Content Guarder Blog

Business Class Email in an Affordable Hosted Solution

2008-08-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Tech Strategies Provides Business Class Email in an Affordable Hosted Solution

The need for business class e-mail for small and medium businesses is now available in an affordable hosted solution, provided by Tech Strategies. Their hosted e-mail solution aims to compete with similar hosted Exchange services, by utilizing Kerio Mail Server 6.5.

Twin Falls, ID, August 08, 2008 -- For small businesses needing an affordable solution for business class e-mail services such as push mail and groupware features like shared calendars and shared contacts, they can put their trust in Tech Strategies hosted Kerio mail service. The service boasts the ability to sync with any Smartphone, sharing of your calendar with your team or assistant, and Spam and virus protection. More information and pricing for the service can be found at http://www.keriomailhosting.com.

Tech Strategies is an information technology company providing services for small and medium businesses. In an effort to provide better, more reliable e-mail to their clients and future clients, they have started providing e-mail hosting services and are going all the way. As Tech Strategies looked at options for providing e-mail hosting services, there were several requirements that had to be met. Those requirements were the ability sync e-mail with smart phones such as BlackBerry, Windows Mobile(R), Treo, Symbian and Apple iPhone. Groupware features such as calendar and contact sharing was also a must. The next major feature that was needed in order to provide business class e-mail was anti-virus and anti-spam protection. The product that made the most sense was Kerio MailServer 6.5 (KMS).

KMS is not a new product for Tech Strategies, they have been using it with some of their clients for a few years now. Many businesses need the type of services that are available through keriomailhosting.com, but the price of other services and software has always been a little out of reach for many small and medium sized businesses where every penny counts. Some of the benefits of using Tech Strategies hosted e-mail include: reduce demand on IT staff, no maintenance on servers, additional spam and virus protection and additional support. For companies where a hosted e-mail solution is not the ideal situation, KerioMail Server can also be purchased and run on Windows, Linux, and Mac through Tech Strategies. For additional information about Tech Strategies and their hosted e-mail services, or for a free demo, please contact Joel Eskelsen or visit http://www.tsidaho.net.

About Tech Strategies:
We formed our consulting company in 2006. Although our company is new, our team of professional consultants has worked in Information Technology for many years. We provide onsite support, security audits, maintenance of current infrastructure, upgrades or installation of new systems. We offer website maintenance and hosting. With the increasing use of computers in offices and the dependence of networks in business communications, businesses have an even higher demand for highly skilled technical expertise on site. Tech Strategies is that technical expertise that you need, give us a call to see what we can do for you.

Tech Strategies always has the client in mind, and we know we can't succeed unless you do. Contact: Joel Eskelsen, Partner/Consultant Tech Strategies 877-519-3410 http://www.tsidaho.net

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Tech Strategies
Joel Eskelsen
877-519-3410
joel@tsidaho.net
www.tsidaho.net

We Are Selling The Domain Name...

2008-08-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

We just got a new variation of the SPAM marketing of domain names. There are a number of people that are either offering to sell a domain they own which is the .com version of one that you own, or they offer to get a domain that is expiring for you for a fee. I don't have a big problem with these kinds of services except for a few things:

1) I don't like SPAM in any shape or form. Often these message are not personalized in any real way and if you have many domains as we do, these jerks will send you tons of messages, often one to each contact email on your domains. For us that means we get 2-3 emails each time.

2) The fees they ask are EXCESSIVE. One guy that I talked to at itime marketing said that many people thank that and are happy to pay their fees. I don't doubt this, but will those people still be happy when they learn that the cost should only be about $10 and if they waited 5-6 days they generally can get the domain and only pay that much?

3) Some of these jokers are lying, which I really dislike. They may say they own the domain, but they are willing to sell it to you, for $300 or whatever. Most people don't know about using WHOIS to check the information about a domain's ownership. If they did, they may find that the domain is not owned by anyone, and all they have to do is register it themselves. Using WHOIS can also avoid any problems when someone is trying to sell a domain that is currently owned by someone else. This is rare except for domain brokers, but it could happen. You can't TRUST anyone on the Internet.

So we just got the following message about one of our domains:
==========================================
We are selling the domain name avandiadiabetes.com. Since you own the .net, if you would also like the more desirable .com we are making it available. The cost is $49.95. That includes a year of registration and transfer of ownership to you. To purchase or to learn more go to:

http://www.dcinchq.com/index.php?domain=avandiadiabetes.com

If you pass on this opportunity someone else could purchase this domain and it may not be available again.

For questions contact us or go to:

http://www.dcinchq.com/faq.html

All the best,

Warren Davis
Digital Caucus, Inc.
==========================================

This spammer gets points for not charging a huge fee. I think $50 is a reasonable amount to pay for a domain you want, given that the owner has gone to some bother to contact you and rather than putting the domain on the open market where you might never hear about it they are doing you a (possible) service. I consider this to be SPAM for the most part, but it's really kind of borderline. They are not sending this message to millions, but I'll bet they are also sending the email to the owners of the other main domain TLDs, in this case just use with .net and someone else with the .org.

But this spammer is also a liar. When I used DomainTools.com and checked the WHOIS record, I find that the domain is not even registered. It appears that it was last registered to itime marketing, and now they either have a follow-up service or some smart cookie is picking over their leftovers that they could not sell and have dropped and trying to offer them at a lower price.

Summary: If you are contacted about a domain your interested in, I recommend you do the following:

1 - Check the WHOIS record and see if it is available. If it is register it instantly.

2 - If it is registered and was registered within the past 5 days, and you can live without it, wait 5-6 days and see if you can then register it. Domaintools.com offers a free Domain Monitor you can use to get emails when the status of the domain changes. I have used this free service to register several domains.

3 - If the domain does not drop after 5 days, you can talk to the seller and see if you can get the price down to a more reasonable level. Adopt the attitude that the domain would be nice to have, but after all you already have an established site on the current domain you own. Hold out and you should get the domain for $20-$100 unless it has wide appeal. These guys only leverage is your interest in the domain, and they only pay less than $10 for them. If you can double their money, that should be incentive for them over not getting anything at all.

If the domain is really valuable the seller will market it elsewhere or put it up at auction, and you may be out of luck unless you are willing to pay what they ask. The bottom line is get some expert advice before you shell out big bucks for a domain unless you know all the facts.

