Avnet Technology Solutions Helps Resellers Capitalize on Business Analytics Opportunities in the U.S. and Canada

press release

Oct. 25, 2011, 11:00 a.m. EDT

Avnet Technology Solutions Helps Resellers Capitalize on Business Analytics Opportunities in the U.S. and Canada

New "Destination: Analytics" initiative enables Avnet's IBM partners to expand their business analytics software sales in high-growth, vertical markets

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and operating group of Avnet, Inc. /quotes/zigman/218726/quotes/nls/avt AVT +0.00% , today announced its new "Destination: Analytics" initiative to accelerate sales of IBM business analytics software in the U.S. and Canada. As part of this initiative, Avnet has created a dedicated team of business analytics experts who will provide solutions training, marketing and enablement programs to IBM value-added reseller partners. Destination: Analytics is designed to help partners sell complete data center solutions into high-growth, vertical markets by leveraging Avnet and IBM's channel support in the growing business analytics market.

"Business analytics creates smart and efficient ways for companies to transform their data into actionable information, so they can better understand, anticipate and shape business outcomes," said Fred Cuen, senior vice president and general manager, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, IBM Solutions group. "Through our Destination: Analytics initiative, Avnet has invested in our IBM partners with the support, resources and services they need to capture complete business analytics solutions sales."

Avnet's business analytics initiative will focus on four main areas:

1) Helping business partners identify the market opportunity and their role in it; 2) Providing partners with the sales and technical skills needed to pursue market opportunities; 3) Accelerating partners' ability to develop qualified prospects; 4) Enabling partners to leverage vertical market expertise to grow their business analytics businesses.

Additionally, IBM business partners can gain expertise in high-growth industries with Avnet through Avnet's SolutionsPath(R) vertical practices for the energy, finance, government, healthcare and retail markets in conjunction with Destination: Analytics which offers channel-ready business analytics solutions.

"Our clients are asking us for solutions, not products. They need a capable partner who is enabled with tools, such as IBM's Cognos software, that combine strategic and operational data into a consistent and meaningful source of information," said David Traxler, president, VSS, an end-to-end technology solutions provider and Avnet partner. "We're growing our Information Management and Data Analytics practice in the healthcare and consumer product markets because we can offer our clients business analytics solutions that give them the detailed information they need to make informed business decisions."

As a part of its Destination: Analytics initiative, Avnet will provide partners with business analytics market education, sales mastery training, proof of concept solutions designs, demand generation activities, solutions playbooks, and certification assistance. In addition, partners can leverage Avnet's dedicated business analytics team through every phase of the sales cycle.

"Avnet's strategy of targeting high-growth vertical markets with complete solutions aligns well with IBM's strategy and client demands," said Mark Register, vice president, business partners and midmarket, IBM software. "Together, we are building a stronger ecosystem of highly trained and knowledgeable partners."

Avnet and IBM have been working together in partnership for more than 25 years, collaborating on a global basis in more than 30 countries in the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA. In addition to the new business analytics initiative, Avnet can also help IBM business partners increase their data center expertise with SolutionsPath(R) in cloud computing, mobility, networking, security, storage and virtualization.

Follow Avnet Technology Solutions, North America, on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AvnetAdvantage .

About Avnet Technology Solutions

As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. For fiscal year 2011, the group served customers in more than 70 countries and generated US $11.5 billion in annual revenue. Avnet Technology Solutions ( www.ats.avnet.com ) is an operating group of Avnet, Inc.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. /quotes/zigman/218726/quotes/nls/avt AVT +0.00% , a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, Avnet generated revenue of $26.5 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com .

Cloud Computing Platform Automates Health Spending for Canadians

October 25, 2011 

Cloud Computing Platform Automates Health Spending for Canadians

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PreAxia Health Care Payment Systems Inc. introduces their automated platform for managing Health Spending Accounts (HSAs) in Canada. This follows three years of development to create the first fully integrated HSA solution for Canada’s brokerage and broker community. Through the use of Cloud Computing technologies, PreAxia allows HSA brokers to more easily offer and manage HSA accounts. PreAxia technology simplifies fund-management, claims adjudication, transaction processing and on-line health benefit administration, through a broker’s own web site. This automation results in cost savings for both HSA brokers and the companies that purchase these services.

An HSA is a special bank account to set aside funds for personal health care. Similar in ways to an RRSP, this account offers tax advantages to both employers and employees. Unlike the more traditional insurance plans, HSAs provide employers and employees with greater control in the amount of funds invested and how the funds are used. Employers determine the amount of money they wish to deposit into an HSA and employees use these funds to pay for a broad range of health care services. PreAxia’s platform provides the on-line tools to manage the plan, generate reports, communicate with employees, submit claims and be reimbursed for health related expenditures. These accounts are available through health insurance brokers and financial advisors. More information on HSA accounts can be found at PreAxia’s broker web sites which are accessible through www.PreAxia.com.

