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KickApps Names Internet Technology and Media Veteran Alex Blum as CEO
KickApps Names Internet Technology and Media Veteran Alex Blum as CEO |
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New York, NY (January 10, 2007) – KickApps Corporation announced today that Alex Blum will join the company as CEO beginning February 1. Backed by Spark Capital and Prism Ventures, KickApps offers a hosted platform that provides major media and high traffic websites with a full range of user-generated video, social networking and media management functionality. "Alex has a proven track record of identifying important technologies and Internet trends," said Eric Alterman, KickApps founder and chairman. "He has a deep understanding of the needs of Internet properties looking to establish enduring relationships with their website visitors. Alex and I share a common vision and his presence will create an immediate impact." Blum was previously the president and COO of JumpTV, Inc. (AIM, TSX: JTV), the world's top multi-cultural Internet Protocol Television Network. Prior to JumpTV, Blum spent eight years with AOL, most recently as vice president of product marketing for AOL's Audience Business. Blum's team oversaw the re-launch of the AOL.com web portal, the development of AOL's media products (including AOL Video and streaming advertising platform), and the development of AOL's AIMPages social networking initiatives. "The basic human need to express oneself freely combined with the unique forum offered by the Web places KickApps at the heart of the most important movement the web has seen since the prevalence of broadband connectivity," said Blum. "I'm excited to join the exceptional KickApps team and to be a part of providing world class social networking and user generated content (UGC) experiences to all publishers who until now have struggled to deliver these types of solutions on their own." "Beyond UGC and social networking, the future of the KickApps platform will be to offer website publishers an increasing selection of hosted programming solutions, from widget-based advertising and syndication to premium video management and live events," said Alterman. "Alex's experience and expertise is uniquely suited to our development as an Internet platform company architected to syndicate an increasingly broad range of functionality to many independent website affiliates." The KickApps media management platform provides UGC and social networking functionality in a highly scalable and customized fashion with its patent-pending widgetization engine. The KickApps platform architecture is designed for major media and high traffic websites looking for fast, custom deployments without the cost and time-to-market issues associated with extensive in-house engineering development. "Widget-based deployment of deep community functionality, combined with robust media management, administration and reporting tools separates KickApps from other players in this space," said Blum. "The platform's media management system allows website publishers to seamlessly blend premium and user generated content within specific contexts, across numerous properties. It's all about generating increased traffic and ad inventory for our affiliates." "Social networking and UGC have been dominating the discussion for quite some time, but major media brands have been slow to develop effective implementations," said Santo Politi, general partner at Spark Capital. "The engineering challenges are a major barrier when the goal is custom community deployments in the context of many properties. The KickApps platform directly addresses this market need, and the addition of Alex Blum will elevate everything we do." "Every great company has an executive team balanced by technology and market execution. KickApps is now one of those rare companies with a strong duo at the helm," said Woody Benson, general partner at Prism VentureWorks.
About KickAppsKickApps provides on-demand social media, online video and widget applications that enable web publishers and marketers to grow, engage and monetize online audiences. Its SaaS platform includes social networking, user-generated content, programmable video players, drag-and-drop widget building, WidgeADs™ and other applications that are tightly integrated with robust media moderation, member management and reporting. The KickApps Platform seamlessly integrates with any website using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, feeds, Widgets and APIs (REST and SOAP). Customers include: SOAPnet, CW Television, Guinness World Records, Scripps Network Interactive, HBO, Cinemax, Cox Television, the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and thousands of other sites. For more information, visit www.kickapps.com and www.kickdeveloper.com. KickApps Public RelationsMichael Chin212-730-4558 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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