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MoboVivo has appointed Stephen Butler as its first Chief Financial Officer. Stephen brings to Mobovivo almost a decade and a half of financial expertise and business building experience, both as an advisor and principal.

“Stephen is a perfect fit for a dynamic company like Mobovivo at this stage in our development,” said Trevor Doerksen, Mobovivo’s founder and CEO. “His financial and deal experience are essential as we work through our next stage of growth and financing. He’s been in the trenches as a business manager in highly fluid competitive situations, where he’s displayed the right mix of creativity and commitment to the vision.”

Stephen’s formative career was with The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. He advised Fortune 500 customers on issues of strategy and performance improvement, particularly in financial services and telecommunications, with a focus on responding to paradigm shifts brought about by the rise of e-commerce.

In 2001 TMX Group hired Stephen as group director of corporate development and key member of its “IPO team”, guiding the development of the growth and diversification strategy with which the company went public in 2002. He subsequently built and led a corporate development team that oversaw the evaluation, negotiation and implementation of several investments that took TMX beyond its traditional core. This included the 2004 acquisition of NGX, Canada’s leading energy exchange and the largest physical clearing facility in North America. Stephen joined NGX’s senior leadership team, where he helped the company return to healthy double-digit growth.

Stephen holds a joint honours B.A. in Economics and Political Science from McGill, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge.

SurfEasy is pleased to announce a first-of-its-kind product that makes it plug-and-play easy for anyone to protect their Internet privacy and online freedom from any computer. The Company has developed its secure personal web browser technology around the SurfEasy USB key and is now ready to introduce the product and make it available for pre-ordering on KickStarter.

SurfEasy’s patent-pending technology has been custom-designed to address four key concerns that affect hundreds of millions of Internet users on a daily basis:

•     Internet Privacy – SurfEasy encrypts all Internet traffic to prevent third parties from spying on your online life, making it easy to browse privately on any network or computer.
•     Internet Security – Unlike normal web browsers that store personal information on a computer for others to find, SurfEasy leaves nothing behind on any computer. All web browsing data including history, passwords and bookmarks are stored safely on the password-protected SurfEasy key.
•     Internet Freedom – SurfEasy enables users to access their favourite web sites from any computer or network without censorship. Bypass firewalls and most other tools that may monitor, block or restrict access to important sources of online information like Facebook and YouTube.
•     Portability – No matter where you are, SurfEasy’s portable, plug-and-play form factor offers the same level of protection and security on any web-enabled computer or network. Seamlessly continue browsing sessions from computer to computer, while having secure access to your bookmarks, passwords and other web browser preferences.

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SurfEasy’s mission is to make it plug-and-play simple for anyone to secure their online privacy and freedom, and the company has gone to great lengths to make sure of that. Behind SurfEasy’s unique hardware, is a customized software layer that interacts with a private global network of proxy servers, offering the same level of data encryption as used by the world’s leading banks. SurfEasy wants to put that kind of online security in the hands of millions of Internet users and promote the principles of online privacy and Internet freedom.

As part of the Kickstarter soft launch and product pre-sale, the first 100 contributors of US$30 or more will receive a SurfEasy key at almost half of the expected retail price. Any contribution, big or small, is welcome in assisting SurfEasy and promoting the values of Internet Privacy and Freedom. Rest assured that every penny raised goes to supporting our mission to protect your online identity.

CDI College has opened a new campus in Victoria BC, making it easier for residents of the Island to get the career training they need, without having to travel to the Mainland. For more than 40 years, CDI College has provided thousands of Canadians with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully pursue new careers.

The new campus in Victoria will bring that wealth of experience to a wider range of students and allow them to train closer to home. With increased growth on Vancouver Island, there is greater demand for well-trained professionals in many communities. Applications are now being accepted for all programs at the new Victoria campus.

“Our graduates are in high-demand across the country, and we’re excited to offer residents of Victoria and the surrounding communities the opportunity to train with us,” says Bohdan Bilan, VP of Academics. “Students who enroll at CDI College will benefit from our small classes, industry-experienced instructors and our hands-on method of teaching.”

The new Victoria campus will offer several programs including Accounting and Payroll, Health Care Assistant, Paralegal, Addictions and Community Services Worker, and many more. With start dates staggered throughout the year, CDI College in Victoria makes it easy to head back to school, no matter what your situation.

