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Tag: partnerships

  • Twitter Reportedly Eyeing Foursquare Partnership

    Twitter has a location-based element to it, but it’s not that sophisticated and it’s not really a huge part of the service. It appears the company may be looking to change that.

    Business Insider is quoting the ubiquitous “sources familiar with the matter”, who says that Twitter is eyeing a partnership with Foursquare, to utilize the latter’s massive databases of location information and tools for harnessing it.

    According to the source, this partnership is imminent and we could see the fruits of it as early as Q1 of next year.

    From BI:

    Right now, Twitter’s location features are limited. It can tell where a user is when he or she signs up, as well as the location a user lists in his or her bio. But the company believes determining where each tweet originates could be powerful too.

    A Twitter spokesperson declined to acknowledge the partnership with Foursquare, but noted the company sees location as a “vehicle of discovery.” Features could include Foursquare-like venue check-ins in tweets, local recommendations, and organizing content around a user’s current whereabouts.

    Foursquare (and now Swarm) has always had a place on Twitter, as people cross-post Foursquare (now Swarm) check-ins to Twitter on a regular basis.

    For Twitter, sophisticated location data on its nearly 300 million users could pay dividends when it comes to an ad strategy. It could also help the company better deliver specific content to its users.

  • Microsoft, Dropbox Partner On Office Integration

    Microsoft and Dropbox announced a strategic partnership, which will see Dropbox integration with Microsoft Office on phones, tablets, and the web. As the announcement notes, there are already over 35 billion Office files being hosted by Dropbox.

    Users will be able to access Dropbox from Office apps, edit Office files directly from Dropbox (and sync them across devices), and share new or edited files from the Office apps using Dropbox’s sharing functionality.

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, “In our mobile-first and cloud-first world, people need easier ways to create, share and collaborate regardless of their device or platform. Together, Microsoft and Dropbox will provide our shared customers with flexible tools that put them at the center for the way they live and work today.”

    Dropbox CEO and co-founder Drew Houston added, “People around the world have embraced Office and Dropbox to empower the way they live and work today. Our partnership with Microsoft will make it easier than ever to collaborate seamlessly across these platforms, giving people the freedom to get more done.”

    The new functionality will be included in upcoming updates to the Office apps for iOS and Android in the next few weeks. Web integration will come in the first half of next year. Interestingly, Windows Phone and Windows tablet platforms are taking a back seat to iOS and Android as well, with integration to happen on those in the coming months.

    The features will be available to all Office users with a Dropbox account. Dropbox for Business users will require an Office 365 subscription.

    Image via Microsoft

  • IBM And Twitter Announce Big Enterprise Data Partnership

    IBM And Twitter Announce Big Enterprise Data Partnership

    Twitter and IBM announced a new partnership to give enterprises Twitter data through IBM tools and services. Essentially, it’s a combination of Twitter’s “public pulse” of real-time data and IBM’s cloud-based analytics, customer engagement platforms, and consulting services.

    IBM will offer Twitter data as part of IBM Watson Analytics, Watson Developer Cloud and IBM Bluemix. There will also be joint solutions from the companies including one that will integrate Twitter data with IBM ExperienceOne customer engagement solutions for sales, marketing, and customer service purposes.

    IBM Global Business Services users will be abel to access Twitter data , and the two companies will collaborate on solutions for specific industries like banking, consumer products, retail, travel, and transportation.

    IBM President and CEO Ginni Rometty said, “Twitter provides a powerful new lens through which to look at the world – as both a platform for hundreds of millions of consumers and business professionals, and as a synthesizer of trends. This partnership, drawing on IBM’s leading cloud-based analytics platform, will help clients enrich business decisions with an entirely new class of data. This is the latest example of how IBM is reimagining work.”

    “When it comes to enterprise transformation, IBM is an undisputed global leader in enabling companies to take advantage of emerging technologies and platforms,” added Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. “This important partnership with IBM will change the way business decisions are made – from identifying emerging market opportunities to better engaging clients, partners and employees.”

    In a blog post, Twitter says the announcement has been “years in the making,” as its data efforts started when it first made its public data available for analysis. It cites its recent acquisition of Gnip as a significant milestone in its enterprise efforts.

