March 12th, 2010 by
Chris Measures
The publication of the Tory Technology Manifesto initially got my hopes up. At last an election that puts technology at the heart of the debate. But on a closer look the definition of ‘technology’ is woolly to say the least.
Most people will agree that opening up government data, increasing superfast broadband speeds, ending central government mega-projects and increasing the use of open source are generally ‘good things’. I’m less sure about the vague idea of crowdsourcing during the discussion of legislation – but that’s a personal worry about the fine line between the wisdom of crowds and the baying of the mob.
What is less easy to understand is how many of the other proposals fit under ‘technology’. A new high speed rail network? Measures to force every local authority to publish expenditure over £500 online? MP expenses available via the web? Whatever you think of these, I wouldn’t class them as technology policies.
This isn’t just being pedantic – the risk is that if this is what politicians see as ‘technology’, the real benefits of properly applied IT and a vibrant UK tech sector will get lost in wrangles over trains and expense claims for duck houses. Time to reclaim technology for what it actually is and what it can really deliver to the country.
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March 2nd, 2010 by
Chris Measures
I had some great news on Friday – my final results for my Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Diploma came through in the post.
I scraped a pass in the final module, meaning after 18 months study I’m now a ‘proper’ marketer.
However imagine my surprise when a couple of hours later I had an email from CIM telling me that my results were now online. But (and rather a big one this) “due to an unprecedented flow of web traffic to our site“, I may not be able to access them. I could telephone during business hours, but “our lines are very busy and there may be a delay in answering your call.”
Luckily I’d already got my results through in the post but imagine the frustration of anyone still waiting. Your potential life-changing results are there, but you can’t get them. Given one of the major topics on the course was integrating multi-channel communications and being able to predict web demand surely it is time for the CIM to practice what it teaches…………
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February 18th, 2010 by
Chris Measures
I vividly remember watching Gordon Ramsay spell out the basics to yet another hapless restaurateur. Between the expletives the point was clear – it wasn’t just about the f**ing food, it was about keeping the restaurant full and operating cost-effectively.
After Valentine’s Day I’d add another point – it’s about the Search Engine Optimisation. I was aware that a new restaurant had opened in nearby Bury St Edmunds (my nearest and dearest had told me), but couldn’t remember the name. Not wanting to give away my plans (or admit to not listening fully) I thought a quick web search would deliver a name or number.
Wrong. Even though the restaurant had a website, searching for Bury St Edmunds restaurants failed to turn it up. Eventually I got a number by cheekily calling a nearby pub for the restaurant name, but it was a time-consuming process. A less determined diner would have gone elsewhere and missed out on what was a very good and inventive meal. So time for restaurants to realise that simply sticking up a website is not enough – you need to plug it into what people are searching for if you want visitors.
January 27th, 2010 by
Chris Measures
Here’s a rarity for today – a tech blog that’s not about Apple.
Instead what’s caught my attention is the shake-up in the satnav market. From being the must have gadget of a few years ago it looks like a combination of commoditisation (you can buy one for £50 in Argos) and mobile phone apps will kill satnavs as a standalone device.
Anyone with an iPhone will marvel at how easy it is to use Google Maps (and equally how it zaps your battery). And Nokia’s announcement of free, turn by turn navigation through Ovi Maps is a direct threat to Garmin, Tom Tom et al. So if these guys want to survive they need to get creative. Become application providers rather than hardware manufacturers and get your branded content into other people’s devices. Hell, maybe start with the Apple tablet……………
January 22nd, 2010 by
Chris Measures
I blogged about Tim Berners-Lee’s appointment to open up access to government data when it was announced last year.
The www.data.gov.uk site has now gone live, providing developers with access to government data to power useful applications for us citizens. There are already some great little apps out there, from property prices to crime maps.
But at the moment there are two things missing if the initiative is to really fly. Firstly, it doesn’t have Ordnance Survey data, although apparently negotiations are continuing on this. Secondly, and I think more importantly is a way of getting these apps out to the widest possible audience. The risk is that lots of bright people will do cool things with the data but the general public simply won’t know about them.
What’s needed now is proper marketing of the apps, not just the concept, and a programme that mandates the public sector to publicise/include them on their own websites. Otherwise the risk is that the outputs of data.gov.uk will remain the preserve of a digital elite.