PreAxia’s HSA Management Solution is designed for agents (health insurance brokers and financial planners) that service small and medium sized companies. PreAxia technology aids these agents in promoting their HSA services. Each PreAxia broker is provided with a custom branded web site and employers requiring HSA services are directed to this site through PreAxia’s main portal. The technology eliminates the need for paper documentation and provides software tools for the ongoing management of these plans for both brokers and their employer/employee clients. It provides secure online transactions in the funding of these plans and the disbursement of employee claims.

With PreAxia, Brokerage Firms and Brokers can create their own health spending account program. The system provides the tools to establish a privately branded health spending account product as well as design a web site and marketing material to complement the brand. The platform also provides tools to manage new customer relationships and an automated enrolment process.

This is a significant step in the control of health care costs on an international level. By eliminating paper documentation and electronically managing all aspects of billing and claims management, PreAxia is able to reduce costs at all levels of the process and provide brokers with higher profit margins. This leaves more money to be spent on the acquisition of health care services as opposed to administration of the process. “This is an industry changing technology. It is our expectation that PreAxia technology will become the new standard in how Group Benefits are administered. We allow brokers to spend less time on administration and focus on the personal relationship part of their business. These savings benefit the entire health care system”, commented Perry Shoom, PreAxia’s Vice President of Marketing.

PreAxia’s proprietary platform was constructed with a state of the art in-house designed architecture, and the latest technology stack offered by Microsoft. The platform runs on a private cloud managed by Tenzing. It was built with high security and high availability as the key requirements. For the processing of electronic financial transactions, PreAxia works with TD Bank and Beanstream. All transactions are protected with the strongest SSL encryption offered by Verisign (now part of Symantec.) Verisign certificates are recognized around the world as authentication of secure Internet transactions. Available only in Canada today, the PreAxia platform is designed to operate in multiple countries while complying with local regulations for other HSA-type products. The implementation currently supports thousands of concurrent users, and the proprietary architecture allows for the capacity to grow to millions of concurrent customers as needed.

This initial launch of the application is designed to aid the broker and employer communities. A Clinic Module, to be introduced soon, will help link consumers with health care practitioners in their local market.

PreAxia offers a Free Webinar for professionals interested in learning about the company’s automated & paperless HSA Management Solution. Interested individuals should send an e-mail to webinar@PreAxia.com with “Request Webinar Details” in the subject line.

PreAxia Health Care Payment Systems Inc. (www.PreAxia.com) provides those who sell health insurance and financial planning products with the technology to sell Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Its automated & paperless HSA Management Solution uses Internet technology to provide marketing, enrolment, claims management and support services. This comprehensive set of software applications manages client relationships and HSA accounts through a web browser. The company is currently quoted on the over the counter bulletin board (OTC/BB) under the symbol “PAXH”.

Contacts

PreAxia Health Care Payment Systems Inc.
Perry Shoom, Vice President of Marketing
(647) 383-9403 - mobile

Consumer Law Group Inc. announces the filing of a national class action against RIM for BlackBerry outage demanding refund of data fees (http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/865233/consumer-law-group-inc-announces-the-fili..

Consumer Law Group Inc. announces the filing of a national class action against RIM for BlackBerry outage demanding refund of data fees

MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Consumer Law Group Inc. today announced the filing in the Quebec Superior Court of a proposed national class action lawsuit against Research in Motion on behalf of individuals who have Blackberry smartphones and who pay for a monthly data plan but were unable to access their email, BlackBerry Messenger service ("BBM"), and/or internet for the period of October 11 to 14, 2011.

The class action involves RIM's failure to take action to either directly compensate BlackBerry users or to indirectly compensate BlackBerry users by arranging for wireless service providers to refunds their customers and to take full responsibility for these damages. RIM is responsible for BlackBerry users' loss of email, BBM, and/or internet service for approximately one (1) and a half (1/2) days, and yet it has not compensated consumers on a prorated basis for such loss of use.

Anyone who was affected by the outage should contact our law firm at info@clg.org or 1-888-909-7863. Alternatively, please complete the form at http://www.clg.org/Class-Action/List-of-Class-Actions/RIM-BlackBerry-Outage-National-Class-Action

For further information:

Me Jeff Orenstein
514-CONSUMER (266-7863) ext. 220
jorenstein@clg.org
http://www.clg.org


U.S. International Trade Commission Finds in Favor of HP in Inkjet Print Cartridge Infringement Suit

U.S. International Trade Commission Finds in Favor of HP in Inkjet Print Cartridge Infringement Suit

Federal commission recommends general exclusion order, names additional infringement violations in latest patent ruling

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 26, 2011

HP today announced it has obtained a favorable review by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding the importation and sale of patent-infringing inkjet print cartridges.

