October 2006 Archives

ADT Security Services has announced that it is joining forces with cable and telecommunications providers to help ensure its security systems will continue to be able to communicate with its monitoring centers if a customer switches to an IP-based telephone service. ADT outlined a set of characteristics that this next generation of phone services providers must meet in order to be a primary method of transmitting alarm signals to ADT's 24-hour a day monitoring centers.

IP-based telephone providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Charter, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks have confirmed that their networks meet the characteristics required by ADT to be a primary method of alarm transmission. Cable IP-based phone services provider's calls travel over privately managed networks, rather than the public Internet used by many other IP-based phone services.

"ADT recognizes the customer benefits associated with alternative phone services including VoIP, digital phone and other IP-based phone services," said ADT's Chief Operating Officer John Koch. "We also recognize that not all of these services are created equal. The safety and security of our nearly six million monitored customers across the United States and Canada continues to be our chief focus as we review these new communication technologies and the potential differences in their ability to transmit alarm signals reliably to our customer monitoring center network."

Koch said over the past several months, ADT has brought together numerous parties from both the cable and telecommunications industries to better understand the differences among IP-based phone providers in how they set up and maintain their networks. The result is a set of phone network characteristics that ADT has taken into consideration in determining how to best serve the interests of its customers. Traditional telephone services already have acceptable characteristics in place and therefore are not affected by this change.

The characteristics outlined by ADT include whether the provider has a managed and maintained physical facilities network with major and minor disaster recovery plans in place that include specific network power restoration procedures, whether the provider makes available professional installation of its IP-based phone service that preserves primary line seizure for alarm signal transmission, and whether the provider's physical facilities network provides real-time transmission of voice signals, carrying alarm formats unchanged. If an IP-based phone services provider has not informed ADT that it meets these characteristics, ADT will continue to require its customers using such phone services to either keep their traditional phone line or to install a cellular transmission system.

Regardless of the type of phone service used, ADT always recommends that customers use an additional back-up method of communication to connect their alarm system to ADT's monitoring centers, Koch said.

"One of the key findings is that technology has moved extremely quickly regarding these phone services and how they operate with alarm systems," Koch said. "As the industry leader, we took the initiative to outline these phone network characteristics so that we can continue to provide our customers with high quality alarm monitoring services regardless of their phone service type."

BellSouth recently announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Resident Interactive, Inc. to jointly market a community Web portal service in planned communities in BellSouth's service area.

Under this sales teaming agreement, BellSouth, together with Resident Interactive, will offer a community Web portal service, known as Digital Village Service, as part of BellSouth's comprehensive communications portfolio for planned communities that includes voice, video, high-speed data, security and Wi-Fi hotspot solutions.

Resident Interactive's Digital Village Service allows homeowners associations and property managers in single family home, apartment and condominium developments to create a more connected community. The Web portal service is a virtual representation of a neighborhood where residents can meet, form groups, make plans and link with local businesses.

"Developers are increasingly identifying community web portals as a differentiating amenity for their residents," said Phil Jacobs, president - Community Technologies, BellSouth. "The Digital Village Service is a logical complement to BellSouth's comprehensive technology portfolio and provides additional solutions to communities through a trusted source."

BellSouth and Resident Interactive will jointly market the Digital Village Service and coordinate deployment of services with community managers. Resident Interactive will provide ongoing customer service and technical user support.

"Our mission is to establish outstanding, long-term relationships with our customers and strategic partners, while delivering software with unmatched reliability and customer service that exceeds expectations in every respect," said Dennis Papalois, president and CEO of Resident Interactive, Inc. "The teaming agreement with BellSouth will greatly expand our capabilities to meet this objective in more communities across the Southeast. It is truly a winning proposition for developers and residents."

For more information, check out the press release BellSouth and Resident Interactive, Inc. Sign Teaming Agreement to Deploy Web Portal Service in Planned Communities.

This Halloween, Comcast, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Lionsgate, will unveil its new horror-movie network FearNet. The new offering will allow fans to watch movies through Comcast's video-on-demand service and on the Web at FearNet.com. Other elements include full-length trailers, a search engine/horror movie encyclopedia, news, a community site and a trivia game.

First announced at Comcast's video-on-demand upfront in April, FearNet's on-demand platform will serve 200 horror titles a year, with about 70 hours of programming a month, including a number of Japanese- and Spanish-language productions and blood and guts in high-definition. Titles like "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre" will be offered free to Comcast's 11 million digital cable subscribers.

Web surfers will be able to watch nine movies for free each month—for a total of 50 titles a year—as well as 100 shorts, which include original programming from directors such as Wes Craven.

According to Reuters, the FearNet launch plan was purposely designed to cater to the adults 18-34 demographic, who increasingly are watching and consuming media on demand while multitasking like never before. "This generation wants content when they want it, how they want it and where they want it," said Diane Robina, president of emerging networks for Comcast Programming Group. "To me, besides usage and revenue numbers, these channels in general will be successful if fans embrace them and like what we've created for them."

For more information, check out the Reuters UK article Comcast Corp. scares up horror broadband site or the official FearNet site.

AT&T has been named as one of America's "Top Companies for Minorities" by The Diversity Network, a diversity recruitment and consulting service that recognizes best-in-class companies committed to a culturally and ethnically diverse workforce. The Diversity Network will recognize AT&T among other "Stewards of Diversity" in the Oct. 30 issue of Fortune magazine.

AT&T was selected for this honor based on its achievements in three areas: diversity within its employee base; long-term commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion across business functions and management structure; and diversity initiatives benefiting customers, business partners and the community.

This honor comes on the heels of several other recent diversity achievements, including a Corporate Citizenship Award presented by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) and recognition by LATINA Style as one of the 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work For.

"There is a good reason why AT&T is consistently recognized as a top company for diversity and inclusion," said Karen Jennings, AT&T's senior executive vice president of human resources and communications. "AT&T has a long history and a deep commitment to creating a positive work environment filled with professional growth opportunities and tailored for people who come from a wide range of backgrounds. This commitment to diversity and inclusion is at the very core of our identity."

AT&T's 50-state workforce is 45 percent female and 35 percent people of color. Women make up 44 percent of the company's managers, far above the average of most Fortune 500 companies. In 2005, AT&T spent $2.4 billion with diverse suppliers, representing 15 percent of its procurement base. In fostering diversity and inclusion, AT&T has created a better business environment, one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner and an important contributor to the community.

According to a statement released by ComEd, the administrative law judge assigned to review a their proposal to help customers manage increasing electricity costs has endorsed the plan and has recommended full Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approval.

Under the plan, ComEd residential customers would have the option to have rate increases capped at 10 percent in 2007, 2008 and 2009, with the deferred balance plus financing costs collected over the three following years, 2010-2012. ComEd has proposed a 6.5 percent annual carrying charge to finance the deferral plan. Without a phase-in, residential customers' bills are expected to increase by an average of 22 percent beginning in January when ComEd's costs to buy power increase.

"We are pleased with the judge's recommendation as it is an important step forward in providing Illinois residential customers with options to manage increasing energy costs," said J. Barry Mitchell, president of ComEd. "Since the very beginning, ComEd has been concerned about the impact of rate increases on our customers, especially low-income customers. We developed this phase-in approach to give customers flexibility to adjust to the increase over time."

The proposal was first submitted to the ICC by ComEd in May. Modifications to the proposal were submitted in August to respond to concerns expressed by stakeholders, such as the ICC staff and the Citizens Utility Board, in rebuttal testimony. ComEd has asked the commission to act by late November or early December.

XM Satellite Radio has announced that the first of the all-new Lexus LS series with standard, factory-installed XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic are now available at dealerships.

The Lexus LS 460 L, long wheel base model, is arriving at dealerships factory-equipped with XM Satellite Radio's 170 channels of coast-to-coast entertainment and XM NavTraffic's real-time traffic information system as standard features. Factory-installed XM Radio is also available in the 2007 LS 460, which includes the service in its navigation packages.

"XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic are the natural complement to a car that already sets a new benchmark for technological innovation," said Steve Cook, executive vice president, Automotive, XM Satellite Radio. "That's why XM is pleased to offer Lexus LS buyers the added advantage of the nation's most extensive lineup of satellite radio programming and the broadest network of real-time traffic information."

XM NavTraffic is the first real-time traffic information system for the vehicle. Currently available in 44 major U.S. markets, NavTraffic delivers alerts regarding traffic delays, detours and road closings through the in-car navigation system, saving drivers time and fuel by helping them anticipate traffic delays.

Every Lexus LS equipped with XM NavTraffic and XM Satellite Radio also comes standard with a three-month complimentary subscription to both services.

For more information, check out the XM Satellite press release.

Seventy-seven percent of consumer electronics (CE) purchases were influenced by Internet research according to the joint Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®) and Yahoo! study Understanding How Consumers Use the Internet to Research and Shop for CE Products.

The study, conducted by Hall and Partners, explored the path to purchase for five CE products: cell phones, computers, digital cameras, digital music players and televisions, and found that online research time directly correlated to product price. As the price of a product increased so did the amount of time a consumer spent researching that product. The least amount of time spent researching was on cell phones at nine hours and the most times spent researching was 15 hours on televisions. For those who purchased, the average amount of time spent researching online was 12 hours.

"Of the total $32.5 billion spent on the CE products tracked in this study, online research influenced a striking 77 percent or $25.1 billion," said Senior Director of Market Research Tim Herbert, CEA. "Consumers naturally want to make informed CE buying decisions and we found they are turning to the Internet for their research. This includes search engines, manufacturer's Web sites, retail Web sites and shopping engines."

Although the majority of CE purchases are made at retail locations, the findings showed there are many reasons why a consumer would research online before purchasing in-store. Seventy-three percent of consumers said comparing prices of the same product at different stores is easy to do online and 64 percent said they preferred online because there is a wider variety of products. Forty-five percent of those who research online and purchase offline use a search engine during the information-gathering process.

The study also looked into the differences between "searchers" and "non-searchers" based on self-reported search engine usage during their research and purchase process. "Searchers," defined as those who use search to research CE goods, represent 47 percent of the offline and online purchasers surveyed. They are more educated about what they buy, increasingly likely to advocate brands by word-of-mouth and are often considered a resource of information by friends and family. They consider more brands and are 114 percent more likely to consider Internet display advertising in their research process.

"Although 'searchers' and 'non-searchers' are very similar demographically, those who prefer to use search to research and purchase CE products have a totally different mindset," said David Rubinstein, Tech and Telecom Category Director for Yahoo! Search Marketing, "Their high level of engagement and willingness to share information with others makes them an ideal target audience for CE manufacturers and retailers."

While the Internet plays a powerful research role, print media, family and friends, retail displays and other traditional sources also aid the purchaser when buying a CE product. Consumers still use these sources to learn about new brands, compare brands and products and get overviews of different categories.

"Today's information-hungry consumers turn to multiple sources. Traditional sources of information are still leveraged by purchasers in the shopping process. These include print and television ads, word-of-mouth and the in-store experience. The average consumer uses six different sources to guide their decision. Getting the right mix of sources is critical to a manufacturer's success," said Herbert.

