via Home http://www.globalprintmonitor.info/index.php/en/industry-news/3d-printing/35959-stratasys-introduces-digital-abs2-high-rigidity-material-for-its-polyjet-3d-printers-
Thursday, November 07, 2013
EFI claims victory in IP case with Durst after German court invalidates patent - printweek.com
via efi vutek - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE6LvalXe4piRmONp6XIGaG7ULujg&url=http://www.printweek.com/news/1220029/efi-claims-victory-ip-case-durst-german-court-invalidates-patent/
Copytrax pushes the boundaries of industrial printing with the new ... - Cambridge Network
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEha1EPI1wFTiQ4lQZ1Mj2dE1z7Ng&url=http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/copytrax-pushes-the-boundaries-of-industrial-printing-with-t846/
MediaCo Outdoors signs big brands for network launch
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/digital-signage/applications/interactive/mediaco-outdoors-signs-big-brands-for-network-launch/
3M offers 'high-octane trip of lifetime' in Nascar competition
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/sign-making/business/suppliers/3m-offers-high-octane-trip-of-lifetime-in-nascar-competition/
Hippoprint snaps up UK's first Mimaki JV400-160SUV from Granthams
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/wide-format-print/business/companies/hippoprint-snaps-up-uk-s-first-mimaki-jv400-160suv-from-granthams/
3D printing: The digital blacksmith of the future - ABC Online
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFYqCEBl0o4hOw1W8yql_k8zKX7eQ&url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3885825.htm
NOAA tosses sailors in digital seas, stops printing nautical charts - Washington Post (blog)
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGCr7QeT4lizWDHFkocfF-LTI8sUw&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2013/11/06/noaa-tosses-sailors-in-digital-seas-stops-printing-nautical-charts/
Thieme 3000 D digital printing system - MyPrintResource.com (press release)
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGn6KM_mBQxUpBZ-j3YZa6zx8fnDw&url=http://www.myprintresource.com/product/11224516/thieme-gmbh-co-kg-thieme-3000-d-digital-printing-system
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Experts Answer Web-to-Print Selection Questions in Latest Webinar
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66171-experts-answer-web-print-selection-questions/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
RRD Reports Q3, Profit Beats Estimates
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66151-rrd-reports-q3-profit-beats-estimates/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Heidelberg Boosts Q2 Profitability, Confirms Earnings Target
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66153-heidelberg-boosts-q2-profitability-confirms-earnings-target/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Multi-Color Corp. Reports Core EPS up 24% in Q2
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66157-multi-color-corp-reports-core-eps-24-q2/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Quad/Graphics Reports Q3 and YTD Results, Reaffirms Guidance
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66172-quadgraphics-reports-q3-ytd-results-reaffirms-guidance/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Lead Scoring: Don’t Set Yourself Up for Failure (Digital Nirvana)
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66174-lead-scoring-dont-set-yourself-failure-digital-nirvana/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
KBA Downgrades 2013 Earnings Targets
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66167-kba-downgrades-2013-earnings-targets/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Proforma Launches New Selling System Targeting H.R. Professionals
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66152-proforma-launches-new-selling-system-targeting-hr-professionals/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Canon Solutions America, Inc. Joins Two Sides Board
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66156-canon-solutions-america-inc-joins-two-sides-board/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Unisource Earns ENERGY STAR Certification for La Palma, California Location
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66169-unisource-earns-energy-star-certification-la-palma-california-location/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Young Russian print firm receives KBA Rapida 105
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66154-young-russian-print-firm-receives-kba-rapida-105/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Ultimate Technographics Races to DSCOOP Print Grand Prix
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66164-ultimate-technographics-races-dscoop-print-grand-prix/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Appleton Coated calls for entries to U360 Design Competition
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66163-appleton-coated-calls-entries-u360-design-competition/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
HP Licenses Large Format Printed Media Portfolio to Brand Management Group
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66162-hp-licenses-large-format-printed-media-portfolio-brand-management-group/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Futek Thrilled with Newly Installed Colordyne 1600-PC Laser Pro
