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- - A Software Industry and Software Development Blog. Software marketing news, search engine information, software awards information and general tips and tricks for marketing online.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html en-us Sun, 16 Apr 2006 14:13:17 -0400 Mon, 20 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 FeedForAll v1.0 (2.0.0.1) - http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/smr_button3.gif http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com software marketing news and information for software developers 90 33 - Distributing a press release to editors and news organizations is only half the battle. Writing a press release that will be published by the media is equally important. Press releases are public relations opportunities. A well written press release, can generate exposure in publications that could be worth thousands in advertising dollars, for a fraction of the cost.

Critical Elements to a Good Press Release
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v443 v443 Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - There's some evidence suggesting the tax-free ride on Internet purchases maybe coming to an end. Tax authorities in the United States are taking a closer look at iTunes, which are considered software downloads.

But the burden falls to the purchaser not the seller. Purchasers are going to be required to pay the little used "Use" tax.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v442 v442 Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - A team of three students from Russia proved their brainy prowess Wednesday, winning an academic competition in which they had just five hours to solve perplexing computing puzzles such as how to connect gears of a clock when given a specific shaft speed.

Russian Programmers Win
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v441 v441 Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - That time has come! Submit your products for the Shareware Spotlight. The Spotlight highlights programs eligible for awards. Nominees will often review the list prior to submitting their nominations. Draw attention to your program by submitting it to the spotlight.
http://www.sic.org/submit.asp
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v440 v440 Tue, 11 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - The IGDA posted an overview of the recent Game Developer Conference along with a group of photos. The robot wars look pretty cool!
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v439 v439 Mon, 10 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Ok its at least electronics -

Digital River Inc., a provider of e-commerce outsourcing services, said Tuesday it signed an e-commerce agreement with Fisher-Price to manage the online sale and download of children's songs and stories for Fisher-Prices' new Kid Tough FP3Player.

Entire Article
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v438 v438 Mon, 10 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Corel has just disclosed the annual revenues of WinZip and Paint Shop Pro. Tom Warfield has an illuminating overview on his blog.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v437 v437 Fri, 7 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - This month's software marketing news has been posted! This issue contains all sorts of information related to software awards, new technology, developer advice and a lot of other information related to online marketing.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v436 v436 Tue, 4 Apr 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
All,

As you may or may not recall, last year I standardized ALL
award-related dates. You can mark these on your calendar or put them in your PIM.  Should there ever be any changes, they will be posted here.

Voter Registration for participation in the Shareware Industry Awards voting begins on April 1st and ends on April 30th.  

NOTE: Once you register you do NOT have to register again unless you do not participate for two (2) years. After 2 years of inactivity you are automatically deleted from the database. So, if you've participated in the last two years please don't register again. There will be links to the voter registarion on the SIAF Web page, and also on Tucows and Simtel in their author areas.

Software submissions on the SIAF Web site at http://www.sic.org will also begin on April 1st and will end on April 30th. Once again, this is provided as a courtesy to developers. A program does NOT have to be submitted in order to be nominated.

PLEASE make sure that "siaf.org" is allowed in any SPAM filter you may be using. Emails pertaining to voting will NOT be resent if they are blocked or lost in transit.

Nominations for the Shareware Industry Awards will begin on May 1st. In order to be considered for the awards, your product must be released by May 1st! Nominations will end at 12:00 Noon MDT on May 8th! You must nominate in order to vote. Those who have registered to vote will be notified by email when the nominations begin. Nominees will be announced by May 10th.

Those who participate are asked to look at all nominated programs prior to the commencement of voting.

Shareware Industry Awards voting will be from May 24th through 12:00 Noon Mountain Daylight Time on May 31st.

SIAF People's Choice Awards voting begins on May 1st and  and ends at 12:00 Noon Mountain Daylight Time on May. 31st.

The winners will be announced at the annual Shareware Industry Awards Banquet.  