The ruling by the full ITC upholds the Initial Determination announced in June 2011 and makes additional findings of infringement.

Specifically, the ITC agreed with the Initial Determination that Asia Pacific Microsystems (APM), a subsidiary of Taiwan-based United Microelectronics Corporation, is a contributory infringer of HP patents in manufacturing inkjet printheads. In addition, the ITC determined that APM was liable for inducing infringement by other companies in supplying inkjet printheads.

In its latest ruling, the ITC also affirmed the finding that MicroJet Technology Co. – a subsidiary of Taiwan-based DB-Tel Incorporated – and PTC Holdings Limited are direct infringers of HP’s patents in the manufacturing and/or sale of inkjet print cartridges. The ITC adopted the Administrative Law Judge’s recommendation that a General Exclusion Order is the appropriate remedy. The order directs the U.S. Customs Service to exclude all infringing articles, without regard to source.

“HP makes a tremendous investment in developing innovative products for our customers and is committed to pursuing action to protect these innovations and, by extension, the value we deliver to our customers,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “HP is pleased with the outcome on these matters and the ITC’s enforcement of intellectual property rights.”

The decision is based on investigations into a complaint filed by HP and instituted by the ITC on June 21, 2010, alleging violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of HP-compatible inkjet print cartridges that infringe HP patents.

More information about Original HP supplies is available here.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

Dell Boomi AtomSphere Fall Release Harnesses Power of World’s Largest Integration Cloud to Simplify Integration Complexity

Dell Boomi AtomSphere Fall Release Harnesses Power of World’s Largest Integration Cloud to Simplify Integration Complexity

  • Community-sourced and validated data maps and map functions reduce integration configuration time
  • New dashboards offer centralized view into operational transparency, usage trends and control for customers and partnersIntegrated business rules enable powerful multi-step conditional rules and logic in integration workflows

Dell Boomi, the world’s largest integration cloud,  today announced new capabilities that utilize the power of its AtomSphere user community to simplify cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) application integration for medium and large enterprises.

AtomSphere Fall 11, the newest version of Dell Boomi’s cloud integration technology, includes expanded intelligence for suggesting customer-validated data maps and functions, an integrated capability for business rules, proactive customer communication services and improved functionality for monitoring integrations and service uptime anywhere for partners and end users. The new features simplify the move to cloud computing with easy integration via customer-proven pathways and user- and partner-friendly tools for monitoring and maintenance.

“Integration is a critical element to our business. Boomi has helped us not only tackle our vast data integration needs from our hundreds of properties, but has also helped enable a comprehensive Cloud strategy,” said Pradip Sitaram, senior vice president and chief information officer at Enterprise Business Partners. Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that builds affordable housing across the United States, giving low-income people greater access to stable affordable housing in strong communities. “The new business rules enhancement to AtomSphere Fall 11 allows us to isolate rules and make centralized changes that can be applied across integrations simultaneously. This feature helped us avoid investing in separate business rules software along with related resources, training and development costs, saving Enterprise Business Partners well over $100,000.”

World’s Largest Multi-Tenant Integration Cloud Speeds Integration Tasks

Dell Boomi AtomSphere simplifies the introduction of cloud and SaaS applications into a customer’s IT environment. AtomSphere connects new applications to existing applications—no matter how complex the data connections might appear to be. The multi-tenant architecture of AtomSphere allows Boomi to deliver fast, frequent updates to customers and enables customers to reduce the time and cost associated with application and data integration.

“In THINKstrategies’ view, the most fascinating new feature in Boomi’s latest release is its Predictive Assistance capability, which integrates customer usage metrics into Boomi’s support system to permit its client care team to deliver more proactive services, such as active training or other client outreach when data flows reach particular thresholds. This new capability enables client care to better predict their customers’ needs,” said Jeffrey Kaplan, managing director of analyst firm THINKstrategies. “Dell has made Boomi’s Cloud-based integration capabilities a pivotal component of its own rapidly evolving cloud strategies and solutions for medium and large enterprises.”

AtomSphere Fall 11 includes these new features:

  • Boomi Suggest for Functions – Drawing on the collective intelligence of the entire AtomSphere community, Boomi Suggest now includes support for Mapped Functions and offers established suggestions based on over 13,000 indexed functions and over 50,000 data maps. Data mapping and function creation is one of the most time consuming steps of integration configuration. With Boomi Suggest, users are averaging 68 suggested mappings per map with 85% of these suggestions accepted, leading to much shorter time to value..
  • Expanded trust.boomi.comIntroduced in April 2010, the enhanced trust.boomi.com site now features even more information for users looking to ensure their integrations are functioning at the highest possible level. The improved transparency means that customers can rest assured that AtomSphere scales to meet their volume and reliability needs since it is already scaling to meet the needs of enterprises today as part of the world’s largest integration cloud.
  • Predictive Assistance - Customer usage metrics are now integrated into Dell Boomi’s support system and facilitate proactive client outreach when metrics indicate engagement is recommended. Predictive Assistance fosters return on investment for integration platform investment versus traditional middleware via analytics-driven proactive communication.
  • Business Rules - Implemented at the request of the Dell Boomi user community, Business Rules offers integrated, easy-to-use support for building complex multi-step decision making into integrations without resorting to custom coding or external products.
  • Partner Dashboards – Boomi has transformed integration from a barrier to competitive advantage by opening AtomSphere for any ISV to easily build, bundle, and deploy integration processes within their application. Through the multi-tenant architecture, partners can now manage and monitor all of their customers’ integrations from a single screen.
“AtomSphere Fall 11 is designed for and co-influenced by the Boomi community to help make complex integrations as swift and successful as possible,” said Rick Nucci, founder and CTO of Dell Boomi. “By exploring new capabilities, we’re learning more by connecting people than by connecting applications. It is by harnessing the collective intelligence and experiences of global adopters of SaaS that we are able to help simplify others’ paths to the cloud and accelerate adoption.”

Pricing and Availability
Boomi AtomSphere is available in the United States and existing customers have immediate access to all features announced today with the exception of Business Rules, which is available to customers with AtomSphere Professional Edition or higher. New customers can gain access beginning at $550/month. Learn more at www.boomi.com.

About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

Microsoft BizSpark One startup creates real-time workspace market, benefitting property owners and entrepreneurs alike.

LiquidSpace: Mobile-to-Cloud Service Matches Startups to Excess Workspace
Microsoft BizSpark One startup creates real-time workspace market, benefitting property owners and entrepreneurs alike.

Editor's Note: Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps startups succeed by providing technology, business and technology consulting, access to its vast marketing and partner network, and fostering a BizSpark community. This article is part of a special series that features some of the 40,000-plus startups that have joined the BizSpark program with an eye toward creating successful businesses, jobs and superior value.


REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 26, 2011 — On the surface, the concept of Microsoft BizSpark One member LiquidSpace is simple: provide an easy way to match mobile workers with available workspace, in real time. Below the surface and behind the scenes, however, bigger currents are flowing, as the “where” of office work is being re-imagined.

Mark Gilbreath, CEO, LiquidSpace, reviews the day's new workspace listings.
Mark Gilbreath, CEO, LiquidSpace, reviews the day's new workspace listings.
Click for larger image.

Company founder Mark Gilbreath calls his vision the “consumerization of real estate.” The LiquidSpace mobile and Web-based app capitalizes on a number of important trends: the increasing mobility of workers, the real-time quality of today’s work, the economic and environmental drag of empty commercial space, and the availability of location-aware technologies and cloud services infrastructure such as Windows Azure.

“I have been intrigued with alternatives to traditional workspaces for a long time, from both a business efficiency and an environmental impact standpoint,” Gilbreath explains. This interest heightened as he watched commercial buildings constructed during boom times sitting empty or underused as work patterns shifted.

As a 20-year tech veteran who has started and run multiple companies in his career, Gilbreath also had firsthand experience with the problems of workspaces for startup companies. “Owning or leasing real estate is a huge economic burden, consuming enormous chunks of a startup’s early capital resources,” he says. “Plus, designating a fixed amount of office, lab or manufacturing space limits a company’s business flexibility.”

Fixed workspaces can also constrain individual creativity and productivity. Increasingly, workers are leaving the workplace to get work done. Toiling alone on a project, bouncing ideas off co-workers, presenting to a customer or manager, traveling for business and working from home — different scenarios require different kinds of spaces.

“LiquidSpace is designed to connect mobile and contemporary knowledge workers with the right workspace at the right time, while providing new mechanisms to leverage underutilized real estate assets,” says Gilbreath. “For workers, it means working how and where they want. For businesses, it means turning a fixed cost into a variable, and maybe even some extra revenue.”

Making Workspaces Transactional

Turning workspaces into transactional assets — treated more like tables at a restaurant or rooms in a hotel than traditional office real estate — required LiquidSpace to embrace three key attributes for its service:

Real-time operation

A mechanism for trusted sharing

A flexible, cloud-based technology platform

Real-Time Operation

The ways people work are changing. Workers no longer show up to the same place at the same time each day, sit in a cubicle or office for eight or more hours, then leave. It’s estimated that there are 1 billion mobile workers worldwide who fall into three categories: office-based, nonoffice-based and home-based. These mobile workers need a convenient way to find and book space for various reasons — to work closer to where they need to be, in a physical environment that better matches a task at hand or in a social environment that better matches their style of working at that moment — often at a moment’s notice.

“The workplace today has become a real-time decision,” Gilbreath says, which is why the mobile app concept was a key element of LiquidSpace’s approach to the market. The company currently offers its real-time, location-aware workspace-finding app for iPhone and Web browsers; support for Android and Windows smartphones is expected soon. The app is free to users, and owners of sharable space can choose if and how much to charge for use of their workspaces.