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66165-futek-thrilled-newly-installed-colordyne-1600-pc-laser-pro/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Prisma Utilizes Latest Technology in Direct Mail
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66166-prisma-utilizes-latest-technology-direct-mail/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
Aleyant Systems Partners with Ultimate Technographics to Add Automated Imposition
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66168-aleyant-systems-partners-ultimate-technographics-add-automated-imposition/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
DGM Installs Insight Die Co-Ordinator Registration System at Utah Paper Box
via WhatTheyThink.com Printing Industry News http://whattheythink.com/news/66170-dgm-installs-insight-die-co-ordinator-registration-system-utah-paper-box/?utm_source=whattheythink&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
DIGITAL PRINT OPERATOR - printweek.com
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHU-i7ihP6Aht3ypdO-isfJhTtCzQ&url=http://jobs.printweek.com/job/342003/digital-print-operator/?TrackID%3D2
Spectro speculations: considerations when buying into colour control
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/production-print/workflow/colour-management/spectro-speculations-considerations-when-buying-into-colour-control/
BrightMove carries geo-located property teasers for Zoopla
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/digital-signage/applications/dooh/brightmove-carries-geo-located-property-teasers-for-zoopla/
M Partners turns east for wide-format division launch
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/wide-format-print/business/companies/m-partners-turns-east-for-wide-format-division-launch/
All Print Supplies strengthens textile portfolio
via OutputMagazine.com http://www.outputmagazine.com/wide-format-print/equipment/media/all-print-supplies-strengthens-textile-portfolio/
World Record Solar Cell with 44.7% Efficiency
via Home http://www.globalprintmonitor.info/index.php/en/technology/solar/35937-world-record-solar-cell-with-447-efficiency-
Surface Print purchases two HP latex printers from CWE Solutions
via Large Format Review http://www.largeformatreview.com/large-format/4338-surface-print-purchases-two-hp-latex-printers-from-cwe-solutions
Strategies For Increasing Digital Sales: Shweiki Media Printing ... - PR Web (press release)
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHAa7X52L0nvHTfbHiisdX45qxK5w&url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/Shweiki-Media-Printing-Co/Digital-Advertising-Sales/prweb11295300.htm
Heidelberg and Fujifilm join forces in inkjet printing - Wall Street Journal
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGTMxVFHMkr0HdHXDArpy46AU1AFg&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20131105-900564.html?dsk%3Dy
How Kickstarter Fundraising Turned Into A Marketing Campaign For ... - Forbes
via digital printing - Google Actualités http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHA4hniDBhhe20pk7BEeILm_3X53Q&url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcbabej/2013/11/05/how-kickstarter-fundraising-turned-into-a-marketing-campaign-for-digital-silver-imaging/
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday, December 02, 2011
How long does it take to check if your management team is pulling and pushing in the same direction? 10 minutes! In a series of 6 blog posts we will explain how you can check alignment in your management team in just 10 minutes http://ow.ly/7zxNF
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Creating Engaging Teams [Corporate Team Engagement Program]
It is best for initiatives to Creating an Engaging Team ™ ( look at this good video) to start a great partnership of a team of people.
The objectives highlight how teams are able to work closely together; striving towards a common goal.
With the programs that focus on Communication, Transformational Leadership Concept and Entrepreneurial Leadership Concept, Change, Team Development, Lead Without Title, the Creating Engaging Team concept is able to bring out the positive attitude and high motivation among people -- that is to be happy working together and bring out the best in the team.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqKOohoP6X0
Friday, August 12, 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
printers with engaging sales messages will create more powerful, profitable businesses.
“This is how most printing companies look like to print buyers. How do you avoid this?”
“Hello, I’m from printer A. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer B. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer C. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer D…..”
I think you know what printer D is going to say!
Yes printer D is going to say exactly the same as printer A.
And printer B.
And printer C.
And this means a print buyer will do one of two things. They will probably put the phone straight down. After all, this is the tenth identical call that they have received this week. But if the print buyer is feeling kind, they may give the printer a job to quote on.
But the printer for that job will be chosen on price only
Every printer is giving the same message. And most printers do deliver on service and quality. So the buyer has only one way to choose the printer. And that way is price.
