Posts Tagged ‘Atlanta’
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
 Catherine Tabor, CEO, Sparkfly. Sparkfly is one of 60 innovative firms presenting at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference By Allan Maurer
Merchants and manufacturers spend billions annually on offers and promotions such as coupons, daily deals, online banner ads, sweepstakes, and more, but all have shortcomings, says Sparkfly CEO Catherine Tabor.
Founded in 2001 in Atlanta, Sparkfly was an early player in the electronic offers and promotions business, initially providing employee discount platforms to large firms such as Coca Cola and SunTrust and to Emory University.
That business grew covered a million employees nationally and $3 million in annual revenue, but Tabor says merchants in the company’s program really wanted to know what employees were doing once they came into their stores to claim a discount.
“I’ll partner with someone who can take these promotions to an in-store environment,” Tabor thought, but five years ago, “it didn’t exist,” she says.
After an “exhaustive search,” the company partnered with Softcard Systems, which had built a robust platform to track millions of high speed transactions, and built its new technology on top of that platform.
Raised capital for acquisition and platform development
Previously, Softcard had been tracking sales of sugar and flour and other packaged goods at grocery stores, but, Tabor notes, “it could just as easily track movie ticket sales or anything else.”
They were on their way to the “Holy Grail” for retailers, understanding their customers at the point-of-sale.
Sparkfly bought Softcard Systems in 2010, raising an angel investment north of $10 million to fund the buy and platform development. Development of its platform is now complete.
Will present at Southeast Venture Conference
Sparkfly is among 60 innovative technology firms presenting their business plans to venture capitalists and angel investors representing billions in capital at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1. The company is seeking its first institutional round.
With the world going mobile, marketers have the ability to reach many more consumers, but they need ways to tie their promotions to actual purchase data.
Sparkfly sells a cloud-based solution that enables creation and distribution of personalized offers via the web and mobile devices that will be redeemed at point-of-sale. The patented technology does not require additional in-store hardware or software.
Owning redemption at POS
The product creates a dynamic code tied to buyers redeeming offers which zips back to its servers for authentication and tracking. It then unlocks any new offers to that buyer.
“What we’re trying to own is redemption at point of sale.”
 The system also can connect online advertising to brick & mortar redemption of offers, which is often the missing link in tracking ROI for online advertising.
Retailers and manufacturers can customize promotions based on individual purchase behavior to deliver and manage offers for specific products by location, time of day, and demographic variables. Customers can receive their offers via social, mobile, or web channels. Tabor says it leverages existing infrastructure in POS environments and adapts easily to multi-lane or multi-store operations.
It has integrated with POS providers, including NCR/Radiant, MICROS, Gilbarco, REtalix, IBM, POSitouch and Verifone. The company holds 16 patents with other pending.
Sparkfly is also testing its new integrated platform in pilot runs with several large brands.
The company gets paid for performance – by transaction.
It’s continuing to integrate its software with merchants, consumer package goods manufacturers, and publishers.
Tabor points out that while daily deals and online discount offers are a big business, it’s expensive to be a Groupon or a Foursquare – businesses that required hundreds of millions in startup funding.
“We have the opportunity to make all those businesses more viable,” says Tabor, “tracking people within those networks through point of sale, which provides an opportunity to reward frequent buyers and loyalty rather than just giving someone you’ll never see again a coupon.”
Sparkfly is starting a pilot program with its first national merchant, Auntie Anne’s (the pretzel chain) in the Atlanta market during February.
Tags: Allan Maurer, analytics, Atlanta, coupon offers, online discounts, point of service tracking, POS, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference, Sparkfly, venture fund raising
Posted in entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, IT, Money | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
 WASHINGTON, DC – A new study showing that there are now roughly 466,000 jobs in the “App Economy” in the United States, up from zero in 2007.
The study, sponsored by Illinois-based TechNet and conducted by Dr. Michael Mandel of South Mountain Economics, also found that App Economy jobs are spread throughout the nation.
Two-thirds of app economy outside CA and NY
The top metro area for App Economy jobs is New York City and its surrounding suburban counties, although together San Francisco and San Jose together substantially exceed New York. And while California tops the list of App Economy states, more than two-thirds of App Economy employment is outside of California and New York.
