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Blackboard to Pay $116 Million for Elluminate and Wimba

July 9, 2010 by Kamran Abdi 1 Comment

Blackboard, the DC-based provider of software and services to educational institutions will pay $116 million cash to acquire Calgary-based Elluminate and New York-based Wimba, both developers of virtual classroom technology.

The acquired companies will form the backbone of Blackboard Collaborate, a new, standalone platform that will allow educational institutions to hold synchronous live courses over the web, including audio, video, white board and social learning capabilities. Read more of this post

Filed under Education, Tech Tagged with Audio, bb, Blackboard, Collaborate, d.c, educational institutions, Elluminate, over the web, social learning, standalone, synchronous live courses, technology, video, virtual classroom, washington, Washington DC, white board, Wimba

Washington Digital Media Conference Back Again

April 23, 2010 by Elias Shams 2 Comments

The most influential decision-makers in the media, entertainment and technology industries are gathering again this year in Washington, DC for the 7th Annual Digital Media Conference East. This year’s event features 3 keynotes and 15 panels divided across Mobile, Social Media, Television/Video, Marketing, and Law & Tech.

The attendees and panelists will be the top executives, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, analysts and press who will be instrumental in shaping the future of the digital media sector. read more…

Filed under Events, Online Media, social media, Tech Tagged with Breaking Down Social Media, Content in the Cloud, Digital Madmen, Digital Media Companies, Future of Online Video, Law & Tech, Legal Issues, Marketing, McLean Hilton, mobile, mobile apps, Mobile Devices, Mobile Marketing, New Television Ad Models, online advertising, Reinventing Advertising, social media, Social Media Marketing, social networking, Television, The Convergence of the Internet & Television, The Power of Twitter -- Strategies for Success, Top Digital Media Trends, Trends in Mobile Video, TV Anywhere, Tysons Corner, video, Washington Digital Media Conference

What We Pay For Online

February 19, 2010 by Elias Shams 13 Comments

by Elias Shams
An interesting survey of 27,000 consumers across 52 cities and countries was recently released by Nielsen that shows the type of content we, the consumer, are willing to pay for online and the ones we aren’t. I wonder how many of them were from DC. The report shows 85% of respondents would like to see free Web content stay free. Contents like movies, music, and games are the types we are willing to pay for, but not for the blogs, podcasts, and video which is right along our tradition pre internet era. We have always been willing to pay for entertainment, but not for information.

This is actually the first time I see something close to comprehensive study around the actual market for e-commerce content. I just wish they had also included books, TV shows, gambling, football bets, and of course my favorite, the porn. Last time I checked, we, men have always been willing to pay for porn regardless how broke we are. Read more…