The study consisted of a 25-minute survey of sample of both consumers who intend to and those who have already purchased consumer electronics devices. It also investigated customer brand loyalty based on manufacturer versus retailer website visits.

For more information, check out the press release.

Verizon said today that it is continuing to aggressively work on restoration efforts in the Buffalo area, following the early season snowstorm that hit the region earlier this month. With nearly 600 technicians in the field, Verizon expects to have its network fully restored within two weeks.

"While most of our customers are already back in service, or never experienced phone service outages in the wake of the storm, there is remaining field work necessary in order to fully restore our network," explained Joseph DeMauro, regional vice president for Verizon operations.

To help with restoration efforts, Verizon has brought in more than 200 technicians from other parts of New York state to assist the local teams in repairs and other tasks, such as pole replacements, installing new drop wires and splicing new cables.

"The work needed now includes repairs to service-affecting issues like low-hanging or unattached wires," DeMauro said.  "Our employees are engaged in identifying these issues, making repairs and restoring service as quickly as possible."

DeMauro noted that damaged cabling and wires may not cause a customer's service to go out, but rather may cause static during a conversation, intermittent service, or similar conditions.  Since the start of the storm, the company has completed 68 percent of this type of weather-related repair work.

Verizon is also conducting engineering surveys of neighborhoods to identify downed wires and cables, and the company is working with local agencies and the power company to identify safe work areas as well as those areas needing telecom service.   Under standard safety procedure, Verizon employees are not permitted to enter neighborhoods until electricity is restored and all safety issues associated with power outages are cleared.

As of last Wednesday, less than one week after the storm hit, all of Verizon's 80 central offices that serve the affected areas were back on commercial power.  Following the storm, 30 of the company's central offices had continued to operate on battery or generator backup power.  All Verizon central offices, which perform the essential functions of supplying dial tone and routing calls and data transmissions for customers, are equipped with backup batteries and generators that kick in automatically if the electrical power supply is interrupted.  In addition, portable generators were used in locations where commercial power was interrupted for an extended period of time.

Netflix recently announced that more than 9,900 contestants representing approximately 8,100 teams from 99 countries have signed up to vie for the $1 million Netflix Prize since the competition was announced earlier this month.

The prize has attracted competitors from more than 200 universities and numerous corporations from around the world. In addition, several government laboratories from the U.S. and other nations have joined the competition.

Netflix is offering one million dollars to the first person or team who can achieve certain accuracy goals in recommending movies based on personal preferences. The threshold required to win the Netflix Prize is a 10 percent improvement in accuracy over the current Netflix recommendation system. If no one wins the grand prize this year, the company said it will award a $50,000 progress prize to whoever makes the most significant advancement beyond a one percent improvement by October 2007. The progress prize will be awarded annually until someone wins the grand prize.

The company said only one of the 82 current submissions has qualified for the 2007 progress prize, having the minimum one percent improvement over the current Netflix recommendation system. Submissions can continue to qualify for the 2007 progress prize through October of 2007.

EarthLink and Telkonet announced recently that they have agreed to test broadband over power line access and Internet voice service in nine apartment complexes located in the Washington, D.C. area using Telkonet's powerline backbone.

Under the terms of the agreement, Telkonet's iWire System??? will be the platform used to enable high-speed Internet and data access to EarthLink as part of a voice and broadband Internet and home networking package that includes features such as caller ID, voicemail and three-way calling bundled with high-speed Internet access. EarthLink will market its services to apartment residents in the D.C. metro area.

"This combination of high-speed Internet, voice and home networking service is a part of EarthLink's ongoing commitment to providing more access options for customers," said Kevin Brand, EarthLink's group vice president of access. "We want to make it easy for apartment residents to save money on their phone bills and get feature-rich, high-quality high-speed access."

"EarthLink's reputation for superb customer service combined with their enhanced services, competitive pricing and the Telkonet powerline backbone makes for a very compelling product offering," said Ronald W. Pickett, president and CEO of Telkonet.

EarthLink will use Telkonet's powerline technology to offer high-speed access, Internet voice and home networking service to apartment households in the D.C. area where the cost of retro-fitting the property with new wiring for broadband is not economically feasible. Telkonet's system uses each building's internal electrical wiring to deliver the service.

The nine properties are owned and managed by the Bozzuto Management Company, an award-winning operator of residential communities and commercial properties in the Washington/Baltimore and Philadelphia market. Bozzuto provides the very best value to their customers through an outstanding level of service to both the owners of the properties and the residents who live in them.

The Interstate Renwable Energy Council (IREC) recently announced the winners of its Innovation Awards, with PG&E's Solar Schools Program making the impressive list. The award focused on creative market expansion policies and educating young students and new practitioners.  Recipients were chosen for demonstrating new policy approaches, creative integration of on-site and Web-based communications, and the strength of partnerships lead to innovation.

"All winners deserve our thanks and encouragement for giving us viable models and best practices so that moving renewable energy into mainstream markets gets closer everyday," said Jane Weissman, IREC's Executive Director.

Four winners were selected through a competitive process. In addition to PG&E, Washington State's  Production Incentives for Small-Scale Renewable Resources Program, NYSERDA's School Power...Naturally 50 Schools Program, and NABCEP's PV Entry Level of Knowledge Program were also recognized. "All of this year's applicants demonstrated inventive ways of using and growing renewable energy markets. Selecting just four winners was not an easy task," said IREC's Awards Committee Chair, Ken Jurman.

Through a unique partnership, the PG&E Solar Schools Program addresses climate change in a way that benefits underserved schools, students, and the broader community. The program inspires students to become the solar innovators and scientists of tomorrow, and community members to install solar on their homes and businesses. This program takes the resources of the private sector, the talents and "know how" of the nonprofit sector, and addresses the needs of the public sector to help catalyze solar energy projects and work toward mitigating climate change. In addition to PG&E, other partners in the program include The Foundation for Environmental Education and The NEED Project.

For more information, see the official press release.

DIRECTV continues to fortify its satellite fleet with the successful launch last week of DIRECTV 9S, a high-powered, spot-beam satellite that will provide back-up capacity and ensure continuous, reliable service for DIRECTV customers. The spacecraft was successfully launched on Friday, Oct. 13, at 1:56 p.m. PT from Europe's Spaceport in Kouou, French Guiana.

DIRECTV 9S is one of four satellites DIRECTV has launched over the past two years as it continues to expand its capacity to provide new national and local services in both standard- and high-definition, as well as interactive and original programming. DIRECTV will launch two more satellites next year that will more than quadruple its capacity and enable it to lead the industry in the delivery of HD programming.

The Space Systems/Loral-built satellite will be positioned at the 101-degree West longitude orbital slot, providing back-up capacity for the DIRECTV fleet, including spot-beam satellites that deliver standard definition local services. DIRECTV offers local channels in 142 markets, representing 94 percent of U.S. TV households.

DIRECTV 9S was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket and after 26 minutes, the rocket left the spacecraft in a geosynchronous transfer orbit with a high point of 22,300 miles (36,000 km) above the equator. Controllers at the Hartebeesthoek ground station in South Africa made contact with the satellite and confirmed that all systems are functioning properly.

CNET recently announced the official launch of its video destination, CNET TV, as well as a partnership with Verizon to distribute CNET's video through on-demand television. The latest partnership extends the reach of CNET content and its original videos to even more people interested in today's latest tech and consumer electronics.

Launched earlier this year, CNET TV offers an environment where users can find all of CNET's videos. In addition, CNET TV makes a selection of the site's popular video content available for distribution on television. The partnership with Verizon follows on successful partnerships with Cox Communications and TiVo, Inc., which currently make CNET's videos available to consumers through their on-demand services. Verizon, which currently offers Verizon, FiOS TV in seven states, will also make CNET's video content available to its on-demand subscribers, including product reviews, help and how-to videos, and commentary on breaking news.

Online, CNET TV is also introducing downloadable content, making CNET's videos available to consumers while they are on-the-go. Users can subscribe to a video podcast they've created based on their own play lists or with the existing channels on CNET TV. For example, a person looking to buy a new flat-screen TV could create a playlist with the latest product reviews and tips and tricks from CNET's experts that they can take with them shopping.

"The latest VOD partnerships are further proof of CNET's unique ability to create video programming that helps demystify technology and help people get the most out of their products," said Joe Gillespie, executive vice president of CNET. "With the official launch of CNET TV and these additional partnerships, CNET videos are available everywhere our consumers want – online, offline, and on-the-go."

According to CNET, CNET TV quickly became a popular destination as a result of its unique design and personalization features, which includes a virtual remote control, a "draggable" interface so users can move things around, full-screen playback, playlists, and customizable channels and backgrounds. With more than 30 original videos produced each week and a library of thousands of videos, CNET TV gives people a single destination to easily find the latest videos on their favorite technology products and topics. Since launch, streams have increased 152 percent thanks to popular video features like the Buzz Report, Car Tech, Insider Secrets, Prize Fight and First Look from the Lab that help consumers figure out what gadgets to buy and how to get the most out them.

For more information, check out the CNET press release.

Charter Communications announced last week that it is expanding availability of its converged data, voice and video ("triple-play") services with a network based on the Cisco Systems® Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture.

"The growth of high-speed data, voice, video-on-demand and Gigabit Ethernet multimedia services make the IP delivery network the most critical technology in Charter's delivery of rich content to our customers," said Marwan Fawaz, Charter Communications Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

Charter says its goal is to enhance the customer experience while consolidating and simplifying its communication infrastructure to maximize efficiency and reduce costs, especially when enabling disparate infrastructure technologies to work together. Charter deployed the Cisco® uBR10012 cable modem termination system (CMTS) to maintain the expansion of broadband speeds and to support the company's growth of next-generation Charter Telephone services. Charter also utilizes the Cisco ONS 15454 multiservice transport platform (MSTP) with reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM).

"Charter Communications is at the forefront of providing advanced voice, video and data services for the home and businesses," said Surya Panditi, Cisco Vice President and General Manager, Access and Aggregation Business Unit. "Cisco continues to offer compelling reasons to adopt our industry-leading CMTS and ROADM technologies."

The companies say that Charter customers will get enhanced user experiences when viewing and sharing television content, surfing the web, downloading music and videos, and participating in online gaming.

For more information, check out the press release Charter Communications Enhances Business and Residential Service Delivery With Cisco IP NGN Architecture.

Cinemax is giving Star Wars fans a reason to celebrate as it airs all six Star Wars films back-to-back—in story order—for the first time ever on TV. The Star Wars Weekend Marathon begins at midnight on Nov. 10 and will play throughout the weekend.

Broadcasting in high definition for the first time, the marathon will begin with Episode I: The Phantom Menace, followed by Episode II: Attack of the Clones at 2:20 a.m., and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith following at 4:45 a.m. The classic trilogy airs starting at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday with A New Hope, followed by The Empire Strikes Back at 9:20 a.m., and Return of the Jedi at 11:30 a.m.