The results also suggest that the App Economy is growing quickly and that the location and number of app-related jobs are likely to shift greatly in the years ahead.
“America’s App Economy — which had zero jobs just 5 years ago before the iPhone was introduced — demonstrates that we can quickly create economic value and jobs through cutting-edge innovation,” said Rey Ramsey, president and CEO of TechNet.
Creating jobs in every part of America
“Today, the App Economy is creating jobs in every part of America, employing hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers today and even more in the years to come.”
“The App Economy, along with the broad communications sector, has been a leading source of hiring strength in an otherwise sluggish labor market,” said Dr. Michael Mandel, the report’s author and President of South Mountain Economics and former Chief Economist forBusinessWeek.
“As the technology industry and in particular software evolves, the app economy is becoming a critical new area of development and growth,” says Fred Hoch, President, Illinois Technology Association. “Illinois, with rich resources in data, development, advertising and design, is poised to take a leading role in this newly evolving ecosystem and related job creation.”
The full study, entitled “Where the Jobs Are,” is available at: http://www.technet.org/new-technet-sponsored-study-nearly-500000-app-economy-jobs-in-united-states-february-7-2012/
Top U.S. Metro Areas With Highest Percentage of App Economy Jobs
| |
|
| New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island |
9.2% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont |
8.5% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara |
6.3% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue |
5.7% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana |
5.1% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria |
4.8% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet |
3.5% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy |
3.5% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta |
3.3% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington |
2.6% |
| |
|
Top Ten States for App Economy Jobs (Percentage)
| |
|
| California |
23.8% |
| New York |
6.9% |
| Washington |
6.4% |
| Texas |
5.4% |
| New Jersey |
4.2% |
| Illinois |
4.0% |
| Massachusetts |
3.9% |
| Georgia |
3.7% |
| Virginia |
3.5% |
| Florida |
3.1% |
| |
|
The research shows that when it comes to employment impacts, each app represents jobs — for programmers, for user interface designers, for marketers, for managers, for support staff. Conventional employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are not able to track such a new phenomenon because this economic ecosystem is so new. The research analyzed detailed information from The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) database, a comprehensive and up-to-the-minute compilation of want ads, to estimate the number of jobs in the App Economy.
The total number of Apps Economy jobs includes jobs at ‘pure’ app firms such as Zynga as well as app-related jobs at large companies such as Electronic Arts, Amazon, and AT&T, as well as app ‘infrastructure’ jobs at core firms such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. In addition, the App Economy total includes employment spillovers to the rest of the economy.
Tags: Arlington, Atlanta, Bellvue, Boston, CA, Cambridge, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Freemont, Ill, Joliet, LA, Long Beach, Long Island, M&A, Marietta, Napervillle, New York, Northern NJ, Oakland, Quincy, San Francisco, San Jose, Sanday Springs, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Seattle, Sunyvale, Tacoma, TechNet, top states for app economy jobs, TX, VA, WA
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
 Armistead Whitney, CEO, Preparis, one of 60 firms presenting at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference. By Allan Maurer
When jets plowed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, Armistead Whitney, now CEO and founder of Preparis, was president of a New York City-based media firm.
Along with many other company executives based in the city on that fateful day, Whitney was faced with questions about how he and his 200 employees should react to the terrorist attacks.
“I was immediately faced with some critical issues,” he says. “What should I do to ensure my employees will be safe? How will my operations, revenue, shareholder value, and brand reputation make it through? I simply had no clue.”
He and his staff made it out of the city safely, but Whitney writes that he made it his mission to find out what he would do differently if faced with such a situation again. He met with leaders form emergency preparedness and response organizations, then with CEOs of companies of various sizes. Whitney wrote about how it all on the Preparis website.
Guidance on what to do
After considerable research, he started the Atlanta-based company Preparis Inc., a startup selling an SaaS-based platform that delivers expert information, response protocols, communications and training to help businesses meet unpredictable threats from terrorism, pandemics, and natural disasters.
Preparis is one of 60 innovative showcase firms that will present business plans to venture capitalists and angel investors representing billions in capital at the 6th Annual Southeast Venture Conference in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1.
