Category Archives: Business

Business, Technology

T5 Data Centers Poised to Meet Emerging Challenges of Mission-Critical Hyperscale & Enterprise Computing

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T5 CEO Cites Record of 10 Years’ of Success and Innovation as the Foundation to Meet New Market Challenges and Continued Delivery of “Forever On” Data Services.

Atlanta, GA, USA — After a decade of delivering “forever on” data center services, T5 Data Centers, innovators in providing secure, customizable, hyperscale and enterprise computing environments, has just completed its best year in 2018. As the company moves into 2019, T5 CEO Pete Marin predicts another strong year as T5 prepares to meet the new challenges of the rapidly changing cloud computing market.

“T5 has been able to stay ahead of the continually changing data center market by combining future-proof facilities with innovation, superior expertise and customer service,” said Marin. “With a 10+ year record of success, we continue to expand our data center portfolio and provide services that anticipate our customers’ needs. We have a growing list of satisfied customers and industry accolades such as the Uptime Institute’s Continuous Uptime Award, so we have earned our reputation for reliability and delivering ‘forever on’ services.”

New demands on hybrid computing architectures are presenting new challenges to data center occupiers and colocation providers. Hybrid clouds are making up the bulk of corporate computing services, giving users access to vast public clouds while enabling them to retain control over their most sensitive applications. In addition, Edge computing is gaining ground as more companies decentralize their IT infrastructure and use regional data centers to shorten the backhaul and reduce latency for applications such as managing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In fact, the proliferation of IoT, mobile computing, and other data traffic is putting an added strain on data centers.

At the same time, there is an ongoing shortage of qualified data center personnel. According to a study by the Uptime Institute, 45 percent of data center operators said that lack of qualified staff will limit data center growth for the next five to seven years, and 38 percent said they are having trouble finding qualified candidates to fill open IT positions.

“T5 is one of the few companies able to offer end-to-end data center solutions from construction to ongoing operations,” Marin added. “In addition to our Tier III-plus data centers, we have T5 Construction Services to help with planning and custom build-outs, and we have T5 Facilities Management to provide world-class operations expertise. We are a one-stop-shop with the staff and resources to deliver tailored hyperscale and enterprise solutions, no matter what the requirements.”

The company has plans for international expansion in 2019. T5 has already announced the addition of T5@Ireland, and the company will expand its international coverage in the months ahead.

To hear Pete Marin’s views on T5 Data Center’s success in 2018, visit http://www.t5datacenters.com/pete-marin-president-ceo-t5-data-centers-2018-year-end-message.

About T5 Data Centers
T5 Data Centers (T5) is a leading national data center owner and operator, committed to delivering customizable, scalable data centers that provide a “Forever On” computing environment to power mission critical business applications. T5 Data Centers provides enterprise colocation data center services to organizations across North America and Europe using proven, best-in-class technology and techniques to design and develop facilities that deliver the lowest possible total cost of operations for its clients. T5 Construction Services (T5CS) provides construction services such as turnkey data hall construction, facility upgrades, equipment procurement, and project management and consulting to mission critical facilities throughout North America. T5 Facilities Management (T5FM) is the mission-critical support division of T5, providing 24/7 critical facilities management, remote hands, IT consulting, and related services. All of T5’s data center projects are purpose-built facilities featuring robust design, redundant and reliable power and telecommunications, and have 24-hour staff to support mission-critical computing applications.

For more information, visit http://www.t5datacenters.com.

Contact:
Aaron Wangenheim
T5 Data Centers
(415) 292-7700
aaron@t5datacenters.com
http://www.t5datacenters.com

Business

Monterey Symphony’s 2018-19 Season Continues March 16-17 With Concert #4 Featuring Guest Conductor Jung-Ho Pak and Works by Tan Dun, Dmitri Shostakovich, Alan Hovhaness

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The sounds of water at play and work highlight the fourth concert of the season for the Monterey Symphony, March 16-17, when Jung-Ho Pak guest conducts the symphony with works by Tan Dun, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Alan Hovhaness.

Monterey, CA, February 24, 2019 — The sounds of water at play and work highlight the fourth concert of the season for the Monterey Symphony, March 16-17, when Jung-Ho Pak guest conducts the symphony with works by Tan Dun, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Alan Hovhaness.

