Distribution Agreement Broadens VADition’s Roster of ‘Web 2.0’-Enabling Solutions and Expands Exinda’s Reach Across the U.K. and Europe

“Exinda’s Unified Performance Management (UPM) strategy makes it a stand out in the world of WAN Optimization,” said Neil Ledger of VADition. “Network management is becoming increasingly complex due to the onslaught of cloud-based business applications, growing mobile workforce and the spread of branch offices among many organizations. By delivering visibility, control, and optimization capabilities within a single appliance, Exinda enables network managers to take a more strategic and informed approach to managing applications traversing the WAN.”

“VADition has become a trusted business partner to a large network of enterprises and other organizations across the U.K.,” said Kevin Suitor, Exinda’s Vice President of Marketing. “We are pleased to count them as one of the business partners that will fuel our continued international growth.”

Salt Lake City, UT – AtTask, creators of the first true social work management platform and worldwide leader in on-demand project and portfolio management software, kicked off the annual user conference and work management summit, WorkOut2011 today with the February 2011 Product release featuring TeamHome and Stream—new workspace features designed to help individual contributors better understand and organize their work.

Watch the WorkOut 2011 Live-streaming here

“The world of project management is currently dominated by a top-down approach that alienates team members and gives managers limited insight into everyday operations,” said Scott Johnson, AtTask founder and CEO. “Our approach to work management is designed to empower team members by creating an environment where they have more control over their work lives, while giving people and project managers a more detailed, real-time picture of what’s really going on.”

What are TeamHome and Stream?

TeamHome is a new workspace designed around the philosophy that work should be democratized and social. Users are able to see, organize and communicate around their work in a simple interface. New work items are presented as work requests, and team members have the opportunity to accept, re-assign or negotiate timelines and task details before they are added to their work list. In addition, team members can add their own work to the system to create a more complete picture of the things they are committed to.

Stream is the continuous flow of conversational (qualitative) information that comes from the comments and updates entered into the system by all team members and managers. The real-time data flows in Stream resemble those found in popular social media applications and give stakeholders the information they need to make informed decisions.

Clients participating in the beta release reported a dramatic increase in team productivity and engagement—helping projects stay on time and on budget.

“Our team members really like using TeamHome,” says John Gilmartin, Head of Programmes at business software giant Sage. “They like how they can add their own tasks, prioritize them on their homepage, and spend less time fumbling through the software wondering what their tasks are—everything is in once place and is easy for them to access.”

For more information about the February 2011 Release including TeamHome and Stream, click here or search for #WorkOut11 on Twitter.

About AtTask, Inc.

AtTask increases workplace harmony by enfranchising workers and informing executives. The company’s social Work Management software gives people at all levels of the organization tools to help them better understand and organize their work. Going social facilitates deeper worker buy-in, and delivers executives conversational insights into the work environment.

Monetate, the leading independent provider of testing, targeting, and personalization for websites, today announced that Nathan Richter has joined the company as Strategic Services Director.

Key Facts:

• A thirteen-year veteran of digital marketing and online retailing, Richter has extensive hands-on experience helping enterprise clients implement successful multichannel marketing campaigns.
• A noted website user experience expert, Richter most recently served as director of Internet sales and site development for The Franklin Mint, where he was responsible for the organization’s online business channel. Richter has also managed online marketing and site optimization programs for David’s Bridal, QVC, and dELiA’s.
• Richter is the latest addition to Monetate’s large and growing Strategic Services team, led by Chief Strategist Brett Blair. The team consists of highly qualified Client Success Directors, skilled professionals with extensive testing, targeting and personalization experience.
• Every Monetate client is assigned a Client Success Director to provide guidance with testing and targeting campaigns and foster strategic use of the Monetate platform in order to maximize marketing ROI.

