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Distribution Watch: ScanSource, Westcon Group, Arrow ElectronicsDistribution Watch: ScanSource, Westcon Group, Arrow Electronics
Hello, and welcome to Distribution Watch. This week’s feature includes the latest news from ScanSource Communications, Westcon Group and Arrow Electronics (ARW).
March 13, 2015
ScanSource: Communications products distributor ScanSource announced it is now offering ShoreTel Sky to its network of resellers, making it the first distributor to simultaneously sell ShoreTel’s on-premise and cloud-based solutions.
The addition of ShoreTel Sky is expected to help ScanSource’s reseller ecosystem to sell hybrid cloud solutions to their customers, according to the announcement. The new offering is also aimed at helping resellers to build a monthly revenue stream as the UC communications market moves increasingly toward an as-a-service model.
“Our partners continue to show great interest in a hybrid approach to delivering their unified communications solutions,” said Rich Long, president, ScanSource Communications, in a statement. “As an expert on ShoreTel’s solutions, we are ready to support our partners in whatever way they choose to deploy them or whichever way their customers need to consume them—premises, cloud or hybrid.”
Westcon Group: WSG’s Comstor business practice has added several new solutions to its ecosystem through a new agreement with Cirrity, a Cisco-powered cloud service provider. The partnership is expected to provide Comstor’s North American resellers access to new white-labeled and channel exclusive cloud-based solutions.
Cirrity’s cloud solutions are all Cisco powered and designed to help partners deliver secure cloud offerings to their customers, according to the announcement. The company’s portfolio includes an Infrastructure as a Service platform as well as cloud servers, disaster recovery solutions, and several other as-a-service products.
“As more resellers look to tap into the power of cloud, what’s necessary is a partner that can help create a faster path-to-market for these emerging solution practices,” said Geoff Fancher, senior vice president of Comstor in the U.S., Westcon Group. “During the past year, Comstor has made significant strides expanding our ecosystem of cloud partners. The addition of Cirrity is a critical step as we enable partners to channel even greater revenues based on the next-generation technology.”
Arrow: Arrow unveiled several new enhancements to the ArrowSphere platform aimed at improving the sales capabilities by simplifying order administration and billing for cloud service provider partners.
Additions to the ArrowSphere marketplace include new billing and management tools for cloud transactions as well as comparison features and tool sets for Arrow’s SaaS and IaaS catalog, according to the announcement. The enhancements are also expected to help resellers rapidly generate customer quotes, orders and invoices in addition to creating controls to administer supply programs and oversee customer accounts.
“The ArrowSphere platform is increasingly the preferred choice for the channel to build or resell cloud services,” said Sean Kerins, president of Arrow’s global enterprise computing solutions business. ”With this release, ArrowSphere advances the support for cloud solution providers with features designed to increase the productivity of their sales and operations resources, improve and optimize solution designs for their customers, and accelerate their growth.”
That’s all for now folks. Go get an early start on that weekend, and remember to join us here next week for more distributor news. Until then, keep on distributing.
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Lindex’s successful expansion is continuing and soon even more people will be able to buy from Lindex from abroad. Today Lindex has stores in 12 countries and e-commerce in three countries. The beginning of December marks the premier for Lindex’s online store – Lindex Shop Online -throughout the EU. From here on it will be possible to buy Lindex fashion from all the countries in the EU which currently includes 27 countries.
– This venture is very exciting, since Lindex will be more international that it has ever been. Now our fashion can be bought from all the countries in the EU. We have noticed a demand for Lindex’s affordable fashion collection in several markets. Many women are willing to shop on the web, and Lindex is addressing itself in particular to women who are interested in fashion, says Göran Bille, CEO at Lindex.
Lindex has also signed a contract for its first store in Poland. The store is opening in a completely new shopping centre in the town of Walbrzych in southern Poland. This opening is strategically important for Lindex’s continued establishment in Central Europe, where Lindex currently has 15 stores.
– Poland is an enormous market, with nearly 50 million inhabitants. The country has also coped well with the financial crisis. Our goal is to open 100 stores in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia over a five-year period. We have very positive experiences from our openings in the Czech Republic and Slovakia which gives us the courage and strength to continue our expansion, says Göran Bille, CEO for Lindex.
In recent years Lindex has been a growing and successful international company. The fashion chain has worked toward its goal to raise the fashion level in its selection and one example is the investment in design. During the autumn Lindex is collaborating with the international designer Narciso Rodriguez. He has created the exclusive design collection the Pink Collection with Narciso Rodriguez, where 10 percent of the sales price will go to the Cancer Society’s Pink Ribbon campaign.
Göran Bille, CEO Lindex, Tel: 031-739 50 02, Mobile phone: 0703-444 304
Anna Lindblad, Press Relations Manager, Lindex Tel: 031-739 50 60, Mobile phone: 0706-739 029,
Lindex’s business concept is to offer inspiring, affordable fashion. Lindex’s range incorporates various concepts in women’s lingerie, women’s wear, children’s wear and cosmetics. With approximately 400 stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia and the Middle East, Lindex is one of northern Europe’s leading fashion chains. In 2009 the company was chosen as the fashion chain of the year. Lindex is a part of the Finnish quoted Stockman Group. For more information, see www.lindex.com.

domain: news


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Dangerous black mold that grows in Australian homes as a result of heavy rain
One woman couldn’t understand why she was constantly plagued with headaches and sinus infections until she looked behind the headboard.
Toxic black mold was found behind photo frames and under mattresses after the wettest season on record in the nation.
A woman revealed online that she was sleeping with mold over her head due to intense headaches and sinus infections.
“Unknowingly, we sleep with this mold on top of our heads every night, wondering why we have headaches, sinus problems and more,” she wrote.
A photo posted by the woman revealed that black mold thrived behind her headboard.
After the discovery, users flocked to comment on how the deadly toxin was “everywhere” at the time.
Wooden mattresses, bases, and frames are hotbeds of mold, with some residents claiming they only discovered the infestation after updating their bed.
“We updated our bed and found the bottom of the mattress was all moldy!” one user said.
Fungi thrive in humid or water-damaged environments and can cause serious health problems if inhaled.
Symptoms of mold exposure include an increased risk of asthma, allergies, respiratory infections, and coughs.
Australian residents are advised to stop mold by using a dehumidifier, opening windows and doors when the weather permits, and checking roofs and walls for leaking to the toxin.
Brisbane stores ran out of mold killer last week when flood-ravaged homeowners attempted to detox their homes.
One man even revealed the bare supermarket and hardware store shelves in a social media post, with another user commenting, “In this day and age you have to be one step ahead of panic shoppers.”
A spokesperson for Brisbane Bunnings told NCA NewsWire that the store was running out of anti-mold concentrate but still had plenty of pre-mixed options.
Originally published as ‘Every night we slept with this over our heads: found gross behind a woman’s headboard


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Capcom have reason to be pleased. Although the company suffered a 73.1% drop in net income over the past year, the loss wasn’t without its upsides. The primary contributing factor, as covered in our report, was the delay of several high-profile titles originally set to launch during the first quarter of 2010. — titles that are now debuting in the new fiscal year and doing promising numbers already.
Monster Hunter Tri, for instance, debuted at #11 on the NPD chart for April 2010, right below Super Street Fighter IV on PS3. Since Super sold 143,000 units on PlayStation 3 and its Xbox 360 counterpart at #14 sold 108,000, Monster Hunter Tri’s numbers lie somewhere in between. Like Super, the game debuted toward the latter part of April, so the numbers only account for about 10 days on the market.
Given that Wii games have a tendency to sell consistently over a long period of time, Capcom’s efforts with Tri might have paid off, which is nice to see given how niche the franchise is. Overseas sales expectations for Monster Hunter Tri are in the range of 500,000 units.


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Forex technology provider Fair Trading Technology continues to expand its global presence when it attends one of the world's largest forex expos, iFXEXPO, in Macau later this month.
Online PR News – 16-January-2013 – London, United Kingdom – Forex technology provider Fair Trading Technology continues to expand its global presence when it attends one of the world's largest forex expos, iFXEXPO, in Macau later this month.
Fair Trading Technology's President of EMEA Sales, John Farrell, says the company's attendance in Macau, which brings together forex executives and leaders from around the globe, is the ideal opportunity to exhibit its technology to the Asian market and to build on its success on other continents.
"Fair Trading Technology sees the Macau Summit as the premier Asian FX event of the year. Being able to reach many of the most important FX participants in the region, at one event, is unprecedented," Mr. Farrell said.
"We view Asia as one of the most important and fastest growing Foreign Exchange markets for retail FX. It is absolutely necessary to be close to the market and understand the sector."
In addition to exhibiting their forex solutions, Fair Trading Technology's Chris Gnanakone will also take part in the Mobile Trading Panel on January 23.
Mr. Gnanakone, began forex trading in 2003 and, over time, saw a strong need in the market for the ability to trade free from the desktop. He founded iPhorex, which developed a full-featured iOS-based trading platform to give traders a full complement of trading tools that they can use virtually anywhere. IPhorex was acquired by Fair Trading Technology in 2012, and is now an integral part of the company's suite of forex solutions.
"FTT has developed a robust mobile platform by converging key infrastructure components, such as internet, cloud computing, mobile device operating systems and telecoms,” said Mr. Gnanakone. “This has enabled FTT to deliver a feature rich mobile program that is synchronized across multiple trading platforms to provide trade execution, monitoring and management, anytime anywhere."
The expo is being held on January 23 and 24, 2013, at The Venetian Resort Hotel in Macau.
Fair Trading Technology is a technology provider that brings new and innovative solutions to the day-to-day problems of the FX broker and their clients. Their revolutionary T3 Integration Bridge provides seamless multi-way synchronization between liquidity providers and trading platforms, allowing brokers to offer a seamless shared wallet solution to their clients.


