Google’s Aspired Hegemony

Posted on: February 28th, 2006

After writing yesterday about the launch of at Should Google Lead the Web Development Tools Market? I realized that has changed profoundly from what they were at first.

At the beginning Google was an by really making the “matter” accessible to everyone. They have contributed immensely in making the web a useful and enjoyable place to be.

Ever since Google raised their head towards direct competition with (the notoriously centralistic company) they have become more and more like what they have taught us to hate - their opponent. Google with their ever growing spree of applications launched almost every week in recent years are becoming a kind of a large web application development powerhouse with very large userbase and less of a web hub as they use to be. Killing us softly with their features:)

We can try to attribute this change to the perceived rules of engagement at the big pond, where Microsoft “had” to create sophisticated “lock-in” methods on the level (apps tightly coupled with dev tools that are tightly coupled with operating systems) in order to maintain leadership. But still I can’t forget that the new competition between Google and Microsoft on the dominance of the web takes place on a competitive landscape Google created with their own hands. The web as a new competitive landscape is profoundly different then the personal/business computing landscape most of all for the distributed nature of web. User “lock-in” may not be the smartest way to maintain dominance in a distributed world.

Google seems to follow Microsoft by adding rather centralistic products such as recent Google Pages Beta launch (a web authoring and hosting application), or even . I humbly think that a better way for Google to maintain distinction from Microsoft in their own playground should be to increase their reach into more content as well as other new enabling capabilities such as as you would expect from a distributed world platform leader and not by adding few more tools. This new applications rush needless to say ambitions over operating systems may lead only to marginal benefit both for users as well as for Google in comparison to what they have done before.

The legendary “lock-in” strategy which is the holy grail in the personal and organizational computing world has many good reasons to be a “holy grail” in a world that is dramatically less diverse then the web. Of course it does not have to be automatically the right answer for creating platform leadership on the web. The highly distributed nature of the web has always embraced loosely coupled innovation (open source) in terms of relationship between the vendor and the user and creating one central point of service in the web just doesn’t fit in.

I think that keeping this wrong trail Google will end up as another closed community portal (AOL?) which does many things but is not meaningful (expcept for their shareholders).

Just a thought - It seems that the new fight over the web in the next decade will be on the “lock-in” mentality between the state of mind of the open source world vs. the proprietary world (Microsoft and Google and many others).

P.S.

This centralistic approach takes me back 15 years ago to the time I was at the army and part of an IBM mainframe applications team where centrality was the main and only way of thinking.

Dudu

on posted on recent from Google Pages Released . Google as they always do now put their hands in authoring of webpages as well as in web hosting. (Maybe this move will make and even closer friends:)

Google as a leader in developing rapidly new web applications probably have a refined set of internal s and processes inhouse as well as a nice (I’m lurking it:).

With the recent growth and power demonstration of as a web interactive layer (as well as many other viable tools and methods that enable the buildup of real effective s) Google in my opinion should pick up the torch of web development environment and lead it. As a company that states clearly they want to dominate the web, providing a development environment for the you wish to dominate is a must (especially in light of with the undisputable leader in development tools on client/server platforms).

Dudu

The only thing I expect from a development environment from Google’s house is that it will not be bound to their rather centralistic services and nature. Which means, if I want to host my application on my site then please allow me to do so and don’t bind me to your servers no matter how simple and fun it is.

crossed today the 20,064 mark,

which means we currently aggregate more then

20,000 related blogs.

Dudu

Mergers & Acquisitions

, an Atlanta based developer of a Java-based application server using open source technologies, acquired , a Berlin based systems integrator and service provider for Java and open source enterprise-critical applications, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Fort Myers, FL based provider of wireless services and patented technologies that provide automatic links to mobile Internet-based information, acquired , a Wurselen, Germany based provider of code readers for mobile marketing, mobile ticketing, and mobile couponing, for $7.2 million.

, a Norcross, GA based provider of flexible IP VPN solutions, acquired , a Pleasanton, CA based provider of broadband services to small and medium-sized businesses., for an undisclosed amount.

acquired , a Sunnyvale, CA based provider of software automation tools for Linux systems management, for an undisclosed amount.

Funding

– Dallas, TX; a fixed wireless company for business customers; $8 million; round not specified; Key Venture Partners, Crescendo Ventures, Dolphin Equity Partners, Sevin Rosen Funds.

