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BONJOUR! Meet our team and check out interesting news at Midem at the A2IM stand R10.18 and the Dutch stand R04.05. But this is just the start….

Private Villa Parties Feat. Exclusive Showcase By KOF: 28th & 29th of January
Independent IP will be hosting two exclusive parties in Villa Mystique. The parties will be on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th January  from 7.30pm – 1am next to the Palais des Festivals. Refreshing drinks & Chef Tjho’s culinary delights will be served, and a live performance by upcoming artist KOF courtesy of Border Blaster Music. (Invitation only)

 

 

Free Shuttle Service: 28th, 29th and 30th January
As ‘moving music’ is what we do, we are offering a FREE hop on-hop off
car shuttle service to make it easier for YOU to get from one end of La Croisette
to the other, and in between.
(Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am- 1.30am  and Monday from 11am – 9pm)

A complimentary FREE car shuttle service from the Carlton and the Palais des
Festivals to our villa starting from 7pm both on the 28th and 29th of January. (This service is reserved solely for invited guests)

 

Round Table: 30th January Between 2.30pm -3.30pm @ The Bloggers Club
On Visionary Monday 30th January you are invited to our ROUND TABLE session at 2.30pm in the Bloggers Club, located in the Exhibition Hall at the Palais des Festivals. We will be announcing a new partnership with NextWidgets to develop our Facebook app, which will allow artists & labels to share their music directly with their fans from within FUGA.

Also to be revealed are in-depth details on new services to the FUGA platform:
- HD Audio, upload and deliver HD audio to online stores.
- Cross-Licensing, a tool to share entire catalogs with licensing partners within the FUGA network.
- The IIP- Digital Distribution Service (IIP-DDS), offers a flexible gateway to the online stores through FUGA’s direct deals including statistics and reporting.

To apply for the press conference and to get the scoop, please contact us at:
[email protected]

Logging in to eBuddy Chat on iOS and Android is now much easier!

In our latest update to eBuddy for iPhone & iPod Touch and eBuddy for Android, logging in with eBuddy ID is now optional. With this latest version you can login with your network account of choice (for example, your most used one) and easily connect all your other chat accounts to it. No more hassle with remembering additional usernames and passwords!

Are you a new user? Now the registration process becomes as easy as ever. You now don’t have to create an eBuddy ID when you download the app. You simply sign in to your MSN, Facebook, Yahoo, AIM, Gtalk or ICQ account to connect to eBuddy Chat and link all your chat accounts together in the “Accounts” tab.

Soon this change will also be available for eBuddy Mobile Messenger users and the eBuddy Web Messenger.

Happy chatting!

 

The eBuddy team

[Easier login to eBuddy Chat! via eBuddy Blog]

Starting today, to help you celebrate these special moments together with your friends and family abroad we have a present for you. We will add a free extra 10% to your account every time you purchase NimbuzzOut credits. All you need to do is use the promo code “CHUNJIE” when you top up your account. This promotion starts today and will last until 31st of January 2012.

On top of that we’ll give you a 50% discount on every minute you call to China on the 23rd of December 2012. All you have to do is make the call.

Buy Credits now and take advantage of our NimbuzzOut super deal during the Spring Festival. Be closer to your friends and family.

3i-backed Mayborn, a leading manufacturer and distributor of baby products under the Tommee Tippee and Closer to Nature brands, has appointed Paul Mason as Chairman. Paul is currently Chairman of Cath Kidston and Radley & Co.

A prominent figure in the retail industry, Paul brings substantial UK and international retail and private equity experience. His extensive track record over the past 30 years includes his roles as CEO of Somerfield, Matalan and Asda, and European President and Head of Global Retail at Levi Strauss.

As well as running retail businesses in the UK, Paul also has substantial international experience, gained from his time at Levi Strauss where he restructured the European business and grew the company's US operations through further store openings. 

Steve Parkin, CEO of Mayborn, commented:  "We are delighted that Paul is joining Mayborn. His extensive experience of the retail sector will enable us to further build our partnerships with key UK retailers and his insight and advice will be invaluable as we continue to grow Mayborn, both in the UK and internationally."