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Jul 31, 2018
Uber halts development of self-driving trucks
Uber has said it will stop developing self-driving trucks to focus its autonomous technology solely on cars. The idea behind self-driving trucks was initially to improve the safety and efficiency of the trucking industry, according to Uber's Advanced Technologies Group website. Uber's self-driving car development has not been without problems. The fatal accident came a year after Uber pulled self-driving cars from the roads after another accident which left one of the vehicles on its side. Other companies including Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler and car supplier Bosch are investing in the development of self-driving vehicles.
Make a complaint about Uber by viewing their customer service contacts.


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You’re on the way into work, but you’re feeling groggy — not enough sleep lately.
You decide to buy a new, “smart” bed that connects to the internet and measures the quality of your sleep through metrics such as your heart rate and breathing rate and how much you toss and turn.
But while those features might be nifty, they may also be the thing that ultimately keeps you up at night.
That’s because that internet-connected bed offers a pathway into your home network for cyber attackers, and potentially provides a glimpse at data as personal as your sleeping patterns.
This isn’t a science-fiction fantasy about the emerging “internet of things” and proliferating smart home technology — a person in San Antonio recently had their online home network accessed by a hacker via their Sleep Number smart bed, according to Chris Edelen, president of Sterling Home Technologies, which designs and installs smart home automation systems.
“We always hear about data breaches of companies, and we don’t hear about breaches of homeowners — but they’re happening every day,” Edelen said. “(Smart home security) is becoming a bigger and bigger issue.”
The internet of things is made up of all the internet-connect devices you may have in your home. That could range from smart lawn sprinklers and thermostats to a security system, gaming system or a robotic vacuum, among many other devices.
The number of these devices has grown exponentially, and the technology in the coming years could become as ubiquitous in homes as dishwashers or refrigerators, according to local home builders.
The problem? The conveniences — the ability to turn on the air conditioning at your home from your phone while you’re leaving work, or the ability to see real-time video of your home from a security camera — all introduce additional devices that can be used to digitally enter your home network, steal your data and potentially spy on you.
“Many of those (devices), they represent a pathway into the home that didn’t exist before. And so I think most consumers don’t weigh the risk and reward,”said John Dickson, a principal at the cybersecurity firm Denim Group.
Smart home technology use has grown rapidly this decade, while functionality and affordability have both improved in recent years.
The number of IoT-connected devices is expected to reach 43 billion in 2023, triple the number from 2018. And today nearly a quarter of all businesses use some form of IoT technology, up from 13 percent five years ago, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
Proponents of the technology tout its ability to enhance a house or apartment’s “livability”, and generally make life at home more convenient.
“We hear from clients all the time that overall it helps them really enjoy their home more than they would without the technology,” Edelen said. “It’s a real convenience, in many ways.”
Gilbert Sanchez, vice president of HomeWerks, installs home automation systems of all sizes and varieties.
“Some customers, they want to walk in their house, push one button and the TV comes on and goes on the station they want to watch, and twenty different things happen,” Sanchez said. “My house, when I hear a noise, I push a button, my cameras come on my TV, and my exterior lights come on. ‘Hey, my dog is chasing a raccoon’ — I don’t care, I hit my button and go back to my TV.”
The technology could allow users to arm their security system from work, see if the garage door was left open, or remotely unlock the home’s doors for someone — a maid, or child for example — to enter while you’re away.
Beyond that, the technology can make homes more energy efficient by automating thermostat use, controlling lighting and closely measuring energy consumption — all generating savings for homeowners.
“If you’re integrating devices making your home more energy efficient, you will see that impact in your bills,” said Krystel Castillo, director of the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
IoT technology will allow smart meters at homes to communicate energy consumption levels to homeowners, while also communicating with utility providers to manage city-wide energy use at certain times of the day, according to Castillo.
Sanchez said a relatively basic home automation and security system including a security camera, a smart thermometer and door lock and exterior internet-connected lights would cost a customer somewhere around $1,800, depending on the quality of the devices, and would take a day to install.
But the combination of poor cybersecurity practices by the average consumer and minimal built-in IoT device security can make for an alarming combination.
A study published this month by two other UTSA cybersecurity researchers found vulnerabilities in internet-connected light bulbs, a seemingly benign appliance and the most widely used form of smart home technology.
Edelen said about 87 percent of clients he’s worked with install some smart lighting control — and that number is growing. Edelen’s company has seen business in their home automation services increase by about 20 percent this year compared to last year, he said.
Products such as the LIFX smart light bulbs can be connected to a WiFi network, where users can control light color and brightness levels, as well as sync the lights up to match music or television audio.
But hackers can access the bulbs a variety of ways, and then do things such as use infrared waves from the bulb to transmit data from your network, including text and photos, to a hacker’s device.
“Modern internet-enabled smart lights promise energy efficiency and many additional capabilities over traditional lamps,” the study reads. “However, these connected lights also create a new attack surface, which can be maliciously used to violate users’ privacy and security.”
Numerous other examples show the hazards of the technology — including children’s toys that can be accessed and used to record audio and video of the user, or smart locks that consumers control from their phone, but that landlords or hackers can unlock without the user’s permission.
Even so, Dickson, the cybersecurity expert, said he does have a few IoT devices in his home, and said the safety of the device is largely stems from the quality of the manufacturer, he said.
Products from high-profile device-makers, such as Ring and Nest, are generally safe for use, whereas many single-use devices manufactured primarily in China often lack robust security features, according to Dickson.
He compared smart technology to driving a car, saying users can get into an accident or be the victim of a cyberattack any time they drive or use the internet — but that doesn’t mean most people ditch driving altogether.
“Users really need to be much more sophisticated and wary,” Dickson said. “How we drive, we don’t put ourselves in position to be in trouble. We don’t drive a car if we know its brakes are in bad shape.”
Dickson and others said the best way to address IoT device security flaws is to change the device’s default password and security settings. Users should also readily install software updates on any of their devices because it could be a patch for a security issue.
IoT users should also set up a separate guest WiFi network in their home that visitors can access, but that their smart devices are not connected to.
The technology is still fairly young, and will likely become even more prevalent in the coming years.
Edelen and Sanchez said they expect voice-controlled devices to grow in popularity next after the rise of smart lighting and security systems — and new houses are already having full home automation systems installed during construction.
Cybersecurity experts said users should ask themselves how necessary some functionalities of devices are — do you really need your phone to tell you how many eggs are in your refrigerator? — and should call for greater scrutiny of IoT security from policymakers.
“The societal problem we have is there’s more demand for products than there is for security,” Dickson said. “Until consumers push for more security and ask elected officials to push for that in the form of regulations, it’ll still be up to the manufacturers, and that’s the case right now.”


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Food Bank of Lincoln expects tens of thousands to be food insecure in coming months
Feed America projects Nebraska will have between 78,000 and 100,000 people become food insecure.
The Food Bank of Lincoln is facing an uphill battle as a result of the coronavirus.
The influx of supplies and demand has caused an imminent problem with food delivery and supply.
“One of our big challenges right now in food insecurity in the state of Nebraska is that resource are going down while the need is going up,” said Lincoln Food Bank executive director Scott Young. “The grocery stores were we pick up so much product are moving so much product and some.”
The supply for grocery stores is fine Governor Pete Ricketts said on Monday. However, the food that once wouldn’t move on shelves is now hitting the checkout line and leaving little spare left over.
Grocery stores donate a large part of the food bank’s product. With no surplus from these grocery stores, limited donations can be made.
Feeding America projects between 80,000 and 100,000 people will be food insecure in the coming months here in Nebraska.
Suppliers only have so much and with the demand nation wide so high, food banks are swimming with sharks in the sea of retail.
“Food we order now may take 4-6 weeks to show up at our food bank,” said Young. “So we have great concern not only right now but in the coming months.”
300 people applied for SNAP benefits last week and he expects that number to rise quickly. Find out if you are eligible for SNAP.
Over the weekend, Grand Island held a food pickup site. The Food Bank of the Heartland packed 750 bags to give out. Over 1,000 people showed up. People left without food.
That is an issue Young wants to fix. He says now more than ever donations are needed. If you would like to help click HERE.


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As the company did not confirm more about the new series, but this news was leaked by the reports, and the internet was flooded with this news.
There is a piece of new and fresh news leaked about the Oppo Reno5 this was expected that the phone came with the 65W fast charging support.
And also said that this phone was a house of dual-cell battery. This sounds very exciting the customers get a lot of benefits with the dual cell battery. This smartphone will be charge faster as compared to the predecessor of the Reno4 which comes with 30W fast charge support. Along with all this news, there was a new update that was also coming this phone will come.
In the Starry Dream, Aurora Blue, Moonlight Black, and Star Wish Red color as the options to the customers.
Specification of the (Oppo Reno5: New update)
The listing and leaked news said that this Oppo Reno5 will be powered by the Media Tek Dimensity 1000+ processor.
Which was the first 5G processor of the Oppo Company.
This means that the smartphone will be launch and come with 5G support.
This will run on Android 11 and was a pack of 8GB of RAM. The new Oppo Reno5 also scored a huge margin in the single-core test.
The margin was 2,932 and 5,836 in the multi-core test. Oppo launched the Diwali Edition of its Oppo F17 Pro smartphone in India. The smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs. 23,990. The phone has come with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage and has a back-up battery of 4000mAh. The Oppo F17 Pro offers VOOC 4.0 charge support of 30W and runs Android 10 based ColorOS 7.2.


