Monthly Archives: February 2019

Business, Technology

Starz Play Arabia to Talk About Their Success with Gotransverse and Recurring Payment Strategies at Monetize 11 Amsterdam

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Gotransverse Sponsors MGI Research’s Monetize 11 Amsterdam Conference – the Premier Agile Monetization Platform Event in Europe.

AMSTERDAM — Gotransverse (http://www.gotransverse.com), a leading provider of enterprise quote-to-cash solutions, today announced that one of its showcase customers, Starz Play Arabia, will be speaking at Monetize 11 Amsterdam, discussing their success with Gotransverse to support their complex billing and subscription revenue strategy. Gotransverse is one of the sponsors of Monetize 11 Amsterdam, which is scheduled to be held here February 12.

Starz Play CIO, Saleem Bhatti, is scheduled to talk about their recurring billing system which provides subscription video-on-demand (VOD) services to customers in 19 different countries. Starz Play Arabia streams thousands of movies, documentaries, and television programs to customers in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. The company needed a scalable solution capable of handling complex, high-volume subscriptions. Starz Play offers a range of usage-based payment methods, which has resulted in increased customer adoption and satisfaction.

As part of his presentation, Bhatti will discuss their unique challenge with direct carrier billing. In the Middle East, the majority of consumers want to pay for streaming entertainment services as part of their mobile phone bill, so services providers need to work with telecom companies, including support for complex billing and unique subscription management rules, and the ability to accommodate last-minute carrier handling charges and change requests. Starz Play customers get an optimal experience, choosing daily, weekly, or monthly subscriptions billed through their mobile carrier or their credit card.

“We chose Gotransverse as our strategic partner due to their industry-leading telecom and billing domain expertise, which enables them to deftly handle internationalization of billing at high volumes – including mobile billing – and their ability to scale as we expand,” said Bhatti. “The solution enables us to provide an optimal experience for our customers, who prefer to pay as they go via mobile platforms without long-term commitments.”

Following the Starz Play Case Study Presentation from Bhatti at Monetize 11, there will be an Agile Billing Panel Discussion with the CEO of Gotransverse, Jim Messer, along with MGI Research and the CEO of Just.On to give their insights and expectations for upcoming billing shifts in the digital age.

Monetize 11 is the only European event to focus specifically on monetization strategies, including billing, payments, ecommerce, and quote-to-cash strategies. Created for CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, financial professionals, and anyone interested in ecommerce, Monetize 11 has been structured to explore new pricing models and payment methods, including new digital business strategies, subscription pricing, and tactics for frictionless ecommerce.

“Europe has always been a strong market for E-commerce and European businesses are struggling to find better ways to monetize technology services,” said Messer. “Having Starz Play present at the Monetize conference will give us an opportunity to share some of the lessons learned about agile monetization and quote-to-cash. It also will give us an opportunity to meet with MGI analysts to discuss changing market conditions and talk to other professionals about new billing and recurring revenue strategies.”

Gotransverse already has a number of European customers including Amsterdam-based Royal Schiphol Group and eBay Classifieds.

For more information, visit http://www.gotransverse.com/resources/case-study-Starz-play-high-volume-invoicing.

About Starz Play
Starz Play (http://www.Starzplay.com) is a subscription video on demand service that streams Hollywood movies, TV shows, documentaries, kids’ entertainment and same-day-as-the-US series – plus dedicated Arabic and Bollywood content – to 19 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The service carries thousands of premium titles including exclusive Starz Original content such as Power, Outlander, Spartacus, and The White Queen.

Starz Play allows subscribers to watch its full HD and 4K content via most internet-enabled devices, smart TVs and game consoles, and is widely available on regional IPTV services. Its iOS and Android apps – installed on more than three million devices – also allow downloads for offline playback.

Starz (http://www.Starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) are the lead investors along with media and technology investment firms including SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners.

About Gotransverse
Gotransverse provides cloud-based software that enables companies in any industry to operate as a subscription business model, including the often-challenging aspects of usage-based pricing and monetization at massive scale. Founded by globally recognized billing experts, the company offers an intelligent billing and subscription management platform that automates the subscription order-to-cash process, including billing, rating, collections, mediation, analytics, and revenue recognition. Gotransverse was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

For more information, visit http://www.gotransverse.com.