Paul Mason, commented: "I am excited to be joining Mayborn as Chairman. The company holds a market leading position in the UK, as demonstrated by the fact that Tommee Tippee has been voted one of the UK's Superbrands for the last two years running. Mayborn is also successfully expanding internationally, most recently into the US. I look forward to working with Steve and the management team to support the company in continuing to grow its business."

Hyperion Insurance Group Limited ("Hyperion"), an international insurance intermediary group with 52 offices in 28 countries around the world, is pleased to report its financial results for the year end 30 September 2011.

2011 Financial Highlights

• Total revenue up 21% to £87million, continuing the Group#s track record over the past ten years of a compound annual growth rate of more than 30%
• Organic revenue up 18%
• EBITDA (excluding non-recurring and acquisition costs) up 45% to £18 million

2011 Operational Highlights

• Hyperion completed the acquisition of Accette Insurance Group in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines
• Hyperion acquired the broking activity of Davidoff Insurance Brokers in Israel, allowing Howden to provide clients with a broader range of product solutions, and making our already strong operation one of the top five non-life insurance brokers in Israel
• Hyperion acquired the broking activity of PYV Ltd in the UK, making Howden Insurance Brokers one of the leading providers of Professional Indemnity solutions to Independent Financial Advisors, and bringing a Solicitors Professional Indemnity capability to the team
• DUAL launched Tamesis DUAL, specialty excess of loss reinsurance business supported with capacity from Lloyd's of London
• DUAL opened an office in Auckland, New Zealand
• Howden Specialty Underwriters, Miami opened for business
• Hyperion was listed in the top 20 in the Insurance Times annual Top 50 Brokers published in September 2011, and reached 5th position in the Post Magazine's Top 25 EC3 Brokers published in October 2011. Howden Broking Group was named Insurance Broker of the Year at the British Insurance Awards.

Commenting on the Group's results, David Howden, CEO of Hyperion, said:

"To achieve 18% organic growth is a reflection of the success of our strategy, our diversified business model and our ability to attract the very best people. Following the achievement of all our strategic objectives in 2011 we are well placed to take advantage of market opportunities around the world and deliver another outstanding year of growth in 2012."

De laatste maanden is phishing steeds meer aan de orde van de dag. Phishing is een methode waarbij internetcriminelen via willekeurige e-mails aan klanten van banken persoonsgegevens en inloggegevens proberen te ontfutselen. Dit heeft als doel om deze gegevens door te verkopen en/of hiermee vervolgens in te loggen in jouw bankomgeving. Zo kunnen de criminele frauduleuze transacties uitvoeren. Zoals banken vaker benadrukken, zal een bank nooit via email om de inloggegevens of TAN-codes van haar klanten vragen.

Mede door het probleem van phishing heeft AFAS Personal de Bijwerk Assistent geintroduceerd. Naast dat de Bijwerk Assistent een handige toevoeging is om transacties tussen de bank en je huishoudboekje te synchroniseren, is de plugin ook een hulpmiddel om te zien of je je daadwerkelijk op website van de bank bevindt. Wanneer je ingelogd bent bij internetbankieren, zal dit namelijk getoond worden in de AFAS Personal Bijwerk Assistent.

In Google Chrome:

Wanneer je niet bent ingelogd bij internetbankieren is het AFAS Personal logo grijs.

Wanneer je goed bent ingelogd bij je bank is het AFAS Personal logo gekleurd en met een sterretje weergegeven.

In Mozilla Firefox:

Wanneer je niet bent ingelogd bij internetbankieren zie je alleen het AFAS Personal logo.

Wanneer je goed bent ingelogd bij je bank zie je de tekst: “Verbonden met [naam van bank]“.

Als je dus niet op de échte site van je bank zit, kun je dit met de Bijwerk Assistent goed te weten komen. Op deze manier proberen we jou een handje te helpen bij dit type fraude.

Meer weten over de veiligheidsmaatregelen die AFAS Personal neemt? Klik hier voor een overzicht van andere Blog-artikelen over veiligheid.

Last Sunday the 38th edition of Vondelpark Run sponsored by eBuddy took place again!

This annual sport event is organized in Vondelpark, one of the biggest parks in Amsterdam that is also a great location for sport activities. Participants could join the event individually or bring along their families and friends. There was also a special 1.5 km trial organized for children. Participants could choose to run 1, 2 or 3 laps around the beautiful Vondelpark.