A mechanism for trusted sharing


* LiquidSpace is designed to connect mobile and contemporary knowledge workers with the right workspace at the right time, while providing new mechanisms to leverage underutilized real estate assets.*

- Mark Gilbreath, LiquidSpace founder and CEO


“In an asset-sharing or collaborative-consumption marketplace, trust is a crucial element,” says Gilbreath. To foster trust in the relationship between its members and its space providers, LiquidSpace developed a unique passport/visa model.

Mobile workers who join the free LiquidSpace service are issued a “passport” that allows them to locate and book spaces. They can browse workspaces by location, venue, size and availability and can view hours of operation, amenities, pricing, reviews and other details.

The buildings with space to share can issue “visa” tokens, at their discretion and according to their own business criteria. Mobile workers issued a visa for a space can then complete bookings and upon check-in can “unlock” additional facts, such as building access codes, secure Wi-Fi codes and other information.

The LiquidSpace passport/visa model allows space providers to control who, when and how people can work in their spaces. It also provides the mechanism for secure payment, if the building owner opts to charge a fee for use of its space.

A flexible, cloud-based technology platform

LiquidSpace developed its software using Microsoft .NET for the Windows Azure cloud services operating system. The Azure platform’s automation of necessities such as Web hosting, real-time database backup and shared memory caches, in addition to its robust toolkits, sped the development and deployment of the LiquidSpace app.

Teaming With Microsoft

The choice of Azure also led to awareness of LiquidSpace by the Microsoft BizSpark team and entry to the BizSpark One program.

“BizSpark One provides us with quicker and deeper access to Microsoft resources,” says Gilbreath. “We have taken advantage of their product management guidance to make faster decisions about specifics of the LiquidSpace platform. We also appreciate the access to BizSpark’s PR and marketing resources, which has amplified our marketing reach.”

In addition, BizSpark One membership has enabled deeper integration of LiquidSpace capabilities within the Microsoft environment, in particular with Microsoft Exchange. “Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Outlook to schedule meetings,” says Gilbreath. “We developed our integration to Exchange so that corporate facilities managers could equip their internal employees with the LiquidSpace mobile and Web booking capability and maintain synchronicity with Outlook.”

Changing Ideas About Workspaces

LiquidSpace is also featured in an upcoming Microsoft-produced documentary, “Ctrl+Alt+Compete,” having its world premiere at the Napa Valley Film Festival Nov. 9–13, 2011. “Ctrl+Alt+Compete” takes a revealing look at the emerging business scene through the eyes of five startup company founders and their teams. The film chronicles the experience of Gilbreath and his LiquidSpace team at SXSW Interactive as they launched their service and connected with influential investors and industry players.

“LiquidSpace was a perfect subject for the film,” says Daryll McDade, evangelism manager at Microsoft and the film’s executive producer. “As a veteran of multiple tech startups, Mark has great insights into the mammoth challenges young companies face, as well as the importance of intense customer focus and how to navigate the entrepreneur-VC relationship dynamic.”

The LiquidSpace vision is taking off. Gilbreath estimates that since first testing the concept at SXSW in March 2011 — where LiquidSpace joined forces with Steelcase, the No. 1 provider of professional office furniture, to establish pop-up workspaces for SXSW attendees throughout Austin — the company has seen its member and venue counts double at a steady rate. Geographically, LiquidSpace launched in the San Francisco Bay Area and has since added venues in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. International expansion is expected in the coming year.

“Our goal is to keep doubling every month or so for another year and a half, to reach a critical mass,” says Gilbreath. “Those are achievable milestones that will lead to our long-term mission, which is for more happy people to work in fewer buildings. That’s what the ‘consumerization of real estate’ is really all about. It’s a big goal, but if we succeed it will be good for individuals, for commercial real estate and for the planet as a whole.”

New Digital Futures undergraduate major launches next fall at OCAD University

Image001

New Digital Futures undergraduate major launches next fall at OCAD University

    

(Toronto—October 25, 2011) A new digital media undergraduate program allowing students to specialize in areas such as business innovation, data visualization, health and wellness and gaming is coming to OCAD University next fall.


The Digital Futures: Technology/Innovation/Design/Art (DF:TIDA) undergraduate program links digital technology and innovation with Design and Art studio practice. Students will graduate with either a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or a Bachelor of Design (BDes), with a specialization in digital media and related technologies. Prospective students can apply for the program now through the Ontario Universities Application Centre for the 2012/13 academic year.

 

“The Digital Futures undergraduate program links multiple studio-based digital media concentrations in the Faculty of Art and Faculty of Design, augmenting our existing curriculum with new courses that reflect the expertise and skills of the university’s new faculty engaged in research and digital practice,” explained OCAD University President, Dr. Sara Diamond. “With the launch of our Digital Futures Masters program in September 2011, and our Digital Futures research program, this new undergraduate major represents the full realization of the Digital Futures Initiative at OCAD University.”

