You are invited to attend the first of a series of workshops being held by the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce at University College Cork on 31st May 2013 (10:00 – 17:00)
The workshop will address a number of technical and business aspects of cloud computing and is relevant to those interested in adopting, providing or developing cloud computing in their organisations. The schedule for the first workshop is:
Agenda
10:00-10:15 Introduction to IC4
10:15-11:30 Using Blue Ocean Strategy for Cloud Computing
11:30-11:45 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 Auto-configuration and auto-deployment
13:00-14:00 Networking Lunch
14:00-15:30 Search Engine Optimisation for Cloud Computing I
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:45-16:55 Search Engine Optimisation for Cloud Computing II
16:55-17:00 Close
Venue: Room 1.07 Western Gateway Building, University College, Cork.
The sessions will be delivered and moderated by researchers at the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce including Prof. John Morrison (UCC), Dr Theo Lynn (DCU), and Dr Philip Healy (UCC).
Registration for this event is free. Please register in advance by emailing Maureen Dwane with a list of attendees from your company no later than May 27th 2013.
Attendees confirming attendance by 27th May will receive summary SEO reports on their organisation for use during the workshop.
A revolution is upon us – Intelligent Systems are all around us and they are changing our world in profound and exciting ways. Mobile, social, cloud and big data technologies are converging, creating an explosion of information access and usage.
The Intelligent Systems Summit 2013 provides an exclusive business-to-business platform to share, network and engage in a focused interactive environment with IT industry peers, senior executives, government officials, senior decision makers, IT leaders and internationally recognized academic experts in the area of Intelligent Systems.
The organisers invite Irish companies to take an exhibition stand in the demo area. This is free to EI clients. Other exhibitors include Intel, The New York Stock Exchange, CoderDojo, Here & Now, Northern Ireland Science Park, Citroen Ireland (Intelligent Car Systems), The Nerve Centre, G-Tech Medial Technologies, Invest NI, and many more.
Any exhibitors that are demonstrating IT / Tech systems are welcome.
Please go to www.intelligentsystemssummit.com for all the latest details and email Adrian Hopkins at adrianhopkins7@gmail.com to register interest in exhibiting.
Aislinn Mahon explains how The New Market Entrants Team is currently supporting some of Enterprise Ireland’s most exciting and forward thinking music technology start-ups.
The New Market Entrants Team in the UK office is running an exciting event to highlight the level of innovation present amongst the strong cluster of fast growth music technology start up companies in Ireland.
The Global Digital Music Industry
The global music industry is adapting to the digital age at an accelerated rate, and new models for creating, consuming and accessing music are constantly being introduced into new markets. This digital landscape provides both opportunities and challenges for record labels, producers and artists. The Internet makes the distribution of music faster and easier to access, but issues of piracy have risen here. There is a strong feeling in the industry that artists should be rewarded financially for their work in the digital environment, just as they have always been in the physical world.
Ones to Watch
We know that Ireland is home to some of the most exciting and forward thinking music technology start-ups that are focused on driving opportunity and addressing the challenges faced by the music industry. Thought leading companies such as 45sound, Seevl, Whole World Band, Soundwave Analytics, Mobanode, Huggity, Riffstation and Ticketfriend are but a few of our shining stars.
 Kevin Godley, Founder and John Holland, CEO of Whole World Band The Innovation in Music Technology Showcase is being run by The New Market Entrants Team at the end of May in Dublin. Leading UK music technology representatives from companies such as Mobile Roadie, MINT Digital and Music Ally will hear about the impact of digital technology on the future of the music industry and learn about new ways of driving revenue in their business in the surroundings of The Sugar Club, one of Dublin’s most creative music venues. Topics on the day will range from digital fan engagement strategies to collaborative content creation and music discovery to mobile festivals.
 Cathal Furey, CEO of 45sound, pictured in the company’s brand new office on South William St, Dublin Watch this Space!
In the UK, digital revenues stand at one third of music industry income – an important statistic when one considers that this surpasses those of other creative industries (e.g. film, books and newspapers). There is a mood of optimism in the UK music industry, and Enterprise Ireland sees this as an end market opportunity for our client companies to capitalise on.
Contribute to the conversation #IrishMusicTech.
For more information on Enterprise Ireland’s activity in the UK music industry, contact Aislinn Mahon @ Aislinn.Mahon@Enterprise-Ireland.com or connect with her @ Aislinn_Mahon.
Digital Music, Enterprise Ireland UK, Music Technology, New Market Entrants Team, start up
Have you noticed how briefly and compellingly the best online brands are describing themselves these days? Facebook, Zynga, Toggl, Evernote — visit their sites and you’ll be greeted with concise statements that should be an inspiration to you as you develop your own messaging.
