Mediaboss Marketing

In the run-up to Facebook's initial public offering expected next month, a host of other tech companies have been rushing to Wall Street. And three soaring stock market debuts within 24 hours may hint at what's next for Silicon Valley as the social-networking craze nears its peak.

The valley's newest public companies are a trio of commercial software-makers -- Infoblox, Proofpoint and Splunk -- all of which saw overwhelming demand for shares and big jumps in their stock prices during initial public offerings Thursday and Friday.

While the results are a positive sign for the tech industry as a whole, analysts say the response to all three companies shows investors believe there is money to be made in the commercial tech sector. That's where companies compete to supply corporations and other large organizations with innovative tools for cloud computing and "big data" crunching.

On the surface, those companies may be less sexy than social networks or smartphone apps, but experts say they are a crucial part of the tech economy.

"These three should be a big reminder that the back-end architectures are just as important as the consumer sites we get all hot about," said industry analyst Tim Bajarin at the Creative Strategies firm, adding that commercial tech companies help maintain the "pipes" through which the Angry Birds and iTunes of the world flow.

"The money is moving into

Santa Clara-based Info-blox, which makes networking software, saw its stock rise more than 30 percent on its first day of trading Friday after raising its asking price. Fellow newcomer Proofpoint, a Sunnyvale maker of data security software, also raised its IPO price, but still opened more than 30 percent higher before falling to an 8.3 percent increase.

One day earlier, San Francisco-based Splunk saw its IPO price of $17 more than double on its debut day, and it held onto those gains Friday, closing at $36.20. Splunk makes analytics programs that help companies sort through a variety of data from electronic sensors, Web pages and other sources.

After a relatively slow period since the recession, analysts say several factors have made it easier for tech startups to go public.

An improving economy is giving small investors the confidence to put money into tech IPOs, Bajarin said. He added that Facebook's looming debut, with its promise of a $100 billion valuation, is clearly igniting broader enthusiasm.

Excerpt from:
Pre-Facebook IPOs show investors may 'like' enterprise software more than social networking

Social networking sites are great tools that allow people to stay in touch with one another, and to let people know what you are up to and what you are thinking.

It is also a tool that allows people to express how they feel about something, or someone, in a more public manner.

However, that expression on a social networking site, or on the Internet, could come back to haunt that person, if there in ongoing litigation.

In perhaps a first of its kind decision, the B.C. Court of Appeal has affirmed that a father who used the Internet and Facebook to publicly denigrate his childs mother must pay her damages for defamation and invasion of her privacy.

The parties were involved in a custody and access dispute over their child.

The court concluded that the father had taken his battle with his estranged spouse far outside the ordinary confines of the family court litigation.

The father created a website where he would publish his negative comments about his estranged spouse, as well as publish suggestions about her parenting abilities, or lack thereof.

Despite the father agreeing in a court order to stop making any further disparaging comments about his estranged spouse, the father published his comments on Facebook.

The court concluded that the fathers conduct and motive was to win by any means, including the posting of the negative and derogatory comments about his estranged spouse.

This case is perhaps the extreme, in that the father actually set up a website to post his negative comments.

Visit link:
Legal Briefs -- Social network defamation and litigation

In fashion, what's old is often new again.

If you doubt it, just look at the styles coming out this spring: 1950s-style dresses for women and streamlined suits for men just like the characters in "Mad Men."

You may also want to heed another fashion from that era: in-person networking.

You're not likely to see anyone on "Mad Men" use online social networking to forge a relationship, although they do put the "social" in networking with their lunch meetings and after-hour soirees. If you watch those interactions, you'll see a good example of how the art of building relationships has been lost through too much reliance on technical gadgets, one expert says.

Vicky Oliver, author of numerous books on career development such as "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions," says it's time that people learned some of the best techniques for networking don't come from friending someone on Facebook or tweeting tidbits to strangers. While she believes those social networks are useful, we all should learn to embrace "retro" techniques.

