3PAR ® (NYSE: PAR), the leading global provider of utility storage, announced today that Tickets.com®, a leading provider of fully integrated event ticketing services for thousands of top arts, entertainment, and sports organizations worldwide, has chosen 3PAR Utility Storage as the foundation for its signature ProVenue® ticketing platform. The decision to deploy highly virtualized 3PAR Utility Storage has enabled Tickets.com to improve management efficiency by 10x and reduce the time to deployment window by 88% as compared to traditional storage arrays from other vendors. The event ticketing vendor has also reported up-front cost savings with 3PAR that total more than half a million dollars as compared to traditional arrays.
“Other storage vendors simply couldn’t offer us the cost advantages, functionality, scalability, and ease of management that 3PAR did,” said Brett Michalak, Chief Information Officer for Tickets.com. “With 3PAR, all the advanced features we needed were integrated into the system and provided at a cost well below that of the alternatives, and we didn’t need a dedicated SAN team or any additional people to manage it. With 3PAR, our systems were up and we were provisioning storage to our database servers within a day. That’s unheard of with other platforms,” said Michalak.
Powered by hyper-efficient and highly virtualized 3PAR InServ® Storage Servers and Oracle® Database Servers,the launch of the SaaS-based ProVenue®, the newest and most advanced ticketing system from Tickets.com, puts clients in control of their ticketing operation, from box office to phone sales to Internet transactions. With unsurpassed flexibility, open architecture, robust data management tools, and transaction speed, ProVenue® delivers industry leading technology to ticketing.
Through utilizing advanced 3PAR software offerings such as 3PAR Virtual Copy and 3PAR System Reporter, Tickets.com has reduced storage costs by maintaining a virtualized environment that enables them to do more with less—fewer disks, less power, less administration time—which has saved the company over a half a million dollars in up-front costs. The decision to build the ProVenue platform on top of a 3PAR Utility Storage infrastructure has also given Tickets.com the flexibility to add new customers and services rapidly—decreasing the time to deployment window by 88%. The reliability and flexibility of the 3PAR Utility Storage platform are supplemented by robust monitoring tools that enable Tickets.com to automatically screen the health of their systems to ensure the best end-user experience for clients and their customers.
In addition, 3PAR Dynamic Optimization makes the event ticketing vendor’s 3PAR Utility Storage infrastructure much easier to manage than traditional arrays, which has allowed Tickets.com to avoid adding headcount to administer their storage infrastructure. 3PAR Utility Storage has allowed costs to remain low through a pay-as-you-grow architecture that has enabled the ticketing vendor to maintain storage spend that is in line with sales growth.
“Many companies are looking to add SaaS or cloud-based applications to their product offerings as an innovative way to generate new streams of revenue and improve their reach,” said XYZ analyst. “3PAR Utility Storage is extremely well suited to providers looking to test these waters. With 3PAR, they can dip their toes into the SaaS pool with minimal up-front investment, then scale their storage infrastructure simply and painlessly as these new services gain traction and start to actually generate revenue.”
“The story that Tickets.com tells is one we hear time and time again,” said David Scott, President and CEO for 3PAR. “Their traditional storage infrastructure was holding them back. It simply wasn’t designed for innovation. It was inflexible, complex to manage, and at the end of the day extremely expensive. Lean times call for smart storage, and 3PAR was able to deliver more for less—more automation, more advanced capabilities, more capacity headroom, and better visibility—for dramatically lower cost and administrative effort.”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
GMU Center for the Arts Welcomes Complexions Contemporary Ballet
The Mason Gazette
Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 1994 to explore powerful social, political and emotional issues through the use of cutting-edge choreography grounded in classical dance, original music and creative multimedia effects.
The program, subject to change, is scheduled to include several works by Resident Choreographer Rhoden, as well as one by Richardson.
The performance comes to the George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall on Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m.
The performance begins with “Routines,” a fluid, abstract piece that explores the dual concept of “routines” – those performed by dancers on a stage and those executed in the course of the everyday life of a dancer. Then a trio of male dancers will perform “Gone,” a piece about brotherhood, survival and the struggle to live through conflict.