Companies face 21st century threats
In today’s world, terrorist attacks are only one threat among many that can disrupt global businesses, Whitney tells us. “Threats of the 21st century have become more complex, especially as companies outsource more. They have operations globally, in third world countries, and clients in places impacted by local troubles.”
Nowadays, then, a business has to face pandemics, cyber terrorism, nuclear meltdowns, natural disasters from hurricanes and floods to earthquakes and wild fires. Floods in Asia can hamper production of electronics parts made there from hard drives to tablets.
Yet, Whitney points out, the only preparations for meeting such disasterous business interruptions is “A plan that sits on s shelf. It can be challenging for that to be effective.”
While most larger Fortune 1000 firms do have plans in place – policies, procedures and teams, they want tech to automate it all, Whitney notes.
They need a way to automate plans
“They need a way for tech to automate it, bring it all together so that it can be accessed from any place on any device, how to protect the workforce from threats, response instructions if you receive a bomb threat, an anthrax letter.”
Technology can take those stale plans on a shelf and make living breathing programs, he says.
Downstream at smaller organizations such as a law firm, “We become their entire ecosystem with everything they need, even an emergency notification system (such as Virginia Tech installed following deadly shootings on its campus).
The Preparis system knows who do what with the product at each level and everyone from the CEO to employees can use it.
“We’ve sold to about every industry, Fortune 1000 companies, banks, attorneys. Every industry at every size has an appetite for it,” says Whitney.
In the past, most such disaster preparedness was done through consultants Preparis does it through its SaaS product that a company can download from the web and being using immediately. “We’re creating a new category,” Whitney says.
Dealing with cyber threats
Looking ahead, the company is getting into how to deal with cyber threat issues. “As new threats evolve – the pandemic fears of a few years ago for instance – we quickly add guidance for our clients.”
In the recent “Trifecta” of an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in Japan, for instance, the Japanese government was telling its citizens it was ok to eat the food grown in Japan. But the Preparis product told its clients, “No, it is not ok to eat the food from Japan at this time.” Later tests showed that much food was contaminated with radioactivity.
“We also had a lot of our clients use the emergency messaging system when trying to find their employees.”
It must be doing something right. It has a 100 percent client renewal rate. How many software firms can say that?
The 20 employee company has raised $5 million in Series A funding. Whitney says the company is looking at a B round for growth.
“We signed a strategic alliance with Wells Fargo, which is bundling it with their products for their insurance customers. It’s a huge opportunity. Its the fourth largest insurance broker. We don’t need money for the product, but we need to hire more people to facilitate meeting increased demand for the product. That’s the main reason we would raise a B round.”
The company’s growth plan also includes mobile and social integration. Already clients can log in to the product with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn names and passwords.
Tags: 11/11/2001, Armistead Whitney, Atlanta, business continuity, disaster preparation, emergency response software, Preparis, SaaS, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference, threat preparation, Tysons Corner, VA
Posted in Cloud, entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, IT, LinkedIn, Mobile, smartphones, social media, TechLife, Telecommunications, Twitter, Virginia | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
By Alex Avendano
 In Social Media, is “Automation” a Dirty Word?
In a word, no.
For decades, businesses have worked to uncover new ways of communicating with and data mining their customers, and the social media revolution has presented a significant opportunity like never before.
While collection of information is key, the sheer volume can be crippling. Without the right automation procedures in place to support a social media (or broader marketing) team, effective engagement can be very difficult.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is nothing new, but social CRM is an evolving practice that involves capturing and analyzing customer data generated in the social graph, and then delivering that data to sales, marketing, production, and other areas of the business to improve bottom line results.
Social CRM involves taking a highly integrated approach to your digital marketing efforts to deliver real-time data and relevant feedback across the organization.
Automating part of the process isn’t for everyone, but don’t be so quick to rule it out. A recent study from the 2011 holiday season found that 90% of customer service demands generated in the social graph could be handled through automation while 10% required human interaction and response[1].
Five Keys to successful social engagement automation:
- Do be straight forward and honest about automated responses. When you issue an automated response, identify it as such and give the user a way to escalate it to a live human.
- Focus on automating non-verbal actions (retweet, follow, like, etc.).
- If automating verbal responses, focus on using automation to cure FAQ and other similar issues. For example, if you have a service outage, you could create an automated response to any user that specifically asks about the outage (again with a way to escalate to a customer service representative).