For fans who don't want to stay up all night, Cinemax will re-air the prequel trilogy on the evening of Nov. 16, and the original trilogy on Nov. 17. In addition, Cinemax On Demand subscribers will have access to all six films from Nov. 2 to Dec. 28, along with more than a dozen special features and footage including original concept art and other behind-the-scenes material.

To see a complete list of when the movies will air, check out the Cinemax Star Wars schedule.

AT&T recently annouced that announced that it has received four 2006 Global Wholesale Carrier Excellence Awards from ATLANTIC-ACM, a Boston-based telecommunications industry research consultancy. The awards, which are based on customer feedback, were presented at the Competitive Telecommunications Association's (COMPTEL's) Fall 2006 Convention & Expo in Orlando. AT&T received more 2006 Global Wholesale Carrier Excellence awards than any other carrier.

The awards are based on the weighted results of the 2006 edition of ATLANTIC-ACM's Global Wholesale Report Card. The report card analyzes customer feedback in the traditional wholesale telecommunications market as well as in emerging technologies to evaluate the performance of wholesale carriers in key delivery areas.

"We are extremely pleased that the value of the offers we bring to market is being recognized, and as our customers' needs evolve, we will continue to seek ways to meet global requirements," said Sherry Charles, vice president of AT&T Wholesale Marketing, AT&T Enterprise Services, Inc. "These awards demonstrate the solid experience of AT&T's global sales and customer care teams in each segment of the wholesale marketplace that we serve. AT&T is committed to delivering a premier customer service experience through servicing tools, global care solutions and secure Web-based reporting backed by robust service-level agreements and efficient processes."

Now in its sixth year, the ATLANTIC-ACM Global Wholesale Report Card has become the most reliable source of comparable wholesale customer feedback in the telecom industry. The report card will be available in November 2006.

"AT&T had spectacular results this year, not only winning four categories but also improving on its 2005 scores dramatically," said Fedor Smith, vice president of ATLANTIC-ACM. "AT&T's service and quality continued to generate positive feedback from global customers throughout the first year of the completed merger of SBC and AT&T."

Read more in the press release AT&T Wins Four Global Wholesale Carrier Excellence Awards From ATLANTIC-ACM.

Want RED? Soon the RED MOTORAZR V3m will be available nationwide. The new wireless phone was designed exclusively to support (RED), an initiative founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund. The Global Fund is an innovative public-private partnership created to finance a dramatic turnaround in the fight against AIDS in Africa with an emphasis on women and children.

As the exclusive worldwide wireless partner for (RED), Motorola is developing unique products and partnering with leading wireless operators to enable consumers to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. The RED MOTORAZR is the first in a series of products in the U.S. to benefit The Global Fund. Both Motorola and Sprint will contribute directly to the fund with each RED MOTORAZR sold at Sprint.

"Motorola is honored to be associated with (RED), The Global Fund and now Sprint in the drive to help those in Africa affected by HIV/AIDS," said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices. "Together, we are literally placing in people's hands the opportunity to get involved in a meaningful way."

"We are delighted to offer our customers RED MOTORAZR as a way to make a difference in this very important effort," said Mark Schweitzer, chief marketing officer for Sprint. "With the exclusive content available from Sprint, including live television, NFL Mobile and Sprint Music Store, purchasing the RED MOTORAZR is an easy way to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS."

To find out more about (RED) and the availability of the RED MOTORAZR, you can read this Sprint press release.

Hundreds of communities across the country received a helping hand last weekend, as 30,000 Comcast employees, family members and friends volunteered their time on Comcast Cares Day, the company's sixth annual day of service. In all, more than 180,000 volunteer hours were logged on Oct. 7 on projects ranging from beautifying schools, parks and community centers to delivering meals; and from renovating an apartment complex to sprucing up a neighborhood zoo.

For the first time, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Urban League were national partners in Comcast Cares Day, working with the company to co-sponsor projects in 30 communities across the country. Comcast worked with 15 local affiliates of NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, and 15 affiliates of the National Urban League (NUL), the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans.

In recognition of the efforts of Comcast Cares Day volunteers, the Comcast Foundation is donating more than $1.2 million in grants to the nearly 300 partner organizations in 34 states and Washington, D.C.

"For the sixth consecutive year, Comcast employees turned out in force to donate their time on the weekend to make a noticeable, lasting difference in the towns where they live and work," said Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Roberts. "We were particularly honored to have two outstanding organizations, NCLR and the National Urban League, as national partners this year, along with the hundreds of local organizations around the country that work year-round to serve our communities."

In addition to Comcast Cares Day, Comcast employees volunteer year-round with a variety of projects and organizations through the company's Comcast Cares program.

Read more in the Comcast press release.

Atlantic Broadband this week launched Operation Mail Call, a new initiative that provides free high-speed Internet service to customers with an immediate family member serving in the military in the two war zones.

"This is the 21st Century version of the 'mail call' that brightened the wartime experience of U.S. servicemen and women in past decades," said Rich Shea, VP and Chief Information Officer, who conceived of the idea. "Atlantic Broadband's Operation Mail Call will make it possible for our customers—particularly those who otherwise could not afford high-speed Internet service—to exchange e-mail with their loved ones any time of the day or night," Shea said. "And, because of our broadband speed and capacity, they can share photos, video, and even their children's drawings, virtually instantaneously."

Believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, the Operation Mail Call free Internet initiative is available everywhere Atlantic Broadband provides Internet service, including central and western Pennsylvania and nearby areas in West Virginia, western Maryland and western New York State; the Maryland/Delaware peninsula; and several cities in South Florida, including Miami Beach. Atlantic Broadband's technology and communications tools put the company in a unique position to help ease the anxiety of separation that families endure in wartime. It will keep them connected—more often and more immediately.

The company saw the efforts of the U.S. military—as well as groups like We Support You, the Freedom Calls Foundation and the Military Family Association—to provide troops in the field with Internet connections, voice calling and messaging services. But it also recognized a gap here at home, with many families lacking the resources to make the connection from their own homes.

"Customer appreciation offers are nothing new, but this is a very special one for all of us at Atlantic Broadband," Shea noted. "We are privileged to be able to offer this service to the families who are making such a great sacrifice for all of us.

Atlantic Broadband's Operation Mail Call will provide free Internet service to all customer households with an immediate family member—husband, wife, son, daughter, father or mother—stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The household will receive Atlantic Broadband Preferred Service (at up to 3 megabits per second), a free cable modem, up to five separate e-mail accounts, free installation and maintenance. The complimentary service will last as long as the family member is posted in either of the war zones. One household per serviceperson will be eligible.

WhiteFence has been featured on some consumer blogs lately and I've noticed that there are a few questions and concerns that a lot of people have when learning about us for the first time. I thought I would take a few minutes to address some of those questions here in case any of our regular readers (Hi, Mom and Dad!) have the same type of questions.

Why do you need my address?
The prices and services that we offer from our providers vary depending on where you live. Sometimes, they even vary within the same zip code! We want to make sure you get the most accurate information possible before you order services. Your address helps us do that.

What happens to my address information once I enter it? Do you sell it to other companies?
When you enter your address to find information about services available through WhiteFence, your information stays private. We do not sell, rent or give your information away. The only time your information is shared with a service provider is when you complete an order with them. They have to know where you live to set up your service!

Why can I only see certain providers for my area?
We are committed to creating new business and technology partnerships with the best home service providers to make sure you have the most choices available in your area. When you enter your address, our proprietary transaction engine shows you all of the providers and pricing plans available to you through WhiteFence. However, there are areas where we do not have partnerships with certain providers. In those cases, we are not able to connect you to their services.

Why should I use WhiteFence?
Use WhiteFence if you want to save time when moving to a new house or apartment. Instead of calling around to set up or transfer your electricity, phone, cable, Internet, natural gas, newspapers, renters insurance, etc., you can connect them all in one place in just a few minutes. Or use WhiteFence to save money! Take advantage of our comparison shopping if you are adding a new service or unhappy with a provider you are currently using. We want to make it easier for you to get connected to the services you want and need for your home. It really is that simple.

I hope these answer some of your important questions about what we do here at WhiteFence. For more information, see our About Us section. If you still have questions, check out the FAQ section of the Home Services Guide or contact us. You can even comment to this post with your questions. Stephanie and I will do everything we can to answer them. We love to hear from our customers! 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio personality Howard Stern has once again topped the annual list of the most-searched talk radio personalities. The 2006 list marks the sixth consecutive year that Stern has been the No. 1 most-searched talk radio personality with web users.

The annual list is based on The LYCOS 50, an authoritative weekly list of the most popular people, places and things web users search for every day. Stern generated 232 percent more online interest than Adam Corolla, who is ranked No. 2 on this year's list.

In January 2006, Stern left his long and dominating reign in terrestrial radio to broadcast exclusively on SIRIUS. Web users have continued to express their interest in the "king of all media" by searching more for him on the web than for any other talk radio personality, including Rush Limbaugh, Don Imus, Oprah Winfrey, Sean Hannity, Tom Joyner, among others. In addition, according to Lycos, search activity for SIRIUS Satellite Radio increased 1,300 percent in 2005 and another 128 percent in 2006, due in part to Stern.

ComEd is reminding customers now is a good time to prepare their homes for the upcoming winter heating season. Because more efficient energy use can result in lower monthly bills, the company released the following suggestions for customers to follow for increased comfort and savings this winter:

• Have home heating systems cleaned and inspected by a professional each year to ensure safety and optimum efficiency. Be sure to change the heater's filter prior to the heating season, and check its condition monthly.
• Buy an insulating wrap for home water heaters, and make sure water pipes and exterior walls are well insulated. Insulation is a cost- effective way to increase the home's comfort and energy efficiency.      
• Inspect the caulking and weather-stripping around all windows, door and any openings for utility services. Replace caulking and weather stripping as necessary. A drafty house lets warm air escape and is much more costly to keep warm.
• Clean or vacuum all heating vents. This allows air to flow more efficiently through the home. Also, be sure heating vents are not covered by furniture or window drapes.
• Remove window air conditioners if possible, or install an air conditioner cover to eliminate drafts.
• Keep fireplace dampers closed tightly when not in use.
• Reverse the rotation of ceiling fan blades. During the winter, blades should spin so the warm air that has risen can be re-distributed around the room.
• Open blinds or curtains of sun-exposed rooms during the day to allow solar heating to warm the rooms. Close them at night to keep heat in the house.
• Install an ENERGYSTAR® Programmable thermostat, which will automatically adjust your home's temperature when you are sleeping or at work. ENERGYSTAR® thermostats are pre-programmed with four  temperature settings, which you can modify to suit your lifestyle. Be sure the thermostat you purchase is compatible with your heating system.
• Switch to more energy efficient lighting—such as CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs), which use up to 66 percent less energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard incandescent light bulbs.

"Energy conservation doesn't have to be expensive. Customers can stay warm this winter and save by using these easy low-cost steps," said ComEd President J. Barry Mitchell. "Efficient energy usage will produce annual cost savings for customers."

Read more in the official ComEd press release.