If printers do not have an engaging sales message they will be fighting a price war. They will fail to create worthwhile client partnerships. They won’t have any control over their clients. And ultimately, most of these printers will go out of business.
Printers who have a sales message that engages clients will achieve far more. They will gain clients who want to partner with them. They will have more control over these clients. Ultimately, printers with engaging sales messages will create more powerful, profitable businesses.
So how do you create an engaging sales message? Here are three ways:
Make the sales message about the client, not you
Most clients aren’t interested in you. They aren’t interested in your modern presses. They aren’t interested in your company history.
But clients are interested in themselves. So the printer needs to have a message which relates to the client and their market sector. But the message also needs to understand the challenges that the market sector faces.
Make the sales message relate to the client’s problems
All clients face challenges in their business. But how do you, as a printer, help solve those challenges? If you can solve a problem for a client, they are very likely to talk to you.
Remember that the problem may not be what you think it is. The client problem is unlikely to be about the print itself. You need to understand the real challenges that the client faces. You might want to talk to your best clients about the challenges that they face.
But once you engage with the client and their problems, you still need to be different from the competition.
Create a unique selling point that is different to everyone else’s
Most printers rely on service, quality and price as their unique selling points. But these selling points are not unique: 98% of printers talk about these issues. Do you want to be part of the 98%?
To have an engaging sales message, you need to create a true point of difference in your business. And this point of difference must be relevant to the print buyer.
So can printers really sound different to each other?
I recently ran a course on sales messaging for printers. In the room were four printers with virtually the same presses. And three of them were also family owned. They all had very similar sales messages.
But by the end of the day, all of them sounded completely different. Each of the printers had created different target markets. They had worked out how they helped these target markets. And they had created a new message that would engage these markets.
It is easy for printers to sound very different to a print buyer.
But print buyers buy print, not solutions
Have a look at this article http://bit.ly/qAAHrW on why print buyers should not buy print. The article will give you a different insight into the mind of a print buyer. And you will see that the print buyer is actually buying something very different to some ink on a substrate.
When you realise what print buyers are buying, it is much easier to create a more engaging sales message.
Here are three steps for you to start creating your new sales message
1) Ban the words service, quality and price from your sales message. And, while you’re at it, bear in mind that the environment is also becoming a pretty standard message.
2) Before going further with the sales message, talk to a good client. Understand their problems and how you help them.
3) Look at the other printers that your client might use. Focus on what makes you different from these printers.
Remember, you need to sound different from the competition
And you certainly don’t want to end up sounding like print A.
Or print B. Or printer C.
Published in Matthew Parker's Blog
“Hello, I’m from printer A. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer B. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer C. I offer great service, great quality and competitive prices. I was wondering if I could quote on any jobs for you.”
“Hello, I’m from printer D…..”
I think you know what printer D is going to say!
Yes printer D is going to say exactly the same as printer A.
And printer B.
And printer C.
And this means a print buyer will do one of two things. They will probably put the phone straight down. After all, this is the tenth identical call that they have received this week. But if the print buyer is feeling kind, they may give the printer a job to quote on.
But the printer for that job will be chosen on price only
Every printer is giving the same message. And most printers do deliver on service and quality. So the buyer has only one way to choose the printer. And that way is price.
If printers do not have an engaging sales message they will be fighting a price war. They will fail to create worthwhile client partnerships. They won’t have any control over their clients. And ultimately, most of these printers will go out of business.
Printers who have a sales message that engages clients will achieve far more. They will gain clients who want to partner with them. They will have more control over these clients. Ultimately, printers with engaging sales messages will create more powerful, profitable businesses.
So how do you create an engaging sales message? Here are three ways:
Make the sales message about the client, not you
Most clients aren’t interested in you. They aren’t interested in your modern presses. They aren’t interested in your company history.
But clients are interested in themselves. So the printer needs to have a message which relates to the client and their market sector. But the message also needs to understand the challenges that the market sector faces.
Make the sales message relate to the client’s problems
All clients face challenges in their business. But how do you, as a printer, help solve those challenges? If you can solve a problem for a client, they are very likely to talk to you.
Remember that the problem may not be what you think it is. The client problem is unlikely to be about the print itself. You need to understand the real challenges that the client faces. You might want to talk to your best clients about the challenges that they face.
