Under The Radar is looking for you

Got a startup that's ready for the big leagues?  Think some time in the spotlight in Silicon Valley might be just the boost you need?

Our friends Debbie Landa and Jasmine Antonick at Dealmaker Media in San Francisco (they produce the GROW Conference, which you may recall took place in Vancouver last August) announced a call for companies  for their 17th Under the Radar conference set for April 8th in Silicon Valley.

Technology buyers from MTV, Microsoft, Google, Rackspace, Zynga, Salesforce.com and more attend to meet with startups, like you.  If you're building a cloud/SaaS company - I highly encourage you to apply to be there. 

Dealmaker Media has a solid track record for making the right introductions and helping the magic happen! Selected companies (about 30 from around the globe) will get 15 minutes on stage to pitch to CIOs, CTOs, VP Technology, and other executives as well as press and VCs.

Nominate your startup before February 4th for preferred consideration. Plenty of Canadian startups can tip their hats to Under the Radar for helping add fuel to their success, including LayerBoom, Mob4Hire, Indicee, and SocialDeck, and more.

For more info visit www.dealmakermedia.com or contact jasmine@dealmakermedia.com.

Social Media Marketing Bootcamp in Calgary

Friends with Benefits is the name of Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo’s handbook on Social Media Marketing.  The couple and business partners (they run Capulet Communications out of Vancouver, BC) were inspired to write this book while on a three month adventure in Morocco in 2008.  Immersing themselves in a new culture and challenging themselves to communicate with their wits, a little help from a phrase book and the realization that language in fact is not a barrier to surviving in an unknown land.  Fast forward two years and the couple have composed a guide to navigating the social media landscape in the same vein they made their exotic travels a success. 

As a person who has been using social networks and the blogosphere for many years, building an online business, I found the book insightful, their anecdotes amusing, and the book’s scalability refreshing.  This is a book that is suitable for marketers who are looking to understand and plan the best possible use cases for social media marketing, and equally inspiring to those who have been using social media in their marketing strategies but are perhaps looking take audience engagement to the next level and improve ROI.

What stood out the most for me in the book are the following principles:

1.       Social media marketing needs to be part of an integrated marketing strategy.  A holistic approach to reaching your audience means that using social networks and the blogosphere should compliment other marketing channels - and not simply be the only channel. Or worse, be inconsistent with the messaging of a large scale campaign.

2.       Pick the right genre of social media marketing to target your audience.  Your audience may not be on Facebook, more likely they may be on LinkedIn, or they may connect with you better through your blog.

3.       Social media marketing is generally the most cost effective spend of your marketing dollars, because short of an Internet connection, it is essentially free.  Well, not exactly, what it lacks in actual dollars spent it more than makes up for in time necessary to invest in being effective.  The value in social media marketing is entirely based on what you put into it.  And determining that level of time commitment needs to be realistic to what your business can afford in labour power.

Julie and Darren will be in Calgary running their Social Media Marketing Bootcamp on Friday, October 8th, 2010 at the Hotel Le Germain.  I encourage you to register for the event, get a social media workout, or at the very least buy their book!

Techvibes Delivers Video Coverage for Upcoming GROW 2010 with KPMG

GROW 2010, a technology conference, which is taking place in Vancouver this week, is a history making event for the Canadian venture tech community.

Dealmaker Media, a successful networking organization connecting up technology innovators with venture capitalists out of Silicon Valley, is bringing its world class event to center stage at the Vancouver Convention Center, August 19 and 20.

To mark this inaugural event, Techvibes one of the event media partners - will be on location with an on-site studio conducting video interviews with a selection of speakers, sponsors and attendees.  KPMG LLP is the exclusive online video sponsor for Techvibes' coverage. 

As a Techvibes contributor, I will be on location hosting the interviews.  And I am excited to engage leading industry innovators, successful venture capitalists and early stage entrepreneurs on camera! I will be  joined by Warren Frey, of Freyburg Media, who will be managing camera operations as well as our lead video editor.  The video interviews will be available online at www.techvibes.com.  

"We are pleased that KPMG LLP has come on board as our video sponsor and together we are able to add strong value to our event coverage", said Rob Lewis, President and Editor in Chief of Techvibes, "as the leading online tech publication in Canada we are thrilled to be able to bring this event to our audience with the power of video”. 

Stay tuned for continued updates for GROW 2010 coverage.