– Boston, MA; a developer of intellectual asset management (IAM) software solutions; $4 million; Series A; Northstar Global Partners.

– Saratoga, CA; a developer of broadband wireless access solutions; $12.1 million; Series A; DCM-Doll Capital Management, Venrock Associates, WK Technology Fund.

– Herndon, VA; a provider of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) strategy, tactical direction, and product development services to Fortune 1000 and Government customers; $16 million; Series A; Carlyle Group, Novak Biddle Venture Partners.

– Boulder, CO; a broadband video surveillance company; $3 million; Series A; Bear Equity, Columbia Capital, Ledcor Technical Services.

– Scotland, UK; a developer of products to deliver broadcast quality digital video over IP networks within buildings; $1.43 million; Series A; Scottish Enterprise, Sigma Technology Group.

– Santa Clara, CA; a provider of mobile enterprise software on smart phones and mobile platforms; $30 million; Series E; ValueAct Capital, Benchmark Capital, Crosslink Capital, k1 Ventures Limited, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

– Broomfield, CO; a provider of team collaboration services and software solutions; $1 million; round not specified; Slottsbacken.

– Bluffdale, UT; a developer of Linux cluster solutions and management tools; $10 million; Series C; Oak Investment Partners, Tudor Ventures.

– Sunnyvale, CA; provides message delivery and mobile billing services to businesses worldwide; $25 million; Series D; Trident Capital, Avanti Capital, BA Venture Partners (BAVP), Norwest Venture Partners, Novus Ventures.

- Gothenburg, Sweden; a developer of electronic solutions and software for the automotive industry; $3.8 million; round not specified; EQVITEC Partners.

– Pittsburgh, PA; a developer of mobile broadcast software multimedia, including video and audio services, targeting broadcasters, OEMs, ODMs, and network operators; $6.5 million; Series A; Warburg Pincus, ITU Ventures.

Serendipity – Tel Aviv, Israel; developer of a new method for presenting information mined from enterprise systems; undisclosed amount; pre-seed; Genesis Partners.

– Palo Alto, CA; a provider of IT control solutions; $10 million; Series C; Matrix Partners, Menlo Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds.

– Boston, MA; a developer of mobile advertising and marketing software and services; $5 million; Series B; TD Capital, Blue Chip Venture Company.

IPO Pricings

(NASDAQ: LQDT)
Washington, DC
Online auction firm which provides manufacturers, retailers, and corporations with an electronic business-to-business marketplace to dispose, liquidate, and track goods in the reverse supply chain.
Date of Offering: 2/23/06
Offer Price: $10.00
Closing Price as of 2/24/06: $12.25

IPO Filings

(NASDAQ: WNTG Proposed)
Austin, TX
Wintegra designs access packet processors used in networking equipment.
Date of Registration: 2/17/06
Offering amount: $86.25 million
Lead Underwriter: Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Executive Moves

, a Mujnich based investment management firm in the secondary direct market, promoted Principal to Partner.

, a San Francisco based provider of quality-assurance software for enterprise Internet protocol telephony, named as CFO. McCormack was formerly EVP and CFO for Transware PLC.

, a Fremont, CA based provider of on-demand desktop management services, named as CFO and as VP of Customer Operations. Consul was formerly VP of Finance & CFO of Arcot Systems. Muggeo was formerly a VP at Kronos.

, a Baltimore based private equity firm focused exclusively on the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, promoted VPs , Erik O. Morris, Joel J. Radtke and Stephen M. Frederick to Principals.

, an Atlanta based provider of on-demand supply management solutions, named as SVP of Marketing. Minahan was formerly Chief Services Officer at Aberdeen Group.

, a Denver based RFID designer and implementer and mobile asset management specialist, named as CFO. Flaherty was formerly employed by ProSavvy.

, a Menlo Park, CA based early stage venture capital firm, named as a Venture Consultant. Chopra co-founded Pinnacle Systems.

Contributor: Venator Partners - Venator Partners is a Boston-based executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior-level executives in the software and communications industries.
Copyright: Copyright © 2004. Venator Partners, LLC.
Covered Categories: M&A, Start-ups, Personnel Changes


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Contemplating on Web 2.0 Business Models

Posted on: February 25th, 2006

Most of my time as the developer of is spent on how the hell can I make money from this. Strategic Board as many other sprouts and trees create “value” in the new content creation era we live in a.k.a as . Blogging both for users and publishers is free and finding a way to capitalize on a basically free thing is a very sophisticated riddle. People in general don’t pay for information that can be reached in other free ways.

