Village Gamer

London Ontario’s iLookAbout Corp. has confirmed that through an agreement with Pictometry International, the corporation has been contracted to provide StreetScape imagery to Jefferson County, Kentucky which includes the City of Louisville. The contract calls for delivery of static imagery for the County’s CAMA application as well as integration of StreetScape imagery into Pictometry EFS, POL and ESRi for Assessment and other County departments. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

“We are very proud to have been chosen to image Jefferson County. The decision of Mr. Tony Lindauer of the Jefferson County, Property Value Administrator’s Office, to move forward with StreetScape and GeoViewPort™ is affirmation that our work in the area of Desktop Review is taking root,” commented Jeff Young, President and CEO of iLookAbout. “Mr. Lindauer’s decision will allow the PVA to work better, faster and more cost effectively through the use of technology. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the PVA.”

“iLookAbout StreetScape™ and GeoViewPort™ are examples of how the PVA can improve service and productivity to the constituents of Jefferson County, KY. These leading technologies, when coupled with existing tools such as Pictometry On Line, allow our staff to make better informed decisions on a more timely basis,” said Tony Lindauer, Jefferson County PVA. “We have followed the success of iLookAbout over many years and are thrilled to finally have their products in house.”

High performance ethernet service assurance provider Accedian Networks™ has announced that Mr. Paul J. Milbury has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Milbury brings over 30 years of experience exercising financial, operational and governance responsibilities in the technology sector.

“Paul’s vast experience in building successful companies and creating shareholder value will be pivotal to Accedian as the Company prepares for the next phase in its growth,” said George Riedel, Chairman of the Accedian Networks Board of Directors. “He brings an invaluable perspective to the Board with direct involvement in public company control and governance, merger and acquisition strategy/execution, IPO preparation and execution, investor relations and treasury. We’re pleased to welcome Paul to our Board.”

“Accedian is clearly one of the leaders of the 4G/LTE revolution, and a key contributor in making Carrier Ethernet technology suitable for mobile backhaul services,” said Paul Milbury. “Accedian’s high performance service assurance solution ensures the success of service providers around the world who are racing to deliver 4G services over Carrier Ethernet networks. I’m very excited to be in a position to contribute to the Accedian Board as the company makes this journey.”

Over the course of his distinguished career, Paul Milbury has been involved with technology companies ranging from start-up to mid-cap and large cap. In 2010, he left Cisco Systems after assisting with the integration of Starent Networks, a provider of mobile network solutions, into Cisco. Paul was a key member of Starent’s leadership team through the company’s IPO process in 2007 and its sale to Cisco Systems in December 2009 for $2.9 billion. From 2000-2007, he was Chief Financial Officer at Avid Technology, a digital media creation, management and distribution solutions company. He also served as Vice President and Treasurer of Digital Equipment Corp, a $15 billion global technology firm that was acquired by Compaq Computer for $10 billion in 1998. Paul also served as CFO of start-ups iBelong and JuniorNet.

Mr. Milbury is a member of the boards of Infinera Corp, a digital optical networking company and Crossbeam Systems, a network security company.

Scribendi.com has launched an editing and proofreading WordPress Plugin that allows blog posts to be seamlessly edited before users hit the publish button. Blog writers can simply download the plugin and submit their documents to be edited by Scribendi.com’s professional editors in as little as four hours.

“We’re thrilled to be able to launch this plugin, as we’ve always wanted to be able to reach out to bloggers and provide a fast, easy way for them to get their blog posts revised,” said Chandra Clarke, President of Scribendi.com. “The plugin, and the dedicated blog editing and proofreading service, provide a way to do that.”

Chatham, Ontario Scribendi.com has tightly integrated their system into the WordPress dashboard, investing weeks of development and testing into making their services easy to access without leaving the user’s site. The WordPress plugin provides a firm quote in seconds, securely places an order, and even automatically picks up the completed order. Then it shows all of the suggested corrections right inside the user’s WordPress revision history, providing the full benefit of professional editorial support while retaining complete creative control.

“As blog writing and self-publishing continues to grow in popularity, we have to be innovative and create new ways for clients to easily access our services,” said Clarke. “The document revision industry has changed, and we are leaders in revolutionizing this industry.”

Scribendi.com understands that blogs represent the writer, or the company that endorses it, and any errors can detract from the content and damage credibility. Their editing WordPress Plugin eliminates errors and ensures that all blog posts receive attention for the right reasons—not for grammatical or spelling errors that have gone viral.

This editing plugin allows blog writers to have their posts professionally edited on the fly. Scribendi.com has changed the way writers connect to editors, making editing more accessible to writers using the Internet. The WordPress Plugin connects directly to Scribendi.com’s blog editing services.