January 13th, 2010 by
Chris Measures
China has always been a minefield for foreign internet companies. The size of the market needs to be balanced against the censorship demanded by the Chinese government as a price of operating. Up until now Google has found this a price worth paying – despite the ramifications for its corporate motto of Don’t Be Evil.
But recent alleged cyber attacks on the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists seem to be have changed its mind. To the point it is now suggesting it might pull out of the country altogether – and at the very least end censorship on www.google.cn.
Whether it will actually go through with the threat is another matter – but making its threats public is going to definitely rile the Chinese government. Let’s see what happens to the Google share price today and how that affects its ultimate decision………
November 23rd, 2009 by
Chris Measures
Can the UK produce world-class tech companies that lead their markets? That’s the question the Sunday Times poses, essentially coming to the conclusion that in the main, IT entrepreneurs are selling their businesses, taking the money and running.
There are those that have become international successes – the likes of Sage, ARM, Autonomy, Misys and Ultra Electronics are all strong members of the FTSE 250. But in comparison to the US, which has the NASDAQ Index predominantly made up of tech companies we obviously lag behind.
Given a flotation is the obvious alternative to a trade sale, we should be encouraging tech companies to list, gain additional investment and grow. But it currently costs over £1m to list a business on a UK stock market, where you are competing for money with a huge range of companies from around the world, many of whom are selling simpler products such as raw materials, consumer goods or property.
Rather than criticise entrepreneurs and their VC backers for ‘selling out’ it is time that listing a company in the UK was made more attractive. This would bolster the UK tech sector and create more of the leaders that we are looking for.
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November 10th, 2009 by
Chris Measures
It is five years since the launch of the open source Mozilla Firefox browser, so cue celebrations in cyberspace. Given we now live in a multi-browser world (albeit one still dominated by Internet Explorer) it is difficult to understand the internet landscape before Firefox.
First, a quick history lesson. After launching Internet Explorer, Microsoft poured millions into the product. This meant it successfully squashed the first independent mainstream browser, Netscape. Job done, it disbanded the development team, leaving users stuck with the same technology and little chance of upgrades.
Enter Firefox and the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation which provided a clear, and function rich alternative. The result? 24 per cent of surfers now use Firefox. While it isn’t likely to topple the inertia that keeps IE at the top of the charts, it has stimulated diversity in the browser market – witness the introduction and growth of Apple’s Safari, Opera and Google Chrome in recent years.
In fact, it provides a template for what can be achieved with open source collaboration, listening to users and providing innovative solutions. Here’s to the next five years!
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October 29th, 2009 by
Chris Measures
So the Toy Retailers Association reckons that this will be an austerity Christmas, with the 12 most popular toys all costing less than £50.
Ignoring the idea that £50 is seen as cheap for a single item, what are little Jonny and Karen asking for? Apparently it’ll be a mix of character-themed tie-ins, updated versions of Monopoly and Lego, plus technology in the form of digital multimedia cameras. To be honest I’m not sure this bears out the claim of a nostalgic trend (surely its too soon to be nostalgic over Transformers?) and looks more like retailers trying to make us buy what they have most stocks of.
Still this year’s selection beats 1997’s ‘must have’ toy – the Furby………..
October 22nd, 2009 by
Chris Measures
The challenges facing today’s marketers were starkly laid out at yesterday’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) East Anglian Autumn Conference.
Whatever sector you operate in, how you reach and influence your audiences is changing. Much has been written about digital marketing, but essentially whichever marcom tactic you are using (advertising, direct marketing, PR, sales promotion or personal selling) there is a digital aspect to it.
However understanding and incorporating digital isn’t the only challenge. John Drummond outlined the opportunities that Social Marketing provide for companies – essentially working with stakeholders to achieve positive change. In a time of recession, growing legislation and global issues such as climate change, social marketing must move up the agenda for the private as well as the public sector.
Turning to technology Phil Eames of iome showed the power that location based services offer to marketers. With smartphones like the iPhone increasingly prevalent being able to deliver targeted information and offers, it truly offers a whole new channel, albeit one that needs to be handled with care.
So how can marketers survive in this brave new world? In my view it is time to go back to basics. Identify your audiences, what makes them tick and from that work out which tactics will best engage with them. Sounds simple but will require a lot of re-educating both internally and with your agencies. Marketing as usual is no longer a feasible option.
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