Links related to this post:

A Tale of an Internet Scam Artist

Warren Davis used to scam people, now he is into spamming as well

Warren Davis, banned from dnforum.com

StoresOnline, Stores Online, Imergent, and Terminal Resource

2008-08-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

We received a letter in the mail offering us a free meal and a free MP3 player if we would attend a "Conference" for StoresOnline that seems to be offering a complete package designed to let you sell things on the Internet. The main company behind this seems to be:

StoresOnline.com
Imergent, Inc.
754 E Technology Ave
Orem, UT 84097 US
801-434-8582 Phone
801-226-8848 Fax

Terminal Resource, L.C.
51 West Center, Suite 208
Orem, UT
888.296.5022
Fax 801.691.5566

Doing some searches in Google for "stores online scam" and "stores online sucks" will turn up some interesting listings that you may want to check out if you are thinking about attending. But you may save yourself a trip if you just visit their web site first. While the site looks very professional, the thing you will discover there is that they are offering their service for $300 a month. While they may be providing more than simple hosting, they better be providing a hell of a lot more, since that is pretty outrageous for any startup ecommerce hosting account that provides little in return that guarantees you will be making anything from your investment. Oh I forgot to mention that you have to commit to 1 YEAR of hosting with them, or $3,600. If you know little to nothing about web hosting, designing, marketing, and promotion I doubt VERY much that you will make your money back. Think about it. If you could really make a lot of money with little effort, wouldn't you just do that for your self to start with? Why would you sell a great money making system to others?

Your first clue is the fact that while they are offering something that you should be excited about and they have to give you a free meal AND a free MP3 player, just to make sure they get you in the door...!

So my advice is to check it out if you are interested. Get the free meal and free MP3 player. But make darned sure you know what you are investing in before you give them any money! If you have any doubts what I suggest is you look around and find an Internet or ecommerce consultant and pay them to help you get started. You will pay a LOT less money and have a MUCH better chance of starting a real business that may do well. And expect to pay a monthly hosting fee that will be between $15-$50 a month, NOT $300 a month!

P.S. I just found a site called Stores Online Sucks and I will list the link below. For me, this confirms EXACTLY what I had been thinking about this company. They are taking advantage of people that have some money but are generally clueless about the web.

Links
====
Rip Off Report: Stores Online
Stores Online Sucks

Update and Manage Location Information Across the Web

2008-08-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Launches Fire Eagle

New Platform Enables Users to Easily Update and Manage Their Location Information Across the Web

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-- August 12, 2008 --Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced the general availability of Fire Eagle (http://fireeagle.yahoo.net), an open platform that helps users take their location to the Web while giving them the ability to easily control how and where their location data is shared.

Fire Eagle gives users a place to store and manage information about their location, and offers developers clear protocols for updating or accessing that information. Because it's open, any networked service can use Fire Eagle to respond to a user's location - to help them find their friends, annotate the world or find nearby services or local information.

"Fire Eagle is about making everything on the Internet more useful, fun or interesting by adding the element of location," said Tom Coates, head of product at Yahoo! Brickhouse. "We're here to help people take their location to the Web by giving them the ability to control how much detail about their location they want to share and which applications they want to share it with."

Fire Eagle makes it much easier for both users and developers to create Internet experiences that are geo-aware:

    * For users, Fire Eagle acts as a simple interface for managing location information and deciding how - and with whom - to share it. Users can authorize Web, mobile or desktop applications to update their location automatically, or they can do it themselves manually on the Fire Eagle Web or mobile sites. Then they can decide how much of that information to share with their favorite services. At any time they can hide themselves, change their sharing preferences or delete any of their stored information.

    * For developers, Fire Eagle takes away much of the costly and complicated heavy-lifting of developing geo-aware applications. Developers can focus on how they can use location in their services without having to build the infrastructure to work out where their users are. Fire Eagle - combined with Yahoo!'s full suite of geo technologies - now makes it practical for any service to become location-aware easily and inexpensively.

Fire Eagle was built at Yahoo! Brickhouse, a home for start-up like projects inside Yahoo where small teams seize on new ideas and create products around them. Since its private beta launch in March of this year, Fire Eagle has been integrated into over fifty live applications, including Dopplr, Pownce, Movable Type, and Outside.in, through the platform's well-received API.

"The combination of Outside.in's new Radar feature and Fire Eagle's amazingly simple and powerful API means that our users can now see all the news and buzz within 1,000 feet of their current location, updated from any number of applications and devices," said Steven Johnson, co-founder of Outside.in.

"Fire Eagle allowed us to easily add location data to Pownce using their simple API," Leah Culver, co-founder, Pownce. "Pownce users can now say where they are and geotag their notes which adds a new dimension to the service."

Services built on Fire Eagle during the private beta period include:

    * Brightkite: Brightkite is a location based social network that allows users to track their friends' locations and meet new people in their area.

    * Dash: Dash is a two-way, Internet-connected GPS navigation system offering an innovative solution to traffic monitoring.

    * Dipity: Dipity is the easiest way to make and share interactive stories for the people and topics users care about.

    * Dopplr: Dopplr is a service for intelligent travelers that helps them make the most of their trips by sharing their travel plans with the people they trust.

    * ekit: ekit is the leading communications provider to international travelers, offering a range of services including mobile phones, satellite phones, SIM cards, global calling cards, and recently the ekit travel journal.

    * Lightpole: Lightpole is a mobile application service provider that distributes location-specific information to mobile devices in real-time and engages mobile users in interactive communities.

    * Movable Type: Movable Type is a fully integrated, scalable, proven social publishing platform for building highly interactive websites, blogs and social networks.

    * Navizon: Navizon provides a software-only wireless positioning system that triangulates signals broadcasted from Wi-Fi access points and cellular towers to help users find their location.

    * Outside.in Radar: Outside.in's Radar is personalized local news with you at the center of the map. Radar shows you everything going on nearby, wherever you are, from the stories on your street, to the events in your neighborhood, to headlines in your city.

    * Pownce: Pownce is a way to keep in touch with and share messages, files, links and events with your friends.

    * Loki: Loki adds your location into your favorite social networks so you can share it with your friends. Loki, powered by Skyhook Wireless, automatically informs your friend of your whereabouts, using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Fire Eagle, RSS Feeds and more.

    * SPOT: SPOT, the world's first satellite messenger, sends users' GPS location and custom messages to family and friends or emergency responders over a satellite communications network from virtually anywhere around the globe - even the most remote places - independent of cell phone coverage.

    * ZKOUT: ZKOUT enables mobile device users to create content - messages, photos, videos - on the ZKOUT network from any location, and share it instantly with the people near you.

Developers wishing to learn more about Fire Eagle can visit: http://fireeagle.yahoo.net/developer.

About Yahoo! Inc.

