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23rd June 2011

First Anti-Human Trafficking On-line Training Program Launched

CanadaThe Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and the Honourable Shirley Bond, BC’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, commended British Columbia’s Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons (OCTIP), on the launch of a training curriculum aimed at enhancing the ability of first responders and service providers to identify, assist and protect victims of human trafficking in British Columbia.

“The Government of Canada is committed to continuing its efforts to combat human trafficking both at home and abroad and to supporting our partners with the tools they need to prevent this terrible crime,” said Minister Toews. “This partnership is just one example of our commitment to protect victims and to bring those who traffic in persons to justice.”

“We remain committed to combating the exploitation of vulnerable persons and will continue to take steps to ensure that all Canadians can live in safe and healthy communities,” said Minister Nicholson. “First responders must be in a position to identify, support and protect those who have been victimized by human trafficking. I commend those who work so hard to put an end to this heinous crime.”

Support for this training initiative is the latest example of the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking. Other measures have included:

  • Enabling immigration officers to issue short-term temporary resident permits (TRP) to trafficking victims;
  • Allocating $6 million per year to strengthen existing federal efforts to combat the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children by enhancing current enforcement responses and public awareness activities;
  • Supporting the creation of mandatory jail sentences for persons convicted of child trafficking;
  • Launching two national awareness campaigns to better inform the public about human trafficking; and,
  • Hosting regional, national and international roundtables aimed at preventing human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is unacceptable, and this is the reason the BC Government created the Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons,” said Minister Bond. “Since we established the BC office in 2007 we’ve made it a priority to develop partnerships with all levels of government, First Nations, police, and other community organizations to fight this terrible crime. I am pleased that we can now offer this unique training program online to help identify and protect victims, and in particular help prevent the exploitation of Aboriginal people.”

The curriculum was developed through a contribution agreement of over $106,000 between Public Safety Canada and Justice Canada with in-kind support from OCTIP.

If you have information concerning a human trafficking victim, please call the local police, or report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers at: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

In BC, OCTIP operates a toll-free 24/7 telephone line to assist trafficked persons to obtain services at: 1-888-712-7974.

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23rd June 2011

Unilytics Launches Managed Services for Webtrends

unilyticsAnnouncing Unilytics Managed Services for Webtrends, a hybrid solution for web analytics with the best features of both the “on premise” and “on demand” versions of Webtrends. There is no requirement for costly hardware or specialized IT expertise, the data is fully accessible, secure, and managed by Webtrends experts.

Until now, the only options available were a costly on premise deployment or a restrictive on demand service with limited access. The drawbacks of an on premise Webtrends system include costly hardware, network support, access control, spec review and verification, internal costing, and lack of expertise with hosting tagged web analytics solutions. On demand (hosted) services also have inherent drawbacks including lack of control over data location, no access to reanalyze log files, and extra costs associated with usage.

“With Unilytics Managed Services for Webtrends, clients get the full flexibility of the on premises software version as well as a hands-off approach to infrastructure management costs” says Peder Enhorning, President of Unilytics, “This ‘best of both worlds’ scenario makes Unilytics Managed Services a very shrewd choice for enterprises looking to significantly cut costs, enhance service offerings, and ensure data is securely stored.”

Key Advantages:

  • Exceptional cost savings
  • Network is more robust and reliable
  • Data is securely stored with a hosted service
  • Full data access without costly investment in hardware or dedicated internal staff
  • No additional cost to create profiles, translation tables, custom reports or to reanalyze data
  • Full system access to incorporate other data elements and integrate with other marketing systems
  • Unilytics experts will manage the hardware and Webtrends installation

Unilytics Managed Services for Webtrends offers two fully redundant data centers for unsurpassed data security. We use standard industry technology to ensure that even in a regional disaster at least one data centre will be online and collecting your critical web activity data.

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23rd June 2011

Postmedia Community Publishing Sees Ten-Fold Revenue Jump

adperfectWeb-based software solutions provider for media publishers AdPerfect has launched Postmedia Network’s Community Publishing group on its industry-leading classified platform to offer Your Community Marketplace.

Serving the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley regions of B.C., Postmedia Community Publishing, comprised of 12 community newspapers including the Vancouver Courier, Burnaby Now, and Chilliwack Times, is now providing their local communities a trusted classified site.