DF:TIDA students are able to specialize in one of five areas:

·         Physical Computing

·         Games

·         Data Visualisation

·         Inclusive Design

·         Business


Students in the DF:TIDA program will acquire skills in computation, physical computing, data visualization, screen-based media, gaming, and business, and will be well-positioned to work across the digital media sector from either art, design or critical perspectives.

 

BACKGROUND:


Digital Futures: Technology/Innovation/Design/Art (DF:TIDA)

A compete program overview and course guide is available on the OCAD University website.

The Digital Futures Initiative at OCAD University

The launch of OCAD University’s Digital Futures Initiative in May of 2007 was made possible through a transformative $2 million annual investment by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities that OCAD University leveraged with support from industrial partners and other provincial and federal ministries.

 

The Digital Futures Initiative supports student learners to become entrepreneurial and research leaders in a future world of ubiquitous digital technology and communication, as well as enabling them to master contemporary digital skills. Drawing on faculty from across the university and working in collaboration with a broad range of Canadian and international private and public sector partners, the Digital Futures Initiative (DFI) is a set of new cross-disciplinary programs, research, and innovation activities. Minors, a major, a suite of graduate programs and continuing education offerings are providing learning opportunities in digital art, media and design, and ICT, linking this knowledge to emerging technologies with applications in fields such as art/design and science, sustainability, health and wellness, accessibility, diversity, and global innovation and business development.

 

Key milestones have included:

·         Enhancement and modernization of OCAD University’s curriculum: minors, a major and a suite of graduate programs are now offered:
Digital Futures: Technology/Innovation/Design/Art (DF:TIDA) - BFA, BDes;
Master’s in Inclusive Design (MDes); and
Digital Futures Graduate program (MA, MDes, MFA, Graduate Diploma);

·         Hiring of six new faculty who are digital leaders and additional hiring of digital experts in other program areas;

·         OCAD University has established has launched successful research and commercialization partnerships, leveraging funding from MTCU (including an additional 7.5 in capital funding) and MRI (9 million) to create the Institute for Digital Media Research and Innovation;

·         Roll-out of Digital Infrastructure across the campus and integration of Digital Tools and teaching methods into all aspects of curriculum;

·         Launch of the Centre for Innovation in Arts & Design Education (CIADE);

·         The multi-institutional/multi-industry Inclusive Design Institute led by OCAD U’s Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) of 25 researchers;

·         Launch of the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC), a public-private not-for-profit consortium that brings together students and faculty from OCAD U and other universities and colleges with industry leaders in the quest for groundbreaking digital mobile applications.

·         Acquisition of digital resources for teaching and learning

·         Acceleration of online and blended learning.

 

OCAD University (OCAD U): 135 Years of Imagination

OCAD University (www.ocad.ca) is Canada’s “university of the imagination.” The University, founded in 1876, is dedicated to art and design education, practice and research and to knowledge and invention across a wide range of disciplines. OCAD University is building on its traditional, studio-based strengths, adding new approaches to learning that champion cross-disciplinary practice, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies. In the Age of Imagination, OCAD University community members will be uniquely qualified to act as catalysts for the next advances in culture, technology and quality of life for all Canadians.

 

- 30 -

 

For more information please contact:

 

Sarah Mulholland, Media & Communications Officer, OCAD University

416.977.6000 Ext. 327 (mobile Ext. 1327)

smulholland@ocad.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SARAH MULHOLLAND

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

 

416 977 6000 x327  

416 977 6000 x1327  

416 977 6006 

E smulholland@ocadu.ca

 

Twitter @OCAD

Facebook www.facebook.com/OCADUniversity 

 

OCAD UNIVERSITY

100 McCaul Street, Toronto, Canada  M5T 1W1

www.ocadu.ca

 

International Institute of Business Analysis to collaborate with educators to get students job ready


International Institute of Business Analysis to collaborate with educators to get students job ready

  • New institutional membership offers universities and colleges discounts, opportunity to launch IIBA-approved Academic Certificate in business analysis

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2011 /CNW/ - International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) now offers institutional membership packages to universities and colleges around the world.

After a post-secondary school purchases the IIBA® academic membership, its students, faculty and staff benefit from discounts on individual memberships, reduced fees for certification programs, and discounts on many other products and services. For more information about academic membership, educators can contact academic@IIBA.org or visit www.IIBA.org.

Also, Chief Operating Officer Dave Bieg, says, "IIBA seeks to work with universities and colleges to help them get their students job-ready for a career in business analysis."

The organization will work with educators to ensure their courses at the graduate or undergraduate level are IIBA-approved. After the syllabus for the course has been reviewed and approved by IIBA, the school can offer the Academic Certificate in Business Analysis.