Follow us @techvibes and @growconf and shoutouts to #growconf are welcome!

Maybe we need a Little Magic to Accelerate Mobile Broadband Services

It seems that everywhere we turn nowadays we can’t help but be impacted by the desire to have rich content experiences and accessibility to our content in a fluid and seamless fashion.  As consumers we understand this in terms of how our applications, search requests, music and video downloads and social networking opportunities are delivered to us regardless of device or where we are located.  But our quality of experience is equal parts content to equal parts capacity and coverage, hence the rapidly increasing demand for mobile broadband accessibility.

For example, you are watching the season premiere of Madmen on your iPhone while commuting on the train from home to work.  It’s only a 20 minute ride, so you resume watching from where you left off on your lunch break. Interested in what other viewers are saying about Don Draper’s scandalous lifestyle choices, or Joan Holloway’s buxom dress attire, you check out blog sites about the show, add a comment or two, retweet a clever quip and click the Facebook Like icon, all on the commute back home.  It’s smooth, uninterrupted and fluid.  No churn, no long buffering times, no crashes. This my friends is what the mobile broadband experience is all about. Someday.

Internationally, perhaps you are a student in Manila, a farmer in rural India, a doctor in Northern Canada, an engineer at sea, all placing demands on the wireless broadband networks that allow the flow of data to your colleagues, patients, co-workers and families. In many of these instances a hiccup, a crash, the stalling of information could go from inconvenient to devastating. “Next generation technologies” - or the 4G World we are beginning to hear more and more about - refer to LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WiMAX, both enabling a seamless broadband experience for consumers whether geographically located in Manila, India or roaming globally. The differences between the two include network speeds, compatibility with existing infrastructures, frequencies, market maturity and a few other details.  But overall, the two technologies are mostly similar.  Therefore which is more cost effective in the long run? 

The ecosystem – an organizational chart of players if you will – encompasses a complicated web of service providers, equipment and device manufacturers, and other influencers who are all seeking cost-effective, scalable solutions with continued flexibility as the world gets ready for massive 4G deployments beginning 2011.  Now service providers have been rolling out WiMAX networks globally over the past three years to the point where we are seeing mobile and wireless broadband services adopted across all geographic markets. WiMAX is operational in the US, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and India.

But alas, the global march to 4G has operators going down a long and winding road.  Some service providers have committed to WiMAX, some to LTE.  These decisions are based largely on business relationships within the ecosystem as well as the availability of network equipment and cool, new mobile devices (the proliferation of which is never ending!) at reasonable prices. 

A notable member of the ecosystem, and critical a “behind-the-scenes” player in these commitments, chip-set manufacturers provide the vital piece of hardware inside our equipment and those that really make the magic happen.

Well as someone who keeps her ear to the ground, it’s always interesting when you hear whispers about deals and other business matchmaking.  One rumour that’s floating out there involves a couple of chip-set manufacturers who -  in the past - may not have matched up well, but now present a compelling  business case for strengthening the partnership playing field that will accelerate the global mobile broadband experience.

About six weeks ago, India completed its Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum auction yielding some interesting results.  After 117 rounds of bidding, and the government of India making about USD $5.5 billion, two notable players emerged.  Infotel Broadband Services, which has since been acquired by Reliance Industries , paid a hefty sum for licenses in all 22 of India’s service areas.  And Qualcomm who secured bandwidth in four significant service areas including Dehli and Mumbai, and then this week announced a joint venture with two major players to build a network offering wireless broadband services in the South Asian market. 

What makes this story interesting is that Qualcomm is a mobile-phone chip maker, not an operator.  Its participation in India’s BWA spectrum auction is/was driven to gain a stake for its LTE technologies in arguably the fastest, largest mobile growth market on the planet.  Qualcomm seems to be on the make to strategically position itself as a major player at the heart of mobile broadband deployments. In India, however they are going to be competing with Reliance who is publicly deliberating a move to WiMAX due to the readily available WiMAX network equipment.  LTE equipment is easily 18-24 months away from widespread availability at reasonable price points.

In the US, Clearwire, who has long since championed the WiMAX movement, announced yesterday that it will begin testing LTE technology.  What Clearwire is demonstrating with this move is that in a 4G World, coverage is important, but capacity is the indisputable winner. If key players in the mobile broadband ecosystem are likely going to walk on either side of the fence, all in the name of accelerating the deployment of broadband technologies, they need to strategically partner up with industry leaders capable of servicing what is quickly evolving into a multi-mode WiMAX/LTE network.  One such player is Beceem Communications.