On Saturdays, beginning August 27th and throughout the fall until October 15th, cash and cheques won’t be the only deposits accepted at select TD Canada Trust branches in BC, Alberta and Ontario. Today, TD Canada Trust announced the launch of its E-Recycling Event, making it easy for Canadians to dispose of their old electronics at approximately 50 of its participating branches. Customers and local area residents are encouraged to bring in their old or unwanted electronic and e-waste items to a designated branch to be recycled.

“TD is committed to being an environmental leader and recycles as many electronics as possible in order to divert potentially hazardous materials from our landfills,” says, Monique Bateman, Senior Vice President, Prairie Region, TD Canada Trust. “Hosting these local recycling events makes it easy for our customers and residents in the area to do their part for the environment and dispose their old electronics responsibly.”

During a successful test pilot program last year at three branches in Edmonton, Vancouver and Burlington, TD Canada Trust responsibly disposed of and recycled close to 1,500 electronics in three days. The event has now expanded to include close to 50 branches across Canada in five regions – Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick.

To participate in the E-Recycling Event, customers and residents can bring common electronics items such as TVs, personal computers and peripherals (mice, laptop, keyboards, and speakers), desktop printers, monitors, cell phones and smartphones, batteries, mp3 players and more. As an added incentive, Canadians who recycle their electronics at the participating branches will be entered in a draw to win a Smart Car.

Our environment is changing in fundamental ways that will impact the way we work and live. At TD Canada Trust we are committed to being an environmental leader by reducing our operational impact and pioneering projects to create carbon offsets that have community benefits. As of the end of 2010, 98% of e-waste from TD was diverted from landfills, where the majority was refurbished and donated to charities. Read the rest of this entry »

Just as the film festival draws celebrities and influencers from around the world to the streets of Toronto, NKPR’s popular gifting suite, the IT Lounge, is kicking off with a renewed focus on the global and local reach of its initiatives and charitable campaigns.

This year’s IT Lounge, held from September 8 to 14, connects diverse brands such as Canada’s RW&CO and Italy’s Coccinelle to raise funds and awareness not only for international charity partner Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ), but locally for Camp Oochigeas, where children with cancer rediscover the magic of childhood.

Founded by Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis, APJ is improving the lives of Haitian children by supporting an education model that will give thousands access to schooling, as well as hot meals, clean water and medical care. The APJ board includes Hollywood heavy-hitters such as James Franco, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Olivia Wilde, Gerard Butler, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Charlize Theron and Maria Bello.

IT Lounge doesn’t overlook those who need support close to home, with participating brands also donating to local charity Camp Oochigeas – a privately funded, volunteer-based organization that provides kids with cancer and kids affected by childhood cancer with a unique opportunity for growth through challenging, fun, enriching and magical experiences.

Though Natasha Koifman, president and founder of NKPR Inc., is quick to admit the film festival is her favourite time of year, it’s not just because of red carpet calls and gala events. “Working with our partners to raise funds and awareness for a number of different causes gives us a unique opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of children and their families on both a global and local scale.”

Located in the heart of the cinematic action at 312 Adelaide Street West, NKPR headquarters will once again transform into a can’t-miss pop-up shop loaded with star-worthy finds that all give back. Don’t miss out on the always fun and functional IT Lounge media centre, this year created by interior designer and décor expert Karen Sealy, owner of Sealy Design Inc., featuring HD LG Optimus Pads provided by Rogers.

This year feature brands include a wide range of global and local faves such as RW&CO., Fila, Coccinelle, Stila Cosmetics, Ardell Lashes, Goody, Simply You Jewelry, Kobo, G.M. Collin skin care, House of Marley, Stratusphere Living, ConScent/Parental ConScent, Baker Street, FIJI Water, SKYY Vodka.

Previous guests of the IT Lounge include Edward Norton, Catherine Deneuve, Fefe Dobson, Queen Latifah, Tim Robbins, Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde and Ryan Gosling.

In addition to hosting the IT Lounge (September 8 to 14), NKPR will be at the helm of key festival events uptown, downtown and all over town, including:

• September 9 and 10: TORO After Dark Lounge, at Ame (19 Mercer St.). TORO After Dark will celebrate Artists For Peace and Justice on September 9, with a fundraiser hosted by Academy Award-winning director Paul Haggis, with Jon Hamm and George Stroumboulopoulos. On September 10, A-listers and industry insiders will enjoy fresh festival programming at the late-night lounge.

