Fans Ready to Sink Their Teeth into Top March Releases

Fans Ready to Sink Their Teeth into Top March Releases

March 2010 is a big month for gamers and vampire reading enthusiasts.

Amarillo, TX (PRWEB) March 4, 2010 -- Hastings Entertainment (http://www.gohastings.com), Inc. (NASDAQ: HAST) announced today that March starts the countdown toward the biggest release week that gamers and vampire reading enthusiasts have seen since the 2009 releases of HALO 3 ODST and Twilight on DVD.

No matter what fans like to sink their teeth into, Hastings customers are gearing up for exciting spring break Midnight Release parties for God of War III and the Twilight: The Graphic Novel on Monday, March 15, 2010 as well as New Moon DVD/Blu-ray on Friday, March 19, 2010.

“Our customers have been reserving these new releases all winter and we’re planning fun evenings to celebrate,” said Kevin Ball, Vice President of Marketing for Hastings Entertainment. “For the New Moon midnight release parties, each of our stores will give away one collectible Tonner Edward Cullen 17” Character Figure, priced at $139.99, after midnight. We’re anticipating that New Moon fans will be out in force for these midnight release events,” said Mr. Ball.

Hastings Entertainment will host the in-store parties at all Hastings locations. All parties will begin at 10:00pm, local time. Please contact store managers at the Hastings nearest to you for details on the Midnight Release parties in your area. Customers can go to www.goHastings.com to find their nearest store location.

About Hastings

Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used books, videos, video games and CDs, as well as trends merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format. We currently operate 148 superstores, averaging approximately 21,000 square feet, primarily in medium-sized markets throughout the United States.

We also operate www.goHastings.com, an e-commerce Internet Web site that makes available to our customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys. The site features exceptional product and pricing offers. The Investor Relations section of our web site contains press releases, a link to request financial and other literature and access our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact Advertising Manager, Cherie Norman at (806) 677-1482.

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Contact Information Cherie Norman

Hastings Entertainment

http://www.gohastings.com

(806) 677-1482

Star Nine Ventures Selects Ace Elliott to Head New Multimedia Division

Star Nine Ventures Selects Ace Elliott to Head New Multimedia Division

Austin venture creation company Star Nine Ventures opens up multimedia division with the promotion of longtime Director of Content.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 3, 2010 -- Star Nine Ventures™ (http://www.starnine.com), an Austin-based venture creation company focused on national business-to-consumer verticals, announced today that Ace Elliott will head up the company’s newly developed multimedia division. She’ll oversee the wealth of multimedia production projects for all Star Nine Ventures™ properties.

“Ace has proved herself time and time again with her passion, dedication, and examples of excellence with every project she’s worked on,” said Ryan Russell, Star Nine Ventures™ founder and CEO. “In her two years with the company, Ms. Elliott has been instrumental ushering Star Nine into the newly emerging multimedia market, and therefore it is a great honor to announce her promotion of Director of Multimedia.”

Ms. Elliott is charged with producing a wide range of video-based efforts including advertisements and online multimedia tutorials, and she’ll manage the distribution of all productions across multiple channels and oversee the optimization of the company’s multimedia assets. Ms. Elliott takes over a team of talented creatives with extensive backgrounds in multimedia marketing as well as visual and audio production.

Prior to joining Star Nine Ventures™, Ms. Elliott worked extensively on multimedia campaigns with a number of nationally recognized companies including HSBC, NBC, and South by Southwest. She joined Star Nine Ventures™ as the Director of Content in 2008. Ms. Elliott graduated with honors from Florida State University where she studied theatre and film production.

“I’m very excited to be heading up the next great asset of Star Nine Ventures™ operations,” says Ms. Elliott. “The multimedia department gets us one step closer in our quest to be the best deliverer of online resources. We should be able to use our productions to even further establish our connection with users, and given Star Nine’s SEO expertise and the current momentum behind online video, I expect you’ll see great things come out of our latest endeavors.”