The options to make money I see today are:

1) Put ads on my site and get clickthrough money. A that is not integrated into the “value” I bring to the table. Needless to say an almost lost fight with the brands out there.

2) Create few niche services, provide a free entry level account and charge for unlimited usage. This can make me busy for six months (developing it) and maybe can take the business model thoughts out of my head for while though I’m not sure it will be the right way. The best case here might be a situation where few information maniacs will pay me subscription fees while others will find their information in other places or not at all.

3) Do partnerships with others that like you don’t have money coming through as well. This can be very nice on the social and spiritual level but I’m not sure my bank manager will appreciate it.

All these poor alternatives stand in light of tough competition by large rivals who are lurking for your service eyeballs. Whether it is who makes money directly from your eyeballs and receive exposure on your back () or / who are running crazy to get all the people who are going today to Google in order to do what?. Competing with them on their turf (the eyeballs arena) is impossible due to their massive capacity and selling the business after bootstrapping to them is also not that great idea at least morally.

Dudu

Are Patents Relevant for Web 2.0 Companies

Posted on: February 23rd, 2006

I saw today an interesting article titled “’s Blog: s are worthless”. The article describes the lack of effectiveness in an for companies. I share a similar perspective on the matter and only for the most simple reason - who has time to pursue NDA infringers? The only ones I see go running into court with an NDA lawsuit is the side who lost in the match (if you win the business you are after then you don’t really care nor have the time for it so you just stay with a bad “taste” from the partner). Losers many times can not afford pursuing a business opportunity that is lost forever.

One paragraph in the article captured my attention in the context of “The longevity of ideas and technologies is now so short, the NDA concept has become inherently ineffective in protecting anything or anyone.”. This statement I feel is so true also on the state of s in Web 2.0. I’m not sure whether someone covered the subject of patents in Web 2.0 companies but my feeling is that nobody applies for one except for those who try please their mandate.

In Web 2.0 reality every new day a new idea pops, a new (if they deserve to be called so:) is rising and every new day the last day concept dies. The lifecycle of applying for a patent and waiting for its acceptance does not fit at all with Web 2.0 dynamics. Needless to say that paying a 10K USD for a patent attorney will mean for many Web 2.0 sprouts the end of business.

Dudu

P.S. I’m sure that if my blog was famous many patent lawyers would get pissed of by this post. Thanks god I’m anonymous:)

Mergers & Acquisitions

(), an Eden Prairie, MN based provider of global network infrastructure products and services enabling high-speed Internet, data, video, and voice services to their customers’ unique networks, acquired , a Herzliya, Israel based provider of Internet protocol service creation solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

acquired , developer of computer systems for managing s, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Luxembourg based provider of inter-operator solutions to the telecommunications and data industry, acquired , a managed service provider for mobile data services, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Fort Myers, FL based provider of wireless services, acquired , a Munich based provider of marketing and entertainment applications and programs via cellular phones, for an $22 million.

acquired , a provider of search technology designed specifically for mobile operators and the mobile Internet, for an undisclosed amount.

acquired , a Stockholm based provider of a carrier-grade () and for fixed and wireless communication, for an undisclosed amount.

, an Aliso Viejo, CA based provider of fibre channel host bus adapters (HBAs), stackable switches and blade server switches, acquired , a Mountain View, CA based developer of products that accelerate the performance of applications run in Linux clusters, for $109 million.

, a Helsinki, Finland based provider of software for authentication systems needed to secure and perform transactions with mobile devices, acquired , a Helsinki based provider of mobile multimedia and messaging software for mobile operators, for an undisclosed amount.

Funding

– Sunnyvale, CA; a provider of real-time recovery management solutions, which deliver continuous data protection with guaranteed data integrity and instant recovery; $20 million; Series B; , , .

– Mountain View, CA; provider of an attached processing solution designed to deliver compute and memory resources as a shared network service to applications built on the (TM) Java(TM) platform as well as other virtual machine languages; undisclosed amount; round not specified; .

– Mountain View, CA; a developer of software for identifying business opportunities; $12.7 million; round not specified; , .

– Woburn, MA; a provider of the Software as a Service (SaaS)-based ecommerce platform that offers merchants the optimal combination of control, flexibility and a usage-based pricing model; $12 million; Series B; , Individuals, .