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit pressroom.yahoo.com or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal.

Contacts

Outcast Communications
Andrew Schmitt, 415-392-8282

Optimize Your Domain Extension For Six Figures

2008-08-14T23:29:00.000-05:00

How New TLDs Could Impact Your SEO

by Andrew Hazen , Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced June 26 that it had given preliminary approval to a recommendation to introduce a whole range of new Internet domain names, which would pave the way for a seismic increase in online real estate.

Talk about the Internet being like the Wild, Wild West. Along with the extraordinary expansion of domain name choices and opportunities would come HUGE potential for search engine marketing.

Currently, there is a limited range of 21 top-level domains (TLDs) from which to choose, such as .com, .org, .info and .uk. According to ICANN, this decision will allow applicants for new names to select the most marketable domains, making them perfect for attracting their target customers.

So businesses will now be able to apply for generic strings like .brandname or .yournamehere. ICANN even reports that there are already interested consortiums wanting to establish city-based TLDs like .nyc, .berlin and .paris.

At first glance, this seems to make perfect sense. But my hope is that it doesn't spiral out of control, becoming a field day for cybersquatters that register, traffic in or use domain names in bad faith, intending to profit from the goodwill of someone else's trademark.

That would create a huge nightmare for established brands like Amazon.com, which would need to procure a laundry list of domains -- everything from books.amazon and music.amazon to amazon.books and amazon.music -- to prevent cybersquatters from wrongfully registering and profiting from its name.

It should be noted, however, that ICANN will not be selling the new TLDs for some time. The recommendation must first receive final approval early next year, followed by a limited period in which any established entity can submit an application for evaluation.

Search Engines and the Domainrush If and when it does happen, look for an immediate impact on search engine marketing. Search engines love keyword-enriched domain names, since finding exact keywords in domains proves to be an extremely strong indicator of a Web site's relevance to a search query.

By combining a newly acquired generic domain name with a very good search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, a small company could find itself ranking among extremely competitive search terms and among Fortune 1000 companies. Of course, Web sites need quality inbound links to rank high on Google, but a great domain name can go a long way.

Keyword-enriched domain names and URL paths (there is a difference) are usually what it takes to achieve a top-10 organic ranking. Take, for example, AllFreshSeafood.com (ranking No. 4 on Google for "fresh seafood"); BreakingNews.com (No. 6 on Yahoo for latest breaking news") and BagelBoss.com (No. 4 on Google for "bagels"). I'm sure you get the point.

Still, non-keyword-enriched domain names can be optimized by adding keyword-enriched page names. For example, StorageDeluxe.com sits atop Google for "Brooklyn storage" and the URL path is www.storagedeluxe.com/locations_brooklyn.asp; a Google search for "used Acura parts" returns www.uneedapart.com/used-acura-parts.php as No. 1; and a search on Yahoo for "cardio exercises" yields www.lucilleroberts.com/cardio-exercies on the first page of the search results.

Now that we've established that a keyword-enriched domain name can be extraordinarily valuable, just think about owing a domain like .insurance -- you could have auto.insurance, life.insurance, health.insurance, business.insurance, etc. Beyond the obvious and tremendous SEO benefit, imagine what this will do to build brands.

I am curious to see if those who register new generic TLDs will use them to dominate their niche or resell domains. Only time will tell.

ICANN reports that there will be a six-figure charge for registering these new domains. That is chump change for major domains -- and even those that want to be

Post your response to the public Online Publishing Insider blog.

See what others are saying on the Online Publishing Insider blog.
Andrew Hazen is founder and CEO of the search engine optimization firm PRIME Visibility, a rapidly growing SEO, Web 2.0 and social media marketing company.

Online Publishing Insider for Thursday, August 14, 2008:
http://blogs.mediapost.com/online_publishing_insider/?p=166

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No Cost For Domains

2008-08-06T17:04:00.000-05:00

There's No Cost For Domains, Emails, Hosting or Storage at dotWORLDS

Now you can get brand new domain names, spam-free email addresses, web hosting, website builders, backup storage and more - all in one place and all of it free.

London, UK - April 6 - dotWORLDS website www.dotworlds.net has just been upgraded and it's crammed with an even wider range of free products and services. At dotWORLDS, you can get your domain names, email addresses, hosting, website builders, backup and data storage all in one place and all at no cost.

dotWORLDS also provides free URL, IP and DNS forwarding and, if you're thinking of designing your own webspace, just try our free Templates too and you'll be able to build, publish and launch your very own website within minutes.

Plus...Need to send an email in a hurry? Don't waste your time remembering user names and passwords. Try the all new Instant Email. Simply type in what you want and press Send. There's no login, instead it's just One-Click. See it in action at www.dotworlds.net

Plus...New Blog Facilites - Coming soon.

Remember, for free domain names, free email addresses, free website builders, free backup and much, much more - it has to be www.dotworlds.net.

About dotWORLDS.

dotWORLDS Ltd specializes in providing the widest range of fully personalized Internet domain names, email addresses and hosting plans through its global infrastructure.

For further details, please see website www.dotworlds.net.

Press Contact: Press Office
Company Name: dotWORLDS
Phone: +44 (0) 870 749 4178
Website: www.dotworlds.net

Strong Web Presence is Necessary During a Recession

2008-08-04T15:37:00.000-05:00

Noted Dallas Interactive Marketing Firm WrightIMC to Host Free Site Clinic: Marketing Experts to Offer Free Clinic to Area Businesses on How a Strong Web Presence is Necessary During a Recession

Noted Dallas search firm WrightIMC (www.wrightimc.com) is set to host the firm's first site clinic on May 8, 2008 at their offices at 101 E. Park Blvd. #600 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The site clinic is designed to teach area businesses how a strong Web presence can benefit them financially in troubled economic times.

April 23 -- Noted Dallas search firm WrightIMC (www.wrightimc.com) is set to host the firm's first site clinic on May 8, 2008 at their offices at 101 E. Park Blvd. #600 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The site clinic is designed to teach area businesses how a strong Web presence can benefit them financially in troubled economic times.

"Just because you are a grown-up doesn't mean you can't continue to learn a new field," said Tony Wright, CEO and Founder of WrightIMC. "One of my passions is to teach and share my years of experience with businesses on how a strong web presence can benefit the growth of a company."

After a brief introduction by Wright and Vice-President John Confer, WrightIMC personnel will view the Websites of those in attendance. Each Website chosen will be critiqued from a search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, usability, design and conversion rate analysis standpoint. WrightIMC personnel will then make recommendations on how to change each site in order to increase its Web presences and make it more profitable.