    Image via Twitter

  • Etsy Brings DIY Tutorials, Tote Bags To Whole Foods Market

    Etsy Brings DIY Tutorials, Tote Bags To Whole Foods Market

    Etsy and Whole Foods Market announced that they have formed a partnership, which will bring DIY craft tutorials from Etsy sellers to Whole Foods stores and its website.

    The partnership will extend throughout this year and all of next year. To kick things off, they’ve put together a 2013 Holiday Guide, and Etsy has a Whole Foods holiday page, which features artist profiles, products and shops curated for Whole Foods shoppers.

    “With packed holiday schedules, homemade holiday entertaining can seem out of reach for some shoppers,” said Barry Hirsch, global partnerships director for Whole Foods Market. “Thanks to Etsy, we’ve developed the perfect recipe of creative ingredients – both DIY and food – to help shoppers see how easy, fun and affordable it can be to add a personal touch to their holiday celebrations.” –

    “Etsy looks for partnerships that bring our seller community to the forefront and celebrate their skills and creativity,” said Dana Mauriello, director of new business opportunities at Etsy. “Together, Whole Foods Market and the Etsy community can share ideas to create the best handmade holiday.”

    Etsy’s Laura Chin says on the company blog, “Eight Etsy sellers came up with festive craft ideas for holiday entertaining. Their tutorials will appear in print, in the Whole Foods Market’s Holiday Guide, and on ‘recipe cards’ that shoppers will be able to take home. Best of all: all of these crafts can be made from everyday materials and ingredients.”

    Artist and Etsy seller Matte Stephens also had a designed selected by Whole Foods for use on a reusable tote bag the store will be selling.

    Whole Foods lists its DIY events here.

    Image: Etsy

  • Twitter Partners With NBCUniversal & Comcast On ‘See It’ Feature And Ads

    Comcast, NBC Universal and Twitter announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday for the creation of a feature called “See It,” which lets Xfinity TV customers access TV shows, movies and sports directly from tweets. It will debut in November on NBCUniversal networks.

    Comcast and Twitter are also in discussions for further integrations into Comcast’s X1 platform.

    With See It, Twitter users will see a button in their feeds when looking at social content about certain shows. From there, they will be able to access a menu, which will allow them to tune to live TV or start a show on demand on their set-top box, tune into a show online or on their mobile device, set DVRs, set reminders, and/or buy theater tickets through Fandango.

    See It

    To kick the whole thing off, NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, SyFy, Bravo, Oxygen, E!, Esquire Network and The Golf Channel will utilize the feature for the following programs: The Voice (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC), Chicago Fire (NBC), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Access Hollywood, NHL, Premier League Soccer, Sochi Olympics (NBC and NBCSN), Today Show (NBC), Psych (USA) and Suits (USA), etc.

    “Twitter is where television viewers come to talk about what they’re watching on TV when they’re watching it,” said Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. “Millions of users are exposed to the live conversation that unfolds on Twitter while a show is on the air and now, with See It, they’ll be able to tune in directly from a Tweet. It’s a great example of Comcast’s leadership in bringing TV to new platforms.”

    “See It is a simple yet powerful feature that creates an instant online remote control,” said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. “Comcast is taking a leap forward in social TV by enabling Twitter users to more easily find and view the shows they want to watch and discover new shows. Twitter complements the live viewing experience and is an ideal partner for Comcast and NBCUniversal.”

    More networks will follow, as Twitter and Comcast are working on expanding to more distribution partners, TV networks and websites. Expect more in the coming months.

    Obviously there are tremendous advertising opportunities here, and with Twitter’s IPO on the way, investors will be keeping a close eye on how this goes.

    Twitter has a new advertising partnership with NBCUniversal, which will see the latter’s clients expand onto Twitter via its Amplify program. This means that NBCUniversal’s entire portfolio can be expanded to Twitter. Its clients get access to Twitter’s promoted platform.

    “NBCUniversal’s content is driving the most popular conversations in social media,” said NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke. “Now with this partnership, our advertisers will be able to reach even more of the specific audiences that they desire.”

    NBCUniversal President, Advertising Sales, Linda Yaccarino discusses the ad partnership further here.

    Some people believe Twitter can help save networks from the cord cutting trend. It will be interesting to see if the See It integration can keep users engaged enough.

