Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Sprout Closes $5 Million Series B Led by Polaris Venture Partners

Sprout, the premier platform for easily creating, publishing and managing rich media Web content, has closed a $5 million Series B financing led by Polaris Venture Partners. Mike Hirshland, general partner at Polaris, has joined Sprout's board of directors. Existing investor Global Venture Capital (gvc) and legendary entrepreneur Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation and designer of Lotus 1-2-3, also participated in the round.

Sprout is a free Web-based authoring platform that enables anyone to quickly and easily build widgets, mashups, mini-sites, banners and other forms of interactive and distributable web content. Users create "sprouts" by dragging and dropping rich media such as video, audio, images, text, shapes, and interactive services such as Twitter, Ribbit, PollDaddy and more. Sprouts can be embedded onto any Web site, blog, or social networking profile, and updates to the sprout are instantly reflected in all copies in circulation. Sprout's customers range from individuals, organizations, and business small and large, including major record labels such as Universal Music Canada.


Thursday, May 08, 2008

Qwest Data Networking Services Give Minnesota Vikings' Home Field an Advantage


Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) today announced an exclusive two-year agreement with the Minnesota Vikings to connect the teams stadium, practice field and offices using high-bandwidth data networking and Internet services.

As the Official Communications Provider of the Minnesota Vikings, Qwest already is the exclusive provider of high-speed Internet, DIRECTV® service and Qwest Digital Voice at the teams training facility. Under this new contract, the Vikings will now connect the Metrodome, Winter Park practice field and the teams marketing and sales offices using Qwest Metro Optical Ethernet (QMOE) services. With Internet speeds up to 100 Megabits per second (Mbps), this upgrade will maximize the user experience whenever players and staff log-on, tune in and talk over Qwests high-speed, secure and reliable network.