In comes the magic referenced earlier.

Beceem is a leader in the WiMAX chip set manufacturing space, occupying nearly 50% of the WiMAX chipset market.  In fact one could say, if Qualcomm controls the LTE chip set market, Beceem would be its alter ego in WiMAX, albeit dramatically smaller in size.  Beceem, however, took the next step in early 2010 with the unveiling of its BCS500 4G multi-mode semiconductor product, which is compatible with both WiMAX and LTE technology.  Translation: a chip that enables devices to seamlessly roam between LTE and WiMAX service providers, or true global roaming.  All indications are that this is the year for mobile broadband companies to come to the market armed and ready for action! Clearwire has already acknowledged they need the magic of Beceem that being chip technology to enable a smooth transition of network equipment and mobile devices from WiMAX to LTE.  Rumour has it that Qualcomm - in the name of strategic positioning, and to cover its bases in India should Reliance deploy WiMAX - has its eye on Beceem as a potential candidate for acquisition.

All I can say is, as a gal-on-the-go, I like my content readily accessible and my devices reliable. And I’m sure the mobile broadband users in India do, too.  So Beceem, if you and Qualcomm do make the magic happen, we are all one step closer to living the 4G dream!

Be careful how much you keep your head in the clouds

Cloud computing is a term we have been hearing a great deal about over the last several years.  With the increase in Information Technology (IT) demands coming from across all industries, cloud computing is a dynamically scaleable and virtualized resource that enables data storage – software, information, etc., on shared servers with on-demand access.  The term “cloud” is a metaphor for the Internet, and cloud computing has come about as a result of needing to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without the heavy burdens of investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software.  In short, it has become an economically and environmentally viable solution for the continued growth of IT, in a shared, real-time environment.

Cloud computing provides us with a myriad of opportunities and as technology continues to evolves so rapidly we see this touching every aspect of our lives from financial transactions, health care, traffic control, power grid, water and energy, we see it in food, entertainment and retail, the list is endless.  Up until recently the conversation around cloud computing was driven by the IT industry and corporations such as IBM, Sun and Amazon.com, it wasn’t a conversation that the average person was engaged in.  All that has is quickly changing as Software as a Service (SaaS) –that is single applications accessed through a browser and available to thousands of people - has become widely embraced. 

The intention with SaaS is there are no upfront costs to the consumer for servers or software licenses and with just one app to maintain, costs are minimal on the provider side.   Web 2.0 “desk-top” applications like Google Apps or the ever popular Salesforce.com  are some examples.  CloudEnterprise.info reported that in 2008, there were over 15 million users of Google Apps. A report by paidContent.org explains how iTunes will now be offering a subscription service to users to access their own iTunes library – in other words for a monthly fee you will have unlimited streaming of content. This undertaking is being met with mixed reviews as even though you own the content you paid for, you will now be paying to access it vis a vis a monthly storage fee.

With new devices hitting the market such as smartphones, Netbooks and iPads, storage capacity is limited and we are opting to store and retrieve more of our data from the cloud so we can have cool new portable devices whose battery life is extended prolonging our connected experience in such a mobile world.  For those of us who have experienced hard drive crashes and data was irretrievable we are even more prone to look for cloud computing solutions.  On the other hand, paying to store our content aside, issues of privacy of information have also entered the discussion.  The Internet has the uncanny ability to remember EVERYTHING.  As we know, photos, Facebook status updates, Twitter posts, etc., are stored in the digital cloud.  In 2009, the World Privacy Forum released a report stating that as information stored locally on a computer could also be stored in the cloud, such as emails, word processing documents, videos, health records, financial information, sales forecasts, appointment calendars, etc, cloud computing has significant implications for the privacy of personal information as well for the confidentiality of business and government information.  In other words, as we take advantage of all sorts of Internet-based services we also leave ourselves vulnerable to Orwellian subterfuge. 

The explosion of social networking technologies, the proliferation of devices, the accessibility to overwhelming amounts of content and our ability to interact with our content, continues to put a new face on cloud computing. So although cloud computing addresses what to do with the masses amount of information data and our desire to have access to it all, we need to be careful not to keep our head in the clouds and forget that we also need to ensure the privacy, security and overall internet economics of our golden information.

