Bay Area Tech Wire -- Feb. 16

============================================ BAY AREA TECH WIRE -- Feb. 16, 2012 ============================================ To Subscribe: www.bayareatechwire.com o Palo Alto-Based BackPlane Lands First Round of Funding, Acquires Cortex o SAP Completes Tender Offer for San Mateo-Based SuccessFactors o Opera Software Acquires Mobile Theory and 4th Screen Advertising o Redwood City-Based Equinix to Build New $88 Million Data Center in DC o Poll: San Francisco Small Businesses Rank Fifth in Wireless Adoption o Briefly Noted: 8x8, Exalt Communications, Caring.com _____________________________________________ > Job/Event/Marketplace Classified Listings (Full Listings Below Stories) --How to Understand the Digital Differences to Succeed in Business --Cloud Connect Santa Clara - Feb. 13 to 16 --Whitepaper: The Secret to Online User Adoption --Clean Energy & Smart Grid Directory - Special Limited-Time Discount Offer --Enterprise Sales Manager --Advertise on Bay Area Tech Wire and Reach More than 6,000 Subscribers Ad Descriptions Below Briefly Noted Section Post Job/Event/Marketplace ad: http://www.bayareatechwire.com _____________________________________________ o Palo Alto-Based BackPlane Lands First Round of Funding, Acquires Cortex Palo Alto, Calif. -- Backplane, a Palo Alto-based social networking startup aiming to unite people around interests, affinities and movements, said on Thursday it has raised an unspecified amount in its first round of funding. The round included participation from new investors Sequoia Capital, Greylock Discovery Fund, Battery Ventures, Formation 8 and Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership, as well as previous backers Google Ventures, Founders Fund Angel, Menlo Ventures, SV Angel and i/o Ventures. Several individuals also took part in the round, which will accelerate the expansion of the company's engineering and development teams. The first Backplane community, Lady Gaga’s #LittleMonsters (http://littlemonsters.com/) is currently a private beta site, with plans for a public release in the spring. Additional communities will launch throughout the year. Along with the financing, Backplane said it has acquired i/o Ventures start-up Cortex. Created by Joey Primiani, a co-founder of Backplane, Cortex is a web-based sharing platform that allows users to share and send content to dozens of social networks, online platforms and mobile destinations. http://thebackplane.com/  http://littlemonsters.com  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120216005812/en/Top-Investors-Join-Early-Financing-Backplane  _____________________________________________ o SAP Completes Tender Offer for San Mateo-Based SuccessFactors San Mateo, Calif. -- German business software giant SAP said on Thursday it has completed its cash tender offer for shares of SuccessFactors, a San Mateo-based developer of cloud-based business execution software. Under the deal, SAP paid $40 a share, or about $3.4 billion. The companies first announced plans for the acquisition in December. As of Wednesday, about 81.6 million shares -- approximately 96% of SuccessFactors' stock -- had been tendered, SAP said. Once the deal officially closes, SuccessFactors will operate as a unit of SAP America, and delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange. http://www.successfactors.com/  http://www.successfactors.com/press-releases/1661887/  _____________________________________________ o Opera Software Acquires Mobile Theory and 4th Screen Advertising San Mateo, Calif. -- Looking to expand its offerings to advertisers and mobile publishers, Opera Software, a Norway-based developer of mobile browsers with U.S. headquarters in San Mateo, said on Thursday it has acquired San Francisco-based Mobile Theory and U.K.-based 4th Screen Advertising. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. Opera said the acquisitions will allow it better monetize the traffic that flows through Opera Mini and Opera Mobile browsers. Mobile Theory operates a mobile advertising network focused on the U.S. market, while 4th Screen Advertising operates a similar network focused on Europe. Opera, whose browsers serve more than 160 million monthly active users, said the latest moves will bolster its ability to "deliver end-to-end mobile advertising solutions to brands, agencies, publishers and mobile operators across the globe." Mobile Theory's clients include Microsoft, Chevrolet, AstraZeneca, Coca-Cola and Capital One, while 4th Screen's include publishers such as The Guardian, MTV, Global Radio, Shazam and IMDb. http://www.mobiletheory.com http://www.4th-screen.com  http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2012/02/16/  _____________________________________________ o Redwood City-Based Equinix