XM Satellite Radio and Acura recently announced the first complimentary satellite radio service program for Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles. Beginning this fall, Acura will offer three months of complimentary XM service on CPO Acura models with factory-installed XM Satellite Radio, including: RL, TL, TSX and MDX. Acura currently inspects, certifies and remarkets more than 35,000 previously-owned vehicles per year, with approximately one-third featuring standard XM Satellite Radio, a rate that will grow over time as XM continues to be offered as standard equipment across Acura models.

"Acura's CPO program will introduce XM Satellite Radio to a new and growing category of customers," said Steve Cook, executive vice president, Automotive, XM Satellite Radio. "XM's reach will now extend to Acura's pre- owned customers who seek the same high performance standards and quality as they have come to expect with a brand new Acura."

"Whether they choose to invest in a new or Acura Certified Pre-Owned vehicle, our customers get an ownership experience that is second to none," said Dan Crowe, Automobile Remarketing Manager for Acura. "With the expansion of XM Satellite Radio to our entire 2007 new model line, it's only fitting that we also offer the nation's leading satellite radio service to our Certified Pre-Owned customers."

Every CPO Acura originally equipped with XM Satellite Radio will be available with three months of complimentary XM service and a waived activation fee. All Acura CPO Vehicles also come standard with a Certified Limited Warranty (12 months/12,000 miles) and a 7-year/100,000 mile Powertrain Limited Warranty.

Read more in the XM Satellite Radio press release.

Earlier this month, the White House honored five energy management teams from the Departments of Defense, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service for their dedication and leadership in the conservation and prudent management of energy use in their facilities and operations. These teams, including 49 federal employees and contractors, are responsible for efforts that have resulted in estimated annual savings of more than $12 million and 417 billion Btu, equivalent to the energy used in approximately 6,000 typical homes.

"These leaders deserve recognition for their innovative work in energy efficiency and management across the government," OMB Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson said.  "Finding alternative and renewable sources of energy is a priority for this Administration.  These cutting-edge projects have produced results that have saved taxpayers millions of dollars, and are great examples of what the rest of the Federal government and the entire country need to do to help increase economic and energy security."

The Presidential Awards for Leadership in Federal Energy Management, established by Executive Order 13123, support President Bush's National Energy Policy, which calls for America to modernize conservation efforts, increase energy supplies, accelerate the protection and improvement of the environment, and increase our nation's energy security.  The Policy specifically directs Executive Branch departments and agencies to conserve energy use in their facilities.  The Energy Policy Act of 2005 also calls on the federal government to reduce its energy intensity by 2 percent each year, and requires that the Federal government purchase at least 7.5 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2013.

The Awards were selected from nominations submitted by the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program to the Office of Management and Budget's Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson, who reviewed the nominations and recommended the award recipients to the President.  Recognized at the seventh annual ceremony were energy teams from the Navy, Marine Corps, Social Security Administration, and U.S. Postal Service.

For more information, visit www.energy.gov.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced the launch of SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR), a CD-quality, Internet-only version of its rapidly growing satellite radio service. SIR delivers more than 75 channels of SIRIUS programming, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of $12.95. To mark the availability of SIR, listeners on SIRIUS.com will be able to hear The Howard Stern Show and Stern's two 24/7 channels for free on Oct. 25 and 26th, as well as enjoy SIRIUS' channels of 100% commercial-free music, talk, entertainment, and sports.

For those two days, Stern will deliver his daily uncensored four hour-plus show, the show he was meant to do after 20 years on terrestrial radio.

Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS President, Entertainment and Sports, said, "Howard being available live for the first time ever to a worldwide audience is an unprecedented event in the history of radio. Listeners can now get what they have been missing: Howard at the top of his game and more than 75 channels of The Best Radio on Radio. It's now The Best Radio on the Internet."

SIR is perfect for those who want the variety of programming SIRIUS is known for but without the radio. Whether at home or the office, SIR is accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection. Subscribers to the Internet-only service will be able to hear all of SIRIUS' 100% commercial-free music channels in CD-quality audio and select sports, entertainment, and talk channels, including The Howard Stern Show, Howard 100 and Howard 101.

"Listening to SIRIUS is now more convenient than ever, and there is no other Internet radio service that provides its listeners with our exclusive mix of commercial-free music and dynamic talk, entertainment, and sports programming," said SIRIUS' Greenstein.

SIRIUS Internet Radio consists of over 75 channels, including 64 100% commercial free music channels. SIRIUS is the exclusive home of Elvis Radio, Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, Little Steven's Underground Garage channel, Eminem's Shade 45, BBC Radio 1, and the Metropolitan Opera Radio channel, as well as Rolling Stones Radio and The Who channel, and unique shows such as Nordic Rox, spotlighting Scandinavian music, and David Johansen's Mansion of Fun, playing eclectic free-form music.

SIRIUS' online offerings include SIRIUS Football Radio, channel 124, the only 24/7 year-round radio channel devoted to pro football, providing the most comprehensive, in-depth radio coverage with daily live shows hosted by an exceptional lineup that includes Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Randy Cross, Daryl Johnston, Tiki and Ronde Barber, Keyshawn Johnson and others.

In talk programming, SIR features, besides The Howard Stern Show and Howard 100 and Howard 101, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Maxim Radio, COSMO Radio, Playboy Radio and the nation's first and only gay and lesbian radio channel, SIRIUS OutQ. Political talk radio enthusiasts can choose from SIRIUS Left and SIRIUS Patriot. Listeners can call in to speak with exclusive SIRIUS talk hosts such as Deepak Chopra, Judith Regan, Candace Bushnell, Richard Simmons and Sen. Bill Bradley on SIRIUS Stars, along with upcoming shows from Barbara Walters and Jane Pratt.

To find out how to sign up for this service, you can read this SIRIUS press release.

According to CNet News, the Federal Communications Commission has canceled its meeting in which it was supposed to vote on the proposed $80 billion merger of AT&T and BellSouth.

The FCC had planned to vote on the merger during its regular open meeting on Thursday, but removed it from the agenda and postponed the vote until Friday.

The apparent cause of the first postponement was the FCC split between Democrats and Republicans on the merger. Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican, had been pushing for the deal to be approved without any restrictions, according to CNet sources. But the two Democratic commissioners, Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps, were upset over the Department of Justice unconditional approval of the merger earlier this week.

In an effort to sway the Democrats to their side, AT&T apparently submitted alternative proposals to the FCC on Thursday, according to a story first published by Reuters. Even though the Republicans control the commission with three of five seats, it's crucial for at least one of the two Democrats to approve the merger, since one of the Republicans, Robert McDowell, has said he will not vote on the merger, because he had worked for a group that represents competitors to AT&T and BellSouth before joining the FCC.

"We firmly believe, as do three foreign countries, 18 state commissions and the Department of Justice—every regulatory or legal entity that had an obligation to examine the benefits of this merger—that no conditions on this merger are necessary for this combination to be a public benefit," said Michael Balmoris, an AT&T spokesman. "However, we are open to discussing with the Democratic FCC commissioners reasonable conditions on the merger in order to obtain unanimous approval, so long as they do not affect our ability to deliver merger benefits to customers and shareowners."

For more information, check out the article FCC vote on AT&T/BellSouth merger postponed.

Small-business owners with a diversity background can learn how to make technology work for them in a series of free workshops next month sponsored by SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" and Verizon Communications. 

The goal of the workshops is to increase small-business owners' understanding of technology and how it can improve their business' competitive edge. 

The workshops, entitled Building Your Small Business with Telecom Innovations, will be held Nov. 14 in Huntington Beach, Nov. 15 in Santa Monica and Nov. 16 in Ontario. The workshops are free but pre-registration is required through SCORE chapter Web sites.

The half-day events will feature presentations on small-business technology use, including trends, strategies and implications for growth; demonstrations of computer-based phone systems, network security, data recovery and business continuity protection; and vendor and supplier diversity programs for small businesses. 

In addition, there will be a question-and-answer session on small business and supplier diversity programs featuring representatives from local corporations and public entities. Each workshop will conclude with a roundtable discussion and an opportunity for one-on-one conversations with representatives from large businesses located in the communities where each workshop will be held. 

Funded by a $250,000 grant from Verizon, these are the first of a series of workshops that SCORE plans to offer to local minority-owned small businesses. 

Two months ago, a federal appeals court blocked a trial judge's order that would have required DISH Network to disable more than 3 million digital video recorders. Last week, the U.S. District Court of Appeals agreed that the DVRs can stay in operation while the direct-broadcast satellite provider appeals the original court injunction.

"We are pleased the Federal Court found that [DISH Network parent company] EchoStar has a 'substantial case on the merits' and blocked the Texas decision for the duration of the appeal," said the company in reponse to the court ruling. "This action by the Federal Court reinforces our belief that the Texas court made significant errors during the trial process and we look forward to complete vindication of our position."

TiVo sued the satellite TV service provider in 2004, alleging that EchoStar and certain subsidiaries violated a TiVo patent related to the storage and playback of television. A jury ruled in April that EchoStar infringed on Tivo's patented TV-viewing technology in making set-top boxes for its customers.

In August, the federal district court judge who presided over the jury trial issued the injunction against EchoStar, ordering it to pay TiVo $89.6 million in damages—more than the $74 million awarded by the jury. EchoStar had secured a temporary stay of the injunction, but this week's stay will be in place as long as the DBS company pursues its appeal.

In their official statement in response to the ruling, Tivo said, "We are confident that the jury's decision in TiVo's favor will be upheld once the Federal Circuit has the opportunity to review the entire record in this case. It is important to note that most injunctions in patent cases are stayed pending appeal, and the appeal itself will be decided on a totally different standard of review."

For more information, check out the Bloomberg article EchoStar Can Sell Digital Recorder During TiVo Appeal.

The Comcast Foundation recently announced a $50,000 grant for a literacy program to LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC). The LNESC is a national, non-profit, community-based organization established by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), whose mission is to educate and prepare America's future workforce through intensive educational programming and leadership development training. Support of LNESC's "Accelerated Program" reinforces Comcast's continued commitment to improving educational opportunities for the Hispanic community.

The project will be implemented in three Comcast markets; the La Villita neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois; Balboa Park in San Francisco, California; and Pueblo, Colorado. The "Accelerated Reader" program will serve approximately 180 participants, 90 elementary school children and 90 parents. LNESC's supplementary services are considered an integral part of the education system in these neighborhoods because they face high rates for poverty, school drop out, and unemployment.

"Comcast is proud to support this important program, which provides essential literacy tools to individuals furthering their education," said David L. Cohen, executive vice president for Comcast and chairman of the Comcast Foundation. "Ultimately, providing support to organizations such as LNESC will expand the opportunities available to the Hispanic community and contribute to the success of those who participate in their programs."

For more information, check out the press release The Comcast Foundation Supports LULAC's Education of Latino Youth.

A new survey, sponsored by Embarq Corporation in conjunction with the nonprofit Home Safety Council® (HSC), revealed that despite recent emphasis on the need for families to prepare for emergencies, many households in the Carolinas lack key components of good emergency planning. The survey of mothers and their third-or fourth- grade children in EMBARQ service areas found that 40 percent of mothers said their family does not have a family emergency communication plan and nearly half do not carry an ID card with essential contact information.

