Roku Ready: Tech Spending: RCN Taps NetCracker: People

The wait is over. The new Roku streaming stick (HDMI version, announced in early March) is now shipping from Roku.com, Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Target.com and Walmart.com. The Chromecast-like device, priced at $49.99, will also be available in stores early April.

Here’s some promising news after a sluggish 2014 start for tech. CEA reported that consumer confidence toward tech spending reached its highest level for the month of March in 7 years. The CEA Index of Consumer Technology Expectations (ICTE), which measures consumer expectations about technology spending, increased by 6.2 points in March to reach 90.4. "Despite the negative drag from several severe weather events in the first quarter, consumers are feeling more optimistic," said CEA chief economist Shawn DuBravac. "I’m expecting a ‘weather payback’ in the coming months as uncertainty recedes and the employment picture continues to improve."

RCN reupped with NetCracker, signing a long-term contract extension for its Business Support Systems solution and adding its next-gen converged rating and billing solution. The 4-year extension makes NetCracker the primary BSS solution provider for RCN.

MEC, which handles ad planning and buying for brands, hired Josh Berman to lead digital product development. The company is part of GroupM, which develops sponsored web content for companies like Hulu.