Quotes:

• “It’s an exciting time for Monetate as we continue to grow our base of large online retail clients, and our Strategic Services team is working in the trenches every day to help clients deliver the most sophisticated and personalized shopping experience to their customers,” said Monetate Chief Strategist Brett Blair. “As a veteran of many large online retail companies and an expert in website user experience, Nathan is the perfect person to join our Strategic Services team. His insights will help our clients achieve great sales results and we’re thrilled to have him aboard.”
• “After more than a decade working at large retailers and eCommerce enterprises, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to have the right technologies and tools to succeed in this high-stakes industry,” said Richter. “Monetate is the only technology company I’ve seen that is 100 percent focused on helping companies grow their online revenues by improving the customer experience. I’m excited to join the fast-growing team at Monetate, and look forward to working hand-in-hand with the world’s largest brands to bring them the most advanced testing, targeting, and personalization platform available.”

Distribution Agreement Broadens VADition’s Roster of ‘Web 2.0’-Enabling Solutions and Expands Exinda’s Reach Across the U.K. and Europe

“With the IPv4 address depletion upon us, migration to IPv6 must take place and Exinda’s technology will play a key role in assisting organizations through this transition,” said Kevin Suitor, vice president of marketing at Exinda. “The ability to have full IPv6 layer 7 application, IPv6 address visibility, precise policy based control, and WAN optimization will continue to be a requirement for our customers as it is now.”

Orem, UT – AtTask, creators of the first true social work management platform and worldwide leader in on-demand project and portfolio management software, announced today it has been named one of the most promising technology ventures in the world by Red Herring in its 2010 100 Global Awards.

“We’re honored to be recognized as one of Red Herring’s 100 Global Award winners,” said Scott Johnson, CEO of AtTask. “Over the last year we have focused on rethinking the way people approach their day-to-to work. Our detailed vision around work management alongside the two new industry-unique work management features we’ve just shipped allow us to fill a significant void in the market. We’re happy the folks at Red Herring are enthusiastic about what we’re doing.”

Red Herring’s editorial staff selected the 100 winners from a group of more than 1200 global companies (34 from North America, 21 from Europe and 47 from Asia) based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, including financial performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of strategy, and integration into their respective industries.

“We’re excited to kickoff 2011 with this prestigious recognition,” Johnson continued. “Our upcoming work management summit—WorkOut 2011—will build on this momentum and set the stage for what we believe will change the way people work.”

For more information about AtTask including details on WorkOut 2011 � please visit click here.

About AtTask, Inc.

AtTask increases workplace harmony by enfranchising workers and informing executives. The company’s social Work Management software gives people at all levels of the organization tools to help them better understand and organize their work. Going social facilitates deeper worker buy-in, and delivers executives conversational insights into the work environment.

On Day One, 26 Percent of AT &T Customers Plan to Switch to Verizon for iPhone; Half of Verizon’s BlackBerry, Android Users Plan to Pick Apple, Toss Existing Devices

ENCINO, Calif. (February 3, 2011) – Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of 3G-only networks will deter iPhone fans. As the end draws near for AT &T’s exclusive hold on the coveted iPhone from Apple, uSamp (www.uSamp.com), one of the world’s fastest growing technology and online sample companies, today released a nationwide survey of AT &T and Verizon customers to gauge their plans for the February 10 launch of Verizon’s iPhone. The ringing conclusion: a stalwart group of iPhone enthusiasts intends to line up on day one, regardless of severe weather, product quirks and service uncertainties.

Drawing from its highly profiled online panel from Jan. 28 to Jan. 31 to query AT&T customers — as well as current Verizon users of Android and BlackBerry phones — uSamp surveyed more than 700 smartphone users, finding that 29 percent of AT&T customers who intend to switch to Verizon for the iPhone are willing to wait in line on Feb. 10 to get it. Among existing Verizon customers who plan to get the iPhone, 24 percent report a willingness to stand in line, too.

For young consumers, devotion to the iPhone is even more intense: among AT &T customers intending to switch, 35 percent of those ages 18-24 and 50 percent of those ages 25-34 are willing to wait in line on the Feb. 10 launch day. For Verizon’s current BlackBerry and Android users who report plans to switch to the iPhone, 46 percent of those ages 18-24 and 34 percent of those ages 25-34 agree to wait in line on day one.

