBS's virtual waiting rooms at the peak time, the network believes it can handle an even larger audience.
The numbers were so impressive that they prompted Yahoo to send out a release reminding everyone that the Internet media giant still holds the record for simultaneous viewers of a live event - in this case a news event, rather than entertainment. Yahoo's July 2005 Webcast of the Discovery Shuttle launch attracted 335,000 simultaneous users who watched the NASA ship return to space.
That surpassed Yahoo's coverage of Howard Stern's final day in terrestrial radio, which pulled in 214,000 simultaneous viewers, according to Yahoo. The Live 8 concert shown on Time Warner's AOL.com site was said to have drawn 175,000 simultaneous viewers.
The Network Effect
OK, I'm biased, but in this interview I think Gurbaksh Chahal does a great job explaining how BlueLithium differentiates itself from other advertising networks.
The main distinction between networks is whether they use a rep model or an arbitrage model. In the rep model, the network is simply selling inventory on behalf of the publisher, as an alternative to the publisher employing their own sales force. In the arbitrage model, the network is buying inventory from publishers, re-assembling it into packages that match the audience requirements of the advertiser, then using advanced targeting and optimization technologies to further enhance the performance of the inventory. This is BlueLithium's model. A lot has been written about the relative strengths of each model, but it boils down to this: rep networks provide the convenience of buying a fully-disclosed portfolio of sites with a single IO. Arbitrage networks integrate new capabilities such as behavioral targeting/remarketing, semantic analysis, on-the-fly optimization and audience-centric buys to deliver strong bottom-line performance over and above the name brand value of the sites they run on.
The main distinction between networks is whether they use a rep model or an arbitrage model. In the rep model, the network is simply selling inventory on behalf of the publisher, as an alternative to the publisher employing their own sales force. In the arbitrage model, the network is buying inventory from publishers, re-assembling it into packages that match the audience requirements of the advertiser, then using advanced targeting and optimization technologies to further enhance the performance of the inventory. This is BlueLithium's model. A lot has been written about the relative strengths of each model, but it boils down to this: rep networks provide the convenience of buying a fully-disclosed portfolio of sites with a single IO. Arbitrage networks integrate new capabilities such as behavioral targeting/remarketing, semantic analysis, on-the-fly optimization and audience-centric buys to deliver strong bottom-line performance over and above the name brand value of the sites they run on.
Pandora Rocks On
Pandora has rolled out a number of very cool new features, including RSS feeds and interactive blog links. (See below right.)
Also, check out this very interesting interview with Tim Westergren, Pandora's founder.
Also, check out this very interesting interview with Tim Westergren, Pandora's founder.
Listen Up!
Pandora just rolled out some new features that should make it even more compelling than it already is. Check it out!
Dumb Money
I just read that Sprint has paid the NFL a record $12 million to sponsor this year's halftime show. The Rolling Stones are performing. Did Sprint pay for their services, as well? Memo to Sprint: fire your VP of Marketing. Spend your money on BlueLithium, instead. Like so many other major brands, you'll find it's a much better use of your money. (By the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to Ford, which paid $40 million to put its name on Lions Stadium. I'm sure America will appreciate your largesse in the wake of your recent announcement to lay off 30,000 workers and close 14 plants in North America.)
Outtask Concurs
Yesterday, Concur Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNQR) purchased Outtask, a WaldenVC portfolio company.
What's in Your IP?
Yesterday, Palamida listed the IP used in IP Amplifier 3.2 and launched IPIngredients.org, a Web site that includes other open source projects and applications that publish their IP components. Industry observers applauded the move.
Dana Gardner, principal analyst at research firm Interarbor Solutions, said the effort by Palamida is a good idea and is a bit surprised something like this wasn't brought up sooner. Knowing what's inside the code is a smart idea, he said, whether you're an ISV, hosting organization or an enterprise. "It makes so much sense based on liability, exposure to lawsuits, copyright issues, where you can go in terms of indemnifying your own customers," he said. "It's something of a coming-of-age issue with open source software in general and really across all software."
Dana Gardner, principal analyst at research firm Interarbor Solutions, said the effort by Palamida is a good idea and is a bit surprised something like this wasn't brought up sooner. Knowing what's inside the code is a smart idea, he said, whether you're an ISV, hosting organization or an enterprise. "It makes so much sense based on liability, exposure to lawsuits, copyright issues, where you can go in terms of indemnifying your own customers," he said. "It's something of a coming-of-age issue with open source software in general and really across all software."
Gump's Utters "The L Word"
Gump's is one of a select number of high-end retail stores that will sell a fragrance inspired by The L Word, a popular TV series on Showtime. This "new" spin on product placement hearkens back to television's golden age, when sponsors developed shows to sell specific products.
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