Of course, not everyone will like the idea of coming out from behind their computers and entering a roomful of strangers to network or getting on the phone to ask someone for help, she says.

"Everybody is shy," she says. "But it gets better with practice. Even striking up a 2-minute conversation with someone while waiting somewhere is a good chance to practice your skills."

So you have to put away your smartphone or drop the iPad and learn to take every opportunity to interact with someone face-to-face. Here are some of Oliver's suggestions for honing your networking skills:

Travel the friendly skies. Join an airline club so you have time to mingle with others in an airport lounge.

Use layover times in airports to schedule meetings with someone in that city. Use an online golf club to book a game with other business travelers once you reach your destination.

Read this article:
Embrace 'retro' style networking

LAS VEGAS, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The Social Network Show is now offering PR Newswire's ultimate social networking and social media tool, iReach, to over 500 social networks. PR Newswire's iReach allows social networks, businesses, and individuals to access a do-it-yourself, easy-to-use online press release. By using iReach, you can distribute content and extend your reach to the widest and the most influential audience possible. The iReach press release is a cost effective way to increase visibility, drive traffic to websites and take content viral by reaching the most relevant audiences and improving search engine optimization.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120420/CG91899)

The Social Network Show is the only world-wide show focused on social networking and social media dedicated to making your social networking the best it can be. With over 500 social networks on parade, The Social Network Show broadcasts worldwide and boasts fans, site visitors, and listeners from 32 countries.

The Social Network Show features guests of world class caliber including, Glenn Crostin, Ph.D., best-selling author of 75 Green Businesses, Starting Up Green, and an expert blogger forFast Company; Julius O. Akinyemi, Entrepreneur-in-Residence MIT Media Lab and initiator of the Unleashing the Wealth of Nations project; and Dayna Roselli, morning news co-anchor at KLAS-TV (CBS) Channel 8 in Las Vegas. "Jim Nico, CEO and Founder of Social Network Intermedia has created a brand new industry here", says Christopher Shaw, Founder/Partner of SP Merger Group, http://www.spmg.co.uk.

Nico said, "The Social Network Show is beyond the frontier and is the first phase of a six phase launch of a social media enterprise." Nico adds, "The addition of co-host, Dr. Jane Karwoski, Ph.D., a freelance online Experimental Psychology professor, has brought a matchless perspective to the show. Considering that online social networks are one grand experiment, bringing in a professor of Experimental Psychology is ideal."

If you want to use the ultimate tools for social media exposure please visit http://www.thesocialnetworkshow.com to learn from the show, see the 500+ social networks on parade, and use PR Newswire's cutting edge tool, iReach.

Media Contact: Jim Nico of Social Network Intermedia, +1-702-463-3884, j@thesocialnetworkshow.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

Read more:
The Social Network Show™ of Social Network Intermedia, today made official the addition of PR Newswire to its roster ...

New Delhi, April 16:

Seeking the Centre's immediate attention for controlling social networking sites, the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr Ashok Gehlot, said on Monday that these companies should be asked to set up their servers in India.

Mr Gehlot drew the attention of those present at the Chief Ministers' Conference here, which included the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, that communal elements had posted some comments on Facebook which resulted in communal tension in a region of his State.

Effective action was taken immediately against the miscreants, he said, and added that while his government complied with the idea of freedom of expression, it should not be misused by communal elements and needs to be dealt with all severity.

I would appreciate if these sites could develop a system which by itself prevents posting of material with communal and anti-national overtones, he said.

As the servers of these social networking sites are located outside the country, it becomes an arduous task to obtain any information related to such incidents.

I would suggest that the Government of India develop a system which can help in obtaining the information from these servers on real-time basis, or as an alternative making it mandatory for these companies to set up their servers in India, Mr Gehlot said.

Go here to see the original:
Social networking sites should set up servers in India: Gehlot