to Build New $88 Million Data Center in DC Redwood City, Calif. -- Equinix, a Redwood City-based owner and operator of data centers, said it plans to build a new $88 million data center at its campus outside of Washington, DC, with a target opening of early 2013. The initial phase of the project -- known as DC11 -- will have space for 1,200 cabinets, with capacity for another 1,800 in future phases. The company also said it will begin construction on the second phase of its DC10 data center. That project is expected to cost $21 million. The first phase of that facility is expected to open next month. "We continue to see strong demand… in the Washington, DC metropolitan area,” said Charles Meyers, president of the Americas for Equinix. The company said its existing facilities in the Washington, DC area serve nearly 620 clients. http://www.equinix.com/  http://www.equinix.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/Equinix-Expands-Washington-DC-Data-Center-Campus/  _____________________________________________ o Poll: San Francisco Small Businesses Rank Fifth in Wireless Adoption San Francisco -- San Francisco ranks fifth in the nation in terms of wireless technology adoption among small businesses, the same as a year ago, according to a new poll by wireless carrier AT&T. The annual survey looks at the use of technology such as tablet computers, 4G enabled devices and GPS navigation apps at businesses with up to 99 employees. Dallas led the rankings, followed by Washington, DC; Atlanta; Indianapolis and San Francisco. The company said 98% of San Francisco small businesses now use wireless technologies in their operations, with nearly three-fourths using tablet computers, up from 71% a year ago. More than half (52%) of respondents said they'd face major challenges without mobile apps, up 11%. The complete survey is available at the bottom link below. http://www.att.com  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-poll-says-use-of-tablets-4g-devices-gps-navigation-mobile-apps-on-the-rise-among-small-businesses-139356833.html  _____________________________________________ o Briefly Noted: (Sunnyvale, Calif.) Sunnyvale-based 8x8, a developer of business communications and cloud computing tools, on Thursday named Eric Goffney as its vice president of customer success and support. Goffney most recently served as the head of global business and consumer support services at Trend Micro. http://investors.8x8.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=649194  (Campbell, Calif.) Campbell-based Exalt Communications, a developer of wireless backhaul systems, on Thursday name John Grabner as its vice president of engineering. Grabner most recently served as director of engineering at Cisco's wireless business unit, following that company's acquisition of Navini Networks, where he was vice president of engineering. http://www.exaltcom.com/John-Grabner.aspx  (San Mateo, Calif.) San Mateo-based Caring.com, developer of an online destination for family caregivers, on Thursday named Karen Cassel as executive vice president and general manager of performance marketing. Cassel previously held senior leadership positions at QuinStreet, Tagged and, most recently, digital media company Ziff Davis B2B Focus. http://www.caring.com/about/news-room/karen-cassel-evp-and-gm.html  =================================================== Job/Event/Marketplace Listings: =================================================== To Post in Job/Event/Marketplace: http://www.bayareatechwire.com 6000 Readers: 5 day ad: $120--10 day ad: $175--20 day ad: $300 > Generation Gaps: How to Understand the Digital Differences to Succeed in Business Facebook, smartphones, up-to-the-minute updates of what you ate for lunch – where do we begin? In the last decade, digital technologies have taken our personal and professional worlds by storm. One generation in particular – the twenty-something “digital natives” – have made this type of communication the norm and have forced the rest of the world to pay attention. In her article, The Digital Native: Five Things to Know About This Generation to Succeed in Business, Michelle Manfy investigates ways to embrace the capabilities of this generation and utilize this digital culture. To better understand how to communicate with your workforce, and most importantly, your consumer, click here (link to white paper). And don’t miss the Age Wave Conference, coming MONTH DAY, presented by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to explore how businesses are changing to keep older employees at work and changing products for a graying population. http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/bay-area-tech-wire ____________________________________________ > Cloud Connect Santa Clara - Feb. 13 to 16 