Agence France Presse, HARMAN and Intel Join the ng Connect Program to Advance the Connected User Experience

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ng Connect Program, the multi-industry open innovation ecosystem founded by Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) to create the new connected user experience, today announced the addition of twelve new members, including Agence France Presse, HARMAN and Intel Corporation. These new members bring expertise from a broad range of industries including gaming, healthcare, infotainment, media, Software as a Service (SaaS) and silicon innovation.

“Together with our new members we can show how entire industries will be transformed through technology achievements that will help people connect not only with each other, but to the content and applications they want, whenever and wherever they need them.”

The ng Connect Program now has 65 members across the entire digital value chain from network infrastructure to devices, applications and rich content. The new members announced today will develop new business models and service concepts that could realize commercialization opportunities as part of the program’s mission.

New Member Highlights:

Aerva – a technology company at the center of networked displays software, social media and mobile interactivity. Aerva’s market-proven solutions enable brands and enterprises to engage, entertain and inform using networked displays, websites or social media. Aerva's core product, AerWave, is a cloud-based solution for managing and scheduling content across digital displays and other media channels.
Agence France Presse – a global news agency delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world and the first news agency to offer full HD video reportage. AFP delivers the news in video, text, photos, multimedia and graphics; and produces 150 new videos per day in seven languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic and Polish).
Blue Pixel - a video and photography leader in helping companies and consumers understand, harness and leverage the power of digital still and video images. The company has taught the Nikon School of Photography for over 8 years in 30 cities, enhanced the Associated Press' photography on a global scale, and garnered 4 Pulitzer Prizes.
Gamify - a San Francisco based start-up on an epic quest to gamify the world, making it a more fun and rewarding place to live in. The Gamify Network consists of Gamify.com, Gamification Encyclopedia (Wiki), MetaGamify (Q&A) and Gamification Jobs (Job Board). Collectively the Gamify Network represents the largest gamification resource in the world.
GoTV Networks – enables media owners and brands to deliver compelling, personalized, highly engaging content experiences through mobile operators, application storefronts and wireless devices.
Harman – the global leader in audio and multimedia for the home, the car and the professional stage.
IMST - a technology-driven center of excellence in the design and fabrication of mobile communication circuits and systems with a major focus on LTE technology. IMST is focused on a generation of new antenna systems with significant advantages and a new, sophisticated antenna bus structure well suited for in-vehicle applications.
ineedmd - a pioneer in revolutionary EKG technology. ineedmd’s Windows-based EKG reading software displays and records from its patented, FDA approved The EKG Glove™ (a mitten like apparatus applied over the heart) that connects through a USB or Bluetooth(R) enabled device to a PC or cellular phone. Once recorded, the EKG can be stored or transmitted to a monitoring center and the patient can be diagnosed and treatment can be expedited in real-time. With ineedmd, any Windows-based computer or cell phone is a fully functional EKG machine.
Intel - is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices.
PMD Exports – a start-up focused on developing location-aware, standards-based, personalized health self-management solutions. The EyeMedica Advisor solution provides personalized nutrition and wellness advice, activity tracking, trend analysis and remote monitoring services running on broadband-connected consumer devices.
Premier Digital Publishing - enables established authors to thrive and profit in today’s digital ebook marketplace, by providing a full suite of digital publishing services including distribution management, brand promotion, ebook storefront merchandising and marketing.
Savtira - a provider of custom-tailored Cloud Commerce solutions. Savtira will contribute to ng Connect’s service concepts with its innovative e-commerce features through its Cloud Commerce platform including: ability to sell digital and physical products in one unified shopping cart, digital locker with portability to any internet-connected device, and Cloud Streaming with pause-and-resume capabilities.

Members of the ng Connect Program come together to discuss, develop and deliver new service concepts that show how next generation technologies can advance the connected experience across multiple industries. To date, ng Connect has increased awareness in the telecommunications industry and among consumers of the possibilities of LTE with the development of 20 service concepts including the Virtual Personal Stylist, Virtual Venue, the Gametime Media Table and the LTE Connected Car.

“ng Connect continues to attract the most innovative companies and we’re proud to announce Intel, Agence France Presse and Harman have joined the program with more than ten others,” said Jason Collins, VP of Emerging Technology & Innovation, Alcatel-Lucent founder of ng Connect Program. “Together with our new members we can show how entire industries will be transformed through technology achievements that will help people connect not only with each other, but to the content and applications they want, whenever and wherever they need them.”

About The ng Connect Program

The ng Connect Program is the collaborative open innovation engine that explores and creates the new generation connected user experience. Engaging with its dynamic multi-industry membership, it drives relevance and revenue generation for the entire digital value chain. Founded by Alcatel-Lucent, the ng Connect Program is comprised of more than 60 members including leading network, consumer electronics, application and content providers. Together, ng Connect members have developed 20 innovative service concepts across a wide range of industries including automotive, retail and entertainment. For a full list of members please visit: http://www.ngconnect.org/members/index.htm and for more information on the ng Connect Program, visit: www.ngconnect.org. Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ngConnect.