Digitise This! NMK meets the content delivery streamliners

With a burgeoning array of new media platforms over which content developers may distribute their material, it has proven difficult for many to keep pace. New Media Knowledge spoke to one company trying to simplify that process.

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<h3>By Chris Lee</h3>Content providers are faced with daily challenges when distributing material over the multitude of platforms available on the market. Issues such as formatting, transcoding, regional compliance and managing meta data add complexity to the delivery of content to audiences. UK firm <a href="http://www.jca.tv/">JCA</a> was formed by a group of media specialists to “work with media customers on distribution and provide strategic IT support so that they in turn can focus on sales”. NMK caught up with the company's managing director, Simon Kay, to learn how media companies can overcome formatting challenges and monetise their content more effectively. Briefly introduce JCA to us JCA is a dedicated digital, TV and film specialist service provider helping broadcasters and media companies monetise their existing content. JCA’s solutions focus on the capture, preparation and delivery of content. JCA works with clients such as <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">BBC</a>, <a href="http://www.channel4.com/">Channel 4 </a>and <a href="http://www.nbcuni.com/">NBC Universal</a> to supply services including encoding, transcoding, restoration, digital transmission workflows, content management and file delivery. Why aren't content owners monetising their content efficiently at the moment? What needs to be done? The number of platforms has expanded at a phenomenal rate and therefore the currency of programme value is inconsistent. In addition to this, content owners have not progressed with their digital strategies as quickly as they could and therefore the digitisation process is seen as expensive when it is considered for single projects. However, once companies take the first step the process becomes more cost effective; “create once, use many". You specialise in digitising content. What are the challenges media owners face when trying to 'update' legacy material? There are several challenges that media owners face. Regional formats: When content is to be distributed across more than one region there are certain alterations that are time consuming, such as changing the language and the entire format to fit within that region's specifications. Restoration: Restoration can be on many levels of difficulty depending on the age and quality of the original content. The size of project to restore the content also reflects this. Compliance in different countries: There are particular rules and guidelines that must be considered when updating legacy material. Certain questions need to be asked such as who is the content for? What language can we use? Intellectual property: The content could possibly fall into the wrong hands Meta data: Meta data relating to the material can be limited or not even catalogued properly. This is a crucial factor to associate to the digital asset. In terms of legacy formats some are so old that suppliers no longer have necessary equipment. Also some clients’ elements are not centrally stored and a true digital content model requires all assets to provide a complete material set. Format redundancy is also an issue. What are your market predictions for 2010? [We foresee] increased interest in monetising legacy content and more partnerships between media companies and online players. [There'll be] a reduction in use of physical media and more online platforms will fail due to inappropriate business models. Ownership and illegal download issues will edge further into the spotlight and more environments/markets for legacy content will emerge.

2010-02-09T11:28:13+00:00

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content delivery

Digitise This! NMK meets the content delivery streamliners

2010-02-09T11:28:13+00:00

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Global search queries have increased year-on-year since the creation of the web. Between July 2008 and July 2009 the number of searched increased from 80.56 billion to 113.69 billion (comScore Worldwide Search Market Overview July 2009 vs. July 2008). For the vast majority of us the first thing we see each morning is Google, Bing or Yahoo. Google’s instantly recognisable screen is synonymous with the internet and has long reigned as the dominant search tool for businesses and consumers alike. Google searches for last year alone accounted for 67% of the global market- a staggering 76.68 billion individual requests. In this article, Paul Dawson, Experience Director and Head of Interactive Media at EMC Consulting, analyses the future of searching on the Internet.