But once you engage with the client and their problems, you still need to be different from the competition.
Create a unique selling point that is different to everyone else’s
Most printers rely on service, quality and price as their unique selling points. But these selling points are not unique: 98% of printers talk about these issues. Do you want to be part of the 98%?
To have an engaging sales message, you need to create a true point of difference in your business. And this point of difference must be relevant to the print buyer.
So can printers really sound different to each other?
I recently ran a course on sales messaging for printers. In the room were four printers with virtually the same presses. And three of them were also family owned. They all had very similar sales messages.
But by the end of the day, all of them sounded completely different. Each of the printers had created different target markets. They had worked out how they helped these target markets. And they had created a new message that would engage these markets.
It is easy for printers to sound very different to a print buyer.
But print buyers buy print, not solutions
Have a look at this article http://bit.ly/qAAHrW on why print buyers should not buy print. The article will give you a different insight into the mind of a print buyer. And you will see that the print buyer is actually buying something very different to some ink on a substrate.
When you realise what print buyers are buying, it is much easier to create a more engaging sales message.
Here are three steps for you to start creating your new sales message
1) Ban the words service, quality and price from your sales message. And, while you’re at it, bear in mind that the environment is also becoming a pretty standard message.
2) Before going further with the sales message, talk to a good client. Understand their problems and how you help them.
3) Look at the other printers that your client might use. Focus on what makes you different from these printers.
Remember, you need to sound different from the competition
And you certainly don’t want to end up sounding like print A.
Or print B. Or printer C.
Published in Matthew Parker's Blog
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New Technologies: Threat or Opportunity?
Lets stop sugar coating it, this new platform for communicating is different than radio or TV, its operating on a different economy (digital economy) and it is going to change the print business forever. Embrace it to find the opportunities.
I’ve been hanging out at gatherings of printers lately, why do people insist on commenting about how someone in their family refuses to read books on a Kindle/iPad? Or they rant against the messages in e-mails, “do the right thing for the environment, don’t print this.”
What is this? Are we trying to sooth ourselves into believing that not only is there a whole host of new ways to communicate (other than print) but these methods are operating on a fundamentally different economic system (the digital economy).
I suggest we all start to speak more frankly. What’s the risk? The change will happen whether we embrace it or resist it. The print industry doesn’t have any control over the evolution of technology and networks that are enabling a communication revolution.
I believe resisting the change prevents us from maximizing the opportunities that exist during the transition. Admit it. The business of print is changing rapidly, as my father used to say, “If you’re not growing, you’re going out of business.”
It’s liberating to own up to the changes because it liberates us to make bold moves. Here are a couple suggestions.
I’ve been hanging out at gatherings of printers lately, why do people insist on commenting about how someone in their family refuses to read books on a Kindle/iPad? Or they rant against the messages in e-mails, “do the right thing for the environment, don’t print this.”
What is this? Are we trying to sooth ourselves into believing that not only is there a whole host of new ways to communicate (other than print) but these methods are operating on a fundamentally different economic system (the digital economy).
I suggest we all start to speak more frankly. What’s the risk? The change will happen whether we embrace it or resist it. The print industry doesn’t have any control over the evolution of technology and networks that are enabling a communication revolution.
I believe resisting the change prevents us from maximizing the opportunities that exist during the transition. Admit it. The business of print is changing rapidly, as my father used to say, “If you’re not growing, you’re going out of business.”
It’s liberating to own up to the changes because it liberates us to make bold moves. Here are a couple suggestions.
- Move 50% of your business online by the end of 2012
- Launch at least (1) new 100% digital communication product in 2011
- Hire at least (1) employee whose focus is marketing (online, social media, blogging, technology sales support).
- Write the story of your business (past, present, future) – make sure your website tells that story and continues to update that story (blog) so that customers and prospects can get to know you online.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
To register for your FREE entry badge for FESPA Digital 2011 and FESPA Fabric 2011
To register for your FREE entry badge for FESPA Digital 2011 and FESPA Fabric 2011 click on 'Register Now' and complete the registration form.