"By earning the IIBA Academic Certificate in Business Analysis, a student will signal to future employers that they have gained the knowledge to perform effectively as an entry level business analyst," says Mr. Bieg.

About International Institute of Business Analysis
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is the independent non-profit professional association serving the growing field of business analysis to the international business community. The organization is comprised of more than 21,000 members around the globe in fields ranging from requirements management and requirements analysis to project management and consulting. IIBA® has chapters in over 60 countries worldwide and is committed to developing and advancing standards for the practice of business analysis and for the certification of practitioners. For more information, visit www.IIBA.org.

For further information:

Contact: David Bieg, IIBA COO, Dave.Bieg@IIBA.org

This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
To discontinue this service, click here.

Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.

© 2011 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
© 2011 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés

RIM Announces BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365

RIM Announces BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365

Mobilizes Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online via RIM-hosted BlackBerry Management Service; Features Advanced Web-based IT and Employee Self-Service Smartphone Management and Security Functions

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced BlackBerry® Business Cloud Services for Microsoft Office 365 – a new RIM-hosted online service for midsized businesses and enterprises that extends Microsoft Exchange Online to BlackBerry® smartphones, and allows organizations to self-manage their BlackBerry deployments in the cloud. An open beta for the service is launching today in over 30 countries.

“BlackBerry Business Cloud Services is an easy and cost-effective way for businesses and government agencies to extend Microsoft Office 365 to BlackBerry smartphones and manage the deployment in the cloud,” said Alan Panezic, Vice President at Research In Motion. “We have been working together with Microsoft and select customers through an early access program and we are pleased to now launch an open beta for the service.”

“BlackBerry Business Cloud Services will help accelerate how BlackBerry customers can realize the full benefits of the best productivity experience across the PC, browser and phone with Microsoft Office 365,” said Julia White, Senior Director of Microsoft’s Exchange Product Management Group. “This new service delivers valuable enhancements to Office 365 while preserving the cost and business agility benefits the cloud offers to organizations of all sizes.”

Key features include:

  • Access to Microsoft Exchange Online email, calendar and organizer data from a BlackBerry smartphone
     
  • BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, which presents a unified view of work and personal content on a BlackBerry smartphone while keeping the content separate and secure
     
  • A web-based console for IT administrators to provision, manage and secure BlackBerry smartphones from anywhere
     
  • Online access to employee self-service smartphone security functions, allowing users to reset a device password or remotely lock or wipe a device in the event of loss or theft

Managed service providers, systems integrators, carriers, resellers and other partners can also use the cloud service to manage BlackBerry deployments on behalf of their customers.

A number of Fortune 500 customers and several government agencies in the US participated in an early access program and are among the many organizations that already plan to use the service.

Microsoft Office 365 customers can sign up for the BlackBerry Business Cloud Services beta at www.blackberry.com/beta/businesscloud. The cloud-based service is available for no additional charge to Microsoft Office 365 Midsized Businesses and Enterprises plan subscribers and works with BlackBerry smartphones on business or consumer data plans.

More information is available at www.blackberry.com/cloudservices.

Motorola PRO+ 4G: The Smartphone that Works and Plays as Hard as You Do

 

 

Motorola Mobility Canada Delivers the Smartphone that Works and Plays as Hard as You Do: Motorola PRO+ 4G

 

Launching November 7 exclusively at Bell, Motorola PRO+ 4G is a powerful smartphone optimized for business with all the fun, applications and web browsing power of Android – a work phone worth taking home

 

TORONTO – October 25, 2011 – Life is full of demands, and we all could use a little extra help. With the sleek and sophisticated Motorola PRO+ 4G, brought to you by Motorola Mobility Canada Ltd. and available soon with Bell on the best network across Canada, you can have your own personal assistant that fits right in your pocket. Motorola PRO+ 4G gives you the power to edit important documents on the go, multitask when every second counts and encrypt sensitive work information with enterprise-level security so your IT manager can sleep at night. This supreme blend of touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) makes this smartphone ready for anything.

 

“The Motorola PRO+ 4G delivers the security and productivity tools that businesses require, but all the fun things consumers want,” says David Petrou, director of sales, Motorola Mobility Canada. “For professionals looking for a smarter smartphone, the Motorola PRO+ 4G offers robust features that work hard and play hard.”

 

Motorola PRO+ 4G has a super quick 1GHz processor and physical QWERTY keyboard for more efficient typing and texting when you need to update a client on the fly, browse for news and really important information, or multitask as necessity demands. And, with quick group messaging, it’s easy to reach an entire list of people in no time at all. The device is also packed with productivity features to make your life easier and to help you impress your boss including the pre-loaded QuickOffice® Connect for accessing, creating and editing documents on-the-go. We know that in a fast paced world, going in and out of apps wastes precious time, so now key apps such as your calendar and email are scrollable direct from your home screen.

