American Express Group President to Participate in the Goldman Sachs Financial Technology Conference

Press release:

American Express Group President to Participate in the Goldman Sachs Financial Technology Conference

NEW YORK,  September 6, 2012 -- 

American Express Group President, Dan Schulman, will participate in the Goldman Sachs Financial Technology Conference in New York, on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 2:40 p.m. (ET). Mr. Schulman will participate in a question and answer session relating to the Company’s Enterprise Growth Group.

A live audio webcast will be made available to the general public through the American Express Investor Relations website at http://ir.americanexpress.com. An audio replay of the presentation will be available after the event at the same website address.

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress,foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express,twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Key links to products and services: charge and credit cards, business credit cards,travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, business travel, andcorporate card

"Welcome In" to American Express' Newest Brand Campaign Entitled, "The Membership Effect"

Note to visitors: We have moved!  For current news and information, please visit our successor blogs: http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com.  Thank you."Welcome In" to American Express' Newest Brand Campaign Entitled, "The Membership Effect"Television Spots Featuring Actor/Comedian Aziz Ansari, Restaurateur Thomas Keller and Small Business Saturday Highlight Unique Benefits and Value American Express Provides Consumers and Merchants

Broadcast and Cable Presence for Ads Across Two Dozen Networks

NEW YORK,  March 28, 2012 -- 

American Express announced the launch of its latest television and digital brand campaign entitled, "The Membership Effect," which chronicles the power of the unique benefits and innovations available to the millions of American Express Cardmembers and merchant partners connecting globally every day.

The campaign is the centerpiece of a broader effort that American Express is taking to educate its customers about the potential that American Express offers to connect people to possibilities through the power of its network, or "The Membership Effect." The American Express network connects millions of consumers, merchants and businesses around the globe in a payments and commerce ecosystem that creates value for all its participants. American Express is built on relationships, insights gleaned from data, and the ability to use these assets to enhance lives and build business success for its customers.

The campaign aims to showcase how American Express delivers benefits, rewards, savings and experiences for customers and services and relationships that help its merchant partners succeed through television spots featuring actor/comedian Aziz Ansari, chef/restaurateur Thomas Keller and the Company's Small Business Saturday initiative.

The campaign also introduces a new tagline for American Express, "Welcome In," to highlight that membership in a networked world is inclusive, ambitious and emphasizes the advantages that come from belonging to the American Express community, called out as "the power of all of us."

The campaign kicked off on March 15 and has aired during primetime lineups on CBS, NBC and Fox and will include such network hits as American Idol, Glee, CSI, Big Bang Theory, Saturday Night Live, Touch, Smash and The Voice. Thirty-second and sixty-second versions of the Keller and Small Business Saturday executions will air across more than two dozen broadcast and cable networks including AMC, ESPN, TBS and Comedy Central throughout the spring. The digital campaign includes a heavy presence across Facebook, Twitter and Apple's iAd mobile platform.

Two new executions featuring Ansari begin airing today.

"Through the unique American Express ecosystem of buyers and sellers, we have the ability to offer our Cardmembers and merchant partners additional value and service. Nowhere is that more evident than with our collaborations with Facebook, foursquare and, most recently, Twitter -- which allow us to connect and facilitate both experiences and commerce between Cardmembers and merchants," said John Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer, American Express. "The Membership Effect captures that idea, of how American Express is creating powerful connections and shared value between the members of the American Express community of consumers, merchants and small business owners."

Several American Express programs that capitalize on the power and potential of "The Membership Effect" are highlighted in the advertising campaign, including:

Creating Rich Experiences for Cardmembers
American Express partnered with Aziz Ansari to develop three humorous spots showing how he is able to take advantage of exclusive offers for American Express Cardmembers by "syncing" his Card to Facebook, Twitter and foursquare. A :60 spot takes Ansari on a journey with the help of his American Express Card following his quest to win the heart of a young woman, and two :30 versions show Ansari feeding his love of kayaking and the tuba. The ads illustrate how American Express uses social media platforms to add value to Cardmembers by allowing seamless redemption of merchant offers without the need for coupons or special codes.