Next will be an excerpt from “Momentary Forevers,” a work set to music by George Frederic Handel and John Cage; Richardson’s own powerful and unrestrained “Fall”; an excerpt from “Moody Booty Blues” set to “When the Guitar Plays the Blues” by Roy Buchanan; and a piece called “Moonlight,” an excerpt from Rhoden’s “Frames,” performed by Richardson.
Last, the company will perform “Rise,” which explores the dizzying journey of life in all its complexity and ecstasy, set to the anthem-like songs of U2.
The company received the prestigious New York Times “Critics Choice” Award in 1995 and has since toured throughout the United States and abroad.
Rhoden has created and choreographed more than 60 ballets for Complexions. Under his tutelage, the company has performed at numerous dance venues and festivals around the world, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, The Mahalia Jackson Performance Art Center in New Orleans, Italy’s Festival of Dance and the Holland Dance Festival.
Rhoden has performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal, and he was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
He has received numerous awards, including the New York Foundation of the Arts Award, the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and The Ailey School’s Apex Award. Rhoden has lectured and served as an artist-in-residence at universities across the country. He has also worked with such high-profile artists as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson and Patrick Swayze. Most recently his choreography was featured on the Fox network’s hit television show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Having mastered classical, modern and contemporary dance, Richardson was a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for seven years and also performed with the Ballet Frankfurt in Germany.
He was also a guest artist with the Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala and the San Francisco Ballet. Richardson performed the lead role in the American Ballet Theatre’s world premiere production of “Othello”; appeared in on Broadway in “The Locks of Love” and Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s hit musical “Movin’ Out”; and he received a 1999 Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Broadway musical “Fosse.”
He has performed with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Aretha Franklin, and recently appeared in Julie Taymor’s film “Across the Universe.” Richardson received the Alvin Ailey School’s Apex Award and the prestigious Dance Magazine Award.
A discussion, free to ticket holders, will begin 45 minutes prior to the performance on the Center’s Grand Tier III.
The Center for the Arts is pleased to recognize the generous support of PNC and the PNC Foundation as sponsors of the 2008-09 Great Performances at Mason season.
Tickets are $42, $34 and $21. Charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit tickets.com.
Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 1994 to explore powerful social, political and emotional issues through the use of cutting-edge choreography grounded in classical dance, original music and creative multimedia effects.
The program, subject to change, is scheduled to include several works by Resident Choreographer Rhoden, as well as one by Richardson.
The performance comes to the George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall on Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m.
The performance begins with “Routines,” a fluid, abstract piece that explores the dual concept of “routines” – those performed by dancers on a stage and those executed in the course of the everyday life of a dancer. Then a trio of male dancers will perform “Gone,” a piece about brotherhood, survival and the struggle to live through conflict.
Next will be an excerpt from “Momentary Forevers,” a work set to music by George Frederic Handel and John Cage; Richardson’s own powerful and unrestrained “Fall”; an excerpt from “Moody Booty Blues” set to “When the Guitar Plays the Blues” by Roy Buchanan; and a piece called “Moonlight,” an excerpt from Rhoden’s “Frames,” performed by Richardson.
Last, the company will perform “Rise,” which explores the dizzying journey of life in all its complexity and ecstasy, set to the anthem-like songs of U2.
The company received the prestigious New York Times “Critics Choice” Award in 1995 and has since toured throughout the United States and abroad.
Rhoden has created and choreographed more than 60 ballets for Complexions. Under his tutelage, the company has performed at numerous dance venues and festivals around the world, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, The Mahalia Jackson Performance Art Center in New Orleans, Italy’s Festival of Dance and the Holland Dance Festival.
Rhoden has performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal, and he was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
He has received numerous awards, including the New York Foundation of the Arts Award, the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and The Ailey School’s Apex Award. Rhoden has lectured and served as an artist-in-residence at universities across the country. He has also worked with such high-profile artists as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson and Patrick Swayze. Most recently his choreography was featured on the Fox network’s hit television show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Having mastered classical, modern and contemporary dance, Richardson was a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for seven years and also performed with the Ballet Frankfurt in Germany.