 

Motorola PRO+ 4G is a smartphone that you and your IT department can agree upon. Nothing says business ready better than the leading security features; whether it’s remote wipe of your device and SD card, password expiration and history, or full encryption, your IT manager will breathe a sigh of relief. Motorola PRO+ 4G comes loaded with 25 Exchange ActiveSync security policies – including PIN lock, auto-discovery of Exchange Servers, Extended Device Management API’s and 3LM integration. Your sensitive information – your career – is guarded in this virtual vault with Motorola PRO+ 4G. It’s fully loaded with support for Exchange and GmailTM for business, including corporate directory options. With these leading features your IT manager just might give you a smile.

 

Motorola PRO+ 4G merges all of your personal and business information for you in a convenient system designed to make your life easier. Take the pressure off knowing Motorola PRO+4G syncs services from multiple sources, so all your contacts are viewable the way you want them, calendar options are available to arrange, edit, and respond to meeting invites, there are direct dial conference options, and intuitive email solutions that can anticipate who you may be sending an email to before you do. Its 4G Mobile HotSpot capabilities enable you to connect multiple devices, such as a laptop or tablet, for quick access to the Web, corporate email and calendar syncing. Plus, it features scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass so tossing your phone in your bag or pocket doesn’t have to be a disaster.

 

Motorola PRO+4G is ready for full customization to bring you the games and applications most important to you. With Music, Motorola’s unique music player you have a dashboard for music discovery. You have easy access to all your favourite artists and song lyrics. Plus, you receive live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos as well as news and event updates from the world of music. With Gallery, you can aggregate all your photos from social networking and photo sharing sites like Facebook and PicasaTM for easy viewing. Plus, with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.3, you’ll be able to access the online content you love. Motorola PRO+4G is also preloaded with the latest Google MobileTM Services including Google Maps 5.0 with Navigation, Google Talk and more than 250,000 apps from Android Market.

 

Smart Accessories

A suite of smart accessories ensures users get the most from the Motorola Pro+4G. Available accessories include a Bluetooth® enabled headset, Bluetooth enabled car kit, portable power, and car charger.

 

The Motorola Pro+ 4G will be available November 7 exclusively from Bell. For more information visit Motorola.com.

 

Motorola PRO+ 4G Features and Specifications

Form Factor

Touch Screen, QWERTY

OS

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Size

62 x 119.50 x 11.65mm

Display

3.1” VGA, 640 x 480 pixels, scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass

Weight

130g

Processor

1GHz

Battery

1550mAh

Talk and Standby Time1

Up to 6.5 hours of talktime and 9.5 days in standby

Bands/Modes

Dual-band WCDMA 850/1900/2100, Quadband  GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 14.4, HSUPA 5.76, Wi-Fi: WLAN 802.11 B/G/N

 

Connectivity

3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0 HS, FOTA, PC Sync

Bluetooth Stereo Bluetooth® class2, Version 2.1 EDR

4G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to connect up to eight other Wi-Fi®-enabled devices and laptops

Messaging/Web/Apps

MMS, SMS, Email, IM (Dwnld Java, Embedded), multiple email

Accounts sync

Camera

5MP auto focus with LED flash

Audio

FM Radio Receive, AAC, AAC+,

AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, MIDI, MP3, RA, WAV, WMA

Video

Capture/Playback/Streaming, H.264, MPEG4

Storage & Memory

 

4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB

512 RAM

Location Services

aGPS (assisted)

Pre-loaded Applications

Access to Google Maps with Navigation, Google Talk and Web browsing (AndroidTM Webkit, Adobe® Flash® Player)

Sensors

eCompass, Accelerometer, Light and Proximity Sensor

 
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) integrates innovative technology and human knowledge to create experiences which simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; point-to-point data and video transmission, and administrative solutions, including data-access devices and decoders. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.
 
 

Media contacts:

 

Kathryn Hanley

Hill & Knowlton for Motorola Mobility Canada

416.413.4754 kathryn.hanley@hillandknowlton.ca

 

Alanna Glicksman

Hill & Knowlton for Motorola Mobility Canada

416.413.4743 alanna.glicksman@hillandknowlton.ca

 

4G refers to Bell's next generation wireless network.  See http://best.bell.ca/en/fastest/ for details

 

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation

 

1All talk and standby times are quoted in Digital Mode, and are approximate. Battery performance depends on network configuration, signal strength, operating temperature, features selected, and voice, data and other application usage patterns.

 

Motorola Mobility and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. Android, Gmail, Picassa, Google Mobile, Google Maps, Google Talk, and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

 


 


Description: Description: <a href=http://www.hillandknowlton.com/oldbinaries/hksig_logo.gif" width="305" />

 



 



 



 


 



 

 




 

 




 

 




 

 







 

 







 







 

 







 

 













(download)