To Switch or Not to Switch (and Why)

The uSamp survey affirms initial reports of widespread defections from AT&T. According to the survey, more than a quarter of current AT &T customers (26 percent) intend to switch to Verizon’s iPhone on the day it becomes available. For now, however, the remaining 74 percent would rather wait than switch.

According to the uSamp survey, 47 percent say it is “very unlikely” that they’ll jump ship, 12 percent say it is “somewhat unlikely,” and another 15 percent report it is neither likely nor unlikely. Twenty-six percent of AT&T customers say they are “very likely” (8 percent) or “somewhat likely” (18 percent) to switch to Verizon’s iPhone on February 10. By contrast, a majority of Verizon’s current Android and BlackBerry users already have iPhone fever, reporting that they intend to head to Apple as soon as the iPhone hits the shelves: 54 percent are very likely (25 percent) or somewhat likely (29 percent) to go iPhone on February 10. Research in Motion, take note: fully two-thirds of Verizon’s BlackBerry users (66 percent) report they are very or somewhat likely to switch to the iPhone that day, as are nearly half of its Android users (44 percent).

As AT &T loses its monopoly on the iPhone, its customers who plan to switch to Verizon have one clear-cut reason: dropped calls (48 percent). Other factors cited: carrier coverage (25 percent), product features (22 percent) and other reasons (30 percent).

For switchers among Verizon’s current Android and BlackBerry users, it’s all about the cool features: the interface (60 percent), web browser (58 percent), media (51 percent), memory (43 percent), and camera (41 percent).

Still, brand loyalty isn’t dead by any stretch. The top two reasons Verizon’s current smartphone users do not plan to give up their Androids or BlackBerrys in favor of the iPhone: conversion costs (46 percent) and the keyboard (34 percent). Other reasons not to switch included functions such as e-mail and messaging (23 percent), maps and GPS (23 percent), customization and widgets (20 percent), web browser (19 percent) and, for BlackBerry users, BlackBerry messenger (28 percent).

When asked if learning details about Verizon’s actual iPhone offering had led to second thoughts about switching, respondents cited the cost of conversion as the biggest concern (45 percent for AT &T customers, 41 percent for Verizon). AT &T customers had bigger fears than Verizon’s about a potential decline in Verizon’s service (25 percent for AT &T customers, 15 percent for  Verizon). Both groups showed relatively equal concern about network speed (22 percent for AT &T customers, 26 percent for Verizon) as well as the risk of being first (19 percent for AT&T customers, 18 percent for Verizon). Despite these and other unknowns, 15 percent of AT &T customers reported having no second thoughts about switching, along with 25 percent of Verizon’s current BlackBerry and Android users.

Dissecting the Data: Demographic Data Points

In addition to top-line results, the data reveals some intriguing differences among AT &T customers and Verizon’s current BlackBerry and Android users, including along demographic lines such as age, gender and region. The findings include:

• Men are more likely than women to switch to Verizon’s iPhone (32 percent of males at AT &T are somewhat or very likely,vs. 20 percent of females; 58 percent of males at Verizon, vs. 51 percent of females).

• Younger customers are not only more willing to wait in line for Verizon’s iPhone on Feb. 10 but, in general, they are more likely to make the switch: 36 percent of AT &T customers ages 18-24 and 41 percent ages 25-34 are very or somewhat likely to switch (vs. 26 percent for all AT&T customers); for Verizon’s current BlackBerry and Android users, 71 percent of those ages 18-24 are somewhat or very likely to switch on Feb. 10, as are 60 percent of those ages 25-34 (vs. 54 percent of all Verizon BlackBerry and Android users).

• Midwestern Verizon users of BlackBerry and Android are least willing to wait in line for the iPhone on Feb. 10 (13 percent, vs. 31 percent in the South, 26 percent in the Northeast, and 22 percent in the West). Regional differences among current AT &T users are minor (31 percent for both the Northeast and the South, 29 percent for the Midwest, and 25 percent for the West).

uSamp’s iPhone survey was conducted online among 727 U.S. residents between Jan. 28 and Jan. 31, 2011 using the uSamp/DMS River Sample® methodology and resulting in a 3.6 percent margin of error. For a full copy of the report, which includes data by gender, age and region, email [email protected].