Randy Cox, President of CDI College attributes Vancouver Island’s growth in the last several years as the reason for expansion. “Recently, we’ve seen huge demand for trained professionals in the areas of business and healthcare across the Island. This makes it the perfect time to open our latest campus in Victoria.”

CDI College grads become part of an extensive alumni network composed of thousands of professionals in the business, technology and healthcare fields. These connections prove invaluable when starting out in a new career field. With 21 campus locations across Canada, CDI College grads are recognized throughout the country.

Ottawa’s Guardian Mobility today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Boston-based Alakai Technologies, creating an advanced turnkey flight data monitoring solution for aircraft operators around the world.

With this acquisition, initially announced on May 10, 2011, Guardian now has one of the aircraft industry’s most innovative and sophisticated product and service solutions for fleet operators. The focus on an integrated solution is to help clients achieve operational efficiencies, lower costs, increase cockpit safety and reduce risks.

The acquisition expands key markets for Guardian, including the pilot training market, with flagship client Purdue University, and commuter and regional airlines and provides the company with a strong value proposition to target global customers.

“This is a game-changing day for Guardian, our customers and the aviation sector,” said Howard Pearl, Guardian’s Chief Executive Officer. “This union fits with our mission as a best-value provider of comprehensive and highly competitive offerings in the global arena. The combined product is truly amazing for the price. We couldn’t be happier having Brian Morrison backing up our team. Have you seen the man’s resume?”

Brian Morrison, founder and President of Alakai Technologies, will become the Senior Vice President, Product Innovation for Guardian and will remain based in Boston. “We are very excited to become part of the Guardian family,” says Morrison, adding that, “with this acquisition completed, we have the resources to scale our proven flight monitoring technology and permanently enhance Guardian’s communications and data management systems.”

Guardian’s technology will provide fixed and rotary wing operators with unprecedented air transport style Flight Data Monitoring (FDM), professional analysis and reports. This includes satellite tracking and communications for real-time exception notification and automated logs in one bundled service providing a complete Fleet Management Solution.

I Love Rewards has appointed Holly Tiessen as its Vice President of Client Success. Holly joins the I Love Rewards team as a respected leader with extensive sales knowledge, rooted in over sixteen years of successful business development experience in the software industry.

“Holly’s notable sales achievements in the software industry, combined with her proven ability to lead teams to success, are critical to I Love Rewards as the company continues to expand its global footprint”, says Razor

Holly Tiessen

Suleman, CEO and Founder of I Love Rewards. “We are excited that Holly has joined our team and I am confident that she will align the Client Success team to sales goals, allowing I Love Rewards to maintain its remarkable growth trends.”

Holly’s comprehensive knowledge of global sales coupled with her proven ability to deliver growth to lead market share makes her an invaluable asset to I Love Rewards’ accelerated sales strategy. She has achieved her MBA and holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts & Science from McMaster University. Prior to joining I Love Rewards, Holly was the Sales Support Executive at IBM, where she defined her integral role by spearheading a business transformation by moving sales support tasks from sellers to the Global Center of Excellence, increasing capacity by 30% and decreasing cost by 24%. Holly built, enabled, and launched a team of 50 support sales specialists from nothing in six months. At I Love Rewards, Holly is responsible for leading and evolving the Client Success team as the company continues to lead the industry. Holly will align her team to the accelerated sales
goals, while maintaining I Love Rewards’ impressive client retention rate.

“I Love Rewards’ aggressive sales goals call for high performance and strong strategic planning”, says Holly Tiessen, Vice President of Client Success, I Love Rewards. “I am thrilled to have joined a team that recognizes the opportunity for growth while fostering meaningful relationships with clients, ensuring their success.”

A collective licensing agreement, representing more than 1500 major and independent record labels in Canada, has facilitated the launch of Galaxie Mobile by Stingray Digital, the first Canadian-owned commercial-free mobile streaming music service.

The agreement with Stingray is Canada’s first collective semi-interactive agreement and was negotiated by AVLA and SOPROQ on behalf of their members who represent the majority of recorded music in Canada, laying the groundwork for future agreements of its kind.

Music Canada, which represents Canada’s major record labels, spearheaded the negotiations, empowering AVLA to act on its behalf.  Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada, points out that the major labels want to see more digital services operating in Canada as quickly as possible, “We aggressively pursued this pioneering agreement because we understand how cumbersome our regulatory environment can be, and we want to help services better navigate it.  We hope the Stingray agreement sets the stage for other online and mobile services, and signals to the marketplace that Canada is open for business.”

