Outblaze
Encyclopedia
Outblaze is a technology company that develops and provides digital media products and services including smartphone
games and other apps, social media
applications, computer and video games, online transaction systems, and web communication software. Although it started out as an application service provider
of hosted Web applications, the company gradually transitioned to the video games industry. In 2009 Outblaze sold its messaging business unit in order to focus primarily on digital entertainment.
and received considerable media attention around the time of the dot-com bubble
. At the peak of its activity in the messaging sector, Outblaze was reported to provide services to over 75 million users around the world, with 40 million email accounts operated by Outblaze plus at least 35 million protected by Outblaze's anti-spam
solution. In 2009 Outblaze sold its messaging assets to IBM
, which incorporated them in LotusLive
. Since then Outblaze has focused its attention on video and online gaming, smartphone apps, and social network applications.
and Android devices as of September 2011. The company's most successful products are the Pretty Pet
series of games but the company also has dozens of other apps including the retrogaming
styled Hospital Story, and a number of edutainment
apps branded under Baby Cortex like Alphabet Car and Baby Piano. Apps are published in partnership with brands affiliated to Outblaze including Animoca, Dream Cortex and Typhoon Games
.
In 2004 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) asked Outblaze Head of Anti-Spam Operations Suresh Ramasubramanian to assist the OECD task force on spam. The result was the 25 May 2005 report Spam Issues in Developing Countries, which alerted governments and organizations to the specific dangers that spam poses to countries with underdeveloped Internet infrastructure. Suresh has further written a paper on botnet mitigation for the ITU
.
The Office of the Telecom Authority (OFTA) of Hong Kong put out a consultation paper in June 2004 requesting comments on Proposals to contain the problem of unsolicited electronic messages. The Outblaze response encouraged the government to adopt a range of measures to effectively combat spam, among them: opt-in standards, prompt removal of spammers and hacked or insecure systems, adoption of authenticated email schemes, unequivocal anti-spam legislation, rapid response times at ISPs, and diffusion of better email marketing management techniques. The response was approved and endorsed by the Asia-Pacific chapter of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE
).
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
games and other apps, social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
applications, computer and video games, online transaction systems, and web communication software. Although it started out as an application service provider
Application service provider
An application service provider is a business that provides computer-based services to customers over a network. Software offered using an ASP model is also sometimes called On-demand software or software as a service ....
of hosted Web applications, the company gradually transitioned to the video games industry. In 2009 Outblaze sold its messaging business unit in order to focus primarily on digital entertainment.
History
Outblaze was founded in 1998 in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and received considerable media attention around the time of the dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
. At the peak of its activity in the messaging sector, Outblaze was reported to provide services to over 75 million users around the world, with 40 million email accounts operated by Outblaze plus at least 35 million protected by Outblaze's anti-spam
Spam
Spam may refer to:* Spam , a canned pork meat product* Spam , unsolicited or undesired electronic messages* E-mail spam, unsolicited or undesired email messages* "Spam" , a comedy sketch...
solution. In 2009 Outblaze sold its messaging assets to IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, which incorporated them in LotusLive
LotusLive
LotusLive is a suite of business networking and collaboration cloud-based services hosted by the Lotus Software division of IBM. The integrated services include social networking for businesses, online meetings, file sharing, instant message, data visualization and e-mail.There are several...
. Since then Outblaze has focused its attention on video and online gaming, smartphone apps, and social network applications.
Products
Outblaze's various smartphone game apps have been downloaded about 30 million times for iOSIOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
and Android devices as of September 2011. The company's most successful products are the Pretty Pet
Pretty Pet Salon
Pretty Pet Salon is a strategy video game developed by Dream Cortex and published by Animoca, both Hong Kong-based companies. The game was released in January 26, 2011 for the iOS. An HD version was released for the iPad in February 26, 2011, followed by an Android version on May 13, 2011.In the...
series of games but the company also has dozens of other apps including the retrogaming
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
styled Hospital Story, and a number of edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
apps branded under Baby Cortex like Alphabet Car and Baby Piano. Apps are published in partnership with brands affiliated to Outblaze including Animoca, Dream Cortex and Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games Ltd. was founded in August 2001 in Hong Kong as a game developing and publishing company that caters mainly to the Asian market. It is the sister company of Typhoon Media International Ltd. and has strategic partnerships with Outblaze Ltd...
.
Advocacy
Outblaze has engaged in a number of policy discussions, primarily via consultation and position papers authored by Outblaze executives.In 2004 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) asked Outblaze Head of Anti-Spam Operations Suresh Ramasubramanian to assist the OECD task force on spam. The result was the 25 May 2005 report Spam Issues in Developing Countries, which alerted governments and organizations to the specific dangers that spam poses to countries with underdeveloped Internet infrastructure. Suresh has further written a paper on botnet mitigation for the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
.
The Office of the Telecom Authority (OFTA) of Hong Kong put out a consultation paper in June 2004 requesting comments on Proposals to contain the problem of unsolicited electronic messages. The Outblaze response encouraged the government to adopt a range of measures to effectively combat spam, among them: opt-in standards, prompt removal of spammers and hacked or insecure systems, adoption of authenticated email schemes, unequivocal anti-spam legislation, rapid response times at ISPs, and diffusion of better email marketing management techniques. The response was approved and endorsed by the Asia-Pacific chapter of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE
CAUCE
CAUCE, or the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, is a non-profit advocacy group that works to reduce the amount of unsolicited commercial email, or spam, via legislation. CAUCE was founded in 1997 by participants in the USENET newsgroup news.admin.net-abuse.email and the SPAM-L mailing...
).