To help people prepare and have crucial information available at all times, HSC and EMBARQ have created wallet-sized emergency communication cards. The free cards include space to list important phone numbers and medical information. Each card comes in a small, sealable plastic bag to help protect it from water damage. The cards are available at EMBARQ™ Retail Stores and online at the EMBARQ Web site.

"When an emergency occurs, the first thing people often reach for is a phone to call their loved ones. As a communication company we can help people prepare, especially when staying connected by phone may be an individual's lifeline," said Harry Campbell, president of consumer markets, EMBARQ. "This is why EMBARQ and the Home Safety Council have developed these free wallet-sized cards."

Fr more information, check out the Carolina Newswire article EMBARQ, Home Safety Council help people stay connected during emergencies.

Alcatel recently announced it has now surpassed 100 million DSL lines shipped, doubling its total shipments since October 2004.

Ten years after pioneering the broadband access market, Alcatel says it continues to set the pace for the industry with its ISAM product family, a purpose-built 100 percent triple play IP access solution, which 100 new customers have selected in the past two years. In addition, 16 of the top 20 DSL operators in the world are utilizing Alcatel's broadband access solutions. Moreover, 17 operators are also engaged with Alcatel in GPON projects in all regions.

"Alcatel, in surpassing the 100 million DSL line shipment milestone, has set a new benchmark for DSL access vendors, a feat which is especially impressive given the increasing competitive pressures in this market," said Erik M. Keith, Senior Analyst for Broadband Infrastructure at Current Analysis Moreover. "Alcatel's continuing ability to retain its global DSL market leadership, and set new quarterly and annual DSL port shipment records in the process, is a testament to Alcatel's corporate fortitude as well as its long-term commitment to the global broadband access market. This achievement also highlights Alcatel's success in the IP DSLAM sector, where the Company has garnered more than 100 ISAM customers to date."

Market Watch is reporting that the AT&T-BellSouth merger delay will end soon. According to the business news site, the Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a vote for Oct. 12 at the behest of Chairman Kevin Martin, who has insisted on trying to meet the agency's informal 180-day deadline on reviewing proposed mergers.

However, the deal also has to win approval from the Justice Department's antitrust division. While the two agencies tend to consult each other through the review process and Justice typically issues its ruling several days or weeks before the FCC, there have been exceptions. The most notable occuring when the FCC was the first agency to block the DIRECTV-Dish Network merger a few years ago.

According to Market Watch, regulatory analysts have long predicted that the AT&T-BellSouth merger would pass regulatory muster with few conditions attached because the companies do not compete in many markets and they co-own Cingular Wireless, the nation's biggest mobile company. The merger has already won approval in all U.S. states in which the two companies have a large presences, as well as the foreign countries in which AT&T operates.

For more information, check out the article AT&T-BellSouth merger set for vote.

EMBARQ recently announced that Jessica Velasquez has been chosen as EMBARQ's National Service Hero.

During National Customer Service Week Oct. 2-6, EMBARQ recognizes eleven Service Heroes from among 3,000 customer service representatives for going the extra mile to provide outstanding care to local residential customers. From the ten finalists, a team of executives chose Velasquez as the overall EMBARQ National Service Hero.

Velasquez, an Embarq associate for three years, has received many unsolicited customer commendations on her service skills while serving in the Altamonte Springs call center. According to customer surveys, Velasquez has successfully resolved customer issues on the first call on nearly 96 percent of her calls this year.

"EMBARQ is fortunate to have hundreds of representatives whose work with our customers qualifies them as 'service heroes,' so the selection process was difficult," said Gerald Piper, director of EMBARQ call centers - east region. "Jessica is a shining example of what EMBARQ looks for in a representative. She is committed to providing exceptional customer service on every call and has a consistently positive, upbeat attitude that permeates throughout the Altamonte Springs call center."

Bob Sloboda, vice president of sales and service for Sprint's Consumer Markets Group, announced Velasquez's selection today at the EMBARQ Call Center, 850 East Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, Fla. Velasquez received a $500 gift certificate, a trophy and a bouquet of flowers for being named the National Service Hero and other prizes for being one of the ten Service Heroes. The call center managers took all customer service representatives to lunch as a "thank you" for their commitment to EMBARQ customers.

"Jessica's efforts stand out from a hard-working group of associates who go the extra mile to provide the best customer service possible," Sloboda said. "The results she delivers everyday are based on attitude, patience, communication and confidence. Her commitment to friendly service is appreciated all year long, but especially during National Customer Service Week."

Read more about the award in the EMBARQ press release.

The Federal Communications Commission announced last week that it has ended its investigation into Time Warner Cable's decision to drop the NFL Network back in August without providing appropriate notice to subscribers. At the time, the FCC ordered Time Warner Cable to reinstate the NFL Network while it investigated a complaint issued by NFL Enterprises over the issue.

The FCC reached a consent decree in which Time Warner Cable agreed that it violated an FCC rule that requires cable operators to provide customers 30 days' notice before deleting a channel. The agency said it would take no action against the company and closed the investigation.

While Time Warner Cable is still in talks with the NFL Network, no agreement has been reached. The network is hoping to complete a distribution deal before its package of live Thursday and Saturday night National Football League games launches on Thanksgiving night.

For more on the issue, check out the Digital Pro Sound article Dressler's Last Play: NFL Network Talks.

AT&T Inc. recently entered a new contract with the state of Indiana for a suite of voice, data and networking services worth approximately $22 million over four years.

Under the terms of the contract, AT&T will expand its existing relationship with the state of Indiana by delivering a Dedicated Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) ring, which is an optical-fiber network backbone; GigaMAN® service, which is a dedicated fiber-optic Ethernet service; Managed Internet Service (MIS); AT&T Frame Relay service; and AT&T Managed Care, which provides Lifecycle Management of the entire solution.

Together, these services will provide a statewide, cost-efficient and managed communications network that encompasses the secure transport of voice, video and data. This contract will enable the state of Indiana to coordinate and manage the deployment of services to all state branch locations through a single, integrated network.

The unified network, which aligns with AT&T's convergence strategy, will also help improve state agency and employee communications. In addition, AT&T will support the management and maintenance of the services for improved customer service and cost control.

"We needed a single, cost-effective solution to support our voice- and data-networking needs and to help us operate more efficiently," said Gerry Weaver, chief technology officer, state of Indiana. "We're confident that AT&T is capable of delivering the right solution to meet all of our communications and networking needs here and across the state."

Knology announced this week that it will extend its sponsorship of the Montgomery Biscuits through the year 2010. The AA minor league baseball team has enjoyed a partnership with Knology for the past three years.

Knology continues to hold a strong presence at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Biscuits. From their Tug of War and Call to the Bull Pen to Scoreboard Displays and Knology Give a Way Day, the company is very involved in the team's local initiatives and community spirit. Knology also provides the stadium, offices and luxury suites with Knology Phone, Internet and Cable TV services.

"The Biscuits needed a large amount of direct high-speed bandwidth as well as high-volume telephone access. Not only did we get what we needed in our contract, but we also received more for our dollar," said Sherrie Myers, Co-Owner of Professional Sports Marketing. "Knology offers a depth of infrastructure to Central Alabama, allowing them to deliver on business' unique needs."

The Biscuits, just three years into its franchise, recently won the 2006 AA Southern League Championship. The team continues to break attendance records and merchandizing sales records for all of minor league baseball. In addition, Baseball America recently named the Biscuits the AA Team of the Year.

"Our association with Pro Sports Marketing and the Biscuits has been a great success for Knology," said Art Loescher, Knology General Manager. "Our Value System dovetails perfectly with the Biscuits and the entire Riverwalk Stadium experience."

Read more about the Mongtomery Biscuits at their official site.

XM launched a multi-platform marketing and branding campaign this week, the first from the company's new advertising agency for creative, Lowe New York. The new campaign will be integrated across an extensive marketing plan that includes network and cable television, print, interactive, direct marketing, retail and automotive channels.

Consumers can see the new creative campaign featured in a series of television commercials that incorporates the XM logo "sound waves" in unique ways along with simple, line art drawings animated against a black backdrop and pulsing music. The first two spots, "Switch" and "Hair," were set to debut the beginning of this week.

"Switch," is set to music from emerging artist Regina Spektor's single "Better," and reveals the world of XM to be "Surprising. New. Amazing." "Hair" follows the signature "waves" of XM's logo on a journey across the XM music dial, with music from Johnny Cash, punk band The Circle Jerks, Beethoven, 80's group Flock of Seagulls, Snoop Dogg and classical opera composer Ruggiero Leoncavallo. Both spots end with the line, "170 channels to find what turns you on. Are you on?"

"With our new campaign, Lowe succeeded in finding an elegant and flexible way to communicate XM's core consumer appeal of choice, simplicity and fun—all at the touch of a button," said Nate Davis, President & COO, XM Satellite Radio.

"When you have the kind of innovative client that we have in XM, there's no limit to what an agency can do to impact their business," said Nancy Hill, CEO, Lowe New York. "XM represents a significant opportunity for us to demonstrate the way that Lowe is working these days: collaborative, flexible and responsive teams that generate bigger ideas and fantastic creative work across an infinite option of communications channels. We couldn't be happier."

Read more in the XM Satellite Radio press release.

BellSouth and Protection One, Inc. have announced an agreement to deliver security services to planned residential communities in the BellSouth region. The joint sales and marketing arrangement is an expansion of the existing relationship between BellSouth and Protection One formed in 2001 to market security systems to residents and business owners in the southeastern United States. BellSouth® Security Systems from Protection One® currently provides intrusion, heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detection equipment and related services to customers in 18 cities.

"Security is a critical element in new and existing communities, and BellSouth can now deliver a package of voice, video, data and security that is attractive to developers and residents," said Phil Jacobs, president, BellSouth Community Technologies. "BellSouth continues to pursue relationships with industry leaders to develop broad solutions that meet the needs of its customers."

BellSouth Community Technologies is BellSouth's most recently formed business unit, established last year. The new organization focuses on alliances with developers and owners of single family planned communities, apartments, and condos to develop technology deployment plans and to promote and offer one-stop shopping for BellSouth's full range of communications and entertainment services. This agreement provides for the inclusion of BellSouth Security Systems from Protection One in BellSouth's portfolio of services designed for planned communities.

Protection One is the leading provider of security amenities to the multifamily housing market and will market BellSouth Security Systems from Protection One through Protection One's Network Multifamily division as part of this new arrangement.

"We believe adding our expertise as the leading provider of multihousing security to the comprehensive services already offered by BellSouth will be a tremendous benefit to builders and developers, greatly assisting in streamlining the completion of their jobs," said Richard Ginsburg, president and chief executive officer, Protection One. "We continue to look for ways to further expand our relationship with BellSouth, combining both companies' ingenuity in services and marketing to offer high quality products to broader audiences."