Remember that IF you are nominated you will need to fill out a form on the SIAF Web site as ALL awards will be shipped direct beginning this year.

Please make a note of these dates.
Put them in your scheduler, put them on your wall,
Put them on the ceiling, put them in the hall.
Putthem in your kitchen where everyone can see,
Put them on your elbow, or put them on your knee.
Put them up with staples, put them up with glue,
Put them up with thumb tacks, most anything will do.
Put them up securely, make sure they don't come loose,
For I won't write another note that sounds like Dr. Seuss. :-)

                   Sincerely......

                Michael E. Callahan
              aka Dr. File Finder (tm)
Shareware Industry Awards Foundation - Chairman
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v435 v435 Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - In his speech Kasparov called the new search engine technology a modern-day "hitchhiker's guide to cyberspace" and likened Accoona's flexible AI approach to Willi Wonka's magic elevator that defies the laws of space and time.

http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v434 v434 Wed, 29 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - According to this article Google's venture into print ads has been a failure.

In February, Google auctioned off ad space it had purchased in about two dozen magazines, from Martha Stewart Living to Road & Track. The auction -- the latest twist in a six-month experiment with buying and reselling print ads -- was open to thousands of advertisers. However, Google was forced to extend the auction by several days to lure more buyers.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v433 v433 Wed, 29 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Claria, formerly known as Gator, plans to sell its pop-up advertising business by June, as it seeks credibility among online publishers and privacy watchdogs.

Full Article
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v432 v432 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
An employee of Cognitive Technologies computer company has beaten a man who was selling the company’s software illegally.

Manager of the company’s software department, Andrei Smirnov, offered to fight the dealer in a fitness center. He defeated the computer pirate 24-16 in three rounds, lasting three minutes each. The dealer’s name was not revealed, News.Ru web edition on high technologies reported on Thursday.

Complete Article

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v431 v431 Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
Digital River Inc., a Web development, hosting and consulting company, said in a document filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on Wednesday that it is facing a patent infringement claim filed by DDR Holdings, a patent holding company based in Dunwoody, Ga.

The disputed patents relate to e-commerce outsourcing systems and methods.

I wonder which property or properties this relates to and am curious to know why other e-commerce companies are not affected.

Complete Article
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v430 v430 Thu, 23 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - In an effort to better serve website visitors we will be removing adsense ads from the web pages. A single 468X60 box (text or graphic) will be sold on each of the directory pages.

Prices are very affordable and only a single slot will be available on each page. Ads are first come first serve!

Purchase Targeted Ad Space on SMR
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v429 v429 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Reminder! If you are planning on attending this year's Shareware Industry Conference register prior to April 1, 2006 to receive the discounted rate! (Only $ 129.00!)

The Shareware Industry Conference (SIC) is the premier industry event for software developers and industry professionals, with educational sessions and networking opportunities. The conferences is concluded with the Shareware Industry Awards.

Where: Denver, Colorado US
When: July 13-15, 2006
Who: All software industry professionals from Micro-ISVs to corporate project managers.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v428 v428 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Both Shel Israel and Robert Scoble recently blogged about how to get the attention of A-List bloggers. Shel covered PR pitching in an entire blog post.

Consider this, the whole reason developer's want the attention of the A-List bloggers is the reason that its now nearly impossible to get. With the growing popularity of blogs, its now an attractive PR vehicle, but with popularity comes competition.

So how about starting small. Gain the attention of blogs that the A-Listers read! They often provide an OPML subscription to the blogs they read, and they often write about blogs they read. Attracting the attention of a B-List blogger might be a whole lot easier, and after-all if the  actual PR is newsworthy the A-Listers might pick it up. http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v427 v427 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - A new RSS Scripts Directory has been launched. The RSS Scripts Directory contains helpful scripts for managing, manipulating and converting RSS feeds. The intent of the the RSS Scripts Directory is to help users fully realize the potential and functionality of the RSS specification.