Delivering Value to Businesses
The spots featuring Thomas Keller share how "The Membership Effect" benefits him as a small business owner and American Express merchant partner. Throughout the spot, Keller shares how American Express harnesses the power of its network of buyers and sellers to grow his business and provides insights and tools that help him expand his customer base and support the local economy in Yountville, California, home to his first restaurant The French Laundry, and beyond.

Consumers and Communities Connecting to Support Small Business
American Express' successful Small Business Saturday initiative – which drives millions of consumers to small businesses around the country – is profiled in multiple television spots to highlight the role that American Express, consumers and merchants play to support an important economic engine: small business.

For more information on "The Membership Effect," visit americanexpress.com/me. All of the spots can be viewed online at youtube.com/americanexpress.

About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress,twitter.com/americanexpress and youtube.com/americanexpress.

American Express Partners with Office Depot to Offer Prepaid Card

American Express Partners with Office Depot to Offer the American Express® Prepaid Card in More Than 1,100 Stores NationwidePartnership Marks First Reloadable Prepaid Card Available in Office Depot Stores

NEW YORK,  March 21, 2012 -- 

American Express announced today that the American Express Prepaid Card, a prepaid reloadable Card with no monthly or maintenance fees, will soon be available in retail at select Office Depot stores. The Card will roll out in more than 1,100 stores across the United States in the coming weeks(1) and provide Office Depot customers with a smarter spending and budgeting tool that can be used anywhere that American Express® Cards are accepted.

"We are excited to partner with Office Depot to provide consumers with a Prepaid Card that is simple to use, safer than cash and backed by the benefits and service of American Express," said Alpesh Chokshi, President, Global Payment Options, American Express. "This Prepaid Card is a smart solution for small businesses or families looking to manage their day-to-day finances and we look forward to working with Office Depot to provide a new payment option for their customers."

"Office Depot is pleased to offer a prepaid reloadable card for the first time to our customers," said Farla Efros, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Office Depot. "Reloadable prepaid cards are quickly gaining traction for many different uses. We are excited to offer the American Express Prepaid Card which delivers premium value with no hidden fees, enables our customers to use the card immediately upon purchase and is backed with the safety and security that is synonymous with American Express."

The temporary one-time load Card(2) is available for purchase for $4.95 in more than 1,100 Office Depot stores nationwide or free online at americanexpress.com/prepaid. The temporary Card can be funded with multiple loading options at the register with any dollar amount from $25 to $500.

Customers can order their permanent Card with full benefits online at the Card's website with no fees for monthly maintenance, activation, balance inquiries, alerts, Card replacement, foreign currency conversion or loading via bank account or direct deposit. Once Cardmembers receive their permanent Card, funds can be loaded online through a bank account, such as savings or checking account, direct deposit, and through cash loading(3) via MoneyPak or the Vanilla Reload Network by InComm, a new loading option for the Card. The permanent card comes with ATM access and there is no fee from American Express for the first monthly ATM cash withdrawal, after which a $2.00 fee applies per withdrawal (bank network charges may also apply to any ATM cash withdrawal). Permanent Cardmembers also have the ability to create, manage and specify additional user cards for others such as family members, colleagues, babysitters and contractors.

The temporary card can be used anywhere in the United States that American Express is accepted and the permanent card can be used internationally. The funds on the temporary and permanent card do not expire, and if lost or stolen, the funds can be replaced.