- Don’t use automation as a substitute for customer service.
- Don’t hide behind automation and try to over automate; your users will react negatively.
Technology is Paramount
At the heart of your toolset for social engagement automation is CRM or a good content management system (CMS). Either way, the goal is to identify your users and create a “unified profile.” The Unified Profile represents the collection of information from social sources, your sellers, your website, and other sources that combine to provide a full view of your consumer.
All things considered, social engagement automation is rarely possible (or well executed) using only one tool. The best social engagement automation takes advantage of connected systems to have a full picture of the customer profile and fine-tune messages and actions based on that user’s profile. Additionally, automation is a learned process and doesn’t happen overnight.
Mechanisms should be in place to enable the system to absorb user opt-out, learn what messages are relevant to particular users, and know when to alert live humans that real interaction is needed.
Conclusion
As social media continues to expand and fragment, tools that help you identify and aggregate useful and relevant consumer data will become more and more important.
The topics discussed herein are just the tip of the iceberg, and implementing a robust social CRM and social engagement automation system is complex. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, and a successful social CRM system will require trial and error, attention to business requirements, training and willingness to break down department silos.
At the end of the day, businesses need to engage their customers where they are, and right now, that place is social media.
Alex Avendano is director of strategy at Arke, an Atlanta-based consulting firm that bridges the gap between marketing and technology. Founded in 2005, Arke provides business services to more than 100 companies across the U.S. You can reach Alex at aavendano@arke.com.
Tags: Alex Avendano, Arke, Atlanta, automating social media, CRM
Posted in best practices, Business advice, Internet/New Media, social media | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
 David Kenny, Chair, CEO, The Weather Channel (Photo: Business Wire) The Atlanta-based Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) has named David Kenny, an experienced executive with a strong record in the media and digital industries, chairman and CEO.
In this role, Kenny will work closely with the management team and the Board of Directors to leverage the company’s unique collection of media assets and spearhead the further development of a comprehensive, integrated strategy to accelerate its growth in the United States and internationally.
“I was attracted to The Weather Channel because weather is fascinating,” said Kenny. “Accurate, timely forecasting is an everyday necessity for people and businesses everywhere. The Weather Channel has ubiquitous reach across our TV, digital and mobile platforms, and that’s what makes us so unique.”
Kenny succeeds Mike Kelly, who joined the company as president and CEO in 2009. Kelly will serve as a special adviser to the CEO and the Board of Directors of TWCC. He will also serve as an adviser to Bain Capital.
Kenny comes to TWCC after serving as president of Akamai, the leading cloud platform designed to help enterprises provide secure, high-performing user experiences to mobile and fixed internet users.
Previously, he co-founded and served as managing partner of VivaKi, the combined worldwide media and digital arm of Publicis Groupe, and he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Digitas Inc., a top global integrated brand agency.
Kenny currently serves as member of the Board of Directors of Yahoo Inc., and a director of Teach for America, a nonprofit that enlists recent graduates to teach and to effect change in under-resourced and low-income communities.
Tags: Atlanta, David Kenny, The Weather Channel Companies
Posted in Internet/New Media, People | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
 Analytics, CRM, mobile sites, and other technologies required a specialist or very large budget in the past but this no longer holds true.
Thanks to the growth of technology systems over the past couple years these projects can be taken on by companies of nearly any size and successful small businesses are fully aware of this. Atlanta Marketing firm AccurateLeads informs small businesses on tactics that should be implemented to prosper in the common year.
Analytics. What good are company goals, marketing strategies, and SWOT analysis without analytics? With such a multitude of marketing channels it is vital to track all advertising efforts and know what customers are responding, why they are responding to it, and where they are coming from.
Google analytics has been around for a very long time but has only recently been able to function to the degree it does today. Not only will it track all internet traffic, social media efforts, and PPC campaigns but can also monitor all offline efforts as well.
Using Google Voice in collaboration with analytics business owners can now determine how many responses they received from the bumper sticker on a car if they wish. Analytics are vital to any successful business and should be a determining factor in all future affairs.
If reports determine there is an area that is lacking, let’s say website conversions, then look at the five biggest competitors and determine who you would buy from and why. Prosperous companies in today’s business world track any possible variable, so that can know rather than guess what is working and what needs to be fixed.