NotePage's FeedForAll division has developed a collection of tools to assist publishers interested in syndication. Current scripts contained in the directory include RSS Cache, FutureRSS, and RSSmesh. The RSS Cache script module expedites the retrieval and conversion of RSS feeds into html web pages. The FutureRSS script enables webmasters to prepare content for their RSS feeds in advance, and have it automatically appear at the desired date and time. The RSSmesh script allows for multiple RSS feeds to be merged into a single RSS feed. All of the scripts dynamically manipulate the RSS feeds, so all management occurs in realtime.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v426 v426 Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - What are the ICE Awards?
Once a year, Digital River formally recognizes its clients for their Internet Commerce Excellence - a.k.a. ICE Awards. The awards showcase small and large companies alike - savvy companies that are putting global e-commerce best practices to work in creative new ways to drive revenues and efficiencies through their online stores. If you have an e-commerce strategy or campaign that generated compelling results, you could be one of Digital River's next ICE Awards winners.

How does the program work?
Digital River's ICE Awards recognize clients in eight categories, including:

Best Product Launch Best Performing Promotion
Best Strategic E-Marketing Performance Best Performance by an Online Retailer
Best International
E-Commerce Strategy Best Network Sales Performance
Rookie-of-the-Year Highest Online Sales Growth

Judges will select up to two ICE Awards winners for many of the categories and recognize them at one of the DR Spring Global Network Sales Summits.

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v425 v425 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Bill apparently doesn't want an apprentice according to Dan Fernandez isn't interested in creating an American Idol, so they have come up with a different type contest.

The cool thing about this contest is that it is conceptual! $ 10,000 for an IDEA!

The Made In Express Contest is a conceptual concept where others share ideas about a cool thing they would like to see  built using Visual Studio Express and/or SQL Server Express.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v424 v424 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - AdSense allows website publishers to display contextually relevant advertisements on their website. If a web visitor "clicks" on an advertisement, the web publisher will earn a percentage of the advertising revenue generated as a result of the click. Many webmasters have built content websites around the Google AdSense model. In many cases the specific intent of the webmaster is to profit from Google AdSense.

Other webmasters use Google AdSense to supplement their revenue. Regardless of the webmaster's intent, the following tips will help webmasters looking to profit from AdSense.

AdSense Tips
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v423 v423 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - I located a new security portal that shows some promise. There is a daily security blog that contains good information and filters a lot of the less relevant security news.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v422 v422 Mon, 13 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Several Web sites selling made-to-order Trojan horses to hackers have been shut down, the two cooperating security companies who led the investigation said Wednesday.
U.S.-based RSA Security and Spain's Panda Software collaborated in the effort to identify, locate, and shutter five sites. Three were marketing la carte Trojans for launching targeted identity theft attacks against users of specific financial institutions, while two were sites where the buyers

Complete Article
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v421 v421 Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - A Personal Perspective on the Responsibilities of a Cancer-surviving Software Developer" while the article focuses on dealing with Cancer the information can easily be applied to other illnesses.

There are a lot of small development firms that rely on a handful of key employees, and its worth looking at processes.

The article raises come great points:

- Make certain that source code is where it should be.
- Clearly document anything "strange" in the source code you deliver.
- Make certain you have a "buddy" developer who knows what you are doing.


]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v420 v420 Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - DailyIndia posted an article endorsing shareware marketing from CoreDownload.

Actually, shareware is an ethical solution for both vendor and buyer; the buyer is not constrained to believe product’s presentation. What he gets is the software program instead of its brilliant description and even more: he can try out all the different products of a certain kind and find which one he likes best. The vendor enjoys the direct contact with users and opportunities to develop continuously his ideas, projects and plans considering customers feedback.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v419 v419 Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Robert Scoble, an A-List blogger linked to SMR yesterday. What does that mean? In one word traffic! Not huge traffic but enough that you see a noticeable difference.