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<h3>By Paul Dawson</h3>The sheer scale and potential of the internet makes predicting its future a difficult practice. However, it’s fair to say that increased broadband speed, better education of web users, and greater engagement from businesses; will mean that all of us will rely even more heavily on the internet and we will want our search results to be relevant and quick. Google dominance – will it ever end? Google is certainly still the dominant search provider, its share outshines competitors like Yahoo who only provide 7.8% of the web’s searches. However, it is fair to say that its product development for search has stagnated somewhat and it is good to see its competitors stepping up with rival services. The launch of Microsoft’s Bing, for example, opened people’s eyes to the opportunities of search. Bing went fully online on June 3, 2009 and stormed the industry by gaining 9.3 percent of the United States internet search market by August 2009. It’s not just Bing which is making Google uncomfortable – recent rumors of an agreement between Microsoft and News Corp could see News Corp’s stories de-listed from Google. Alternative search sources People are now searching in less likely places where they find results they deem more relevant than the search engines - Twitter is a perfect example. Like Facebook, which in the beginning was laughed at by the likes of MySpace, Twitter has come from relative obscurity to take the world by storm and Google recognises its importance by including it in its ‘live’ search results. Originally, the newest social media tool for self reflection, Twitter has now become a gateway for breaking news and information. In June 2008, Twitter partnered with Summize to keep the platform stable during Steve Job’s keynote speech about Apple iPhone 3G. Twitter soon acquired the company soon after that, along with five of its engineers, to support its search functionality. Industry speculation over whether Google, Microsoft or Yahoo would buy Twitter demonstrates that its users and the wider industry have long known its full search potential. Visual search Like the internet, search technology has advanced greatly in recent years. The recent launch of Microsoft Live Labs’ Pivot has given us a taste of what we can expect to see in the future. Pivot is a search platform which visualises the results of its search and aims to make it easier for users to interact with massive amounts of data in ways that are powerful, informative, and fun. It demonstrates how businesses are trying to accommodate the complexity and scale data in a non-traditional structure. Search as navigation Search potential is not limited to the web, but is also increasingly present on the desktop. Whether it is Google’s desktop or the built-in search from Windows, end users are using search to not only find documents, but also to get to Facebook or open applications, just by typing a keyword. For some it’s much faster than the mouse & click method and it’s a way that consumers are getting used to even if it’s not faster. According to urban legend, 30% of searches in the old Windows Live search were for “www.google.com”. As consumers and businesses hold increasing amounts of data on their PCs, laptops and smart devices, search is going to be a vital tool in managing all this information. Localisation is critical for successful internationalisation In our global commercial market, businesses constantly have to contend with customers from a wide range of nationalities, dialects and demographics. The growth of Chinese search giant Baidu is an indicator that fully localised and tailored content and offerings have great traction with local audiences; and this was already important before Google announced they were pulling out of China. Internationalisation in search raises the question of how much businesses should tailor their offerings to the local cultures and languages. We see now how far Google was prepared, or rather not prepared to go in this. This trend is already driving an increase in the use of specialist searches. As search traffic increases we are seeing more searches which are perfectly adapted to specific markets or content areas. Look at how Farecast is now integrated into Bing for example, or how Flightstats is now integrated into Google. Search without the box To a certain extent, the possibilities of search are limited only by our imaginations and technological ability. Search does not necessarily have to begin with a keyword, but could start instead with a click or a touch. When you click around the hierarchical navigation of your favourite online store, whether you know it or not, you’re using search. The technologies running these sites build their navigation dynamically based on searching what is available, and use search technologies to create product attributes that you can then filter on. But also there are more interesting opportunities here. Take a look for example at Retrievr: http://labs.systemone.at/retrievr/ Start drawing a picture in the box and see what happens. This is certainly search without the need for typing in