“For digital music services who are eager to enter the Canadian market, it is an enormous benefit to be able to negotiate with one or two organizations rather than 1500 plus rights holders,” says Victoria Shepherd, Executive Director of AVLA.

“By enabling Stingray to clear all rights necessary with both major and independent music labels, we have created an accessible template for other semi-interactive services that want to come to Canada.  In addition, AVLA’s independent members benefit from being at the ground floor of a deal that may otherwise have begun only with the largest rights holders.  Developing the digital business here will remain an important priority for us in the months ahead,” adds Shepherd.

Stuart Johnston, President of the Canadian Independent Music Association welcomed the agreement, “This agreement with Stingray is an exciting and important step forward for the Canadian music industry, and we are hopeful it will serve as a template for other services going forward. Any agreement that serves to streamline the approvals process while providing a broad licensing deal for the benefit of our industry is most welcome.”

The new music service offers all of Galaxie’s 45 commercial and talk-free channels, already available online and via cable satellite and IPTV, on mobile devices.  Interactive controls allow listeners to skip songs and purchase their favourite songs directly on iTunes via the Galaxie Mobile player.  The player is available immediately in Canada for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and all Android devices.

WIND Mobile has continued its national rollout and brought wireless change to the Kitchener-Waterloo region. As it does in its other regions across Canada, WIND now offers K-W residents their first real alternative to the incumbent oligopoly in years, bringing with it freedom from term contracts and real value with fair prices on advanced wireless services.

Today’s launch marks the sixth market for WIND across the country. In addition to increasing coverage areas, WIND is rolling out network upgrades to 4G speeds (HSPA+ up to 21.1Mbps). This upgrade will be available to all WIND customers at no additional cost. It will allow faster data access on smartphones and Mobile Internet enabled devices such as netbooks, laptops, tablets – making services from video streaming to access to cloud-based data and other Internet services even more accessible.

“We are aggressively expanding and enhancing our network for the long haul,” said Anthony Lacavera, Chairman and CEO of WIND Mobile and Globalive Communications, “Today’s announcement is our latest step in delivering on our commitment to Canadians to bring wireless change by offering excellent, innovative service at affordable prices.”

WIND’s Growth Highlights

• One hundred per cent of WIND customers are data-enabled, and about half are using smartphones.
• WIND’s network is currently capable of delivering download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps and is being upgraded to 21.1 Mbps.
• The latest generation WINDspeed Mobile Internet Stick E366 will be arriving in WIND stores shortly to take advantage of up to 21.1 Mbps download speeds.
• WIND is the only HD Voice capable network in North America and is committed to adding more HD voice handsets to its existing line-up which includes the Google Nexus S, Nokia C7, Nokia C5 and Alcatel Tribe with Android
• WIND is one of the first operators in Canada to live-test LTE.

To take advantage of WIND’s improved network, WIND is currently offering unlimited local talk, global text, and data, plus voicemail on smartphones for the unbeatable price of $29 per month. WIND is also offering unlimited mobile Internet for laptops, netbooks and tablets for only $29 per month.

In addition to these offers, WIND customers can now save more than $350 on the latest smartphones or mobile Internet sticks without signing a term-contract on the amplified WINDtab+. Customers that take advantage of WINDtab+ will also receive WIND’s Pay-Off Promise – a commitment that once a customer has been with WIND for three years any remaining WINDtab+ balance will be cleared away. This is an entirely new concept in the wireless market and is only available at WIND.

As part of its launch initiative and to introduce its service to residents in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, WIND awarded a $10,000 WINDthanks KW Community Grant to Mosaic Counselling and Family Services’ Pathways to Education program for their Mobile Education Project (MobileED).

“Our launch in the Kitchener-Waterloo region marks our continued pursuit to bring more wireless choice to all Canadians,” said Lacavera. “We’re also introducing ourselves to the community by helping to facilitate more positive change through our $10,000 grant to Mosaic’s MobileED project to help students gain access to the Internet for schoolwork, applying to jobs and completing university and college applications.”

From Canadian legal firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP: Expected to come into place this fall, Canada’s new Anti-Spam and Online Fraud ActB (Bill C-28) is one of the most rigid in the world, and will have serious implications for any business that sends commercial electronic messages, including e-mails, texts, instant messages, or social media messages, to customers or suppliers in Canada.