Since putting the site live “we’ve seen a ten-fold increase in revenue,” says Mike Rutigliano vice president advertising sales and digital media at Postmedia Community Publishing. “Community newspapers need to invest in online and world-class technology. We need to give consumers what they want when they want it, and AdPerfect’s self-serve is a big part of it.” adperfect

Fully powered by AdPerfect, Your Community Marketplace offers an online self-serve order entry, available 24/7, for advertisers of any type to create their own print and/or online ads. The site also offers an online marketplace that displays advertisements and announcements.

With the ability to syndicate classified content to additional online verticals or vendors and social media channels like Facebook, AdPerfect’s solution generates additional revenue for publications like Postmedia’s newspapers while streamlining internal processes.

“As community papers, we are all about hyper-local. From a community perspective newspapers have a good opportunity in online classifieds, and can take advantage of the fact that they are trusted,” Rutigliano explains.

AdPerfect offers its self-serve classified platform as a performance-based free model, giving publishers, particularly smaller communities like those belonging to Postmedia Community Publishing, the opportunity to change their classified strategy to digital-first with a comprehensive solution and without having to incur expensive setup fees. “AdPerfect’s free model is great, it’s helpful in achieving our goals,” Rutigliano notes. Read the rest of this entry »

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23rd June 2011

MES Hybrid Document Systems Receives Controlled Goods Certification

mes hybrid document servicesOntario document management company MES Hybrid Document Systems has received a Controlled Goods Certification allowing them to handle and convert documentation relating to controlled goods and ensures the highest level of security while handling this information.

Controlled Goods Certification also ensures that MES Hybrid Document Systems complies with the Controlled Goods Program, a Canadian industrial security program that helps strengthen national defense trade controls and prevents the proliferation of strategic and tactical assets including military equipment, weapons, communications equipment and global positioning systems and related intellectual property.

“MES Hybrid Document Systems’ Controlled Goods Certification ensures the highest level of security of controlled goods and related technology by regulating possession, examination and transfer within Canada,” said Kevin D’Arcy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of MES Hybrid Document Systems. “In addition to ensuring a high level of security, this certification allows controlled goods organizations to consolidate all their document management services with us as opposed to outsourcing a portion of their document management services and managing controlled goods information internally.”

MES Hybrid Document Systems Inc. has been successfully supplying and supporting document scanning solutions in public and private organizations across Canada since 1971. MES provides document management solutions to improve business processes, reduce paper-based tasks and focus key knowledge workers.

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23rd June 2011

Klipfolio Announces Beta For New Cloud-Based KPI Dashboard

KlipfolioKPI Dashboard provider Klipfolio Inc. has made its first announcement regarding Klipfolio Dashboard for the cloud – a browser and mobile accessible real-time key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard delivered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution.KPI Dashboard Beta

The public beta program seeks community feedback on the application’s usability, speed, scalability, and robustness. Participants have the opportunity to influence Klipfolio’s roadmap and vote on upcoming features.

The mobile and web-based product roadmap benefited from the collaborative effort of a dozen enterprise customers. These contributors helped shape the cloud-based dashboard’s requirements, priorities, and commercial model as well as being active participants in three months of alpha trials.

To qualify for beta-program participation yourself, please visit the beta information page. A limited number of Beta keys are being distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

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23rd June 2011

Music Consumption Gets A Gen-Lift At AUX

aux.tvLike most music consumption platforms today, AUX.TV has just undergone a (generation facelift. With a 600% increase in average monthly unique visitors in the last month alone, the national music channel’s new website is at the forefront of music culture in Canada and from where they’re standing, music consumption rituals are spinning and audiences are looking for enhanced, available content now.  Today’s music fans are going beyond downloading to get behind a favourite band or artist; they want to know, hear, experience, see, even create anything related to the music they love.

“Much of our focus over the last few months has been on building and harvesting a new foundation of enhanced digital features to respond to new demands and expectations,” says Simon Foster, SVP Digital Publishing and Business Development at AUX TV. “These features amplify the content published every day by our team of online music journalists.”

One of the hottest discussion topics at the Banff World Media Festival this year was how audiences interact with and consume media. The next generation of music fans is here. Most have never purchased a CD, and yet they’re never without music.  Collectively, they watch over 2 billion music videos each day and when the country’s hottest band announces a live tour, they want to know about it first.

AUX TV’s largest demographic today is the “T-demo” (18-24 year olds), and when it comes to music consumption, the T-demo is clear about what they like:

Live music access – To immediately know about and participate in a live music opportunity that interests them.