The concerts will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 16 and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 2019, at the Sunset Center, San Carlos Avenue and Ninth Street in Carmel.

Revolutionary experimental composer Tan Dun transposes the sounds of water — at play and at work — into the textures of his music, most literally in Water Concerto for water percussion and orchestra. Christopher S. Lamb is featured on percussion.

The symphonic poem “And God Created Great Whales” by Alan Hovhaness — commissioned in 1970 by the New York Philharmonic — features prerecorded humpback whale vocalizations, and was credited with early efforts to save whales from extinction.

To celebrate the Soviet victory over Germany, Shostakovich was commissioned to write Symphony No. 9, which, Leonard Bernstein described as a series of musical jokes (including purposeful mistakes), completing a boisterous, 99.99% organic, and exciting concert program.

Ticketholders are invited one hour prior to every performance for the symphony’s pre-concert lectures in the Hall of Sunset Center.

Subscriptions are now available. Please contact the box office for availability at (831) 646-8511. For more information and pricing visit: http://www.montereysymphony.org/concerts-events/subscriptions

In addition to the two concerts, there will also be a Symphony Luncheon and Supper Club in March.

Join the Friends of the Monterey Symphony for a preview luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 14th, 2019, at the Beach & Tennis Club at Pebble Beach Resorts. Support classical music, enjoy great food and company, and engage with guest conductor Jung-Ho Pak and guest artist Christopher S. Lamb, from the March concerts.

The luncheon starts with no-host cocktails at 11:30 a.m., followed by luncheon at 12:15 and the guest speaker presentation at 1:15. Cost is $50 per person.

The March Supper Club will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 2019, at Anton & Michel, Mission Street between Ocean and Seventh, in Carmel.

Join the Monterey Symphony for a gourmet dinner overlooking the Court of the Fountains at Anton & Michel, ending each Symphony weekend with a sizzling and sumptuous supper for the senses.

Supper Clubs include appetizers and wine upon arrival, followed by a gourmet three-course dinner with several entrees to choose from. Cost is $75 per person.

For Luncheon and Supper Club tickets, go to www.montereysymphony.org.

About the Monterey Symphony

The mission of the Monterey Symphony is to engage, educate and excite our community through the performance and continual discovery of symphonic music.

The Monterey Symphony, under the artistic leadership of Music Director & Conductor Max Bragado-Darman, is the only fully professional, full-season orchestra serving the communities of the Monterey Bay, Salinas, Salinas Valley, Big Sur, and San Benito County. It provides double performances of a six-concert subscription series at Carmel’s Sunset Theater, as well as youth education programs that include in-class visits and culminate in full-orchestra concerts for school children.

The Monterey Symphony is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, supported in part through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Monterey Symphony, and through grants from The Arts Council of Monterey County, The Berkshire Foundation, The Buffet Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The Community Foundation for Monterey County, Frisone Family Foundation, The Harden Foundation, The Todd Lueders Fund for the Arts of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, The Monterey County Weekly Community Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Music Performance Trust Fund, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Samson Foundation, Warren and Katharine Schlinger Foundation, Alexander F. Victor Foundation, and many other generous foundations and individual donors.

For additional information, please call 831-646-8511 or visit the website: www.montereysymphony.org.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.montereysymphony.org

Business, Technology

Gotransverse Again Named to Constellation Research ShortList™ for Top Smart Services Digital Monetization Platforms

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Gotransverse again named as market leader with monetization platform deemed truly disruptive by analysts and innovators.

Austin, TX, USA — Gotransverse (http://www.gotransverse.com), a leading provider of enterprise order-to-cash solutions, has again been named to the Constellation ShortList™ of Smart Services Digital Monetization Platforms for Q1 2019. This is the fourth consecutive time that Gotransverse has been recognized by Constellation Research for meeting the critical requirements for early adopters seeking digital transformation solutions.