This year 1800 people signed up for the event! Various organizations, such as Asics, Run4life, Ernst&Young, Amsterdam Police and Schiphol airport had their own teams taking part in the business marathon. Naturally, eBuddy team also took part and successfully finished 10 km distance.

This event is traditionally organized to raise funds for a charity organization called Fonds Gehandicaptensport, a sport fund for the disabled people. The fund subsidizes sport events for people with disabilities, promotes changes to sports facilities and increases awareness for various issues. Individual participants of the Vondelpark Run could make a donation to the fund during registration, and all the participating companies also made their contribution to the fund.

Overall, it was a great day out for runners and organizers, and we are already looking forward to the next event!

[eBuddy supports healthy lifestyle in the annual Vondelpark Run event! via eBuddy Blog]

LNI, a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc, 3i Group plc, GS Infrastructure Partners and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company, has completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity in LNI Verkko Holding Oy (formerly Vattenfall Oy) and LNI Lämpö Holding Oy (formerly Vattenfall Lämpö Holding Oy) from Vattenfall AB. The transaction was signed and announced on 16 December 2011.

As announced in December, the transaction values the two businesses at approximately €1.54 billion in aggregate, and has been funded through a combination of equity and debt.

LNI Verkko Oy is the second largest electricity distribution network in Finland. Headquartered in Tampere, it serves around 400,000 customers in South West Finland, and has a 12% market share.

LNI Lämpö Oy operates a broad-based district heating and gas business in Finland.

LNI looks forward to working with the management teams and the employees of the two businesses to develop the network infrastructure, enhance security of supply, and promote outstanding customer service and satisfaction.

Contacts:

3i
Silvia Santoro
+44 20 7975 3258
[email protected]

GS Infrastructure Partners
Joanna Carss
+44 20 7774 4102
[email protected]

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
Esko Torsti
+358 10 284 3945
 

Notes to Editors

About LNI Acquisition Oy
LNI Acquisition Oy is a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc (45% share), GS Infrastructure Partners (45% share) and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company (10% share). 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc are investing through 3i Networks Finland LP, a partnership in which they have taken 87% and 13% stakes respectively.

About 3i Infrastructure plc
3i Infrastructure plc is a Jersey-incorporated, closed-ended investment company that invests in infrastructure businesses and assets and is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is building a diversified portfolio of infrastructure investments across the globe, with a focus on Europe and India. As of 30 September 2011, 3i Infrastructure had a portfolio of 15 assets valued at £716 million, and net assets of £1,030 million. The Company listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2007, raising £703 million in an initial public offering and a further £115 million in a subsequent placing and open offer in July 2008, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

3i Investments plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 3i Group plc, is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Services Authority and acts as Investment Adviser to 3i Infrastructure plc.

For more information, please visit www.3i-infrastructure.com.

About 3i Group plc
3i is an international investor focused on private equity, infrastructure and debt management, investing across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

For more information, please visit www.3i.com.

About GS Infrastructure Partners
Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in other major financial centers around the world. Goldman Sachs is one of the largest infrastructure fund managers globally, having raised over $10 billion of capital since the inception of the business in 2006. The GS Infrastructure Partners funds are the firm's primary vehicle to make direct investments in infrastructure assets and companies. The primary focus of the funds is on investment opportunities in the transportation and utilities sectors.

For more information, please visit www.gs.com.

About Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
As an authorized pension insurance company, Ilmarinen's mission is to safeguard the statutory pension provision of those employees and self-employed persons it insures and to manage the investment assets that cover future pensions. Ilmarinen is owned by its policyholders. With investment assets totalling €27.1 billion (as of 30 September 2011), Ilmarinen is among the largest pension funds in Europe and the largest private investor on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Ilmarinen invests in various asset classes, including shares, bonds, real estate, private equity and hedge funds.

LNI, a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc, 3i Group plc, GS Infrastructure Partners and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company, has completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity in LNI Verkko Holding Oy (formerly Vattenfall Oy) and LNI Lämpö Holding Oy (formerly Vattenfall Lämpö Holding Oy) from Vattenfall AB. The transaction was signed and announced on 16 December 2011.

As announced in December, the transaction values the two businesses at approximately €1.54 billion in aggregate, and has been funded through a combination of equity and debt.