New Features for the American Express Prepaid Card
In conjunction with today's announcement, American Express is also rolling out new features on the permanent American Express Prepaid Card. Available today, these include:

• Direct deposit: American Express Prepaid Cardmembers can now load their Card, up to $5,000 monthly, from their paycheck using direct deposit. This feature allows Cardmembers the ability to set up recurring loading directly from their employer.
• Increased Limits on ATM Cash Access: The ability to access cash is an important feature for consumers with general purpose reloadable cards. In response to consumer demand, American Express Prepaid Cardmembers can now withdraw up to $400 per day from ATMs.
• Additional Cash Loading Options: Cardmembers can now load their Cards via cash using the Vanilla Reload Network by InComm at Office Depot locations or other participating locations nationwide, giving American Express Prepaid Cardmembers the convenience and ease of more reload options.

Benefits and Protections
Permanent Cardmembers are also entitled to valuable protections and benefits (subject to terms and conditions), including:

• Purchase Protection(4) which can protect against accidental damage or theft of eligible items for 90 days from date of purchase, up to $1,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per Cardmember account per calendar year.
• Roadside Assistance which provides dispatch services including towing, battery recharge, gas delivery, locksmith service and changing a flat tire.
• Global Assist ® Services provide trip planning assistance as well as emergency assistance when the Cardmember is traveling more than 100 miles from home.
• Entertainment Access provides Cardmembers access to special savings, exclusive events and advance tickets to some of the hottest events in music, sports and theater.
• Exceptional 24-7 customer service that Cardmembers have come to expect from American Express.

Online management tools provide controls and full transparency for how the Card is being used. Permanent Cardmembers can:

• View real-time transaction history and monitor spending.
• Receive email or text alerts for low funds or notifications when a transaction has occurred. (Check with your mobile service provider for fees that may apply to text messages.)
• Disable/enable ATM access for the Card.
• Inquire about Card balance 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
• Schedule reloading of funds automatically.

For more information, visit americanexpress.com/prepaid.

HP Unveils New Line of Workstations

HP Unveils Powerful New Line of Workstations

Topics:Technology and Innovation

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- HP today introduced new multicore updates and increased expandability on its powerful line ofHP Z Workstations.

The new workstations feature the latest eight-core Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600 product family, offer up to 512 gigabytes (GB) of DDR3 memory,⁽¹⁾ and support multithreaded workstation applications that professionals rely on.

The latest additions to the industry-leading line of HP Z Workstations also feature third-generation PCI Express technology, providing customers increased performance and seamless integration of new graphics cards.

• Engineered for the most demanding and compute-intensive visualization needs, the HP Z820 is ideal for customers in oil and gas, mechanical computer-aided design (CAD), mechanical computer-aided engineering, medical, video and animation. The HP Z820 provides up to 16 processing cores, up to 512 GB of ECC memory, up to 14 terabytes (TB) of high-speed storage and up to dual NVIDIA Quadro 6000 graphics.
• For quiet environments with minimal space, the HP Z620 is a great choice for customers in financial services, video, animation, architecture and midrange CAD. Updated to support both single- and dual-socket processors, the powerful and versatile HP Z620 provides up to 16 processing cores, up to 96 GB of ECC memory, up to 11 TB of high-speed storage, and up to NVIDIA Quadro 6000 or dual NVIDIA Quadro 5000 graphics.
• Engineered to meet mainstream computing and visualization needs for customers in CAD, architecture, video editing and photography, the HP Z420 includes up to eight processing cores using the latest Intel Xeon processor E5-1600 and E5-2600 product families, providing up to 64 GB of ECC memory, up to 11 TB of high-speed storage, and up to NVIDIA Quadro 5000 or dual NVIDIA Quadro 2000 graphics.

“As the workstation industry leader, HP continues to invest in technology that allows our customers to push the limits of innovation,” said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Commercial Solutions Business Unit, HP. “Our investments in R&D and technology have led to workstations that meet and exceed the needs of the world’s most demanding customers.”