About Star Nine Ventures®:

Based in Austin, Texas, Star Nine Ventures is a marketing-driven venture creation company targeting a wide range of national business-to-consumer online marketplaces, including debt consolidation, real estate, home security, and student financial literacy. Star Nine's core mission is to build businesses that provide exemplary consumer experiences and unparalleled customer service. With a world-class team of marketing and development professionals, Star Nine Ventures has a proven record of success in highly competitive markets, and the ability to take ideas from concept to market quickly and cost-effectively, with products and services that consistently rank among the best of breed. In addition to B2C commercial sites, Star Nine Ventures also offers enterprise-level link building and analysis tools for online marketing professionals, designed and developed to meet their own exacting standards. Visit www.StarNine.com for more.

For More Information Contact:

Ace Elliott

Star Nine Ventures (http://www.starnine.com)

1604 Nueces St.

Austin, TX 78701

Office: 512-538-2215 x 7002

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Contact Information Ace Elliott

Star Nine Ventures

http://www.starnine.com

512-538-2215

Walgreens and BJ's Wholesale Club to Stock Zeevex Virtual Currency Gift Cards

Walgreens and BJ's Wholesale Club to Stock Zeevex Virtual Currency Gift Cards

With More Than 7,300 New Locations, Zeevex Helps Digital Content Providers Monetize More Effectively

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 2, 2010 -- Zeevex™, the only open Virtual Currency sold in national retailers, today announced that their Virtual Currency gift cards will soon be available in Walgreens and BJ's Wholesale Club locations in the U.S. These new distribution points increase the Zeevex footprint by approximately 30%, from 24,000 locations to 31,000.

Zeevex (www.zeevex.com) provides a leading monetization method for all digital content, including online games and virtual worlds. For digital content providers, the Zeevex Virtual Currency gift card facilitates direct access to over 150 million weekly visitors, through national retailers.

For consumers, Zeevex is unique in that it does not have any extra fees or premium charges. Unlike other universal game cards that also sell their cards online, the Zeevex Virtual Currency gift cards are sold exclusively in brick-and-mortar retailers. Digital content providers that monetize with Zeevex are fully protected from fraud and chargebacks, making it the most user-friendly and content-friendly Virtual Currency in the marketplace.

“Prepaid cards have become an extremely popular and convenient way for consumers to access their favorite digital content,” said Dean Gebert, CMO of Zeevex. “Our ability to continually add new distribution through leading national retailers, like Walgreens and BJ's Wholesale Club, makes Zeevex an easy choice for today’s most trusted consumer brands and digital content.”

Zeevex partners are able to stock a user’s Zeevex Digital Locker with bonus virtual items, leveraging the Digital Lockers as powerful customer acquisition and retention tools. The Digital Locker also allows users to receive virtual items from other users and purchase virtual items, making it the most user-friendly way to manage all types of digital content.

About Zeevex

Founded in 2008, Zeevex provides a leading open Virtual Currency through the Zeevex Xtreme Game Card, which is sold in over 31,000 U.S. retail locations. The Zeevex Digital Locker allows gamers to manage their virtual lives, while helping brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as digital content providers, generate new revenue. Zeevex was founded by consumer technology veterans Dean Gebert, Robert Sanders, and Ron Williams, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Palo Alto, California. www.zeevex.com/about

Zeevex Contact:

Dean Gebert

Chief Marketing Officer

404-931-6111

dean(at)zeevex(dot)com

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Contact Information Dean Gebert

Zeevex

http://www.zeevex.com

404-931-6111

M&A for Media and Marketing Services Expected to Increase in 2010 Says AdMedia Survey of Industry Executives

M&A for Media and Marketing Services Expected to Increase in 2010 Says AdMedia Partners Survey of Industry Executives

Digital Marketing Services and Online Media expected to have highest valuation multiples - buyers faced with a wide array of acquisition opportunities

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 1, 2010 -- AdMedia Partners (http://www.admediapartners.com/), a leading M&A advisory firm serving media, marketing services and information businesses, today announced the findings of its annual M&A market survey of top U.S. and international industry executives and investors. This year, AdMedia combined its previously separate media and marketing services surveys to reflect the convergence of these industries. To access a free copy of the report, click here (http://www.admediapartners.com/research_and_commentary/industry_surveys/index.html).