Generation Jones?

At the Vancouver celebration of Social Media Day, globally hosted by Mashable, the discussions seemed to center around using social media as a marketing tool. How does one find their target market online and establish a connection.  I think this is a question that marketers have been asking themselves for years, regardless of the medium.  

A musician, on the hunt for tips on how he can use social media to reach his audience asked, “How do I market to Generation Jones?” My interest peaked as I wasn’t all that familiar with the term and once explained, I took comfort in my GenX status, but was reminded that marketers have the need to compartmentalize everything and everyone.  It was explained to me that the demographic of those in their mid-40’s to mid-50’s, are a unique category unto themselves for marketers.   Somewhere between Baby Boomers and Generation X, there exists a group that according to many are of such statistical importance that they cannot be underestimated.  Generation Jones, a term first coined by Jonathan Pontell, includes the early computer pioneers such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates; the economic leaders of today such as Ben Bernanke; political influencers such as President Obama; and pop culture icons such as Michael Jackson.  The term Joneser – or Jonesing - comes from the idea of conspicuous consumption of the 1980’s, the idea of keeping up with the Jones. Today this translates into a valuable population in terms of commercial and buying power.

Hence advertisers see this group as an important faction to market towards: they are pragmatic, they expect to pay for things and they make up 20% of the adult population. The Associated Press Annual Trend Report chose “The Rise of Generation Jones” as the #1 Trend in 2009.   According to Generationjones.com, several of the largest global ad agencies have now created departments and special teams to research and implement effective strategies which work best for this demographic. According to Pew Internet, 79% of GenJonsers are online, and although instant messaging, social networking, and blogging have gained ground as communication tools, where the GenJonsers are really leading is in online commerce: mainly shopping and banking. In fact 68% shop online and 53% bank online.  Having said that 22% download music, 49% watch videos online and 20% use social networking sites. Mostly on MySpace, followed by Facebook, there is now a growing trend towards Twitter.  A report by Nielsenwire stated that Twitter is most popular among working adults, making up 42% Twitters’ membership.

So what is the creative hook for this generation? For my musician friend, according to paidcontent.org, here are some things to think about: Product innovation such as Apple’s Genius App gives people the ability to crowd-source playlists. The mission of MySpace this year (resulting from its recent acquisitions of iLike and imeem) is to deepen its focus on music to become the number one destination for artist communities online. DRM (digital rights management) and music mashups need to find a way to co-exist, hopefully with a subscription based revenue model. If you offer GenJonsers pragmatism, that is the ability to engage with content in a meaningful way, communicate with like-minded individuals and have well priced merchandise, you not only have a solid marketing strategy, but an optimal and personalized experience.  Interestingly enough, I think this is the answer to marketing to every generation.  Make it mean something, and they will come. 

Fashion & Technology: Together, at last?

I am passionate about both technology and fashion, and there is more of an intersection than one would think.  I attended a fashion show at Fashion Central (downtown Calgary) this week themed “Giddy-Up! Stampede Style”, in preparation for our world famous Calgary Stampede which takes place every July.  In celebration, it is tradition for all of Calgary’s citizens to don some type of Western wear - everyday – for two weeks.  Calgary is a modern oil and gas town, with a strong corporate culture, and formal business office attire – some variation of the suit – is de rigueur for the majority of the work force.  Except during the Calgary Stampede and “Casual Friday’s”. 

“Casual Friday “or “Dress-down Friday” is a work place trend that gained considerable momentum in the late nineties, sparked by the casual California business culture born from the Dot Com era.  It seems as though Silicon Valley’s relaxed approach to fashion came from the counterculture that evolved around the tech industry.  The entrepreneurial mind set of the day influenced the modernity of these new work environments – with a revitalized fashion sense.  Steve Jobs set the pace with his signature look: black turtle neck, jeans and sneakers. 

It wasn’t too long before the corporate work place began adopting less rigorous dress codes, but only on Fridays.  I recall, earlier on with the rise of this trend, some of Calgary’s corporate offices granted permission to dress down on Friday’s if you made a donation to a charitable cause. Pay $1, wear jeans!  I am not sure if this is what Steve Jobs intended, but the very fact that companies started to respond to the changing attitudes about careers and the workplace can only be viewed as a good thing.