More cores for “megatasking”
The Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family allows for up to 16 physical cores in a single system and lets 32 threads run at one time when using two processors, each with eight cores and Intel Hyper-Threading⁽²⁾ Technology enabled. The new processors include Intel vPro™ Technology,⁽³⁾ integrated memory controllers and Intel Turbo Boost Technology.⁽⁴⁾

“HP Workstations based on our new Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family are helping workstation users fast track the way they create, test and modify their innovative ideas,” said Boyd Davis, vice president, Architecture Group, Intel. “Our new Intel Xeon E5 processors combine an increase in computational capacity and proficiency with an optimized I/O infrastructure. These advanced capabilities enable professionals to quickly and efficiently interact with their models while concurrently executing simulations, renderings, ray tracing and modeling their ideas on their HP Workstations.”

“HP Workstations based on our new Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product family are helping workstation users fast track the way they create, test and modify their innovative ideas,” said Boyd Davis, vice president, Architecture Group, Intel. “Our new Intel Xeon E5 processors combine an increase in computational capacity and proficiency with an optimized I/O infrastructure. These advanced capabilities enable professionals to quickly and efficiently interact with their models while concurrently executing simulations, renderings, ray tracing and modeling their ideas on their HP Workstations.”

All HP Z Workstations offer BFR/PVC-free configurations⁽⁵⁾ and are more than 90 percent recyclable by weight.

HP Workstations are used by some of the world’s most demanding customers in industries such as graphic arts, broadcast, CAD, engineering, medical imaging, finance, and oil and gas exploration. Companies use HP Workstations to design everything from running shoes to race cars, animated characters to deep-sea submersibles, and to manage everything from billions of dollars of tradable securities to mission-critical IT environments.

More information about HP Workstations is available at www.hp.com/zworkstations.

Pricing and availability
The HP Z420, Z620 and Z820 Workstations are expected to be available worldwide beginning in April. Estimated U.S. pricing starts at $1,169 for the HP Z420, $1,649 for the HP Z620 and $2,299 for the HP Z820.⁽⁶⁾

HP offers flexible financing solutions for customers deploying the latest HP Workstations through HP Financial Services, the company’s leasing and life cycle asset management services division.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

News Release from American Express - Using Twitter #Hashtags

American Express Turns Twitter #Hashtags into Couponless National Merchant Offers and Cardmember Savings Using Its Smart Offer APIs

Cardmembers Can Now Sync their Cards with Twitter, Tweet, and Save at National Merchant Partners including Best Buy®, McDonald’s, Whole Foods Market, Zappos.com & More

New Technology to be Featured During Upcoming Live-Streamed Concert Event from SXSW® featuring Award-Winning Recording Artist

NEW YORK,  March 6, 2012 -- 

American Express today introduced a new experience for US Cardmembers using Twitter, that turns customized Twitter #hashtags into savings. Now, American Express® Cardmembers can sync their eligible Card with Twitter at sync.americanexpress.com/twitter, and when they tweet using special offer hashtags, couponless savings are loaded directly to their synced Cards – no coupons, no print-outs. Then, when Cardmembers use their synced Card for qualifying purchases online or in-store at participating merchants, the savings are automatically delivered via a statement credit within days. Participating merchant partners include Best Buy®, McDonald's, Whole Foods Market, Zappos and more. This unique user experience is facilitated by American Express' Smart Offer APIs, which also enables American Express to provide detailed reporting to merchants about the online and offline spend behavior of their customers.

"American Express is turning Twitter content into commerce by connecting Cardmembers to merchants and delivering real world value to both," said Ed Gilligan, Vice Chairman, American Express. "With the continued convergence of online and offline commerce, our closed loop continues to enable us to bring seamless, relevant ways to connect our cardmembers and merchants on the most powerful social and digital platforms."

"Every day, millions of people use Twitter to get special offers from the brands and retailers they care about," said Adam Bain, Twitter's president of global revenue. "Now, American Express is making it even easier for people to act on those offers simply by sending Tweets with special offer hashtags from retailers. It's exciting to see American Express build on Twitter in a way that benefits both consumers and retailers."