"Highlighting positive expectations for the coming year it was impressive to see that 83% of marketing services respondents anticipate strategic buyers will increase their M&A activity this year, up from just 31% in 2009. 80% of media respondents expect such an increase in 2010, up from 26% last year," said Seth Alpert, a Managing Director of AdMedia Partners. "Furthermore, 50% in marketing services and 48% in media anticipate M&A by financial buyers will be up in 2010, versus 14% and 6%, respectively, last year."

Key themes that emerge from this year's survey include:

* M&A activity is expected to rebound as buyers are faced with a wide array of acquisition opportunities and look to use excess cash.

* Differing views of executives shows more optimism in marketing services than media, perhaps a reflection of digital media's continuing disruption of the industry.

* Evolving mobile and social media/marketing offerings are considered to be important growth opportunities in 2010.

* Potential capital gains tax increase may be a catalyst for sellers to go to market in 2010.

Key findings related to digital marketing services:

The range of multiples respondents consider reasonable for digital marketing and digital marketing technology companies increased to 7-8x EBIT, versus 6-7x last year, and the range for marketing services companies increased to 6-6.5x EBIT from 5x last year. Traditional ad agency multiples stayed constant at 5x.

Key findings related to the media sector:

Valuation expectations for the media sector were much less bullish than in the marketing services sector. Multiples in the media sector were down from last year, ranging from 8-9x EBITDA for online media to 3x EBITDA for newspapers.

More conservative M&A views coming from the media sector may be a function of the continued disruption of digital media: while consumers are clearly moving their content usage online, it remains unclear how to profit from this trend. Only 20% of respondents believe online content companies have developed a sustainable business model, down from 30% in 2009. Opinions on the perceived relative valuations of most media sectors varied greatly. For example, 41% of respondents think online media is overvalued and 24% think it is undervalued. In addition 29% said newspapers are overvalued, while 42% said newspapers were undervalued.

To access a free copy of the 2010 M&A market survey, visit the AdMedia Partners website at http://admediapartners.com/

About AdMedia Partners

AdMedia Partners (http://www.admediapartners.com/) is a leading M&A advisor that provides middle market mergers and acquisitions advisory services to digital and traditional media, marketing and information businesses. Founded in 1990 and located in New York City, our firm has completed over 175 transactions worth over $7 billion since 1999.

Contacts:

Greg Jarboe

SEO-PR Inc.

978.549.9537

Seth Alpert

AdMedia Partners

212.759.1870

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Contact Information Greg Jarboe

AdMedia Partners

http://www.admediapartners.com/

(415) 643-8947

RSA Innovator NetClarity Solves Networking Problems Caused by HP and Cisco Divorce

RSA Innovator NetClarity Solves Networking Problems Caused by HP and Cisco Divorce

Network Access Control (NAC) Patented Technology Leader NetClarity Bridges the HP and Cisco Gap

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 1, 2010 -- NetClarity, Inc., the manufacturer of the award winning NACwall technology, used worldwide for Intrusion Prevention, Vulnerability Management and Network Access Control (NAC), and past winner of the coveted Top Three Innovators at RSA Conference Award (2007), today announced that after three years of significant advanced research, it has solved one of the biggest problems in networking caused by the HP and Cisco breakup.