keywords. Start thinking where this could go and those possibilities seem more endless than ever. <h3>About the author</h3>Paul Dawson, Experience Director, EMC Consulting, EMEA, is in charge of communicating the company’s strategy and expertise in customer and brand experience, a role that has expanded since the acquisition of Conchango by EMC. Having been instrumental in the launch of the Interactive Media practice, Paul now leads the development of digital strategy and innovation for a number of key clients, including Virgin Atlantic, Barclays and Tesco. This combines design, branding and user experience disciplines to develop better digital experiences for both clients and their customers. Paul also researches new user-facing technologies and how they can be relevant to EMC, its clients and their customers. He not only determines how the business can adopt and apply these technologies, but how they can acquire and develop the skill sets required to take full advantage of them. Most recently this has been with Microsoft Silverlight and Surface technologies. Before joining Conchango in 1999, Paul worked for AL Digital for three years. He has almost 13 years experience in ‘new media’, having started his career designing websites for DHL and Cellnet. Paul has a BA in English & American Studies, with a subsidiary degree in Biophysics. See more details on EMC: <a href="http://uk.emc.com/?fromGlobalSiteSelect">http://uk.emc.com/?fromGlobalSiteSelect</a>

2010-02-09T11:04:27+00:00

false 1228 digital_purple.jpg true 2010/2/9/the-future-of-search

The future of search

2010-02-09T11:04:27+00:00

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As the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showcases this year’s must-have gadgets, New Media Knowledge’s Chris Lee takes a closer look at the latest technology on show.

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<h3>Chris Lee</h3>The Consumer Electronics Show (<a href="http://www.cesweb.org/">CES</a>) in Las Vegas is a traditional show case for new and emerging technologies and gadgets. This year saw <a href="http://www.microsoft.com">Microsoft</a> demonstrate its <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8444672.stm">new ‘slate’ PC</a>, which it developed with <a href="http://www.hp.com">HP</a>, while <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> was keen to talk about its <a href="http://www.google.com/phone">Nexus One phone</a>. Other technologies on display included artificial intelligence, virtual and mobile technology, entertainment and gaming. <h3>Web on the Box</h3>Yahoo announced a <a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10428300-269.html">host of new partners for its Connected TV project</a>, which aims to provide Internet service to televisions, as well as helping programmers build apps for Internet-connected TVs. For Andrew Lim, editor of mobile reviews site <a href="http://recombu.com/">Recombu</a>, the increased accessibility of the Internet through applications and hardware will be one of the defining developments of this year. “An example of this progression towards a more Web-friendly environment is a <a href="http://www.panasonic.com">Panasonic</a> TV with a built-in video camera allows you to make <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a> video calls,” Lim told NMK. “It's about giving consumers better access to existing services, which is why we're also seeing a lot of large screen tablet-style devices. Tablets offer a portable web experience without the bulk associated with laptops and many of them feature 3G, which means you can use them wherever you go.” <h3>Mobile Entertainment</h3>Further expanding the boundaries of social media is car manufacturer <a href="http://www.ford.com/">Ford</a>. The company chose CES to showcase its Sync MyTouch in-car Internet system, which includes a pair of touch screen computers situated on the dashboard for passengers – and drivers – to access the Web via WiFi or 3G mobile connection while on the move. The system is touch or voice-activated and the company said it would be useful for navigation and local search. Quoted in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/08/ces-2010-ford">The Guardian</a>, Ford CEO Alan Mulally said: "We are actually now bringing the Internet to the car," he said. "We're going to bring all the applications you can get on mobile phones today, we'll bring in the car - absolutely hands-free, voice activated, and focused on the road – but you can get access to all your cool stuff." <h3>The Simple Things in Life</h3>According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), CES 2010 also demonstrated that once-complex technology was becoming simpler to operate. "In the last 10 years, consumer electronics devices have become feature-rich, while also becoming more affordable," said IEEE Fellow, Stuart Lipoff. "We're now seeing an emphasis placed on improving the user experience despite adding more and more features. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and voice recognition will make it possible to make the complexities of the device invisible and easy to use,” he concluded.

