AJC Sports Plus allows sports fans to enjoy up-to-the-minute Web logs (also known as “blogs”) written by AJC reporters and columnists covering the Atlanta Braves and other sports teams, and a unique opportunity to talk back to reporters, columnists and other sports fans.

“Traction’s capability to plug-in with our authentication vendor allowed us to create a superb online product,” producer Chris Heisel said in a release. “Going forward, there will no longer be one application that handles all of content management, e-commerce, blogging and other Web services.”

Astro-Med increases field sales force

WEST WARWICK – In continuing to expand its business, Astro-Med Inc. announced it has hired six additional domestic and international field salespeople. After identifying specific high-growth geographic markets, the company hired experienced sales personnel to capture more sales in each of those regions.

The new staff will bolster the sales force of the company’s Grass-Telefactor Product Group, as well as its QuickLabel Systems Product Group. For the Grass-Telefactor group, which focuses on the sale of sleep and EEG monitoring systems to hospitals and clinics, two salespeople were added in the Midwest and another two were added to the European sales force. QuickLabel, which focuses primarily on the sales of color label printers and associated labels and thermal transfer ribbons, saw the addition of a salesperson in both Michigan and Texas.