LNI Verkko Oy is the second largest electricity distribution network in Finland. Headquartered in Tampere, it serves around 400,000 customers in South West Finland, and has a 12% market share.

LNI Lämpö Oy operates a broad-based district heating and gas business in Finland.

LNI looks forward to working with the management teams and the employees of the two businesses to develop the network infrastructure, enhance security of supply, and promote outstanding customer service and satisfaction.

Contacts:

3i
Silvia Santoro
+44 20 7975 3258
[email protected]

GS Infrastructure Partners
Joanna Carss
+44 20 7774 4102
[email protected]

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
Esko Torsti
+358 10 284 3945
 

Notes to Editors

About LNI Acquisition Oy
LNI Acquisition Oy is a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc (45% share), GS Infrastructure Partners (45% share) and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company (10% share). 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc are investing through 3i Networks Finland LP, a partnership in which they have taken 87% and 13% stakes respectively.

About 3i Infrastructure plc
3i Infrastructure plc is a Jersey-incorporated, closed-ended investment company that invests in infrastructure businesses and assets and is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is building a diversified portfolio of infrastructure investments across the globe, with a focus on Europe and India. As of 30 September 2011, 3i Infrastructure had a portfolio of 15 assets valued at £716 million, and net assets of £1,030 million. The Company listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2007, raising £703 million in an initial public offering and a further £115 million in a subsequent placing and open offer in July 2008, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

3i Investments plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 3i Group plc, is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Services Authority and acts as Investment Adviser to 3i Infrastructure plc.

For more information, please visit www.3i-infrastructure.com.

About 3i Group plc
3i is an international investor focused on private equity, infrastructure and debt management, investing across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

For more information, please visit www.3i.com.

About GS Infrastructure Partners
Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in other major financial centers around the world. Goldman Sachs is one of the largest infrastructure fund managers globally, having raised over $10 billion of capital since the inception of the business in 2006. The GS Infrastructure Partners funds are the firm's primary vehicle to make direct investments in infrastructure assets and companies. The primary focus of the funds is on investment opportunities in the transportation and utilities sectors.

For more information, please visit www.gs.com.

About Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
As an authorized pension insurance company, Ilmarinen's mission is to safeguard the statutory pension provision of those employees and self-employed persons it insures and to manage the investment assets that cover future pensions. Ilmarinen is owned by its policyholders. With investment assets totalling €27.1 billion (as of 30 September 2011), Ilmarinen is among the largest pension funds in Europe and the largest private investor on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Ilmarinen invests in various asset classes, including shares, bonds, real estate, private equity and hedge funds.

LNI Acquisition Oy ("LNI"), a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc, 3i Group plc, GS Infrastructure Partners and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the equity in Vattenfall Oy ("Networks Finland") and Vattenfall Lämpö Holding Oy ("Heat Finland", together the "Target") from Vattenfall AB.

The transaction values the Target at approximately €1.54 billion. LNI will fund the acquisition through a combination of equity and debt.

Networks Finland is the second largest electricity distribution network in Finland. Headquartered in Tampere, it serves around 400,000 customers in South West Finland, and has a 12% market share.

Heat Finland operates a broad-based district heating and gas business in Finland.

"The transaction represents a significant addition to 3i Infrastructure's portfolio" said Neil King, Partner in the Infrastructure team at 3i Investments plc. "Both businesses have strong infrastructure characteristics, providing exposure to relatively low risk, reliable revenue streams and good inflation linkage."

"Networks Finland operates one of the most efficient electricity distribution networks in the country, and has a strong track record of delivering network development and technical innovation", added Philippe Camu, European head of infrastructure investing at Goldman Sachs. "As such, it is well positioned to grow in what is still a relatively fragmented electricity distribution market in Finland."

"We are delighted to be investing in these businesses" said Esko Torsti, Head of Non-Listed Investments at Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company. "The two companies are led by very experienced and capable management teams, and, as a consortium, we look forward to working with them for the success of the investment over the long term."

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012.