Robert has been following Memeorandum and found that he missed the information on the smaller blogs (like SMR) :-)

Hey Robert, in the off chance that you are reading this, I have another blog you will appreciate an RSS Blog or grab the feed.

You have stayed out of the RSS Board foray and I'd love to hear what *you* think.
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v418 v418 Tue, 7 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - There has been some confusion about the prices available for the Shareware Industry Conference . The conference organizers have negotiated a room rate of $ 99.00 for the conference, the discounted rate is available for 3 days before and 3 days after the conference (July 10-20, 2006). Now, to obtain the discounted price the discount code G-7SHA in the group/corporate number field. Please note you will not recieve the discount if you attempt to enter the code in the special offer code field.

Additionally conference registration is $ 129.00 until April 1st. After that time the price will increase to $ 149.00 and $ 179.00 at the door, so register soon!
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v417 v417 Tue, 7 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - The fabled tales of successfully tricking search engines into high rankings have given way to a new truth, to achieve decent consistent ranking you cannot engage in tricks but on focused optimization done in a professional ethical manner. According to search sources, with the latest Google update, there is no longer an even playing field when it comes to search placement. The new Google ranking system gives an advantage to large, established businesses that have achieved brand recognition. Does this mean small businesses should give up on the Web as a marketing model? No, of course not, they simply must develop quality content. To increase your natural ranking (search engine rankings that are not paid for) you must:

more on Organic Search Engine Optimization
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v416 v416 Tue, 7 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
Set on recognizing not only ubiquity, but quality and customer loyalty, industry recognition and customer loyalty paid off for vendors nominated for the Software Vendor Awards.

A small independent vendor, Plimus swept the e-commerce category, while eSellerate's affiliate program shined. Digital River's FileKicker dominated the file hosting category. Other categories divided the votes between nominees with unexpected ties. Russian backed vendors proved to be a force with SWRUS, winning best software organization. SoftIdentity won in the graphics and icon categories, and ASPack was chosen as the best software protection scheme. A long time industry favorite Shareware Promotions challenged Rudenko Software, when it came to software submission customer service.

As expected, Mike Callahan took home a well deserved win as best software reviewer. CNET's Download.com held their own as a favorite download site, while PC World attracted attention as providing the best advertising value for software developers. Shareware Promotions flexed its muscle when it came to search engine optimization services. Press distribution and writing divided its winners between two popular software press companies DP Directory and SoftPressReleases. Avanquest glowed as a heralded software publisher, providing superior customer service, while Great Mind Software made its precense known; an industry newcomer tieing the giant when it came to overall publishing services.

SwiftCD and Pingram Marketing, a service specifically for Eastern European developers, earned recognition when it came to CD distribution. Dewahost and PAIR Networks both were acknowledged as favorite hosting providers for software developers.

All of the winners can be viewed online at: http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/winners-2006.htm or view the nominees and winners http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/winners.htm

The winners were selected by software industry professionals. The awards were designed to recognize those software industry vendors who excel at customer service, overall value and innovative implementation. Software developers and software industry professionals voted for their favorite vendors ]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v415 v415 Mon, 6 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Digital River Bio - skip the bit about golf and jump to DotCom Survivor, I found this paragraph the most interesting:

Digital River has acquired 24 companies since 1999, most at bargain-basement prices. Nearly half of its estimated 1,000 employees now work outside the United States. The company has been profitable since the third quarter of 2002, and sales are expected to reach $280 million this year. Ronning thinks the company can hit $1 billion in four or five years.

http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v414 v414 Mon, 6 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Michael Lehman from Microsoft posted a few days ago about "GlidePath" a new venture. At the time I didn't post about it because I didn't really understand what they were trying to accomplish. Having just re-read Michael's post it appears they are trying to create a "How to development and marketing guide" to help Micro-ISV (aka shareware developers).

