Monday, March 2, 2009

AppZero Virtual Application Appliance Speeds Adoption of Cloud Computing

AppZero Virtual Application Appliance Speeds Adoption of Cloud Computing

AppZero (formerly Trigence) is launching today at the DEMO 09 Conference a set of tools for creating Virtual Application Appliances (VAAs). This new approach to provisioning and deploying applications on physical or virtual servers running anywhere, is designed for the cloud environment and for movement of server applications -datacenter to cloud, hosting environment, or cloud to cloud. VAAs package a server application with all of its dependencies, but no operating system component (zero OS).

Palm Desert, Calif. (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- AppZero (http://appzero.com) (formerly Trigence) is launching today at the DEMO 09 Conference a set of tools for creating Virtual Application Appliances (VAAs) (http://www.appzero.com/content/what-appzero). This new approach to provisioning and deploying applications on physical or virtual servers running anywhere, is designed for the cloud environment and for movement of server applications -- datacenter to cloud, hosting environment, or cloud to cloud. VAAs package a server application with all of its dependencies, but no operating system component (zero OS). AppZero's first public demonstration of its VAA technology will show a live production application provisioned in seconds to on an Amazon EC2 cloud, and moved in less than one minute to a GoGrid cloud computing environment.

Designed for instant server-based application provisioning and deployment, VAAs enable an application to run wherever the business requires without the burdensome licensing issues that inclusion of an operating system (OS) introduces - VAAs contain zero OS. AppZero VAAs work with mission-critical applications across all tiers: web servers, application servers and database servers. Enterprise middleware from Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Open Source servers like MySQL as well as in-house developed applications can all be easily transformed into VAAs without changing a single line of code.

Cloud providers, integrators, ISVs and IT professionals find AppZero's wizard-based tools simple to use for creating VAAs and provisioning them on servers at the click of a mouse. This instant provisioning allows scalable resources to be used on a pay-per-use basis, without cloud lock-in.

AppZero software creates, maintains, and administers VAAs. The key enabler of AppZero's VAA toolset is isolation and encapsulation technology created at Trigence, an early developer of multi-platform datacenter virtualization technology. Under its new name, AppZero, the company is focused on extending the proven concept of virtual appliances to server applications (http://www.appzero.com/content/products-overview). AppZero is led by CEO Greg O'Connor (http://www.appzero.com/content/appzero-leadership), who was previously the founder of Sonic Software (acquired by Progress Software NASDAQ: PRGS) and pioneer of the Enterprise Service Bus, the foundation of Service-Oriented Architecture.

"Virtual environments are great for provisioning virtual machines, and there are plenty of tools for virtualizing desktop applications, but server applications face a different set of challenges," said O'Connor. "AppZero's VAA approach is designed to deliver cloud-grade virtualization of server applications. The complete absence of any OS component in our VAAs makes it easy for enterprises, cloud and solution providers to provision server applications in what amounts to zero time."

According to Chris Shipley, Executive Producer, DEMO Conferences, "As developers and IT organizations embrace cloud computing (http://www.appzero.com/content/cloud), new platforms are required to enable server-based applications to be provisioned and managed in the cloud. Based on virtualization and encapsulation technology originally developed by Trigence, AppZero is just that platform, providing for quick migration of server apps in support of the virtual enterprise. Even conservative projections for cloud computing market growth suggest that this company will be a winner in this emerging segment."

Extending Virtualization, Configuration Management and Provisioning:

AppZero VAAs encapsulate applications at a level above the operating system, turning server applications into discrete objects that run protected from other applications and the underlying operating systems. In a virtual environment such as VMware, Xen and Microsoft Hyper-V, AppZero drives higher server consolidation ratios by provisioning applications to virtual machines (VM) with almost no overhead. VAAs significantly reduces VM sprawl and dramatically speeds the time to get an application up and running. AppZero VAAs also simplify the use of existing configuration and server provisioning solutions, such as HP-Opsware and BMC's Bladelogic, allowing these systems to manage server applications as discrete objects.