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years after the Spring Festival, China’s real estate, finance, industry and Commerce and other sectors of the new deal will be intensive implementation, help the healthy development of the economy, reform and further promote the people to bring more positive. According to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce News, violations of consumer rights punishment approach will be implemented on March 15, 2015. The approach to online shopping and other non site shopping has been standardized.
does not return the shop will be fined
according to the new regulations, the operators selling goods network, TV, telephone, mail order, if received consumer demands the return of fifteen days is not for return procedures, or to consumers has been opened, the impact of commodity inspection intact refused to return, as deliberately procrastinate or refuse, will be punished according to the law.
protection of consumer personal information from disclosure is also the highlight of the approach. 2014 China ranked first hotel ticket booking website Ctrip has been illegal storage and disclosure of the user’s identity card number, bank card number and pay the password and other key personal information, once triggered panic.
"measures" provisions, without the consent of the consumer, the operator can collect, use and disclose, sell to others or provide the ID number, income and property status, consumption and other personal information, can not send commercial information to consumers.
in addition, according to the "measures", the false clearing price "sale price" and "low price" "preferential price" sales of goods or services, the scene description and presentation of resort to deceit or misleading, should bear the corresponding legal responsibility.
network name can no longer self willed
March 1st, the Internet user account name management regulations will be formally implemented, micro-blog, WeChat, QQ, forums and other accounts will be marked on the 9 bottom line".
national network information office mobile network authority Xu Feng said, now Chinese account chaos increasingly prominent, some fake celebrities including foreign heads of state, such as "Putin" and "Obama", there are users called "self discipline inspection teams", "tricks, intensified".
according to the regulations, all registered users account on the Internet information service name must comply with the 9 rules, including shall not violate the provisions of the Constitution and the law; and shall not endanger the national security, state secrets, subverting state power, undermining national unity; not to incite ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination and undermining national unity; not spreading obscenity, pornography, gambling, violence, murder etc.. In case of violation, the account will be corrected within a time limit, suspend the use until the cancellation.
National Network Information Office Deputy Director Peng Bo said that one goal of the campaign is to see the name of the others on the Internet, is not sick, not chaos, is comfortable, make cyberspace more cool and bright.


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Xiaomi has today launched Black Shark Helo, a new gaming smartphone which succeeds the original Black Shark that was launched earlier this year. The Black Shark Helo brings a more refined design with some flashy RGB lighting effects, a faster processor, better thermal management and a ton of other improvements in the hardware department.
The Black Shark Helo features a 6.01-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device has a dedicated imaging processing chip and also supports HDR gaming experience. Coming to the design aspect, the rear panel now features a centrally aligned, vertically stacked dual rear camera set-up and an RGB-lit Black Shark logo below it, just like the Razer Phone 2 and the Asus ROG Phone.
The Black Shark also has two LED strips on both sides of the device which can be customized to blink in different patterns. The new gaming smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor clocked at 2.8GHz which is paired with an Adreno 630 GPU. The Black Shark Helo is claimed to be the world’s first smartphone to pack 10GB of LPDDR4X dual-channel RAM, paired with 256GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage.
Lower-end variants of the Black Shark Helo with 6GB and 8GB of RAM, paired with 128GB of internal storage are also available. The new gaming smartphone also comes with an improved vapor chamber cooling system with dual heat pipes, which is claimed to reduce the CPU core temperature by up to 12-degrees.
In the imaging department, the device features 20MP+12MP dual rear cameras and a 20MP front camera, complete with features such as portrait mode and AI beautification among others. The Black Shark Helo also features an X+1 antenna for better network reception and retains the dedicated Black Shark button to activate the gaming mode. The device also comes equipped with dual front-firing stereo speakers to deliver superior quality sound.
The Black Shark Helo is priced at 3,199 Yuan (around Rs. 34,000) for the 6GB+128GB variant and goes up to 4,199 Yuan (approximately Rs. 44,500) for the top-end model with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The company has also launched a host of new accessories such as a two-wing handle with a touchpad and joystick on either side, an air-cooled thermal back clip and a 3D-eye protective case among others.
While BlackShark will soon be going global, there’s no word on when the Helo will hit markets outside China.


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- Aertssen Group from Stabroek is crowned ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ 2021 ahead of fellow finalists Cegeka, Destiny and Heylen Group.
- Deliverect from Ghent was chosen as ‘Scale-up van het Jaar’ succeeding Robovision, the 2020 winner.
Aertssen Group from Stabroek was crowned ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ 2021 this evening. CEO Greg Aertssen received the prestigious award from Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon, in presence of a limited audience. The 27th edition of the award, organised by EY in collaboration with De Tijd and BNP Paribas Fortis, was originally planned for December, but was postponed to today due to the Covid measures. A professional jury, made up of leading representatives from the Belgian business and academic worlds, chose Aertssen Group ahead of the other finalists Cegeka, Destiny and Heylen Group. Aertssen Group succeeds Stow, last year’s winner.
The ‘Prijs van de Vlaamse Regering voor de Scale-up van het Jaar’ 2021 was also presented during this ceremony. This award is given to Flemish growth companies which have performed impressively during the past year. This year, the honour fell to Deliverect from Ghent. Deliverect beat B4Plastics, Biotalys and UgenTec. Deliverect is the 16th winner of the prestigious title, the company follows in the footsteps of Robovision, the 2020 winner, also from Ghent.
An award for Belgian companies that stand out
EY has organised the ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ award since 1995. For 27 years, the award has highlighted Belgian companies that stand out through their innovative approach, bold international vision, strategy, healthy financial position, dedicated teamwork, good governance, ambition and determination to continue to grow.
During this edition of the ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’, Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon presented the award to Greg Aertssen, CEO of Aertssen Group and son of the founder, Marcel Aertssen. The company from Antwerp was also a runner-up for the ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ award in 2019. This year, Aertssen Group is the winner.
Michèle Sioen, president of the jury, explains why Aertssen Group was chosen: “Aertssen Group simply fulfils all of the criteria required for an ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’. The company has not only achieved strong growth over several years, it has also maintained a solid balance sheet and can count on sound governance with external directors. For many companies, reinventing themselves has almost become a must during the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s practically Aertssen’s trademark: time and time again, this family business succeeds in turning setbacks into new opportunities.”
Patrick Rottiers, CEO of EY Belgium: “Sustainability has permeated all strata of the business, an essential attitude to adopt nowadays and of which Aertssen Group can be justly proud. Indeed, many of its projects help create a better world. One reason why Aertssen Group has earned the title ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ today is its ability to connect all of its business unit pillars so effectively an their beautiful international projects.”
“We’re proud that we still managed to hold this edition of our prestigious award, albeit rather later than planned. It was more important than ever for us to give our businesses a platform and put all of the nominees in the spotlights. Every one of them has shown unprecedented perseverance and flexibility of which we can be very proud in Belgium. They deserve our appreciation more than ever”, responded Rudi Braes, Vice-Chair EY EMEIA.
You can find more information about Aertssen Group, ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ 2021, here.
The list of winners of all the previous 26 editions can be found here.
Deliverect chosen as ‘Scale-up van het Jaar’
During the award ceremony held for ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ 2021, the ‘Prijs van de Vlaamse Regering voor de Scale-up van het Jaar’ 2021 was also presented. This year, Deliverect from Ghent was chosen as the winner by the jury, succeeding Robovision, the 2020 winner.
The ‘Scale-up van het Jaar’ award is a prestigious prize, given by the Flemish Government to reward fast-growing companies that are developing strongly for their efforts and motivate them for the future. The jury chooses the candidate which it believes could one day be a winner of ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’.
“With its inspirational entrepreneurship and the unparalleled growth Deliverect has achieved in just 2.5 years, this company from Ghent is a worthy winner of the ‘Prijs van de Vlaamse Regering voor de Scale-up van het Jaar’. Its technology for digitalising and facilitating often conservative hospitality businesses is not just cutting-edge but essential in the booming takeaway business. This is demonstrated by the thousands of small hospitality businesses in its customer portfolio, as well as global players like Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Deliverect can count on a strong team, a growing network and rightfully dedicated shareholders declaring long-term commitment”, commented Hans Crijns, Professor of the Vlerick Business School and president of the jury.
“The ‘Prijs van de Vlaamse Regering voor de Scale-up van het Jaar’ is awarded to companies which have the potential to become ‘Onderneming van het Jaar®’ some day, and the jury is totally convinced of this in its choice of Deliverect. Given the scale and development of the sector, there is huge potential for growth, even beyond the sector. Besides, Deliverect’s business model is highly scalable, with well thought-out licensing formulas and intelligent plug & play software. Deliverect is an obvious choice: They already nailed it, now they scale it”, said Stefan Olivier, partner EY Belgium.
You can find more information about Deliverect, ‘Scale-up van het Jaar’ 2021, here.
The list of winners of all the previous editions can be found here.