Michael has requested community comments so be sure to pop-over and make requests!
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v413 v413 Mon, 6 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - A Microsoft application filed with the U.S. Patent office seeks  to trademark the term "relerank" for use with computer software for organizing, displaying, and managing search results.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v412 v412 Sat, 4 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Dave Collins of Shareware Promotions was kind enough to write this month's issue of Software Marketing News! It is jam packed with tips about Google AdSense, increasing productivity and the importance of backups. A great read! Also, the Software Vendor Award Winners are announced!
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v411 v411 Wed, 1 Mar 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - California tightened its anti-piracy screws Wednesday when it enacted a new law lowering the felony threshold to 100 counterfeit CDs. Previously, the threshold for a felony copyright violation was 1,000 copies.

Under a new measure signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the felony threshold is now the same for illegal CDs as it is for movies. http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v410 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
A new search engine for programmers promises to alleviate that problem by making it easier to find and share code. That in turn could increase programmers' productivity and give a fresh boost to the open-source movement.

Krugle, which launches officially next month, indexes programming code and documentation from open-source repositories like SourceForge and includes corporate sites for programmers like the Sun Developer Network.
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v409 v409 Sun, 19 Feb 2006 15:22:39 -0400 - WindowsMarketplace will market your software via their RSS feed! This is a free marketing opportunity and tool offered by Microsoft to help developers communicate new products and changes to the general public.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v408 v408 Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - China said Wednesday that a four-month crackdown uncovered 172 cases of piracy involving movies, music, games, books and software sold or shared illegally over the Internet.

During the operation, which ended in December last year, The National Copyright Administration meted out fines totaling 798,000 yuan ($98,000) to the operators of 29 violating Web sites and transferred 18 of the cases to the courts for criminal prosecution, Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of the administration, told reporters.

Complete Article
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v407 v407 Thu, 16 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - In order for Google Base to succeed, it will need the support of both publishers and users. Quite frankly, most are having difficulty seeing the value in Google Base. Google Base, is a new service in beta, from Google that requests that publishers add their information to the "Google Base". Google Base is hosted by Google. All types of item submissions are accepted online and off-line information in a variety of formats. Google Base uses tagging similar to that found in many social-bookmarking applications, though Google refers to it as labels. The labels are used by Google to categorize or add attributes to the information, that better describes the content. The more popular specific attributes become, the more often Google will suggest them when others post the same or similar items. Additionally, items that become more popular will show up as suggested item types in the "Choose an Existing Item Type" drop down menu.

What is Google Base?
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v406 v406 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:30:00 -0400 - In order to distinguish the best of the best. All industry participants are being asked to vote for the top software industry vendors. If you have not already done so, please consider voting.  

View Nominees & Vote Now
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v405 v405 Wed, 8 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
In 1991, open-source pioneer Richard M. Stallman warned that software patents -- then something of a novelty -- would create enormous havoc for industry. His concern? Locking software behind patent walls, away from developers, would have a chilling effect on a nascent open-source movement, with its promise of sweeping innovation. He was dismissed as an alarmist. But 15 years later, most sophisticated observers admit that his prediction had merit. Advertisement

Now, Stallman again is stepping in again, this time with more than just a warning. As founder of the Free Software Foundation, he's the father of the popular General Public License (GPL), which governs the use of a wide swath of free, collaborative software, including the Linux operating system. Stallman is preparing to update that contract with radical provisions intended to curb the growth and influence of patent-protected, or proprietary, software and digital content.

Complete Article
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v404 v404 Tue, 7 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - I just learned about IrishDev a network for  Irish Developers Network. The organziation is the professional software developers trade association in Ireland. Their goal is to promote excellence in the ICT industry and become the primary communications channel to the estimated 15,000 developers in Ireland.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v403 v403 Mon, 6 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - The SIAF has extended the deadline for speaker abstracts until February 14, 2006. Conference organizers are looking for qualified speakers with expertise in a number of areas. Please let your colleagues know about this opportunity. Details http://www.sic.org/sic2006/sic-2006_call-for-papers.pdf
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v402 v402 Mon, 6 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - According to Moscow-based antivirus firm Kaspersky Labs, Russian hackers propagated the Windows Meta File (WMF) exploit that wreaked so much havoc on computers in December 2005 by selling it to Internet criminals for $4,000.

