Invoicing 17 Million Dollars

Tradeshift, the powerful online invoicing tool for businesses, has just gotten a big boost, to the tune of a $17 million investment round, which now has their value up to $137 million. Tradeshift defines themselves as a “global startup with the ambition to change the way we do business by allowing organizations to exchange invoices for free.” With investment rounds like this, the ambition seems quite reasonable.

In a staggeringly winsome blog post, Chairman of the board Moten Lund describes the company’s goals now as continuing to create the simplest and best service possible while managing their ever-increasing influx of users.

Tags: $137 million, $17 million, Business, Business and Economy, Invoice, Management, Tradeshift

NetQin Mobile Anti Virus 5.0 for Android Outperforms Competitors in West Coast Labs Comparative Test

As you may recall, last week we congratulated friend of the blog Geoff Casely on his new appointment as Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region for NetQin Mobile Inc., a leading provider of mobile security and productivity applications. It seems like this week we have more about which to congratulate him!

West Coast Labs, one of the world’s leading independent test facilities for information security products and services, recently conducted comparative testing among the eight leading mobile security solution providers in 10 areas: installation, license agreement, malware scanning, SMS URL scanning, real-time protection, checksum variance scanning, account backup, anti-loss, remote-wipe and uninstall. NetQin was the big winner, a high performer in all categories, detecting over 96 percent of the samples used in the testing process — over 55 percent more than any other solution. Talk about blowing them out of the water!

In addition to comparative testing, West Coast Labs has also awarded NetQin’s Mobile Security 5.0 the Checkmark Mobile Security Certification after completing rigorous individual product testing. Mobile Security 4.8 received Checkmark Mobile Security Certification in June 2011. Checkmark is the world’s leading content security certification system for information security products and services.

A whole round of accolades certainly isn’t a bad way to start off; we will be checking in with Geoff in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

Tags: Geoff Casely, Middle East, NetQin, NetQin Mobile Inc, Security, SMS, West Coast Labs

The Body Goes Digital!

“The body is the last piece of information to go digital. Most of your life is already digital – your friends, your music, your bank account – all accessible on-line, but your body is not. Bodymetrics together with PrimeSense is enabling consumers to store and access all their body information online and link this to retailers. Now, body scanning becomes a powerful platform for many retailers to provide the personalized fit and service their customers have always wanted.” - Suran Goonatilake, CEO, Bodymetrics.

In an example of technology that is only beginning to realize its incredible potential, Bodymetrics, a London-based company providing a ‘Body Mapping’ platform, today announced the launch of the world’s first full 3D body scanner developed in collaboration with PrimeSense, the leader in sensing and recognition technologies.

While there are certainly many potential uses for the technology (some of which have been explored by PrimeSense in the gaming market), the new 3D body scanner is designed to revolutionize the way consumers buy clothes. Costumers can use the booth to virtually try on outfits both at retail stores and through online clothing retailers, enabling customers to gauge a more realistic fit before purchase.

The new 3D body scanner with the PrimeSense technology launched at New Look, the UK’s largest high-street jeans retailer, and was used to provide advice by Bodymetrics ‘Fit Stylists’ for the best fitting jeans for female customers (the scanner quickly and accurately calculates 100 measurements, and body-shape analytics are then used to find garments that best suit the customer’s unique shape and size).

So, it seems that for now, digitizing your own body can afford you access to more convenient “fitting” sessions from home as you shop for clothes. But let’s look ahead. What are the other potential benefits of digitizing all things corporal much like we have digitized most things social and cultural? How far does this put us from actual personal hologram messaging (apologies to CNN)? And from there, how close are we to technology that will enable us to essentially inhabit multiple spaces simultaneously? Perhaps existence it just a matter of housed cognition, in which case the house could just as easily be inorganic as organic.

It’s fun to go full science fiction geek-out with the conjecture, but philosophical extravagances aside, Bodymetrics and PrimeSense are at the vanguard of our body’s relationship to the digital universe and it will be fascinating to see the other uses they and others find for this technology.

Tags: Body shape, Clothing, CNN, Full body scanner, London, New Look, Retailing, Technology

Friend of the blog and frequent contributer Geoff Casely has been appointed Managing Director for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region for NetQin Mobile Inc., a leading provider of mobile security and productivity applications.

Over the last 20 years, Geoff has led business development teams for numerous start-up and rapid growth companies and recently, he developed strategic alliances with major device vendors, operators, and key distribution channel partners as vice president of global business development for Nimbuzz. So clearly, Geoff is the man. We will be checking in with him in a few weeks to see how things are going and get some of his thoughts on new endeavor, so stay tuned!

Check out Geoff’s last post (and one of our favorites) on what we can learn from supermarkets here.

Tags: Africa, Business development, Geoff Casely, Middle East, Naspers, NetQin Mobile Inc, Nimbuzz

ink Facebook Contest

ink Communications, the team that brings you Tattletech, has a new Facebook page where you can try to keep up with all their international doings.

To celebrate the launch of the page, they have put together a contest based on their popular TRUE/ink Drinks Manual (which you can flip through below), a mixological must full of cocktails from the team, their friends, clients, lovers and enemies.