Press Contact:
Tom Woolf
Gotransverse
Email: twoolf(at)gotransverse(dot)com

Society

“VNA & Hospice Hires Dwight Wilson as CEO/President”

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The Board of Directors of the Central Coast Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice is proud to announce the hiring of Dwight Wilson, RN, MSN, as the Chief Executive Officer/President. Dwight will assume his duties on February 4, 2019.

Monterey, CA, February 08, 2019 – “Dwight has a long history of experience in home care, hospice, and eldercare and while at Mission Hospice and Home Care in San Mateo, CA, as Chief Executive Officer, he accomplished many things as his passion is for building programs and services” said Mary Claypool, Board President. For example, he built a licensed and accredited home care agency and led the way to implementing other services such as palliative care, all while at the same time growing revenue.

Dwight was with the Veterans Administration for 30 years prior to Mission where he was Deputy Associate Chief of Staff. During his time with the VA, he developed standards of practice and quality outcomes for Extended Care programs as well as serving as Chief Nurse for that program. He opened a 150-bed nursing home program and oversaw other multi-site facilities. He oversaw quality improvement programs as well as respite, hospice, dementia, and long-term care programs.

Overall Dwight has several Joint Commission accreditation survey initiatives. He is an advocate of engaging with the community to promote the mission of home care and hospice. In addition, at his Mission office they received the “Top Work Places” award in 2018 from the Bay Area News Group.

VNA & Hospice has been providing the highest quality care to residents of the Central Coast since 1951 and we will continue to be the premier community service provider in service and quality patient care. “The Board looks forward to working with Dwight as he takes the organization to the next level in home and hospice care,” said Claypool. Additional information on VNA & Hospice services can be found at ccvna.com.

Please join us in welcoming Dwight and his wife, Julia, to the area from the North Moss Beach, CA area.

From: Central Coast Community Health Care, Inc. www.ccvna.com

Media Contact: Mary Claypool, Board Chair

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.ccvna.com

Software, Technology

Output Factory Server for InDesign Streamlines File Naming Workflow

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Zevrix Solutions announces Output Factory Server 2.1.16, a feature update to company’s output automation solution for Adobe InDesign. The app automates printing and exporting from InDesign by processing files from hot folders. Output Factory offers layer versioning, preflighting, email notifications and more. With the new version, intermediate temporary names are not assigned to the output files anymore, which helps users streamline multiple workflows integration and eliminate system errors.

Toronto (ON), Canada — Zevrix Solutions today announces the release of Output Factory Server 2.1.16 a feature update to company’s output automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Output Factory Server automates InDesign production workflow by processing files from watched hot folders. The app offloads printing and exporting from InDesign to a central system leaving operator workstations free from the output process.

The new version abandons the approach in which output files were exported from InDesign with intermediate temporary names before being renamed to their final user-defined variable names. The exported files are now being created directly under their final names. This improvement helps users streamline their complex automation workflows where files created by Output Factory Server are being automatically picked up by other workflow components. The change also helps eliminate random system errors that could occur when renaming temporary files.

“Output Factory Server is an extremely useful utility for a busy production facility or advertising agency”, writes David Creamer in Layers magazine. “The setup process is simple and users experience is very straightforward. It can save lots of time – which equates to money.”

Output Factory Server is intended to run on a dedicated Mac station and can serve unlimited users via watched hot folders on a network. Users can create hot folders for different output targets such as hi-res PDF, color printing, EPUB files and so on. The app offers the following key features:

–Output InDesign files automatically from hot folders
-Supports print, PDF, PostScript, TIFF, EPUB and other formats
-Output to multiple formats from a single hot folder
–Automatic email notifications
-Layer versioning
-Run custom scripts
-Variable output file names
-Automatic preflighting
–PDF security presets for different workflows

Pricing and Availability:
Output Factory Server can be purchased from Zevrix web site for US$699.95, as well as from authorized resellers. Trial is also available for download. The upgrade to version 2 is $350 for the licensed users of Output Factory Server 1.x and BatchOutput Server. Output Factory Server requires macOS 10.7-10.14 and Adobe InDesign CS5-CC 2019.