Cloud Connect Santa Clara is the defining cloud conference and expo for IT professionals, developers and leading cloud providers. Thousands of cloud leaders and technology experts from top companies attend Cloud Connect to get the latest on public and private clouds, cloud security, big data, cloud economics, and evolving industry standards. Join other IT decision makers, developers and cloud providers this February 13 to 16 and learn how you can move your cloud strategy forward. Register now at http://www.CloudConnectEvent.com/SantaClara using priority code TECHWIRE to save 25% or get your free Expo Pass. ____________________________________________ > Whitepaper: The Secret to Online User Adoption Download the Whitepaper: Overcoming Halfhearted User Adoption by NavigationArts, a DC-based User Experience consultancy with NEW offices in New York, Boston, and Raleigh-Durham. Learn how to improve user adoption rates and organizational efficiencies from our experts who specialize in the design and development of websites, intranets, applications and more. Download the whitepaper at http://www.navigationarts.com ____________________________________________ > Clean Energy & Smart Grid Directory - Special Limited-Time Discount Offer Tech Wire’s directory group has just published the 2012 edition of the Clean Energy & Smart Grid Directory, which profiles nearly 1,000 of the most cutting-edge organizations in the renewable energies and smart grid sectors in the U.S. and Canada. It also provides contact info on over 4,000 of the key individuals leading these exciting organizations, as well as details on their financial backers. The Clean Energy & Smart Grid Directory is a great tool for investors, recruiters, job seekers, sales and business development pros looking for new opportunities in this burgeoning industry. The new product is currently available to Tech Wire readers for a special, limited-time discount of 20%, now through Feb. 15. For more information go to: http://www.smartenergygroup.org ____________________________________________ > Enterprise Sales Manager If you're considering a change, this may finally be your motivation. NovaStor (www.novastor.com) is searching for an Enterprise Sales Manager to take on a ground floor opportunity selling enterprise backup solutions in a market where storage growth is exponential year over year. The product has a long history of success within top reference accounts and scales well beyond competitive solutions. NovaStor is seeking a self motivated and driven individual who is capable of spearheading the introduction of this German engineered solution to a broader US market through channel initiatives (employees from competitors – Commvault, Atempo, Quest/Bakbone, NetBackup and EMC Legato are welcome). Within this trailblazing role, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of NovaStor and have unlimited earning potential. You will be part of a brilliant team of entrepreneurially driven talent and will be counted on for your creativity and direction. Picture yourself in a dream location, nestled in Agoura Hills California just minutes away from the beaches of Malibu and year round sunshine. You have the opportunity to have your voice heard, make decisions quickly, influence the success of a business, be surrounded by others with the same goal, be appreciated for the work you’re doing and be part of something BIG! NovaStor is prepared to wait for the best, but is looking to fill this role immediately and is offering a competitive package with full benefits and plenty of opportunity for future advancement. Send resumes to mike.andrews@novastor.com ____________________________________________ > Advertise on Bay Area Tech Wire and Reach More than 6,000 Subscribers Bay Area Tech Wire has over 6,000 subscribers who rely on it for their daily briefing of local technology news. Bay Area Tech Wire has various advertising offerings ideal for jobs listings, events, service offerings, and office space for rent. For more info, go to: http://www.bayareatechwire.com =================================================== Subscribe to other newsletters from Tech Wire Media Group: Potomac Tech Wire: http://www.potomactechwire.com Bay Area Tech Wire: http://www.bayareatechwire.com New England Tech Wire: http://www.newenglandtechwire.com Digital Media Wire: http://www.digitalmediawire.com Advertising: If you are interested in advertising in our newsletters, call Parul Nath at 1-301-656-0057 xt 1102 or send email to parul@techwiremedia.com News tips, press releases. Send email to: editorial@bayareatechwire.com Tech Wire Mailing Address: 325 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Suite 250 Washington, DC 20003 Copyright: CapWire Inc. 2012

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