The clinic will critique as many sites as possible, however if all sites cannot be critiqued in the time allotted, WrightIMC will schedule personalized sessions with each attendee so everyone can be assured their sites are viewed.

"I've done these clinics at national seminars and local organizations for years, and they are always the highlight of any presentation," said Wright. "I'm really looking forward to doing this within the confines of our own teaching environment with no limits on the types or amounts of critiques we can do."

The site clinic will be located at the WrightIMC offices from 6-8pm May 8 at 101 E. Park Blvd. Suite #600, Plano, Texas 75074. The event is free and on a first come, first serve basis. To assure that you have a seat, please contact WrightIMC at 972-516-3853 or email protected from spam bots.

About WrightIMC

Founded in 2007 by noted interactive and search marketing expert Tony Wright (http://www.wrightimc.com/tony_wright_bio.html), WrightIMC is a Dallas, Texas based interactive and search marketing consultancy dedicated to helping companies create profitable, sustainable Web presences. The company is also known as the "search marketers search marketing firm" for its ability to assist agencies and in-house search teams enhance and efficiently manage their own search practices.

Press Contact: TONY WRIGHT
Company Name: WrightIMC
Phone: 9725-516-3853
Website: http://www.wrightimc.com

Olympics Ticket Scams Continues

2008-08-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Investigation of Olympics Ticket Scams Continues, According to the Moriarty Leyendecker Erben Law Firm

HOUSTON & BOULDER, Colo.-- August 03, 2008 --An ongoing investigation of Olympics ticket scams has identified defrauded consumers throughout the world, according to the law firm of Moriarty Leyendecker Erben.

The law firm - whose senior partner, Jim Moriarty, was himself victimized by an official-looking ticket web site - has been contacted by individuals in several nations since the firm launched a web site (www.beijingticketscam.com) on Saturday to support the investigation.

"The consumer response to the investigation is extraordinary," Moriarty said. "Our team is reviewing longer-term litigation options, but with the opening ceremonies for the Games just a few days away, we're also trying to help these individuals salvage their Olympics trips. Their stories are heartbreaking. We've even heard from families of Olympians whose dreams to see their loved ones compete in China are at risk."

The International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee recently filed lawsuits in U.S. federal courts against operators of two web sites, alleging that they are using committee trademarks to deceive and defraud the public. The lawsuits do not seek to recover losses for defrauded consumers.

Moriarty said, "We believe the Olympic committees should have addressed this problem months ago, when consumer complaints first arose - not last week after the deadline for legitimate ticket holders to transfer Olympics tickets passed. That policy only compounds the problems of the victimized consumers who still hope to attend the Games."

For more information about the law firm's investigation, contact: Moriarty Leyendecker Erben, Attorneys at Law, www.beijingticketscam.com, 800-677-7095 or 713-528-0700; Houston Office: 1150 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77005; Boulder Office: 1123 Spruce Street, Boulder, Co 80302.
Contacts

Moriarty Leyendecker Erben
James R. Moriarty, 800-677-7095 or 713-528-0700

Return of OpenSRS Announced: Was It Missing...?

2008-07-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

Tucows Announces Return of OpenSRS Where Friendly, Reliable Service Comes First

Unsurpassed support and reseller satisfaction as top priority sets

OpenSRS apart

TORONTO and CHICAGO, HostingCon 2008, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Tucows Inc., (AMEX:TCX, TSX:TC) a leading provider of Internet services to web hosting companies and ISPs worldwide, announced today the return of the OpenSRS name for its wholesale reseller services group. Through its network of web hosting companies and Internet service providers, OpenSRS provides web and email addresses for millions of people worldwide.

In 1999, Tucows became the first domain name wholesaler to be accredited by ICANN and chose the name OpenSRS for its domain name service. Today, OpenSRS remains one of the world's largest wholesale domain registrars, and has expanded its offerings to include hosted email and SSL certificates. Resellers' sustained loyalty to OpenSRS was one reason behind the decision to re-launch the brand, and key to that loyalty is the company's reputation as the most reseller-friendly among Internet services wholesalers.

"At OpenSRS, we really believe in supporting our resellers because they've been incredibly supportive of us. That means not only making it easy to sell, provision and support the highest quality Internet services, but it also means being true to our word," said Ken Schafer, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing for Tucows. "We've made a commitment to being reseller friendly, so much so that we've included it in our new logo."

Over the past nine years, OpenSRS has grown steadily each year and today boasts over 9,000 active resellers on six continents. Those resellers, in turn, have the potential to reach millions of end users. OpenSRS resellers are fiercely loyal, 78% of the resellers who joined in 1999 are still using OpenSRS to sell services today.

OpenSRS is known for its work on registrant rights within the registrar community as well as making things simple and reliable for its resellers. It also differentiates itself through a deep commitment to its identity as a wholesale business. This runs in sharp contrast to competitors that frequently end up competing with their own resellers for customers.

"We're a true Internet services wholesaler. You won't find our name or logo anywhere on our end-user interfaces and we don't talk to our reseller's customers, ever," said Schafer. "We stand by our promises and commitments and we work to earn our reseller's loyalty."

As part of the re-launch of OpenSRS, the company has established new brand marks and a logo consistent with a 1950s-era service company, aimed at recalling a time when service mattered most. An iconic character has also been created to embody OpenSRS' core values - service, friendliness, willingness to help, community service and reliability.

To celebrate the re-launch of the OpenSRS brand and mark a return to the bygone days of service with a smile, OpenSRS will be serving up treats from an old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream stand in booth #626 at HostingCon 2008, at Navy Pier in Chicago from today through Wednesday.

About OpenSRS
OpenSRS is a global provider of wholesale Internet services to web hosting companies and ISPs. Wholly owned by Tucows, Inc., OpenSRS provides wholesale services for hosted email, domain name registration, Personal Names, and SSL certificates. For more information, please visit http://opensrs.com.

About Tucows

Tucows provides Internet services for web hosting companies and ISPs.Through our global network of over 9,000 service providers our OpenSRS group provides millions of email boxes and manages over eight million domains. Tucows is an accredited registrar with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). We hold a domain name portfolio of approximately 150,000 domain names that are available for sale, monetized through advertising and support our wholesale Personal Names Service. Our Retail division sells Tucows services to consumers and small business owners through Domain Direct, IYD (It's Your Domain) and NetIdentity. Tucows.com remains one of the most popular software download sites on the Internet. For more information please visit: http://tucowsinc.com.