Sony has announced the first titles that it will release on 50 GB Blu-ray discs. Some of these first movies will be "Click", "Black Hawk Down" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". Fifty GB allow for Sony to offer some special features on these new discs, including high definition, improved audio and more additional commentary. Keep an eye out for when these discs will be released.

Verizon Business announced today the expansion of its information technology support services to provide large-business and government customers with Managed Desktop Service, a comprehensive round-the-clock management and maintenance of desktop computers, printers, mobile devices and other equipment.

Managed Desktop Service is provided via the Verizon Business IT Service Desk, which is staffed by skilled consultants who can provide help by phone in English and Spanish. In addition, more than 4,000 field technicians, dispatched from locations throughout the United States, are available to provide in-person assistance when necessary. This support enables companies to refocus their technology resources and expertise on core business activities and improve workforce productivity.

"We already provide managed services for our customers' networks and computer operating systems," said Jim DeMerlis, vice president, managed services marketing, Verizon Business. "This expansion enables us to now deliver support for everything from the server, to the network, all the way down to the desktop.

"By working with Verizon Business, a recognized industry leader in the delivery of managed services, enterprises no longer have to leave desktop maintenance, management and, most importantly, security to chance," DeMerlis added.

According to industry experts, the growing complexity of technology tools used by today's on-the-go employees, who often work off-site, has significantly increased the information technology workloads within businesses. Companies that cannot manage this increased workload in-house, leave themselves more vulnerable to system malfunctions and security breaches.

Headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., Windstream Communications offers phone, broadband and digital TV services. Windstream was formed through the spin-off of Alltel's landline business and merger with VALOR Telecom. Windstream has approximately 3.3 million access lines in 16 states. Currently, local phone, long distance, and broadband service categories are available through WhiteFence: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. We are looking to launch bundled offers in the coming weeks.

Unveiling an online hub designed to host tailgaters, music fans, gaming junkies and even the celebrity-obsessed, AT&T Inc. announced today the joining of AT&T's exclusive music, sports and other entertainment content — including a new Internet gaming portal—through a single online gate, an updated AT&T blue room.

The new AT&T blue room builds on the success of several content-driven properties developed by AT&T over the past two years, including AT&T blue room music, AT&T Home Turf and AT&T Project D.U. These groundbreaking online portals feature exclusive content—such as live performances, candid interviews and celebrity athlete home tours, as well as unedited commentary on everything from music to politics to celebrities as part of a strategic initiative to link the AT&T brand to premier communications and entertainment experiences. Since January 2006, these sites have fueled the sale of key products and services, such as AT&T Yahoo!^® High-Speed Internet and Cingular Wireless.

"As we've executed and expanded this strategy, we've been able to turn an interesting and innovative concept into an online phenomena, attracting enthusiasts of all stripes who are now regularly visiting these AT&T sites looking for content they can't get elsewhere," said Mikal Harn, vice president, AT&T Consumer. "Aggregating the properties instead of hosting them in silos will enable us to deliver a richer experience to current visitors while attracting new ones. For example, users with multiple interests can more easily toggle from one topic to the next, and music fans who have gaming friends can help build word-of-mouth buzz for blue room content."

Evidence gathered by EarthLink's fraud and abuse team has led to the arrest of individuals who allegedly sent over 25,000 e-mail messages using PeoplePC accounts. PeoplePC is a leading provider of high-quality, value-priced Internet service and subsidiary of EarthLink.

R. Alexander Acosta, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has charged Jared Cosgrave and Mohammed Haque with fraud and related activity in connection with electronic mail in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act. Both have pled guilty to the charge filed.

"Spammers who set up PeoplePC accounts for the sole purpose of sending spam will be dealt with harshly. EarthLink is committed to cracking down on any abuse of our networks," said Lindsey Wegrzyn, EarthLink's operations security enforcement advisor. "We commend the South Florida Attorney General's Office and Miami FBI for helping to shut down this spamming operation."

The arrests and charges come after a month long investigation last year by EarthLink's fraud and abuse team. In November of 2005, the team discovered thousands of unsolicited e-mails with the subject lines "I'm finally back home" and "I just got back in town." They also became aware of another stream of messages promoting herbal supplements.

Upon further investigation, the abuse team determined that both types of e-mails were being sent through PeoplePC accounts originating from Miami, Florida. The team acted quickly to close the accounts and alert the FBI. FBI agents tracked the source of the emails and a search warrant was issued that led to arrests of the alleged spammers.

"Having the support of EarthLink's fraud and abuse team is one more reason that PeoplePC is able to deliver high quality, value-priced Internet service," said David Rowland, PeoplePC's group vice president and general manager. "Catching spammers who sent thousands of e-mail messages using a PeoplePC account is key to helping our 1.4 million members have a hassle-free Internet experience."

EarthLink continues to take a tough stance toward spammers. Since 1996, the company has sued hundreds of spammers and won more than $200 million in judgments, including two criminal convictions against spammers who received prison sentences for their offenses.

Recognizing that Halloween is one of the most popular days of the year for taking pictures, Sprint and Fuji Photo Film, U.S.A., Inc., are adding to the fun by sponsoring the Picture Perfect Halloween Photo Contest.

Now through Nov. 12, consumers can submit photos in a variety of Halloween-themed categories for a chance to win a grand-prize trip for four to HERSHEYPARK in Pennsylvania for the Hershey Trick or Treat Adventure in 2007. The first-, second- and third-place prizes in each category, respectively, are a Fujifilm FinePix F30 digital camera, a FUSIC™ by LG® camera phone and 100 YourStamps, personalized postage made with customers' own photos.

"Halloween is a festive holiday that presents many opportunities to snap colorful and fun photos that will be cherished forever," said Joellyn Gray, director of consumer print marketing, Fujifilm USA. "For years, Fujifilm and Sprint have offered great products and services that enable people to capture, share and print their pictures, no matter where they are. This contest affords a creative environment for people to share these images online as well as the opportunity to win terrific prizes."

To enter, Halloween lovers can go to http://www.HalloweenPhotoContest.com to register and submit photos and vote on other entries. The Web site is also full of information for creating a spook-tacular Halloween, including great recipes, decorating ideas, collectible famous monster portraits, photo-taking tips from the New York Institute of Photography, scary stories and a map of haunted places across the United States.

Sprint customers can also enter photos, view others' entries and vote on them right from their Sprint phones. Customers can also register for the contest at Sprint stores.

Two months after the integration of Southern California's Adelphia and Comcast operations, Time Warner Cable announced a series of product and customer service improvements to its acquired systems. Starting next month, Time Warner Cable Los Angeles Region will roll out a regionwide standardized digital channel line-up, new genre-based programming blocks, additional high-definition channels and ethnic-language networks, 100 percent digital picture and sound, the launch of new High-Speed Online packages, the start of e-mail domain name changes, and the beginning of Digital Phone launches.

To assist customers during this major transition, Time Warner Cable has launched a comprehensive customer communication campaign consisting of television, radio, outdoor and print advertising. Customers also will receive direct mail, bill inserts and e-mail messages to ensure each customer is aware of the myriad changes.

"Today's announcement is a first step in Time Warner Cable's commitment to offer consumers the best in cable products and services," said Roger Keating, Executive Vice President, Time Warner Cable. "We know from customer feedback and proven successes in other parts of the county that customers want more quality programming that's value driven and rich with choice. These enhancements are designed to address these customer needs."

To see if service is available in your area, visit the Time Warner Cable information page.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio recently announced that it ended the third quarter with 5,119,308 subscribers, 135 percent above third quarter 2005 ending subscribers of 2,173,920. SIRIUS added 441,101 net subscribers in the third quarter of 2006, a 23 percent increase over year-ago third quarter net subscriber additions. SIRIUS has led the satellite radio industry in net subscriber additions for four consecutive quarters, with 61 percent of total satellite radio net additions in the third quarter of 2006. The company also reiterated its projection of 6.3 million subscribers by year-end 2006.

For more information, check out the press release SIRIUS Satellite Radio Passes 5.1 Million Subscribers.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), saving $30, and protecting the environment, can be as easy as changing a light bulb. They say that if every American household changed a single light bulb to an Energy Star bulb, it would provide enough power to light more than 2.5 million homes, while saving consumers money.

"Change A Light, Change The World," which began on Oct. 4, is an annual campaign by EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) that encourages Americans to replace a conventional bulb or fixture in the home or workplace with one that has earned the government's Energy Star label for energy efficiency. This year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is joining the campaign to extend its reach.

"Simply replacing a normal light bulb with an Energy Star bulb not only protects the environment and saves energy, but it will also help families save on their utility bills," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "HUD is especially concerned with the impact of utility costs on affordable housing. Low and moderate-income families spend a disproportionately large share of their incomes on utilities and are particularly vulnerable to spikes in energy costs."

Energy Star qualified bulbs and fixtures use one-third the energy of traditional models and last up to 10 times longer. In fact, consumers can save more than $30 in utility costs over the lifetime of one bulb. Replacing the most frequently used lights at home will yield the most savings.

Individuals who pledged during last year's "Change a Light, Change the World" Campaign will prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to nearly 3,000 vehicles and save $2 million in energy costs.

Consumers are invited to visit the Energy Star Web site to join the more than 110,000 who have pledged to replace at least one light at home, and see the positive difference even small energy-saving actions at home can make.

In a recent keynote address at the annual conference sponsored by the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council, Verizon Telecom Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Bob Ingalls said their competiitors are coming up short on their "me-too" claims of offering a fiber-rich network for high-speed Internet and TV service.

"As the FTTH Council has already acknowledged, Verizon is the only major provider in the country that is building and offering service over an all-fiber network," Ingalls said.  "The claims by the competition — most notably the cable industry—that they offer a similar fiber-dense network fall a mile short—the last mile."

In September, the FTTH Council announced that Verizon has earned the council's first certification for a network that provides fiber all the way to customers' homes and offices.

In his presentation, Ingalls outlined Verizon's plans for building the nation's largest all-fiber network, including an $18 billion net investment over a seven-year period (2004-2010). Verizon told investors and analysts last week that it plans to pass 18 million premises with its fiber network by the end of 2010—more than half the approximately 33 million households in the company's 28-state wireline service area.  The company is on target to pass 6 million households by the end of this year.

Verizon is also seeing strong customer demand for FiOS TV, which was launched in its first market just over a year ago.  By the end of the third quarter of 2006, Verizon expects to have more than 100,000 FiOS TV customers, and the company estimates that about two-thirds of FiOS TV customers have discontinued their cable TV service.

Verizon has set a target of 175,000 FiOS TV customers by year-end 2006 and making the service available to 1.8 million households.  This would be a market penetration rate of approximately 10 percent.  More than 1 million households are already currently eligible to purchase FiOS TV services, due to Verizon's progress in obtaining state and local cable franchises.

Verizon's goal is for FiOS TV to have a market penetration rate that ranges from 20 percent to 25 percent by 2010—or from 3 million to 4 million FiOS TV customers—based on its estimate that approximately 15 million households will be video-ready by then.

Nearly 80 percent of FiOS TV customers have purchased three services—voice, data and video—from Verizon, with customer loyalty that has exceeded the company's initial expectations.