– Stuttgart, Germany; a developer of camera modules for mobile phones; $26.48 million; Spin Out Financing; , , , L-EA.

(EVE) – Palaiseau, France; a developer of advanced verification products for the electronic design automation (EDA) industry; $6 million; Series C; , , , , .

– Kista, Sweden; provider of , triple play for (), and embedded solutions; $2.2 million; round not specified; .

– New York, NY; a developer of a technology platform for online news consumption; $10 million; Series B; .

– Austin, TX; mixed signal innovator and developer of the True Fidelity

Top 100 Technology Blogs - Feb 17 2006

Posted on: February 17th, 2006

Top 100 Technology Blogs

Mergers & Acquisitions

, a San Rafael, CA based provider of design software and digital content, acquired , an Alpharetta, GA based provider of technology solutions for the US construction industry, for $46 million.

, an Austin based provider of real-time supply chain execution and collaboration software solutions, acquired , a San Jose based provider of a comprehensive suite of returns management applications that track, manage and process returns in real-time from a secure, web-based platform anywhere in the world, for an undisclosed amount.

, a San Francisco based provider of IT and software application outsourcing services, acquired , a New York based provider of IT management consulting services, for an undisclosed amount.

acquire , a Cupertino, CA based provider of information lifecycle management solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

acquired , an Irvine, CA based provider of business process integration solutions for real-time supply chain visibility, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Los Gatos, CA based provider of interactive television solutions, merged with , a San Francisco based developer of solutions for mass customization of live video streams, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Portland, OR based provider of local, long-distance, and Internet services for small and mid-size businesses, acquired , a Vancouver, WA based integrated communications provider of Internet, data, voice, and dedicated access services to enterprise businesses and carriers, for $243 million.

(MDS), a Cheshire, UK based provider of end-to-end billing, customer management, and revenue assurance solutions for the communications market, acquired , a Stockholm based global provider of telecom revenue assurance and fraud management solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

, a San Jose, CA based provider of software solutions and intelligent appliances for enterprise application and network performance analysis, acquired , a Princeton, NJ based provider of an IT infrastructure monitoring application, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Sunnyvale, CA based developer of comprehensive Internet security solutions, acquired , a Palo Alto, CA based provider of messaging security products, for $31 million.

acquired , a Burlington, MA based provider of data center change and configuration management solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Burnaby, Canada based developer of wireless systems and coverage-enhancement solutions, acquired , a Yokneam, Israel based provider of wireless networking solutions, for $2 million.

Funding

– London, UK; a developer of open source enterprise software; $8 million; Series B; , .

– Santa Clara, CA; a provider of network storage appliances for small businesses; $10 million; Series B; , , .

– Bristol, UK; a provider of subscriber-centric networks; $30 million; Series B; , (), , , , .

– El Segundo, CA; a provider of high-frequency electronic design automation software for wireless, high-speed wireline, and electro-optical applications; $6.4 million; Series C; , , , , .

– Lausanne, Switzerland; a provider of fiberoptic transceiver and transponder modules for networks running at speeds of 10Gbps and beyond; $16.66 million; Series A-1; , .

- Noormarkku, Finland; a provider of graphics hardware solutions for mobile devices; $4.78 million; round not specified; BlueRun Ventures.

– Munich, Germany; a European vendor of Linux-based server technology; $2.2 million; Series A; Intel Capital.

, (CSS) – San Jose, CA; a business and technology solutions provider specializing in services to enterprises and independent software vendors (ISVs); $22.5 million; Series A; .

– Pittsburgh, PA; a developer of an (EDA) and computer aided design (CAD) design-synthesis software; $3 million; round not specified; undisclosed investors.

– San Jose, CA; a provider of proactive, behavior-based secure content management solutions; $10 million; round not specified; , , .

– Madrid, Spain; a provider of software and services to share Wi-Fi broadband access; $21.7 million; Series A; Index Ventures, Google, Sequoia Capital, Skype Technologies.

– Waltham, MA; a provider of next generation games, gaming systems, and platforms for casinos and lotteries; $18.6 million; Series B; (Lead), , .

– Lexington, MA; a provider of an enterprise SSO appliance designed to help IT organizations quickly and effectively solve password management and user access issues; $12 million; Series B; , , .