• September 10: Artists for Peace and Justice Academy Lunch. Located at a private estate in the Annex, this intimate backyard lunch will raise funds for the APJ Academy for children in Haiti. The event will feature special guest performances by Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) and Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire).

• September 10: HELLO! Canada Red Carpet & Gala. Canada’s only celebrity news magazine commemorates five glamourous years with a celebration of the greatest Hollywood style icons featured in HELLO! Canada at an invitation-only cocktail reception at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton.

NKPR will also spread social good using social media. The agency will donate $2 to APJ and to Camp Oochigeas – with proceeds split equally – for every new Twitter follower received between August 25 and September 14. Follow NKPR at natashankpr on Twitter to make your contribution to the campaign.

“Through the generosity of the brands who’ve participated in the IT Lounge over the past three years, and previous Artists for Peace and Justice fundraising events held during the film festival, we’ve been able to help make a difference in the lives of children around the world,” says Koifman, who also serves as Chair of the APJ Canada Board and as Advisory Board Member for Camp Oochigeas. “Mobilizing our social media community to help spread awareness for our causes is a natural evolution in our fundraising efforts.”

NKPR has helped raise more than $200,000 to both local and global charities through the IT Lounge, fundraising events, and online charitable campaigns like their “Follow For A Cause” initiative.

Be sure to visit NKPR’s all-film-festival, all-the-time microsite which will track fundraising efforts, feature daily contests, the latest news from the red carpets, exclusive IT Lounge images and updates from NKPR’s social networks.

Business broadband solution provider Radiant Communications Corp. has announced the resignation of David Buffett as President and CEO and the appointment of Paul Healy as the interim President and CEO.

Mr. Healey is an experienced telecommunications leader having held executive positions at both BCE and Rogers Communications including President Bell Canada, Western Canada.  Mr. Healey’s most recent role was as President & CEO of a national franchise growth company. Mr. Healey’s appointment is effective August 30, 2011.

“On behalf of the Board I’d like to thank David Buffett for his efforts and contributions to Radiant over the past five years,” said Don Calder, Chairman of Radiant. “We believe that with a strong customer base, a superior product portfolio and exceptional service Radiant is extremely well positioned in the small and medium enterprise arena. Paul Healey has tremendous experience and is well versed in the Canadian market. He is an exceptional results driven leader and is a perfect fit to accelerate Radiant’s growth and success.”

Radiant Communications also disclosed its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011.

Highlights:

• Revenue of $8.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 increased by 4.9% compared to revenue of $7.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.
• Gross margin was 38.2% in the quarter.
• EBITDA in the second quarter was $143,171 compared to $126,010 in the second quarter of 2010.
• Net loss in the second quarter of $237,569 amounted to a loss of $0.02 per share.
• The Company ended the quarter with cash and short-term investments of $4.0 million

Financial Review

Revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 increased 4.9% to $8.1 million compared to $7.8 million in the second quarter of 2010.  The increase is a result of ongoing installation and activation of new services directed at retailers and larger national businesses as well as the addition of new locations and services to existing customers. Radiant’s revenues are primarily recurring in nature and due to extended two and three year customer contracts quarterly revenue growth is relatively predictable and consistent over time.  One time hardware revenues can fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending on the requirements of customer rollouts that occur each quarter.

In the second quarter AlwaysThere virtual services accounted for 6.7% of revenue, up from 4.7% of revenue in the second quarter of 2010. With AlwaysThere services accounting for over 15% of new sales year to date we expect to this high margin business continue to grow. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh off the heels of a successful launch of ePhone for the BlackBerry Playbook™, Comwave introduces ePhone as a web-based Adobe® Flash® video phone. Users can access their ePhone from any computer in the world with an internet connection. “ePhone is an incredible value that every laptop should have,” says Yuval Barzakay, President. “In the boardroom or in the dorm room, ePhone turns your laptop into a regular phone.”

Customers receive their own phone number so even people from landlines and mobile phones can call ePhone users. Comwave ePhone also includes free local and long distance calls to almost 60 countries for only $20 per year. All you need is a PC or Apple® Mac computer with an internet connection to log into ePhone to make and receive calls and no software is required to install. Additionally, Customers can make unlimited Video Calls to other ePhone users absolutely free.

Customers can sign up for a 3-Day Risk Free trial and enjoy 100 minutes of free calling to almost 60 countries and unlimited talk between other ePhone users. Once the free trial has expired, Customers will have the option to continue for only $20 per year.

ePhone includes:

• Your own telephone number
• Unlimited Free Incoming calls from anywhere in the world including landlines and mobile phones
• Unlimited ePhone-2-ePhone voice or video calling
• 250 Free Minutes per month to call almost 60 countries. Calls that exceed the 250 free minutes will be charged at low rates guaranteed lower than Skype™
• No monthly bills or fees, just a one-time annual payment

In recent weeks, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) has uncovered, particularly through Internet surveillance, several cases of companies that are unauthourized to operate in Québec yet are soliciting investors to speculate on the currency market.