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Some BlackBerry users throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia experienced outages or delays for about 12 hours Monday, and appeared to be experiencing a second outage today, according to Twitter feeds from carriers in the U.K. and Egypt and other reports.
Research in Motion, which sells BlackBerry devices and operates BlackBerry services globally with various wireless carriers, said today that Monday's problem "was resolved and services are operating normally," according to an email from a U.K.-based RIM spokeswoman.
"This is affecting all mobile networks across the EU," TMobile UK tweeted. "BlackBerry are working on this at present."
Referring to the Monday outage, the RIM spokeswoman only said that some BlackBerry subscribers in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia) region "experienced delays with BlackBerry services."
She apologized to customers, but didn't say what caused the problem or what services and how many users were affected. In the past, RIM has not explained the cause of any of several brief outages in the past three years.
Computerworld UK , however, reported this morning that the outage affected mostly smaller companies and consumers on the BlackBerry Internet Service. Those BIS customers were unable to access email, BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging and other Web services from about 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, U.K. time, the website said.
Reports indicated a server problem in RIM's Slough, U.K., data center was to blame for the Monday outage, but RIM has not confirmed that information. Many affected users posted concerns on Twitter accounts Monday and today, possibly from devices not affected by the problems.
Some mobile operators in Europe had taken note of the RIM problems Monday, including T-Mobile in the UK which issued an advisory to its customers using BlackBerry devices: "Over the past 24 hours, BlackBerry products have experienced a number of problems with email, internet and messaging services. This is due to a European-wide outage on the BlackBerry network run by BlackBerry's manufacturer RIM, which is affecting all mobile operators. RIM has apologised for the interruption to services and said it's working to restore normal operations. They have committed to provide further updates. If you have further concerns, please contact RIM directly via their website, www.rim.com."
While that T-Mobile advisory referred users to the RIM site, nothing appeared on RIM's Web site explaining the situation.
While the outage has affected BIS customers of Blackberry Internet Service, customers using BlackBerry devices connected to BlackBerry Enterprise Server inside of their companies may not have been affected.
An editor for the IDG News Service in Paris said his BlackBerry functioned fine on Monday. His device connects through a BES server located in the news service's Boston office, he said. However, that same editor said he lost BlackBerry email service after about 2 p.m. Tuesday Paris time (8 a.m. ET).
IDG News Service reporter Mikael Ricknas contributed to this story.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com .
Read more about mobile and wireless in Computerworld's Mobile and Wireless Topic Center.


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The Trust Project is a worldwide group of news organizations working to establish transparency standards.
Bored Ape Yacht Club creators Yuga Labs have announced another partnership with lifestyle brand CASETiFY, which has recently registered over $2 million worth of BAYC-themed items. The new collection, dubbed “To the Moon,” features 41 Bored Apes and Mutant Apes NFT artworks.
Hong Kong-based brand CASETiFY is well-known for its phone cases and other electronic accessories. The company is famous for its numerous collaborations with artists, brands, and franchises, including Olivia Rodrigo, Sailor Moon, Peanuts, and the Met.
For instance, the exclusive BAYC line offers CASETiFY’s signature phone and iPad cases, as well as limited-edition collectibles like water bottles and hoodies. The brand has also released a wall mount set and a skateboard picturing Bored Apes. Additionally to the imagery, the items feature native Web3 slogans: “To the Moon,” “fren,” ”HODL,” “GM,” “WAGMI,” and “LFG.”
“To The Moon” collection is already available worldwide at retail price ranging between $50 and $300.
“The NFT space is constantly evolving. At CASETiFY, we’re proud to be able to turn world-class digital art into premium accessories that can be enjoyed by the masses, with benefits being shared with the community’s alpha group,”said the co-founder and CEO of CASETiFY, Wes Ng.
At the time of writing, the floor price of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs is 77.69 ETH (approximately $122,517).
The collection’s price has lowered after YouTube blogger Philion released a video that explains similarities among BAYC’s traits and Nazi imagery. Following Ryder Ripps’ research on the topic, the blogger has edited an hour of video sequences to show the NFT community the disturbing similarities.
However, despite this news, many individuals still wish to own a BAYC NFT. Thanks to CASETiFY, they can now purchase merchandise featuring their favorite apes. “To The Moon” isn’t CASETiFY’s first collab with BYAC, either. In January, they launched the world’s first verified NFT phone cases, which allowed BAYC holders to order phone cases following NFT verification.
Bored Apes have been appearing on a lot of things lately, including chocolate candy, following the Bored Ape supergroup Kingship’s partnership with M&M’s that resulted in ape-themed candy.
Read related posts:
Any data, text, or other content on this page is provided as general market information and not as investment advice. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future results.


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Boston Tea Party has said its ban on single-use takeaway cups has led to a £250,000 fall in sales in the past 10 months.
The independent West Country coffee shop chain introduced the ban across its 22 shops in June 2018. At the time it said that takeaway hot drinks were responsible for 5.2% of the chain’s £19.8m turnover.
Owner Sam Roberts told BBC News that it had factored the loss, which represents 25% of coffee sales, into its plans and that too many operators were "putting their profits before the planet".
Roberts called on other chains to follow Boston Tea Party’s lead, adding that schemes that reward customers who bring a reusable cup have a low rate of take up.
"There's too many operators not dealing with the problem and putting their profits before the planet,” Roberts said. "At the moment bigger businesses are deploying a smoke and mirrors strategy and not resolving problems while seeming like they are doing something about it. We are 100% committed and there's no going back."
Boston Tea Party customers wishing to take away a hot drink can either bring their own reusable cup, purchase one at the shop, or pay a deposit on a cup they can return to any branch.
The business says it has prevented almost 125,000 cups from going to landfill since introducing the policy.


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Angels Chairman Dennis Kuhl recalled the time a widow came to a game with a funeral urn containing her husband’s ashes that she planned to pour on the field.
Just as the woman started releasing the urn’s contents, a gust of wind blew the ashes into the fans sitting behind her instead, creating havoc.
“First you calm them down,” Kuhl said. “Then we got them some T-shirts and things.” Fans mollified. Disaster averted.
Kuhl said it was the kind of action – doing whatever it takes to keep the customer happy – that is a tenet of the Angels organization. It starts at the top, he said, under the leadership Angels owner Arte Moreno.
“You empower your staff to take care of things,” he said.
Kuhl’s story was just one example of how businesses can overcome adversity discussed during a conference Friday sponsored by Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Leadership.
“Adversity doesn’t mean failure, it means a challenge,” said Todd Priest, vice president of Curt Pringle & Associates, an Anaheim lobbying and public relations firm, who moderated one of the conference panels.
The discussions ranged from hiring good management to managing risk and handling the challenge of being in a niche market.
Shaheen Sadeghi, former president of action sports retailer Quiksilver and developer of the LAB anti-mall in Costa Mesa, said going against the concept of a traditional mall seemed risky. However, he believed consumers were tired of the formulaic, chain-store experience.
“Formulas have no empathy and no emotion,” he said. “The products and services have become robotic.”
His shopping centers, with small one-of-a-kind shops and eateries, provide the opposite.
“We find a tremendous amount of interest in localization, personalization and customization,” Sadeghi said.
He said having a passionate belief in that business and a willingness to take a risk on the idea have led to a community development company that is now celebrating 20 years in business.
For Steve Fortunato, founder of Room Forty in Los Angeles, leadership meant abandoning his original idea of opening a traditional white-tablecloth, brick-and-mortar restaurant and creating a new concept of a white-tablecloth “restaurant without walls” catering firm.
Fortunato brings his staff and supplies to unique locations and creates a one-off restaurant experience that emphasizes fine dining and wines. His goal is to change the way people think about hospitality and catering.
“It’s a big, hairy, audacious goal,” he conceded. “But when you have adversity on a day-to-day basis, if you don’t have a big, hairy, audacious goal, it just becomes, ‘Why am I doing that?’ because it’s so hard.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-3646 or email@example.com


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MENLO PARK (CBS SF) – The next time a San Francisco bar patron wearing Google Glass gets into a scuffle it may be the virtual kind. A team of Menlo Park game developers have launched their first ever game for people using the wearable computer; it’s dubbed Global Food Fight.
Menlo Park-based Mind Pirate created the game which is the “first game to launch simultaneously on iPhone and Google Glass and is a free-to-play massively-multiplayer, location-based 3D action game that allows players to engage in food fights with friends, foes, celebrities and politicians from around the world.”
The company says they used their own platform, known as Castillo, to create the game. They say the platform, which can be used by other developers, maximizes the wearable technology trend by allowing “interactive experiences that can be started and continued across device types with information preserved in the cloud.”
In Global Food Fight, players locate opponents via GPS map and score points by plunking other players via slingshot with fruit, vegetables and even pastries. Here’s the company’s promotional video for the game:
The eye-wear has been the source some real world tension in recent weeks after a Bay Area woman said she was attacked for wearing the Google Glass at a bar in San Francisco’s Lower Haight last month. That claim set off a social media backlash, and led to several establishments banning the wearing of the device.