Try this: how do you respond when a potential customer or even just an acquaintance asks, “what do you do?” If you find it difficult to answer this question succinctly, it could be an indication that your messaging needs work. The problem comes most to the fore when you’re trying to develop the words for your website homepage, including your website titles. Clear messaging is vital for all your marketing, but nowhere moreso than for your online marketing.
What’s messaging?
Messaging isn’t just for marketers. If you are in senior management at your company, it’s core to your mission. Miller Mattson correctly describes messaging as “a key part of your company’s marketing infrastructure.” Messaging is simply a concise and memorable description of the value you bring to customers: it should be worded carefully and in such a way that listeners instantly grasp what benefits they’ll see from working with you, and ideally they should feel inspired to get in touch with you.
That’s a lot to ask for a few sentences, but your messaging can have long, short, and very short (think Twitter-length) versions. The shortest versions are ideal for your website, while longer ones will come in useful in everything from HR advertisements to tender documents. Remember, this is core, descriptive information that should serve you online, in print or even in person when speaking to targets, so it’s well worth investing the time to get it right…and it will take some time.
Here are four things to keep in mind as you develop your messaging:
1. Take the customer’s perspective
What is your company really good at? There’s no one more qualified to answer this question than your existing, loyal customers. Interview them to understand why they chose you over the competition, how they see you as different from other providers in the market, and the competencies you offer that they cherish most. The answers customers give you might surprise you, and may differ significantly from what you thought your key strengths were. This primary research will allow you to take the customer’s perspective, letting you make the best start on your messaging development.
A great example of customer-focussed messaging is the text on the homepage of Toggl.com, an online time tracker popular with freelancers and consultants. Toggl.com simply states, “Insanely simple time tracking. Toggl kills timesheets.” That’s messaging that makes it clear the people behind Toggl understand the frustration its potential customers have probably experienced in using other solutions.
2. What are the actual words customers use to describe you?
There’s a well-worn anecdote about a customer who wanted to buy a jumper on an e-commerce website which didn’t use the word “jumper”. This is a perfect example of a messaging quandary in microcosm. Think of how many different words people use to describe that item of clothing – gansy, jumper, pullover, sweater… there are probably others. You must always ask yourself whether you are using your customers’ own words to describe your company and your products. If you’re selling “unified communications services” but your target buyers are actually googling for “videoconferencing”, your messaging must take account of that. Tools like Google’s free Keyword Research Tool can be helpful, but there’s really no substitute for directly interviewing your own customers.
3. Have you properly localised your content for international markets?
Native speakers and in-country experts will be invaluable as you create foreign-language versions of your online marketing materials for overseas locations – a cute YouTube video that works for the German market may fall flat in Asia. If you can’t find a reliable resource locally to advise you on suitable localised content, Ireland’s diaspora can be helpful: use LinkedIn.com to source Irish marketing experts working abroad, either freelance or as part of agencies, who can help quality-check the communications you intend to roll out in international markets.
4. What devices are customers using to read your website?
There’s no point in developing great messaging if your target market can’t access it. You may have heard about the need for websites to offer “responsive design,” which simply means that your website effortlessly reformats itself to be easily read on a mobile phone, tablet or other non-PC device. Research from Accenture shows 77% of internet users in Ireland are using a mobile device, such as a tablet, to access the web. This trend isn’t unique to Ireland: other key international markets such as Brazil, South Africa and Russia also favour mobile internet access. Speak to your web developer to ensure visibility and usability of your website on mobile devices; website development tools like WordPress offer a number of responsive themes for developing a web presence.
No jargon
A final thought about developing your messaging: remember that the rise of social media has changed the marketing landscape, and target customers now demand clear, jargon-free descriptions of what your company does. Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation is probably one of the best books about the need to ‘keep it real’ in marketing. As Joel notes, fluffy marketing speak doesn’t cut it today. Customers expect that your company will speak in a real voice, not least because they just can’t spare the time to figure out what your densely-worded marketing materials mean; they’ll simply find themselves drawn to a more plain-speaking competitor.
Sheila Averbuch is a former business journalist and managing director for the content services agency ENNClick .
Reminder:
SAPs database technology, SAP HANA is a tool for companies to manipulate large volumes of data and to build faster analytics. SAP is keen to engage with SMEs of all kinds to exploit its potential and has established a Start-Up Focus Forum to invite companies of all sizes and stages of development (up to 40m turnover) to get involved.
SAPs founder said that the Start-Up Focus Forums were the best initiative the Group took last year. SAP is strategically committed to facilitating SMEs access to this high speed, big data platform. Dublin has again been chosen to host a Start-Up Forum on Wednesday 22nd May which this year will run along the lines of a Showcase of SMEs. Ultimately, if an SME successfully develops its solution on the HANA database they can get access to SAPs customers.