The AMF is therefore cautioning investors against solicitations carried out through the website www.forexcanus.com by 6149154 Canada Inc., also known as Forexcanus. The AMF is also cautioning Québec investors against the activities of Gain Capital – Forex.com UK Limited, which solicits investors through www.forex.com.

These companies are not registered with the AMF as derivatives dealers or in any other capacity. Such solicitations and the nature of the products being proposed by these companies may be violations under the Derivatives Act or other laws administered by the AMF.

Currency and derivatives markets are complex and volatile, and are therefore for investors who have the knowledge, time and resources to track them. Investors who do not have the knowledge and time needed to trade in these markets could incur significant losses.

The AMF also reminds consumers about the importance of investigating before investing. They should ensure that the firms and individuals offering to act as intermediaries, including through the Internet, have the necessary approvals by checking the Register of firms and individuals authorized to practice on the AMF website or by calling the Information Centre. The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is the regulatory and oversight body for Québec’s financial industry.

Canadian emerging technology CEOs are finding it more difficult to add new qualified employees to their payroll, according to a PwC report exploring talent management issues for the Canadian emerging technology sector. The report found 44% of CEOs listed recruiting new talent and management team members as their biggest hiring issue. What’s more, an overwhelming majority (72%) either don’t have a talent management strategy in place or aren’t sure if their existing strategy is effective.

“It is interesting to hear that IT entrepreneurs are challenged with finding qualified people,” says Peter Matutat, National Emerging Company Practice Leader, PwC. “At the heart of the issue may be that IT grads are coming out of school with a skill set that isn’t quite what employers are looking for.”

“The nature of emerging technology companies means they aren’t just seeking people with the technical know-how, but employees who are more well-rounded,” adds Matutat. “Start-up companies also highly value softer skills like creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.”

Tobi Day-Hamilton, director of advancement at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, says change needs to happen at the university level to ensure grads are equipped with the skills technology companies are looking for.

According to Day-Hamilton, “We’re seeing a skills gap in what grads learn in post-secondary and what companies are now requesting in employees. In recent years, we found students were specializing in one area of technology, which meant grads were lacking general business and creativity skills. Increasingly, these are attributes that are becoming must-haves for many employers.”

Day-Hamilton also stresses the importance of co-op education throughout the university experience. “Employers want new hires to come in and hit the ground running, which is difficult to do if you don’t have the practical experience,” she says. “The more experience you can get before graduating, the better.”

The University of Waterloo has developed new program offerings to address this skills gap issue. The university is launching its Masters of Digital Experience Innovation this September and its Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts next year.

For job seekers, the industry looks positive. Turnover continues to be low with 81% of CEOs reporting less than 10% turnover and close to 70% with less than 5% turnover. The primary reasons for staff voluntarily leaving their companies last year were for higher compensation and new challenging opportunities (both 21%). Involuntary staff turnover was mostly attributed to poor performance (32%) rather than cost containment (11%), and 35% of respondents indicated they had no involuntary turnover at all.

Burnaby PC-over-IP^®  developer Teradici Corporation has announced its agreement to distribute the APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card with valued partner, EVGA. Teradici will partner with EVGA to bring the APEX 2800 to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The group of EVGA’s distribution partners offering the Teradici APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card include Ingram Micro, ASI, D&H, and Synnex.

The APEX 2800 is specifically designed to offload PCoIP image encoding responsibilities from VMware View VDI servers, significantly reducing CPU utilization. Unexpected peaks in CPU processing demands are instantly managed to protect and ensure a consistently high level of user experience at the desktop, and IT managers can enable increased VDI consolidation ratios while managing data center space and power needs more effectively.

“We look forward to working with EVGA to distribute our APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card,” said Trent Punnett, vice president marketing, product management, and systems engineering. “We are confident that the trusted partnership between our organizations and the strength of EVGA’s channel relationships will provide the most effective path to market for the APEX 2800.”

“At EVGA we constantly strive to offer customers an array of outstanding products and we are proud to include Teradici’s PCoIP technology, along with its APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card in our offerings,” said Bob Klase, VP of Sales at EVGA. “EVGA is committed to distribution and marketing of the APEX 2800 and is pleased by the early signs of market demand.”

The APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card will be available beginning December, 2011 with a list price of $1995.00 USD.