Social. If it has not already become blatantly apparent then realize now that social media will play a large role in sales figures over the coming years. Mashable, Inc., SEOmoz and hundreds of other reputable companies have all provided metrics on the importance and value of having business pages on these networks.
Social media affects everything from SEO efforts to brand trust, and with Google+ at more than 60 million users this is something that cannot be considered a trend. If nothing else start an industry related blog that others can share. Companies engaging in social media in 2012 by regularly providing stimulating/interactive content will not only grow traffic but will also develop trust and familiarity through peer reference.
CRM. Not to downplay the rolodex but the current CRM platforms available are astounding. In the past there were filing systems, then software packages (this is still used by many businesses), and now companies can simply log onto a cloud based system. SalesForce SalesCloud service offers editions starting at a meager $24 a year.
Nurturing phone leads and staying attentive with clients can be an extremely taxing process but the companies who do so display professionalism that consumers trust. CRM systems can undoubtedly benefit any company and are now affordable for all entrepreneurs.
Mobile & App. According to Microsoft Tag, of the 4+ billion cell phones in the world 1.08 billion are smartphones and more than 50% of local searches are done on mobile devices. Efficient Frontier estimated that 22% of all search in 2012 will be mobile and it is predicted that in 2014 mobile internet usage will overtake desktop usage.
Pew Research claims that more than 11% of Americans owned a tablet device as of August 2011 and iPad users have downloaded 3 billion apps since its release in 2010. The iPhone took two years to accomplish that same feat. Plain and simple business owners will highly benefit from having mobile friendly sites and web applications in 2012.
Along with all of the technological advances over the past couple years came information. There are more whitepapers, research journals, blogs, help sites,guides, infographics, web tools, instructional videos, and learning resources than any one person could ever examine.
With a little tenacity and delegation business owners can accomplish all of the tactics above with little to moderate resource expenditure. Business will forever be organic in nature and those who choose to adapt with their environment rather than to their environment will end up on top.
Tags: Accurate Leads, analytics, Atlanta, CRM, mobile app, SalesCloud, Salesforce, social, tactics for successful small businesses
Posted in best practices, Business advice, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, social media, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
 Low fares business class specialist Lets Fly Cheaper (LFC) has compiled its first “world’s worst airports” list of international and domestic airports with the worst records for delayed flights.
LFC culled through several sources to ultimately come up with its own criteria and list of worst performing airports.
“There are tons of year-end worst airports lists out there. Some are based on overall satisfaction, while others focus on details like how easy it is to sleep in the airport,” said Ramon Van Meer, Lets Fly Cheaper marketing director. “We wanted our list to be relevant to our customers, who travel primarily for business, and to our company, which specializes in getting customers the best travel deal, right here, right now.”
“Business travelers live in the moment,” said Van Meer. “They care about making their flight connections today, not whether they could have made them 11 months ago. Their #1 concern is getting to their next big deal on time. Period.
That’s why LFC has shortened our time horizon from all year to the past month and focused exclusively on delays, not airport amenities. Our data is based on December 2011 statistics only. This gives us the flexibility to publish new results monthly, if customers find our list useful.”
Lets Fly Cheaper’s 10 worst airports based on delayed departures:
International Airports:
5. Pu Dong, Shanghai
4. Madrid-Barajas, Madrid
3. Charles De Gaulle, Paris
2. Changi, Singapore
1. Capital International, Beijing
Domestic Airports:
5. George Bush Intercontinental, Houston
4. Denver International, Denver
3. Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta
2. O’Hare, Chicago
1. Dallas/Ft. Worth International
Not surprisingly, all “winners” are among the world’s busiest airports. LFC’s international list includes three Asian-Pacific entries and two European entries. Charles De Gaulle is one that appears consistently on almost every “worst” compilation across the board.
Yet it only clocks in midway down the LFC list. The “top” honor for most delayed flights – by a margin of almost 2:1 is Beijing, with a whopping 12,864 delayed flights for December.
Domestically, the “usual suspects” that seem to always top other worst lists (Miami, JFK) are notably absent from LFC’s picks for delayed flights. LFC’s list includes two Texas airports, plus three that come as no surprise, given the volume of air traffic they handle.