2010-02-08T13:51:11+00:00

false 1227 innovation_green.jpg true 2010/2/8/ces-demonstrates-web’s-ever-widening-boundaries

CES Demonstrates Web’s Ever-Widening Boundaries

2010-02-08T13:51:38+00:00

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The emergence of a new site encouraging people to commit Web 2.0 suicide has highlighted an apparent backlash against the prevalence of social media platforms. New Media Knowledge’s Chris Lee canvassed the opinions of industry thought leaders to gauge if there really is a backlash and how social media consultants should respond.

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<h3>Chris Lee</h3>The population of<a href="http://www.facebook.com/"> Facebook</a> may well exceed that of the United States and growing all the time, but a new tool has emerged which hints at a groundswell of disaffection against social networks. The “<a href="http://suicidemachine.org/">Suicide Machine</a>” allows users to enter their password and usernames for the respective social media networks they’re listed on and will delete their profiles, photos, messages and friends, as well as altering their username passwords so they cannot log back in. You can see the Suicide Machine in action <a href="http://vimeo.com/8223187">here</a>. Facebook appears to have <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/facebook-fights-back-disallows-the-suicide-machine.html">blocked the site</a>, but the consternation it caused demonstrates growing frustration – even in the technology community – with social networks. Digital specialist Jaron Lanier’s new book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-are-Not-Gadget-Manifesto/dp/1846143411">You Are Not a Gadget</a> also questions the wisdom of “the crowd”. NMK spoke to three leading lights in the UK social media scene to see whether this is just a flash in the pan or a real threat. <h3>Information Overload</h3>According to Will McInnes of Brighton-based social media agency <a href="http://www.nixonmcinnes.co.uk/">Nixon McInnes</a> Suicide Machine is a well-timed application that draws on the “reservoir of mistrust” that many feel towards social media. “The world is changing and we are all struggling to keep up,” McInnes said. “It's tricky to maintain both our old world communications and the new deluge of interactions powered by the Internet. So it's no surprise to us to see this and other backlash-tinged stories and trends. There will be more irritation, frustration, anger and hurt before this revolution is over. But it's happening nonetheless, and bit by bit we will adapt as will the technologies themselves.” Ged Carroll, director of digital strategies at PR consultancy <a href="http://www.ruderfinn.co.uk/">Ruder Finn</a>, believes that any potential social media fatigue is not something radical or new, but more a concept of information overload. “The concept of social media fatigue can be seen as social media’s coming of age, it is now so mainstream that it even has its own fatigue group,” Carroll told NMK. “What it needs is for society-at-large to develop an etiquette for social media in the same way that we developed one for emails (don’t send inappropriate content to a work email account), taking an underground train (don’t maintain eye contact), talking on a mobile phone (don’t talk loudly in a restaurant) or watching television (don’t hog the remote control).” Carroll believes that social media fatigue will be used as an excuse to try and explain away poor user experience and community management in the same way, he says, that “media companies have used piracy to mask poor business management.” <h3>Retrain your Brain</h3>Roger Warner heads up social agency <a href="http://www.contentandmotion.com/">Content and Motion</a>. He believes that social media professionals need to act smarter to combat any cynicism towards social platforms. “From a personal and professional standpoint, [social media] is priceless - new customer relationships, new intelligence on marketplaces, and new ways of creating brands and promoting,” he said. “But our ability to stay on top of social media and use it in valuable ways is largely determined by the tools we use to filter the noise and act on the important stuff. Without good monitoring and alerting systems in place, the web becomes a very, very big place that's hard to get your arms around and any attempt to do so is frankly.” Warner also argues that social media users’ brains need a little bit of re-wiring this year. “To deliver smarter work we need to step away from the coalface and the constant stream of information that Social Media provides,” he concluded.  “We should be taking stock more, counting to ten, and perhaps even sleeping on things now and again before commenting, tweeting, forming opinions, baking plans and setting sail.”

2010-02-05T10:46:25+00:00

false 1226 advertising_purple.jpg true 2010/2/5/has-the-social-media-backlash-begun

social media

Has the Social Media Backlash Begun?