Contacts:

3i
Silvia Santoro
+44 20 7975 3258
[email protected]

GS Infrastructure Partners
Joanna Carss
+44 207 774 4102
[email protected]

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
Esko Torsti
+358 10 284 3945

Notes to Editors

About LNI Acquisition Oy
LNI Acquisition Oy is a consortium comprising 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc (45% share), GS Infrastructure Partners (45% share) and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company (10% share). 3i Infrastructure plc and 3i Group plc are investing through 3i Networks Finland LP, a partnership in which they have taken 87% and 13% stakes respectively.

About 3i Infrastructure plc
3i Infrastructure plc is a Jersey-incorporated, closed-ended investment company that invests in infrastructure businesses and assets and is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. The Company is building a diversified portfolio of infrastructure investments across the globe, with a focus on Europe and India. As of 30 September 2011, 3i Infrastructure had a portfolio of 15 assets valued at £716 million, and net assets of £1,030 million. The Company listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2007, raising £703 million in an initial public offering and a further £115 million in a subsequent placing and open offer in July 2008, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

3i Investments plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 3i Group plc, is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Services Authority and acts as Investment Adviser to 3i Infrastructure plc.

For more information, please visit www.3i-infrastructure.com.

About 3i Group plc
3i is an international investor focused on private equity, infrastructure and debt management, investing across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

For more information, please visit www.3i.com.

About GS Infrastructure Partners
Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in other major financial centers around the world. Goldman Sachs is one of the largest infrastructure fund managers globally, having raised over $10 billion of capital since the inception of the business in 2006. The GS Infrastructure Partners funds are the firm's primary vehicle to make direct investments in infrastructure assets and companies. The primary focus of the funds is on investment opportunities in the transportation and utilities sectors.

For more information, please visit www.gs.com.

About Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
As an authorized pension insurance company, Ilmarinen's mission is to safeguard the statutory pension provision of those employees and self-employed persons it insures and to manage the investment assets that cover future pensions. Ilmarinen is owned by its policyholders. With investment assets totalling €27.1 billion (as of 30 September 2011), Ilmarinen is among the largest pension funds in Europe and the largest private investor on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Ilmarinen invests in various asset classes, including shares, bonds, real estate, private equity and hedge funds.

Civolution’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology enables real-time synchronization in ConnecTV’s global service platform
 

CES2012, South Hall 4, Booth #35431 – Civolution, the leading provider of technology and solutions for identifying, managing and monetizing media content, announces that its SyncNow ACR technology integration can be witnessed first-hand through ConnecTV, a free, real-time social network built for TV viewers, at the Civolution booth (South Hall 4, Booth #35431) at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Powered by Civolution’s award-winning SyncNow technology, ConnecTV’s “second screen” global social TV platform uses Civolution’s audio fingerprinting solution to enable consumers to automatically sync with their favorite TV programs and compelling companion content.

Civolution’s technology has been integrated with ConnecTV’s own proprietary content recognition algorithms to provide a highly relevant and accurate synchronization to TV programs. This not only allows networks and content providers to deliver engaging second-screen services without the need for additional production resources, but also provides a fun, engaging, social experience. ConnecTV is available on tablets, laptops and home computers.

“The timely and accurate identification of TV content—whether live or time-shifted—is complex and our key competitive advantage,” said ConnecTV co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Alan Moskowitz. “Our team has spent the last several years relentlessly innovating the technology engine that drives ConnecTV’s second-screen experience. Civolution’s ease of integration and proven track record in fingerprinting technologies make them the clear integration partner to bring our platform to life.”

“Having been at the forefront of content watermarking and fingerprinting for many years, we continue to be inspired by innovative new applications of our technologies,” said Civolution CEO Alex Terpstra.  “ConnecTV is a standout example of such forward-thinking use. We feel privileged to be helping them provide TV viewers around the world with a highly engaging second-screen experience and we wish ConnecTV success with their service.”

ConnecTV integrated Civolution’s ACR technology—available to developers as a low resource SDK—to generate audio fingerprints in real-time by having the companion device listening to the television audio in the home. ConnecTV provides TV viewers with compelling content and a social companion experience to all programs on more than 250 networks nationwide, and will soon roll out on regional sports networks and on 201 local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB and CW affiliate networks from its Broadcast Partners: Barrington, Belo, Cox, Gannett, Hearst, Media General, Meredith, Raycom, Scripps and Washington Post-Newsweek.