Gotransverse offers an intelligent billing platform that helps companies boost revenue by implementing subscription- and consumption-based pricing on a massive scale. The Gotransverse agile monetization platform was designed to help businesses increase revenue and shorten product and service time-to-market by automating complex billing models based on subscription or usage-based scenarios, while integrating into other business systems and sophisticated analytics. The Gotransverse configurable cloud platform enables targeted product packaging for virtually anything you can measure, including detailed reporting and ratings. The Gotransverse philosophy is, “If you can measure it, we can monetize it.”

To qualify for the Constellation ShortList, vendors have to meet 10 out of 14 criteria, including offering account management, alerts, billing complex workflows, configure/price/quote (CPQ), contracts, financials, invoicing, integration, partner platforms, pricing, product catalogs, and reporting and analytics. Constellation selects the list’s leaders using a combination of client inquiries, partner discussions, customer references, market share, and internal research.

“Gotransverse has made the Constellation ShortList over the last two years, which we see as validation of our agile monetization solution,” said James Messer, Founder and CEO of Gotransverse. “Our customers understand that digital transformation isn’t just a fad. To compete in the native digital economy you need to offer multiple pricing options, including single purchase, subscriptions, and usage-based billing. Gotransverse consistently outperforms as the most advanced, reliable, and versatile cloud platform to handle diverse billing models.

“The Constellation ShortList is rapidly evolving as organizations need to monetize their digital initiatives,” said R “Ray” Wang, Chairman and Founder at Constellation Research. “It’s our job to identify the leading solutions that apply exponential technologies to enterprise scale and security requirements.”

Constellation Research advises leaders on leveraging disruptive technologies to achieve business model transformation. Products and services named to the Constellation ShortList meet the threshold criteria for this category as determined through client inquiries, partner conversations, customer references, vendor selection projects, market share and internal research. The Constellation ShortList is updated twice annually or as frequently as market conditions change.

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

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.

Disclaimer
Constellation Research does not endorse any solution or service named in its research.

Press Contact:
Tom Woolf
Gotransverse
415-842-7398
Email: twoolf(at)gotransverse(dot)com

Business

Goodwill Central Coast completes renovation of Seaside store, announces grand reopening March 22

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As part of its strategic plan toward modernizing retail stores and other facilities, Goodwill Central Coast has announced a March 22 grand reopening of its Seaside store.

Seaside, CA, February 22, 2019 — As part of its strategic plan toward modernizing retail stores and other facilities, Goodwill Central Coast has announced a March 22 grand reopening of its Seaside store.

Festivities begin with a ribbon-cutting celebration featuring the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Seaside/Sand City Chamber of Commerce and city officials.

Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby will be the first to shop in the renovated Goodwill store and donation center at 729 Broadway Ave. At 11 a.m., following all the festivities, shoppers will an assortment of interesting items, and huge discounts on merchandise some merchandise . Those entered into a drawing have a chance to win a $200 Goodwill certificate.

On Day 2 (March 23) of the grand opening, Goodwill partners with Everyone’s Harvest Farmers Market. The first 200 shoppers will receive a Goodwill tote bag and specials throughout the day, both at the nearby farmers market and the Seaside Goodwill store.

“We’re really happy with the renovation of our store in Seaside,” said Ed Durkee, president/CEO of Goodwill Central Coast. “The investment has created a much better environment for both our shopper and our employees. And we’re delighted to match the investment that community has made in the Broadway (Avenue) corridor. The whole street looks just great. Goodwill is proud to be part of a community with a vision of progress.”

As outlined in a strategic direction approved in 2016 by Goodwill Central Coast’s board of directors, the organization invested roughly $25 million toward enhancing efficiency and worker safety, renovating retail stores and relocating the organization’s headquarters and central donation processing facility to Salinas.

The plan is designed to sustain the organization’s social enterprise while building the capacity for growth. A key objective is to ensure all facilities are clean, modern, free of barriers and characterized by efficiency and respect for human dignity.

Seaside Goodwill

Donation Center and Store

729 Broadway Ave., Seaside CA

(831) 394-1212

Welcome to Goodwill Central Coast

Store hours:

9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Saturday

10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday

About Goodwill Central Coast

Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs more than 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 9,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.ccgoodwill.org

Business

MPA Watch, A Statewide Program That Collects Data on Human Uses of Marine Resources, Launches New Website, Social Media Sites

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MPA Watch, a network of programs that collect human-use data in marine protected areas in order to keep our oceans clean and healthy, has launched a new, revamped website http://mpawatch.org and social media pages.