Sync. Tweet. Save.
Cardmembers can tweet their way to savings by syncing an eligible American Express® Card with Twitter at sync.americanexpress.com/twitter. To take advantage of the exclusive offers available from a variety of the nation's largest merchants, Cardmembers tweet the special offer hashtags to load offers directly to their synced Cards. When the Cardmember uses that same Card to make a qualified purchase in-store or online with a participating merchant, an automatic statement credit is issued within days.

Participating merchants at launch include 1-800-FLOWERS.COM®, Best Buy®, Century 21 Department Store, The Cheesecake Factory, Dell, FedEx Office, FTD®, Gulf, H&M, McDonald's, Seamless.com, Sports Authority, Ticketmaster, Virgin America, Whole Foods Market and Zappos.com. All of the current American Express special offers are highlighted as "favorites" on the @americanexpress Twitter page.

American Express created @amexsync, an automated notification handle that is activated when someone sends a Tweet that includes one of the special offer hashtags. This sophisticated handle detects if a user is already synced and either confirms their offer enrollment or provides a link to first sync their American Express Card to enroll in the selected offer. Additionally, if an offer is no longer available, @amexsync will direct users to check out the Tweets @americanexpress has "favorited" to find the latest offers. Questions or additional assistance will be provided by @askamex, the American Express customer service team on Twitter.

Experience Sync at SXSW®
American Express will showcase the new Twitter experience during a special, nationally live-streamed concert from SXSW on March 12 at 7 p.m. CT featuring an award-winning recording artist. For details, please visit youtube.com/AmericanExpress. The Amex Sync Show will be broadcast live at youtube.com/americanexpress and also be available on the VEVO mobile and tablet platform.

Local and visiting eligible Cardmembers in Austin can take advantage of a special city-wide offer and get $10 when sync their Card, Tweet the special offer #AmexAustin10 and use their synced Card to spend in Austin during SXSW from March 9 to March 13. Limit one statement credit per Cardmember. Click here for program terms.

About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress,foursquare.com/americanexpress, twitter.com/americanexpress, andyoutube.com/americanexpress.

Early Access to Twitter Advertising

News release from American Express:

American Express Cardmembers and Merchants Get Early Access to Twitter's New Advertising Solution for Small BusinessesAmerican Express Gives $100 in Free Twitter Ads to First 10,000 Eligible Small Businesses; Registration Opens Today -- Launches in Late March

NEW YORK,  February 17, 2012 -- 

American Express announced that its Cardmembers and merchants will be the first to have access to Twitter's new advertising solution for small businesses, which is scheduled to launch in late March. And American Express will give $100 in free Twitter advertising when using this solution to the first 10,000 eligible businesses that register starting today at ads.twitter.com/amex. These businesses will be able to use Twitter's advertising products to engage with current customers and reach new ones. The new advertising solution is expected to open to the general public later this year.

"We are committed to providing cutting-edge products, services and programs to help our small business Cardmembers and merchants grow," said Ed Gilligan, Vice Chairman of American Express. "This partnership with Twitter gives our small business owners access to a powerful tool for reaching and engaging existing and new customers."

"Small businesses were among the first to embrace Twitter as a way to connect and interact with consumers in real-time," said Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter. "Today, we're announcing a simple way for small businesses to amplify their voices on Twitter and reach a new set of potential customers using our Promoted Products. With their deep commitment to supporting small businesses, American Express is an ideal partner to help us launch this new advertising offering and give small business owners everything they need to get started with advertising on Twitter."

This is the first time Twitter has introduced an advertising solution specifically designed for small businesses. Through the new advertising solution, small businesses will now be able to run their own promotional campaigns that tap into Twitter's 300+ million user base to help them gain new followers and engage current ones.

American Express Cardmembers and merchants will have early access to this advertising solution, and the first 10,000 eligible businesses that register onads.twitter.com/amex will receive $100 in free ads when using this solution. American Express Cardmembers and merchants can register now for the new advertising solution with the Twitter account they use for their business at ads.twitter.com/amex. American Express will follow up with registrants in the next few weeks via Twitter direct message to provide additional program and eligibility information.