About Zevrix Solutions
Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite software, PDF workflows, graphic file diagnostics, file delivery and Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix is dedicated to help professionals increase their profits through automating everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
858-206-0607
media@zevrix.com

Solutions for Adobe InDesign & the Graphics Industry

Art

Castroville Celebrates the 60th Annual Artichoke Food & Wine Festival in June 2019

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In 1959, the Central Coast community gathered to celebrate the harvest of the iconic vegetable and the region that became known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.”

Castroville, CA, Feb 04, 2019 — In 1959, the Central Coast community gathered to celebrate the harvest of the iconic vegetable and the region that became known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.”

In June of this year, festival goers will gather again, this time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of what is now known as the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival, set for June 1-2, 2019, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center in Monterey.

California’s artichoke history begins in 1922 when the first artichoke shoots were planted in Castroville. Today, more than nine decades later, nearly 100 percent of America’s fresh artichoke supply is grown in California and nearly two-thirds is grown near the small town of Castroville.

The first Artichoke Festival was held in 1959 under the sponsorship of the Marinovich Marching Units, with the assistance of the Castroville Rod and Gun Club. In 1961 it was a joint venture of the Marinovich Marching Units and the Castroville Chamber of Commerce to produce a larger festival, and Sally DeSante was chosen as the first Artichoke Queen. In 1963 , 1964, and 1965 it was solely sponsored by the Castroville Chamber of Commerce under the direction of the Artichoke Festival Board with Bill Price, one of the originators of the festival idea.

Advance tickets and discounted ticket packages are available online for the 60th annual festival at http://artichokefestival.org/.

General admission is $15 for those 13 and older; seniors 62 and older and military personnel with ID are $10; children ages 6-12 are $5; general admission for one adult, with wine tasting pass, is $40 (must be 21 years or older); wine tasting alone is $30; and field tours are $10 (daily tour schedules to be announced at the Festival), good for adult or child 5-12. Online purchases are available through 9 a.m. June 2, 2019. No refunds.

Two discounted packages are also available, the Arti-Family Pack and the It’s A Date package. The former is $30, a $10 saving over the regular price. It includes two adult tickets and two children’s tickets, good for Saturday or Sunday. This early bird discount ends May 18, 2019, at 12 a.m. No refunds.

The It’s A Date package for 21 and older, $60, a savings of $20, includes two adult tickets and two wine and beer tasting tickets, good for Saturday or Sunday. This early bird discount also ends May 18, 2019, at 12 a.m. No refunds.

The festival’s live entertainment lineup, free with festival admission and held on the Main Stage.

The Wine & Beer Garden is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Must be 21 to enter.

Over the years, the Castoville Artichoke Festival has been dedicated to informing attendees about the unique properties of artichokes, showcasing dozens of delicious artichoke dishes, cooking demonstrations, and field tours. A wine and beer garden, live entertainment, arts and crafts booths, and artichoke eating contests add to the festive atmosphere. As a 501c3 organization, the festival has become a primary source of funding for many local non-profit organizations that depend upon a successful event for their viability, such as:

Ag Against Hunger

Sun Street Center

North County Baseball

North County High School Golf

North Salinas Athletic Booster Club

Hope Horses & Kids

Marina Lions

Bikers for Bikes

Ashleigh Nicole Swain Memorial Scholarship

Ag History Project

Ord Terrace Elementary School

North County Wrestling Team

Monterey County Middle School

Golden State Elite

North County Recreation & Park

North County Bulldogs Cheer

North County Bulldogs

Monterey County Girls Basketball

Members of the current board of directors are:

Glenn Alameda

Stefani Cortopassi

David Delfino

Lynn Clark

Lionel Handel

Wes McClellan

Angie Micheli (Honorary Member)

Kathy Parish

Terry Bei Rohrs

Linda Scherer

Debbie Stadig

Ruben Torres

Kevin Tottino

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.artichokefestival.org/

Business, Marketing, Technology

Smash Marketing Helps SAP with “Searching for Salaì” Online Campaign with Content that Grounds Podcast Fantasy

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Smash Marketing Adds Online Support to Innovative Marketing Campaign that Uses Dramatic Series on the Digital Renaissance to Promote the SAP Leonardo Platform.