"Verizon's FiOS Internet services continue to gain market share with unmatched reliability and speeds that make applications like photo and video sharing, blogging, digital movie downloads, video chat and conferencing, and interactive multi-player games a part of everyday living," Ingalls said. "Meanwhile FiOS TV is setting the pace for signal clarity, HD channel lineup and video on demand, all at competitive prices."

For more information, check out the Verizon press release.

The National Hockey League (NHL) returned to the ice on October 4, and hockey fans nationwide can tune into XM Satellite Radio for live games, plus the nation's only hockey talk radio channel, "Home Ice."

XM will broadcast more than 1,100 live NHL games during the 2006-2007 season. NHL games can be heard on the Home Ice channel (XM 204) and the NHL Hockey Play-by-Play channels 205 through 209. The upcoming NHL season marks the second year of a 10-year partnership between the league and XM. XM will be the exclusive satellite radio network of the NHL starting next season.

"XM has the most hockey coverage that has ever been broadcast on the radio," said Kevin Straley, vice president, talk programming, XM Satellite Radio. "You can listen to games for every NHL team. You can hear the latest hockey news on Home Ice. And since XM is available from coast to coast, you can follow the action virtually anyplace across the country. XM makes it possible for you to tune into the NHL in your car, at home, or on the go. We've got hockey season covered from opening day to the Stanley Cup final."

For more information, check out the XM Radio press release.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, more than 30,000 Comcast employees and their families will be volunteering with almost 300 community organizations in 34 states and the District of Columbia as part of one of the largest single-day corporate volunteer efforts in the United States, the sixth annual Comcast Cares Day. Comcast employees and their families will donate 180,000 volunteer hours of service, or the equivalent of more than 86 person-years of community service, in one day.

"At Comcast, we appreciate how incredibly important community service is to the health and well-being of the neighborhoods we serve," said Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian L. Roberts. "Our employees and their families have generously given of their time and talents to help improve their communities. We're very proud of their contributions, and are delighted to be working with almost 300 partner groups throughout the country to make this year's Comcast Cares Day a resounding success."

Comcast Cares Day is a company-wide day of service in which Comcast employees and their families volunteer on the same day in their local communities. Local Comcast management teams work with civic leaders to identify non-profit partner organizations and projects that address specific needs in cities and towns across the country.

Comcast's employee volunteers will represent all sectors of the Comcast Family of Companies, from its corporate headquarters in Philadelphia to its local cable offices and the company's content businesses.

The Comcast Foundation will also donate more than one million dollars in grants to the local community partner organizations on behalf of each employee and family member who volunteered on Comcast Cares Day. These partner grants are to help Comcast's community partners continue their mission throughout the year.

According to Multichannel News, a number of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks systems are enabling users to interact on-screen with episodes of The N's high-school drama Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Scheduled to launch recently with the sixth-season debut of the series, the interactive program integrates two questions within each of the seven episodes for viewers to answer via their remote controls.

The article quotes Time Warner  Cable senior vice president of on-demand product management Bob Benya, who said that the questions—displayed on the lower-right-hand corner of the screen—will be based on the characters and story lines. Consumers participating can press A, B, or C to respond. The poll results will then air before the end of the half-hour episode. "You get quick, instant gratification while participating," he added.

MN reports that the interactive offering is available to Time Warner Cable subscribers in Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, and Rochester, New York; Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro and Wilmington, North Carolina; Cincinnati,  Ohio; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as to Bright House customers in Orlando and Tampa Bay, Florida.

For more information, check out the article Time Warner Cable Takes Degrassi Interactive.

According to a recent Adweek article, Comcast is encouraging candidates in various state and local mid-term elections to take their speeches digital through Comcast Spotlight, a video-on-demand initiative that allows candidates to expand their campaign messaging beyond the 30-second spot. Candidates in approximately 70 Comcast markets can put together VOD spots up to two minutes in length, in the hopes of better informing constituents and would-be voters in the days leading up to the November elections.

"Getting our complete message to voters is critical in a political campaign," said Andrea Silbert, a businesswoman who was the first candidate from Massachusetts to craft a VOD spot. She was defeated in the September primary, but she still praised the initiative. "The on-demand platform allows us to provide greater detail in an unfiltered presentation not available through traditional media."

It is unclear what kind of effect the new platform could have on the election. However, Comcast said that in its mature markets, more than 75 percent of its digital cable subscribers have accessed VOD in the past 90 days. Of that number, 80 percent are registered to vote in their district, while 72 percent said they generally vote in statewide elections and 45.1 percent reported that they always cast ballots in statewide elections.

For more information, check out the Adweek article Comcast Offers Pols Digital Platform.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio will devote an entire commercial-free channel to the music of George Strait. The channel will feature all George Strait music, including his upcoming new album, It Just Comes Natural, being released Tuesday, October 3 by MCA Nashville. Music from his entire career, including live cuts and album tracks, along with excerpts from a recent interview with Strait, will be part of the exclusive channel.

Strait will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on November 6th during the 40th annual Country Music Awards. He recently surpassed Conway Twitty's record for the most No. 1 country hit singles with his latest hit song, "Give It Away." Since his 1981 debut, his albums have sold more than 60 million copies.

SIRIUS is the first to dedicate entire 24- hour, commercial-free music channels to some of the world's greatest artists. SIRIUS currently dedicates music channels to The Who (channel 10), the Rolling Stones (channel 98) and Elvis Presley (channel 13). SIRIUS has previously dedicated channels to the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and David Gilmour/Pink Floyd.

For more information, check out the SIRIUS press release.

The Arthur W. Page Society has named AT&T Inc. as the winner of the 2006 Page Principles Award by for the company's massive communications response in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The annual award recognizes an outstanding demonstration of effective corporate communications and the application of the Page Principles, which are the seven communications management concepts upheld by the Page Society. The award will be formally presented to AT&T during the Arthur W. Page Society's 23rd Annual Conference in October.

Roger Bolton, president of the Arthur W. Page Society, said the competition's panel of judges was most impressed by the AT&T entry. "I salute AT&T and everyone who was involved in the unprecedented relief effort to reunite families after Hurricane Katrina. The company demonstrated that its operating principles, which are very much aligned with the Page Principles, are more than just words—the company acted on its values and delivered on its promise to do the right thing for the communities it services. The Page Society congratulates AT&T for the technology, leadership and compassion demonstrated in the wake of the storm."

"Our mission at AT&T is to keep people connected in good times and bad," said Selim Bingol, senior vice president, Corporate Communications, AT&T. "Given the unprecedented scale of the disaster, helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina was especially gratifying and humbling work. We are guided by the Page Principles so this recognition from the Page Society means a great deal to AT&T."

For more on the award, check out the San Antonio Business Journal article AT&T honored by communications management group for Katrina efforts.

XM Satellite Radio recently announced that baseball fans can tune into XM  for complete coverage of Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason action.

XM will air both teams' home broadcasts of every game in the League Championship Series, beginning October 10, and the World Series, beginning Oct. 21. The games will be carried live and nationwide on XM's MLB Play- by-Play channels 176 through 189. In addition, XM will also broadcast ESPN's national coverage of the games, plus Spanish play-by-play of select games.

"Baseball is the ultimate radio sport, and XM Radio is the ultimate place to hear the games," said Kevin Straley, vice president of talk programming, XM Satellite Radio. "We've broadcast every MLB game in the regular season for the second consecutive year, and we're pulling out all the stops for the playoffs. You get the home and away broadcasts, plus ESPN and Spanish play- by-play, and our MLB Home Plate channel has all the news and commentary you need. We love the postseason, and we cover it from every possible angle."

XM's all-star broadcast team for the MLB playoffs includes Rob Dibble, Kevin Kennedy, Mark Patrick, Buck Martinez, Orestes Destrade, Chuck Wilson, Charley Steiner, Cal Ripken, Jr., Bill Ripken, Ronnie Lane and Joe Castellano.

XM is the official satellite radio network of Major League Baseball. Fans can tune in to hear the latest news and analysis of the playoffs available 24 hours a day on MLB Home Plate (XM 175), XM's exclusive sports talk channel devoted solely to MLB. This season marks the second year of an 11-year broadcast and marketing agreement between XM and MLB.

Read more the in the XM Satellite Radio press release.

Netflix recently announced the creation of the Netflix Prize, an award of one million dollars to the first person who can achieve certain accuracy goals in recommending movies based on personal preferences. The company also made available to contestants 100 million anonymous movie ratings ranging from one to five stars, the largest such data set ever released.

Netflix said it will publish a detailed description of the winning approach for the benefit of companies, entrepreneurs and academicians.

"Recommendation systems covering a wide variety of categories will play an increasingly significant commercial role in the future," said Netflix Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings. "Right now, we're driving the Model T version of what is possible. We want to build a Ferrari and establishing the Netflix Prize is a first step."

The threshold required to win the Netflix Prize is a 10 percent improvement in accuracy over the current Netflix recommendation system. If no one wins the grand prize this year, the company said it will award a $50,000 progress prize to whoever makes the most significant advancement toward the goal and will award a progress prize annually until someone wins the grand prize.

For more information, check out the New York Times article And if You Liked the Movie, a Netflix Contest May Reward You Handsomely.

According to a new study featured in a recent USA Today article, more than 100 million Americans, or three out of every five Internet users, viewed video online in July.

Data on both streaming, which requires a live Internet connection, and downloads, in which a user saves a file that can be viewed later or offline, was recorded by ComScore Media Metrix, an Internet marketing research provider. The company says that 107 million people streamed or downloaded nearly 7.2 billion video clips—an average of 67 apiece.

ComScore also reported that Yahoo was tops with 38 million unique users, followed by News Corp.'s MySpace.com at 37 million and YouTube at 31 million. Unlike with MySpace and YouTube, which emphasize user-generated video, the Yahoo offerings generally came through content partnerships. Yahoo only recently started a video-sharing service.

AOL, the Time Warner Inc. unit seeking to boost traffic to its ad-supported sites largely by expanding its video offerings, did not make the top three. AOL and other Time Warner video had 26 million users, placing it fourth ahead of Microsoft, Viacom and Google.

Fore more information, check out the USA Today article.

After a seven-year abscence, Comic Relief, the live stand-up comedy benefit that ran on HBO from 1986 to 1998, will return to the premium cable network Nov. 18. It also will be simulcast on TBS, a fellow subsidiary of Time Warner. Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams will return as hosts of the three-hour event, which will raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"Disasters like Katrina devastate the environment and cause suffering for all forms of life, both human and animal," says Bob Zmuda, Comic Relief's founder and president. "Comic Relief is determined to address these tragedies by benefiting everyone from the elderly to children and pets."

The three-hour show will include live segments from New Orleans and showcase the work of Crescent City filmmaker Kenny Morrison. Other performers are still being lined up.

In its 20 year history, Comic Relief has created as many as 80 benefit shows, including eight concerts televised on HBO, that have raised more than $50 million for programs aiding the homeless.

For more information on the event, check out the LA Daily News article Robin, Whoopi, Billy, Bob 'psyched' for return of comic relief.

