The report, based on passively-observed online behavioral data from the comScore Online Bank Benchmarker and a 2009 survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. online banking customers, provides comprehensive insights into service usage, customer satisfaction, personal financial management and paperless banking.

Top Online Banks Continue Growth in Customer Acquisition in 2008

After several years of particularly strong growth in the use of online banking at the top 10 banks, the second half of 2007 showed the first signs of softness as sequential quarterly growth rates fell below 1 percent, but then recovered somewhat in 2008 as banks became more aggressive in their online banking customer acquisition efforts.

Banking and Credit Card Customer Satisfaction Withstands Recession

When asked about their satisfaction with their primary financial institutions, the percentage of respondents indicating that they were highly satisfied with their banks (down 1 percent) and credit card issuers (down 3 percent) declined only marginally versus 2008 and were at least as high as the levels seen in 2007. The decline was more pronounced, however, among brokerage firms, which saw their highly satisfied customers decline from 70 percent of respondents in 2008 to 58 percent in 2009.

“Given the performance of the financial markets in the past year, it’s not surprising that brokerage customers with declining balances would not be as satisfied as last year,” said Marc Trudeau, comScore senior director. “It’s interesting that a negative halo effect was not seen with respect to banks and credit card issuers, perhaps because of the reliability of services and the outreach they provided during a time of financial strain for many customers.”

Online Financial Tools Represent Customer Opportunity for Banks
Online banking customers were also asked about their interest in various online tools to help manage their finances. More than 60 percent expressed interest in free identity theft services, while free credit score monitoring appealed to 52 percent. Approximately 37 percent of respondents showed a strong interest in online personal financial management tools, with half of those interested indicating they were willing to pay a modest monthly fee for the services.

“That customers are asking for more services to help them manage their personal finances during these economically-challenging times is a positive sign for banks,” added Trudeau. “It’s clear that most customers are paying close attention to their personal finances, and, consequently, for the banks that step up and provide customers with the tools they’re requesting, it’s an opportunity to both cultivate and solidify customer relationships and to potentially drive incremental revenue as well.”

Banking professionals and members of the media may request a copy of the full report by visiting http://www.comscore.com/request/state_of_online_banking.asp

About comScore Financial Services Solutions
The comScore Financial Services Solutions group consults with the world’s leading banks, brokerage firms and institutions to help them better understand how their customers and competitors use online financial services. The comScore database includes a full spectrum of consumer interaction across competitive financial services companies, including account applications and usage, online bill payments, and purchases of products and services.

comScore consultants help financial institutions build strategies to acquire new customers, market and cross-sell service offerings, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and act upon emerging competitive threats and opportunities.

About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

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“Canada’s high broadband penetration and tech savvy Internet users make it an optimal environment for online video to flourish,” said Bryan Segal, vice president of sales, comScore Canada. “The combined forces of reach, high engagement and ‘sight, sound and motion’ make online video a particularly attractive brand-building vehicle for online advertisers.”

Google Sites Holds Commanding Lead in Canadian Video Market

Google Sites led as the most popular video destination in February with more than 1.6 billion videos viewed (52 percent share of all videos), and YouTube.com accounting for nearly 99 percent of videos viewed at the property. Microsoft Sites ranked as the second most popular video destination with 55.6 million videos viewed (1.8 percent share), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 45.7 million videos (1.5 percent share).

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• 100 photographs by 50 artists from 1850 to the present
• Estimates from $500 to $50,000
• April 24-30, 2009

From April 24-30 artnet Online Auctions will feature April in Paris, a special sale of 100 photographs by 50 renowned artists including Brassaï, Robert Doisneau, André Kertész and Willy Ronis.
Modern Masters

Leading the sale is a collection of photographs by modern masters including Eugène Atget, Brassaï, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, and Man Ray. Among the highlights is a complete portfolio of 10 classic images of Paris by Brassaï, printed in 1973. The portfolio is signed, dated, and numbered from an edition of 50 only (estimate: $40,000-$50,000). Also offered in this section are five images of Paris in the 1920s by Germaine Krull including Along the Banks of the Seine, Paris, 1927-1928 (estimate: $3,500-$4,500) and The Knife Sharpener, 1927-1928 ($4,000-$5,000). Four photographs by André Kertész range from 1926-1934 including Chez Mondrian, 1926, a carefully composed photograph of the artist’s studio that pays homage to the simplicity of Mondrian’s works (estimate: $15,000-$18,000). Also offered in this section are three works by Eugène Atget from 1899-1959.
Iconic Images by Renowned Photojournalists