“We recently launched a digital scavenger hunt on AUX.TV to promote a by-invitation-only concert with indie band Stars,” says Foster. “Through an innovative initiative like this, we were able to instantly connect and engage with a new generation of music fans.”

Repetition and information – To listen to their favourite tunes as frequently and conveniently as possible.

Greg Nizbet, founder of Mediazoic, says that “environments and platforms that encourage and properly distribute [a] repetition cycle will be the ones that find success, by enabling the greatest music to find the greatest number of appreciative ears.”

Clicks to content – To be appeased and impressed in 10 seconds or less. Read the rest of this entry »

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23rd June 2011

Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation Adds New Members To Board of Governors

telecom hall of fameCanada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame Foundation is pleased today to announce the appointment of four new members to its expanded Board of Governors. With today’s appointment of Michel Bruyère, Paul Downs, Dr. Joy McKinnon, and Dr. Veena Rawat, the Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Governors now boasts 14 senior leaders of the Canadian telecom and academic sectors within its ranks.

“We are very excited about the diversity of experience and knowledge that our new Governors bring to the Board.” said Lorne Abugov, Founder and Director of Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame. “The expertise and good judgment of our Hall of Fame Foundation Board is an essential element in supporting the core programs of the Telecommunications Hall of Fame. The expansion of the Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Governors will contribute greatly in building on the past successes of the Foundation and in supporting and fundraising for new opportunities that the Hall of Fame pursues to promote and celebrate Canada’s telecommunications industry.”

Michel Bruyère, B.Eng., M. Phys., MBA, has over 15 years of international experience in the telecommunications sector, in the areas of sales & marketing, carrier relations, interconnection and finance with companies such as Teleglobe, Nortel, CompleTel, and Global TeleExchange. Michel is currently the CEO of Neotelis, assisting telecommunications organizations worldwide to face the challenges of the global competitive environment by providing a wide array of business solutions, consulting expertise and telecom training services. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the École Polytechnique de Montréal’s Engineering Physics department. Read the rest of this entry »

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23rd June 2011

TITUS Among Finalists for 2011 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards

Titus LabsSecurity and compliance solutions for email and documents provider TITUS has been selected as a finalist for the Microsoft Public Sector – Public Safety and National Security Partner of the Year Award.

“Together, Microsoft and TITUS provide joint solutions that enable public sector and national security customers worldwide to classify, protect and securely share their data,” said Tim Upton, President and CEO of TITUS. “To be recognized among the top finalists of Microsoft’s Public Safety and National Security Partners validates the need for classification and data loss prevention solutions in this sector and the importance of our ongoing relationship with Microsoft.”

Awards were presented in multiple categories, with winners chosen from a set of more than 3,000 entrants worldwide. The Public Sector – Public Safety and National Security Partner of the Year Award honors partners who have exhibited excellence in providing innovative and unique services or solutions based on Microsoft technologies to public safety and national security customers. This award recognizes TITUS for demonstrating industry knowledge and expertise, as well as consistent, high-quality, predictable service or solutions to public safety and national security customers. This partner also has shown business leadership and success through strong growth in new customer additions and revenue. Read the rest of this entry »

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22nd June 2011

AccelerateAB and UrtheCast Launch

accelerateABIf you’re in Alberta, you are invited to AccelerateAB, presented by The C100, A100, Startup Calgary, StartUp Edmonton, Calgary Technologies, and TEC Edmonton, who have all joined together to present this transformative community event on July 13th at the Roderick Mah Centre for Continuous Learning, Mount Royal University.

Focused on the topic of “Building World Class Companies” this conference will offer Alberta tech entrepreneurs relevant and practical content to grow their companies up to the next level.

digital albertaAlbertans are also invited to the launch of UrtheCast, a multi-country initiative between Canada, Russia and the United Kingdom. UrtheCast is building and will exclusively operate the world’s first ever live streaming HD video camera mounted on the International Space Station (ISS).

Join Digital Alberta and special guest speakers for lunch on June 28th from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Come be inspired by Astronaut Dr. David Williams as he discusses space flight, exploration, technology, performance, risk management and environmental stewardship. Tickets for this event are free, but space is limited to 200 attendees.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

UrtheCast will supply video data and imagery of Earth collected by two HD cameras on the Russian module of the Space Station. This data and imagery will be down-linked to ground stations around the planet and then displayed in real time on the Internet and distributed directly to UrtheCast’s exclusive partners and customers.

