FastSoft Inc., a startup venture that has redefined the concept of high-speed Internet with a system that is the world’s fastest by at least one measure is moving to commercialize its services.
The firm’s FastTCP technology, which was developed in conjunction with scientists from the California Institute of Technology’s networking laboratory Netlab, is designed to help any company distribute large amounts of data to any location worldwide over the Internet.
The company is opening new corporate offices in Monrovia, and founder Steven Low said the world records for data transfer that FastTCP holds should be attractive to businesses.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to bring this technology to market,” Low said. “Sluggish Internet connections have a profound effect on an organization’s efficiency and the bottom line.”
In the Supercomputing 2005 Bandwidth Challenge an independent evaluation of high-speed Internet tools FastTCP blitzed the network speed record by moving data at an average rate of 101 gigabits per second.
In layman’s terms, that means it could transmit a feature-length movie in a half-second or send the entire contents of the Library of Congress in 15 minutes. The company so far has one customer, Rocket Software Inc., a software firm that develops products for IBM, Microsoft Inc. and other big name companies.
Unlike some other recent speed records, this one should stand. There are no plans to test for performance-enhancing drugs or high testosterone levels.
Catching a Code
Just-launched Code.TV is creating an Internet network to target 25-49 year-old Los Angelenos.
The site, which bills itself as “online TV for affluent urbanites,” will feature original video segments about Los Angeles hot spots, whether it’s an impossible-to-make-reservations restaurant or a hot new nightclub.
Local celebrity experts, including Court TV/Hollywood Heat’s Shira Lazar, Tyra Banks’ stylist Yaniece Piper Thomas and CBS music host Jonathan Redford, will host the segments.
“Los Angeles trendsetters strive to be ahead of the curve,” said Code.TV executive producer Morgan Hertzan. “Not only does Code.TV provide them with access to the most exclusive things to eat, buy, see and do, it does so with video and enables them to know the places, and the people behind them, in a much deeper and more visual way.”
Code Networks, based in New York, was founded by Hertzan, who previously worked for MTV as an executive producer of broadband networks, and Joseph Varet, who launched the MTV Games studio.
“Code.TV was created to connect with affluent Americans under the age of 50, with original programming uniquely relevant to them,” said Jaret. “This is arguably the world’s most desirable audience, yet they have never before had their own TV network.”
Down the Turtle Isle
Marina del Rey-based InfoSearch Media’s ContentLogic division targets small businesses with its search engine optimization and content-writing service. The goal is to help companies increase their visibility through organic that is unpaid listings on search engines.
The firm, founded by George Lichter, employs a team of copywriters to identify key words and phrases to help improve the ranking of a company within online search engines such as Google and Microsoft.
ContentLogic scored a coup recently with its campaign for an idyllic but largely unknown atoll in Fiji. Through the firm’s efforts, “Turtle Island” became one of the first listings seen by online searchers who checked “wedding destination.”
Card Games
Charter Communications Inc., the struggling Paul Allen-owned cable outfit, is planning a surprise for its 295,000 Los Angeles subscribers.
Emulating a promotion that Charter launched in Reno, Nev., the cable company will be giving out gift cards each month that could be worth more than $250 in credit redeemable at area businesses.
“Loyalty is difficult to elicit, but our cards basically give Charter’s customers a tangible reason to stay with Charter each and every month,” said Kirk Nagamine, co-founder and chief executive of Complete Access, the firm that is administrating the card campaign for the cable company.
Charter isn’t doing it all with giveaways. The “triple play” package cable TV, phone service and high-speed Internet access that Time Warner Cable is planning to launch soon as the centerpiece of its L.A. business strategy, has been available for $100 through Charter for months.
Charter posted a $355 million loss in the second quarter, and has posted a quarterly profit only twice going back to 1999.
Step Lively
Part of the credit for the surprising $21 million in box office receipts rung up by the teen dance film “Step Up” a couple of weeks ago should go to AvatarLabs.
The high-tech motion graphics and online design studio created the online ad campaign for the Touchstone Pictures film. Promotions debuted on MySpace.com with five music videos and contestants holding “dance offs,” with the winners appearing on MTV.
Graphics designer Rex Cook, who runs AvatarLabs, said many users on social networking sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com sent clips from the film to their friends.
“They’re all able to share little snippets from the movie,” Cook said. “They would not have been able to that even just a few years ago.”
That’s an ominous sign for newspapers, which have been steadily losing advertising sales revenues from the studios for the past few years.
“You can get a lot more bang for your buck online,” said Cook.
Staff reporter Dan Cox can be reached at
[email protected]
or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 230.