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The long list of lawmakers was reported by an Italian tracking group and contains names from every corner of the political landscape in Italy. The proposal would allow for cannabis decriminalization in Italy, along with regulations for production, consumption and sale.
This comes in a country that has been notoriously harsh, even recently, in creating and enforcing its drug policy. However, a sign of hope for cannabis users who would rather not be associated directly with heroin and cocaine addicts came last year. A law introduced by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2006 made punishment for cannabis and coke equal, but it was struck down in February 2014, releasing the many prisoners who were wrongfully incarcerated.
If the proposal is accepted, marijuana enthusiasts and medical users alike would be allowed to grow and consume the plant in the privacy of their own home. The plan would tolerate up to five plants per household, up to 15 grams of dry cannabis stored at home and up to 5 grams when carrying in public.
Those exceeding the limits would be advised to take caution, though enforcement would likely be reserved only for the mass-producers associated with black market activities. In addition, the state would be charged with creating a plan for mass production and sales, with licensing similar to the coffeeshops seen in The Netherlands.
The new laws would even go so far as allowing social cannabis clubs, similar to those currently operating in Barcelona (for now, at least), with a proposed maximum of 250 plants between 50 people. Cannabis decriminalization in Italy could mean a new dawn for tolerance and acceptance, even creating a new hotspot for Europeans living in areas where cannabis is not currently tolerated by the government.


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Mr Green Appoints Jesper betway android app Kärrbrink as CEO
On line gambling operator Mr Green Ltd. announced that Jesper Kärrbrink has assumed the post of the company’s new CEO today. Mr. Kärrbrink is replacing Bo Wänghammar, who will be working in the company development department of this Mr Green Group.
Mr Green Ltd. is famous to be the Malta-based casino that is online of Swedish gambling operator Mr Green & Co AB. Being headquartered here, the ongoing business is certified and managed by the Malta Gaming Authority.
Commenting regarding the news about their appointment, Mr. Kärrbrink said that he is very excited to be back in the gambling industry and also to be working with one of the ‘strongest brands’ within the gambling betway vs bet365 sector that is online. The administrator also remarked that he’s happy to get the opportunity to develop its international product offering and betway co ke to help bolster the business’s place.
Most recently, Mr. Kärrbrink took the position of EuroFlorist AB CEO and Executive Vice Chairman. He assumed post in August 2011 and spent more than four years during the major separate system for flower distribution. The company reported a 30% growth in online sales during his tenure.
He’s presently a board person betway reddit in the said company along with of Wallvision AB and Carpet Vista AB. Mr Green’s new CEO even offers past media experience. He took the position of Head of Bonnier’s electronic operations within the late 1990s. As stated above, Mr. Kärrbrink includes a past experience within the gambling industry. Read More


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And those rumors were indeed true. Sony Computer Entertainment this morning that they have picked up Gaikai , the cloud-based game streaming service headed up by David Perry. Gaikai, along with OnLive (their competition), have made strides in offering streaming gaming to a number of devices, so it only made sense that one of the big console companies paid attention and snatched one of them up.
Well here ya go!
We assume some form of Gaikai will hit the PS3, PS Vita and other devices at one point to provide for some very interesting console and handheld possibilities. The announcement speaks a bit about the creation of “a new cloud service”, so we expect this $380 million acquisition to be a pretty big deal moving forward.
Read on for the announcement.
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that it entered into a definitive agreement on June 30, 2012 (Japan Time) to acquire Gaikai Inc., the world’s leading interactive cloud-based gaming company, for approximately USD 380 million. Through the acquisition, SCE will establish a new cloud service, ensuring that it continues to provide users with truly innovative and immersive interactive entertainment experiences.
“By combining Gaikai’s resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE’s extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.”
“SCE has built an incredible brand with PlayStation and has earned the respect of countless millions of gamers worldwide,” said David Perry, CEO of Gaikai Inc. “We’re honored to be able to help SCE rapidly harness the power of the interactive cloud and to continue to grow their ecosystem, to empower developers with new capabilities, to dramatically improve the reach of exciting content and to bring breathtaking new experiences to users worldwide.”
Established in 2008 and headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, Gaikai has developed the highest quality, fastest interactive cloud-streaming platform in the world that enables the streaming of quality games to a wide variety of devices via the internet. With this acquisition, SCE will establish a cloud service and expand its network business by taking full advantage of Gaikai’s revolutionary technology and infrastructure including data centers servicing dozens of countries and key partners around the world.
The transaction is subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
SCE will continue to aggressively expand a new world of entertainment through the introduction of innovative technologies and the delivery of amazing experiences.


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AU Optronics (AUO) shipped TFT-LCD panels with total display area of 2.147 million square meters in November, growing 3.0% sequentially, according to the company.
While demand for LCD panels used in consumer notebooks and monitors remains weak, demand for panels used in business-use notebooks, commercial, industrial and medical displays as well as in transportation and infrastructure is strong and AUO has benefited from it, company chairman Paul Pend said. Global demand for LCD TV panels is likely to rebound, Peng noted.
AUO has reported consolidated revenues of NT$30.885 billion for November, increasing 1.65% sequentially and 19.01% on year, and those of NT$338.920 billion for January-November rose 39.99% on year.
Fellow maker HannStar Display shipped 24.42 million small- to medium-size LCD panels and 592,000 large-size panels and Hannspree-branded LCD monitors in November, respectively slipping 10.2% and hiking 61.0% sequentially.
HannStar had consolidated revenues of NT$1.911 billion for November growing 30.69% sequentially but dropping 20.12% year-on-year and those of NT$25.442 billion for January-November increased 49.81% year-on-year.


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“SAN FRANCISCO — Despite a trade war between the United States and China and past admonishments from President Trump “to start building their damn computers and things in this country,” Apple is unlikely to bring its manufacturing closer to home.
A tiny screw illustrates why.
In 2012, Apple’s chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, went on prime-time television to announce that Apple would make a Mac computer in the United States. It would be the first Apple product in years to be manufactured by American workers, and the top-of-the-line Mac Pro would come with an unusual inscription: “Assembled in USA.”
But when Apple began making the $3,000 computer in Austin, Tex., it struggled to find enough screws, according to three people who worked on the project and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements.
In China, Apple relied on factories that can produce vast quantities of custom screws on short notice. In Texas, where they say everything is bigger, it turned out the screw suppliers were not.”
By Jack Nicas
Aug. 2, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO — In 1997, Apple was on the ropes. The Silicon Valley pioneer was being decimated by Microsoft and its many partners in the personal-computer market. It had just cut a third of its work force, and it was about 90 days from going broke, Apple’s late co-founder, Steve Jobs, later said.
On Thursday, Apple became worth more than $1 trillion when its shares briefly climbed to $207.05, two days after the company announced the latest in a series of remarkably profitable quarters.
Apple’s ascent from the brink of bankruptcy to the world’s most valuable company has been a business tour de force, marked by rapid innovation, a series of smash-hit products and the creation of a sophisticated, globe-spanning supply chain that keeps costs down while producing enormous volumes of cutting-edge devices.
That ascent has also been marked by controversy and tragedy. Apple’s aggressive use of outside manufacturers in China, for example, has led to criticism that it is taking advantage of poorly paid workers in other countries and robbing Americans of good manufacturing jobs.
David Lindsay: An amazing story. However, there is an underside, revealed by the following comment I recommended:


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Indie sensation Shovel Knight has been an incredible success story thus far, and the retro-styled platformer will soon be expanded with a free Specter Knight prequel campaign. Nick Wozniak, an artist at developer Yacht Club Games, recently discussed the upcoming DLC with US Gamer, and he also revealed that Shovel Knight has hit another milestone.
According to the US Gamer article, Shovel Knight has now sold over 1.5 million copies across all platforms since it debuted in 2014. This number is up from 1.2 million in April, so it looks like Shovel Knight has moved another 300,000 copies in the past eight months. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out!
Source: US Gamer


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Whitbread PLC has noticed continued market outperformance in the UK with a strong leisure demand post 17 May.
Corporate Finance News
During the Goldman Sachs Travel and Leisure Conference, Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer of Choice Hotels International, presented the Performance Updates of 2021.
Choice Hotels International reported its results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Extended Stay America, Inc. and ESH Hospitality, Inc. announced consolidated results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Marriott International, Inc. reported first quarter 2021 results, which were materially impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic and efforts to contain it.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. reported its first quarter 2021 results.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation reported first-quarter 2021 financial results.
Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. reports its first quarter 2021 results.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Master plan includes remodeled room towers, new restaurants and amenities, and a focus on revitalizing the Company flagship casino-hotel, Caesars Atlantic City, on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk First phase of USD170 million in guestroom and suite upgrades at Harrahs Resort Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City will debut Summer 2021
Accor announced its first quarter financial results, in which consolidated first-quarter 2021 revenue totaled €361 million, down 53% as reported and 48% like-for-like versus first quarter in 2020
Marriott Vacations Worldwide announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Welk Resorts, one of the largest independent timeshare companies in North America, for $485 million, including approximately 1.4 million MVW common shares of stock.
Huazhu Group Limited, a world-leading hotel group, announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020.
The Kessler Collection Partners With BitPay in an Historic Move To Accept Bitcoin Payments From Guests
The Kessler Collection is making history as the first U.S. luxury hotel group to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment, and the first in the world to partner with BitPay, the worlds largest provider of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services.
Extended Stay America, Inc. (“ESA”) and its paired-share REIT, ESH Hospitality, Inc. (“ESH”) (NASDAQ: STAY) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by a 50/50 joint venture between funds managed by Blackstone Real Estate Partners (“Blackstone”) and Starwood Capital Group (“Starwood Capital”) for $19.50 per paired share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6 billion.
Extended Stay America, Inc. (“ESA”) and ESH Hospitality, Inc. (NASDAQ:STAY) today announced consolidated results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2020.
Hersha Hospitality Trust, owner of high-quality hotels in urban gateway markets and regional resort destinations, announced results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020.
NH Hotel Group has agreed the extension of its 236 million Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility from September 2021 until March 2023 with all the lenders.
Casai, an emerging markets hospitality brand that offers living spaces suited for the nomadic generation, has announced a $48 million Series A including $23 million in equity funding and up to $25 million in debt financing from TriplePoint Capital.
Swiss-Belhotel International continues to expand its management in response to the market and the impact of Covid-19