    Image: Comcast

  • CNN, BuzzFeed Launch YouTube Collaboration

    Viral trends webiste BuzzFeed today announced that it has partnered with CNN and YouTube to launch a new YouTube channel. According to BuzzFeed, a new channel will combine BuzzFeed’s entertainment content and CNN’s news to create new content that will be aimed squarely at engaging young people online.

    “There has been a massive cultural shift in how people – particularly young people – consume news and entertainment and Ze and his team are tapping into the next generation of video production and consumption,” said Jon Steinberg, president of BuzzFeed. “Over 70% of BuzzFeed’s traffic is social, almost half is mobile, and we are seeing these huge shifts earlier than others because the majority of our readers are 18-34. We are thrilled to partner with YouTube to bring a new generation of video content to a BuzzFeed audience that lives on social media and mobile phones,”

    The new CNN BuzzFeed channel will use CNN archival footage to create mash-up videos. The two organizations will also be collaborating on “list posts,” which will be published on the CNN website.

    “By pairing the journalistic strength and reach of the CNN brand with BuzzFeed’s unique editorial approach and young audience, our partnership will enable both organizations to engage new audiences,” said KC Estenson, SVP of CNN Digital. “It’s the perfect modern day media collaboration.”

    The new CNN Buzzfeed YouTube channel has only one video so far, a narrated montage of CNN rescue footage:

  • Groupon Partners With Major League Baseball

    Groupon announced today that it has entered a multi-year partnership with MLB Advance Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. As a result of the partnership, Groupon is now the official daily deals site for MLB.com.

    Groupon says it will be working with various teams from the league to offer more deals on tickets, official merchandise and “rare experiences, such as up-close encounters with MLB ballparks.”

    “What does this insider status look like?” asks Groupon in a blog post. “Past deals have included exclusive access to World Series ticket packages, batting practice with an MLB team, the chance to throw out the first pitch before a game, an official Jumbotron welcome to the stadium and a tour of the locker room where your favorite players starch their lucky socks.”

    The company says users can expect similar deals to these, and other things on GrouponLive, Groupon’s events platform. Such offerings will also be available via the Groupon mobile app.

    Users can expect all of this to begin with the upcoming 2013 baseball season. While it is a multi-year partnership, it’s unclear just how many years it is for.

    “Groupon is proud to partner with MLB Advanced Media and work with the teams to create new, unique opportunities for our customers to appreciate America’s favorite pastime,” said GrouponLive General Manager, Greg Rudin. “In addition to great deals on tickets, fans will have a chance to enjoy unforgettable ballpark experiences.”

    “Groupon offers a cutting-edge marketing channel with an extensive customer base to drive additional ticketing opportunities and incremental revenue for our teams,” said Noah Garden, EVP, Revenue, MLBAM.

    Groupon, meanwhile, is facing potential changes in leadership.

  • TiVo To Get In On Redbox Instant

    TiVo To Get In On Redbox Instant

    TiVo announced today that it has settled pending patent litigation with Verizon. The two companies have entered into a mutual patent licensing arrangement under which Verizon will provide TiVo “total compensation worth at least $250.4 million.”

    Part of the agreement involves TiVo and Verizon “exploring, among other things, future distribution of Internet video services developed through Verizon’s joint venture with Redbox.” This would include making content distributed via that service part of the content accessible via TiVo’s DVR products. More on the Verizon/Redbox offering here.

    Verizon’s payments to TiVo will consist of a $100 million initial cash payment, and then recurring quarterly payments adding up to an additional $150.4 million through July of 2018.

    TiVo says that if the companies decide to pursue certain commercial endeavors before December 21 of this year, up to $29.4 million of the payments made by Verizon would be subject to a credit of an equal amount.

    Verizon will also pay monthly license fees through July 2018 for each Verizon DVR subscriber “in excess of certain pre-determined levels.”

    “We are pleased to reach an agreement with Verizon which underscores the significant value our distribution partners derive from TiVo’s technological innovations and our shareholders derive from our investments in protecting TiVo’s intellectual property,” said TiVo President and CEO Tom Rogers.

    “We also look forward to working together on a variety of future opportunities as we continue to expand the content choices available to TiVo subscribers,” he added. “As with prior settlements, we also benefit by being able to operate our business under license from Verizon and by avoiding future legal expenses that we would have incurred during and after trial. Furthermore, we believe this settlement positions us well with respect to future enforceability of our patents.”