Server Application Migration, Disaster Recovery, Mobility

Marijan Lesko, president of MontrealNetQuest, provides managed IT services to small and medium businesses, with a focus on the real estate market, where cost-effective solutions are critical in the current economy. "We see two important uses for AppZero Virtual Application Appliances among our customer base," said Lesko. "The first is migration-related -- virtualizing older applications that our customers depend on so they can be moved quickly to run on new hardware, without having to go through days of lengthy re-installation. The second is providing disaster recovery and back-up for these server applications so they can run anywhere, allowing us to update images every few days or even hours."

    

AppZero's VAA toolset runs on Windows, Solaris and Linux and includes three tools: the AppZero Creator for building a VAA; the AppZero Director, a run time system; and AppZero Administrator for administering a VAA. AppZero has made available a library of single-click server based VAAs for free download (http://vaa.appzero.com) at vaa.appzero.com. The VAA toolset is available immediately via the website and is priced from $500 per VAA.

The AppZero DEMO 09 presentation is Tues., Mar. 3 at 10:00 a.m. PST; AppZero is at Pavilion station #5.

About AppZero

AppZero (formerly Trigence) develops software to create, control and maintain Virtual Application Appliances (VAAs). VAAs are server-side application appliances that contain zero OS and make provisioning of applications as services almost instantaneous: across a network on any server (physical or virtual), in the datacenter, hosted, or in the cloud. For more information, visit www.appzero.com.

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Contact Information BETSY KOSHEFF

AppZero

http://www.appzero.com

413-717-1410



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

National Breast Cancer Foundation Benefits from DIYThemes Boosted Affiliate Marketing Efforts

National Breast Cancer Foundation Benefits from DIYThemes Boosted Affiliate Marketing Efforts

Missy Ward, Co-founder of Affiliate Summit Selects the DIYThemes Affiliate Program (ThesisAffiliates.com) to Manage for Charity

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- To further support her efforts to raise money to fund breast cancer research and treatment, Missy Ward, Co-Founder of Affiliate Summit (http://www.AffiliateSummit.com) has partnered with DIYThemes (http://www.DIYThemes.com), makers of Thesis Theme for WordPress to promote and manage their revamped affiliate marketing program available at ThesisAffiliates.com (http://www.ThesisAffiliates.com).

Missy Ward came out of affiliate management retirement to manage one affiliate program this year, strictly on a performance basis. All of the management fees that she will earn will be donated directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

"Managing the DIYThemes Affiliate Program is a winning situation for everyone involved. I get to keep my affiliate management skills sharp, DIYThemes gets a boost to their affiliate program and NBCF benefits from the increase in sales," said Ward. "Plus, it's easy for me to be an evangelist for Thesis Theme for WordPress. I love it and use it on my blog, MissyWard.com".

Affiliate marketers can earn 33% commission on every sale that they refer to DIYThemes. Additionally, during the months of March-June, DIYThemes affiliates have the opportunity to earn free passes to the upcoming Affiliate Summit 2009 East taking place in New York City, August 9th-11th.

"DIYThemes is excited to bring on Missy to manage our affiliate program. Her experience and contacts within the affiliate marketing industry will play a significant role in expanding our program," said Brian Clark, co-founder of DIYThemes.

"I'm happy that Missy chose our program and we're thrilled to be able to help her out with her fundraising efforts to fight breast cancer, said Chris Pearson of DIYThemes.

For more information about the DIYThemes affiliate program, please visit ThesisAffiliates.com (http://www.ThesisAffiliates.com) or call (407) 499-4449.

About Missy Ward

Missy Ward is the Co-Founder of Affiliate Summit, FeedFront Magazine, GeekCast.fm, AffiliateMarketersGiveBack.com, and more. She is also an active fundraiser for charities that support breast cancer research, treatments and community programs. For more information, please visit MissyWard.com (http://www.MissyWard.com)

About DIYThemes

DIYThemes LLC is the developer of Thesis Theme, an innovative SEO-enhanced and design-friendly code framework for WordPress that's sparked a robust user community of thousands and a marketplace of related products and services.