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MLB 2K12 is most likely going to be the last MLB game from 2K and Take Two Interactive, and according to Kotaku, Take Two has pretty much confirmed that they will not renew their license with MLB.
"Our legacy Major League Baseball agreement will sunset in fiscal 2013. MLB 2K12 is our last offering under that agreement. At this time, we have no further comment," said a Take Two spokesman to Kotaku.
2K has not listed MLB 2K13 as one of their upcoming titles, which they did before when they dropped their NHL and college basketball series. Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take Two, has repeatedly said that the MLB license has been a financial loss for them. The writing is definitely on the wall, now it's just a matter of 2K or Take Two officially confirming it outside of a spokesperson's statement.
If this does come to fruition, then baseball gaming fans will need either a PS3 or a Vita to get their fix. MLB The Show seems to be the better of the two games anyway.


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The LG G4 Note has been leaked! That and much more news is covered by Jordan when he reviews all the important stories from this weekend. Included in this weekend's news is the news of the delay in the release of Oxygen OS and be sure to check out the article talking about installing Android 4.4 Kitkat on a laptop. That's not all that's covered in today's video! Be sure to check out the other videos released earlier this week...
2.27 HBoot Unlocked on the HTC Rezound
Unlocking a bootloader is kind of a big deal around here. After the drama that surrounded the unlocking of the Verizon Galaxy S III bootloader, the resultant happiness was more than enough motivation for other developers to get it done as well. For many HTC devices, the current tool for unlocking bootloaders is the now famous Juopunutbear S-Off method. Unfortunately many HTC updates also bring with them new HBoots, which are no longer compatible with Juopunutbear.
However, XDA Senior Member vinylfreak89 has released a tool for unlocking the 2.27 HBoot of the HTC Rezound. The method used is the same as the Juopunutbear, and vinylfreak89 has openly stated that it will be taken down when Juopunutbear is updated to work with the 2.27 HBoot. It is still a very nice hack for those who want S-Off on the latest HBoot at this very minute.
Thus far despite some initial doubt, users have reported success in using this, and no one has reported any issues. Given that it uses similar methods to Juopunutbear, it’s very likely that Juopunutbear itself will receive an official update to 2.27 HBoot. Until then, though, there is still a way. For more info, go to the original thread.
Want something on the XDA Portal? Send us a tip!
We've received mixed reports about switching to ART but it seems that the majority of users who make the jump see some type of improvement. But just how noticeable is this improvement in app performance? Let us know if switching to ART has brought noticeable changes to your device's performance.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are already proving to be amongst the head turners of 2015. From favoring their inhouse Exynos 7 SoC over the Snapdragon 810 SoC (which ended up causing issues to its main rival); to ditching the removable battery and micro sd card slot in favor of a more "premium" device, the flagship duo have a lot going on for them at this stage. Regarding the premium redesign which replaced plastic with metal and glass,...


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The new venture, called CNN +, was officially announced Monday morning. It will coexist with existing CNN television networks and offer eight to twelve hours of live programming per day.
Jeff Zucker, president of WarnerMedia News and Sports and president of CNN Worldwide, described CNN + as the evolution of video news and the start of a new era for the company.
“CNN invented cable news in 1980, defined online news in 1995, and is now taking a major step in expanding what news can be by launching a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service in 2022” Zucker said in a statement.
The executive in charge of CNN +, Chief Digital Officer Andrew Morse, said “this is the most significant launch for CNN since Ted Turner launched the network in June 1980”.
This is because it is an urgent offer to keep up with changing consumer demands.
As tens of millions of people access CNN through a subscription to a cable or satellite TV package, all cable – and broadcast – networks have been affected due to cord cuts in recent years. years, and the popularity of products like Netflix has shown. the growing appeal of streaming alternatives.
CNN cannot simply sell its current over-the-air programming via streaming because of lucrative, long-term deals with the cable companies. The company generates more than $ 1 billion in profits annually, largely through cable subscription fees and advertising.
CNN is therefore in the process of building a parallel track, right next to its existing TV track, to serve both existing cable subscribers who want additional programming and customers who have no cable at all.
Zucker put it this way in his statement: “In addition to a television offering that has never been stronger, that remains at the heart of what we do today, we will provide consumers with a product of streaming that increases the reach and reach of the CNN brand. in a way that no one else does. Nothing like that exists. “
The new streaming service will launch in the first quarter of 2022. Morse said in an interview that it will consist of three streams: eight to twelve hours of live programming per day; original series, some never before seen for CNN + and others from the network’s archives; and something Morse called an “interactive community”.
He said the latter would give subscribers the opportunity “to engage directly with our talents and experts on the issues that matter most to them.”
The pricing for CNN + will be announced later, as will the specific programs and the live program. The service will be launched first in the United States and will be rolled out later in other countries. Producers have piloted possible shows in recent weeks. Morse said the shows would be run by “some of CNN’s most prominent talent, as well as several new faces,” hinting at some planned hires.
Morse also pointed out that daily programming will be differentiated from what CNN is already producing on television.
“This will not be a news service,” he said, citing opportunities for “deeper dives” in topics such as climate change; space and science; and race and identity.
“You’re also going to see things that surprise you,” he added, hinting at the possibility of CNN presenters being presented in new ways.
CNN has approximately 4,000 employees, making it one of the largest news operations in the world. Morse said CNN hires around 450 people for CNN +, from producers and engineers to marketers.
The large number of job openings reflects CNN’s parent company WarnerMedia’s investment in the product in the wake of the HBO Max streaming service launch last year.
“We’re going to do a pretty big swing here, and the company is behind it,” Morse said.
CNN + will enter an environment cluttered with streaming news. The broadcast networks all have free streaming channels that basically act as news wheels, showing a mix of live headlines and recorded stories.
Morse argued that broadcast networks “lack the resources” to launch something as ambitious as CNN +.
Fox News has a three-year-old streaming service called Fox Nation, but it is billed as an “entertainment” product and is widely known for its right-wing opinion broadcasts.
Other rivals in the news space, like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, have big subscription companies, but they’re text-based, not video-based. CNN + will be “video-driven” at launch, Morse said, although “as we understand how customers consume the service, we can totally think of new types of formats,” including podcasts and long articles.
Examining this landscape, Morse concluded that CNN + will be “very different from anything on the market.”
In the industry-wide subscriber race, one of the billion dollar questions has been: How many people might be willing to pay for media coverage?
Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said earlier this year that The Times saw a market “of at least 100 million people who should pay for English-language journalism.”
When asked about the potential reach of CNN + in the future, Morse said “we think, given the reach of our brand; given our credibility; given our confidence; given that we reach 290 million people on linear and digital platforms around the world, there really is a substantial audience opportunity for us. “


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In an effort to help businesses increase their revenues risk free, Daniel Joseph of Indigo Performance Group announces a new service to generate high quality leads for businesses advertising on Google AdWords. Google AdWords is the largest advertising platform. With 2013 revenues eclipsing $50 billion dollars, they are the standard for pay per click advertising.
Business owners who want more business using Google AdWords create an ad using their AdWords interface. Their ads will show on the top or right side of the page for their given search term. Once a consumer clicks on that ad, the advertising business is charged for that click. Costs per click vary wildly. Some search terms like “vcr player” costs $1 per click on average. Other search terms like “mesothelioma attorney” costs $240 per click on average. Although it’s a great way to get visitors to a website, sometimes the “clicks” don’t turn into phone calls. If not done correctly business owners can find themselves in a deep hole.
Dr. John Page, owner of a local dentist office explained his experience using Google AdWords. “I blew through a $500 budget in 5 hours without a single phone call,” he said. “I’ve heard great things about the AdWords program from other doctors. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can really put yourself in a bad position.”
Joseph echoed Dr. Page’s comment. “Google AdWords is great, but it’s oftentimes very expensive to get clicks. That’s where my service comes in,” says Joseph. Instead of business owners paying $30 per click hoping for 10% of their clicks to call them, Joseph simplifies the process. He charges $25 on average for each phone call he generates for the participating business.
“This way, it’s fair for everyone involved. If you don’t get a phone call, you don’t pay anything.” He stresses that businesses don’t have to stop their AdWords campaigns to work with him. They can use his service in conjunction with their AdWords efforts. “Once they start seeing phone calls coming in consistently from me, my hope is that they analyze their Google AdWords campaigns to ensure the profitability of them,” says Joseph.
For more information on Daniel Joseph and his program, he can be reached by phone at (651) 560-5576, or by email at: firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Martin Winterkorn is CEO of the Volkswagen group.
Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press .
published Friday, August 12th, 2011
Stories this photo appears in:
Volkswagen’s chief said today that a planned new sport utility vehicle, for which the Chattanooga plant is seen as the front-runner to assemble, is among new vehicles the automaker is counting on to grow U.S. sales, according to Bloomberg.