    Verizon and TiVo have agreed to dismiss all pending litigation.

  • Twitter Turns To Revstream for Billing, Revenue Management

    Twitter and Revstream announced today that Twitter has deployed Revstream’s revenue and billing management platform, integrated with Oracle’s E-Business Suite (r12).

    “Revstream’s platform enables Twitter to accelerate our billing cycle and improve our global revenue recognition process,” said Shanice Ma, Director of Revenue at Twitter. “With Revstream, our process is improving in both efficiency and accuracy.”

    That efficiency is going to be important as the company continues to improve on its monetization strategy.

    “An explosive global business like Twitter presents sophisticated challenges for Finance teams in both revenue and billing management,” said Mark Aubin, Revstream’s Chief Product Architect. “Twitter’s volume, frequency and variation of ad products require very robust billing and revenue management functionality. We designed the Revstream Suite to handle the unique operational challenges faced by a wide variety of companies with ad-based revenue models.”

    According to Revstream’s site, Facebook also uses its platform.

  • LivingSocial, AEG Will Help You Nab VIP Passes for The Biebs

    LivingSocial, AEG Will Help You Nab VIP Passes for The Biebs

    LivingSocial, the collective bargaining service helping people get discounts on everything from fish food to hibachi grills, and AEG, one of the biggest sports and entertainment presenters in the world, announced an exciting new partnership today that will bring LivingSocial members some one-of-a-kind deals when purchasing tickets to see their favorite ball team or band. Through the deal, fans will be able to purchase tickets for some AEG events through LivingSocial and have opportunities to pick up some special product bundles that could include anything from VIP passes, limited edition merchandise, and early admission to concerts.

    Shervin Mirhashemi, COO of AEG Global Partnerships, said he expects the deal to open up a new avenue for fans to get their hands on some live event deals that might not otherwise be within reach. “Using the LivingSocial platform offers AEG a new channel to sell unique packages and tickets to highly passionate audiences across the country,” Mirhashemi said.

    AEG is involved in a number of live events, ranging from Elton John concerts to L.A. Lakers and L.A. Kings games, so there’s likely to be something presented by AEG you’ll find that fits your fancy.

    At any rate, this is a great chance for die-hard fans who’ve never had the fortune to get close enough to smell the sweat dripping off of their favorite rockstars and athletes. Alternately, if your used to sitting in the nosebleed seats at the Lakers games, this would be a great chance for you to move down to the lower level.

    “This partnership is different than any other because it is really focused on providing exclusive experiences to the best shows in the best venues nationwide, including LivingSocial-created events, ” said Tim O’Shaughnessy, Co-Founder and CEO of LivingSocial.

    The select AEG events will be available as part of LivingSocial Live Events, a service that will be launching in the near future.

  • Young Hollywood Network Talks New YouTube Channel

    YouTube’s move to back original programming on its site is beginning to get carried out as many new channels are launching. Last year, the video portal announced that it would be adding more than 100 channels of professionally produced content from various media and production companies.

    The Young Hollywood Network (YHN) is one of the new partners, and it launched its channel last month. The channel, of course, focuses on the entertainment industry and produces a new show 6 days a week.

    RJ Williams, CEO of Young Hollywood Network “We wanna really create appointment-viewing television,” said RJ Williams, the CEO and Founder of YHN.

    Williams told us that YHN had been a partner with YouTube for 3 years, but, prior to its recent launch, it had not produced content exclusive to YouTube. However, when talk of YouTube’s efforts began to spread, YHN began to talk to the video giant and explain what type of network they could create.

    Since the channel’s launch last month, Williams said subscribers have greatly increased and that their engagement level is much higher as well. As he explained, viewers would typically stop watching after a minute or so, but now they’re watching for longer periods of time. He believes YouTube is quickly becoming a place for “destination viewing.”

    “YouTube’s changed… because it’s exclusive content you can’t find anywhere else,” said Williams.

    “If you want to see a specific show or a specific celebrity, you’re gonna go to YouTube,” he added.

    Jim Louderback, the CEO of Revision3, spoke with us not long after YouTube made its announcement and told us that he believed the new channels would raise the bar of professionalism on the video platform. In spite of this benefit, he did point out that these channels could have some challenges with promoting themselves since there are so many veteran channels to compete against.

