Wednesday, March 5, 2014AnyMeeting Targets Business Customers With New iPhone AppOrange County-based web and video conferencing tools developer AnyMeeting said Wednesday that it has launched a new, iPhone application, which is targeted at business users. According to AnyMeeting, the new iPhone app follows similar apps the company recently released for the iPad and Android. Those apps all allow users to participate in conference calls and video conferences, including using the iPhone's front or back facing cameras, document sharing, push-to-talk, and other featuers. The new i (More info...)
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Santa Monica To Get Silicon Valley Coffee Chain Philz CoffeeIn another sign that Southern California--and particularly, Santa Monica--is gaining further credibility as a recognized technology center: Philz Coffee, a coffee chain which is synonymous with being at the tech epicenters of Silicon Valley and San Francisco, is getting set to open up a new location in Santa Monica.
According to representatives of the venture-backed coffee chain--which has set up a temporary outpost at the Oasis Conference at the Fairmont Miramar this week--it is planning its (More info...)
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Metacloud Gets Win At OoyalaPasadena-based managed cloud provider Metacloud has scored a high visibility win, over at digital video provider Ooyala. According to the companies, Ooyala is using Metacloud's services as part of a private cloud implementation. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Metacloud is venture backed by Canaan Partners, Storm Ventures, and AME Cloud and was co-founded by Sean Lynch and Steve Curry. Metacloud helps companies implement OpenStack-based, private clouds.
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Newest Billion Dollar SoCal Startup: Auction.comAdd another, Southern California company to the exclusive list of billion-dollar plus startups here. Auction.com said this morning that it has raised $50M in a funding from Google Capital, at a $1.2 billion startup--which puts it in the ranks of only three other startups here known publicly to have passed the $1 billion mark in terms of valuation. Auction.com joins SpaceX, Snapchat, and Beats Electronics in the short list of $1 billion plus valuation, venture backed startups here.
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Hulu: Roughly Half Of Hulu Plus Users Streaming To DevicesLos Angeles-based streaming television service Hulu says that roughly half of all of its Hulu Plus subscribers are now streaming exclusively to devices, with the other half from the living room, the company said this week. The company said it has around 5 million subscribers to Hulu Plus, its paid television streaming service. Hulu announced the numbers as part of the appointment of new Head of Distribution Tim Connolly, who was previously at Disney.
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Auction.com Raises $50M From Google At $1.2 Billion ValuationIrvine-based online real estate marketplace Auction.com announced this morning that it has raised $50M in a funding round from Google Capital. According to Auction.com, Google Capital will also add a representative to the company's board of directors, and also gain an observer seat. Auction.com said the investment values the company at $1.2 billion. Auctino.com, which was founded by Jeff Frieden, operates an online real estate marketplace focused on the commercial real estate market. The company (More info...)
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Making The Enterprise Cloud Real: Unitas Global's Cloud Vision
For all of the consumer adoption of the cloud, enterprise users are still not as bought into the vision of cloud computing as one might think they would be. So, how do you help ease enterprise customers into the cloud--or at least, help them use cloud technology to help them with their business goals? Los Angeles-based Unitas Global (www.unitasglobal.com) recently raised a round of funding from MK Capital and Azure Capital for its vision of helping enterprises make that transition to cloud tec (More info...)
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FreedomPop Launches New Secure PhoneLos Angeles-based free wireless broadband service provider FreedomPop has launched a new product, which it hopes will attract users looking for a bit of privacy and security in their wireless service. According to FreedomPop, it has launched the FreedomPop Privacy Phone, a Samsung Galaxy S2 which includes encrypted communications, the ability to change phone numbers at will, and the ability to pay for the phone in Bitcoins. FreedomPop's new phone costs $189, and will cost $10 per month for unlim (More info...)
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Ixia Completes Audit, Investigation, Swaps CFOCalabasas-based Ixia said late Monday that it has completed its investigation into the company's finances and business, which came out of the October 2013 surprise resignation of the company's President and CEO. According to Ixia, after retaining independent counsel and a forensic accounting advisory firm, the company found that there was no intentional misconduct with respect to the company's financial results or financial statements; however, Ixia did say it identified errors in the company's (More info...)
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Fullscreen Appoints Chief Revenue OfficerLos Angeles-based YouTube network Fullscreen said this morning that it has named Michael Wann as the company's new Chief Revenue Officer. Wann was most recently CRO at SpinMedia, and also had been EVP of Business Development at Demand Media. The company said that Wann will be responsible for developing new and existing revenue opportunities for Fullscreen, including business development, marketing, and advertising operations. Wann has also served at Amazon and MSNBC.com.
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Nerdist Industries Names ExecsBurbank-based Nerdist Industries, the online site focused on popular culture and "nerd" content, said today that it has named tow executives. The company said it has appointed Adam Rymer as President and Jack Herrguth as Head of Development. Rymer joins from Lava Bear Films, where he was COO and CFO, and also produced the film The Rover. He also has been at Universal Studios Motion Pictures Group. Herrguth was previously at Comedy Central and CBS. Rymer will head up expansion across "multiple" p (More info...)
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ZipaClip Goes Straight For Sexting MarketSkip any talk about self-destructing messages for "privacy": an Irvine-based company, Aclipsa Mobile Video Solutions, said this morning that it has launched a new Android app specifically for "consenting adults". According to Aclipsa, it has launch ZipaClip, a secure mobile video and texting application specifically for "silly, romantic, or flirty" videos or texts, and which can be used for "intimate video". Aclipsa is taking aim at the popularity of instant messaging service Snapchat, which gai (More info...)
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