2010-02-05T10:56:55+00:00

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Social Media Week 2010 aims to “advance uses of social media in the corporate, public and non-profit sectors”. New Media Knowledge caught up with some of the leading UK social media thinkers to gauge what they perceive as the value of Social Media Week.

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<h3>By Chris Lee</h3>February 1-5 2010 is ‘<a href="http://socialmediaweek.org">Social Media Week’</a> and sees a number of conferences taking place in some of the most advanced digital cities; London, New York, Berlin, San Francisco, Toronto and São Paulo. It aims to help spread best practice in social media and bring professionals together to learn from each other. Social media has a particular impact on the public relations (PR) industry, under whose remit corporate social media usually falls. For Stephen Waddington, managing director of technology PR agency <a href="http://www.speedcommunications.com/">Speed Communications</a>, “every week is social media week”, but he believes that this week provides a great opportunity for companies to share corporate, public sector and not-for-profit social media practice. “Social media isn't a fundamental change in how people communicate but it is a fundamental change for business. The broadcast model no longer works and businesses must engage directly with their audiences. That’s difficult,” Waddington told NMK. “PR agencies have three approaches to social media: either creating a team to focus exclusively on digital comms or hiring a high profile individual or small team to parachute into client assignments where there is a social media component,” he added. “The third approach that Speed has adopted is to build skills throughout the organisation. If you work in the PR industry and want to continue working in the industry you need to equip yourself with digital skills.” <h3>Unsocial Media?</h3>According to <a href="http://www.prgeek.net/2010/02/have-social-media-events-hit-saturation.html">Jon Silk</a>, senior digital consultant at PR firm <a href="http://www.waggeneredstrom.co.uk/">Waggener Edstrom</a>, social media is at the forefront of brands’ minds in 2010, which has in turn led to a spate of digital agency launches recently. “Online PR has grown beyond something one type of pro could handle - it now represents multiple subsections like analysis, influence and content,” Silk said. Silk also believes that there are arguably too many social media events in the digital calendar, a viewpoint given some weight by the number of social media consultants tweeting and blogging that they were “too busy doing social media” to attend events. “Hopefully [Social Media Week] will push some thinking forward by allowing agency pros to get together, discuss and learn from each other. With so many social media events happening throughout the year, however, I'm worried that people won't get involved as much. We've just come out of a frantic event season and I know I'm not the only one suffering from tweetup fatigue,” Silk concluded. <h3>A Little Less Conversation, a Little More Action</h3><a href="http://nmk.co.uk/article/2009/11/19/the-things-they-say-managing-online-reputation">Vikki Chowney</a>, editor of <a href="http://www.reputationonline.co.uk/">Reputation Online</a>, agrees that Social Media Week has run the risk of becoming saturated with events and what is really important is social media in action. “From a brand perspective, there is a risk that some may just jump of the bandwagon. [Social media news site] <a href="http://www.mashable.com/">Mashable</a> sponsors pretty much everything going nowadays, so seeing that name on the list doesn’t mean a lot anymore,” Chowney said. “It has kicked off a rather emotive debate, but as it stands, almost half [of respondents on Reputation Online] have said that the week will benefit the industry as a whole. The general consensus, however, is that there must be more doing and less talking.”

2010-02-03T12:52:06+00:00

false 1225 social_media_blue.jpg true 2010/2/3/social-media-week-industry-calls-for-more-action-and-less-talk

Social Media Week: Industry Calls for More Action and Less Talk

2010-02-03T12:52:06+00:00

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Measuring and improving the effectiveness and impact of social media is an ongoing debate. One group has been meeting on a monthly basis for more than a year to discuss the evolution of social media. New Media Knowledge's Chris Lee went along to “Measurement Camp” to learn more.

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<h3>By Chris Lee</h3>The UK’s social media marketing industry has burgeoned in recent years. As the need to measure the effectiveness and impact of campaigns, and to strategise on future social media engagement, has grown so an active community of social media marketers has got together on a monthly basis to tackle these very issues. Measurement Camp, the brainchild of Brighton-based social media agency <a href="http://www.nixonmcinnes.co.uk">NixonMcInnes</a>, describes itself as a “monthly meet up for people to discuss different ways of tracking social media campaigns and activity. We compare tactics; think of ways to improve it and wonder if there will ever be a standard set of metrics against which to judge success by.” According to NixonMcInnes’ co-founder and meeting compeer Will McInnes, attendees are “all here to help and all here to give.” NMK’s Chris Lee went along to the January meet-up to get social... <h3>Measuring Up</h3>Measurement Camp aims to include presentations, discussions and practical work groups into its traditional two-hour slot, and invites guest speakers each month. January’s event kicked off with a discussion around “the most important contribution herd thinking makes to social media”, to which attendees paired off into twos, then fours, then eights to see if they could achieve a consensus. Measurement Camp attendees, typically from marketing, PR or copywriting backgrounds, did generally concur that the most important thing “herd thinking” contributes to social media is the ability to rapidly build up momentum, quickly identify key influencers – such as celebrity bloggers – although it does increase risk. As one attendee commented; “When you get [social media] right, you get it very right. But when you get it wrong you get it very wrong.” The debate continued with a presentation from Internet statisticians, <a href="http://www.comscore.com">comScore</a>, on the effectiveness of social media advertising, and culminated in an open discussion followed by an update on the industry’s upcoming social calendar. <h3>Max Factor</h3>One regular Measurement Camper is Max Tatton-Brown of technology PR agency, <a href="http://www.axicom.com/uk.html">AxiCom</a>. According to Tatton-Brown; “if you've ever been along to one of the larger social media events and come away disappointed by the same old case studies and lack of interactivity, Measurement Camp is the place for you.” Tatton-Brown believes that the focus on discussion, presentation and discovery back toward the bigger picture of social media measurement helps generate a creative atmosphere for debate. “[Measurement Camp] is a collaborative exercise, the highlight of which features small groups bashing out solutions to the participants' real world problems,” he told NMK. “Short punchy presentations are tied strongly to real life case studies and serve as a starting point for discussion rather than dominating it. Because of the broad audience, you hear from a much wider range of examples than the standard well worn touch points.” For more on Measurement Camp, visit its <a href="http://measurementcamp.wikidot.com/">website</a> or follow it on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/measurementcamp">Twitter</a>.