The UrtheCast web platform will allow Users to constantly track the location of the Space Station, anticipating when it will pass over a particular geographic location. Users will be able to search for videos of a particular location, type, or theme and will have the ability to interact with the HD video feed from the UrtheCast servers. They will be able to zoom in and out, virtually steer the camera from side to side, rewind, and fast forward as they check out areas and things of interest on Earth. UK based Rutherford Appleton Labs is building two high definition cameras. A medium resolution camera will provide a three colour image with a swath of 45 kilometers and a resolution of 5.5 meters. The high-resolution camera will offer a video image with a frame rate of 3.25 frames per second with a resolution that is comparable to much of Google Earth. This will allow Users to see man-made objects and groups of people.

As a result of all this unique functionality, the UrtheCast web platform will spark a great deal of awareness, creativity, and unique user events from around the world. The UrtheCast website will feel like a blend of Google Earth with the video playback and search functionality of YouTube. The UrtheCast web platform will combine a consumer centric website, mobile application for smart phones, and an open Application Program Interface (API). The API enables third party developers to create their own applications and upload them to the UrtheCast web platform.

“Users will be able to view Earth from space. It will operate seamlessly with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter,” explains Scott Larson, President of UrtheCast. ISS is a low orbit, human-inhabited satellite. The station travels at 26,000 km/h, orbiting Earth sixteen times per day, at an altitude of approximately 350 km. The ISS is a collaborative project between the Russian, Canadian European, Japanese, and US space agencies. UrtheCast has signed an exclusive agreement with RSC Energia, who maintains operational control of the Russian segment on the ISS. RSC Energia will take UrtheCast’s cameras, install them on the outside of the ISS, and provide the necessary maintenance and transfer of the data. The cameras are being built by UK based Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL), who is a world leader in building cameras for aerospace and satellite purposes.

“Being part of a project that not only taps into the recent renewed interest in space, but also provides a connection between people and the rest of the world is what is most intriguing about this project,” Richard Holdaway Director, RAL Space.

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22nd June 2011

Steven Stamkos the New Face of EA Sports NHL 12

Electronic Arts Inc. announced tonight at the 2011 NHL Awards™ hosted at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, that Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning® will be the new face of the EA SportsNHL® 12 videogame. Stamkos’ image will appear on packaging worldwide when NHL® 12 hits retail stores this September.

“I’ve grown up playing EA Sports NHL videogames so it’s an honor to be chosen for the cover this year,” said Stamkos. “I love how authentic the game is and thought it was great when I scored a one-knee, one-timer goal as myself in NHL12!”Steven Stamkos on NHL 12 Cover

At just 21 years old, Steven Stamkos is one of the fastest rising stars in the NHL®. He was drafted first overall in 2008 and on February 6 of this year, Stamkos became the first player in the NHL to reach the 40 goal mark in the current season. His skill on the ice earned him the Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the player with the most goals in the NHL®, which he shared with Sidney Crosby in 2010. This year, Stamkos was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the “Most Outstanding Player” in the NHL®, as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. His performance in the 2011 Stanley Cup® Playoffs is another example of his perseverance and skill as he battled his way with the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins.

“The cover reveal is a highly anticipated annual tradition at EA Sports and a great way for us to highlight the most talented rising stars in the world of sports,” said Jordan Edelstein, Vice-President of Marketing for EA Sports. “Stamkos is a fan of the NHL series and a great ambassador for the sport; we’re excited to welcome him to the EA Sports family.”

NHL® 12 delivers the authentic action and energy of real life hockey with the all-new Full Contact Physics Engine – from players to the environment, everything is now live on the ice including dynamic goalie interaction, goalie fights and net battles. All-new gameplay presentation puts you in one of the biggest hockey events of the season, the 2011 NHL Winter Classic® at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and the new EA Sports Action Tracker provides a shift-by-shift breakdown of stats and key moments leading up to your next shift to ensure you don’t miss a beat. When you’re ready to give it your all shoot for the chance to be the next great legend in the revamped Be a Pro mode as you play your way to superstardom and shatter records to cement yourself in NHL® history.

Starting June 23rd fans will have the chance to see what it’s like to grace the cover of an NHL® videogame on the EA Sports NHL Facebook page. Fans of the page will be able to pick their favorite team, upload their picture and create their very own personalized NHL®12 cover. EA Sports NHL 12 is rated E10+ by the ESRB.

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