Complete Article
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v401 v401 Mon, 6 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - SharewarePromotions have worked with hundreds of software developers and companies from thirty eight countries around the world, many of whom have been reaping the benefits of the “try before you buy” model for many years.

Contrary to popular misconception, shareware is not a type of software. It is a means of marketing and distribution. Shareware allows the user to try software before purchasing it, allowing the developer to put their software in front of potential customers from all over the world.

The Software Marketing Consultation Package allows the software company to tap directly into SharewarePromotions’ extensive knowledge and experience. Whether they are looking for a one-time consultation, an ongoing arrangement, a written report, an exchange of emails, a phone call or a face to face meeting, SharewarePromotions can provide exactly what they are looking for.

The costs start at US $350.00 per hour, and billing and payment options are arranged on an individual basis.
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v400 v400 Mon, 6 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
The Software Vendor Awards are broken into 15 categories and cover: e-commerce, affiliate programs, software protection, download sites, graphic design, search engine optimization, software submissions, press releases, file hosting, web hosting, software reviewers, software publishers, CD services, software organizations and newsgroups related to software. The award sub-categories are designed to recognize software industry vendors who excel at customer service, value and innovative implementation in each of the 15 categories.

Award nominations were held January 1-27, 2006. The top nominated vendors in each category will now be voted on by industry professionals. Voting for the top vendor in each category and sub-category will be held from February 1, 2006 to Midnight (EST) February 15, 2006. Winners will be announced in the Software Marketing Newsletter on March 1st. The nominees and winners will also be posted on the Software Marketing Resource website.

Voting is now open for the 2006 Software Vendor Awards. The Awards are sponsored by SoftwareMarketingResource.com and are designed to recognize the top Software Industry Vendors. The awards are the first of their kind and are designed to recognize those companies that provide superior service, innovation and support, to software developers and micro-isvs.

The Software Vendor Awards are broken into 15 categories and cover: e-commerce, affiliate programs, software protection, download sites, graphic design, search engine optimization, software submissions, press releases, file hosting, web hosting, software reviewers, software publishers, CD services, software organizations and newsgroups related to software. The award sub-categories are designed to recognize software industry vendors who excel at customer service, value and innovative implementation in each of the 15 categories.

Award nominations were held January 1-27, 2006. The top nominated vendors in each category will now be voted on by industry professionals. Voting for the top vendor in each category and sub-category will be held from February 1, 2006 to Midnight (EST) February 15, 2006. Winners will be announced in the Software Marketing Newsletter on March 1st. The nominees and winners will also be posted on the Software Marketing Resource website.

Voting is open for this month's Software Vendor Awards.

Review the Nominees

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v399 v399 Wed, 1 Feb 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Software Marketing News has been posted. This month's issue contains:

- cool technology reviews
- conference news
- resources
- marketing  articles
and more...
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v398 v398 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:40:28 -0400 - - - File-sharers who trade software are being hit with immediate legal action in the UK.


Ten ISPs (Internet Service Providers) have been ordered to hand over the details of 150 users accused of illegally sharing software. ISPs include BT, NTL, Telewest and Tiscali.


The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has obtained the High Court order after a 12-month covert investigation of software file-sharers. They are accused of uploading software and sharing it online.

Complete Article



]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v397 v397 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - by Mike Callahan

I've received so many questions about the nature of shareware over the past few months that I felt it was time for me to give some answers. I can understand the questions and some of the confusion about what is shareware as well as what shareware is. I'll try to help you to understand the ins and out of the shareware industry from the very beginning.

