USA Technologies' Suit Against Dissidents over Messsage Board Comments

USA Technologies (USAT), the Malvern cashless and contactless payment system provider that is currently in the middle of a proxy fight, is going after two dissidents on the Yahoo! Finance message board for USAT who have been saying some bad things about their management of the company. (There is no indication at this time that they are connected to the leadership of the group that launched the proxy battle.) USA Technologies filed suit in the Federal Eastern District of Pennsylvania in late August against the unknown holders of the two Yahoo! screen names, "MICHAEL_MOORE_IS_FAT" and "STOKKLERK". In the complaint, the company claims that the defendants' comments were defamatory towards management and were part of a "scheme" on behalf of the anonymous posters to "enrich themselves through undisclosed manipulative trading tactics". USA Technologies also issued a subpoena to Yahoo! seeking the identity of its critics.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is representing the defendants, claiming First Amendment rights. Also, the EFF says, a California statue awards attorney fees to anonymous speakers if an out-of-state subpoena is quashed and ""if the underlying action arises from the moving party's exercise of free speech rights on the Internet and the respondent has failed to make a prima facie showing of a cause of action." California is involved since Yahoo! is headquartered there.
USA Technologies' argument against the motion to quash was to be heard this past Friday.

A post on the EFF's website provides a link to court documents.



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Successful turnaround at Unisys (Philly.com:Philly Deals)

Could NBC Sale to Comcast Spell Trouble for Hulu? (ClickZ)

Cadient Interactive Announces the Launch of HATCH Consulting Services
HATCH Experts to Guide Healthcare and Life Sciences Companies and Brands Through Interactive Strategies (PR Newswire)

Pharma: Socializing in a Straightjacket
Players tiptoe into social media (ADWeek)
I believe the author meant to refer to Chris Kuenne as the CEO of Rosetta, the Princeton-based interactive marketing agency, rather than Rosetta Stone.



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People News 12/6/09

Quality Systems, Inc. Promotes Two Senior Management Members (Business Wire)
Quality Systems' NextGen Healthcare Information Systems is based in Horsham.

American Water’s Chief Information Officer Honored with Philadelphia SIM Leadership Award (Business Wire)

Janney Investment Banking Continues Expansion
Peter Blackwood Joins Janney to lead Internet & Digital Media Effort (Business Wire)

Former Flyer Propp scores executive position at Judge Group (Philadelphia Business Journal)

Mario Turco Named President of Verizon Wireless' Philly Tri-State Region (Cherry Hill Courier-Post)

Comcast Promotes Joy To SVP
Executive Responsible For Leading Strategy, Tech Planning (Multichannel News)


Invite Media Hire Paul Turner As They Enter The European Market (FarneyMedia.com)

Brownstein Group expands its Interactive team, adds four (Philly Ad Club)

Pointroll Enhances Leadership Team, Promotes Rob Gatto To Senior Vice President Of Sales
Executive Move Strengthens Alignment of ShopLocal and PointRoll (PointRoll Press Release)

20nine Adds to Growing Team (Company Press Release)

Quintiq Inc. Expands to Meet Growing Demand
(Business Wire)

iPipeline Appoints Steve Meade to VP, Illustration Solutions (Business Wire)

LCR Electronics Hires Eric Kessler as Director of Commercial Sales (PR Newswire)




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Comcast/NBCU Key Documents

I will add to this as I see other things and keep it posted on the righthand sidebar.

Comcast NBCU Main Information Site

Comcast Presentation (pdf-free registration))

Comcast Conference Call Transcript (pdf-free registration)

Comcast Conference Call Webcast (free registration)

Comcast/GE Press Release Announcing Transaction

SEC Filing (Form 8-K)

David Cohen memo on
Comcast's public responsibilities (pdf)

Fitch Affirms Comcast's IDR at 'BBB+'; Outlook Stable (Business Wire)


CNBC interviews Brian Roberts and Jeff Immelt (CNBC)


Conyers calls for Comcast-NBC hearings (Politico)

STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER COPPS ON THE COMCAST/GENERAL ELECTRIC ANNOUNCEMENT (FCC) (pdf)

Philly.com Coverage

Should Consumers Fear the Comcast Deal? (New York Times Blog: Room For Debate)

Comcast-NBC Universal: Will the Marriage of Cable and Content Work? (Knowledge@Wharton)

Comcast-GE-NBCU Public Interest Statement FCC Filing – January 28, 2010

Comcast/NBCU Hearings on
Capitol Hill (CSPAN)




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Comcast/NBCU Updates

Comcast to weigh revising Universal Pictures script (LA Times: Company Town)

Tears shed at NBC Uni town hall
Insiders call emotional finale 'inspiring' (The Hollywoood Reporter)

Editorial: Comcast's big deal (Philadelphia Inquirer)

SEC Watch: Comcast Units Not Part of The Deal, and Its Stakes, Including Current TV (paidContent)

Comcast seeks support on Hill, Street (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Comcast Hasn’t Made ‘Last, Best Offer’ to U.S. on Deal for NBC (Bloomberg)

Comcast: NBCU Deals Spurs Upgrades (Barron's:
Tech Trader Daily)




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Daily Links 12/4/09: Portico Systems named 2009 Emerging Technology Company of the Year

No Quick Resolution Likely for SAP KPI Saga (PCWorld)

SAP managed hosting no longer all or nothing (SearchSAP.com)

Oracle: Ellison Reportedly Offers Compromise On MySQL To Address EU Concerns On Sun Deal (Barron's: Tech Trader Daily)
Update: Oracle says now that there is no truth to that report.