If you are interested in becoming a domain reseller, check out OpenSRS, but start with their OpenSRS reseller pricing. It may save you from spending more time learning about their program only to realize you can get better pricing elsewhere. At first I thought maybe their non-refundable fee of $95 might not be to bad for a really nice domain reseller program, but when I saw that they add a "$3.00 OpenSRS Management fee" to most of the domains, I soon realized that their program was not for me...!

Make sure ResellerClub.com is on you list of places to check for reseller programs. Yes, you may not find them as easy as other programs, but the cost is lower.

Parked Domain Traffic Value

2008-07-25T12:11:00.000-05:00

Exploring The Value Of Parked Domain Traffic

by Janel Landis , Friday, July 25, 2008

I have been reading about the lawsuit recently filed against Google that alleges traffic received from parked domain sites was low quality. What is most interesting about this topic are the sharply conflicting viewpoints online marketers have concerning the value of traffic from these sites.

The first perspective is that of savvy search marketers, who have analyzed referring URL traffic and know that the majority of traffic from these sites is unqualified. What they have found is that the only instances of qualified traffic from parked domain sites occurs on domains that are typos of their own domain, their brand terms.

Have you ever accidentally typed your search query into the domain address bar instead of the search box? I am pretty sure everyone has done this before and often, simply out of habit, even followed the misplaced word with a ".com". In a presentation I gave at a conference a few months ago, I used the examples www.homesecurity.com and www.bookkeepping.com as visuals of sites that contain no original content, just ads. These are the types of sites that deliver the majority of parked domain traffic. How often are people actually making this mistake? According to Google's keyword tool, the keyword home security drove approximately 1 million searches on Google and its search network in June 2008.

Let's move on to the much smaller segment of parked domain sites that actually will drive qualified traffic: the domain typos. Unfortunately, many companies have not protected themselves by registering common misspellings of their domain -- so when returning customers mistype the URL in the address bar, they are delivered to parked domain sites. An example of this is www.lininsandthings.com: Notice that linen is misspelled in the URL. In this instance, the searcher was already going to Linens-N-Things, and in this way they would be a highly qualified click. However, Linens-N-Things would now have to pay for a click to get their customer, rather than connecting to them directly.

The second perspective is that of the domainers themselves. They claim that address-bar-driven traffic is highly qualified; however, the click revenue generated from these types of sites is the sole source of revenue available from them. Again, they contain no original content, no products and no value. The backbone of their argument lies in statistics that show direct navigation traffic is the most qualified traffic to a site; however, what they fail to interpret is that this statistic does not pertain to an indirect or unintentional visit.

As the industry has matured, the engines have provided marketers with better tools to exclude distribution of ads on these types of sites. Google allows advertisers to block parked domain sites altogether from their campaigns, and Yahoo allows advertisere to exclude sites individually. The most perplexing part of the recent lawsuit filing is that it only challenges Google, yet Yahoo's search network distribution is much more riddled with these types of sites than Google's. The www.homesecurity.com and www.bookkeepping.com examples I used above both serve Yahoo ads. If this is truly going to be a class action suit and it gains any traction, I anticipate it just may involve both companies.

Post your response to the public Search Insider blog.

See what others are saying on the Search Insider blog.

Janel Landis is senior director of search development and strategy at SendTec, Inc., a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based multichannel, integrated marketing firm specializing in search engine marketing, direct response television and lead generation.

Search Insider for Friday, July 25, 2008:
http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=839

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Property.com Unable to Resist Foreclosure

2008-07-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

Property.com SOLD to Foreclosure.com

FORECLOSURE.COM OWNER TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY.COM

Brad Geisen continues to build online real estate empire to expand opportunities for future homebuyers and investors nationwide
Boca Raton, Fla. - July 22, 2008 Foreclosure.com Founder, President and CEO, Brad Geisen, announced today that he has reached an agreement with "Domain King" Rick Schwartz to acquire the domain name "Property.com," paving the way for his entry into a new market.

With Property.com Geisen intends to create a one-of-a-kind - and convenient - one-stop online real estate marketplace that is easy-to-use and navigate. The Web site will serve as an easy-accessible national real estate classified that is going to be free to all visitors, providing sellers, buyers and investors with a whole new concept of marketing and finding homes on the Web.

According to Geisen, the acquisition of Property.com will allow him to focus his efforts on a different and potentially much larger segment of the real estate market. In fact, in Geisen's opinion, the niche foreclosure market, which is Foreclosure.com's market, represents just 2 percent of all available real estate inventory.

"I'm going after the 98 percent of the real estate market outside of the foreclosure business." said Geisen. "For the past several years, I've built and run one of, if not 'the,' most successful Internet foreclosure businesses, but the business was always exclusively distressed real estate. I've achieved in Foreclosure.com what I set out to accomplish and I am ready for a new challenge in a different market. I intend to shift my focus on developing my new ideas that will revolutionize how homes should be listed, viewed and purchased. I've developed the critical skills which I intend to apply to this new market," said Geisen.

Property.com will include all listing types, including those indexed the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), creating a database that could surpass more than 15 million homes, but not including distressed properties, which will remain the business of Foreclosure.com. The best part is that it will be totally free to search for potential buyers and visitors, and sellers will be able to upload and edit their own personal listings at no charge. It's a wide-open model that Geisen knows will create an invaluable resource for just about anyone interested in real estate.

"I'm raising the stakes and pushing all my chips to the center of the table," said Geisen. "Foreclosure.com and my related companies have been leaders in their spaces for nearly a decade. I've seen what's been wrong with the way things were done and I've developed the methods to fix them. I have the knowledge and resources to take this to a whole new level . and that's what I plan to do."

Geisen revealed the new Property.com will be unveiled sometime in 2009. The specific terms of the deal to acquire Property.com were not disclosed. However, Geisen indicated that the value of the deal is one of the largest URL purchases to date.
That's a deal that has the seller Rick Schwartz - who is known as the "Domain King" -- smiling from ear-to-ear. He purchased Property.com for $750,000 in 2005 and was recently introduced to Geisen through Kevin Leto of BigTicketDomains.com about a possible re-sale.

"My job is to acquire prime, industry specific domain names with large volumes of natural type in traffic and eventually develop them to their fullest potential by partnering with leading companies in their respective fields which I have been doing for more than a decade," said Schwartz," "Early on I saw the value in Property.com; however, I never had the resources to develop it so it could reach its maximum potential. Brad Geisen has the vision to truly get the most of Property.com for the benefit of so many people in every corner of the United States. I'm thrilled to be a part of this exciting new project with Brad."