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There are no prices or further information currently shown, besides the Pro Controller being available day-and-date with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on December 7, and the website just says to "Check back for retailers."
That being said, Bestbuy.com currently lists the Special Edition and the Pro Controller for $139.99 USD and $74.99 USD, respectively.
This news follows the announcement earlier this month of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Limited Edition for Europe. It is currently unknown if these new items will be added to that package.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released on December 7, 2018, and will bring with it every fighter in the franchise's history and some new characters, including Ridley, Simon and Richter Belmont, and King K. Rool.
Oh, and Nintendo also wants to assure you that "Luigi is okay" after his run-in with Death during a stroll through an environment inspired by Castlevania.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who loves everything Nintendo and suffice to say needs all of this right this instant. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.
If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, learn more.


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In addition to three locations bought by an international grocer and one in Richmond sold to another market, another two Hampton Roads stores bought by a New Jersey tech executive have kept the Farm Fresh banner
Most mermaid statues live in Norfolk. But one made a home at Farm Fresh headquarters in Virginia Beach for many years. Now, with the grocer closed, the mermaid is back in the city where most of her fish-tail friends reside.
Supervalu announced that Mark Gross will take over as president and chief executive officer beginning Friday. The Minneapolis-based grocery wholesale and retail outfit is the parent company for Farm Fresh and operates more than 3,400 stores nationwide.


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McCann Worldgroup appoints Mark Lund as CEO of all UK businesses
McCann Worldgroup has appointed Mark Lund as CEO of McCann Worldgroup UK, a role which he will take up in October.
The new role will see him responsibile for integrating McCann Worldgroup’s operations and more than 1,500 employees throughout the UK, covering areas including advertising, digital marketing, PR and more.
Of his new role, Lund said: “I’m very excited about joining McCann at a time when they have become a leader in integrated marketing communications as well as in global advertising. The potential of this is particularly strong in the UK where Worldgroup has some brilliant companies whose capabilities span the broadest range of channels. I’m greatly looking forward to working with all of them as we develop further the collaborative strength to help our clients grow their businesses and brands.”
Lund joins for London-based agency Now, where he was co-founder and managing partner.
Luca Lindner, president of McCann Worldgroup, said: “Mark understands the complexities of our business today and has a grasp of the challenges facing brands looking to connect with consumers in the marketplace. His extensive leadership both in business and in government communications provides him with a valuable perspective on how best to leverage all of our multiplatform disciplines to benefit our clients and drive integration across all of our agencies.”
The new comes on the same day as Interpublic, who owns McCann Worldgroup, reported a $1.76bn profit for Q2.
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McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global marketing solutions network whose professionals are united across 100+ countries by a single vision: To help brands play a meaningful role in people's lives.Find out more


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Celebrations Include Store Discounts, Vendor Sampling, Prizes, Games and More
Manassas, VA – Sprouts Farmers Market is excited to announce it will open its newest store in Manassas on May 12, located at 8431 Sudley Rd. A ribbon cutting will take place Friday morning at 6:45 a.m. The doors to the store will open at 7 a.m.
“I am thrilled for our Prince William County neighbors to gain Sprouts as a community resource to fight food insecurity and offer those with special dietary needs local and healthy food options,” said Michelle Davis-Younger, mayor of the City of Manassas. “Sprouts’ Healthy Communities Foundation and their partnerships with local food banks offer vital regional support to providing nutrition education and food access to underserved areas. Sprouts’ proximity to the City of Manassas with its new location on Sudley Road will undoubtably have a positive effect on our community.”
Grand Opening Weekend Events:
From Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 a variety of activities will celebrate the grand opening. A “pop-up party” out front will give guests the chance to taste seasonal produce, play games, have their face painted, see artists carve large produce and more. The first 200 shoppers on Friday and Saturday will receive a free ‘Goodness it’s Free’ reusable goodie bag filled with special products and samples. Inside the store, shoppers will be treated to samples from innovative brands at the Vendor Village. Additionally, there will be kids’ games, music and prizes that will add to the festivities.
Customers who text “MANA” to 777-688 will receive 20% off their purchase when they scan their app account barcode at checkout. Through the app, shoppers can view Sprouts’ weekly ad and save more than $100 with digital coupons on grocery staples and new items every month.
The celebrations, discounts and chances to win prizes won’t end after this grand opening weekend. A customer appreciation event will be held on July 8 where guests will be treated to vendor samples and have the chance to win a $500 gift card when shoppers sign up for a Sprouts account.
Sprouts Farmers Market is invested in serving the communities where it operates. It works with local farmers like Gotham Greens, Jim Rash Watermelons and others to source produce. Through Sprouts’ Food Rescue program, this store will donate groceries that are no longer fit for sale but remain perfectly edible and nutrient rich to the Capital Area Food Bank a local nonprofit that provides wholesome food to families and individuals at risk of hunger.
This location will be open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information visit https://www.sprouts.com/store/va/manassas/sudley-rd/
About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 31,000 team members and operates approximately 380 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit about.sprouts.com.


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Updated February 12, 2019: Today, Activision Blizzard informed its thousands of employees that layoffs will be taking place across the board. It's unclear what the extent will be, but as many as 800 employees may be let go. The executives said that there aren't enough projects in the works to warrant this much staff. Despite supposedly having the best financial results in the company's history, people will be let go. Financial analysts expected Activision Blizzard to earn roughly $3 billion in revenue, but it fell almost a billion short. However, Activision Blizzard promised to double-down on its most popular franchises and expand those teams in 2019. It's unclear why so many people will be let go when an expansion is allegedly happening soon.
Activision hasn't had the best time recently. A few months ago, the company announced that Destiny 2: Forsaken failed to meet sales expectations and a few weeks later, Bungie and Activision split, with the former retaining rights to the popular franchise. That's not all though, according to a report by Bloomberg, Blizzard — also a part of Activision — revealed that games such as Overwatch and Hearthstone were seeing flat or declining numbers of users. While the overall company is quite healthy, it's severely underperforming due to the extensive competition from other developers.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn't end there. Analysts expect the Bungie-Activision split to reduce annual revenue by as much as $400 million. Activision Blizzard may miss its sales targets by as much as a billion dollars. Bloomberg added that Activision Blizzard plans to "announce job cuts in the face of slowing sales, according to people familiar with the matter." Given how tumultuous the gaming industry can be, this is devastating news to the hundreds of employees who will be laid off. It's unclear what the exact count will be at this moment, but we wish those affected the best of luck in the future. The layoffs may even go up to a thousand.
Games like Overwatch are facing increasing competition from the numerous new shooters on the market. While Apex Legends isn't a direct competitor because one is a battle royale experience and the other isn't. Both share many similarities like a cast of characters with unique abilities. This can take players away from an old game.
The only major release Activision has coming up is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While the title looks stellar, it's not as popular as the Call of Duty series. Many analysts believe that Activision Blizzard needs more new, quality releases if it wants to compete with other publishers. Considering that the corporation employs roughly 10,000 people, let's hope the future plans work.
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HP updates Reverb G2 ahead of launch, preorders start shipping in November
HP is finally nearly ready to start shipping its new Reverb G2 Windows Mixed Reality headset. Those who have already preordered the $600 headset should see them arrive in November, while anyone preordering after September 24 will see headsets arrive in December.
The 300Hz display on the Razer Blade 15 is way ahead of its time
Our favorite gaming laptop now has a 300Hz display option and it's smoother than your eyes can really see.
Microsoft aims to compete with PS5 in Japan with Xbox Series S price drop
Microsoft is cutting the cost of the PS5 in Japan to better position the console as a cheaper alternative to the PS5. The price drop was announced during the company's first appearance at the Tokyo Game Show in six years.
Fix up your Xbox Elite Controller with these parts
Need some replacement parts for your Xbox One Elite Controller? From new paddles, grips, bumpers, thumbsticks, and more, we have you covered.


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Instagram boss Adam Mosseri announced that the social media platform began testing paid subscriptions that will allow users to pay for extra content from their favorite creators. The feature is currently being tested on a small group of creators for users in the US but will expand in the coming months.
The feature is now available to those who follow Alan Chikin Chow, basketball player Sedona Prince, Aliza like Ibiza, Don Allen Stevenson, and six other creators.
Creators who take part in the test will be able to offer their subscribers exclusive access to select Instagram Live videos and Stories, which will be marked with purple circles for better recognition. Authors will be able to choose a price for access to the exclusive content they produce: there are eight pricing tiers from $0.99 to $99.99/month.
Subscribers will also get a special badge that will help them stand out in the comments and DMs among other followers. After subscribing, users will receive notifications of exclusive Live streams where they can interact more closely with the creators since the number of viewers will naturally be smaller.
For Instagram, the new feature is an attempt to compete with TikTok, which is attracting more and more creators. Other big tech competitors like YouTube and Snapchat are also trying to win over TikTok users by introducing short videos.