    Williams admitted that it would be challenging but said that all the partners involved with YouTube’s initiative would need to help each other succeed.

    “For this to work, everybody in the ecosystem needs to feed off one another, and they need to promote each other,” he said.

    He went on to say that the players that come up with innovative ways to promote the others would be the ones who would survive.

    Can the new channels compete with tried and true ones? What do you think?

  • Yahoo and ABC News Team Up On News Content and Advertising

    Yahoo and ABC News Team Up On News Content and Advertising

    Yahoo announced this morning that it has entered a strategic alliance with ABC News to combine Yahoo’s massive reach, content breadth and technology with ABC’s brands, anchors and global news-gathering operation.

    Here’s what this entails:

    • ABC News will become the premier news provider on Yahoo News
    • ABC’s GoodMorningAmerica.com launches on Yahoo today at GMA.yahoo.com
    • New original web series featuring ABC News anchors. This will start with programs called “Newsmakers,” “Around the World with Christiane Amanpour,” and “This Could Be Big.” Others will follow in the coming months.
    • The editorial teams of both media organizations will work together to develop news content.
    • The sales teams will also work together on advertising solutions.
    • Both will retain editorial control of their own properties.

    ABC News and Yahoo - Newsmakers

    “Yahoo! is committed to building the richest set of premium and personalized content experiences for our users. Our deep collaboration with ABC News further strengthens Yahoo! as the No. 1 online news source, greatly enhancing our already robust news content,” said Ross Levinsohn, executive vice president of Americas at Yahoo. “ABC News and Ben Sherwood’s vision is completely symbiotic with ours; together we can create highly engaging experiences for more than 100 million users a month that will set the standard for the industry.”

    “This relationship will give ABC News an unrivaled ability to reach across the Web, combining Yahoo!’s vast distribution and cutting-edge technology with our award-winning journalism.  For years, we’ve proudly proclaimed that more Americans get their news from ABC News than any other source,” said ABC News President Ben Sherwood.  “Going forward, we will greatly expand this leadership by building a connection with a whole new online audience.”

    Clearly Yahoo isn’t letting that lack of a CEO slow them down.

  • Yahoo MLB Full Count Shows Live Video For Key Plays in Every MLB Game

    Yahoo MLB Full Count Shows Live Video For Key Plays in Every MLB Game

    Yahoo and MLB.com have launched “MLB.com Full Count,” a new online video offering produced and powered by MLB.com in partnership with Yahoo Sports.

    “MLB.com Full Count lets fans follow live Major League Baseball action throughout the remainder of the regular season featuring live look-ins to key plays and pivotal moments, and in-progress video highlights from around the league, as well as statistical data and historical footage relevant to the day’s action,” a spokesperson for Yahoo tells WebProNews.

    It’s free and is immediately available here.

    Next year, the product will cover the entire regular season, starting with the first full day of games. It will also later expand to be available on mobile and tablet devices.

    MLB.com is also providing Yahoo with access to daily highlights from every game.

    @MLBFullCount
    Full Count    #Reds have the bases loaded in 5th. Heading out for live look-in. #mlbfullcount 15 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    “This product continues our seven-year relationship with MLB.com and builds on our leadership as the No. 1 general sports site online,” said Ken Fuchs, vice president, Yahoo Media Network. “MLB.com is one of our most innovative partners, and they have delivered a product that will provide avid baseball fans a fast-paced daily destination to follow their teams and the biggest games, players and moments as well as unique video and integrated solutions for our advertising partners.”
     
    “We have built Full Count to deliver MLB highlights to fans as they happen in a user-friendly, media-rich environment,” said Kenny Gersh, senior vice president, business development, MLB.com. “We are pleased to continue to bring MLB content to Yahoo!’s massive audience.”

    Yahoo sports, by the way, is credited as the top sports property online with over 48 million monthly users.

  • Yahoo and Gannett Expand Local Ad Partnership

    Yahoo and Gannett are expanding upon their already successful local advertising partnership. The expansion will be pushed to all 19 of Gannett Broadcasting Division markets by February.

    Local advertisers will have access to Yahoo inventory and targeting capabilities. 

    “The agreement further brings together Gannett’s powerful local media organization brands, sales solutions, and leading digital platforms with Yahoo’s market leading reach and display advertising leadership,” a spokesperson tells WebProNews.