Denver, USA — It’s challenging to gain the attention of busy business professionals, even when you have an intelligent enterprise technology that could revolutionize their business. That’s why SAP (NYSE: SAP) recently launched a nine-part fantasy podcast series, co-produced by Column Five Media. Searching for Salaì (http://searchingforsalai.com) is as an entertaining approach to educate executive listeners and entice them to learn more about SAP Leonardo®, SAP’s extensible, intelligent cloud computing environment. To tie the dramatic podcast back to real-world Leonardo applications, SAP engaged Smash Marketing to design and deploy the Searching for Salai website.

Searching for Salaì is a fictional tale about a time traveler who comes to the 21st century to learn about the digital renaissance. Claiming to be an apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci, the mysterious Salaì explores new ideas driving digital innovation, seeking the spiritual link between the science of Leonardo’s era and the technology of today. Taking its format from old-fashioned radio mysteries, Searching for Salaì is pure entertainment that invites the listener to ponder possibilities and seek their own path to embrace the Digital Renaissance, and learn more about SAP Leonardo including use cases through the website.

“This is a brilliant, innovative marketing campaign designed to engage professionals in a different way and invite them to explore new ideas,” said Leila Ahmed, co-founder of Smash Marketing. “The podcast captures the listener’s attention, but you still need to tie the idea of the Digital Renaissance to real-world applications. We designed the Searching for Salaì website as the bridge between the story and real-world applications.”

Although produced by SAP and Column Five, Searching for Salaì never mentions either company. It does, however, invite listeners to learn more about what they hear in the story at http://searchingforsalai.com. The website that supports the podcast includes reports in written and audio format developed by Futurum Research that profile SAP Leonardo use cases and customer successes in 15 separate industries. The website also includes blog entries and other content to complement the podcasts.

Subscribers have already shared positive reviews of the podcast series:

“Such a clever way to introduce people to digital transformation.”
“I’m kinda hooked. It’s probably because I’m a huge history geek; a fan of mystery stuff.”
“Da Vinci must have been awesome to be around.”
“I don’t really take the time to subscribe to podcasts; this one, however…I so look forward to the next episode!”

“We were seeking a way to humanize the SAP brand and tell a story that would connect with customers on a visceral level,” said Ginger Shimp, Senior Marketing Director at SAP. “We chose Smash Marketing to help us with the online strategy because we knew they could deliver a web experience that would support the emotional response while providing the connection to the SAP Leonardo platform.”

“We wanted to engage on a different level to dramatize how technology can impact people’s lives, without the buzzwords. Searching for Salaì is our way to stimulate new thinking about digital information and transformation with something new and unexpected that promotes real interest and conversation. We see this as a breakthrough in brand marketing,” added Jeff Janiszewski, Marketing Director at SAP.

The podcast medium has been around since the first Apple iPod, and Americans continue to consume more audio. According to Edison Research, Americans spend four hours a day listening to audio. Forty-four percent of Americans listen to podcasts (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/podcast-research/the-13-critical-podcast-statistics-of-2018), and 64 percent use their smartphone or tablet to listen on the go. One in four of those surveyed say they have listened to a podcast in the last month, and weekly listeners consume an average of five podcasts per week.

Searching for Salaì is available to subscribers through the website, through Apple iTunes, or from any outlet where listeners access their podcasts.

For more information about Searching for Salaì including a podcast archive, visit http://searchingforsalai.com, or see the preview (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3ZRUb1AKkpQMLiJIKNexNRw038JnZeaS).

SAP Leonardo powers the Intelligent Enterprise, with intelligent technologies, services, and expertise to optimize processes and resources. SAP Leonardo harnesses a design thinking methodology and SAP expertise to ignite innovation and help you rapidly adopt new capabilities and business models.

To learn more about SAP, visit http://www.sap.com/products/intelligent-enterprise.html.

To learn more about Column Five, visit http://www.columnfivemedia.com.

About Smash Marketing
Smash Marketing is a full-service marketing agency, developing and executing end-to-end programs that encompass building awareness, strategy and planning, content development, demand generation, and marketing and sales support. Co-founded by Leila Ahmed and Cristy Gonzalez, both experienced marketers having worked for Fortune 500 companies, Smash Marketing is the “Goldilocks Agency,” developing and delivering marketing solutions that are “just right” for their clients.

For more information, visit http://www.smashmarketing.com.

Media Contact:
Leila Ahmed
Smash Marketing, LLC
303-741-2020
leila@smashmarketing.com

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