The auction also features some of the most recognizable images of Paris by renowned photojournalists Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Elliott Erwitt, Marc Riboud and Willy Ronis. Henri Cartier-Bresson captures the humanity of the city in three exquisite works from 1953 to 1959 including Rue Mouffetard, 1954 (estimate: $22,000-$26,000) and Ile de la Cité, 1952 (estimate: $9,000-$10,000). Three photographs by Robert Doisneau celebrate the eccentricities of everyday Parisian life including Chicken on a Leash, 1940 (estimate: $2,500-$3,000). Also offered in this section are two of the most universally recognized photographs of Paris, Painter on the Eiffel Tower, Paris, 1953 by Marc Riboud (estimate: $3,800-$4,200) and Le Petit Parisien, 1952 by Willy Ronis (estimate: $5,000-$6,000).
Fashion Photography

Fashion photographers also figure prominently in the sale, including works by Horst P. Horst, Frank Horvat and Helmut Newton. The Mainbocher Corset, Paris, photographed by Horst P. Horst for Paris Vogue in 1939, showcases the intricate design of American couturier Mainbocher (estimate: $20,000-$25,000). Givenchy Hat, 1958 is one of six works by Frank Horvat that evoke the glamour of 1950s Paris (estimate: $6,000-$8,000). In My Apartment, Paris, 1978 is a striking nude by the late great provocateur Helmut Newton (estimate: $25,000-30,000).
Portraits of Legendary Paris Residents

Paris has been home to a number of legendary artists and writers, including Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and Pablo Picasso. The sale includes two photographs of Samuel Beckett taken by Bob Adelman in 1986 (estimates: $2,000-$2,500). A pensive James Joyce is the subject of a 1937 gelatin silver print by Joseph Breitenbach (estimate: $3,000-$3,500). The sale also offers two different perspectives on Pablo Picasso: a formal portrait of the artist taken in 1954 by Arnold Newman (estimate: $10,000-$12,000) and a more casual photograph taken by the artist’s friend Lucien Clergue in 1955 (estimate: $2,500-$4,500).

Rounding out the show is a selection of vintage works from the nineteenth century as well as images of Paris by a newer generation of photographers.

Browse the Sale at www.artnetonlineauctions.com/Paris

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As part of Microsoft Corp.’s ongoing efforts to help government organizations become more open and transparent, the company today unveiled Stimulus360 (http://www.microsoft.com/government/stimulus360), a Microsoft SharePoint-based solution that can quickly and easily help public sector agencies track, measure and share information about stimulus-funded projects through hosted or on-premises offerings.

Every level of government – federal, state and local, and educational organizations –is involved in implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To help these organizations more effectively track and manage all aspects of stimulus-funded projects, Microsoft developed Stimulus360 to provide greater transparency and accountability across multiple jurisdictions, allowing agencies to track and manage projects through graphical dashboards, maps and analytics. Stimulus360 integration features allow leaders to communicate directly with other jurisdictions and citizens, facilitating collaboration, increasing transparency and satisfying reporting requirements. In addition, all actions and events are automatically captured as workflow history, enabling informed response and establishing greater accountability at every point in a stimulus program’s life cycle.

“Stimulus360 provides a tool that governments can immediately use to meet the specific and often complex requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said Gail Thomas-Flynn, general manager of Microsoft’s state and local business. “It helps manage the details and coordination required while, most important, allowing leaders to focus on implementing projects that will create jobs and promote economic recovery.”

U.S. states, cities, and localities can begin to deploy Stimulus360 as they prepare for direction from federal officials on how to comply with a number of complex requirements for receiving and disbursing stimulus funding. Stimulus360 seeks to simplify this process by centralizing information, including legislative and regulatory links, necessary report templates, and a news feed to help keep users informed on the latest stimulus-related developments. Built-in performance metrics are based on official government guidance and requirements and can be customized to the unique needs of each organization. Stimulus360 also comes equipped with geospatial features that link data to mapping capabilities, providing a visual view of project status, while analytics allow users to access valuable intelligence such as job creation by city or the impact of projects in rural areas.