The contest? Submit your own cocktail worthy of the book and win the ingredients to make it, the actual Drinks Manual and two Baccarat Crystal Vega martini glasses! Been sitting on a gilded lobster, diamond-laced martini recipe? Now’s the time to break it out!

To Enter:

1.) Go to www.facebook.com/theinkstudio and like ink Communications.

2.) Post a cocktail suggestion on the wall. Be sure not to double up on what is already in the book and keep it in the style of the other recipes. Be sure to leave your name, affiliation and Twitter handle.

3.) Three Winners will be chosen on November 30, 2011.

4.) The new TRUE/ink cocktail books will be printed and you can get one at our next event or we will mail it to you via that good old fashioned snail mail!

Tags: Beverages, Cocktail, Collections and Indexes, contests, Drink, Facebook, Home, ink Communications, Twitter

Four Reasons Why Usenet Still Might Be Thriving

When Jared Scott approached us to write a piece about the rumors of Usenet‘s death being greatly exaggerated, we were surprised. We assumed (like most do) that the Internet discussion group, which rose to prominence in the 80′s, was on its last legs. All we had read about Usenet lately were high-profile decommissions and obituaries penned by tech nerds. Perhaps there is more to the story. We decided to give Jared a chance to enlighten us. Here is what he had to say:

If you’re like many people, you may not know too much about Usenet.

Older tech geeks would tell you about the time they first logged into Usenet and about the Wild West atmosphere that pervaded the new online world. It was the first place where you could discuss your ideas with others around the world on just about any topic under the sun. In many ways, Usenet was the original social network.

Then along came the World Wide Web, which was ironically announced on Usenet. The Web took center stage and became the place people flocked to discuss their ideas.

But just as Usenet’s light began to dim, free enterprise stepped in to secure the foundation. The new age of Usenet was ushered in. Premium commercial grade server farms were built to replace the lesser equipped university and Internet provider servers. This injection of capital created the strong, powerful backbone that allows Usenet to move more than nine Terabytes of data every single day.

The modern Usenet is thriving in today’s fast-paced world because of several factors.

1. Usenet is Easier

Downloading anything from Usenet used to be an incredibly complex process. Files would be split into multiple parts and compressed so as not to surpass the maximum message size. Then when you downloaded the file, it would have to be put back together. Unfortunately, all the pieces weren’t always there. This made downloading from Usenet a cumbersome and often error-filled event.

Many modern Usenet providers now offer users a simple all-in-one solution. And the best newsreaders today are able to reassemble files and fix any errors without you lifting a finger. Downloading a file is now as simple as point and click.

2. Usenet is Safer

Online security is an issue that is important to us all. There are constant threats facing you when you download. Some Usenet providers ease those worries by protecting others from stealing your private information. The best providers use a 256 bit SSL encryption technology to keep others out of your personal space. When you access Usenet with this security, it forms a direct channel between you and the server. This tunnel keeps prying eyes out, a level of encryption the same as what is offered by most onlinefinancial institutions.

3. Modern Usenet is Faster

Usenet is now hosted on a large network of commercial-grade servers located all over the world. You can connect directly to a server from your home and get the content you want quickly.

Say you were riding a bike but had to carry five other people on it while you peddled. I bet you wouldn’t make it anywhere very quickly. How much faster would you get somewhere if you just had to peddle yourself?

Usenet provides direct download. You are not sharing any connections or uploading anything yourself. You don’t have to carry anybody else and you are able to max out your Internet connection. Depending on how fast your Internet connection is, you can download a very large file in a just a few minutes.

4. Usenet Continues to Grow

The modern Usenet is a vast collection of content that is always growing.  Usenet servers used to have low retention times (100-200 days), which meant that older posts were always being deleted from the server. Today, many Usenet servers are storing posts indefinitely. Retention times at their best are over 1,000 days and continuing to grow. Now, the amount of material on Usenet is mind boggling. With more than 800 Terabytes of posts, it’s safe to say that you can find literally anything you are looking for.

32 years ago, Usenet started as a way to share information. Today, it continues to do just that, better than ever. The modern Usenet has adapted to meet the needs of a new generation of tech users. It is faster, safer, bigger, and easier than its predecessor. And it continues to be a unique and powerful player in the online world.

Jared Scott is the Manager of Public Outreach for Binverse Usenet. He spends his time online spreading awareness about the benefits of Usenet.

What is your history with Usenet? Are you convinced it can still be relevant? We would like to hear from you. Tweet us at @tattletech.

Tags: History, Servers, SSL, Uploading and downloading, Usenet, World Wide Web

Companies Look To Clean Up Communication and Information

The Enterprise 2.0 Launch Pad, produced by TechWeb (producers of the Enterprise 2.0 Conference, the Web 2.0 Expo, and publisher of Information Week magazine) is a competition that lets companies present their innovative application (either in development and about to launch, or recently launched) to a community of their peers interested in business technology. The finalists will be invited to present their applications live to the Enterprise 2.0 Conference audience.