2010-02-02T12:46:03+00:00

true 1224 advertising_blue.jpg true 2010/2/2/measure-for-measure-gauging-the-impact-of-social-media

social media metrics analytics

Measure for Measure: Gauging the Impact of Social Media

2010-02-02T12:46:03+00:00

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Over 1,000 young leaders will be converging in London on the 8th February to the One Young World summit, dubbed the Young Davos by some sections of the media, to discuss six global issues with world leaders ranging from Kofi Annan, Sir Bob Geldof, Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus and Oscar Morales, the founder of One Million Voices Against FARC and leader of the world’s largest anti-terror demonstration in history. See this article by Marian Salzman.

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<h3>By Marian Salzman</h3>The One Young World summit has engaged the power of social media through multiple channels to develop the kind of following normally reserved for major album or film launches. With over 4,400 Facebook members (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/OneYoungWorld?ref=mf">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/OneYoungWorld?ref=mf</a>), 29,000 users of OYW's Facebook applications, and thousands of views of videos on the One Young World Youtube channel, the summit has quickly grown to a good example of how the Internet and power of new media can be used for social change. Focusing six plenary sessions focusing on topics as far ranging as the The Role of Global Business in Shaping Society through to Developing Political Leadership for a positive future, the findings and resolutions from the Summit will be streamed live through <a href="http://www.oneyoungworld.com">www.oneyoungworld.com</a> and also submitted to the G8, the G20 and the United Nations. In the meantime however, people wishing to participate in the event online can log onto the Facebook, YouTube and Twitter channels and follow the news and views as they happen. We’re also going to be giving NMK viewers a sneak peek at the new website due to launch this week, which will enable people to to submit their own questions that will be given to delegates attending the summit. <h3>Event details</h3>One Young World Summit When and where: 8th-10th February 2010, ExCel Centre London Annan, Tutu and Geldof are Among the Counselors Advising Young Delegates One Young World (<a href="http://www.oneyoungworld.com">www.oneyoungworld.com</a>), dubbed Young Davos by some media outlets, is the world’s first global youth leadership summit. Bringing together several hundred delegates age 25 and under from the world’s 192 countries, One Young World combines the social power of the Internet with the energy and ideas of global youth to address the most challenging issues of today. Founded by David Jones, global CEO of Havas Worldwide, and Kate Robertson, Euro RSCG group chairman, One Young World focuses on six plenary sessions covering six global concerns: * Developing Political Leadership for a positive future * Global Business and its role in shaping society through the economy * Inter-faith dialogue * The Environment and its protection * The Media, its changing identity and its power * Global Health, its polarities and impact The Inaugural One Young World Summit, takes place in London beginning February 8th and is a first but crucial step in giving world youth a forum and a voice to define their own consensus on critical world issues. The mandate for the several hundred delegates, chosen to proportionally represent the world’s nations, is to begin their tenure as world leaders by confronting today’s challenges as a united international group. Guiding the several hundred delegates is a set of pre-eminent world leaders including: * Kofi Annan, Nobel Peace Laureate (Ghana) * Osvald M. Bjelland, Founder and Chairman, Xyntéo (Norway) * John Browne, Cross-Bench Lord (U.K.) * Ken Costa, Chairman, Lazard International (U.K.) * Santanu Das, Founder, TranSwitch Corp. (India) * Martin Davidson, CEO, the British Council (U.K.) *Tony Fernandes, CEO and Founder, AirAsia (Malaysia) * Bob Geldof, Musician and Activist (Ireland) * Nick Haysom, Director of Politics, the United Nations (South Africa) * David Jones, Global CEO, Havas Worldwide (U.K.) * John Kerry, U.S. Senator (U.S.) * Elio Leoni-Sceti, Global CEO, EMI Music (Italy) * Harald Ludwig, Co-Chairman, Lionsgate Entertainment (Canada) * Oscar Morales, Founder, One Million Voices Against FARC (Colombia) * Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC Global News (U.K.) * Carole Stone, Managing Director, YouGovStone (U.K.) * Alejandro Toledo, Former President, Peru (Peru) * Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate (South Africa) * Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate (Bangladesh) * Zhang Deguang, First Secretary-General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (China) One Young World aims to give young people of leadership calibre a high-profile platform for their views. The counsellors are united in their belief that young people should have the right to influence world leaders on the legacy for future generations regarding many of the problems of global importance the world faces today. One of the compelling aspects of the conference is that the delegates will speak their minds and put forth resolutions that are not influenced by special interest groups. <h3>Schedule</h3>After an official welcome by London Mayor Boris Johnson on February 8th at Old Billingsgate Market, One Young World delegates will kick off the summit with a session called “The Environment and Its Protection,” guided by One Young World counselors Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof. Each of six sessions will feature addresses from six delegates and counsellors, a vote by attending delegates on its particular draft resolution, then an announcement of the voting results. Other sessions taking place include: * Interfaith Dialogue * The Role of Global Business * The Changing Media * Global Health * Politics for a Positive Future All One Young World sessions will be streamed online and available through real-time updates at <a href="http://www.oneyoungworld.com">www.oneyoungworld.com</a>. A series of 30-minute addresses to delegates will also be interspersed throughout the summit, on topics ranging from Social Responsibility by Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus and Global Dignity presented by HRH Crown Prince Hakon on Norway. People under 30 changed the way we communicate, founding companies such as Google and Facebook. They helped propel Barack Obama into the presidency, thereby starting to restore America’s stature in the world. And they traded the Me Generation materialism of their parents for a genuine passion for good, forcing businesses of all stripes to clean up their act and pay up on their promises of social responsibility. <h3>Important links</h3>See the article below, on the Huffington Post, by global trendspotter Marian Salzman who is one of the key organisers of this summit. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marian-salzman/post_488_b_439326.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marian-salzman/post_488_b_439326.html </a>Also, please find the following links and embed codes below Bob Geldof Talks about One Young World <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIQ0FaqMqLQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIQ0FaqMqLQ </a>Kofi Annan talks to One Young World <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWuwpGMRZjw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWuwpGMRZjw </a>David Jones interviewed Live at Davos 2010 <a href="http://live.reuters.com/uk/Event/Davos_2010?Page=4">http://live.reuters.com/uk/Event/Davos_2010?Page=4 </a><h3>About Marian Salzman and Euro RSCG Worldwide</h3>Marian Salzman is president of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, a leading integrated marketing communications agency, the first agency to be named Global Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Campaign in the same year. Euro RSCG is made up of 233 offices in 75 countries and provides advertising, marketing, corporate communications and interactive solutions to clients including Air France, BNP Paribas, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Danone Group, Heineken USA, IBM, Jaguar, Kraft Foods, Lacoste, L’Oréal, Merck, PSA Peugeot and sanofi-aventis. Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications (Euronext: HAV.PA <http:></http:>) (Paris: HAV.PA <http:></http:>).