Customers can deploy Stimulus360 on premise, using their own hardware and networks, or in a hosted model. The solution has an intuitive interface and easily integrates with familiar Microsoft Office applications.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Source: Microsoft Corp.

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“The launch of our website marks the first initiative of the Safe Internet Alliance,” Linda Criddle, president of Safe Internet Alliance, said. “We want to provide our partners and the public with a comprehensive platform to facilitate dialogue, cultivate best practices and encourage awareness about the growing risks online.”

Safe Internet’s goals are:

1. Elevate Internet safety as a priority and increase public awareness of Internet opportunities and threats;
2. Foster broad private/public sector support for a safe Internet;
3. Promote safe Internet education and training for: users, families, teachers, law enforcement, software developers, companies, and organizations;
4. Empower users with choices and tools to increase their positive experiences online while better protecting themselves from harm; and
5. Advance an Internet ethic of respect and accountability online.

“We are excited about the continuing interest from a wide array of partners, each of who will bring a unique perspective of what a safe Internet means to their community,” said Criddle.

Safe Internet’s leadership board has strong ties to online safety advocacy. Members include Linda Criddle, president of LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc., an online safety consulting and software development firm; Joy Howell, a former director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Federal Communications Commission; Alma Riojas, president and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization; and Stacie Rumenap, executive director of Stop Child Predators, which combats the sexual exploitation of children.

Members of the Safe Internet Alliance include:

• The Software & Information Industry Association
• WiredSafety
• IdentityTheft.Info
• US Internet Industry Association
• League of United Latin American Citizens
• National Black Chamber of Commerce
• US Telecom
• iKeep Safe Coalition
• Enough is Enough
• Tangle.com
• Microsoft
• 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies)
• National Cable & Telecommunications Association
• US Telecom
• RetireSafe
• Privacy Vaults Online (Privo)
• Stop Child Predators
• Stop Internet Predators
• AT&T
• LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc.
• Verizon
• MANA, A National Latina Organization
• Consumers First
• Ricky Martin Foundation

Based in Arlington, Virginia, the Safe Internet Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(4) corporation. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and are not deductible as business expenses. For more information, please visit us at www.safeinternet.org

Source: Safe Internet Alliance

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Southwest Airlines has created a variety of My Peanut and I Fly Southwest online buttons for moms and dads who fly with their kids. Parents who post the online button on their blog, Facebook profile, and/or other social media sites are eligible to win the prize pack.

“At Southwest, we love families and blogging, so inviting Jessica to be our mommy blogger made perfect sense for our Company,” said Paula Berg, Manager of Emerging Media. “The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button is a fun way for bloggers and social media participants to show their Southwest support – and maybe even win a great vacation package.”

“I’ve always called my son, Elias, a little peanut, so I’m very excited about this campaign,” said Southwest Mommy blogger Jessica Turner. “I am proud to represent parents across America who fly Southwest with their kids. The online button is such an easy way for parents like me to show our love for travel and Southwest.”

The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons are available on the Nuts About Southwest blog. For a chance to win a family four-pack of airline tickets, simply post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment on the May 8 Nuts About Southwest blog post about the buttons. Be sure to include a link to where you posted the button. If you post the button on multiple sites (ie: your blog and Facebook page), please leave one comment for each link. This contest ends May 31, 2009.

To download the My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons, visit: Southwest Mommy Patches

To read a blog post from our new Mommy Blogger, visit: My Peanut and I Fly Southwest Contest

About Southwest Airlines Mommy Blogger Jessica Turner

Jessica Turner is Southwest Airlines’ new resident mommy blogger. Her guest blog posts and video blogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers, and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn’t traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their ten-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything!

Southwest Airlines

After nearly 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines — offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest offers a very comfortable ride with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest even more convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) , the nation’s largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 65 cities (will begin service to Boston Logan and New York LaGuardia later this year) in 33 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

OFFICIAL RULES – Southwest Airlines Contest

1. To Enter: No purchase or obligation necessary. Contest runs May 8, 2009 at 8:00 am CDT – to May 31, 2009 at 11:59 pm CDT. To enter without purchase or obligation, you must download and post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment under the blog post with a link to where you posted the button.