14 EI clients presented last year, 8 of whom were accepted onto SAPs Accelerator Program. Ostia, one of the 8, say “Our experience of SAPs Start Up Focus Forum was entirely positive. SAP took an approach which was more like that of an innovative SME sized organization than a large corporate. With the credibility of being able to partner with SAP in this way, we have generated a significant number of opportunities which we are working on with SAP”. Head of Sales & Marketing, Ostia Software Solutions Ltd
There is potential for more companies to partake this year as, taking on board feedback, the Program has been made more SME friendly and involves access to a virtual resource centre. To get started e-mail or call: andrei.grigoriev@sap.com or call +353-87-790-7267.
Product Camp Dublin is a free un-conference for Product Managers and Product Marketers.
In the spirit of BarCamp, Product Camp Dublin is a collaborative, user organized unconference, focused on Product Management and Marketing topics.
At Product Camp Dublin there are no “attendees,” since everyone participates in some manner: This means you get to present, lead a roundtable discussion, share your experiences, help with logistics, help secure sponsorships, or volunteer.
Product Camp Dublin is a great opportunity for you to learn from, teach to, and network with professionals involved in the Product Management, Marketing, and Development process!
This year Product Camp Dublin will be held on 13th June 2013 in DIT Aungier Street.
You can register here to attend and to keep up to date with progress on our plans.
Follow us @ProductCampDub on Twitter
www.ProductCampDublin.com
Cloud services are reshaping the way companies manage their information and do business and open up tremendous opportunities for Irish companies. The Irish Internet Association, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and sponsored by Microsoft, is holding a series of Cloud Awareness and Adoption events for summer 2013 aimed at helping Irish SMEs (from all sectors) assess the potential of using cloud-based business models to support their export growth – the first event takes place in Galway on Thursday 30th May.
These Cloud Awareness Events are specifically designed to help companies to assess the benefits of cloud computing while managing any potential risks. The IIA Cloud Working Group developed the Swift10 Guide as a tool to help companies do this. Delegates will hear from other SMEs on how, why and what they moved to the cloud as well as from security and service contract experts who will guide delegates through the process.
Dates for events are as follows:
• 30th May – ClaytonHotel, Galway
• 5th June – NCI, Dublin
• 13th June – Cork (TBA)
• Sept/Oct event, (TBA) Dublin
EI clients who wish to drive competitiveness, operational effectiveness and efficiency within their companies using the Cloud and the Swift10 Report as a guide can receive funding under the Lean Start programme and should contact their Development Advisor for more information.
There is no charge for EI clients attending these events and they can register directly with the IIA at 01-5424154
We’re all inundated with the hype surrounding social networking, headlines like “how we made millions through social networking”, but can it really help you break into or grow new export markets for less exciting products or services like landfill consultancy, plastic moulding or collateral management software? The answer is yes, yes it can.
Decision makers in companies can now be influenced by social media at every stage of the buying process as social platforms become increasingly popular as sources of relevant informative content for businesses.
If you are a B2B company, social media offers a great opportunity to have a two way conversation with your customers/prospects without the need to explicitly sell. Instead of directly pitching your products/services, you can use social media platforms to publish links to relevant and interesting information that makes your target audiences more informed while at the same time positioning your company as experts. In essence, by providing consistent on-going valuable information to your target audiences, you increase the chances of being ultimately rewarded with their business and/or referrals.
However, to increase the probability of your target audience segments paying attention to you and the content you publish, you’re best adopting a structured and planned approach to social media:
1. Plan
As with any sales and marketing activity, knowing your specific audiences’ needs and problems is crucial. The more tailored the information you can deliver to specific audience segments, the more awareness and interest your information will receive. Often, the customer insights you need are already within your company, you just need to talk to the right people. Front line staff who deal with customers every day are great sources of inspiration for the type of information your target audiences would find valuable. Better still, talk to your customers and discover their challenges.
Use your findings to form the foundation of a cohesive social content strategy. Make sure your strategy gets inputs and buy-in from a cross section of internal business areas in your company, that it is aligned with your overall business objectives and that it has senior backing. Don’t consider social in isolation, look to align your social media strategy with your overall brand in terms of tone of voice and ensure it’s in sync with the general company approach to handling PR related matters (both positive and negative).
2. Write
Create content that is written to specifically address the informational needs and solve known problems of your target segments. This type of content has a far greater chance of being read and shared. Avoid the ‘About Us’ type information that can often be mass broadcast by B2B companies (as it just doesn’t deliver a solution to a need or problem that your audience has).
Try and produce content that is written from a number of different perspectives and is of interest to the different types of targets you are trying to influence in a company (e.g. a procurement person in target company may react to content differently to someone in finance). Different forms of content could include opinion based content relating to recently released relevant research or a review of an industry trend you have spotted.