Admission to FESPA Digital 2011 and FESPA Fabric 2011 is FREE for pre-registered visitors. Visitors who have not pre-registered will have to pay an admission fee of €25 on arrival. Register now
Friday, April 01, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Indian firm promises global OOH planning platform
Web firm Double Spring launches the AdHome service next month, and is looking for local partners in major markets around the world.
“The service will be available soon in most of the big OOH markets – the U.S., Japan, India, Europe, Brazil and the Middle East. At this time we are focused on forging strategic partnerships with local companies in each region,” CEO Shuhaib Shariff was quoted as saying.
AdHome will allow planners to search the OOH media that it lists by demographic, ad format, location and price, as well as providing media owners with tools for inventory management and analytics.
While there have been many attempts to provide such platforms, both for digital OOH and for the broader out-of-home market, few if any have shared the geographical ambitions of AdHome.
adhome.com
doublespring.com
OOH:Seven deadly sins of content creation
Content is recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing the digital out-of-home sector, yet problems with quality, affordability and availability have plagued the medium since its inception. Don Pierson – founder, president and COO of Flypaper Studio – takes a tour of the most serious pitfalls.
Content development is a passion of mine. I’m going on two decades of starting business in this space, and I’ve learned that there are a few major no-nos that haven’t changed. I’ve lived both sides of the client/provider relationship and have felt at first hand the frustrations of trying to create highly engaging content within the constraints imposed by budgets and time.
Because the digital-signage world is still young and the advent of highly-engaging Flash content even younger, there are many of us sinning out there without even knowing it. If we can’t solve the challenge of creating meaningful content that not only meets today’s standards but looks towards exceeding them, we’re essentially wasting time and money. It’s certainly never easy, and over time I’ve developed a list of the top sins committed when it comes to content creation.
When time and budget are tight it’s often quality that gets sacrificed. Remember, today’s visual standard is broadcast television and film. Effective solutions must provide high-quality and visual impact, with no exceptions.
www.flypaper.com
Content development is a passion of mine. I’m going on two decades of starting business in this space, and I’ve learned that there are a few major no-nos that haven’t changed. I’ve lived both sides of the client/provider relationship and have felt at first hand the frustrations of trying to create highly engaging content within the constraints imposed by budgets and time.
Because the digital-signage world is still young and the advent of highly-engaging Flash content even younger, there are many of us sinning out there without even knowing it. If we can’t solve the challenge of creating meaningful content that not only meets today’s standards but looks towards exceeding them, we’re essentially wasting time and money. It’s certainly never easy, and over time I’ve developed a list of the top sins committed when it comes to content creation.
Sin 1: poor quality
When time and budget are tight it’s often quality that gets sacrificed. Remember, today’s visual standard is broadcast television and film. Effective solutions must provide high-quality and visual impact, with no exceptions. 
Sin 2: unavailability
Downtime is a killer. Dead air (or a dead screen) is like throwing money out the window for your customer. If you don’t have engaging, ever-changing, and perhaps even interactive content on the screen at all times, you are losing eyeballs and money.Sin 3: choppy/broken display
Broken content is just as bad as dead air. If your content does not display correctly, no-one is going to pay attention. Reliable playout is a must. Flypaper relies on Flash as a proven delivery medium for this reason.Sin 4: content fatigue
The digital-signage industry is especially at risk of this one. Content fatigue sets in quickly if the content is boring and repetitive. You need to constantly refresh the content your viewers see, and make it interactive whenever possible. Or vary your approach to creating your content. That way viewers don’t feel like they’re watching the same thing over and over and over and…Sin 5: spending too much
Digital-signage content creation cannot be an expensive proposition any more, especially given the amount of content that needs to be created to meet the challenge of delivering fresh and updated material at all times. Meeting this need has always been in conflict with sin number one, providing quality content. Inexpensive always meant settling for inferior quality. (With Flypaper, though, you don’t have to settle any more.)