– Morrisville, NC; a developer mobile digital video technology for the public safety and transportation markets; $36 million; round not specified; , , , , , .

– Bethesda, MD; a provider of a prepaid wireless service aimed at “tweens” and teens; $27 million; Series A; , , .

– Mountain View, CA; a provider of VOD programming and next-generation platforms for video content and service delivery; $11 million; round not specified; .

– Cambridge, MA; a provider of behavior-based network security solutions for enterprises; $7 million; Series E; , , , , .

– London, UK; an early stage software company focusing on the security and audio markets; $1.3 million; Series A; .

– Santa Clara, CA; a developer of Class-D digital audio amplifiers and innovative power management semiconductors; $6 million; Series A; , , , .

– Atlanta, GA; a provider of solutions that deliver the first accurate picture of what happens on the sales floor of retail and service-based environments, such as banks, hotels and automotive dealerships; $3 million; Series A; .

– Mountain View, CA; a provider of specialty materials for the electronics industry with a focus on advanced dielectrics for semiconductor manufacturing; $7.7 million; round not specified; undisclosed investors.

– Bellevue, WA; a provider of mobile customer care and diagnostic products to mobile telecommunications providers that enable the mobile phone itself to diagnose and resolve issues; $13 million; Series C; , , .

– Maynard, MA; a provider of Activity Auditing solutions for compliance and data theft protection in the data center; $3 million; Series B; .

(XDS) – San Diego, CA; a developer of communications systems for both wireless and wired applications; $5 million; Series A; .

IPO Pricings

., (NASDAQ: NTLS)
Waynesboro, VA
NTELOS’s wireline operations include two rural local-exchange carriers (RLECs) that supply phone service and Internet access to residents and businesses in several western Virginia communities.
Date of Offering: 2/9/06
Offer Price: $12.00
Closing Price as of 2/10/06: $12.03

IPO Filings

.
Holmdel, NJ
A leading provider of broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Date of Registration: 2/8/06
Offering amount: $250 million
Lead Underwriter: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Executive Moves

, a New York based provider of grid computing software, named as CFO. Blanchette was formerly President of Finance for Concord Communications.

, a Morrisville, NC based developer of mobile digital video solutions, named as VP of Human Resources. Edmondson was formerly Director of Human Resources at ChannelAdvisor Corporation.

, a Boston based provider of a free, nationwide telephone directory assistance service, named as President & CEO. Garrick was formerly President & CEO of Wine.com.

, a Stamford, CT based provider of unified, predictive performance management solutions, named as CMO. Plummer was formerly VP of Global Partner Operations at Cognos.

, a Mountain View, CA based a mobile video advertising company, named as Director of UK Operations to helm their new London office. Upstone was formerly employed by Touch Clarity.

(fka Deepfile), an Austin based provider of automated Information Classification and Management (ICM) solutions, named as CEO. Davenport was formerly President & CEO of Copan Systems.

, an El Segundo, CA based provider of performance-based online media and marketing solutions, named Board Chair as Interim CEO after President & CEO Keith Cohn resigned.

, a Vancouver based venture capital firm, named as . Ruddock was formerly CEO of INEA Corp.

, a Holmdel, NJ based provider of broadband phone service, named as CEO. Founder and former CEO Jeffrey A. Citron will take on the role of Chairman and Chief Strategist. Snyder was formerly President at ADT, part of Tyco Fire and Security.

, an Austin based provider of vertically based, service-oriented business software, named as and EVP. Soni was formerly CTO, Client Services for BearingPoint.

Contributor: Venator Partners - Venator Partners is a Boston-based executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior-level executives in the software and communications industries.
Copyright: Copyright © 2004. Venator Partners, LLC.
Covered Categories: M&A, Start-ups, Personnel Changes


Subscribe to Venator Partners newsletter!

Mergers & Acquisitions

, a Richmond, VA based provider of competitive local exchange () and DSL services, acquired (fka ), provider of , voice, and , long distance, government, and large enterprise customers, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Herndon, VA based provider of () strategy, tactical direction, and product development services, merged with , a Herndon based provider of software development and integration services, for an undisclosed amount.

, a London based operator of wireless broadband networks, acquired (NCI), a German operator, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Cleveland based provider of retail technology for the specialty and general merchandise retail industry, acquired , a Natick, MA based provider of cross-channel retail solutions, for $13.2 million.