"NACwall technology has achieved another major security milestone for all Enterprises who care about network access controls. I've long been a proponent of NetClarity's agent-less NAC technology. Now, with the new NACwall v7.1, an administrator can implement 'plug-and-play' policies for alerting, auditing, quarantining and blocking access across multi-vendor switches within the same network fabric. The ability to manage switches agnostically is exactly what the Enterprise ordered," said Winn Schwartau, Information Security Luminary, Voted one of the Top 5 Security Thinkers for 2009 by SC Magazine, Chairman, Mobile Application Development Partners, LLC.

"In this model, HP and Cisco switches can actually work together - old and new - without any requirement for single-vendor point solutions or forced upgrades to the flawed and highly exploited 802.1x protocol. There isn't a single network where mixes of equipment like HP and Cisco's need to live and work together in harmony. We make it happen in milliseconds, transparently through our NAC solution for better, stronger, easier to deploy intrusion defense," said Gary S. Miliefsky, President & Chief Technology Officer for NetClarity, Inc.

"Unless you are licensing and embedding NACwall technology within your product platforms you're selling a solution that doesn't work. You're trying to force customers to implement single switch solutions or upgrade all of your old switches to Cisco or HP exclusively, etc. Enterprises cannot afford these massive infrastructure upgrades and should not be misguided. NetClarity's patented technology solves so many problems created by the warring infrastructure vendors, their NACwall is a network must have," said Allan Cowen, Managing Director of Datamex Technologies Inc, the North American distributor of NACwalls. More information is available at http://www.datamex.com.

NetClarity's NACwall appliances help corporations harden their networks against malicious attacks. NACwalls are agent-less solutions - there is absolutely no need to deploy agents on the assets you want to protect. NACwalls deploy within minutes and protect for years. Gain inside out intrusion prevention, where you need it the most. NetClarity's NACwall appliances are protected under US Patent Number 7346922, US Pat. 11/338,870, US Pat. 10898900, US Pat. 11622460, US Pat. 11769971 as well as eleven other published and pending patent applications.

"Innovative and disruptive technologies such as NetClarity's NACwall technology are bringing improvements in protecting networks in a dramatically easier, more cost effective way" says Rake Narang, editor-in-chief of Info Security Products Guide, who has put NetClarity up for the Global Product Excellence Award as the Most Innovative NAC technology of 2010.

Other recent awards given to NetClarity, Inc. can be found here: http://www.netclarity.net/awards.html

About Info Security Products Guide Awards

Info Security Products Guide sponsors leading conferences and expos worldwide and plays a vital role in keeping end-users informed of the choices they can make when it comes to protecting their digital resources. It is written expressly for those who are adamant on staying informed of security threats and the preventive measure they can take. You will discover a wealth of information in this guide including tomorrow's technology today, best deployment scenarios, people and technologies shaping info security and independent product evaluations that facilitate in making the most pertinent security decisions. The Info Security Products Guide Awards recognize and honor excellence in all areas of information security. To learn more, visit www.infosecurityproductsguide.com and stay secured.

About RSA Conference

RSA Conference helps drive the global information security agenda with annual events in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Throughout its 19-year history, RSA Conference consistently attracts the best in the field, creating opportunities to learn about information security's most important issues through face-to-face and online interactions with peers, luminaries and emerging and established companies. More information on events, online programming and the most up-to-date news pertaining to the information security industry can be found at www.rsaconference.com.

About NetClarity, Inc.

NetClarity manufactures and delivers through trusted channel partners in over 40 countries, award winning patented NACwall appliances - agent-less non-inline, non-invasive network access control (NAC) devices that provide preemptive, proactive network protection behind all brands of firewalls against the latest network security threats on both wired and wireless networks. The company's NACwall line of appliances has received widespread recognition, including three Best Buy Awards, 5 Star ratings, and Best of 2007 from SC Magazine and according to CRN is one of the Who's Who in NAC and Most Innovative NAC Product Award 2008 and 2009, received 2009 Hot Companies Award and SC Magazine 2009 Finalist Award for best SME security solution. NACwalls enables customers to clearly see and better protect their network assets, identifying with pinpoint accuracy the root causes of data leakage, regulatory compliance gaps and network downtime using MITRE's CVE® standard. Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, NetClarity is privately held. For more information, visit http://www.netclarity.net/ and http://gogreen.netclarity.net

NetClarity, NACwall and the NetClarity logo are trademarks of NetClarity, Inc. CVE is a registered trademark of MITRE Corporation. RSA and the RSA Conference logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of RSA Security LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are trademarks of their respective companies.