WORST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS:
5. Pu Dong Airport (PVG), Shanghai
Number of Delayed Flights: 5,175
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (sometimes noted as Pu Dong) is the world’s 20th busiest airport and China’s third busiest, hosting over 40 million passengers annually. The airport is a hub for both Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
4. Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), Madrid
Number of Delayed Flights: 5,448
Madrid-Barajas Airport is an international bridge connecting Europe with Central and South America. The airport serves Spanish carriers, members of Star Alliance and Skyteam Iberia Airlines, as well as international carriers.
3. Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris
Number of Delayed Flights: 6,731
Charles de Gaulle Airport is Europe’s second busiest airport (after London’s Heathrow). The airport serves international travelers, Air France and other European airlines.
2. Changi Airport, (SIN), Singapore
Number of Delayed Flights: 7,428
Changi Airport in Singapore is the world’s 17th busiest airport serving 100 international airlines to more than 60 countries. The airport handles over 19 million passengers every year. Changi has received the “World’s Best Airport” award from Ultratravel Magazine the last four years.
1. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), Beijing
Number of Delayed Flights: 12,864
Beijing Capital International Airport is the busiest airport in Asia and the second busiest in the world. The airport hosts over 73 million passengers annually with 70+ airlines flying to more than 200 cities worldwide.
WORST DOMESTIC AIRPORTS:
5. George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Houston
Number of Delayed Flights: 4,919
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston is the eighth busiest airport in the United States and #3 for non-stop domestic and international service. It is also provides service to 30 destinations in Mexico.
4. Denver International (DEN), Denver
Number of Delayed Flights: 5,300
Denver International Airport is the fifth busiest airport the United States and 11th busiest in the world. Denver Airport opened in 1995 and in less than 20 years has become a major transportation hub, handling some 50 million passengers annually.
3. Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), Atlanta
Number of Delayed Flights: 5,472
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest, serving 90 million domestic and international passengers. The airport has spent the last decade making major improvements. The Air Transport Research Society named Atlanta the world’s most efficient airport in 2011. [Note: Considering the tremendous volume it processes, we’d say Atlanta is doing pretty darned well with “only” 5,472 delays for the month!]
2. Chicago O’Hare International (ORD), Chicago
Number of Delayed Flights: 6,817
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is well known as the second busiest airport in the states. It’s also the world’s fourth busiest. O’Hare is the major hub for United/Continental Airlines. The vast airport has four terminals, with three serving both domestic and international flights and one serving international flights only.
1. Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Dallas
Number of Delayed Flights: 7,231
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the US and eighth busiest in the world. The airport has five terminals with two dedicated exclusively to serving American Airlines passengers.
Tags: Atlanta, Beijing, Capital International, Changi, Charles De Gaulle, Chicago, Dalla/Ft. Worth International, Denver International, flight delays at domestic airports, George Bush Intercontinental, Houston, Madrid-Barajas, O'Hare, Paris, Pu Dong, Singapore, Texas, worst airports for business travel
Posted in Business advice, Business Briefs, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Monday, December 5th, 2011
 ATLANTA – TechAmerica Georgia and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) today unveiled the finalists in the “Cool Technology” category for the ninth annual Spirit of Endeavor Awards.
This category recognizes the Georgia company that has developed and/or introduced the most innovative new hardware, software or a technology-service in the state in the past 18 months and can demonstrate the success of that product over the past 12 months.
The finalist companies include OpenStudy, Cardlytics, TripLingo, ViziTech USA and SoloHealth.
One of the winners from last year, Nanolumens, went on to compete at the national level and ended up beating others in its category, including Microsoft Kinect.
The winner of the “Cool Technology” award will be determined by onsite text voting at the Spirit of Endeavor Awards ceremony running from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on December 9, 2011, at TWELVE Atlantic Station in Atlanta.
The Spirit of Endeavor Awards recognize and celebrate innovative technology companies and individuals in Georgia that drive new ideas, invigorate the community and lead people through technology.
“Each of our finalists in the ‘Cool Technology’ category represent some of the most innovative thinking in Georgia and we are proud to recognize them for their hard work to improve the way we live and do business through technology,” said Tino Mantella, president and CEO for the Technology Association of Georgia and TechAmerica Georgia.