Portico Systems Named 2009 Emerging Technology Company of the Year
Eastern Technology Council Enterprise Awards Acknowledges Innovation and Growth (Business Wire)


U.S. hospitals turn to GE for surgical cuts (Reuters)
Features South Jersey's Virtua Health.

Pennsylvania seeks pact with Delaware for HIE
(Goverrnment Health IT)

DailyCandy Cutting Back Local Editions (paidContent)
No more daily Philadelphia edition, six layoff.

Fastech Strengthens Product and Service Portfolio - Acquires Regional Leaders Transcend and Aserdiv
Company is now one of the 500 largest IT VARs in the US (PR Newswire)




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More on Center City Direct

                                         (Source: Center City Direct website)


Center City Direct, which operates the new "digital newsstands" launched last week (see Press Release for background) at old fashioned Philadelphia newsstands in conjunction with CBS, understands the power of newsstands as both distribution and information centers.

But while its relationship with the Newsstand Association of Philadelphia is very important to it, Center City Direct (CCD), a unit of Philadelphia"s Alternative Media Holdings, is looking to expand its digital reach into a broader market longer-term. It already provides digital broadcasting in some Asian stores in Philadelphia, and while it considers Philadelphia a key market, it also has eyes on other opportunities in the US. Their goal, it seems, is to reach "people on the move" with multiple types of media channels. For example, each digitally equipped newsstand will be a Wifi hotspot. A website where businesses can provide information about themselves, and opt-in text messages and/or email newsletters are among other services to be provided. CCD also plans a free print publication to be distributed through the Center City newsstands.


Though digital signage technology was dominated by highly proprietary, closed turnkey systems a few years ago, the software has move to open web standards and the hardware is often sold separately. CCD developed its own proprietary software to manage its digital feeds, and buys its display units from Acer. It maintains its own technical staff, but has nothing to do with editing content other than putting ads onto the system. The news and entertainment feeds are completely controlled by the CBS properties. Although I don't know whether Comcast will like having all those CBS feeds around town.

Center City Direct's President & CEO is Phong Phan. He and Chief Marketing Officer Andy Burstein are the principal financial backers of the venture, according to Burstein.

The map below shows the newsstands that are currently participating in the program (Source: Center City Direct)


View Center City Direct in a larger map



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PhindMe Acquired by Movitas Mobile?

Found this partial post (ed: in a Google Alert) from a PhindMe blog that since seems to have been wiped out:

PhindMe completes a strategic deal and has been acquired by ...
6 hours ago by Chuck Sacco
Dear PhindMe and Everywhereigo.com Customer,. We am very happy to announce that PhindMe has completed a strategic deal and has been acquired by Movitas LLC. Movitas (www.movitas.com) is a leading provider of mobile marketing solutions ...

Still waiting for more confirmation.

Movitas Mobile is a recently launched operation targeted at the hospitality industry and based in Collegeville.




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Towerstream new ISP on Philadelphia blocks (Philadelphia Business Journal: Technology Blog)

HP Upgrades Thin Clients In Wake Of Windows 7
HP is consolidating VMware and Citrix Systems desktop virtualization approaches with its own management software, and offering refreshed thin client devices. (Information Week)

Emtec, Inc. Announces Fiscal 2009 Results
Services and consulting revenue increased by 171.5%; Earnings per share increased by 33.3% (PR Newswire)

I-many Opens New Worldwide Corporate Headquarters and Center of Excellence (Marketwire)
See my previous article on I-many moving to Philadelphia.




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Comcast Deal Announced

Comcast to buy controlling stake in NBC Universal (Associated Press via Washington Post)

Comcast and GE to Create Leading Entertainment Company (Joint GE & Comcast Press Release)

David Cohen Memo on Merger and Public Committments (pdf)


Following Comcast press conference. The main message, repeated over and over again by all, is "Cable Channels".

Comcast Increases Dividend 40%; Intends to Complete Current $3.6 Billion Stock Repurchase Plan Within 36 Months (Business Wire)

Philadelphia Inquirer:

"Roberts said a Comcast-NBC Universal merger would make the Philadelphia company 'strategically complete' and that investors should view Comcast as two distinct companies: cable-TV and broadband distribution, and entertainment."

I think that comment reflects an inherent conflict in logic.

NBC: Hulu Subscriptions Being Considered (PC
Magazine)

Comcast Could Drop the NBC Name (New York Times: Media Decoder)

Comcast Deal For NBCU Is All About Cable
No big changes for Hulu (Broadcasting & Cable)


Immelt, Roberts Discuss NBCU Deal (CNBC)






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For Steve Burke, Comcast job is the role of his life
The Comcast chief operating officer's resume and bloodlines prepare him for the task of making a union with NBC Universal work. (LA Times)

Many possibilities for Comcast and NBC (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Comcast Said to Plan No Asset Sales to Smooth NBC Venture (Bloomberg)





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