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“Game Funding 2.0” Bang Out Games Offers Casual Game Funding to Independent Developers
September 24, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Technology NewsSan Diego (PRLeap) “Game Funding 2.0” Bang Out Games Offers Casual Game Funding to Independent Developers
Bang Out Games, a team of Entrepreneurs and Game Industry Veterans, claims to be the first company to offer funding to independent casual game developers around the world. Their site, http://BangOutGames.com, launched just recently, indicates they have very high ambitions. Their goal is to be the publisher of the most casual games each and every year. And they aim to accomplish that by providing funding, marketing, QA and other supporting services to indies, in exchange for a share of game sale royalties.
This interesting business model comes on the heals of major investments made in the Casual Games market by giants such as Viacom ($100 million), Electronic Arts ($500 Million) and Disney ($700 Million).
When asked about their business model, Bang Out Games CEO, Mark Kanter said “It just makes sense. With the ever-growing pool of unrealized talent in the industry – talent that would normally be passed over – Bang Out Games is providing a vehicle for people with truly innovative ideas to bring them to market, without the risks or pitfalls normally associated with developing games independently.”
With the Casual Game market slated to exceed $1.5 billion in revenue in 2008 and the PC market doubling every 2 years, Bang Out Games certainly is positioning itself well. In addition to financing, Bang Out Games management team, consisting of veterans from Sony Online, Electronic Arts, and Rockstar Angel Studios, will provide the necessary mundane services indies need to succeed, at no cost. This includes QA, Feedback, Milestone Management, Backup Services, Marketing, and Payment Processing. All this in exchange for a share of royalties on game sales.
“We’ve really struck a chord with the community,” says Kanter. “I’m receiving emails from people saying ‘What we are doing for indies is really great - a breath of fresh air’, and that is so rewarding.”
The first casual game they funded is Warpbreaker by MoxieFish, due out in 3 weeks. Warpbreaker is a cross between Tempest and Breakout. Warpbreaker will be distributed for free download (try and buy) through Bang Out Games’ portals, distribution partners and affiliate networks, enabling distribution to over 100,000 sites.
“The developers of Warpbreaker are really passionate about making games and that’s who we want to work with”, said Kanter.
Warpbreaker is the first game in a multi-game deal between Bang Out Games and MoxieFish. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Kanter. “Our internal production team is helping put the finishing touches on Warpbreaker, while our marketing arm will allow Moxiefish to focus immediately on developing their next game.”
Bang Out Games is looking for more casual games to fund. Interested casual game developers are asked to visit http://BangOutGames.com for details on how to submit a game idea for potential funding. Bang Out Games is also interested in games already underway or completed.
Well, first there was Web 2.0, now there is Game Funding 2.0. I wonder what 3.0 will bring?


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CHICAGO (PRWEB) August 14, 2013
Almost a third of website traffic now comes from mobile devices, up 73 percent from a year ago, according to the Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report.
Walker Sands, a public relations and digital agency for B2B and technology companies, found that 29 percent of client website traffic came from mobile devices in the second quarter of 2013, up 73 percent since the same period last year and 244 percent since 2011. No website in the study saw a decline in the number of visits from mobile devices over the past year.
“Since we started compiling the Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report in 2011, there has been a steady increase in the percent of total web visits coming from mobile devices,” said John Fairley, director of web services at Walker Sands. “While it is not surprising, these results demonstrate the importance of mobile engagement for every industry, not just consumer brands as most people expect.”
Mobile Browsing by Device: Apple maintains lead
The study also analyzed website traffic by operating system and device. The percent of mobile traffic coming from iPhones increased significantly year over year, up 12 percent from the second quarter in 2012, while traffic from every other device and operating system declined, including iPad, Android and Blackberry.
Mobile traffic segmented by device:
- iPhone: 43 percent of mobile traffic, up 12 percent from the second quarter in 2012
- Android: 40 percent of mobile traffic, down 2 percent from the second quarter in 2012
- iPad and iPad Mini: 15 percent of mobile traffic, down 5 percent from the second quarter in 2012
- BlackBerry: 1 percent of mobile traffic, down 1 percent from the second quarter in 2012
While traffic from iPads declined since last year, mobile traffic from iPhones spiked substantially, allowing Apple to maintain its lead with 57 percent of total mobile traffic coming from iOS devices, up from 51 percent in the second quarter in 2012.
“Consumers have a variety of mobile devices to choose from, especially on the Android operating system,” said Daniel Laloggia, digital marketing manager at Walker Sands. “Despite Android’s wider selection of smartphones and range of price points, Apple remains the device of choice for the majority of consumers browsing online. However, the major takeaway for businesses is consumers are increasingly using mobile as a primary browsing device, so it’s important to make your site easy and accessible from any size screen or device.”
For more information, visit Walker Sands’ Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report.
Discovering Your Website’s Mobile Traffic
With mobile traffic at record-high levels, it is crucial to ensure your site is mobile friendly. To determine your own mobile traffic, visit Walker Sands Step-by-Step Mobile Traffic Guide.
Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report
The Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report is compiled to determine significant web trends. The report is conducted by examining web analytics data across a wide range of B2B and B2C clients in multiple industries.
About Walker Sands
Walker Sands is a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in media relations for B2B and technology companies ranging from startups to enterprise level. With offices in Chicago and San Francisco, Walker Sands was founded in 2001 to provide marketing support for a wide array of companies with the business mission of providing best-in-class communications counsel and services. In 2012, Walker Sands was named a PR News and Bulldog Reporter finalist for Small Agency of the Year. To learn more, visit the Walker Sands website.


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Consumers will appreciate the interactive features we will make available online and realtors looking to join a forward-thinking firm will love the easy-to-access web tools and social networking strategies.
Boulder, CO (PRWEB) September 10, 2009
Pedal to Properties, a unique Boulder-based real estate firm that incorporates the use of distinctive cruiser bikes as part of its real estate touring practice, has signed an agreement with PCMS Consulting, an experienced franchise consulting, management and sales firm. Tim Majors, president, U.S. operations for Pedal to Properties, made the announcement after researching franchise sales and consulting firms nationwide.
"As an emerging franchisor, it was critical that Pedal to Properties selected a firm that was experienced yet offered smart strategies for reaching prospective franchise operators in cities and towns where the Pedal to Properties model will gain traction," said Majors. "PCMS Consulting helps us jumpstart our franchise development process as many on their team are ex-senior level executives and award-winning sales representatives from Realogy Corporation, parent company of national brands such as Better Homes and Gardens, Sothebys International Realty, and Coldwell Banker. They have an excellent understanding of how to reach our target franchisee and a keen eye for broker needs as the industry moves toward a new paradigm dominated by the consumer and the Internet."
Majors, who joined Pedal to Properties as a partner in May, said this model should work well in communities nationwide where buyers and sellers are healthy, green-focused, and want to live in urban neighborhoods connected with the surrounding community. He has been pleased with early conversations with brokerages who have expressed serious interest in being part of a new, innovative, and environmentally conscious brand. PCMS Consulting's sales team has begun to take reservations in the top 25 target markets identified by Pedal to Properties' management team.
"We are always seeking out ground-breaking companies to do business with," said Jose Perez, president, PCMS Consulting. "When we learned about Pedal to Properties and their environmentally friendly and health-conscious approach to selling real estate, we were intrigued. We are confident, after meeting Tim and Matt, and seeing the commitment they have to providing franchisee support and coaching in the areas of business planning, recruiting, and social media, that the timing for this unique model couldn't be better."
Formed in 2006, Pedal to Properties has grown 200 percent in the last two years, and today the company maintains 50 Pedal to Properties Cruiser bikes at strategic locations throughout Boulder. Pedal to Properties continues to grow and attract national attention as Entrepreneur Magazine selected the firm as one of its "Top 100 Brilliant Companies" in a recent issue. In the last few months, Pedal to Properties has also been featured in major media outlets such as Fortune Small Business, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC and ABC News.
As part of its overall strategy, Pedal to Properties real estate agents work closely with buyers to uncover neighborhoods that may interest them, then take cruiser bikes to those neighborhoods before embarking on a relaxed, neighborhood tour, where clients can see local parks, schools, stores, churches, and other amenities that buyers care about when selecting a home.
"Our bikes are cool and set us apart but the technology that we are getting ready to launch for consumers is going to take us to a new level among real estate firms," added Majors. "Consumers will appreciate the interactive features we will make available online and realtors looking to join a forward-thinking firm will love the easy-to-access web tools and social networking strategies."
About Pedal to Properties
Based in Boulder, Colo., Pedal to Properties was founded by Matt Kolb as a full-service realty firm that provides a unique experience for home buyers. Pedal to Properties realtors focus on assisting clients with buying and selling homes through an optional service to view properties and homes from Pedal to Properties cruiser bikes. Former Australian businessman Tim Majors joined Kolb in May to help take Pedal to Properties national through franchising. Majors has successful experience in taking a business national in Australia. For more information, visit http://www.pedaltoproperties.com or call (303) 579-8947.
About PCMS Consulting
PCMS Consulting is a full-service consulting, management, and sales organization specializing in real estate brokerage and franchisor growth-related issues. PCMS was founded in 2007 and delivers a portfolio of cost-efficient consulting services and related products that leading companies require to maintain and enhance their market position and profitability. The firm is led by founder and President Jose Perez who has compiled a veteran team of consultants, business development personnel, and innovative industry product vendors and franchisors to assist clients as they seek to reinvent their companies in a dramatically changing real estate environment.
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