“Georgia has become a hotbed for new and established technology companies and the Spirit of Endeavor Awards are our way of recognizing the companies here who are making a difference, not only in our state, but on a national and global level as well.”
The “Cool Technology” finalists were nominated for the following reasons:
- · OpenStudy is dubbed by TechCrunch as a “platform for Massively Multiplayer Study Groups.” It connects students studying the same subjects into online study sessions where they can help each other understand lessons, prepare for tests and stay motivated. Currently 75,000 students from 190 different countries and 1,500 different schools are registered.
- · Cardlytics Transaction-Driven Marketing platform is a unique advertising platform that enables banks to deliver rich, relevant rewards to their customers based on purchasing history while fully protecting their privacy. The platform is able to reach customers through online banking, mobile banking and mobile apps, social media, email, SMS and ATMs. The company recently secured $33 million in funding and is on track to reach 75 million U.S. households by Q2 2012.
- · TripLingo creates a customized experience to help leisure and business travelers navigate the local lingo and culture. With apps available via the web, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and Nook, TripLingo offers language tools in over 13 different languages and packages local customs, idioms and an intelligent learning system to make it easy for travelers to learn essential bits of the local language and culture both prior to and during trips.
- · ViziTech USA holds proprietary intellectual property allowing the company to develop 3D imaging as HoloProjection images similar to the famed HOLODEK from the movie “Star Trek.” The images are not confined to a video or screen, but rather move right out into the classroom, engage students and allow them to interact with machines or objects. Students can get a real feel of how something acts or operates by using their hands to control the interactive image. The company currently assists teachers and trainers in schools throughout Georgia, the Department of Defense and several Fortune 500 companies.
- · SoloHealth offers the SoloHealth Station, a free and bilingual health screening kiosk that provides vision, blood pressure, weight, and body mass index screenings, as well as an overall health assessment and access to a database of local doctors. SoloHealth Station is a more comprehensive version of the company’s Eyesite vision testing kiosk for which the company received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance it into a more comprehensive self-service health and wellness station The company plans to provide highly personalized and interactive healthcare opportunities for consumers, advertisers and retailers by placing these kiosks in high-traffic retail locations. SoloHealth is targeting a nationwide rollout out of the SoloHealth Station in 2012.
SoloHealth presented at TechMedia’s Southeast Venture Conference in 2010 and nabbed $4 million in financing in April this year. The next SEVC is coming up in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1.
The 2011 Spirit of Endeavor Awards are sponsored by Platinum sponsor Concurrent, Gold sponsor ASAP Solutions Group, and Silver sponsor Burnette Insurance, CresaPartners and Intel. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the TAG Education Collaborative.
Tags: Atlanta, Cardlytics, Cool Technology finalists 2011, Georgia Spirit of Endeavor Awards, Open Study, SEVC, Solohealth, Southeast Venture Conference, TripLingo, ViziTech
Posted in Events, Georgia, Internet/New Media, IT | Comments Off
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
By Allan Maurer
 Kabbage chairman Marc Gorlin will speak at the Internet Summit Nov. 15-16 at the Raleigh, NC Convention Center. Remember those cartoons where an alien approaches a fire hydrant or a telephone pole and says, “Take me to your leader?” Turns out it’s not bad advice for startups seeking funding, says Marc Gorlin, chair of Atlanta-based Kabbage.
Kabbage, which provides working capital to online merchants, nabbed a $17 million B round in August led by Mohr Davidow Ventures and its investors include BlueRun Ventures, David Bonderman, founder of TPG Capital, and Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephens Inc., and the UPS Strategic Enterprises Fund.
So Gorlin understands the venture dance. He’ll discuss “The things VCs never tell you about raising money” at next week’s Internet Summit in Raleigh, NC, where he’ll be one of dozens of digital media, marketing and entrepreneurial thought-leaders participating.
And one of the first items on his list of things for entrepreneurs to consider when seeking venture capital is to the right person immediately.
“No firm where we went in through anyone but a senior partner went anywhere,” Gorlin says of Kabbage’s own experiences in finding venture backing. “If you get a meeting with a principal or associate, the odds of it going anywhere sink to infinitesimal levels,” he says.
While Gorlin’s slide presentation uses humor to make its points, the points are serious.