2010-02-01T00:04:42+00:00

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social networks media one young world summit

One Young World Summit: Using social media to support the engagement of young leaders

2010-02-01T15:33:45+00:00

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A look at the issues online gaming companies and anyone involved in online software development projects should consider when considering the location of hosting, the jurisdiction and the domain name that will be used.

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<h3>Silas Brown</h3>When online gaming companies and their developers work on projects to develop gaming applications and set up their hosting facilities, they are sensible to seek sound legal advice on the implications relating to location of hosting, jurisdiction and domain names. A recent High Court judgment in the case of Pocket Kings Ltd v. Safenames Ltd and Commonwealth of Kentucky, highlights the crucial importance of such issues to online gaming companies and the implications for their business. In the Pocket Kings case, the online gaming company Pocket Kings Ltd developed and licensed online poker and other online computer games together with their related domain names for operation by licensees as separate licensed online gaming businesses. One of these licensed online gaming businesses was operated through the domain name fultiltpoker.com. A court in the US state of Kentucky ordered that a large number of online gaming websites (including <a href="http://www.fultiltpoker.com/">http://www.fultiltpoker.com/</a>contravened Kentucky state laws prohibiting gambling) and, therefore, ordered that the relevant domain names must be transferred to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Pocket Kings Ltd’s domain name registrar and hosting provider for the fulltiltpoker.com domain name, Safenames Ltd received e-mailed correspondence from the Commonwealth of Kentucky demanding compliance with the Kentucky court order which lead to the High Court claim by Pocket Kings Ltd for an order that the Kentucky ruling was not enforceable in the UK. For Safenames Ltd’s part, it had a contract with Pocket Kings Ltd under which it was not permitted to transfer domain names without Pocket King Ltd’s express permission and Safenames Ltd agreed not to comply with the Kentucky court order if the High Court made the order sought by Pocket Kings Ltd. Firstly, the High Court had to consider the English legislation on immunity (including the State Immunity Act 1978) which states that nation states cannot have English judgments made against them and found that because the Kentucky court judgment was based on local state law and that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was not a nation state for the purposes of the immunity legislation, there was nothing to stop the High Court from ruling in favour of Pocket Kings Ltd against the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Secondly, the High Court had to consider the substantive aspects of whether or not the domain name transfer order of the Kentucky court would be enforceable in the UK against an English hosting provider and an English domain name owner. The High Court took into account that foreign penal laws cannot be enforced in the UK and also the importance of the particular domain name to the developer’s business in general (not just in Kentucky), in ruling that the Kentucky court action was not enforceable in the UK. The High Court issued an injunction against Safenames Ltd restraining it from complying with the Kentucky court order to transfer the domain name to the Commonwealth of Kentucky as requested by Pocket Kings Ltd. This case clearly outlines the importance of the issues software and web developers need to bear in mind when developing and choosing hosting for any online software development project for Internet businesses and even more so when the aim of the underlying business may in some parts of the world be either prohibited or subject to penal laws. Gambling is a good example, but there may be others such as competitions, lotteries, database and file sharing applications, restricted publications etc. It is important for all software and web developers, as well as clients of such developers, to carefully consider as a minimum the following issues before embarking on such development projects:  • Is ownership of the relevant domain names properly secured? • Is there a robust software development or web development agreement in place which provides for ownership of intellectual property in the relevant software/ web applications? • Is there a robust hosting service provider agreement in place with clear provisions relating to disputes over domain names hosted in favour of the domain name owner?• If software and domain names are to be licensed to third parties, is there a robust licence agreement in place governing and restricting the licensee’s use of the software and domain names?• Have jurisdictional issues been considered in relation to hosting? There may well be clear protective reasons for hosting domain names and related websites in the UK rather than say the US or other jurisdictions where penal laws may make the domain names and websites vulnerable to forfeiture. It is important to obtain sound legal advice on such issues and ensure that the relevant agreements are legally drafted so that the intellectual property and commercial operations of software and web developers and their clients are adequately protected. <h3>About the author</h3>Silas Brown is a solicitor at <a href="http://www.briffa.com/">Briffa</a>, an award winning firm of lawyers based in London, specialising in the business and law concerning a wide variety of industry sectors and in particular those who value their intangible assets – their intellectual property – in the business of design, technology, entertainment, software development, publishing and Internet.

2010-01-28T16:30:54+00:00

false 1222 social_media_green.jpg true 2010/1/28/domain-name-action-folds-against-uk-online-gaming-company

Domain name action folds against UK online gaming company

2010-01-29T12:11:15+00:00

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In this article, Nisha Baveja, solicitor at Briffa, reviews some of the more significant proposals of the Digital Economy Bill which includes (amongst other things) tighter restrictions on online copyright infringement.

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<h3>Nisha Baveja</h3>The Digital Economy Bill, published last month, is (in the Queen’s own words) being introduced “to ensure communications infrastructure that is fit for the digital age, supports future economic growth, delivers competitive communications and enhances public service broadcasting”. There has been a mixed reaction towards the Bill, which focuses on the elements of the digital economy broadly being the creative industries, digital communications and public service broadcasting. Some argue that the provisions in the Bill will help people make the most of the digital economy, whereas others are of the opinion that some of the provisions are too restrictive, and even possibly contrary to Human Rights and other existing technology legislation. So what exactly is the fuss about and who is right? Below is a summary of the main elements of the Bill so you can decide for yourself. <h3>Tackling copyright infringement online </h3>There are two parts to this, the first being making legal action more effective and educating consumers as to what is protected by copyright and what constitutes infringement, and the second by introducing technical measures, such as the right to disconnect users from their internet accounts where they were infringing. The second part is that which is causing most concern. Whilst it is likely that disconnection will only be an option to pursue if all other options (including writing to the possible infringer and warning them of the infringement, reminding them again) have been exhausted, there are no precise processes by which an Internet user will be disconnected in the Bill, and no sign of strong appeal mechanisms or tests of evidence. This means that even innocent users whose wireless broadband has been hijacked might be at risk of being disconnected. If an ISP fails to hand details of the possible infringer to the rights holder, the ISP could face a fine of £250,000. Further fines include a maximum of £50,000 for those who download copyright protected works for commercial gain. <h3>Domain names</h3>Currently .uk domain names and disputes arising are dealt with by Nominet. Under the new proposals, the government may intervene and appoint anyone to take over the affairs of Nominet if appropriate (there has been mention of internal conflict amongst those at Nominet) meaning that there could be a move away from the existing self-regulation of .uk domains. <h3>Mobile and wireless broadband</h3>The plan here is to modernise the spectrum to allow investment into next generation technology. <h3>Digital radio</h3>The upgrade of all FM radios to DAB by 2015, although there is speculation as to whether this date will be met. <h3>Video games</h3>Games for users 12 years and up will need to have age classifications, the purpose being to prevent young children getting hold of violent games. There are also other less far-reaching measures set out in the Bill, but by far the most controversial appears to be that relating to the control of online copyright infringement. Of course, this might only be because the broadband tax mentioned in the Digital Britain Report (50p per month for households with a land-line telephone) will be dealt with in the Finance Bill due after the 2010 budget! All that is left to say now is watch this space to see how the Bill progresses. <h3>About the author</h3>Nisha Baveja is a solicitor at <a href="http://www.briffa.com/">Briffa</a>, an award winning firm of lawyers based in London, specialising in the business and law concerning a wide variety of industry sectors and in particular those who value their intangible assets – their intellectual property – in the business of design, technology, entertainment, software development, publishing and Internet.