, a Sandy, UT based provider of and solutions for the automated Web, acquired , a Rocklin, CA based provider of and policy compliance solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Copenhagen based provider of a corporate search engine for internal and external portals and Web sites, acquired , a Viby, Denmark basead provider of knowledge and information management software, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Jacksonville, FL based provider of workforce management solutions, acquired , a Purchase, NY based provider of competency-driven human capital management solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Redwood City, CA based provider of on-demand email and lifecycle marketing solutions, acquired , a San Francisco based professional services firm specializing in the strategic optimization of email marketing programs, for an undisclosed amount.

, a Palo Alto, CA based provider of startup launch services, acquired , a Palo Alto based provider of comprehensive pricing intelligence, optimization, and execution solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

Funding

– Los Gatos, CA; a developer of high-performance, CMOS Radio Frequency (RF) and mixed-signal semiconductors; $20 million; Series B; Globespan Capital Partners, DCM-Doll Capital Management, Trinity Ventures.

– Dublin, Ireland; a provider of messaging infrastructure; $17 million; Series B; Fleming Family, Mayfair Venture Capital, Motorola Ventures.

– Warrensville Heights, OH; a provider of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) management solutions; $6 million; Series E; Eastward Capital Partners, JPMorgan Partners, Key Venture Partners, Sierra Ventures.

– London, UK; a WiFi network operator; undisclosed amount; Series C; 3i Group, Accel Partners, Provider Venture Partners.

– Herndon, VA; a provider of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) strategy, tactical direction, and product development services to Fortune 1000 and Government customers; undisclosed amount; Series A; Carlyle Group, Novak Biddle Venture Partners.

– Bothell, WA; a developer of mobile business software; $12 million; round not specified; Mesirow Financial, Canaan Partners, Intel Capital, Motorola Ventures, Sigma Partners.

– Irvine, CA; a provider of inventory management solutions for the industrial market; $13.75 million; round not specified; Argentum Group, InnoCal Venture Capital, Inverness Capital Partners, Mission Ventures.

– Boulogne, France; a provider of advanced image processing technologies for the mobile imaging industry and other digital consumer imaging markets; $12.8 million; Series B; Apax Partners, CSK Venture Capital, Hitachi, Societe Generale Asset Management, SPEF Venture, Thales.

– Oakland, CA; developer of integrated circuits for the Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market; undisclosed amount; round not specified; Siemens Venture Capital.

– Mountain View, CA; a provider of Layer 2.5 Aggregation solutions; $30 million; Series C; Silver Creek Ventures, Apex Venture Partners.

– Waltham, MA; a provider of intelligent switch storage software; $24 million; Series D; QuestMark Partners, Globespan Capital Partners, GrandBanks Capital, Greylock Partners, HLM Venture Partners, Sigma Partners, Wasatch Advisors.

– Sunnyvale, CA; a provider of Linux based embedded software for next generation networking appliances; undisclosed amount; round not specified; INC3.

– Boston, MA; a provider of real-time Event Data Management (EDM) solutions; $6 million; round not specified; Pilot House Ventures Group, Sevin Rosen Funds.

– Santa Clara, CA; a developer of online archive solutions for long-term storage of fixed digital content; $10 million; Series B; Silver Creek Ventures, Sequoia Capital.

– Redwood City, CA; a provider of customer identity management (CIM) solutions; undisclosed amount; round not specified; Hyperion.

– Woodburn Green, UK; a provider of services and products for managing wireless infrastructure; $1.4 million; Series C; Close Venture Management.

– Basingstoke, UK; a provider of cellular, smart card and wireless communication solutions; $3.56 million; round not specified; Close Venture Management.

– Amherst, NY; a provider of bundled broadband Internet, satellite television, and VoIP telephone services to multi-dwelling unit properties in the US; $2.5 million; Series A; High Peaks Venture Partners, Onondaga Venture Capital Fund, Rand Capital, Trillium Group.

– Netanya, Israel; a fabless chip set developer of integrated semiconductor receivers for mobile digital TV; $20 million; Series B; Jerusalem Venture Partners, Star Ventures Management, Walden Israel Funds.

– San Diego, CA; designs and produces Tarari Content Processors that accelerate and offload compute-intensive, complex algorithms used in XML/Web Services, Network Security and Digital Media environments; $14 million; Series C; Enterprise Partners Venture Capital (Lead), Crosspoint Venture Partners, Miramar Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, XMLFund.

