Zmags Expands European Presence In Response to Growing Demand for Digital Collateral

Zmags, which helps marketers engage customers through Interactive Collateral Management (ICM), today announced it has almost doubled its European customer base over the last two quarters with the signing of new clients, including Dods and the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC). Existing customers, such as Barclays, Homebase, Lotus and Michelin have also renewed their subscription to Zmags’ Software as a Service (SaaS) to handle the demand from leading marketers and publishers.

Jens Karstoft, CEO of Zmags, commented, “This is an exciting time for Zmags. Globally, we added more than 400 new customers in recent months, bringing our total customer base to more than 2,400 companies in 35 countries.”

Zmags’ Interactive Collateral Management (ICM) solution provides a way for companies to digitise and deliver interactive documents to customers and then measure reading behavior. Zmags can be used to share any type of collateral online, including brochures, catalogues, magazines, direct mail and other business documents. Zmags can also be linked directly to e-commerce systems to make it easier for readers to make purchases to help marketers lower production costs, increase reach and generate more revenue.

The first steps to making commercial sense of social media

Graham Thatcher, Director of MCC International

In the busy world in which we live social networking websites enable us to be to reunited with old friends and keep in touch with friends and family with ease.

Yet while every organisation has embraced the web to some extent, most have been quiet onlookers (perhaps blissfully unaware, or a little intimidated) as early adopters explore the commercial potential of social networking.
Right now your customers, prospects, business partners, members of the press and employees (although hopefully in their own time) are frequently logging on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Linked In as well as specialist blogs, online forums and digital publications. However, monitoring, managing and making the most of these sites in a commercial sense can be a daunting prospect for the uninitiated, so here are some basic tips on how to get started.

To receive the rest of this article or to discuss social networking opportunities, please contact Graham Thatcher or Fiona Brewer by email: info@mccint.com or phone: 01962 888 100

Extreme Networks Suggest Four Fast Methods To Boost Education Network Efficiency

As students and teachers enjoy a needed summer break, the next six weeks is the time for network administrators to revitalise their network infrastructure by fine-tuning security policy, boosting network performance and creating energy efficient network. Extreme Networks details four simple tips to improve the network within K-12 school districts and college campus environments.

Optimised network connectivity supports advanced lesson plans that integrate data, voice and video content over a secure, high-performance network. The ability to achieve value with existing network infrastructure saves time and resources while greatly improving the educational experience of students and staff.

1. Review Security and Network Policy:
With the realisation that today’s students and staff are relying more on life-streaming blogging applications such as Twitter and Facebook, carrying iPhones, BlackBerries and traditional laptops that connect to Ethernet networks over 802.11 Wi-Fi, the network is the backbone of these institutions. By implementing the right settings, students’ traffic and behaviour remain in control of the network administrator.

Implementing network policies, schools can better track and log reporting for devices and users by username and MAC/IP address or separate sensitive information from the Internet with the use of dynamic policy enforcement and Virtual LANs (VLANs); or even remove offline sensitive data. With these steps, the potential chaos from both managed and unmanaged devices and user activities on the network can be reduced while essential online educational activities thrive.

2. Ramp-Up Quality of Service
Converged networks offer increased levels of traffic, from voice, video and data coming through the network. By leveraging centralised network management and network automation via scripting to replicate one class of settings across all network switches in one stroke, IT administrators can truly increase operational efficiency of deployment and configuration changes.

For example, Extreme Networks offers the “QoSConfig” script, via the Widget Central website, is used for configuring QoS settings across multiple sets of Ethernet switches. Quality of service settings per network port is enabled by establishing profiles with specific optimisations settings to deliver an intended level of network service.


3. Powering Up and Down for Efficiency
Energy efficiency is a growing theme on school campuses and the network is no different. Find network switches with intelligent settings for powering down select ports so that connected IP handsets, IP cameras and similar devices power down completely during off hours or during summer break.

4. Establish Redundancy
Lesson plans are incorporating digital presentation displays, Internet connected white boards among other Web-based applications. This means that network availability is essential. To ensure that classes go on without a hitch, establish redundant network switches and connections, as well as protecting fiber links with failover protocols. High performance Ethernet edge switches should provide dual homed uplinks that allow for connections to a redundant aggregation or core layer. Additionally, network resiliency protocols, such as EAPS (RFC #3619), should be supported to deliver sub 50 millisecond failover should a fiber cable be cut or interrupted. This way, communications and data, as well as class lessons, continue effortlessly.

To learn more about Extreme Networks high performance network solutions for education, visit: http://www.extremenetworks.com/solutions/highereducation.aspx

Press release: Xenos extends its reach into Central America, Venezuela and the Caribbean

Xenos adds Puerto Rico-based Truenorth Corporation to its list of Global Value Added Resellers (VARs) to deliver Xenos Enterprise Server technology and solutions to its customer base of global financial services institutions...

Xenos Group Inc. (TSX: XNS) today announced that it has inked a deal with Truenorth Corporation, one of the principal providers of information technology solutions in the Caribbean, to sell Xenos award-winning technology and business solutions to its extensive customer base.

For further information, please contact xenospr@mccint.com

Extreme Networks And Dell Deliver Industry Leading ISCSI Performance And Economics

Extreme Networks today announced that its Summit® X450a family of switches have been tested and are now available for sale with Dell EqualLogic SANs. Extreme Networks Ethernet networking solutions, in concert with Dells’ EqualLogic iSCSI solution, provide a high-performance, cost-effective storage solution to meet the requirements of today’s demanding data centre customers.