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Contact Information MISSY WARD

ThesisAffiliates.com

http://www.thesisaffiliates.com

407-499-4449



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Innovative Viral Entertainment Startup Storyz Launches Beta

Innovative Viral Entertainment Startup Storyz Launches Beta

Multimedia Storytelling Service Works across Mobile Platforms, Social Networks and Web

Sydney, Australia (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 -- Storyz (www.storyz.com), an innovative viral entertainment and marketing service that lets friends tell multimedia-rich stories online and while mobile, unveiled its cross-platform beta to the public today.

The Motorola-backed company has designed a service that makes it easy for consumers to post text, photos and video for stories and invite their friends to participate virally across the web, social networks and mobile via a unique streamlined interface. Complete camera, contact list and file system integration is supported for the iPhone and leading mobile devices via WAP, with additional access for Java ME and Android platforms that will go live within the next several weeks. Such unprecedented support across dozens of the most popular mobile devices and the web creates a seamless MMS-like experience featuring full-size photos and videos that are automatically transcoded for easy sharing.

Storyz also serves as an innovative way for brands to create word-of-mouth buzz around creative campaigns that engage users in a relevant, organic way. Brands can challenge users, also known as "Storyztellers," to participate in branded entertainment contents that offer rewards for distribution and creativity - from celebrity look-a-like competitions with photos taken on mobile phones to personal anecdotes about life experiences involving travel or lifestyle brands. These extended conversations will weave through digital venues as users invite others to join.

"Entertainment and marketing have similar goals: they both need to inspire passion and loyalty among consumers, and Storyz aims to do that in a must-have way," said David Bolliger, CEO and founder of Storyz. "When you tell stories with your friends, it has to be easy to share a funny anecdote, a poignant moment, an incredible photo, or a clever video, wherever you are, and so the Storyz mission is to make that process seamless and natural whether on your mobile device, your PC or on a popular social network."

To incentivize adoption of the platform, Storyz includes a game element where prolific Storyztellers earn points for Storyz with wide distribution or for demonstrating impressive creativity that makes the most of the platform's multimedia capabilities. As they rack up points, users progress in rank from "Blogger" and "Yarnspinner" all the way up to "Master Storyzteller."

"It's about entertainment - whether you are communicating a brief life moment, sharing a creative expression, or challenging friends to participate in a discussion, an event, a joke, or a contest," said JT Klepp, head of business development for Storyz. "That means Storyztelling needs to be simple, fun, and compelling, yet robust enough so that friends can share video, photos, prose and challenges anytime, anywhere, with no limits."

Storyz features include:

•    Smart mobile integration that works with any mobile device - across WAP, iPhone, and soon-to-launch support for Java ME and Google Android - that lets users on-the-go create, respond or post to existing threads with text or multimedia content.

•    Complete camera, contact list and file system integration that lets users access photos saved to a mobile device or snap a new one with a phone's camera at the press of a button. This also serves as a handy MMS-like workaround for devices like the iPhone that do not easily support the sharing of photos and multimedia to other devices.

•    Sharing of picture and video content across mobile, web and social networks is as easy as 1-2-3 without ever worrying about specific file formats or device support. File transcoding and cross-platform support for videos and photos is automatic.

•    Threaded conversations let users keep track of narrative discussions among their closest friends while participating in larger discussions open to the public.

About Storyz

Storyz is an innovative viral entertainment and marketing service that helps friends share cross-platform multimedia conversations. The company's unparalleled multi-platform support allows friends to share rich multimedia narratives with their friends whether they're in front of a computer or on the move. Storyz is a privately held company based in Sydney, Australia and funded by Motorola Ventures and private investors in Japan. For more information, please visit: www.storyz.com.

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Contact Information Sabrina Vito or Mike Hope

Beck Media & Marketing

http://www.storyz.com

310-689-7363



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

Marty-Collins.com Launches with New Vlog and Blog

Marty-Collins.com Launches with New Vlog and Blog

Social Media Strategist for Windows Shares Insights on Consumer Engagement

Redmond, Wash. (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Marty Collins, group marketing manager and social media strategist for Windows at Microsoft, lives and breaths social media. She has helped execute Windows with a 365/24/7 approach to online consumer engagement and is doing the same for her enhanced blog, Marketing Today (http://www.marty-collins.com/), where she shares her insight into social media marketing.