– Mountain View, CA; a developer of enterprise-class network acceleration appliances; $13 million; Series B; Duff Ackerman & Goodrich, Benchmark Capital, Greylock Partners, Pinnacle Ventures.

– San Mateo, CA; a digital lifestyle products company; $46.6 million; Series B; Allen & Co., DCM-Doll Capital Management, EchoStar Communications, Goldman Sachs Group, Hearst Corporation, Liberty Media, Mobius Venture Capital.

– Brookings, SD; a provider of digital writing products; undisclosed amount; round not specified; First National Venture Capital.

– Westlake Village, CA; a developer of next-generation Wireless LAN Array architecture; $16.25 million; Series B; August Capital, U.S. Venture Partners.

IPO Pricings

, (NASDAQ: DMGI)
Sacramento, CA
Digital Music Group purchases and licenses music recordings in digital format from record labels and artists.
Date of Offering: 2/2/06
Offer Price: $9.75
Closing Price as of 2/3/06: $9.64

, (NASDAQ: SMOD)
Fremont, CA
SMART Modular Technologies is a maker of PC cards, embedded computers, and memory modules.
Date of Offering: 2/3/06
Offer Price: $9.00
Closing Price as of 2/3/06: $8.54

IPO Filings

No new filings to report this week.

Executive Moves

, a Somerset, NJ based provider of comprehensive Internet security solutions, promoted VP of Finance and Controller to CFO and named Ken Araujo as CTO. Araujo was formerly CTO and SVP of Engineering at Netilla.

, a Santa Clara, CA based provider of software for chip design, named as CEO. Sandoval was formerly VP of Customer Design Engineering at LSI Logic.

, a Brisbane, CA based provider of on-demand distributed software development solutions, named as VP of Worldwide Marketing and Mike Hallett as VP of Worldwide Field Operations. Doettling was formerly SVP of marketing & Products at Centrata. Hallett was formerly SVP of Worldwide Sales at Questra.

, a Waltham, MA based provider of real-time risk and operational intelligence software, named as President & CEO. Labie was formerly President & COO at Novadigm.

, a Bellevue, WA based provider of software that enables privacy, control, and auditability for the owners of private information, named as EVP of Product Strategy & Development, Jan Vandenbos as VP of Product Development and Steve Fujiki as Director of Program Management. Csinger was formerly SVP and CIO of Group Telecom. Vandenbos was formerly Senior Security Architect for Microsoft. Fujiki was formerly a Product Planner for Microsoft Office.

, a Sunnyvale, CA based fabless semiconductor company delivering power conversion and power management solutions for mobile device manufacturers, named as EVP of Engineering. McCreary was formerly VP of Engineering for iWatt .

, a San Marcos, TX based provider of a deep-fiber broadband network to homes and businesses, named as CEO. Chestnutt was formerly an SVP at Sprint-Nextel.

, a Denver based online provider of group travel planning, named as CFO. Hyland was formerly CFO at Mark Travel Corporation.

, an Atlanta based provider of open source middleware, named VP of Sales & Marketing to COO, Co-Founder & CTO as VP of Technology & Architecture, GM of JBoss Europe as CTO, first employee as VP of End User Sales for the Americas and as VP of Engineering. Miller was formerly VP of Technical Architecture at .

, a Trondheim, Norway based global identity management specialist, named as President & CEO. Svenning was formerly COO for SpareBank 1 Midt-Norge AS.

, an Acton, MA based developer of optical transport subsystems for telecommunications carriers, cable provider networks, and corporate enterprise applications, named as President & CEO. Iuliano was formerly President & CEO of E Ink.

, a San Diego based provider of small form factor, single-chip, all-CMOS wireless solutions, named Chairman of the Board as CEO.

, a Stockholm based global supplier of Optical Access solutions, named as VP of Sales. Lindskog was formerly Director of Business Development at Netcom Consulting AB.

, a Sunnyvale, CA global provider of 3G mobile optimization solutions, named as VP of Engineering and Rikard Kjellberg as VP of Products. Slotnick was formerly Chief Products Officer at Palmsource. Kjellberg was formerly Director of Product Management at OpenWave Systems.

Contributor: Venator Partners - Venator Partners is a Boston-based executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior-level executives in the software and communications industries.
Copyright: Copyright © 2004. Venator Partners, LLC.
Covered Categories: M&A, Start-ups, Personnel Changes


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