Stay tuned for frequent updates and milestones for the new Property.com. Feel free to visit the Web site in its current form. However, as mentioned earlier, the complete re-launch will not be official until sometime in 2009.

About Brad Geisen and Foreclosure.com
Ten years ago, Brad Geisen founded Foreclosure.com and built it over time to a company with more than 1.8 million foreclosure, preforeclosure, bankruptcy, FSBO and tax lien listings in one place, Foreclosure.com delivers America's largest and most accurate searchable database of foreclosed homes and distressed property information to its customers and business partners. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Brad Geisen and Foreclosure.com work with hundreds of top lending institutions and government agencies to list diverse property types on its Web site, including Real Estate Owned (REO); Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); Fannie Mae; and other government agency and financial institution properties; as well as listings from an extensive network of corporate sellers. On the Web: www.foreclosure.com.

About eRealEsate.com.
Rick Schwartz, aka "Domain King" and "Webfather," is the CEO, President and Cofounder of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. found at TargetedTraffic.com-- the premiere domain conference for the domain industry. It is both the oldest and largest and attracts over 500 of the top professionals in the industry in a by invitation only event. As one of the early domain pioneers dating back to 1995, Rick has a knack for predicting big trends and getting it right. He may have been the first to recognize the value of "type in" traffic which is now commonly referred to as "direct navigation" -- the most potent and targeted traffic on the net. Rick has a prime portfolio of one and two word domains, and is considered by many to be among the leading experts on domain names, traffic, Web site flow and valuation. www.eRealestate.com

Media Contact
Thomas Myers
Foreclosure.com
tmyers@foreclosure.com
Tel: (561) 981-5337 ext. 381

Sales of iPhone 3G Kicked By Telecommunications Giant

2008-07-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

AT&T Kicks Off Sales of iPhone 3G Phone

Online Resources Available to Help Customers Prepare for Purchase

Variety of Attractive Plans Combine Voice and Unlimited Data

Dallas, Texas, July 11, 2008 - AT&T begins selling iPhone 3G today in its retail stores at 8 a.m. local time across the United States, along with a variety of attractive monthly plans that combine voice and unlimited data use. iPhone 3G uses the nation's fastest 3G wireless network, which reaches 300 major metropolitan areas.

Pricing and Eligibility
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that AT&T is making it easy for customers to prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting "Get iReady" tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also includes a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information.

iPhone 3G phones will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:

    * iPhone customers who purchased before July 11*
    * Customers activating a new line with AT&T
    * Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

Current customers who are not eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount. Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history.

Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans
AT&T brings iPhone 3G customers the best coverage on the globe and the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community with unlimited calling to AT&T's 71.4 million wireless customers. iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing).

    * AT&T NationSM Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk® plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover®, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID.

AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each.

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

Additional Tips for Consumers
New AT&T customers who wish to port or retain their phone number from another wireless carrier should consider bringing a copy of a bill from their current service provider. Customers will be asked to provide account information as it appears on record with their current provider, including:

    * Account number
    * Name of the account holder
    * Account holder's SSN or Tax ID
    * Billing address
    * PIN or password (if applicable)

Customers who inherit an original iPhone from a friend or family member will need to request a SIM card from AT&T for the phone and activate the device using the in-home activation process through iTunes.

Customers should listen to voice mail messages on their current devices and write down any necessary information before purchasing iPhone 3G, because existing voice mail messages will be lost when upgrading to iPhone's Visual Voicemail feature.

AT&T will offer accessory bundle options specific to iPhone 3G in its retail stores.

iPhone 2.0 Software
All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, available at www.apple.com/webapps, which offers a wide-range of applications - from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking.

For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews. Numerous enterprise applications are and will continue to be available on iPhone 3G, via the App Store, including Oracle's CRM, collaboration and e-mail applications.

iPhone for Business
Oracle and Kraft Foods Inc. are among the first business customers to deploy iPhone 3G. Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry's only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

*iPhone 3G is available to customers who are currently prepaid customers; however, there is no prepaid plan for iPhone 3G. Additionally, customers' accounts must be in good standing at the time of purchase.

AT&T Offers Nation's Fastest 3G Network

Nation's Fastest 3G Network Complements Best Global Coverage and Industry-Leading Portfolio of 3G Devices

Dallas, Texas, July 10, 2008 - For customers who want access to blazing-fast wireless broadband service, there's one clear choice among all U.S. carriers. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced it offers the nation's fastest third-generation (3G) network, according to data compiled by leading independent wireless research firms. AT&T's superfast 3G mobile broadband network is currently available in nearly 300 major U.S. metropolitan areas, with plans to expand to nearly 350 by the end of the year. In addition, AT&T has the best global coverage of any provider with roaming available in more than 200 countries, including more 3G roaming than any other carrier.

The fastest 3G network claim is based on a variety of tests conducted by leading third-party researchers, who downloaded a variety of applications and files to test throughput and overall performance. AT&T was the winner by a significant margin.

AT&T also announced it has started doubling the data capacity of its 3G markets, and nearly half of all cell sites will receive additional 3G capacity by the end of the year. The additional capacity will help accommodate the anticipated growth of 3G subscribers over the next several years. According to the Yankee Group, the number of 3G subscribers in the U.S. is expected to increase by 160 percent by 2012.

"We've invested billions of dollars in our 3G network, and now we can proudly claim it as the nation's fastest 3G network," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T's wireless unit. "We will continue to expand our 3G network coverage into new areas, grow our lineup of industry-leading devices, such as iPhone 3G, and deliver compelling new 3G services to market like Video ShareSM. And to top it off, only AT&T offers the best global coverage. AT&T's ability to serve its wireless customers is unparalleled in our industry."

Between 2005 and 2008, AT&T will have invested more than $20 billion in network improvements and upgrades - an average of $5 billion a year. Much of this network investment has gone to build out the 3G broadband data network, which today is available in 296 major metropolitan markets. In addition, the company is deploying additional 3G coverage using 850 megahertz (MHz) spectrum that is now available from the recent sunset of its older TDMA network. This spectrum extends farther and better covers the interior of buildings.

In addition to the company's constant 3G expansion in the U.S., only AT&T can offer 3G data roaming in 60 countries, including Japan and South Korea, as well as voice calling in more than 200 countries. Nearly all devices in AT&T's current portfolio are "world phones" that can be used around the world.

Another advantage of AT&T's 3G network is the ability for customers to simultaneously use voice and data features. For example, customers can make a call while checking for a local address on YELLOWPAGES.COM.