XM Satellite Radio recently announced that it will broadcast Farm Aid 2006 live Saturday, Sept. 30 from the Tweeter Center at the Waterfront in Camden, New Jersey on XM's Americana channel X Country (XM 12).

Ray Knight, Jessie Scott and others will co-host XM's coverage of this historic Farm Aid concert beginning at 3:30 pm ET on X Country (XM 12), featuring artist interviews and live performances from the Farm Aid 2006 stage.

The Farm Aid concert lineup will feature performances by Farm Aid directors Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, as well as musicians Jerry Lee Lewis with Roy Head; Los Lonely Boys; Gov't Mule; Steve Earle; Steel Pulse; Shelby Lynne; and others.

"We are not only fortunate to have Willie Nelson holding the creative reigns of XM's traditional country channel Willie's Place, but incredibly honored to join him in bringing these amazing performances to Americans everywhere in support of this worthy cause," said Ray Knight, senior director of Country Programming, XM Satellite Radio.

For more information, check out the press release XM Satellite Radio to Broadcast Farm Aid 2006 Concert Live on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Time Warner Cable has announced the launch of Quick Clips, a new digital cable feature that allows customers to access short-form video content, including content produced for the Internet, on their televisions. The initial launch of Quick Clips in the company's South Carolina division will make this new feature available on CNBC, CNN and The Weather Channel.

Quick Clips uses IP technology and new software to push short-form content created by the participating networks to Time Warner Cable's Enhanced TV. Select online video content from participating programmers is made available within minutes of its original Web posting.

Viewers are alerted to this feature by an onscreen prompt notifying them that "Enhanced TV" features are available on the currently viewed channel. By pressing "Select" on the remote a menu will appear showing all "Enhanced TV" features such as Quick Clips and Start Over, the Company's service that allows customers to jump to the beginning of a program already in progress. After viewing the desired "Quick Clip," the viewer is returned to the current programming on that channel.

"Continuing the Company's tradition of innovation, Time Warner Cable's Quick Clips makes short form, time sensitive programming, such as news segments and local weather forecasts, available for our customers to view when they want, on their schedule," said Bob Benya, Senior Vice President of On Demand Product Management for Time Warner Cable. "We are committed to providing our customers with this type of convenience by leveraging our advanced digital platform."

CNN's category offerings on Quick Clips include the latest broadband content from CNN.com drawn from the following categories: Top Stories, U.S., World, Politics, Law, Business, Sci-Tech, Sports, Health, Offbeat, Entertainment and Best of TV. Once the CNN category has been selected, viewers are able to choose from various "quick" stories—usually from the top headlines of the day.

"We are pleased to partner with Time Warner Cable to provide CNN's award-winning programming to customers via the Quick Clips service," said Coleman Breland, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Turner Network Sales (TNS). "This service allows us to further extend the powerful brand of CNN and reach viewers on yet another platform."

The Weather Channel provides Quick Clips of updated local and regional weather forecasts, weekly planner, top stories and content from its Storm Stories series. Local and regional forecast are updated twice daily.

"Weather has a 'perishable' quality that is ideal for 'Quick Clips' and we are pleased to provide Time Warner Cable with weather content that has the distinctive brand of The Weather Channel. Our offerings will include: time-sensitive local and regional weather forecasts by on-camera meteorologists, the top weather stories of the day, and a 'Weekly Planner' for the week ahead. Changes in the weather can have an impact on consumers, creating a need for immediate access that is very well served by Time Warner's innovative Enhanced TV platform," said Becky Powhatan, EVP, Distribution and Business Affairs, The Weather Channel.

Quick Clips is currently available to all 150,000 digital cable subscribers in Time Warner Cable's South Carolina division. Time Warner Cable expects to increase the number of channels that offer Quick Clips and plans to launch in additional markets later this year.

Read more in the press release Time Warner Cable Launches Quick Clips.

DIRECTV has opened its fourth owned-and-operated call center in an effort to further strengthen its ability to provide technical support for its customers as it continues to expand its advanced products and services, including the roll out of hundreds of local and national HD channels next year.

DIRECTV's Missoula, Montana Customer Contact Center will have the capacity to employ up to 1,000 customer service professionals dedicated to providing technical support to DIRECTV's more than 15.5 million customers. DIRECTV will be among the largest employers in the state and said it expects to hire more than 600 agents by year end.

The new 74,000-square foot call center was officially opened today at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by DIRECTV executives and state and local officials.

In addition to providing support for the expanding base of DIRECTV HD customers, Missoula customer call center representatives will provide technical help for new DIRECTV products and advanced television services, such as standard-definition and HD digital video recorders and interactive services.

"With DIRECTV on the threshold of an exponential growth in capacity, products and services, the technical support provided by the Missoula call center is critical to maintaining customers' satisfaction and ensuring they're able to take advantage of the full array of our industry-leading technology and services," said John Suranyi, president, DIRECTV Sales and Service. "Along with our professional service and installation technicians in the field, our call center agents are on the front lines of an increasingly competitive battle among video providers, and how we fare in that fight will be decided in large part on how well we take care of our customers."

Suranyi added, "Through the commitment of the DIRECTV team and close cooperation of the County and State, we constructed and opened this facility in six months. Everyone's involvement with this project has been fantastic. We are really looking forward to being a productive member of this community and sharing what we believe will be an exciting future."

For more information, check out the DIRECTV press release.

DISH Network has announced that seven of eight contestants selected to compete in the DISH Network Ultimate Football Fan Contest have unofficially set a new Guinness World Record for watching TV the longest. If substantiated by Guinness World Record officials, the new record will be 70 hours.

Eight fans from rival football teams began watching TV on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 11:07 a.m. at the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver. Their ultimate goal: to attempt to break the current Guinness World Record for watching TV the longest—set at 69 hours and 48 minutes—and earn a trip to the 2007 Pro Bowl in Hawaii, courtesy of NFL Network. But in an unexpected show of camaraderie, teamwork and good sportsmanship, seven contestants formed an alliance halfway through the event to help fend off sleep so they could break the record together.

"We decided early on that we could all work together to break the record, so we set aside our personal goals to join in this pact so everyone would turn out a winner," said Dallas' Ultimate Football Fan Chris Chambers. "I'm really looking forward to seeing the other guys in Hawaii."

The contestants were seated shoulder-to-shoulder in La-Z-Boy recliners watching non-stop football broadcast on flat-screen HDTVs. Charlotte's Ultimate Fan, John Dickson "Trey" McMillan III, elected to be the first one to voluntarily exit the contest. As the hours passed and fatigue set in, the remaining seven somehow found a way to put aside long-standing team rivalries so they could encourage each other to go the distance. Shortly after surpassing the current record at 8:55 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, the seven remaining contestants held on until 9:07 a.m.—a full 70 hours—before looking away from their TVs at exactly the same time.

This show of solidarity inspired DISH Network to award all seven contestants a trip to the 2007 Pro Bowl. "These seven fans epitomize the very spirit of what football is all about—teamwork, fortitude and mental toughness," said Jody Martin, senior vice president of marketing for DISH Network.

All eight contestants who participated in the event will take home the La-Z-Boy recliner they sat in for three days, a 37-inch Akai HDTV from Radio Shack, a DISH Network HD receiver and DishHD programming for a year.

Read more in the DISH Network press release.

Kangaroo TV™ has reached agreements with the National Football League and DIRECTV to conduct a season-long test in which DIRECTV's exclusive NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ programming will be delivered to fans at select NFL stadiums using Kangaroo TV's specialized handheld device.  The service will be provided under the brand name "NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ In-Stadium By DIRECTV".

The Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins will participate in the trial, offering the service to fans on a season-long or per-game basis. The service debuted at the Dolphins home game on Sunday, Sept. 24, and will premier in Washington on Sunday Oct. 1. The season trial follows a successful one-game test of the technology at a game last season.

Kangaroo TV and DIRECTV have signed an agreement that grants Kangaroo TV the rights to rebroadcast NFL SUNDAY TICKET content at select stadiums using the same Kangaroo TV technology already popular with fans in motorsports.  The agreement also provides DIRECTV the primary sponsorship of the new service.

"With NFL SUNDAY TICKET In-Stadium, DIRECTV and Kangaroo TV have created the best seat in the NFL," said DIRECTV Entertainment President David Hill. "NFL SUNDAY TICKET has transformed the NFL viewing experience at home and we have no doubt it will do the same for fans in the stadium and at tailgate parties in the parking lot."

For more information, check out the Kangaroo TV press release.

The Georgia Tech Information Security Center recently announced it is creating a partnership with BellSouth and Internet Security Systems to explore security surrounding the emerging Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. As communication services migrate to Internet-based platforms, it is important that the security and dependability users expect in the current public switched networks be maintained with these new converged technologies. At the GTISC VoIP Security Summit held in April 2005, GTISC initiated a dialogue with security and telecommunications industry leaders, including ISS and BellSouth, to proactively address security associated with this emerging technology.

Internet Security Systems and BellSouth have committed to a two-year research program totaling $300,000. This funding will enable GTISC faculty and graduate students to work with ISS and BellSouth technologists to develop and evaluate solutions that address VoIP security. In return, BellSouth and ISS will have access to the resulting intellectual property.

"BellSouth is committed to ensuring security is an integral component in all our products and services and working with GTISC and ISS is one way to continue that focus with next generation products such as VoIP," said John Heveran, VP-Chief Information Security Officer, BellSouth.

Read more in the TelecomWeb article BellSouth, ISS Back VoIP Security Effort.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio recently announced that Jane Pratt, founder and former editor-in-chief of both Sassy and Jane magazines, will host "Jane Radio," a live, weekly talk show that the company says will bring her irreverent and refreshingly candid personality to satellite radio.

Debuting this fall exclusively on SIRIUS Stars channel 102, "Jane Radio" will be a live, weekly three hour show. From the "Jane rant" of each week to short segments produced "on the street," Jane's show will explore current events, her life, and through their calls, the lives of her listeners. Pratt will interact heavily with listeners through phone calls and segments such as "Jane Needs Help"—during which listeners will be invited to help Jane with her problems—and "Songs We Love," during which Jane will talk to her listeners about the best new music.

"Jane Pratt is a pioneer in the world of media. She talks to women in a voice they respond to and connect with, and she will bring this skill to satellite radio," said Scott Greenstein, President, Entertainment and Sports, SIRIUS Satellite Radio. "'Jane Radio' is a fun and exciting addition to the innovative and diverse lineup of programming SIRIUS has to offer for women."

For more information, check out the SIRIUS Satellite Radio press release.

The Associate Press is reporting that the chairman and a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee have asked the Justice Department to delay approval of the merger of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. until a federal court decides whether two previous mergers were in the public interest.

Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., sent a letter earlier this week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales asking the department delay its decision until a federal judge rules on the merger of SBC Communications Inc. and the old AT&T Corp., as well as the merger of Verizon Communications Inc. and MCI Inc.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, wrote a similar letter questioning whether Justice has been approving mergers too hastily, counter to the intent of federal law.

For more information, check out the article Lawmakers call for delay in AT&T/BellSouth merger.