Tell Me About Shareware


]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v396 v396 Mon, 30 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
The SIAF Board has just issued a call for papers and presentations for SIC-2006, in Denver Colorado. If you are interested in speaking at the conference, please make sure you download and follow the "Call for Papers" guidelines, and take particular note of the various submission deadlines.

The Call For Papers guide can be found here:

http://www.sic.org/sic2006/sic-2006_call-for-papers.pdf

Remember, you can NOT speak at the conference without participating in this process. It was started last year so that we can steadily improve the content of the sessions at the Shareware Industry Conference.  

So, IF you want the opportunity to be a speaker at SIC 2006, please download the "Call For Papers" and follow the instructions. And obviously, not everyone who submits will be able to speak.
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v395 v395 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
Digital River, Inc., a global leader in e-commerce outsourcing, today announced that it has acquired Direct Response Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of affiliate technology and e-marketing solutions. The acquisition will offer the affiliates and clients of both companies a significantly expanded online sales network and more robust affiliate tracking, search-engine bid management and keyword tracking, and ad-serving solutions.


The Direct Response products that were acquired as part of this agreement include DirectTrack affiliate management platform, KeywordMax paid search bid management tool, DNEList e-mail campaign and list suppression applications, and DirectLeads online marketing network. The acquisition excludes Direct Response's MyCoupons and GiftCards.com services.

"The acquisition of Direct Response supports two of our strategic growth initiatives - to expand both Digital River's oneNetwork sales channel and strategic marketing services," said Joel Ronning, Digital River's CEO. "By combining the companies, we intend to deliver a more comprehensive affiliate management system, maximize cross-selling opportunities between our affiliate networks and further capitalize on the strong growth opportunity that exists for our strategic marketing services."

Since 1997, DirectTrack has tracked tens of billions of impressions and hundreds of millions of clicks and actions for its affiliate clients. Today, the DirectTrack platform powers more than 150 affiliate networks and 500 merchants, carrying nearly 40,000 offers to more than 200,000 affiliates around the world. DirectTrack's platform supports the sale of physical and digital goods across a wide variety of affiliate models, including sales, clicks, leads and impressions.

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v394 v394 Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - -
A 20-year-old accused of using hundreds of thousands of hijacked computers, or "bot nets," to damage systems and send massive waves of spam across the Internet, pleaded guilty to federal charges on Monday.

Jeanson James Ancheta, who prosecutors said was a well-known member of the "Botmaster Underground" -- a secret network of hackers skilled in "bot" attacks -- was arrested in November in what prosecutors said was the first such case of its kind.

The Los Angeles area man pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, damaging computers used by the U.S. government and fraud. He had been scheduled to stand trial later this year on a 17-count indictment.
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v393 v393 Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - The Software Council of Southern California has extended the deadline on the call for nominations for the organization's twelfth annual Software Industry Awards. All nominations are due by Friday, January 27, 2006 at 5 pm PST. Based on continuing requests and interest, the Software Council decided to give companies a few more days to make their final submissions.

The nominees for the 2006 event will compete for one of seven awards: Software CEO of the Year, Software Company of the Year, Software Entrepreneur of the Year, Software Services Company of the Year, Software Developer of the Year, CIO of the Year, and Internet Company of the Year.

Nominees do not need to be a member of the Software Council, but must be headquartered in Southern California. Full details of the nomination process and award criteria can be found on the Software Council Web site

Award Application
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v392 v392 Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Software Marketing Vendor Awards will close friday January 27th at Midnight. Nominate your favorite software vendors in the following categories:

E-Commerce
Affiliate Programs
Software Protection
Product Activation / Protection
Graphic Design
SEO
Software Submissions
Press Releases
File Hosting
Web Hosting
Software Reviewers
Software Publishers
CD Services
Software Organizations
Software Discussion Forums

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v391 v391 Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Shareware style "Try-Before-You-Buy" Custom Web and Graphic Design Service has been launched by StraightOnTheWeb where you don't pay unless you are satisfied with their work.