"Two years ago I jumped into the wonderful world of social media because I realized it was the future of marketing and was really passionate about where it could take us as an organization," said Collins. "My site is a place for me to share the challenges I've faced and the lessons I've learned. I also enjoy talking and interacting with others about the bigger picture of social media, what other brands are doing well - or not so well - and interesting trends."

In addition to frequent blog posts, the site prominently features new video postings from the recently launched "Mission Possible (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAAPHmtDsak)" vlog, a first-person account of how Marty is trying to wrap her brain around social media and how to use it to engage customers.

The series is currently exploring how Marty and her team created The Clubhouse (http://clubhouse.microsoft.com/register-vip), an online community for avid Windows Live users that lets members share their experiences, practical tips and insights. This user-generated content is featured on WindowsLive.com and streamed into public Windows sites (http://windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery) to help others learn new ways to get more value from using Microsoft Windows products and services. Future episodes will also explore topics such as the "new" marketing mix, how to evaluate your social media investment and handling honest customer feedback in an online public forum.

"I'm a firm believer that relevant conversations are taking place all around you - whether you're participating or not. With my new blog and vlog, I'm excited to host some of these conversations and hope many others will join in with their opinions," said Collins.

To view the blog and join the conversation, visit www.marty-collins.com.

# # #



Contact Information Emily Shirden

http://www.marty-collins.com

312-423-4933



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

GigaOM's Structure 09 Conference is Back

GigaOM's Structure 09 Conference is Back

Industry Thought Leaders Anchor the Program at GigaOM's Influential Cloud Computing and Internet Infrastructure Conference on June 25, 2009.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- The GigaOM Network today announces its second Structure conference (http://events.gigaom.com/structure/09/?a=pr1) after the runaway success of the 2008 event. The Structure 09 conference returns to San Francisco, California, on June 25th, 2009.

Structure 09 (http://events.gigaom.com/structure/09/?a=pr1) is a conference designed to explore the next generations of Internet infrastructure. Over a year ago, The GigaOM Network Founder Om Malik saw that the platforms on which we have done business for over a decade were starting to provide diminishing returns, and smart money was seeking new options. Web businesses were seeing unprecedented growth, and in an effort to meet the demands of their customers, those companies were forced to spend billions of dollars on servers, switches and components that taken together, form "infrastructure." Innovative businesses have married these needs to service-oriented business models to provide computing on an as-needed basis to create the emerging "Infrastructure On Demand" or "Cloud Computing" space.

Structure 09 looks at the changing needs and rapid growth in the sector, and this year's event will consider the impact of the global economy. "I cannot remember a time when a new technology had so much relevance to our industry as cloud computing does in the current economic climate," said The GigaOM Network Founder Om Malik. "We all need to find ways to leverage what we have and cut costs without compromising future options. Infrastructure On Demand and Cloud Computing are very strong avenues for doing so and we will look for what practicable advice we can bring to our audience."

"Structure 08 (http://events.gigaom.com/structure/08/) was a great experience for our audience and partners, and I am very pleased to be bringing it back again this year," said Malik. "Along with GigaOM Lead Writer Stacey Higginbotham, Program Chair Surj Patel, and the conference program committee, I am bringing together what I intend to be one of the most authoritative programs for the cloud computing and Internet infrastructure space. We will funnel the energy we are seeing from Silicon Valley in this space and mix in a global perspective for our audience."

The GigaOM Network is also announcing early speaker selections. Confirmed speakers include:

* Marc Benioff - Chairman and CEO, Salesforce.com

* Werner Vogels - CTO, Amazon.com

* Raj Patel - VP of Global Networks, Yahoo!

