The news as of the third cup of coffee this morning — we’re stoked on caffeine here folks, hope you are too, the day just seems to move about a second ahead of reality, doesn’t it? — and the music is still Mr. Coppertone Rum himself, Jimmy Buffett:

 

QuantumDigital, an online service provider for direct mail, on-demand digital printing and eMarketing products, has announced the addition of a new eMarketing application to its integrated marketing suite.

 

With this eMarketing platform, users can “personalize and tailor their online marketing efforts” through e-mails, company officials say: “The platform lets users distribute permission-based, opt-in e-mails with the added flexibility to populate pre-defined templates or upload custom HTML designs.”

 

In a recent survey conducted by QuantumDigital with its beta customers, 85.7 percent use the eMarketing platform to “communicate news and specials to current customers.” Gartner’s recent CRM Vendor Guide for 2008 noted that “E-marketing will continue to outpace the estimated $3.16 billion traditional marketing automation market, which is expected to grow at a 14.7 percent CAGR during the next five years.”

 

QuantumDigital’s eMarketing platform offers such features as a report that tracks each e-mail campaign and identifies how many e-mails were opened, how many were received and who replied. “Upon execution of a campaign,” company officials say, “the user will be provided with information that includes the number of e-mails sent and how many e-mails are left in their current subscription plan, which will help users to plan accordingly for future e-mail campaigns.”

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E-Zest (UK), a bespoke software development company, has launched its IT staff augmentation services for United Kingdom. E-Zest sells bespoke software development services.

 

The company already sells IT staff augmentation services to its North American clients. It now is offering similar augmentation services to the UK region, with later plans to cater to Western Europe. “Our staff augmentation services will enable clients in getting qualified and experienced workforce,” says Jay Deshpande, the company’s director. “Our staffing services are available at competitive pricing that will bring down a client’s overall development costs.”

IT Staff augmentation is a business product for companies who don’t have their offshore development centers to use on low-cost software development opportunities. Startups or medium-sized companies can “focus on acquiring new projects without worrying about staffing needs,” company officials say.

 

“Staff augmentation” gives a new platform for business expansion and growth of the companies. E-Zest provides staff augmentation services for SAP, Oracle, .NET 3.0/3.5, Microsoft SilverLight, Ajax, Ruby on Rails (RoR), JavaFX, JEE 3.0 and other open source technologies.

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Broadpoint, a telecommunications and network products company, has announced Errol Olivier as its new President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Olivier comes to Broadpoint following his retirement from a 17-year career at satellite and telecommunications provider, CapRock Communications, where he served as president and chief operating officer.

 

“Errol brings depth and breadth of industry experience to Broadpoint,” said John Bolduc of H.I.G. Capital, one of Broadpoint’s key investors. Bolduc said Broadpoint will “continue to expand our offerings and increase our focus on the international market.”

 

As president and CEO, Olivier’s focus will be on growing Broadpoint’s U.S.-based telecommunications and satellite services, expanding international presence, and providing customers with reliable and seamless connectivity and support worldwide.

 

At CapRock, Olivier spearheaded the company’s return to private ownership, leading a buyout from owner McLeodUSA. He also previously served as the vice president of CapRock’s enterprise business group, managing sales and marketing for all of the company’s strategic markets.

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Jenzabar, which sells software and services for the higher education sector, has announced that social networking capabilities are available with Jenzabar’s Learning Management System.

 

The functionality “allows faculty members to incorporate social networking services into their online learning curriculum,” according to company officials.

 

The social networking phenomena, in the estimation of the Jenzabarbarians, offers “one of the newest ways to engage students and has had a global impact online learning initiatives.”

 

According to a national survey published in January 2007, conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project, “a social networking site is an online place where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users.” Think Facebook and MySpace, engaging tens of millions of users.

 

According to the survey, more than 55 percent of all online American tweens and teenagers use online social networking sites — as does this forty-something dad, keeping a toe in his kids’ world.

 

The functionality available on Jenzabar LMS allows faculty members to build links to social networking applications so that faculty members and students have the ability to interact on a social networking site within the content of an online course. Faculty members can also build course content on a social networking site using the Jenzabar LMS architecture.

 

Social networking services that are currently available on Jenzabar LMS are online chat, online messaging, and forums. In addition, Jenzabar will be focusing on making available additional social networking capabilities in the upcoming months.

 

“Technology will have an ever greater impact on the way students learn and the methods teachers use to teach,” said Robert A. Maginn, Jr., Jenzabar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Jenzabar LMS is integrated with Jenzabar’s Internet Campus Solution, a Web portal providing a single point of access to e-learning, online self-service, communication, and community building tools.

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Business IT Professionals, Concia Technologies and Microsoft are hosting Microsoft Across America. The firms will present technology products that provide “business products for small and mid-sized companies, including Windows Vista, MS Office and MS Dynamics CRM,” according to Biz IT Pro officials.

 

The event is on Wednesday, May 28th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 pm at the Page-Walker Arts & History center in Cary, North Carolina.

 

The Microsoft Truck allows executives to experience technology first hand. Microsoft Certified Trainer, Steve Noe of Biz IT Pro and Allen St. Clair of Concia Technologies, will answer questions and demonstrate how products from Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and others work together to create a product that fits specific business needs.

 

Those who visit the truck will spend time “discussing their business and challenges they may be facing, experiencing how to take advantage of current technology to meet the goals of their business, discovering new Microsoft products and other technologies -- including remote access, wireless and mobile devices,” according to Microsoft officials.

 

“Allen St Clair and I are very excited to bring the Microsoft Across America Truck to Cary,” said Steve Noe, president of Business IT Professionals. “I am glad to have this unusual venue to share my expertise in MS CRM products with local businesses.”