    “We’re focused on delivering strong results for our customers through unique marketing ideas and solutions,” said Dave Lougee, president of Gannett Broadcasting. “Gannett’s local advertising partnership with Yahoo! provides dynamic targeting based on geography, demographics, behaviors and interests, which enhances our ability to drive those results. Based on the success we have had to date in nine of our markets, we are expanding the Gannett Broadcasting and Yahoo! partnership to all 19 of our markets by early next year.”

    “Yahoo! is committed to making sure local businesses reach high-quality target audiences,” said Lem Lloyd, Yahoo!’s vice president of North America channel sales. “By expanding our relationship with Gannett, we’re reinforcing our commitment to extend Yahoo!’s local offering, providing advertisers access to the technology and scale they need to effectively reach these audiences.”

    In addition to nine of Gannett’s Broadcasting Division markets, all 81 of Gannett’s local publishing organizations offer Yahoo advertising. The publisher says its local media organizations typically reach 80% or more of the total digital audience in each of the markets that offer the Yahoo advertising partnership.

  • Urbanspoon Adds Zagat Reviews

    Urbanspoon has signed a deal with Zagat that will see over 25,000 Zagat reviews featured prominently on Urbanspoon.

    Urbanspoon tells WebProNews, “”We’re excited to be working with Zagat – the pinnacle of high end restaurant reviews. Providing diners with easy access to Zagat reviews directly on their smartphones will make it even easier to select the best dining options.”   

    “Our goal at Urbanspoon is to give users the most accurate, in-depth look at local restaurants to help inform their decision about what new spots to try and which favorites to keep on their go-to list,” said Urbanspoon GM Kara Nortman. “Bringing in content from Zagat, arguably the most famous name in restaurant reviews, adds another layer of trusted insight to help people find the best restaurants in their cities.”

    Zagat’s ratings and recommendations for restaurants will appear alongside Urbanspoon’s aggregated content. Users will be able to access the reviews along with general business info, photos and related blog posts.

  • Google Beefs Up NFL Search Results

    It should be easier to find NFL scores on Google moving forward, which is a good thing because the season is quickly approaching.

    That’s not all though. Google has expanded its NFL-related search results to include even more information, thanks to a partnership with ESPN, which already expanded upon its MLB results.

    In a message posted to Google’s Inside Search Blog, software engineer Itay Maman writes:

    Just as the NFL season kicks off and you have your fantasy football league ready to go, you’ll be able to get useful information such as the latest scores, schedules, standings and stats for football-related queries in your search results. Last week, we started showing MLB results in partnership with ESPN and we’re now expanding sports live results to include the NFL. In addition to information on the football league, teams and players, you’ll also have direct links to previews, live streams, updates and game recaps. We hope to add more and more sports information on google.com, so stay tuned.

    The first game of the season kicks off at 8:30 PM (Eastern) on Thursday, September 8 on NBC. The New Orleans Saints head to Lambeau to face the Green Bay Packers.

  • Google and SAP Partner on Geo-Mapping

    Google and SAP Partner on Geo-Mapping

    Google and SAP announced a partnership today at the AlwaysOn Summit. This will allow customers to pair SAP enterprise analytics with Google Maps and Google Earth in what the companies call an “industry-first collaboration to help customers tackle ‘big data’ with an augmented reality approach.”

    “Using location-based intelligence, customers can slice-and-dice large volumes of information against Google Maps/Earth to get a better understanding of the ‘when’ and ‘where’ of their business,” a representative for SAP tells WebProNews. “For example, with SAP StreamWork, a team of customer support representatives in a consumer packaged goods company could collaborate and pinpoint the location of consumer complaints within specific geographies and make a decision regarding how to address and prioritize resolution.

    “We’re excited to work with SAP to help enterprise customers use Google’s cloud mapping tools with SAP software,” said Dave Girouard, president of Google Enterprise. “This integration will allow our customers to more easily visualize geographic data and make better business decisions.”

    “Today, more and more information is being geo-tagged, and it is unlocking an entirely new dimension for enterprise data,” said Sanjay Poonen, president, Global Solutions at SAP. “SAP’s work with Google marries powerful enterprise software with the world’s most popular mapping platform to create entirely new ways for people to understand and interact with business information. We aim to provide our customers the opportunity to tap into the power of business analytics combined with location intelligence through a geographic view and use rich, interactive analytics to respond to events as they unfold in real time.”