* Michael Stonebraker, Ph.D. - RDBMS pioneer and CTO, Vertica

* Michelle Munson - CEO, Aspera

* Russ Daniels - VP and CTO, Cloud Services Strategy, Hewlett-Packard

* Bryan Doerr - CTO, SAVVIS

* Paul Strong - Distinguished Research Scientist, eBay

* James Markarian - Chief Technology Officer, Informatica

* Allan Leinwand - Venture Partner, Panorama

* Jason A. Hoffman - CTO, Joyent

* Rohit Sharma- Technologist and Independent Investor

Some of Silicon Valley's best voices are already lined up for Structure 09, and The GigaOM Network welcomes additional speaker proposals from those in the industry with strong insights to offer the audience. If you would like to submit a speaker proposal (http://events.gigaom.com/structure/09/speaker-submit/?a=pr1), please complete this application. The speaker submission deadline is March 31, 2009.

A selection of the topics under consideration this year include:

* The Myth of the One-Size-Fits-All Cloud - As enterprises begin to evaluate cloud computing, some are asking if the current model of commodity servers and virtualization meets their needs. Is there money to be made creating specialized clouds for industries that require highly specific computing tasks, from video trans-coding to fiscal transactions and medical records?

* The Economics of Infrastructure on Demand - This panel looks at the economic ecosystem of the cloud paradigm and questions who's paying for what, and where the money is made.

* SaaS: The Hits and the Challenges - SaaS (Software as a Service) works. Salesforce's bullish success followed by Gmail, Netsuite and many others is testament to that. But there's still a large untapped market. Why is that? This Panel looks at what has worked and why and what is yet to be done to extend the success and deployment of SaaS. Where can SaaS work in your corporation?

* The Future of Networks: Smart Grid or Dumb Pipe? - No matter if you're processing data in the cloud or inside your own data center, it needs to get from Point A to Point B if it's going to be of use to anyone. Now that we can access real-time computing thanks to faster processors, startups and established companies are trying to make the network smarter, faster and more secure -- while trying to keep bandwidth from becoming a commodity. Find direction and opportunity in this thought provoking panel moderated by Stacey Higginbotham.

* Bringing Private Clouds into Public Light - Enterprises aren't yet ready to trust their data to public clouds, but the lure of usage-based resourcing is strong. Everything from the way corporations license their software to thinking about how to manage compliance must be considered. Build your own cloud or "cloudify" your existing infrastructure as the first steps. This panel will provide learning from actual deployment case studies - illustrating how internal resources can work in unison with external cloud resources across the firewall.

Structure 09 will gather the most innovative and influential industry leaders together to explore the latest Internet infrastructure build-out. It will sort through the emerging and disruptive computing technologies and inform businesses on how best to leverage them. And it will provide insight to investors and executives on the best implementations, ideas and start-ups out there today -- and what to look for tomorrow.

STRUCTURE 09 CHARTER SPONSORS

GigaOM also thanks its charter sponsors -- Peer 1, Accenture, Canaan Partners, Juniper Networks, Hewlett Packard and Automattic. Structure 09 will be a strong marketplace for their products and a productive networking environment. Sponsorships are selling quickly, so if you are interested in joining us, please contact Mike Sly at sly@gigaom.com or by phone at (415) 235-0358.

More information about available sponsorships can be found here (http://events.gigaom.com/structure/09/sponsors/?a=pr1).

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Tickets are now on sale at an Early Bird rate of $495 with a regular price of $595. The discounted rate is only available until April 3, 2009. Interest is strong and early purchase is advised. Buy your ticket to Structure 09 now (http://structure09-pr1.eventbrite.com/).

ABOUT GIGAOM

GigaOM is the premier destination site for technology industry insiders, movers and shakers, and early adopter consumers. It is widely considered the authoritative site for discovering what's new, relevant and interesting in the dynamic world of technology. From exclusive product launches to award-winning analysis and commentary, GigaOM's coverage influences business and technology sectors with its reliable, well-researched and professional reporting -- and its signature intelligence, candor and irreverence.

ABOUT THE GIGAOM NETWORK

The GigaOM Network is a leading provider of publications and events for the technology and entrepreneurial markets worldwide. Founded by award-winning journalist Om Malik, The GigaOM Network is an online publishing company whose network of news sites reaches more than 2 million readers worldwide and provides news and insight on the developments disrupting the world of technology. The GigaOM Network includes seven award-winning sites: GigaOM covers the business of broadband, VoIP, infrastructure, mobile and wireless; WebWorkerDaily covers the future of work in a web world; NewTeeVee covers the business of online video; Earth2Tech covers the business of green technology; OStatic is a web application, news site and community looking at open-source solutions for business; jkOnTheRun offers news and insight on mobile devices; and TheAppleBlog is a leading source of information for Apple users. The GigaOM Network also produces industry-leading events, including annual conferences: Structure, Mobilize, NewTeeVee Live and Green:Net.