When choosing a company to design your web site or company logo it is often necessary to select on the basis of a portfolio of the company's work.

StraightOnTheWeb have taken a new approach that will be familiar to anyone who has ever used Shareware i.e. "Try-Before-You-Buy" software.

Simply give them your design requirements and they will put together sample designs without cost or obligation - if you don't like it you don't pay a penny.

The article goes on to say that if you like it, you negotiate a price - that does not follow shareware marketing.
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v390 v390 Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Channel 9 (aka Microsoft) has started a MicroISV podcast where Michael Lehman (many of you know Michael from SIC 2005) will interview developers for 5-10 minutes.

If you are interested in being interviewed contact Michael or checkout the MicroISV show!
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v389 v389 Fri, 20 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Give these resources a try:

Podcasting Tools - This site is a comprehensive podcasting resource detailing everything you need to know about Podcasting

RSS Specifications - This site is a comprehensive rss reference detailing everything you need to know about RSS.





]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v388 v388 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:51:10 -0400 - - -
So what is Web 2.0? Simply put, Web 2.0 is a perceived transition of the web to web applications. Web 2.0 is the next generation of technology solutions where interactive content is the norm. There is no agreement on exactly what Web 2.0 means, depending on who you are speaking with, you may receive different explanations. At it's heart, Web 2.0 is about the maturity of the Web and businesses that are thriving online.

While many refer to Web 2.0 as companies that employ powerful web technologies, the key components of the new web are said to include: the web as a platform, collaboration, and syndication.



What is Web 2.0
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v387 v387 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has announced that it will begin requiring its member organizations to adhere to a new guideline for how marketers should provide notice and choice regarding software that may be downloaded onto a consumers personal computer or similar devices (such as PDAs or MP3 players). The new guideline was approved last week by DMA's Board of Directors and immediately becomes part of DMA's comprehensive Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice, adherence to which is a requirement for DMA membership.

"While software technology by itself is neutral, substantial harm, including "modem hijacking," identity theft and significant decreases in performance can result from deceptive and unethical uses of downloadable software," said Louis Mastria, DMA's vice president for interactive and emerging media. "We are committed to taking a strong stand against such practices in order to increase confidence in the online channel."

Full Article
]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v386 v386 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - There have been a lot of discussion lately regarding solutions for software developers to track their customers. Sue Pichotta over at the AISIP did a great analyzing various options.

"When I started my first software business in 1993, I wrote a lovely little customer tracking program that did everything I wanted, including tracking prospects, customers, the source of customers, advertising outcomes, reports and statistics. It was great. Then I had a catastrophic hard drive crash, and despite a background in mainframe computer operations (where backups are pervasive), I didn't have a backup of this. It was gone."

Customer Tracking Review
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v385 v385 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - Jensense Post

Google.com and the company's foreign search sites contribute more to Google's bottom line than AdSense, because for every dollar the company brings in through AdSense and other places that distribute its ads, it pays roughly 78.5 cents back to sites like Digital Point that display the ads.

That is not an unreasonable payout, not sure why Google has not divulged this previously.


]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v384 v384 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - The trade group charged with protecting software copyrights is making an example out of three Triangle companies.

The Business Software Alliance has collected a total of $265,000 from Durham's Burt's Bees, Raleigh's Stock Building Supply and Sanford's Patriot Performance Materials for claims they used unlicensed copies of software.

Companies generally must pay for each copy of software they use. When whistle-blowers report a company is using unauthorized copies of software instead, the BSA gets involved.

Complete Article

]]> http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v383 v383 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - Create your own Web 2.0 Company in seconds. This website cleverly names your venture capital friendly Web 2.0 company. The satire spouts million dollar ideas ;-)
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog.html#v382 v382 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:00:00 -0400 - - - SoftwareMarketingResource.com has launched the First Annual Software Vendor Awards. The Software Vendor Awards will recognize the top vendors that supply services or products to software de