San Diego, CA, February 20, 2019 — MPA Watch, a network of programs that collect human-use data in marine protected areas in order to keep our oceans clean and healthy, has launched a new, revamped website http://mpawatch.org and social media pages.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are marine or estuarine waters set aside primarily to protect or conserve marine life and its associated habitat. Just as parks on land protect special lands and wildlife from overdevelopment and poaching, these ocean parks preserve California’s stunning marine ecosystems for future generations to observe and enjoy.

MPA Watch is a community science program that trains volunteers to observe and collect data on human uses of coastal and marine resources both inside and outside of marine protected areas (MPAs). Volunteers use standardized methods to collect data.

The data collected are used to help the management, enforcement, and science of California’s marine protected areas, and allows MPA Watch’s network of programs and organizations to track how the public uses coastal areas.

By involving local communities in this collection of data, MPA Watch programs inspire and empower stewardship, and educate the public about California’s ocean ecosystems.

People interested in learning more are encouraged to follow MPA Watch on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mpawatch/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPAWatch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpawatchorg/

MPA Watch volunteers observe California’s beaches and bluffs inside and outside MPAs, recording all offshore and onshore coastal activities from recreational activities such as swimming and surfing to commercial activities such as fishing. Volunteers are trained to recognize different types of activities, using binoculars to view activities offshore, and to record their observations on data sheets.

Volunteers record consumptive activities such as commercial fishing, shore fishing, and clamming, and non-consumptive activities such as swimming, SCUBA diving, and tide pooling.

All data collected by volunteers undergo rigorous quality assurance and quality control protocols by coordinating organizations before being accepted and shared with users such as state coastal managers and environmental researchers.

Data from community science projects like MPA Watch complements data collected by other monitoring groups, resource managers, scientists and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Ecological, economic, and social factors are just a few types of data that will be collected to provide a comprehensive picture on how the MPAs are functioning. This data will also help us to understand where there may be a need for enhanced education and outreach, signage, and law enforcement. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is the agency charged with management and enforcement of MPA regulations.

You can help support MPAs by joining a MPA Watch program as a volunteer. Local volunteers have submitted more than 22,000 surveys to date. The groups of volunteer organizations below monitors the use of coastal and ocean MPAs, providing a valuable look at how people are using these conservation areas.

Heal the Bay – Los Angeles County

Grace Young, gyoung@healthebay.org

Los Angeles Waterkeeper – Los Angeles County

Michael Quill, mquill@lawaterkeeper.org

Orange County Coastkeeper – Orange County

Ray Hiemstra, ray@coastkeeper.org

West Marin Environmental Action Committee – Marin County

Morgan Patton, morgan@eacmarin.org

California Academy of Sciences

Rebecca Johnson, rjohnson@calacademy.org

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper – Santa Barbara County

Penny Owens, penny@sbck.org

WILDCOAST – San Diego County

Angela Kemsley, angela@wildcoast.org

Greater Farallones Association – San Francisco County

Kirsten Lindquist, klindquist@farallones.org

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History – Monterey County

Erika Delemarre, delemarre@pgmuseum.org

Eagle Eyes of False Klamath Cove – Del Norte County

Ruthie Maloney, ruthiemaloney@gmail.com

John Corbett, williammlpa@gmail.com

Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Del Norte County

Rosa Laucci, rosa.laucci@tolowa.com

Outdoor Schools

Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE)

Kat Montgomery, kat@aeoe.org

For more information on volunteering for MPA Watch, go to mpawatch.org or email angela@wildcoast.org. To access various resources, go the MPA Watch Resources page at http://www.mpawatch.org/site/startyourown.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

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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

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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Business, Electronics, Technology

Fulham Names Chris Veira to Head Distribution Sales and Harold Thompson to Head North American OEM Sales

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Staffing changes come after Fulham achieves record revenue in 2018.