Sprint's "iphone clone" the Samsung Instinct priced at $129.99

Daytona Beach, FL (PRunderground) June 20, 2008 - Sprint's highly anticipated phone, the Samsung Instinct, goes on sale Friday. Sprint has announced via a press release that the instinct will cost $129.99, with a 2 year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Samsung Instinct is Sprint's answer to the iPhone, which is slated to cost $199 next month.

There is a catch. Sprint also announced that activation of the Instinct requires a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines.

The Instinct is a touchscreen device that includes EV-DO Rev. A, which is equivalent to AT&T's 3G speeds, for Web browsing, e-mail and more. The Instinct has already been awarded such honors as "Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008?, and "Best Cell Phone" by CNET's CTIA 2008 awards. Only time will tell if Sprint has a winner with the Samsung Instinct. To purchase a Samsung Instinct you can visit http://samsunginstinctstore.com

About SamsungInstictStore.com
SamsungInstinctStore.com provides access to the best deals on Samsung Instinct phones and accessories. For more information please visit http://samsunginstinctstore.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michelle Wagner
contact@samsunginstinctstore.com
http://samsunginstinctstore.com

3G Secret Uncovered

2008-07-11T20:07:00.000-05:00

LG Secret : Unveil the secret

The LG Secret is a 3G enabled phone with some of the best multimedia and connectivity options. The gorgeous looks come complete with a touch sensitive navigation pad.

Jul 02, 2008 - The LG Secret or KF750 is a highly amazing 3G phone with attractive looks. The mesmerizing looks can definitely turn heads of the prospective users, wherever it is. This beautiful 3G phone is empowered with high quality features as well as fast technology. Therefore, it won't be wrong to say that the overall looks of the handset have gained a "wow " factor in the crowd. This phone is designed to suit the "fashion conscious" users who are looking out for high quality multimedia, entertainment and connectivity options, even on the go. The mid-sized casing of the phone is available in a colour choice of silver and black. The spacious coloured touch screen dominates the front panel of phone. All the high-end features and functions are contrived to fit in ultra slim dimension of 11.8 mm in thickness, 50.8 mm in width and 102.8 mm in height. This 3G phone is well suited to the users pocket or bag easily, without even feeling heavy to carry, as it weighs only 116 grams. This fashionable handset is a member of the LG Black Series.

Display:
The brilliant screen of the Secret is made from tempered glass or well known as LCD. This LCD display is a scratch resistant glass that offers a high gloss finish. The users can experience a neon touch navigation on this screen, which glows with a a blue light colour when in use. The LG KF750 Secret comprises of a large 2.4 inches screen and provides a vibrant combination of thousand colours. A high screen resolution of 240 x 320 pixels gives a good viewing experience.

Memory:
The LG KF750 comes embedded with 100 MB of internal memory which is further supplemented with a memory card slot. Therefore, with the help of MicroSD memory card, the owner can extend the internal memory by up to 4 GB. The massive storage allows the users to store various information and multimedia content on their portable device.

Connectivity:
The LG Secret is a tri-band enabled phone with a large roaming coverage. Therefore, the users enjoy seamless communication across the world. For transferring the files, the handset supports more than one connectivity options. As a matter of fact, the Bluetooth wireless technology with A2DP can be used for transferring the files up to some distance. While, cabled USB connectivity option is considered for transferring the files with the compatible devices at comparatively longer distance. One can enjoy high speed data transfers with the built-in EDGE technology and GPRS. The users can connect to Internet with the help of WAP browser and enjoy a XHTML as well as HTML experience on their respective phone.

Camera:
The users can experience a high quality digital imaging feature with them, wherever they go. As a matter of fact, the phone is integrated with a 5 mega pixels camera complete with a flash, auto focus and face detection feature. The high-end camera allows the users to capture those fun moments of their life. With the help of video capabilities, you can record moving footage with ease. One can record video in various popular formats such as DivX, MPEG4 and many more.

Music Player:
On the musical front, the handset is empowered with a music player and a FM radio. The handset allows the users to play their favourite music for entertainment on various popular formats. An integrated FM radio comes with a RDS feature which allows the user to view information on their screen, while listening to the radio station.

Messages:
With the help of comprehensive messaging options, the users can stay in contact with others without making a call. One can experience wide selection of messaging services such as multimedia picture messaging, enhanced messaging, email as well as text messaging.

http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/dealset.asp?id=1332

To conclude, the LG Secret comes with a rechargeable battery which provides approximately 260 hours of stand by battery time or up to 4 hours talk time from a single charge.

http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/mobile-phones/lg-mobile

Google Now Provides Search Query Numbers!

2008-07-10T11:16:00.001-05:00

Google Keyword Suggestion
I was checking some keywords with the keyword tool and was BLOWN AWAY to see actual numbers have replaced the green bar general indication of what the number of searches are. THIS IS AWESOME, since it gives us hard data on how many people are using any specific keyword phrase. This information is critical for web site optimization or blog optimization.

Rank Checking and Overture (Not Yahoo) Keyword Tool
Still tainted by people looking for rankings, this information may be as good or better than anything out there for keyword research. I loved Overture's keyword suggestion option and Yahoo was stupid to let it decline, in my opinion. WordTracker may be pretty good, but I never liked it and thought their fees were excessive. I think it's also over-kill for small business owners.

Global Search Query Data
What we really need is something that would take search query data from as many sources as possible, weight the results based on the probability that people are doing rank checking, and aggregate the data into something that would really represent global search query numbers. Now that would be cool! Just think about how much better your search engine optimization, SEO, and SEM would be with marketing data like that.

Can I Get A Little Privacy Please...?

2008-07-07T17:22:00.000-05:00

Google's Privacy Policy Link: Too Little, Too Late?

By Wendy Davis, Monday, July 7, 2008
Now that it's facing a genuine privacy crisis, Google has decided to quell a completely insignificant privacy dust-up. The search giant has finally placed a link to its privacy policy on the home page. Previously, users had to click on multiple links, or search on the terms "Google privacy policy," to reach the information.

This purely cosmetic change might placate some watchdogs, who argued that Google was violating California law by not including the link on its home page, but does nothing to solve the larger problem: Google stores too much information about its users.

Among other data, the company retains logs showing users' IP addresses and their search queries. Google contends that IP addresses don't usually reveal people's identities. But that assertion ignores the reality that examining all of a person's searches can in itself reveal identity. In other words, users' identities can be deduced whether the IP address is real or a made-up sequence of numbers -- as long as it's paired with all of the searches originating from a single computer.