About uSamp™

uSamp (uSamp.com) is one of the world’s fastest growing technology and online sample companies, providing global survey panelists and an innovative sampling platform for use in market research. uSamp develops collaborative market research tools to foster more rewarding, profitable relationships between organizations and the people they serve. Founded in 2008, uSamp acquired DMS Insights in June 2010 and now has 160 team members worldwide and approximately 4.7 million global market research panelists. The company’s web-based panel platform is transforming the management and delivery of online panel for market researchers, offering unprecedented access over their panel. uSamp’s deep well of proprietary technologies includes SampleMarket™, PanelNet™, PanelShield™, Opinion Place® River and real-time Panel Book Search — cutting-edge solutions for accessing, branding, sampling and managing panels. uSamp is based in Los Angeles, with offices in Dallas, London, New Delhi and Trumbull, CT.

Listing AT&T and Savvis as the Magic Quadrant leaders, the Gartner report ‘Cloud Infrastructure as a Service and Web Hosting‘ provides a framework for a product strategy for Cloud service providers.

Providers who want to drive their way to the top of this ranking can do so by responding to the core message and opportunity at the heart of the report, that the traditional web hosting and Cloud markets will converge over the next five years, and that this will provide a platform for expanding a full MSP solution portfolio (Managed Service Provider).

MSP Solution Selling

Gartner explain that the Cloud supply market is a new one that has grown out of the existing web hosting sector, and although it sits within this segment it offers a new level of technical capability that can enable an entirely new set of services.

Cloud services that supply the existing web hosting demand are typically servicing technical buyers who are making a tactical decision on where and how to host their web application. Hence this is a technical, ‘transactional’ buying decision where they make decisions on technical criteria.

In contrast Gartner also introduce the key to this article, a second, new type of customer who is looking for more; Cloud has inspired a new market of demand, where this group is approaching the trend strategically, they’re looking to:

“understand what Cloud can do for their business”. and “over time, intend to try and move some, if not all, of their data center infrastructure to the Cloud.

This corresponds with the most important point of Solution Selling, what Mike Bosworth describes as the “Conceptual Sales Territory” for salespeople to prospect new clients.

He makes the point that salespople typically approach prospecting as a process of looking for clients in an active buying cycle for what they sell, like an RFP.

However these are the most aggressively contested, force the lowest prices and as Mike also explains they are likely to be already influenced by another salesperson.

Instead expert sales prospectors focus on the much larger market of those ‘Not Looking’, and inspire new project opportunities through a process of needs creation. They are then in control of the buying process and enjoy much higher win rates with larger margins.

Cloud Feature Set

This provides a context for the Gartner MSP strategy because Cloud products that supply the web hosting market are essentially servicing the existing ‘Looking’ market, technical buyers looking for a hosting service for their web applications.

In contrast a broader set of new products will cater for proactive prospecting into the much larger ‘Not Looking’ market, because as Gartner says this segment “is looking to understand what Cloud can do for their business.” They’re more likely to be business people open minded to new use case scenarios.

Gartner highlight that the most heavily weighted criteria for their assessment is the product portfolios offered by the service provider, and their associated sales and service excellence.

Therefore quite simply and logically new product innovation is the key to industry success in the forthcoming Cloud market. A suitable product set will provide expert salespeople with the toolset to prospect very effectively in the Not Looking category.

The reviews by Gartner of each providers differentiating offerings quantifies the framework for this:

• Core client needs: CSC is catering for software developers needs in a more in-depth manner, through working with Skytap to offer a greater set of value adds for them.
• Vertical solutions: Media Temple specializes in the media industry and offers relevant micro-site application hosting, and Carpathia is tapping the gigantic government sector through Compliance capabilities.
• Horizontal solutions: Sungard is a well established player in the Business Continuity market, and is moving to exploit the Cloud market that will drive new demand for this type of service.
• Telco Cloud Services – AT&T is ranked as a leader because their Cloud services are tightly integrated with their core network products. VPNs et al are key to the MSP model as they bridge the gap between the clients LAN and the Cloud.