ConnecTV, as well as Civolution’s media interaction range of solutions (SyncNow – 2nd Screen and SyncNow – Smart TV, including the newly launched server-side Content Triggering Service), and media protection solution (NexGuard – PayTV), will be on display at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Note to editors: If you would like to meet Civolution at CES (South Hall 4, Booth #35431) or find out more about the company’s Media Monitoring, Media Interaction and Media Protection solutions, please contact Beck Media & Marketing’s Sabrina Pietryga (North America): [email protected], (T) +1 310 300 4814 or Platform’s Sally Douglas (Europe): [email protected], (T) +44 (0)207 486 4900 or. Stay tuned, more developments coming soon!

For a PDF of the full press release, please click here>>

Hey guys, Tabbed chatting is back on the latest Nimbuzz Symbian 3.3.1 which is now available to download. We had updated our Nimbuzz Symbian to 3.3 last month and introduced a lot of new features.

One of the first things I’m sure you will notice is the beautifully redesigned Home Screen. We made the icons bigger and rearranged them in grid view so you can access the most important functions with a single touch. Even more exciting is that we added three new icons to the list: Recent Chats, N-World and Groupchat

Here is the complete overview of Nimbuzz 3.3.1 for Nokia Symbian phones:

• Three new icons added: Recent Chats, N-World and Groupchat
• Block contacts that annoy you
• New “Notifiable” icon – the green half moon
• Change your password from the inside the app
• 30% faster login
• Redesigned Home Screen for fast access to your favorite features

The icon with a half green moon stands for Notifiable and it will appear only next to your Nimbuzz contacts that closed the Nimbuzz app but can still receive push (on the iPhone and Android) or Ping notifications (on the Java and Symbian phones).

Get the new update now from get.nimbuzz.com and if you like the new features please RT the post  .

As always we would like to hear your feedback in the comment section below.

The new version will also be available in Nokia Ovi Store soon.

“The people behind eBuddy” section of our blog is back! You’ve already met Arne and Tonatiuh. Today we’d like to introduce you to Gustavo, our Lead Visual Designer from Brazil!

 

(c)Bianca Prodescu

We asked Gustavo couple of questions and you can find the answers below.

Gustavo, please tell us something about yourself!

Well, my name’s Gustavo, I am a proud Brazilian, I love challenges, pushing the limits, I love learning and usually I laugh a lot. Like a lot.

I used to live in a historic city that is called Olinda, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It’s a beautiful place that has the best street carnival in the world and also this is where frevo, maracatu and other rhythms come from.

What made you decide to come to the Netherlands? How do you like it here?

Not the weather, that’s for sure. Just kidding! I always wanted to give a try to living overseas. And eBuddy is really well-known in Brazil, so when the opportunity to join eBuddy came up I didn’t think twice. I really enjoy living in the Netherlands, it’s a nice country and I love Amsterdam. A big plus for me is that I go everywhere with my bike.

What is your role at eBuddy?

I’m Lead Visual Designer and I`ve joined the team 1,5 years ago. Together with other team members we define eBuddy Chat and XMS look and feel always trying to achieve the best user experience possible.

What do you like the most about eBuddy as a company? And what do you like about eBuddy applications?

I think the people that work here and support our users make this company very special. I made some close friends while working here at eBuddy. And what I like most about eBuddy apps is the ability to get people together. I’m an avid user of eBuddy products. Living abroad I make use of the eBuddy Chat and XMS to keep close contact with my family and friends back in Brazil.

What is the most unusual way in which eBuddy Chat or XMS ever helped you?

I would say asking my wife through eBuddy XMS to open the door for me when I was standing downstairs with no keys, the interphone that was not working and it was raining as well!

Thanks a lot for your answers, Gustavo!

Stay tuned and don`t miss the next issue of “The people behind eBuddy”!

[The people behind eBuddy: meet Gustavo via eBuddy Blog]

Civolution offers second screen and smart TV app developers new avenues for user engagement and monetization with content-triggering services 
 

Los Angeles, CA – Civolution, the leading provider of technology and solutions for identifying, managing and monetizing media content, announces that it will be demonstrating its new real-time content triggering service at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  The new service enables synchronized ad delivery to second screen applications by leveraging Civolution’s extensive broadcast monitoring infrastructure of more than 1,700 TV channels worldwide, of which more than 1,250 are national and local channels in North America covering all 210 Designated Market Areas.