This year, most of the companies in the running have a focus on workplace communication and productivity–companies like CubeVibe and Flowr. Many also aim to help organize and understand costumer engagement. See all of their pitch videos here and vote for which company is your favorite. Odds are you will find one worth considering for your workplace.

Tags: Business, Company, Enterprise 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 Conference, flowr, TechWeb

Sharing Space and Ideas

As the workforce continues to change, so too does the work environment. With a new generation of workers and a new set of expectations comes a new set requirements and a new way of doing business. Workers are more mobile than they ever have been, their tasks tied less to an office and more to a global marketplace. However, they still need some of the benefits of a traditional office (e.g. a space in which to meet business partners, to give presentations, to…well, conduct business). Responding to the needs of this new workforce, shared workspaces have become the new de facto office for the new generation of mobile workers.

Shared workspaces have been sprouting up in cities across the world, their goal to give mobile workers, entrepreneurs, startups and the self-employed a space to conduct business and feel a sense of community not found while working from home. In keeping with the progressive tendencies of the new workforce, some shared workspaces go beyond what you would expect from an office (the projector, fax and meeting room) and engage their vocational residents in a manner that mirrors the business world from which the clientele arrives. To put it another way, it almost feels like the Internet in there.

In this environment, what could be a group of isolated individuals plugging away at their various projects becomes a community of nontraditional workers who share tips, information, leads and opportunities, and ultimately craft relationships not beholden to a shared bottom line. In many ways, a shared office creates the dynamic every manager wishes would be present in a traditional office by removing the underlying tension in a traditional office — the shared boss.

One example of a shared workspace finding success is WorkBar, located in Boston, Massachusetts. WorkBar, which is now home to a few contributing writers for Tattletech, has found success by creating a collegial environment among its patronage thanks to its commitment to both the logistic and social elements of this new breed of office. The lesson, which any office can learn from, is engage the community first and the rest will follow.

In that spirit, WorkBar will hold its annual Leather District Block Party today. The party, described by WorkBar as “a loose juxtaposition of anonymous souls, going about their own business in a quirky two block radius in downtown Boston,” pairs WorkBar patrons with other nontraditional workers from the Downtown Boston area. The event epitomizes the spirit of the culture from which WorkBar derives, a culture largely shaped by the Internet and specifically social media.

Let the creatives interact and network, in whichever manner they see fit. Let people meet each other on their own terms. Above all, let the new workforce find its identity, and give them support in that search.

Tags: Boston, Business, Collaborative workspace, Massachusetts, Office, Office Space, United States, Workspace

Tuesday Rant or: How I Learned to Hate the iPhone

I don’t care about no stinking iPhone.

Another day of tech nothingness dominated by the news of the new iPhone (honestly, we could link you to an article, but throw an iStone and you will hit one). Now we have even more reasons to turn into drooling, mindless, blathering idiots all jabbering away about the merits of a phone–a phone that is a walled garden of services and the best example of Big Brother and control of what we read, watch and consume. We march to the drum of one brilliant mad man and his vision to enslave us with the consumption of entertainment so that our little minds are numbed and we can’t make a complete sentence anymore that doesn’t start with “what phone do you have?”

The great Aldus Huxley feared that we would be given so much input that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism. Open your eyes, wake up to the new drug that insulates you from choice and control and just makes decisions for you. Take a hit off the Blockbuster syringe that is the iPhone. Welcome to your future.

…and tune in to the announcement now!

Tags: Apple, Big Brother, Handhelds, IPhone, Smartphones, Sprint Nextel, Tim Cook

Pathways to Exit

The second annual White Bull, Pathways to Exit conference starts today!

Pathways to Exit, a three-day, invitation-only, conference forum for entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and visionaries in the TMT and clean tech sectors, will include a number of highlights, including the 2011 Bully Awards ceremony on the final evening. If you need a refresher on the 60 Bully Awards finalists, here is the list.

Another highlight of the conference will be the BullPen startup & VC sparringsession going on today, headed by Coach and Wrangler, Hanna Manninen, Director of Public Relations & Social Media, ink Communications.

The BullPen is a half-day session where startups get to present their ideas to afistful of hard-nosed, successful entrepreneurs who will tell it like it is. The panel of entrepreneurs is comprised of Tina Baker, Partner, Brown Rudnick; Jeff Coe, Managing Director, Linden VC; Ashley Ward, Director, European Leaders; Tony Kypreos, Springboard.com; Paul Cautrecasas, Aquaa Partners; and independent investor, John Paty.

The panel will be hearing and critiquing presentations in what promises to be a day of learning for all in attendance.

Later in the week, Hanna Manninen will also be moderating the Building a Brandthrough Social Communications & PR, Marketing and Advertising panel. The panel will touch on different aspects of the current state and future of communications. We’re expecting a lively conversation between advertising, PR and marketing professionals.

All together, the conference is a must for anybody interested in the EuropeanTelecommunications, Media and Technology sector, and is one of our favorite weeks of the year!

Tags: Advertising, Ashley Ward, Bully Award, Business, Entrepreneur, Tina Baker, White Bull