Sin 6: missing deadlines
Late delivery of new or updated content affects your reputation and your company’s. With digital signage, missing a fast deadline can mean lost sales and branding opportunities. Here’s another need that’s always been in conflict with providing quality content – rapid production also meant settling for inferior quality.Sin 7: no measurable return on investment
Digital-signage content that is created for visual aesthetics without a purpose is good for the fine-art world, but does not work in business. If the results cannot be measured to provide a justifiable return on investment, you are setting yourself up to fail your clients. Analytics and measurement are the keys to business communications.www.flypaper.com
Friday, December 24, 2010
Happy, happy Christmas,
For me Home it is the house from the rock where this picture was made.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Your *TBA Consultant. We deliver the IT European SMB market to you.*Trusted Business Advisor.
We define SMBs from an IT Channel perspective. Companies with less then 10 employees tend to purchase IT products from the superstores, or online using price as the primary criteria in product selection. Larger enterprises that have a CIO as part of the management team, use Resellers as a source for purchasing IT products at a low price.
Between the really small companies and the large enterprises, are the 10 million evasive, hard to reach SMBs with about 10 to 500 employees. Vendors sell products, whereas SMBs need technology-based solutions – solutions that give them a strategic advantage in the daily operation of their business, as well as help reduce costs and increase revenues. Much in the same as enterprises depend on their CIOs, Resellers create a symbiotic relationship with SMBs whereby, instead of being viewed as a supplier, they have become a Trusted Business Advisor (TBA).
Trusted Business Advisors
TBAs provide SMBs with recommendations on what solutions they require and then determine what they need, purchase the technology on their behalf, install it, ensure system integration, train employees and provide 7x24x365 service and support to keep the technology up and running. Simultaneously, TBAs refresh and update the technology.
SMBs do not want to know how the products work or why; they just want someone they trust to make sure they have the technology-based solutions they need. TBAs very effectively replace the FUD factor (fear, uncertainty and doubt) with a comfort zone.
The only effective way to reach, service and support SMBs is via their Trusted Business Advisors. TBK core competence is delivering the SMB marketplace to Vendors. We do this by reaching, educating, enabling, motivating and ensuring TBAs have the business knowledge, tools and vehicles required to effectively reach and service SMBs.
Since 1980, we have developed and implemented cost-effective, strategic, go-to-market programs for 350 IT companies. This experience has allowed us to accumulate a wealth of intellectual channel marketing knowledge in direct, channel, hybrid, retail, etail, managed services and SaaS go-to-market models.
We leverage our relationships, experience and knowledge on how to reach, recruit, engage, motivate, educate, enable and collaborate with TBAs to help Vendors enhance their channel relationships and increase their sales.
Using a systematic process, we provide Vendors with the structure, experience and contacts required to:
- Define channel objectives
- Evaluate current channel marketing expenditures
- Perform a SWOT, gap and needs analysis
- Position, segment, target and profile customers, resellers and distributors
- Develop a customized, strategic, complete end-to-end channel marketing plan based on the Channel Sales Cycle: recruiting and engaging, enabling, collaborating with and maintaining strong relationships with appropriate Channel Partners to help them build their business and yours
- Align objectives and audiences with distributor-funded and corporate marketing programs
- Define parameters and criteria for evaluation of current activities and ongoing performance measurement
- Implement partner recruitment, engagement, education and motivation programs
- Create and execute all channel marketing programs, including: launch strategies and rollouts; Channel product seeding, awareness and branding programs, demand creation and lead generation programs; partner and/or customer retention programs; etc.
- TBK and Computer Profile Channel Enablement Program:
- VAR Recruitment
- VAR Training
- VAR Enablement
- End-User Leads
- End-User Marketing
- Measure performance and track back results to ROI based on individual program components and/or back to the performance of specific partners
*All statistics quoted are best estimates developed by TBK based on a combination of research, industry knowledge and extrapolation.
**References to Resellers include VARs, System Integrators and System Builders. Retailers and etailers are not included.
Five big tech innovations coming in the next five years: IBM
As we turn the calendar to the next year -- and decade -- IBM is unveiling its fifth annual "Next Five in Five," its perspective on five innovations it believes will change how people work, live and play over the next five years. Several years ago, when mobile phones were purely for voice, IBM projected the strong uptake of mobile devices and smart phones and 'carrying your business in your pocket.' That's all with us now. So bearing that in mind, what do IBM's soothsayers predict now is in our future?