He was also a guest artist with the Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala and the San Francisco Ballet. Richardson performed the lead role in the American Ballet Theatre’s world premiere production of “Othello”; appeared in on Broadway in “The Locks of Love” and Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s hit musical “Movin’ Out”; and he received a 1999 Tony Award nomination for his performance in the Broadway musical “Fosse.”
He has performed with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Aretha Franklin, and recently appeared in Julie Taymor’s film “Across the Universe.” Richardson received the Alvin Ailey School’s Apex Award and the prestigious Dance Magazine Award.
A discussion, free to ticket holders, will begin 45 minutes prior to the performance on the Center’s Grand Tier III.
The Center for the Arts is pleased to recognize the generous support of PNC and the PNC Foundation as sponsors of the 2008-09 Great Performances at Mason season.
Tickets are $42, $34 and $21. Charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit tickets.com.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tickets.com Client Spotlight: BOK Center
CHL players pick BOK Center as league's best arena
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
In a survey of Central Hockey League players, Tulsa's BOK Center was voted the league's best venue.
In a season otherwise fraught with disappointment, the new arena was the one positive for the Oilers. Tulsa's 32nd and final home date is 7:05 p.m. Wednesday as the Northeast Division-leading Mississippi RiverKings visit the BOK Center.
The Oilers, absent from the CHL playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, close the season with a pair of weekend road games — at Wichita on Friday, and at Mississippi on Saturday.
Highlights of the 2008-09 Oiler home schedule:
Oct. 25: In the home opener, a BOK Center crowd of 16,982 — the largest in Oiler history and second-largest in CHL history — watched Oklahoma City prevail 5-1. Chris Kovalcik scored the first Tulsa goal in the new building.
Jan. 23: More than 8,600 fans convene as former Oiler star Doug Lawrence's No. 9 jersey is retired. Both goaltenders were ejected during a second-period brawl, and Oklahoma City records a 5-2 victory.
Jan. 17 and Jan. 20: For the first time all season, the Oilers record back-to-back wins, beating Mississippi 3-2 in a shootout and Rio Grande 4-3 in overtime.
Feb. 28: With several thousand school children in attendance, a crowd of 10,946 sees New Mexico prevail 3-2.
Before the start of Wednesday's game, Tulsa's team awards will be presented by former Oiler players. The Oilers have played six straight one-goal games and 27 for the season. Center Brendon Hodge has scored goals each of the last three games (including the overtime winner against Rocky Mountain on Saturday).
In Sunday's 2-1 loss to New Mexico, Tulsa goaltender Kevin St. Pierre totaled 50 saves. It was his fourth performance with at least 50 saves.
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
In a survey of Central Hockey League players, Tulsa's BOK Center was voted the league's best venue.
In a season otherwise fraught with disappointment, the new arena was the one positive for the Oilers. Tulsa's 32nd and final home date is 7:05 p.m. Wednesday as the Northeast Division-leading Mississippi RiverKings visit the BOK Center.
The Oilers, absent from the CHL playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, close the season with a pair of weekend road games — at Wichita on Friday, and at Mississippi on Saturday.
Highlights of the 2008-09 Oiler home schedule:
Oct. 25: In the home opener, a BOK Center crowd of 16,982 — the largest in Oiler history and second-largest in CHL history — watched Oklahoma City prevail 5-1. Chris Kovalcik scored the first Tulsa goal in the new building.
Jan. 23: More than 8,600 fans convene as former Oiler star Doug Lawrence's No. 9 jersey is retired. Both goaltenders were ejected during a second-period brawl, and Oklahoma City records a 5-2 victory.
Jan. 17 and Jan. 20: For the first time all season, the Oilers record back-to-back wins, beating Mississippi 3-2 in a shootout and Rio Grande 4-3 in overtime.
Feb. 28: With several thousand school children in attendance, a crowd of 10,946 sees New Mexico prevail 3-2.