We are moving into an anywhere economy.  Leading technologies are re-defining the traditional office environment and the virtual office is gaining momentum.  As long as you have a mobile device, a lap top computer, Netbook or iPad, and a Wi-Fi connection, you can work just about anywhere.   Notwithstanding, of course, are offices embracing creative spaces and fostering more productive work environments.   And we most certainly have not seen the end of the corporate office era!

But does this mean that you can just wear anything, because you are working in a coffee shop, park, urban loft, or with a company who has adopted a “Casual Friday” dress code?  Fashion is expression, it is identity.  How you define yourself, regardless of social labels, ultimately comes down to how you want the world to see you, because it is how you see yourself.  Society is progressing; but this new wave of “work attire” I will admit can be confusing for some.  Polyvore is a website worth checking out if you are one of the confused, or just the opposite a real fashionista!  Polyvore provides a fashion and social platform that is redefining the experience of shopping online.  Their virtual styling tool will help you create a look, give you style tips and allow you to share your fashion insights, questions and ensembles with a community of like-minded style seekers.

A colleague of mine recently told me about a new fashion trend that is emerging in the tech industry: “Handsome Thursday”.  Started by Ryan Lejbak of Zu, an interactive technology company based in Saskatoon, SK, “Handsome Thursday” is a movement whereby every second Thursday of the month you are encouraged to dress up, put on a suit and take it up a notch!

It would appear as though a community of well dressed techies are aiming to take back the work dress code we have long been accused of rebelling against!

Harnessing the Power of Your Community through Social Media

A friend of mine told me not too long ago that she was “leaving Facebook and joining Twitter”, I asked her why and she replied “Twitter is where it’s at, Facebook is over!”  “But your community is on Facebook” I said, “your friends and family, all of your photos that you share with them are on your Facebook profile, you are just going to leave Facebook?” She responded “Twitter is supposed to be better”.

There are currently 400 million active users on Facebook, and the average user has about 130 friends.  According to Facebook, people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on their social network.  By comparison, Twitter has 75 million users and users post an average of 600 Tweets per second and there are 50 million Tweets churning through the “Twitterverse” on any given day.  The professional network LinkedIn reports 70 million members in over 200 countries and the site boasts a new member every second!  

As I am one of those contributing to Facebook’s massive monthly minute usage, I am permanently logged in keeping in the know on what my 270+ “friends” are up to.   I enjoy the nuggets of information posted about restaurants dined at, exotic destinations visited, camping trip adventures,  marathon time achievements; photos of babies, Bar Mitzvah’s and weddings; videos on NASA Space Shuttle launches, first goals scored at Little League soccer games, and of course re-posted Youtube videos!  The banter of comments, “likes” and shared moments make me feel as though I am part of a conversation.   And of course I enjoy filling my social calendar up with birthday party and house warming invites, fashion shows and community festivals.

My Twitter feeds keep me connected to current events – social, political, cultural and industry related.  In 140 characters or less, I am drawn to compelling articles, videos, photos of real-time, real world experiences across the globe.  I am a networker, a connector, so a collection of business cards generally translates into “following” interesting and inspiring individuals.  The “#”and “@” symbols have transcended the keyboard to optimizing the searchability of whatever and whomever you determine to be relevant. Businesses are building communities using Twitter as it has become a valuable tool for marketing products, ideas, as well as creating loyal fans and customers.

On LinkedIn, connecting with a professional network has redefined the rolodex; it will eventually make the “business card” a relic of the past.  I have recently branched out in search of new career opportunities and the value of a LinkedIn profile, along with references from colleagues, co-workers and business partners, has made my curriculum vittae a living document. I participate in discussion groups; learn about industry conferences, association activities and I enjoy finding like-minded people with similar backgrounds and professional interests.

The phenomenon of online interactions has reached epic proportions.  It is the human experience that we need to belong; we have always been community creatures.  Our need to be connected to others empowers us in our everyday lives. Social media has become a vehicle to more heterogeneous community relations. We can mobilize virtually to share experiences or create new opportunities.  We can engage our friends, family, colleagues and co-workers any day, anytime regardless of where we are located.  My virtual community connections span the globe, there is definitely cross-over from one social network community to the next.  I think I would feel isolated if I only belonged to one type of community.

For those of you reading this article on Techvibes, I hope I become part of your community!

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