    @businessobjects
    SAP BusinessObjects    #SAP + #Google tackle #bigdata with #sapanalytics + geo-mapping: http://bit.ly/q0glTy #BI4 2 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    Running down some examples of how organizations might be able to take advantage of the partnership between these two companies, SAP suggests that a telecom operator could use Google Earth and SAP BusinessObjects Explorer to perform dropped-call analysis and pinpoint geo-coordinates of faulty towers. A state department of revenue might overlay household tax income info on a map and group it al the country level to track the highest/lowest tax bases. A mortgage bank might perform risk assessment on its portfolio by overlaying foreclosure and default data with the location of loans on Google Maps. You get the idea.

  • Facebook as a Music Destination?

    Facebook as a Music Destination?

    Earlier this week, rumors surfaced, stemming from a Forbes report, indicating that Facebook and Spotify were partnering on a new music service, though the comments from both companies didn’t seem to indicate that their relationship was changing very much.

    According to a report from the New York Times, Facebook is actually in talks with “several online music services” on the development of a tab/widget that would “display a user’s most-played songs and provide an easy way for friends to hear them.” The report cites “two people involved in the discussions”.

    Facebook’s official statement on the subject is, “We’re always looking for better ways to help people discover the most relevant content on Facebook but have nothing to announce.”

    CEO Mark Zuckerberg is quoted as saying this week, “Listening to music is something that people do with their friends. Music, TV, news, books — those types of things I think people just naturally do with their friends. I hope we can play a part in enabling those new companies to get built, and companies that are out there producing this great content to become more social.”

    The earlier Forbes report regarding a Facebook/Spotify partnership indicated that no money would change hands.

    It remains to be seen what other services are involved, but there are certainly opportunities for a variety of services to get more heavily integrated with Facebook, and the online music space continues to grow.

    Google, a company whose rivalry with Facebook also continues to grow, launched Google Music beta a couple weeks ago (still on an invitation-only basis). Amazon has souped up its offerings with the cloud, and mSpot unveiled a very interesting service this week, combining cloud music storage with Internet radio streaming based on the user’s collection – kind of an mSpot meets Pandora.

    Given that Spotify isn’t available in the U.S. it’s good for Facebook users in this country that that’s not the only company involved. We can only speculate that other companies may include Pandora, Last.fm, and Grooveshark, each of which provide free services.

  • Loopt Details Partnership with Groupon

    Loopt Details Partnership with Groupon

    It looks like some users can access even more deals after Loopt and Groupon teamed up in an effort to help both merchants and consumers. Last week, the companies announced the integration of the daily deals service’s Groupon Now product into Loopt.

    The partnership also incorporates Loopt’s recently launched Reward Alerts product that allows users to opt in to get timely deals in their current location. Loopt CEO Sam Altman told WebProNews that he hoped the joint effort would create a great experience for consumers and merchants, while also creating a solid revenue stream for Loopt and Groupon.

    “This is something we’ve been excited about for a long time,” he said. “It’s another way that we help connect users to the places around them.”

    Altman believes the partnership will specifically help local merchants as they make limited and immediate offers. For example, if a restaurant wanted to increase its lunch business, it could send out an immediate offer for 50 percent off their lunch menu. In this case, the merchant wins because it has the opportunity to monetize something that it probably would not have gotten any value from otherwise. The consumer also wins because he gains value in the good deal.

    Marshall Kirkpatrick over on ReadWriteWeb suggested that this partnership could be an “aggressive move” on Loopt’s part to beat Facebook with its own deals service. When we asked Altman about this inference, he said his company wasn’t trying “to beat someone to the punch.” Instead, he said, “What we’re focused on here is really doing the right thing for users and for local businesses.”

    In terms of competition, Altman could not comment on All Things D’s report regarding Foursquare and Groupon’s potential partnership. However, he indicated that it wouldn’t be surprising for the two to reach an agreement.

    He also pointed out that Loopt’s partnership with Groupon is different from other offerings since it can constantly connect users to new locations and deals without its app even being opened.

    “We have a particularly strong value proposition there because we have this constant location, and we can alert our users when they’re near these deals,” Altman said.