Hawthorne, CA, USA — Fulham Co., Inc., a leading supplier of lighting components and electronics for commercial and specialty applications, today announced that Chris Veira has been promoted from Southwest Distribution Manager to Director of Sales, North American Distribution. Harold Thompson, who has been serving as Northeast OEM Manager, also has been promoted to Director of Sales, North American OEM.

The changes come following the retirement of Richard White, Vice President, U.S. Distribution Channel, and the departure of Mike Bauer, VP of Global Sales, who left for a job outside of the lighting industry. Thanks largely to a commitment to continued innovation in LED lighting, Fulham has just completed 2018 with record company revenue despite market pressures such as increased tariffs and other costs.

During his 13 year career at Fulham, White was responsible for developing business relationships with the top 10 North American electrical and industrial distributors. He also was instrumental in driving Fulham’s e-commerce initiative, including overseeing the company’s Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA) initiatives. During White’s tenure both the annual sales volume through distribution and the number of distributors associated with Fulham grew significantly.

Bauer, who was with the company for nearly five years, contributed to Fulham’s growth in the LED and emergency lighting markets, as well as structuring the global sales organization to maximize these types of product sales opportunities. Bauer, who is based in North Carolina, departed in early January for a role closer to his home.

“During my tenture at Fulham, developing bench strength in all of our departments has been a top priority for me,” said Bob Howard-Anderson, CEO of Fulham. “While Mike and Richard will be missed, we are confident that Harold and Chris will continue to drive our business. It’s never easy to see good people depart, but they left on the high note of record revenue.”

Veira has been with Fulham since 2015, helping build and support the southwestern distribution channel. In his new role he will assume responsibility for overseeing all U.S. sales distribution, including providing sales support and bringing on new distributors.

Thompson has been with Fulham since 2006, helping to expand and service the company’s OEM customers throughout the Northeast. In his new role he will assume responsibility for overseeing all North American OEM sales, including major accounts.

Howard-Anderson is acting as the interim head of Global Sales while a new leader is being recruited. Fulham was founded in 1994 so 2019 marks its 25th year in business. The company now employs more than 500 people worldwide in North America, China, India and Europe.

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

About Fulham
Fulham Co., Inc. is a leading global provider of intelligent, socially-conscious sustainable commercial lighting components and electronics for use in commercial general lighting, parking structure, signage, horticultural, UV and other applications. The company develops and manufactures a variety of award-winning LED and emergency products, lighting controls, as well as legacy products across multiple lighting platforms. Fulham sells its lighting solutions worldwide through original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electrical equipment distribution channels. Headquartered in Hawthorne, Calif., the company has sales and/or manufacturing facilities in the Europe, China, and India. For more information, visit http://www.fulham.com, @FulhamUSA or @FulhamEurope.

Media Contact:
Andy Firchau
Marketing Manager
Fulham Co., Inc.
Phone: +1 (323) 779-2980, ext. 1252
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Business, Financial, Non-Profit

Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union’s Teddy Bears on Patrol Program Delivers 2,100 Toy Bears to Children in Need in 2018

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For More than 20 Years, Teddy Bears on Patrol Continues to Bring Joy Over the Holidays.

San Jose, CA, USA — The Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union (http://www.sccfcu.org) is pleased to announce another successful year for its Teddy Bears on Patrol holiday program. This year, Teddy Bears on Patrol was able to bring 2,100 stuffed bears to cheer up needy children.

For more than 20 years, County Federal has sponsored the Teddy Bears on Patrol Program along with local law enforcement agencies, school districts, and organizations such as Santa Clara County Social Services, Parents Helping Parents, and the Rosa Elena Childcare Center (part of Respite & Research for Alzheimer’s Disease). The program was created to bring joy to children suffering from trauma or illness.

“The holiday season is a time of caring and sharing. Giving needy children their own teddy bear to love and comfort is our way of showing we care about our kids,” said Rebecca Reynolds Lytle, President and CEO of County Federal. “This has been a highly successful program over the years and our law enforcement and medical professional partners get just as much joy out of this tradition as we do. There’s nothing that brings more joy and comfort to a child in need than a teddy bear.”

New teddy bears were donated from mid-October to mid-December at County Federal branches. Cash donations were also accepted from County Federal members, as the credit union arranged to have bears purchased on their behalf. This year, County Federal employees held an internal challenge and were able to raise more than $1,000 in two hours to purchase even more teddy bears for the kids.