Extreme Networks Summit X450a switches provide data centre customers with a switching solution that combines lower operating cost along with easier deployment and management.

“Customers are converging storage onto Ethernet technology to drive lower costs, boost simplicity and performance,” said Extreme Networks’ Vice President and General Manager for the Volume Products Group Paul Hooper. “By testing our products with Dell to ensure compatibility, we are able to bring to our customers a high performance, easy to manage and operate solution at very compelling price points compared to traditional SAN solutions.

“iSCSI is the established Ethernet-based converged SAN technology. The primary market drivers are the ability of current generation iSCSI products to meet the needs of data centre customers from a performance, cost and management standpoint by leveraging standard Ethernet network infrastructure,” said Current Analysis’ Pricipal Analyst for Data Centre Steven J. Schuchart Jr. “The offering from Dell and Extreme Networks creates a compelling solution in the converged all Ethernet storage marketplace.

To learn more about Extreme Networks high performance data centre solutions, visit: http://www.extremenetworks.com/solutions/datacenter.aspx

DASCOM GB Ltd formed – takes over key product ranges from TallyGenicom

Following last week’s announcement from DASCOM, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of matrix and thermal printers, that it had acquired the key assets of TallyGenicom AG and TallyGenicom Computerdrucker GmbH, this week sees the formation of DASCOM GB Ltd, based in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

As a subsidiary of DASCOM Europe, the UK office will market the full range of the former TallyGenicom brand of serial, passbook and mobile printers under the ‘Tally’ or ‘Tally Dascom’ brand names, as well as the former TG 7000 series range of thermal printers. The former TallyGenicom line matrix and laser printer models will continue to be distributed by DASCOM GB Ltd through its sales operations.

In addition to the excellent range of products, DASCOM GB has also recruited a high quality team of people mostly from the former TallyGenicom in the UK, who will bring long-standing expertise and established contacts in order to provide sales, service and marketing support at the new company. Supporting a comprehensive range of serial matrix and thermal printers, including a range of options, consumables and spares for the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Benelux, Middle East and Africa regions, the team is headed up by Robin Edwardes, previously Executive Vice President, EMEA at TallyGenicom and now the Managing Director of the new DASCOM GB Ltd.

NanoKTN launches the Nano-enabled Coatings Focus Group

The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, has announced the launch of its Nano-enabled Coatings Focus Group. This new group has been created to support the continued research and development of nano-coatings and to raise awareness of their potential impact in industry. The Nano-enabled Coatings Focus Group also aims to encourage and stimulate interaction within the nanotechnology community, to solve current issues within the competitive nano-enabled coatings industry in the UK.

The NanoKTN Announces Winners of its 2009 Industrial CASE Awards

The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, is pleased to announce the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Nottingham as winners of its Industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) for 2009. Worth over £65,000, the Industrial CASE Awards were allocated to the NanoKTN by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to provide funding for two PHD studentships.

Fuel Shortage Concerns As Refinery Staff Take Strike Action

FuelQuest, the leading on-demand software and services company for the global downstream energy industry, is today advising retailers on the importance of managing fuel stocks in light of the strikes at the Humber and Lindsey oil refineries. Over 300 employees are on strike and there are fears this action will cause significant delays in delivery schedules. Retailers must to be equipped with solutions capable of providing real-time intuitive data on stock levels and purchase prices in order to ensure that no stock outs occur during strikes.

Petrol retailing has become the commodity that millions of motorists use on a daily basis. With this in mind, it is vital that retailers use forward planning to prepare for potential closures to avert queues at the forecourt. During a time of fuel shortages – impending as well as actual – retailers need to have real time, accurate visibility of stock levels in order to respond correctly to the circumstances. FuelQuest’s Fuel Management System (FMS) is designed to provide insight to site inventory levels across the entire network and forecast requirements accordingly. Using the real time picture of inventories, it successfully determines and manages the associated supply chain operations.

“With many major retailers running busy and successful forecourts across the UK, the onus is them to ensure that they have the right information at their fingertips,” says FuelQuest’s Director of Solutions Engineering, Greg Salverson. “Retailers equipped with the right solutions to make rapid decisions before and during supply shortages, as well as in the recovery phase, will be able to get their forecourts back to normal after the shortage is over. Through solutions such as our FMS, retailers are able to forecast their stock levels, in order to plan ahead to minimise supply distribution in events such as the strikes.

Nitro PDF Software Looks To Channel For Market Growth Of The Only Real Alternative To Adobe Acrobat

Nitro PDF Software, the company that revolutionised the PDF space with its launch of the first true alternative to Adobe® Acrobat®, today announced that it is growing the Nitro Reseller Programme, to develop and capitalise on the UK market for the new Nitro PDF Professional 6.0 product. Specifically designed for business users, the software delivers 50% faster and higher-quality PDF creation, it also includes the world’s most accurate PDF-to-Word conversion.

Resellers joining the Nitro Reseller Programme will receive improved margins compared to the alternative desktop PDF creation suites on the market. Nitro PDF Professional 6.0 offers resellers a solution that is an affordable, yet highly powerful, alternative to Adobe® Acrobat®. CEO of Nitro PDF, Sam Chandler states: “Our resellers are able to engage in new market opportunities through the new release that offers end users more functionality at an attractive price point. We also provide resellers with vast amounts of marketing support, coupled with localised technical support.”