Last week, a federal judge ordered Google to disclose to Viacom complete user logs for YouTube, including all users' IP addresses, screen names and which videos they watched. Google and Viacom have since tried to quell privacy concerns, with Google saying it will ask to "anonymize" IP addresses, even though that won't necessarily preserve users' privacy as long as all of their information is still paired with the same identifier. Viacom has also said it will handle all information confidentially.

As privacy advocates point out, Google wouldn't be facing this problem now if it hadn't compiled and stored these records in the first place.

Louis Stanton, the federal judge who issued the order in the YouTube lawsuit, wrote in his opinion that Google argues in its public policy blog that IP addresses aren't necessarily personally identifiable. "We have proposed broad global privacy standards, and are strong supporters of the idea that data protection laws should apply to any data that could identify you. The reality is though that in most cases, an IP address without additional information cannot," the blog states.

But, on other sections of its site, Google equates IP addresses with personally identifiable information. "Due to user privacy concerns, Google Analytics doesn't report on personally identifiable information, including a visitor's IP address," the company states on a site about Google's analytics tool.

In other words, even Google realizes that, for all practical purposes, IP addresses should be treated as personally identifiable information. Given the events of last week, the company should rethink the wisdom of retaining such data.

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From what I've seen the IP address can provide very specific information that can track people. This is especially true if a time and date stamp is included with the log informaiton, which it generally is. you may need a court order to get the information from the person's ISP, but that's not all that hard if you have a reason to request it. I think we need this. While tracking people can be as benign but annoying as showing you ads based on past activity, it can also be abused on a more serious level. On the other hand if everyone can mess around on the web with little or no chance of being identified or tracked..., well, we already have enough spammers, hackers, crackers, and Turkish script kiddies to keep us busy.

Perhaps Google should encrypt the IP address and some of the other information to keep it from being abused, well abused by anyone except them. Of course if we saw signs of abuse then we would know it was them, wouldn't we...?

Executive Says Sun Company Not Suffering from Open Source or open sores

2008-07-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

Sun Executive Says Company Not Suffering from Open Source Malaise Stifling Novell

Sun's Chief Open Source Officer disputes Novell CEO's claim that Solaris and OpenSolaris operating systems are going nowhere.

Louisville, KY - April 15, 2008 -- Novell is the company stuck in an open source malaise, not Sun Microsystems, at least according to Simon Phipps, chief open source officer for Sun. While talking with IT Business Edge, Phipps responded to comments Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian made regarding the future of Sun and OpenSolaris during a recent Linux Foundation podcast. Phipps said that Hovsepian quoted inaccurate download numbers for OpenSolaris while criticizing Sun's open source strategy.

"I think that what Mr. Hovsepian is doing here is 'whistling in the dark,' as they say." stated Phipps. "I think he's worried about the resurgence of a new, fast, innovative OpenSolaris."

Phipps noted that many open source vendors offer commercial and free versions, with support available only for the commercial offering. In response to Hovsepian's suggestion that Sun's strategy for balancing open source and commercial interests isn't right, Phipps said, "Novell's got a big problem. What they're doing is trying to sell open source software as if it was proprietary software. The comment that Mr. Hovsepian made seems to be projecting Novell's malaise onto Sun, but we don't have that malaise. We ship a completely free piece of software that anyone can download and use without any restrictions."

The full interview with Phipps can be viewed at IT Business Edge: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=40871

Find the latest news impacting the open source market at the Open for Business Blog: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/osb/

About IT Business Edge and NarrowCast Group LLC
IT Business Edge delivers the information, analysis and context that business technology decision makers need to devise strategies, optimize resources and capitalize on IT investments. As a Technology Intelligence Agent, we provide our audience with practical online content and useful tools different from anything offered by traditional IT publishers, news services or analyst firms. IT Business Edge features our business-focused blogs, exclusive interviews with field experts and industry insiders, plus our database of more than 25,000 abstracts summarizing content from 3,500-plus sources.

IT Business Edge is published by NarrowCast Group, LLC, a privately held online media company that targets high-level business technology decision-makers. The company offers IT vendors varied opportunities to access this coveted audience through high-impact advertising and lead-generation programs. Through an array of partnerships with other publishers, NarrowCast Group also markets select books, training products and software tools directly to its subscribers, creating a diverse revenue model while meeting the comprehensive information needs of its customers.

Press Contact: Jeff Yocom
Company Name: NarrowCast Group/IT Business Edge
Phone: 502-515-6461
Website: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/

j2 Global Communications Patent Lawsuit Gets Protus Response

2008-07-03T11:47:00.001-05:00

Protus Responds to Patent Lawsuit brought by j2 Global Communications

OTTAWA-- July 03, 2008 --Fast growing Canadian technology company Protus IP Solutions responded today to a competitor's patent infringement suit by noting that the asserted patents are not relevant to the company or any of its products.

The plaintiff (j2 Global Communications) has accused Protus' popular MyFax Internet fax services of infringing two patents. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Texas.

Last year Protus defeated j2 Global Communications in another patent lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Dean Pregerson issued an order on November 13, 2007 dismissing the case against Protus, with prejudice (meaning the patents cannot be reasserted against Protus). The case was closely followed by technology and communications companies because j2 Global Communications, prior to targeting Protus, licensed the patents to more than 30 companies. Protus was the first company to challenge these patents in the courts and was awarded a decisive victory.

"This is another meritless case by j2. In the last case the court held that the patents did not apply to Protus' services," said Andrea Girones, General Counsel at Protus. "We are confident that this case will be dismissed as well."

"I'm not surprised that j2 feels compelled to continue to clog the courts with these unfounded lawsuits," said Joseph Nour, Protus' Chief Executive Officer. "Protus' MyFax is the fastest growing Internet fax service in the market and is aggressively gaining market share against j2's eFax. We are confident that we will win this case on its merits and MyFax will continue to erode j2's market share."

About Protus

Protus® provides the highest quality software as a service (SaaS) communications tools for small-to-medium-businesses (SMB) and enterprise organizations, including award-winning MyFax, the fastest growing Internet fax service; my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual PBX phone service that travels with the user from phone to web; and Campaigner and CampaignerPro, software-as-a-service email marketing solutions with advanced automation features. Protus' commitment to delivering a superior user experience has resulted in a continually growing and loyal customer base, allowing market leadership in industries including finance, insurance, real estate, healthcare, transportation and government. For more information about Protus and its family of communication tools, call 888-733-7007 or visit www.protus.com.

Contacts

Protus
Sue Rutherford
613-733-0000 x 519 or srutherford@protus.com
Tech Image
Tracy Shryer
847-279-0022 x230 or tracy.shryer@techimage.com