Before the start of Wednesday's game, Tulsa's team awards will be presented by former Oiler players. The Oilers have played six straight one-goal games and 27 for the season. Center Brendon Hodge has scored goals each of the last three games (including the overtime winner against Rocky Mountain on Saturday).
In Sunday's 2-1 loss to New Mexico, Tulsa goaltender Kevin St. Pierre totaled 50 saves. It was his fourth performance with at least 50 saves.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Cole Bros. Circus is old-fashioned entertainment
By Brian Freskos
Star-News Online
Camels and elephants will be in Wilmington April 2-5 when the Cole Bros. Circus celebrates its 125th anniversary as part of the Azalea Festival.
Cole Bros.’ “Circus of the Stars” is the world’s largest circus held under a big top tent, said circus Co-chairwoman Valerie Watkins.
This year the circus will feature elephants, camels, clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists, aerial gymnasts, the Human Cannonball and motorcycles in the Globe of Death, according to the Azalea Festival’s Web site.
Watkins said the event also will include a domestic dog act and a seven-man pyramid performance done on a high wire.
The event is called “Circus of the Stars” because the inside of the tent looks like a planetarium – dark blue like a nighttime sky, with bright, shimmering stars all over, Watkins said.
She said people of all ages will enjoy the varying performances.
According to circus attendance records, there has been a ratio of one adult per child, according to the Cole Bros. Web site.
The circus puts on two shows per day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. On April 4, the circus will perform three shows.
The shows contain approximately two hours of entertainment, Watkins said, and there is an intermission after about an hour.
Reserved tickets are $15 for children 12 and younger and seniors over age 62, and $20 for adults. A VIP ticket costs an additional $5.
Watkins recommended that people purchase tickets before April 1 at the festival’s box office, 5725 Oleander Drive, unit B7.
Tickets also can be bought online at tickets.com or on the Cole Bros. Web site, www.gotothecircus.com. After April 1, tickets can only be purchased at the circus box office.
The show takes place at 1740 Airport Blvd., by Wilmington International Airport
For more information, visit the Cole Bros. Web site or ncazaleafest.org, or call (888) 332-5200.
Want to go?
What: Cole Bros. Circus.
When: 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 2-3; 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 4; and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. April 5
Where: 1740 Airport Blvd., by Wilmington International Airport.
Star-News Online
Camels and elephants will be in Wilmington April 2-5 when the Cole Bros. Circus celebrates its 125th anniversary as part of the Azalea Festival.
Cole Bros.’ “Circus of the Stars” is the world’s largest circus held under a big top tent, said circus Co-chairwoman Valerie Watkins.
This year the circus will feature elephants, camels, clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists, aerial gymnasts, the Human Cannonball and motorcycles in the Globe of Death, according to the Azalea Festival’s Web site.
Watkins said the event also will include a domestic dog act and a seven-man pyramid performance done on a high wire.
The event is called “Circus of the Stars” because the inside of the tent looks like a planetarium – dark blue like a nighttime sky, with bright, shimmering stars all over, Watkins said.
She said people of all ages will enjoy the varying performances.
According to circus attendance records, there has been a ratio of one adult per child, according to the Cole Bros. Web site.
The circus puts on two shows per day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. On April 4, the circus will perform three shows.
The shows contain approximately two hours of entertainment, Watkins said, and there is an intermission after about an hour.
Reserved tickets are $15 for children 12 and younger and seniors over age 62, and $20 for adults. A VIP ticket costs an additional $5.
Watkins recommended that people purchase tickets before April 1 at the festival’s box office, 5725 Oleander Drive, unit B7.
Tickets also can be bought online at tickets.com or on the Cole Bros. Web site, www.gotothecircus.com. After April 1, tickets can only be purchased at the circus box office.
The show takes place at 1740 Airport Blvd., by Wilmington International Airport
For more information, visit the Cole Bros. Web site or ncazaleafest.org, or call (888) 332-5200.
Want to go?
What: Cole Bros. Circus.