Civolution’s newest offering for 2nd screen and smart TV application providers, as well as social TV platforms, is a server-side content triggering service that provides real-time recognition of broadcast content such as advertisements, movies, TV series, music, and more. By automatically notifying application providers in real time of what content is airing on which channel, the service allows for the synchronization of value-added functionality such as content-specific background information, hyperlinks, and synchronized social newsfeeds, all within the developer’s second screen or smart TV applications. The application provider can thereby offer users a more powerful and engaging TV-synchronized experience.

In addition, the service enables application providers to work more deeply with advertising agencies and brands to further monetize their app platforms. Through Civolution’s real-time ad identification and triggering service, to be demonstrated at CES, synchronized ads or ad-interactivity can be delivered to 2nd screens, extending the advertising experience over multiple screens in a synchronized manner.

The new content-triggering service complements Civolution’s award-winning SyncNow - 2nd screen synchronization solution. Upon client-based identification through audio watermarking or fingerprinting, the SyncNow product enables identification and synchronization between broadcast, on-demand or recorded television content and interactive applications on devices such as a tablets, smartphones or laptops. Additionally, Civolution is providing automatic content recognition technology for integration with smart TVs, enabling all the value-adding opportunities of SyncNow on the larger main screen of the TV set itself. Adding the new server-side content-triggering service allows for a perfect balance between functionality and scalability over hundreds of TV channels and many millions of consumer devices. CES marks the introduction of the solution’s new brand name SyncNow, replacing the previous title, VideoSync.


Civolution’s SyncNow technologies and content-triggering service will be on display at CES, along with the company’s media-protection solution NexGuard - PayTV, which enables Premium VOD offerings.  SyncNow - 2nd Screen will be seen in action by two of Civolution’s application partners ConnecTV and Ex Machina.

Note to editors: If you would like to meet Civolution at CES (South Hall 4, Booth #35431) or find out more about the company’s Media Monitoring, Media Interaction and Media Protection solutions, please contact Beck Media & Marketing’s Sabrina Pietryga (North America): [email protected], (T) +1 310 300 4814 or Platform’s Sally Douglas (Europe): [email protected], (T) +44 (0)207 486 4900 or. Stay tuned, more developments coming soon!

SyncNow and NexGuard are trademarks of Civolution B.V.

For a PDF of the full press release, please click here>>

Na de update van het dashboard en de template pagina was nu de editor aan de beurt. De afgelopen weken hebben we alle feedback en ideeën verzameld en zijn we eens goed achter de tekentafel gaan zitten. De insteek van deze release was om het ‘self service’ gebruik van onze applicatie te optimaliseren.

Een nieuwe gebruiker moet in staat zijn om zonder uitvoerige instructies de applicatie volledig te kunnen gebruiken; van inloggen, bewerken van het document tot het downloaden van een cPDF. Belangrijk zijn logische opeenvolgende stappen voor de gebruiker (‘happy flow’),  hier & daar een tactische aanwijzing (‘tooltip’) en natuurlijke interactie met de pagina’s van de applicatie.

Uitgangspunten voor deze update van de editor:

- Volledig ‘self service’ gebruik van de applicatie
- Zo veel mogelijk ruimte voor de voorvertoning van de template
- Logisch stappenproces voor het bewerken van een document

 

Voor de navigatie in de editor hebben we gekozen voor een duidelijke werkbalk aan de bovenkant van de pagina. Hier zijn de verschillende functies van de editor samen gebracht. Deze werkbalk maakt het ook mogelijk om hier in de toekomst nieuwe functies aan toe te voegen. Hieronder zie je een video van 90 sec met alle nieuwe functies en een complete ‘walkthrough’ met screenshots.
 

 

Het eindresultaat:

Alle updates op een rij met een reeks screenshots:

1. Nieuwe tekst & beeld toevoegen

De knop om nieuwe tekst & beeld toe te voegen is verplaatst naar de werkbalk aan de bovenzijde in de vorm van een plus icoon +.

2. Invoer velden altijd in beeld

Bij het bewerken van het document blijven de invoer velden nu altijd in beeld en wordt de voorvertoning direct ge-update. Ook zie je een referentie tussen het invoerveld en de tekst in de voorvertoning door middel van een gele ‘highlight’.