2010-01-28T15:06:59+00:00

false 1221 advertising_blue.jpg true 2010/1/28/digital-economy-bill-–-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

Digital Economy Bill – the good, the bad and the ugly

2010-01-28T15:49:15+00:00

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The growth of social media and the economic crisis have literally catapulted opportunities and entrepreneurship for online business. More and more individuals, as well as businesses have turned to the net to promote themselves and their offerings. The web is becoming more and more integrated and is having an impact not only on business, but also on popular culture. What does this mean for the individual? What does this mean for the small business, and how does this affect the large organisation? E-Business Strategist Deborah Collier has put together an overview of her thoughts for the year ahead.

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<h3>By Deborah Collier</h3>Prediction 1: Goodbye to the Middleman We have already seen a rise in the number of small businesses selling products and services using E-Commerce, but the growth of social media applications such as Twitter has enabled more affordable marketing to individuals and small businesses. Our analysis has shown that Twitter can give as much as ten times more clicks than email marketing, depending on the nature of the offering and quality of the campaign. I predict further adoption of such tools will have a heightened impact on industries such as real estate and arts and crafts, where individuals and sole-traders cut out the middleman. There will also be extensive growth in the consumer-to-consumer markets, where commerce is now even more focused on the individual seller than the business. Any individual is potentially an entrepreneur who can sell directly to their customers. Similarly buyers can procure services and products at source from those they with a great online reputation. Social media and social commerce has enabled this revolution. Prediction 2: The Year of the Delivery Company The growth of e-commerce and our reliance on more affordable nationalised postal and delivery services, has left our businesses open to risk during postal strikes. According to a report by the London Chambers of Commerce in October 2009, the postal strike cost London more than £500 million. Earlier in 2009, I urged online retailers to look at alternative delivery companies rather than lose customers. I also encouraged entrepreneurs to consider starting up affordable delivery businesses. I predict delivery and shipment to be one of the biggest growth industries of 2010, bringing hundreds if not thousands of unemployed back to work. Prediction 3: Creative Sponsored Advertising Social media and popular culture, particularly amongst the 16-35 age groups, have demonstrated that people are becoming more and more adverse to direct advertising. Despite clever creative and marketing tactics, banner advertising is increasingly filtered out by individuals, and pre-roll video advertising is perceived more and more as intrusive. Only the most innovative, integrated and seamless advertising will succeed. Businesses should focus on more creative sponsored advertising, or collaborative projects, not only for brand building but more importantly to bring themselves closer to their potential customers. We are living in a collaborative world where relationships are key. Our ability to deliver humanistic and social messages, through collaborative sponsorship opportunities will be at the focus of our marketing strategy in this coming year and the years that follow. Prediction 4: Mobile Commerce Revolution I predict 2010 to be a year of exceptional growth for mobile, which will continue in years to come. Throughout the next decade, we will become less and less attached to our computers, and more connected to our surrounding world via cutting-edge technologies and hand-held mobile devices. News subscriptions and music downloads are currently the top two services purchased via mobile phones. I predict that more and more businesses will offer micro-applications via mobile phones in order to up sell to higher revenue services and products. I also predict retailers to make use of mobile phone barcode readers and one-click payment technologies, not only to increase sales and enhance their customer buying experience, but also to free up in-store staff for other customer service activities. Prediction 5: Free Culture Frenzy We are living more and more in a culture where we expect products and services for free. Where does that leave businesses? I predict that businesses will continue to embrace the ‘Free Culture’, as a means of building relationships and up selling to wider products and services. The ‘Free Culture’ may however have a detrimental affect on the quality of information and services we consume. Less savvy organisations wishing to up sell and cross-sell to their other products and services offer free services, that skilled specialist companies were previously offering at a premium. These specialist organisations will either go out of business or look at more savvy ways to maintain their customer-base and beat the free services and products. The key will be in skillful marketing, communication, customer service and reputation building. About the author Deborah specialises in strategy and training for e-commerce, digital branding and internet marketing. She has 14 years experience supporting, advising, training and developing online strategies for both SME's and Large Corporations such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers, John Lewis, Kenwood and the Landmark London. She runs an e-business advice column with more than 3,000 newsletter subscribers, and developed a thought-leadership article on e-business strategies in collaboration with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, John Lewis, Linden Lab, Cancer Research UK and J.P. Morgan. About her company E-Business Strategist, Advisor and Marketer Deborah Collier is the managing director of Echo E-Business, a consultancy specialising in e-business strategy, training and marketing. Echo E-Business' team of technology and marketing professionals are e-business architects helping organisations to build, enhance and market their online presence. The links for relevant websites <a href="http://www.echoebusiness.com/">http://www.echoebusiness.com </a><a href="http://www.learnebusiness.com/ebusiness_advice_column.html">http://www.learnebusiness.com/ebusiness_advice_column.html</a><h3></h3>

2010-01-27T20:24:24+00:00

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e-business e-commerce marketing

Top 5 E-Business Predictions 2010

2010-01-27T20:55:15+00:00

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