Devise a content creation calendar that plots activities a month or two out to ensure you have a consistent output of new content and that internal content authors are flagged well in advance. Use the calendar to mark important internal company milestones/news releases as well as relevant external events that you could provide opinion on.
Your objective is to create a consistent stream of fresh original content. The quality and relevancy of the content is essential. Take some time to find out who else in your company could produce good engaging content. Also, you’d be surprised how much great content is already in existence within the company and just needs to be reworked for external publishing. If it’s proving challenging to produce the content, consider external assistance, either to help you with copywriting or to provide training in best ways to write for social media and the web.
3. Publish
Using your Customer research, identify patterns of pre purchase behaviour amongst your target Customers and use this as a guide to deciding on the specific social platforms and tools that are best suited to your social media strategy be it Google+ Circles, targeted email marketing or Linkedin Groups.
While you want to reach out directly and influence your target audiences, don’t forget to also find out who else influences your audiences online. If you can get other influential people to positively talk about your product/service, you have the potential to create a hugely powerful advocate for your company. See an interesting post on Smart Insights by Janet Fouts on steps to find relevant influencers.
Promote social media across your company. Encourage a range of staff to engage in social media on behalf of the company but don’t forget to use some form of social media publishing guidelines to ensure consistency in the tone and approach.
Overall, don’t be afraid to just jump in and start publishing to, and engaging with your audiences via social media channels, especially if you’ve done your preparation and know who you want to engage and how.
4. Listen and engage
There is an array of tools to help you publish, monitor and evaluate your social media interactions. However, at a minimum just listen to what’s being said about your company and where. Encourage your marketing and sales teams to listen and develop a process for feeding the insights into improving your products/service, customer service, etc. When you get into conversations with audiences via social channels, just interact with them as you would through any other medium such as phone, by email or in person, it’s all about being helpful and building relationships.
So, in summary, can social media help you break into or grow new export markets? The answer is yes, yes it definitely can as long as you jump in with a plan and your eyes open.
If you are an export client company of Enterprise Ireland and are interested in getting more information on their export eMarketing Support Programme, please contact your Development Advisor.
This article was written by Derek Liddy dliddy@continuum.ie, Head of Digital Strategy with Continuum (a a full service web agency that delivers digital strategy, web design and development and online marketing) for Enterprise Ireland’s Internet Marketing Unit.
Microsoft’s ‘Make it Real’ conference will take place on Thursday April 25th in the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, Dublin City Centre.
This event is different from other cloud events; this time 100% of the speakers will be customers and partners. They will tell the story of how they implemented cloud technology to gain a competitive advantage. You will hear about the business problems they encountered, the solutions they implemented and how you could implement a similar solution and avoid potential pitfalls.
The opening keynote comes from Nokia’s global head of Entertainment development and delivery Andy Toghill, Andy will explain how Nokia uses the cloud to power its global online music store Nokia Music. The closing keynote speaker is Microsoft’s Tim Hynes, Senior Director for Infrastructural Services. Tim will discuss how Microsoft manages its cloud Infrastructure for its 90,000 employees. Other speakers will come from a variety of industry verticals and types of organisations. There will be five different cloud partner firms available on the day to discuss how you can replicate the speakers’ success stories.
Register here to secure your ticket
Cloud Computing, Microsoft
SAP has a database technology called SAP HANA which is a tool for companies to manipulate large volumes of data and to build faster analytics. SAP is keen to engage with SMEs of all kinds to exploit its potential and has established a Start-Up Focus Forum to invite companies of all sizes and stages of development (up to 40m turnover) to get involved.
SAPs founder said that the Start-Up Focus Forums were the best initiative the Group took last year. SAP is strategically committed to facilitating SMEs access to this high speed, big data platform. Dublin has again been chosen to host a Start-Up Forum on Wednesday 22nd May which this year will run along the lines of a Showcase of SMEs. Ultimately, if an SME successfully develops its solution on the HANA database they can get access to SAPs customers.
14 EI clients presented last year, 8 of whom were accepted onto SAPs Accelerator Program. Ostia, one of the 8, say “Our experience of SAPs Start Up Focus Forum was entirely positive. SAP took an approach which was more like that of an innovative SME sized organization than a large corporate. With the credibility of being able to partner with SAP in this way, we have generated a significant number of opportunities which we are working on with SAP”. Head of Sales & Marketing, Ostia Software Solutions Ltd
There is potential for more companies to partake this year as, taking on board feedback, the Program has been made more SME friendly and involves access to a virtual resource centre. To get started e-mail or call: andrei.grigoriev@sap.com or call +353-87-790-7267.
|
 |
|