Batteries will Breathe Air to Power our Devices
This means that batteries in electronic devices will be smaller, lighter and last 10 times longer than they do today.
"In looking at the history of battery improvements, we've seen about 7% improvement on a year to year basis, and that clearly doesn't match demand," said Don Campbell, Chief Technology Officer for Business Analytics at IBM. "We've been very seriously working on all aspects of the technology to get better performance. For certain batteries, carrying a device around all day, that simple motion of walking around with the device can be leveraged to bring energy back.
"We are also looking at ways to take ionization out of the air chemically, to take advantage of what's in our atmosphere," Campbell said. "We have some ways to go there. Eventually, a battery that never runs out is the goal, but if we get 10 times the life we do today, this will still change how we use these devices."
You'll Beam up your Friends in 3-D
No, it's not quite Star Trek time, but with the rapid advancement in 3-D technology IBM says you'll soon be able to interact with your friends through 3-D holograms -- in real time -- from your phone.
"Some of these trends are already starting in the consumer space," Campbell said. "3D TVs are becoming a potentially popular item. And the addition of holographic technology, which would eliminate the need for special glasses, will change the adoption rate."
Holographic technology involves the reproduction of the splitting and scattering of light to represent a 3D image.
"You can see that light from different angles, move your point of view, get a much more natural feel from the perspective of what you are looking at," Campbell said. "From an enterprise data perspective, it's adding a third dimension of data without having other data items get in the way. We are attuned to looking at information in 3D, and when we can turn that on for people, they get a lot of value back."
3D Projection in this format is likely to come out of tabletop devices, as what you see in 3D appears on TOP of the event, not instead of it. For straight commercial applications, Campbell said to look for this in interactive kiosks -- "kiosks with 3D navigation capabilities rather than an awkward projection into 2D, which is what we look at today."
Computers will help energize your city
The philosophy here is already apparent in IBM Smarter Planet initiatives, but there's more to come, Campbell said, specifically energy being harnessed from computer heat, then used to heat and cool buildings.
"In the data center, 50% of the energy is cooling the data center, and a lot of that heat is just lost to us," Campbell said. "A micro approach to passing water across the chip, pulling heat out of the chip and instead of getting rid of it, capturing, extracting and repurposing it, can lead to something as simple as driving a coffee maker in the lunch room, or as massive as heating a building in winter."
You won't need to be a Scientist to Save the Planet
People are walking sensors, and in five years, sensors in your phone, car, wallet and even your Tweets will collect data that give scientists a real-time picture of your environment. A whole class of "citizen scientists" will emerge, using simple sensors that already exist to create massive data sets for research.
"We have all kinds of ways now of putting in place a sensor that will collect information," Campbell said. "People carry devices with GPS chips, motion detectors, accelerometers, that can shut down hard drives about to crash. If we can leverage that to learn other things about our environment, we can really gain an advantage."
Campbell doesn't think privacy issues would become an issue here.
"People would agree to be part of this, and wouldn't give up any personal information," he said. 'The law now requires mobile devices to be able to communicate GPS location in emergencies, and this is no different than that."
Your commute will be personalized
This one sounds like GPS, but it goes much further, combining predictive analytics with real-time travel route information to recommend better ways to get to your destination.
"GPS tells me how to get from my home to the office, and traffic conditions, but what it doesn't do is predict for me based on all kinds of other things what things might be like as my commute commences," Campbell said. "For instance, it could predict how many parking spots in nearby garages are likely to be available when I arrive, so I know where to go first. And it might consider, if there is an event or a major disruption, if I should just take public transit, and redirect me to a drop -off place if that's the case."
Campbell said the limit of GPS is that it's not personalized.
"If you add more personalization and data sources, I think these devices can be much smarter," he said. "I'm happy to have GPS tell me how everyone should get from my place to work but what I would really like is to know MY information based on my preferences."
In summing up the philosophy behind the projections, Campbell said that predictive analytics is critically important in understanding how we use data in various firms, both structured and unstructured.
"Long gone are the days where we just collected information and spewed it back out into decision making reports," he said. "We need to understand how people communicate, using both trusted and untrusted sources, and distil it all down."
By Mark Cox
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