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Contact Information Ashley Yarnell, Marketing Director

NetClarity, Inc.

http://www.netclarity.net/

781-276-4555

Zip Express Installation Rolls Out Field Services 2.0

Zip Express Installation Rolls Out Field Services 2.0

If you own a business that involves field services, Zip is looking to save you money today.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 1st, 2010 -- Zip Express Installation, the nation’s leading field services organization for installation, delivery, setup and assembly services for consumer electronics, PCs, and most consumer goods is proud to announce the rollout of Field Services 2.0. The 2.0 rollout strategy includes the addition of 6 new installation and delivery capabilities and includes an increase in technicians from 16,000 to over 22,000 DOT and CE certified installers. Zip provides the opportunity to expand manufacturers and retailers field service capabilities and increase the level of service for their customers. Zip’s 100% variable cost labor model takes the inefficiencies out of an in- house service organization and saves money immediately. Zip already serves name brand companies like Vonage, Target Stores, BJ’s Wholesale, and many others.

“We have already assisted numerous businesses with reducing their field service expenses and increasing customer retention,” said Chris Mauzy, President and CEO of Zip Express Installation. “Now we’re excited to rollout 6 new service capabilities and continue to offer even more businesses the ability to augment their field services with Zip and save big money.

Zip’s new capabilities include-

•    Digital Signage Installation and Rollouts

•    Product Delivery and Transportation Services

•    Commercial TV Installation Services

•    Voice Over IP Deployments and Maintenance

•    Project Management for Complex Multi-Location Rollouts

•    Kiosk Installation Services

These newly added service capabilities all include the “Pay for Performance” model that has made Zip the sought after field services company that it is today. If your company utilizes any type of field services or logistics, Zip is confident that they can save you money and increase the field efficiencies of your business. Contact Zip at 800-778-0530 and a project manager can review the options and cost savings that our 22,000 certified technicians could afford you. You can also view our website at biz.zipinstallation.com/2.0 (http://biz.zipinstallation.com)

About Zip Express Installation

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., Zip Express Installation provides fast and flexible delivery and installation services for your technology enjoyment. Zip Express Installation leverages more than 22,000 professional, CE and DOT certified installers for television installation, digital signage installation, product delivery, home theater installation, kiosk rollouts and computer solutions. For businesses, Zip Express uniquely provides and manages an in-house install infrastructure that is 100% variable cost and will save you money. Consumers can take advantage of Zip Express in-store or online with participating retailers, or online at http://www.zipinstallation.com (http://www.zipinstallation.com).

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Contact Information Jennifer Newcomb

Zip Express Installation

http://biz.zipinstallation.com

612.412.9415

Parallels Summit 2010 Keynote speech by Parallels’ CEO

Parallels Summit 2010 Keynote speech by Parallels’ CEO

Parallels’ CEO Pledges to Help Cloud Services Providers “Innovate, Optimize and Grow To Serve Small Businesses and Profit from the Cloud”. It also Announces Realignment of Business and Engineering Functions to Focus on Cloud Services, not Products.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) February 23, 2010 -- Parallels CEO Serguei Beloussov outlined the company’s vision for the Cloud in his keynote presentation at Parallels Summit 2010. Beloussov advised more than 1100 service provider, telco, VAR and ISV attendees to recognize the huge opportunity presented by the small business need for Cloud services, a market which he predicted will grow to nearly $19 billion by 2013. To meet this considerable opportunity and “Profit from the Cloud”, Beloussov explained Cloud services providers and ISVs must innovate, optimize and grow to develop full-service offerings. He pledged Parallels’ ongoing and increased support for this through the company’s investment in partnerships and complete realignment to a Cloud services-oriented company structure.