2. Drawing: On or about June 1, 2009, a random drawing from all eligible entries received will be conducted by independent judges whose decisions are final. Entrants need not be present to win. All prizes are guaranteed to be awarded. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

3. Prize: One (1) Grand Prize to consist of 4 roundtrip tickets on Southwest $1600. Value of Prize is approximately $1600

4. Eligibility: Contest open to all legal US residents, 18 years and older as of March 20, 2009. Employees of Southwest Airlines Co., its advertising and promotions agencies, and their immediate families (spouse and parents, children and siblings and their spouses) and individuals living in the same households of such employees are ineligible. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. The promotion is offered in the United States only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not located in the United States.

5. To Claim Prize: Winner only will be notified by Southwest Airlines via email, and will be required to complete and sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and, where legal, a Publicity Release, which must be returned within seven (7) days after prize notification or prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. If prize notification letter is returned undeliverable, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner in a random drawing. Grand Prize winner’s guests, or if minor(s) their parent(s)/legal guardian(s), must execute Liability Releases, and where legal, Publicity Releases prior to the issuance of travel documents. Unclaimed or undeliverable prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. Prize is guaranteed to be awarded. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited) to use winner’s name, hometown and likeness for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity in any media without additional compensation.

6. Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any related materials; stolen, fraudulent, entries or mail; or transactions that are processed or lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. Winner is solely responsible for payment of all federal, state, and local taxes on prize and for any travel or other expenses not specifically mentioned in prize description. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify Contest if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the Contest as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. This Contest offer is being made exclusively by Sponsor.

Sponsor not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or fraud, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission whether caused by Sponsor, user, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the process of submissions which may limit a participant’s ability to participate in this promotion.

7. Winner’s List: To request a Winner’s Name List, send a self addressed stamped return envelope, after June 1, 2009, to Southwest Airlines Emerging Media. All requests must be received by June 20, 2009. Utah and Washington residents may omit return postage. Winner’s Name List will also be published on Southwest Airlines Web Site around June 1, 2009 after 12:00 pm CST.

8. Sponsor: Southwest Airlines Co., P.O. Box 36611, Dallas, TX. 75235-1611

Source: Southwest Airlines

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Unlike other similar programs, getaroom.com’s unpublished rates program has no gimmicks, allows customers to know the property in advance and permits travelers to cancel. According to Diener, “Getaroom.com takes the guesswork and mystery out of booking a hotel room for the lowest rates. Now travelers can book accommodations knowing they are getting the absolute best rate with full disclosure upfront on where they will be staying. No more worrying about whether the hotel is in the right location or even if it’s a property that meets all their criteria and standards. Our clients will always know in advance which property they are booking, even when they book a room with our low non-published rates.”

Getaroom.com is the key to low rates. It offers the best hotel deals in the most popular destinations ensuring consumers receive the most value for their travel dollars. The Company provides travelers three ways to save money every time they travel:

Everyday Savings. Getaroom.com provides discounts up to 50 percent off regular rates.

Special Non-published Rates. Registered clients booking accommodations via the getaroom.com Dallas-based call center 800-HOTELS-8 (800-468-3578) can receive additional savings at select hotels with getaroom.com’s special non-published rates. Offered at most properties, the discounts are an additional 10 percent to 50 percent in savings.

Deals of the Day. Select properties are featured daily in the Deals of the Day program enabling travelers to save an additional 15 percent to 40 percent off their accommodations compared to internet rates offered by other websites.

To kick-off its launch, getaroom.com is offering travelers a $25 rebate. Now through July 31, 2009 travelers booking accommodations via the getaroom.com call center at 800-HOTELS-8 (800-468-3578) will receive a $25 rebate on all bookings, including bookings made with its unpublished rates.

“Getaroom.com is an excellent travel resource for consumers who want to avoid the clutter and confusion of other lodging sites and easily find the best deals. We scour the marketplace and negotiate the best rates for our clients offering the lowest prices on the internet,” said Diener. “We focus on only the most popular destinations and then select those properties which offer the best values,” continued Diener.

