Mediaboss Marketing

IBM is releasing a new version of its Connections enterprise social networking (ESN) software, which companies use to give their employees social media capabilities adapted for workplace collaboration, such as employee profiles and blogging.

Enhancements in IBM Connections 4.0 include a more interactive activity stream, broader support for mobile devices, more granular usage analytics and integration with email and calendar systems, according to Heidi Ambler, director of product management for IBM Social Software. It is available immediately.

"This new release helps customers grasp the power of social analytics, gives them anytime-anywhere access to the software and provides cutting-edge capabilities," she said.

Instead of a list-like news feed, the new software has an activity stream in employee profiles that users can filter for relevance, as well as act on the notifications right from the Connections interface.

For example, users can trigger pop-up boxes from the activity stream notifications and see the latest comments made about a file, see who posted the latest version of it and add tags to it.

An integration with IBM's own Lotus Notes-Domino and with Microsoft's Outlook-Exchange email and calendar systems lets users manage email messages through Connections.

It will also be possible for users to import into Connections external Web pages from any site -- blogs, public Facebook posts, Twitter feeds -- or data from third-party applications, so that the information can be discussed collaboratively.

Mobile support has been extended and now includes applications for various iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.

IBM is also announcing new Connections customers, including financial product distributor Primerica and vehicle leasing company LeasePlan.

Connections is server-based software accessed by end users via browsers. Customers can install it on their own premises or have it hosted on a public or private cloud data center by IBM or one of its partners.

Read more:
IBM upgrades Connections enterprise social networking software

11-09-2012 17:48 From Kevin Jonas to Lauren Conrad to Olympian Aly Raisman, a number of celebs showed up to watch Badgley Mischka debut their spring 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week Tuesday (Sept. 11)

See the article here:
Celebs Take in Badgley Mischka Runway Show - Video

11-09-2012 15:09 Eric Strait from Tech Hustlers' and myself Piers Scott from The Sociable discuss the social networking challenges that start-ups and entrepreneurs face. Should you concentrate on one social site or spread your social activities across multiple networks? Is Google+ worth the effort for start-ups? We look at how successful start-ups like dotCO (go.co) create brand ambassadors through authentic and personable social interactions. Finally we have a chat about Google+ Hangouts itself - we share our thoughts on what we think about Hangouts and how Skype integration with Facebook could be a threat. Techhustlers Site Facebook: Twitter: The Sociable Facebook: Twitter:

Follow this link:
Discussion: Social Networking for entrepreneurs and start-ups - Video

CORAL SPRINGS, FL--(Marketwire - Sep 11, 2012) - BizRocket.com, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : BZRT ) -- Company announces KidzRocket.com social networking site to be expanded to include teens age 13-17. This new group offers significant potential volumes to the free KidzRocket.com social networking site and potential huge volumes when Company fully monetizes the website.

The improved website will offer much expanded age appropriate games and activities. The pre-teen group is thru age 12 and teen group is from age 13-17. KidzRocket.com social networking website is free to use, but parents can optionally subscribe to the state-of-the-art KidzRocket Filter to monitor kid's inappropriate Internet activities and contacts.

eMarketer predicts over 1.4 billion social network users in 2012.Booz & Co. predicts the dollar volume of goods sold through social media to reach $30 billion in 2015.

KidzRocket.com plans to monetize the free social network site and offer paid subscriptions to the advanced KidzRocket Filter which protects kids from inappropriate activities and contacts, much to their parent's relief.

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements relating to expectations of the 2012 or 2013 fiscal year; The terms and phrases "estimated", "goal", "commitment", "possible", "guidance", "expects", "would", "will", "continuing", "drive", "believes", "indicate", "look forward", "grow", "outlook", "forecasts", "forecast", "projected", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by BizRocket.com, Inc., in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that BizRocket believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to general economic conditions, BizRocket's expectations regarding its business, strategy and prospects, and BizRocket's confidence in the cash flow generation of its business. Many factors could cause BizRocket's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to competition; BizRocket's reliance on key personnel; BizRocket's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; and difficulties in forecasting BizRocket's financial results, particularly over longer periods given the rapid Internet-technological changes and competition. BizRocket.com, Inc., has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Read the original post:
BizRocket.com, Inc. Updating KidzRocket.com Social Networking Site; Two Separate Age Groups Offer Significant ...

BEIJING, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Renren Inc. (RENN), a leading real name social networking internet platform in China, today announced that it invested $49 million in Social Finance Inc. ("SoFi"), a San Francisco-based private company.

SoFi offers an innovative lending solution that provides students access to lower loan rates than Federal Direct and PLUS loans with similar borrow protections. SoFi was started by a team of Stanford Graduate School of Business students in 2011. By fostering social and economic connections with alumni investors, SoFi has moved towards becoming a national lender through state registration, created a broker dealer, expanded its product offering to include both in-school and consolidation loans, and expanded its presence to over 70 schools nationwide in the U.S.

"The investment in SoFi represents our continued efforts in leveraging our social and demographics expertise. As a pioneering company building social infrastructure over the internet, we have closely observed and participated in the transformation of other online vertical businesses that leverage social to productize, market, distribute and scale," said Joseph Chen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Renren. "With gaming and e-commerce socialized, as exemplified by social gaming and social commerce, we expect the next wave will be finance and education; SoFi lies at the nexus of that revolution. As the largest real-name social network platform in China, we constantly explore for synergies of how social can successfully transform industries and help push beyond traditional boundaries."

About Renren Inc.

Renren Inc. (RENN) operates the leading real name social networking internet platform in China. It enables users to connect and communicate with each other, share information and user generated content, play online games, listen to music, shop for deals and enjoy a wide range of other features and services. Renren's platform includes the main social networking website Renren.com, the online games center game.Renren.com, the social commerce website Nuomi.com, and the video-sharing website 56.com. Renren had approximately 162 million activated users as of June 30, 2012.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from Renren's management in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. Renren may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Renren's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Further information regarding these risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect the Company's results of operations is included in our annual report on Form20-F and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this pressreleaseis as of the date of this press release, and Renren does not undertake any obligation to update anyforward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Sam Lawn Investor Relations Director Renren Inc. Tel: (86 10) 8448 1818 ext 1300 Email: ir@renren-inc.com

Continued here:
Renren Invests $49 million in Social Finance, Inc.