3. Nieuwe afbeeldingen uploaden

Om nieuwe afbeeldingen in het document te uploaden gebruik je het icoon links onder de invoer velden. Vervolgens worden de beelden getoond in het paneel daarboven.

4. De producten bibliotheek

Onder de invoer velden wordt de ingevoerde tekst & beeld automatisch opgeslagen als een product. Deze bibliotheek blijft nu altijd in beeld en direct ge-update zodra je op ‘Bewaren’ klikt.

5. Account beheer

De functies ‘Account bewerken’ en ‘Producten verwijderen’ zijn ook naar de werkbalk verplaatst. Vanuit deze 2 knoppen kom je in een venster waar je bedrijfsgegevens kunt bewerken en ingevoerde producten uit je bibliotheek kunt verwijderen.

6. Klaar!

Wanneer je klaar bent met bewerken is kun je verder gaan door op ‘volgende stap’ te klikken. Vervolgens word er een drukklaar document gegenereerd en kan je de cPDF downloaden vanuit het dashboard.

- De editor wanneer je als gebruiker voor het eerst binnenkomt:

- Bewerk tekst & beeld in je document:

- Het bewerken van beelden in je document:

- Het beheren van je account gegevens:

In samenwerking met PD Grafic Support hebben wij een online platform gelanceerd voor het personaliseren en bestellen van reclameuitingen. De garages van Bosch Car Service uit binnen- en buitenland kunnen via het platform zelf advertenties, posters en zelfs kranten samenstellen.

De verschillende garages gebruiken ons platform om binnen de huisstijl van Bosch Car Service zelf hun uitingen op te maken en te versturen. “Oftwel centraal beheren, decentraal opmaken”

Een dealer logt in op het systeem, past een aantal elementen aan en kan het document direct drukklaar versturen. In het geval van de kranten kan hier ook meteen een verspreidingsgebied worden gekozen. Het gehele proces is dus geautomatiseerd. Snel en eenvoudig communiceren in print noemen we dat.

De actie voor een wintercheck loopt nog, dus wees er snel bij!

Het is goed om te zien dat zorgorganisaties veel waarde hechten aan het consequent communiceren binnen een vaste huisstijl. De bekendheid van hun merk is erg belangrijk gezien het vertrouwen dat zij willen uitstralen. Onlangs hebben wij wederom een nieuwe zorg organisatie als klant mogen verwelkomen. SVRZ uit Zeeland is inmiddels een actief gebruiker van ons platform.

Zorgorganisaties zijn in hoog tempo aan het professionaliseren in hun communicatie. Wij merken dan ook een sterke toename in de behoefte aan het automatiseren van hun marketing proces. Het gaat om verschillende soorten uitingen, zowel voor interne als externe communicatie. Je moet dan denken aan posters voor in de centra, flyers en brochures voor informatie voorziening en uitnodigingen voor activiteiten. Maar ook advertenties in de lokale media worden veel gebruikt.

Doordat de sector commerciëler wordt zal deze behoefte alleen maar toenemen. Er zal meer ‘concurrentie’ tussen de centra ontstaan, waardoor de bekendheid van het merk gecombineerd met een sterke huisstijl essentieel is. Wij bieden de tools om dit mogelijk te maken.

Helaas konden we niet bij de uitreiking in het zonnige Barcelona zijn, maar we zijn wel in de prijzen gevallen. Naast dat het een eer is om een internationale prijs te winnen is het ook erg belangrijk voor onze bekendheid over de grens. Eind dit jaar willen we internationaal gaan lanceren en relevante media aandacht kan een mooie springplank zijn.

“The 2011 Bully Award winners were selected for innovation and values of excellence in the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector. They have been recognized as a leader in their field, with a bright business proposition and meaningful market strategies, driven by a rich understanding of customer needs and technological solutions,” stated Farley Duvall, Founder and Chairman of White Bull Summits.

Het gehele bericht lees je op Yahoo News.

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We at RedesignMe support research done in the area of co-creation: Bart Zwartjes from the Wageningen University is asking for the help of the redesigners. “Another co-creation research? Yes, but this time it’s different!” A lot of co-creation research has … Continue reading →