He’s Just Not that Into You
For instance, his “He’s Just Not that Into You,” section warns that “No means no, maybe means no and soft yeses mean no.”
Nevertheless, Gorlin says, persistence is the key. “Never stop trying,” he says. He’ll point out how many times big investors said “no” to investing in a company before they said “yes.”
Gorlin has solid advice for entrepreneurs. He suggests not pitching the most important venture capitalists on a potential list first. “You’ll get better,” he says.
Know your market
One of the most important things for entrepreneurs to do to prepare for a pitch to a VC, he says, “Is to know your market.”
It’s also a good idea to know your VC. “Take people they invested with out to dinner. Talk about the terms they got.”
Gorlin also suggests, “Don’t be afraid of venture capitalists and their pedigrees. Don’t make them smarter than you.”
But if you do get some discouraging comments, don’t think you’re alone. Gorlin says that one firm told the now quite successful Kabbage, “Your management team is weak and not smart enough to make this work.” Uh huh.
He’ll share more of the actual comments Kabbage received during its fund-raising process, stories, facts and other solid, if funny, advice direct from the digital fund-raising trenches.
Internet Summit is near capacity, so if you’re going, better register soon. During its own fund-raising process, Kabbage presented at TechMedia’s Southeast Venture Conference. The 2012 SEVC in Tysons Corner, VA, is set for Feb. 29.
Tags: advice to entrepreneurs, Atlanta, fund raising, he's just not that into you, Internet Summit, Kabbage, Marc Gorlin, NC, persistence in fund raising, Raleigh, SEVC
Posted in best practices, Business advice, Carolinas, entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, Money, North Carolina | Comments Off
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
 B2B marketers are spending millions of dollars annually on social marketing programs, though nearly 30 percent are not tracking the impact of social media programs on lead generation and sales, according to a survey conducted earlier this month by Atlanta-based cloud marketing automation software vendor Pardot.
The revealing survey, which included input from dozens of companies, aimed to shed light on the developing role of social media in marketing. Questions focused on social marketing etiquette, the influence of social media on lead and sales, the most useful social media tools, and the cost to operate social marketing programs.
Not surprisingly, social media use among B2B marketers is on the rise, according to respondents. A full 95% indicated they use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or corporate blogs to reach prospects. Yet despite the increased use of these services, only 70% are monitoring the return on spend for these programs. And among those who do, about 42% of marketers replied that zero or an uncertain number of sales leads resulted from social media programs, a startling high percentage given the resources required to operate the campaigns.
The gap between cost and return for social marketing may have something to do with social media protocols within companies, which are still evolving.
As uncovered by the survey:
- Approximately 11% of marketers said their companies have a formal social media policy
- 55% of respondents said contacting a social media-generated sales lead by phone or email is appropriate, even if the prospect had not invited the vendor to do so
- Meanwhile, 48% said it is appropriate to respond to a prospect via social media, if the prospect contacted the vendor via email or phone first
- 100% of respondents said it is acceptable to invite a prospect to join a marketer’s online social networks, though some suggested the invites be limited to networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora, Plaxo and YouTube, versus more personal sites like Facebook
- 31% said it is acceptable to critique a competitor via social media
“Social media is an exciting and enticing sales and marketing medium, but best practices are clearly still emerging,” said Adam Blitzer, co-founder and COO for Pardot, which recently introduced a series of social media management tools for small business marketers.
More than half use internal free tools to manage social media
Another obstacle facing marketers who are engaged in social media are the tools and services they use for implementing and measuring their campaigns.
According to the survey, over 64% of respondents use “internal, free tools” only to manage social media campaigns, which may or may not be ideal for effective program management. Meanwhile, only nine percent rely on an outside agency or social media expert for help with social media marketing.
“There’s no question social media can be a powerful tool for establishing community and generating leads,” said Blitzer. “But to optimize its value, social media efforts should be monitored carefully and integrated into broader content and lead nurturing programs.”
Also of interest, the survey revealed that Twitter was the most popular social media channel, followed by LinkedIn and Facebook. And social bookmarking services and paid channels including promoted tweets were cited as the least popular tools.
Tags: Adam Blitzer, Atlanta, measuring social media sales leads, Pardot, social media impact, social media ROI
Posted in Georgia, Internet/New Media, Marketing, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
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