“We are working very hard to ensure our guests receive the best values for their travel dollars. Our expertise in the hotel industry is unparalleled,” said Litman. “Bob and I literally launched the online hotel booking industry back in 1995 with hotels.com, and its predecessor Hotel Reservations Network. We are bringing our entrepreneurial spirit to getaroom.com in order for our clients to get the best rates, the best service and the best information,” explained Litman.

Getaroom.com provides its clients the information they need to make the best hotel choice to satisfy their travel needs. The site provides complete descriptions, maps and photos of the hotels plus travelers can view a side-by-side comparison of properties to help them select the hotel that best meets their travel criteria. As an added service for a streamlined booking experience getaroom.com offers savings and booking capabilities for airfare and popular attractions in cities worldwide.

“We are very excited about this new venture. We have a great product with a great easy-to-remember name – getaroom.com, get a deal!” said Diener. “We are going back to our roots doing what we do best. With today’s economic climate hotels are looking to fill their rooms and rates are at almost record lows. We are working in only the most popular destinations in order to provide the lowest rates guaranteed and the best values to our clients. Consumers will be able to rely on getaroom.com to get the best hotel deals and customer satisfaction,” continued Diener.

“Getaroom.com offers travelers an enhanced customer experience. While most companies continue to outsource customer support getaroom.com’s call center is based in Dallas. We are providing jobs right here in the U.S. and giving our clients more personalized customer-oriented services,” said Litman.

About Getaroom.com

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Expected to launch in 2010, broadcasting year-round, and using multiple platforms, including television, video on demand and online, the USON will provide a window into the quests of American athletes to reach the pinnacle of their sports. Viewers will be able to watch live coverage of championship competitions and, after 2012, Olympic trial events in a wide range of sports, plus live, non-stop news reports, commentary, interviews from the locations of future Olympic and Paralympic Games, and classic Olympic footage through its exclusive U.S. access to thousands of hours of programming.

Additionally, the USON will provide video on demand content, enabling subscribers to watch their favorite Olympic athletes and their feats whenever they want. A broadband platform will also be established for Internet customers to experience the passion of the Olympic Games online with news, highlights, and event coverage. The transaction is subject to closing conditions.

“The U.S. Olympic Network will be a dream come true for fans of the Olympic Games, delivering rich year-round content associated with the world’s greatest sporting competitions,” said Stephanie Streeter, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the USOC. “By bringing the stories, competitions and history of the Olympic Movement into American homes year-round, the USOC hopes to not only inspire a new generation of athletes but also to educate young people about the ideals and values of the Olympic movement. And, we believe strongly that the USON can also serve as a template that can be used in other parts of the world to expand access to the Olympic experience. Plus, the USON’s unparalleled year-round exposure of the Olympic brand — already one of the world’s most recognized and respected — will generate compelling opportunities for Olympic sponsors to expand their association with the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. At the same time, we believe it will enhance interest in and viewership of Olympic-related coverage on broadcast networks. We are excited to work with all of our partners, and everyone associated with the Olympic Movement, to establish the USON as the foremost full time channel for Olympic-related content.”

Jeff Shell, President of Comcast Programming Group, said, “Comcast is pleased to partner with the United States Olympic Committee on the U.S. Olympic Network. Promoting the spirit of the Olympic Games in the homes of millions of Americans will support our athletes and bring more Olympic entertainment to our customers.”

“We are excited to see this important development for the USOC,” added Matt Van Houten, Chair, USOC Athletes’ Advisory Council. “It will do great things for America’s athletes by bringing them and the Olympic Movement into the public’s awareness on a year-round basis, not just for a couple of weeks every two years.”

USON is conceived as a network to support the public interest of furthering the Olympic Movement’s international mission of promoting peace through the Games. The USOC intends to use a significant portion of its net proceeds from the network’s operations to help fund the training of American athletes.

Allen & Company served as an advisor the USOC.

Programming

The USON will appeal to a broad demographic consistent with the country’s strong interest in the Olympic Games. It intends to air programming that is appealing to a younger demographic interested in sports and pop culture, as well as the traditional Olympic fan base with a greater understanding and recollection of the historic significance of past Olympic Games.

USON will deliver compelling programming such as:

• The USOC’s major events, including those sponsored by National Governing Bodies of Olympic and Pan American sport organizations, and the exclusive rights to the U.S. Olympic Trials after 2012
• Archive-based shows utilizing thousands of hours of existing Olympic content
• Films, movies and documentaries
• Original series
• Instructional programming
• News and talk shows that feature the engaging personalities of Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls, and their quest to reach the pinnacles of their sports.