Also affected are businesses that route data through Canadian servers, whether or not that information is intended for Canadian consumers. The new act, which is designed to prohibit unsolicited and misleading electronic communication and online fraud, outlines a number of new offences, enforcement mechanisms, and severe penalties of up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for organizations. Businesses must move swiftly to ensure compliance and reduce risk.

“This new legislation will impact any American business that communicates with Canadian customers or transmits data through Canadian servers. For most organizations, the key part of the act is the new rules of consent around almost every commercial e-mail, text or social media message a business sends,” said Barbara McIsaac, counsel in BLG’s Ottawa office who specializes in privacy and access to information law. “Unless the recipient has given consent – or opted-in – to receive the communication, and the message complies with very specific formalities, businesses are going to find it much more difficult to send electronic messages with commercial content. Businesses, including directors and officers, are facing much greater risk.”

In many countries, including the U.S., recipients are offered the option to “opt-out” once an e-mail message is received. When e-mailing Canadian customers, businesses will be required to obtain recipient consent prior to sending the message. What may prove challenging for many businesses is the need to obtain consent without the ability to send a message requesting consent.

To reduce risk once the act comes into place, BLG recommends that businesses begin preparations now, and offers the following tips:

1. Conduct an internal audit to account for all external-facing electronic communications distributed by the organization. Consider relevant third parties such as distributors or marketing agencies, and the location of any external servers.

2. Establish procedures to ensure that all customer or supplier-facing messages are accurate and comply with new requirements, including information disclosure language and an unsubscribe mechanism that is promptly implemented.

3. Obtain and maintain an accurate and current list of recipients’ consent to receive messages. Instances of express and implied consent should be handled separately to ensure clarity and compliance.

4. Revise contracts with any relevant third parties that distribute electronic messages on behalf of the organization to require compliance with the act.

5. Clearly communicate and educate relevant employees on policies that need to be implemented as a result of the act. Consider holding staff training programs to ensure everyone is clear on both the guidelines and the risks.

6. Put into place a gate keeping process to ensure that established procedures for monitoring compliance are being followed.

7. Obtain insurance to protect the business, corporate directors and officers from liability.

Montreal’s Bluestreak Technology will be demonstrating a variety of new Video Everywhere™ services at the IBC Expo 2011 conference and exhibition in Amsterdam this September 9^th through 13^th. Video Everywhere™ is an emerging concept, blending the delivery of content from traditional TV services, over-the-top (OTT) vendors, and social media into connected devices, including televisions, set-top boxes, digital video recorders, smartphones, and tablets.

A recent study by UK-based IMS research forecasts that OTT video services will generate $16.4 billion in revenue by 2016, with video-on-demand services from pay-TV providers seeing an additional $14.7 billion. With researchers predicting a tenfold increase in pay-OTT transactions over the next five years, it is clear that the promise of delivering video services any time on any device is now becoming more important than ever.

Expect Video Everywhere™ to be a key topic at this year’s IBC 2011 conference, where companies will be showcasing their latest innovations in the areas of optimized video delivery. At the event, IBC exhibitor Bluestreak Technology will be demonstrating a variety of new services focused on the areas of:

• OTT – The company will be unveiling a new customer deployment that delivers premium OTT video services from leading service providers, including Netflix, BBC, and YouTube, on a wide variety of televisions, digital media players, and Blu-ray players worldwide.
• Multi-screen and companion screen – The company will be showcasing its connected TV capabilities with a product demonstration that combines live TV, network PVR, video on demand (VOD), interactive widgets, and Internet TV into a single service that runs across a variety of connected devices, including televisions, set-top boxes, PCs, smartphones, and tablets.
• 3D interactive video – The company will be highlighting leading-edge innovations in the area of 3D video with a demonstration that showcases both 3D content and interactive features for IBC attendees to experience.

Bluestreak Technology will also be demonstrating the latest updates to the company’s MachBlue platform which deliver an outstanding video experience for today’s largest connected device vendors and content providers, including Bouygues Telecom, DivX, Mitsubishi, NDS, Orange, Panasonic, SagemCom, Soft@Home, Time Warner Cable and Videotron.

Demonstrations and product information will be available at the Bluestreak Technology stand in Hall 13 at the IBC 2011 exhibition, stand number: 13.123.

From Constant Contact: Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL), Bill C-28, may not be in effect until early 2012, but that doesn’t mean that small businesses and organizations should wait to make sure they are prepared for the new legislation. Marketing advisor Constant Contact^®, Inc. is offering its insights to help small businesses and nonprofits across Canada – as well as any others communicating with people in Canada – prepare for compliance.