When: 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 2-3; 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 4; and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. April 5
Where: 1740 Airport Blvd., by Wilmington International Airport.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Billy Joel, Elton John teaming up for Albany show
By CAROL DeMARE, Staff writer
TimesUnion.com
ALBANY -- The Elton John and Billy Joel concert tour will play the Times Union Center this summer, bringing to town what is being described as the biggest show of 2009.
An announcement is expected Tuesday about the concert tour that has sold out in every city it has played this year. The entertainers have not been together since 2003.
The Face 2 Face tour kicked off in March in Jacksonville, Fla., and then went on to the Toyota Center in Houston to play to another packed house.
The date in July for the Albany performance will be revealed at a Tuesday morning press conference at the center at which Mayor Jerry Jennings will have proclamations and keys to the city for the performers. Also on hand will be Albany County Executive Mike Breslin, Times Union Center General Manager Bob Belber and New York City-based AEG promoters.
Find tickets >
TimesUnion.com
ALBANY -- The Elton John and Billy Joel concert tour will play the Times Union Center this summer, bringing to town what is being described as the biggest show of 2009.An announcement is expected Tuesday about the concert tour that has sold out in every city it has played this year. The entertainers have not been together since 2003.
The Face 2 Face tour kicked off in March in Jacksonville, Fla., and then went on to the Toyota Center in Houston to play to another packed house.
The date in July for the Albany performance will be revealed at a Tuesday morning press conference at the center at which Mayor Jerry Jennings will have proclamations and keys to the city for the performers. Also on hand will be Albany County Executive Mike Breslin, Times Union Center General Manager Bob Belber and New York City-based AEG promoters.
Find tickets >
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tickets.com Client Spotlight: K-Rock Centre Honored
K-Rock Centre best small venue
AWARD: Canadian entertainment honours Kingston facility
Kingston Whig Standard
Kingston's K-Rock Centre was named major facility of the year in the 8,000-seats-or-less category at the Canadian Music Industry and Broadcast Awards.
One of 36 awards handed out by the association representing the Canadian entertainment, radio and music industry in Toronto, the new Kingston arena was voted top in its class, which included a half-dozen other "hard-seat" arenas, amphitheatres and stadia.
Verle Mobbs, the awards organizer, said the selection process is a lengthy one, starting with nominations from the industry itself that are then narrowed to a short list of finalists by two expert juries.
The facilities remaining on the short list are then voted on by members of the industry.
One of the main criteria used by the juries are the number of Canadian acts booked and the support given to Canadian talent, Mobbs said.
Ken Noakes, general manager of the arena, called the award "a tribute to all the hard work of our staff and tremendous support of our events by the community."
At the same awards ceremony, Kingston radio station The Drive won the award for small-market radio station of the year.
The K-Rock Centre is a Tickets.com client.
Learn more about the K-Rock Centre >
Learn more about Tickets.com ticketing solutions >
AWARD: Canadian entertainment honours Kingston facility
Kingston Whig Standard
Kingston's K-Rock Centre was named major facility of the year in the 8,000-seats-or-less category at the Canadian Music Industry and Broadcast Awards.
One of 36 awards handed out by the association representing the Canadian entertainment, radio and music industry in Toronto, the new Kingston arena was voted top in its class, which included a half-dozen other "hard-seat" arenas, amphitheatres and stadia.
Verle Mobbs, the awards organizer, said the selection process is a lengthy one, starting with nominations from the industry itself that are then narrowed to a short list of finalists by two expert juries.
The facilities remaining on the short list are then voted on by members of the industry.
One of the main criteria used by the juries are the number of Canadian acts booked and the support given to Canadian talent, Mobbs said.
Ken Noakes, general manager of the arena, called the award "a tribute to all the hard work of our staff and tremendous support of our events by the community."
At the same awards ceremony, Kingston radio station The Drive won the award for small-market radio station of the year.
The K-Rock Centre is a Tickets.com client.
Learn more about the K-Rock Centre >
Learn more about Tickets.com ticketing solutions >
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