Archive for July, 2011
Will BlackBerry users get BBM 6′s message
Jul 28th
Nestor Arellano
By Nestor E. Arellano
Imagine being able to send an instant message to your colleagues while you’re doing something on a productivity application in your phone. Better yet, picture how cool it would be if you could trash-talk your buddy while the two of you battle in a mobile game on your BlackBerries.
These are just some of the stuff that BlackBerry Messenger Version 6, the latest iteration of the popular BBM instant messaging client, can do.
Yesterday, RIM announced that it has opened up BBM to integrate with a score of other apps including FourSquare, Score Mobile, the Huffington post app and Wikitude. Other BBM 6-connected apps can be found in App World, RIM`s application store. Read the rest of this entry »
Online dispute resolution saves firms time and money
Jul 28th
By Monica Goyal
Those among us who have been in business disputes know that business disputes are inconvenient and stressful, and drain precious resources. We want them to be resolved as quickly and fairly as possible, so that we can focus on our customers and products. For some online services, having a way to mediate disputes online can be critical to its success – Elance comes to mind.
Monica Goyal
Online dispute resolution (ODR), emerged over the past decade, is dispute resolution facilitated by online information and communication technology. Computers are not making legally-binding settlements (yet). But ODR does change the way in which concerned parties access and participate in the resolution process, by giving technology an essential role in that process. This means that parts of that process can be done online, saving companies and people time and money. Read the rest of this entry »
Google+ the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of social networks
Jul 27th
By Edward N. Albro
When Google+ first launched, most people saw it, correctly, as a competitor to Facebook. But as you try Google’s social network, you realize that it has a lot in common with Twitter too. That versatility could be Google’s strength — but it could be its downfall too. Is Google+ trying to do too much?
Google+’s similarities to Facebook are obvious: You can use it to share updates, pictures and videos with family and friends. But Google+ can also be a lot like Twitter. Like Twitter (and unlike Facebook), absolute strangers can follow you without you following them or approving them (you can block people if you want). And while you can use Google+ to share personal news with people close to you, you can also use it to broadcast your thoughts on the news of the day to thousands of people you’ve never met.
Can’t figure out which Android phone to choose?
Jul 26th
By Kye Husbands
With phone manufacturers pumping out Android devices it’s no wonder we get this question so frequently. With multiple manufacturers such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung to name a few all making devices with the Android OS and each one adding their own touch to differentiate their phones, the decision becomes a little more complicated.
Here are a few quick things to note about Android if you don’t quite know where the heck Android came from – seemingly – all of a sudden.
Accelerated: TechStars harnesses the power of mentorship
Jul 25th
By Francis Moran and Leo Valiquette
Throughout this series, we have often referenced startup accelerators and the important role they play in the commercialization ecosystem, as well as where government support fits into the equation. So we thought it was time to take a closer look at these entities by profiling three different ones from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
We continue this week with TechStars, a mentorship-driven seed-stage investment program that operates three-month sessions in Seattle, Boulder, Boston and New York. We caught up with Nicole Glaros, managing director of TechStars Boulder, to talk about what has made the program successful, how it works and why it chose the cities it did in which to operate. Read the rest of this entry »
SMB owners are an overworked but happy bunch
Jul 22nd
By Nestor E. Arellano
Perennially understaffed, under budget constraints and working long lonely hours might be the stereotypical image of small business owner. However, two separate surveys recently released this month paint quite a different picture.
Nestor Arellano
Nearly half (46 per cent) of SMB owners polled, work beyond a 40-hour work week, according to a survey by Angus Reid Public Opinion which was commissioned by Intuit Canada, makers of the small business accounting software QuickBooks.
Amazingly, SMB owner appear unfazed by their longer work schedules. As much as 84 per cent of those polled feel they have a better work-life balance than if they were working for someone else, the survey found. Read the rest of this entry »
A new brand experience
Jul 20th
By Andrew Berthoff
I’ve worked in or, rather, with the Canadian technology industry for more than 20 years, first from the perspective of a journalist following and reporting on the scene, and then as a communications professional working alongside it.
Over the years I’ve worked with tech companies of every size and scope, from Fortune 50 enterprises to first-year start-ups; from B2C to channel to B2B and every sales model in between. And through all that every new client is a brand new experience.
Andrew Berthoff
Or, make that a new brand experience.
With a marketing hat on, I see Canadian tech companies – both native and foreign-owned subsidiaries – with a big picture perspective. As a journalist my perceptions of an organization were guided by the same tenets.
To me, the most successful tech organizations, almost without fail, understand the long-view horizon of their market when they communicate with their target audiences. Conversely, those that constantly dwell on speed and feeds and price look for short-term success. The marketing, messaging and communications strategies can be polar opposites.
Much has been said about the fickle loyalty of today’s customers. While I agree that allegiances change perhaps more easily than before, I also believe that loyalty is derived from organizations having a long-range view of their market. A consistent communications strategy that matches long-term corporate goals pays long-range dividends.
Let’s take a look at a few examples from the past in which companies don’t talk about product features directly, but instead connect with existing and potential customers by bolstering what their company and products represent. Read the rest of this entry »
Montreal ground zero for startups at the International Startup Festival
Jul 19th
By Monica Goyal
Over the past few days the Canadian and American startup scene has made its presence known in Montreal. For any technology startup, such as I am, being at the International Startup Festival was like being a kid in a candy store. There were amazing sessions mixed with startup company pitches, followed by more sessions.
Monica Goyal
If one was so inclined, the opportunity existed to do a 29-sec elevator pitch, and a surprisingly large number of people lined up to do exactly that. Read the rest of this entry »