“The general guidelines set forth by Canada’s new anti-spam legislation actually mirror what Constant Contact has been promoting for years—the ‘best practices’ that make email and social media marketing most effective,” said Lisa Kember, Constant Contact regional development director for Toronto. “By following best practices, marketers not only set themselves up for success, but also put themselves in a better position to comply with the law when it goes into effect.”

The Canadian Government passed CASL in December 2010 to establish a regulatory framework for permission-based marketing, including email marketing, social media marketing, text, and other electronic messaging. This framework will protect electronic commerce in Canada, deter damaging and deceptive forms of spam, such as identity theft, phishing and spyware, and drive out spammers.

“Education and awareness are key to ensuring that organizations are proactively evaluating their contact list collection methods and practising permission-based online marketing,” said Guy Steeves, Constant Contact regional development director for Vancouver. “With or without the legislation, there are many things that small businesses and organizations can do now, and we want to be sure they know we’re here to help.”

Following are 10 permission-based online marketing best practices that small businesses and organizations can use to spruce up their marketing efforts and prepare for CASL:

1. Be Respectful – Ask for permission to communicate with your contacts. Some email marketers have operated for years with implicit consent to use an address obtained through relationships with customers or clients, but this will no longer be enough once the new legislation goes into effect. There will be a grace period for obtaining explicit consent through opt-in, however anyone who has gathered their contacts with implied consent will eventually have to convert them to explicit. Start gathering explicit consent from your new and existing contacts now so that you are ahead of the game.

Also, recognize that permission can be given, but it can be taken away too. Make sure every email you send has the option for the recipient to unsubscribe or “opt-out.” Interests may change over time and communications may no longer be valuable to a given subscriber. Those subscribers are entitled to withdraw their permission at will.

2. Be Specific – When people sign up for your email list, allow them to select—precisely—their areas of interest (e.g., newsletters, sale notifications, new product or service announcements, event invitations). You can make subscribers feel more comfortable by specifying what they will receive and when they will receive it (e.g., “Sign up for Our Weekly Concert Announcement”). Also, be sure to identify yourself to your subscribers in the “From:” line, and use the name they recognize most easily – your name or your company name.

3. Be Trustworthy – Your privacy policy should be clearly posted, and your address and phone number should be included in all email communications. This adds credibility to your company and your emails even if recipients do not click on the link.

4. Be Straightforward – Remind recipients why they are receiving an email from you. Whether they are a valued customer, a prospect who expressed interest, or a client you want to keep in touch with, the reminder will enhance recognition of your business and put your email into context, thus differentiating your communications from unwanted email.

5. Be Interested – Are your email communications adding value? Is the frequency right? A survey is an inexpensive, easy, and immediate way to find out how your customers really feel about your company and your email communications. So, when you do a survey, don’t forget to ask how your customers feel about your emails.

6. Be Current – People change ISPs, jobs, and email addresses frequently. Often, you’ll be the last to know. Ask for updated information and give subscribers an easy way to change their email address. In addition, provide a way for your subscribers to change their profile, interests and preferences to help you target the right content for the right audience.

7. Be Considerate – Respect the privilege of communicating with your customers and prospects by taking care not to communicate too often. Gratuitous emails are not met with gratitude. Think carefully and plan how many, and what kind of communications you send to your subscribers.

8. Be Diligent – Some subscribers will reply to an email to unsubscribe instead of using the automatic unsubscribe link. Monitor your inbox for unsubscribes and complaints, then make sure you remove unsubscribe addresses right away and take action on any grievances.

9. Be Observant – Look at your reports! There’s a wealth of information just waiting to be discovered. Always pay attention to how many people are unsubscribing from your emails. If you are losing more than .5 percent of your subscribers per month, take a look at all of the elements of your campaigns, make sure you’re following the other nine tips, and make adjustments where you’re falling short. Opens and click-throughs can also indicate where you might be missing the mark.

10. Beware – Beware of strangers bearing lists! Permission is not transferable. Today, subscribers want to receive email from those companies they have subscribed to, not an unknown third party. If anyone claims you can “Blast your ad to over 1,000 safe addresses for only $5.00!” or “Buy a CD with 10,000,000 email addresses for only $99!” this is too good to be true. These lists are not permission-based—they are spam lists.

You can get more information on this and a variety of topics at Constant Contact’s online learning centre. There are also a number of educational seminars in BC and Ontario that may interest you.