Contact:

Surj Patel

VP of Events, The GigaOM Network

Phone (503) 345-3333

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Contact Information Surj Patel

GigaOM

http://www.StructureConf.com/?a=pr1

(503) 345-3333

Joanne Wan

(415) 370-3356



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Capterra's Michael Ortner Named to DC Area's Smart100

Capterra's Michael Ortner Named to DC Area's Smart100

CEO recognized for Strategic Vision

Arlington, VA (Vocus) February 24, 2009 -- Capterra announced today that CEO, Michael Ortner, is one of Washington SmartCEO magazine's Smart100. An independent selection committee chose this exclusive group of CEOs based on their Leadership, Strategic Vision and Character. Ortner hopes this honor will bring more eyes on Capterra, a website that helps businesses find the best software solutions for their needs.

"Capterra has helped millions of companies find just the right software for their needs and thousands of software vendors to reach these customers. I'm proud to be recognized, but everyone knows that building a great company is a team effort. I love coming to work every day because I truly believe in our mission and I really enjoy working with my team. Work is supposed to be fun and I think it is at Capterra."

A former technology consultant, Ortner founded Capterra in 1999 after experiencing the difficulty in finding and implementing software and realizing the problems software companies have marketing their products.

Ortner and the other Smart100 honorees will serve as a source of inspiration and education for the 34,000 business owners in Baltimore and Washington that read SmartCEO. Smart100 companies represent a variety of industries including government contracting, information technology and financial services. The average Smart100 company employs between 10 and 100 employees and generates $10-$50 million in revenue.

"The Smart100 embodies 100 CEO's with incredible business minds who have successfully grown their companies to be the best in Washington," says Group Associate Publisher of SmartCEO, Jaime Park.

About Capterra

Capterra (http://www.capterra.com/) is the leading online destination for business software buyers. Capterra has helped millions of people select the right software solution for their organizations, while providing an easy way for software vendors to reach active buyers. For more information, call (703) 994-4151 or visit www.capterra.com.

Contact:

Besa Pinchotti

Capterra, Inc.

(703) 994-4151

besa(at)capterra.com

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Contact Information Besa Pinchotti

Capterra

http://www.capterra.com

703-994-4151



[Via http://www.prweb.com]

Children Struggling to Read Have New Hope: Wizz-e.com Leverages Technology to Help Kids Cultivate the Love of Reading and Increase Comprehension

Children Struggling to Read Have New Hope: Wizz-e.com Leverages Technology to Help Kids Cultivate the Love of Reading and Increase Comprehension

Studies show that the newest generation of students comprehend better and enjoy more when using technology to read. UK-based company, Wizz-e.com, leverages online technology to create interactive picture eBooks to help kids read better.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) February 24, 2009 -- For those parents and educators struggling to instill the love of reading in their kids, there is a new solution. eBooks4kidz, a UK-based company, is launching Wizz-e.com. Wizz-e.com produces high quality audio eBooks for kids aged 3 to 8.

The business was created after the CEO and co-founder, Jeanette McLeod, struggled to find quality eBooks online for her own kids. "It was frustrating to search for quality materials online to help my kids read, only to come up empty. They are the technology generation! This is how they learn best," says Mrs. McLeod.

The eBooks for kids will be accompanied by high quality pictures and audio. The eBooks are not meant to replace traditional books, but to be an additional learning tool to engage the youngest by leveraging the technology they feel most comfortable with-the computer.

eBooks for kids can now be found at http://www.Wizz-e.com.

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Contact Information Shama Hyder

eBooks4Kidz

http://wizz-e.com

469-774-8000

Jeanette McLeod

eBooks4Kidz

http://Wizz-e.com



[Via http://www.prweb.com]