“Considerable growth is predicted in Cloud services for small businesses as they provide a low cost, easy solution for these organizations, who need an increasing range of IT services, but have very little IT knowledge and limited budgets,” said Beloussov. “The complexity of IT requirements can easily become an expensive and time-consuming distraction from the core business. Buying services through the Cloud removes both the significant initial expense of buying in-house IT operations, and simplifies decision-making as small businesses can get a range of business IT services from a single provider at a low monthly subscription rate.

“For Cloud services providers, this represents a significant opportunity; however, it is essential for businesses to innovate, optimize and grow if they are going to compete successfully and increase profitability. Innovation is critical in order to keep meeting evolving customer needs: Cloud services providers need to drive better bundled services and develop new “sticky” offerings, while ISVs need to refine their technology. This will help them open new revenue streams and attract new customers,” added Beloussov.

“To grow and be successful, Cloud services providers need to offer a complete range of services for small businesses. Improving the quality of existing services and offering customer loyalty programs are critical steps in building customer confidence and growing the loyal customer base,” said Beloussov.

During the keynote, Beloussov announced that Parallels will continue to invest in supporting its partners achieve these goals, providing support for marketing, training, certification and in other areas of the business beyond the technology itself. In addition, the company is realigning its business and engineering functions to focus on the service areas that are important to its partners and customers. The company will focus on four key services areas spanning and encompassing Parallels’ product portfolio: Shared Web Hosting Services; Messaging and Collaboration; Virtualized Infrastructure Services (VPS); and SaaS and Other Applications. Each of these services groups will be led by a senior Parallels’ executive championing the space and working closely with Parallels’ partners to identify and meet their needs.

The Shared Web Hosting Services group will be led by Craig Bartholomew, VP of Panels at Parallels, who brings considerable expertise from over 20 years as a business leader at Microsoft. Craig’s group will be working with partners to help them develop their Shared Web Hosting Services offering, encouraging the innovation and optimization that will enable them to grow and retain their customer base. The service area will be supported by a range of Parallels products, including Parallels Plesk Panel 9.5, Parallels Hosting Panel 10 (to be launched later this year) and Parallels Automation High Efficiency Shared Hosting.

The Messaging and Collaboration group will be led by Oleg Melnikov, one of the founders and VP of Automation at Parallels. As a veteran of the service provider space, he has a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges that face them and will be working closely with Parallels’ partners and customers to help them take advantage of the trend towards unified communications and increased levels of collaboration so they can grow their service offerings for greater up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. In 2010, this service area will be supported by Parallels Automation developments providing support for Microsoft Hosted Exchange 2010, MS OCS and VOIP services.

The Virtual Infrastructure Services group will be led by Amir Sharif, VP of Virtualization at Parallels, who bring considerable product management experience, most recently from VMware. Amir’s group will be helping Parallels’ partners and customers innovate and grow by offering profitable virtualized services; predicted to be the biggest area of growth in Cloud services in the next five years. This service area will see developments across Parallels’ virtualization products in 2010, including the launch of Parallels Server for Mac Bare Metal Edition at Parallels Summit 2010, an update for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers (version 4.6) and the launch of Cloud Utility Computing later in the year.

The SaaS and Other Applications group will be led by Matt Domo, CTO at Parallels, who brings considerable expertise as a former general manager at Amazon Web Services and Microsoft veteran. This group will focus on helping new ISVs find new channels to market, enabling Cloud services providers to innovate new bundled services offerings and grow their up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. To support this service area, Parallels is introducing Parallels Partner Marketplace v2 and Application Packaging Standard 1.2 at Parallels Summit 2010.

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Contact Information Rohan Hutchings

206-335-2677