For more information, visit http://www.sccfcu.org/teddy.

About Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union
For more than 68 years Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union has been bettering the lives of county, city, and school employees and affiliated organizations. In addition to maintaining a passionate commitment to provide knowledgeable financial solutions to its members, County Federal also maintains an extensive community outreach program, providing educational support through its scholarship program and dedicating time and resources to a variety of regional non-profit organizations. County Federal offers a comprehensive line of financial products and preferred rates and is committed to empowering, enriching and enhancing members’ financial lives.

For more information, visit http://www.sccfcu.org.

Media Contact:
Marilyn Avalos
Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union
408.282.0782
mavalos@sccfcu.org

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Business, Technology

Decayeux Group Unveils “Walter” Mobile App at CES to Bring Social Networking to Secure Package Delivery

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Walter Centers Combines Social Outreach and Vendor Services Around MyColisBox™.

Las Vegas, NV, USA — The Decayeux Group, the French innovators specializing in security products since 1872, will be introducing Walter, a new mobile security and social app, at CES 2019 being held here January 7-11, 2019. Walter has been developed as a support tool for MyColisBox™, Decayeux’s secure parcel delivery solution, but it also serves as a new social and concierge platform for college dormitories, offices, and residential buildings.

Walter is a mobile app that runs on your smartphone or mobile device to alert you when a package is delivered to a nearby MyColisBox for pickup. MyColisBox can be installed in offices, apartment buildings, condominiums, student housing, marinas – anywhere people need a secure, self-service location to receive packages. However, Walter is more than a delivery alert application – it also has been designed to help residents and co-workers connect and shop using MyColisBox as a social media focal point.

With Walter APP users can connect with others in their community to borrow and lend items, barter, and even receive goods from area businesses. The concept is to promote social cohesion by using mobile technology to connect people using the physical secure delivery system, MyColisBox, as a focal point for the building.

In addition to the app Decayeux has developed Walter BOARD, a digital notice board that allows users to post and share information in real time. Walter BOARD can be used to post items for sale, offer items to share, or to advertise goods and services provided by area merchants. It also can serve as a community bulletin board, alerting users about building services, events, and other notifications.

Rounding out the Walter offering is Walter PARTNERS, which is designed to connect merchants and service providers with MyColisBox users via Walter. Walter PARTNERS allows businesses to promote concierge services and use MyColisBox to deliver goods and pick up items from residents and connected users. For example, restaurants and grocery services can make deliveries via MyColisBox, or cleaners can collect and deliver dry cleaning using MyColisBox as a pickup and delivery point and using Walter BOARD to promote their services.

“With Walter we are paving the way to social delivery of merchandise and services,” said Stephane Decayeux, co-CEO of Decayeux Group. “Developing a mobile app such as Walter to support our secure MyColisBox brings social media and material goods together in a unique way, simplifying people’s lives while bringing them closer together. This is another example of societal transformation powered by innovative technology.”

The Decayeux Group will be demonstrating Walter and MyColisBox at CES at the Sands Hall in Booth 40534. For more information, visit http://www.decayeux.com.

About MyColisBox
MyColisBox is a secure and connected parcel box delivery system designed to meet the needs of consumers in accepting online shipments and package deliveries. Ideal for residential and professional buildings, MyColisBox was specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s online shoppers, providing a secure pickup point accessed by a unique pin code sent via SMS message to the recipient’s smartphone. The solution is ideal for today’s busy consumers who can’t be available to sign for package’s. It also provides a new way to improve the customer experience by supporting specialty and concierge services that can be delivered right to the consumer’s building.

MyColisBox has been recognized by the Consumer Technology Association as a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree. It also has received the 2019 German Design Award.

About Decayeux
Founded in 1872, the Decayeux group was first a leader in the locksmith industry. Today, that tradition is carried on with its family’s sixth generation, whose passion, innovation, creativity and drive has helped Decayeux to become the leading European manufacturer of mailboxes, as well as high security doors.

For more information, contact:
Tom Woolf
Oxygen Public Relations
425.842.7398
tom@oxygen-rp.com