Savvis is also listed with AT&T as a leader of this Magic Quadrant, being recognized for their broad portfolio of solutions that includes the full range of MSP components, like managed enterprise applications, Business Continuity and SaaS platforms, as well as Cloud IaaS services.

Gartner also list this as a weakness though, in that these options sit on different platforms and this diversity can cause market confusion. However this repeats the message of where they see the market developing over the next five years, that the leaders who will ultimately win the market will be those who converge these two environments.

Our L5 Cloud MSP program will detail a roadmap for how this can be achieved.

Boston, MA – For a lot of expansion stage companies, the first few years tend to fly by at such breakneck speed that true annual strategic planning and long term goal setting sometimes falls by the wayside.

As uSamp co-founder and CEO Matt Dusig admits, his company’s first three years have mostly centered on trying to run as fast as possible. Strategic planning, he says, has often been more of an informal practice than a rigid method of annual review.

“We have senior executives spread out over locations in Connecticut, Dallas, and Los Angeles, so if we’ve done annual planning in the past, it’s been over lunch, in the halls, or over the phone,” says Dusig. “It’s pretty rare for all of us to be in the same place at the same time.”

But Dusig and uSamp’s top executives got that chance when the company came to Boston to participate in a two-day Rapid Strategic Planning Workshop put on by OpenView Venture Partners, a VC firm that invested in uSamp last year.

There, Dusig, his fellow senior executives, and attendees from a variety of OpenView’s other portfolio companies were presented a process that laid out simple, actionable strategy maps that would help them execute annual strategic planning going forward.

Executives like Dusig were encouraged to begin transitioning their focus from the day-to-day operations of their company to monitoring the long term health of the business. To do that, uSamp examined its 2010 performance in the context of the company’s aspirations (vision, mission, and values) and the current state of its market.

The payoff for entrepreneurs like Prognosis Health Information Systems CEO Ramsey Evans was better clarity—clarity of the business’s purpose, its long terms goals, and a stronger understanding of what its management team needs to put in place to get it there.

“One of the biggest benefits of the workshop is putting a process in place that allows you to pinpoint and work toward a few very important things,” Evans says. “We’re a very product-minded company. So when we’ve thought about weaknesses in the past, everyone’s thought about the product first. This gets us above that and thinking about execution. We’ve got better clarity and greater alignment on what we’re trying to do and why we exist.”

For more information about the Rapid Strategic Planning Workshop, read the case study.

About OpenView Venture Partners

OpenView Venture Partners is an expansion stage venture capital fund with a focus on high-growth software, internet, and technology-enabled companies. Through its staff of seasoned operating executives, who collectively bring several decades of technology and management experience to the firm, OpenView is able to help portfolio companies with quickly ramping up Product, Go-To-Market, and Organizational and Operational functions to best practice levels. The firm was founded in 2006 and has a total capital under management of approximately $240 million. OpenView Venture Partners is based in Boston and invests on a worldwide basis. OpenView recently released OpenView Labs, an idea site for senior managers of expansion stage technology companies. For more information, visit OpenView Labs directly. About uSamp
At uSamp™, we believe that any research project, no matter how specific, can be solved by recruiting, surveying and rewarding online. And we built a business by circling the globe and recruiting 4.7 million informed and motivated respondents to participate in panels and answer questions for our clients. Then we backed it up with cutting-edge technology, a commitment to customer service and a unique combination of real-world experience and innovation.

About Prognosis Health Information Systems

Prognosis Health Information Systems, Inc. was established in 2006 with a clearly defined mission: Delivering on the vast potential of electronic medical records by providing highly affordable, functional and usable information systems to hospitals and physician practices. As a company, Prognosis aims to improve the quality and safety of patient care in America by making it easy for healthcare organizations to tap into the power of technology.