The USON, in addition to its cable and satellite presence, will integrate new media across all available platforms that will enable a strong personal connection between Team USA and Americans who will be inspired by their Olympic quest.

Expanded Opportunities for USOC Sponsors

Through a special Congressional charter, the USOC holds exclusive rights to use the words “Olympic” and “Olympiad,” the Olympic rings and other Olympic imagery and phrases within the U.S. Given the positive and powerful nature of the Olympic brand, several of the world’s leading companies have made significant investments to become Official USOC Sponsors and have the right to use Olympic marks.

USOC sponsors have made this investment despite the limited windows around the Olympic Games that are held for 17 days every two years. The USON will give USOC sponsors a new, 365-day-a-year opportunity to promote their association with the Olympic brand beyond this limited window. Several USOC sponsors have already expressed interest in becoming sponsors of the USON.

Media Conference Call

USOC executives will host a conference call with the media today, Wednesday, July 8 at 12:00 noon ET. The call will begin with remarks from the executives followed by a question and answer session. Journalists can access the call by dialing 1-8… (in the U.S.) or 617-801-9711 (outside the U.S.), and utilizing the passcode 95684999. Please dial in ten minutes prior to the start of the call to ensure timely access.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) (NASDAQ:CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.8 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast’s content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast’s Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About the U.S. Olympic Committee

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) (www.TeamUSA.org), one of America’s premier sports organizations, is appointed by federal law as the coordinating body for all Olympic-related athletic activity in the United States. The mission of the USOC is to support United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and to preserve the Olympic Ideals, and thereby inspire all Americans.

The USOC is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.

The USOC also oversees the process by which U.S. cities seek to be selected as a Candidate City to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, winter or summer, or the Pan American Games. In addition, the USOC approves the U.S. trial sites for the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games team selections.

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The new center is co-located at IBM’s Marunouchi office in Tokyo as well as at IBM’s Yamato Lab in Kanagawa Prefecture. It will draw on a wealth of global IBM expertise, including more than 150 mathematicians and software engineers at IBM Research – Tokyo and Yamato Software Development Laboratory to help companies turn data into predictive intelligence. Initially, the center will be staffed by up to 500 IBM Japan consultants, researchers and software experts, with additional expertise added over time.

“Today business leaders need to move beyond intuition to insight, from gut feel to facts — it is now possible to see key patterns in vast amounts of data to extract critical insights and move to a new level of intelligence,” said Takayuki Hashimoto, General Manager, IBM Japan. “Tokyo was chosen for this investment due to its status as a global financial center and world class skills base. The use of business analytics offers an almost unique opportunity to help transform the way business works — to become more efficient, smarter and subsequently more competitive.”

The center will draw on IBM’s industry expertise and the analytic capabilities of the new Business Analytics and Optimization consulting organization. It will have access to IBM’s comprehensive Information Management portfolio including technologies integrated following the acquisitions of Cognos and iLog. The center will also utilize mathematicians and advanced analytics experts from IBM Research.

The Tokyo center is part of a network of advanced analytics centers recently detailed by IBM as the company expands its capabilities around business analytics. The other centers will be located in London, New York City, Beijing and Washington, D.C. IBM opened its first analytics solution center in Berlin last month.

The new center offers extensive analytics and optimization services based on innovations from IBM Research. Among the solutions featured is the Production Design and Operations Scheduling Solution (PDOS) which combines consulting expertise with advanced optimization technology to help steel industry clients improve steel mill production process design and operation scheduling. In addition, the center will leverage the IBM Banking Data Warehouse, which enables clients to improve business decision-making, as well as IBM’s Entity Profile Management System which enables clients to discover crucial information hidden in massive quantities of data. The center will also provide expertise to help firms embed new sensor technology into their processes in order to gather better performance and management data.

The center will collaborate with IBM’s banking sector clients to develop systems that provide improved visibility and tracking of risk positions across markets and asset classes, as well as industrial sector clients seeking to optimize supply their chains to drive information management and cost efficiencies. IBM also plans to expand the center to help clients across other critical industry segments like energy and utilities (smart grids) and healthcare analytics.

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