    In addition, he believes that merchants are not as interested in offering deals to users who have already checked in but are more interested in pulling in new people with their deals. According to him, Loopt and Groupon together are helping merchants attract these new consumers.

    At this time, the service is only available in the Chicago area, but Altman said Loopt would open it up to more places as Groupon does.

    As both consumers and merchants, how important is this partnership to you?

  • Foursquare and Groupon Expected to Partner on Location-Based Deals

    It was only a matter of time. The check-in app and daily deals spaces continue to merge, and this time it looks like the poster children for both spaces are joining forces.

    Foursquare and Groupon are partnering, according to a report from All Things D’s Liz Gannes, who cites “multiple sources familiar with the matter”. She also shared the following statement from a Groupon spokeswoman:

    “We see a lot of potential for Groupon Now! to be showcased via services like Loopt. No bigger picture to announce yet, but stay tuned for additional collaborations.”

    So we don’t know exactly when we will see a product come of this, but it will most likely be pretty soon. A few days ago, location-based service Loopt announced a partnership with Groupon , which will see the new Groupon Now service being used by Loopt customers (in Chicago for now, but expanding in the near term) to get alerts on deals based on their location.

    It seems highly likely that we’ll continue to see more and more of this kind of partnership. Expect Groupon to get on as many location-based services/check-in apps as possible to expand to as many new customers as possible as the deals space gets more competitive. Location is an obvious indication of deal relevance. The company even acquired a location-based service company in Pelago (makers of Whrrl). Simply put, location makes Groupon more valuable to consumers. Expect Groupon’s competitors to employ a similar strategy.

    At the same time, the location-based service companies like Foursquare will continue to look for ways to not only stand out from the crowd, but offer consumers real value beyond the novelty of the check-in game. Foursquare already has an edge up on its competitors in this department, as it has steadily been making itself more appealing by offering businesses new ways to entice consumers. Foursquare and others check-in service will also continue to find new partnerships (that includes with Groupon’s competitors). Google is even letting Google Places users import Foursquare data.

    The ways in which the deals players are able to deliver relevant deals will be the the main factor that drives their success in the space, and that is prcisely why it is key for Groupon to get out there on as many platforms as possible, as it is facing some stiff up and coming competition from the likes of companies like Facebook and Google who have tremendous advantages in the delivery department. Facebook has the ever-popular News Feed, and Google has search (not to mention Place Pages, email, and a variety of other weapons at its disposal, depending on how its strategy for Google Offfers develops).

  • Yahoo Announces Connected TV Partnership with Toshiba

    Yahoo just announced a new partnership with Toshiba to feature Yahoo TV Widgets on several models of Toshiba’s latest 6”-55” HDTVs, including the WX800 Cinema Series 3D LED. "With the addition of Toshiba, Yahoo! now has partnerships with some of the biggest OEMs in the world, including Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio, Hisense and most recently, Vestel," representative for Yahoo tells WebProNews. 

    Yahoo says its TV Widgets are on 3.5 million TVs around the world, and that they have active users in 135 countries. Yahoo also says the widgets provide direct access to over 50,000 entertainment sources at the click of a button. 

    "Some of the most popular brands, including Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, eBay, Amazon, Blockbuster, CBS, USA Today, Showtime, YouTube, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Weather and Yahoo! Finance, have all developed TV Widgets for Yahoo! Connected TV," the representative points out.

    Yahoo TV Widgets

    "Our publicly available Widget Development Kit (WDK) also enables anyone to create a TV widget and broadcast to millions of consumers around the world,’ she continues. "Yahoo!’s scale and exposure to new audiences ensure that content developers and publishers have a vast opportunity with Yahoo! TV Widgets."

    "In the future," Yahoo says, "you will be able to find Yahoo! Connected TV on new CE devices including set top boxes, media players, Blu-Ray players, DVDs, DVRs and other devices. This is because of Yahoo!’s partnerships with global silicon and integration partners which ensure that our platform works on all major consumer electronic device chip architectures worldwide."

    Yahoo has displayed a great deal of confidence in its Connected TV strategy, and the company is going to need it, because competition is about to get tougher than ever. Google and Apple both plan on getting their versions of what connected television should be in as many homes as possible this fall. Not to mention other competitors like Boxee. However, Yahoo is clearly up to the challenge.