Leveraging social networks has become an important marketing strategy for many companies and this requires serious management of the process.   Awareness, Inc. newly announced Social Marketing Hub helps company plan and implement and manage their social networking strategy.   The company launched its beta program and has some major corporations that are participating including Sony, Progressive Insurance, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Kodak, Best Buy and ASOS.com.  "Many brands, including ours, are realizing that focusing on only one social media channel to reach an audience isn't enough to get results desired. As channels are added, so are the complexities in measuring the impact you have on the marketplace," stated John Bernier, Manager, Social and Emerging Media at Best Buy. "We're excited about the possibilities that the Social Marketing Hub brings to our ability to carefully measure all our social media activities from one central console."

Avaya’s new offering for small business reduces the price point for unified communication by 40 percent, which features a new combination card that provides support for IP, digital and analog phones.  The collaborative tools include video, instant messaging and presence.   The lasted offering utilizes an SD card, which replaces the flash card and license that was required previously.   It is offered as part of the 6.0 version of IP office which is browser based.  The 6.0 version features improved instant messaging, more presence features and the ability to archive voice messaging.

According to Brendan Barnicle, senior research analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, Microsoft has plans to spend $1 billion on its Windows Phone business during this coming year.   Bill Koefoed, general manager of Microsoft’s investor relations, revealed the plans make the hefty investment in research and development in this year alone.   Even for Microsoft, this represents a significant commitment of approximately 10 percent of the company’s R&D budget.  "In our minds, [Koefoed] ruled out them buying somebody like Palm or RIM. He didn't say it directly ... it's our conclusion.”  Barnicle stated to InternetNews.com.

Year over year numbers for January 2010 show that smartphone users are moving toward connecting to social networks via their smartphones in growing numbers.   Users are not just using their PC’s to connect with social networks as the number of smartphone users that are jump on social networks doubled from 5% to 10% when compared to January 2009.   The number of users accessing Facebook via a mobile browser grew by 112%, and Twitter grew by an amazing 347% from the previous year.  "Social networking remains one of the most popular and fastest-growing behaviors on both the PC-based Internet and the mobile Web," Mark Donovan, senior VP of mobile at ComScore, wrote in a statement. "Social media is a natural sweet spot for mobile since mobile devices are at the center of how people communicate with their circle of friends, whether by phone, text, email, or, increasingly, accessing social networking sites via a mobile browser."