By Danny Sullivan
ScotlandIS, the trade body for the Scottish IT sector has been in the news this week as it seeks to drive more students to take up IT-related courses at University. As the Scotsman reports, “Figures showed a 47 per cent drop in UK applications to university courses in IT between 2001 and 2006.”
ScotlandIS’s Polly Purvis said, “I think the perception is that, after the dotcom crash, there are no technology jobs left in Scotland. That is just not true. There is a massive shortage of UK students taking up places on related degree courses.”
By Jill Pyle
Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several clients whose PR programs have an analyst relations component. It’s been a great experience getting to know the ins and outs of analyst relations and learning about the many ways it can create value for a client.
We reach out to technology analysts for the same reason we reach out to media: what they say and do has the potential to move markets and engaging with them can have a positive impact on our clients’ business objectives. Many purchasing decision-makers read the research reports issued by large analyst firms like Gartner, Forrester and IDC that put the companies that are included in these reports at top of mind when it comes time to buy.
Like purchasing decision-makers, the media are also known for approaching analysts to source expert opinions. Quotes from technology analysts often appear in the media. Some analysts also write byline articles, columns or blogs. It’s also common for analysts to give presentations and provide counsel to large organizations. In order to stay on top of advancements in their area of expertise, analysts regularly participate in briefings with technology vendors.
Typically, our clients’ first engagement with an analyst firm is an introductory phone briefing, where they have the opportunity to share information about their business, market, market drivers, technology solution and its applications. Introductory briefings can range from 30 to 60 minutes, usually starting with a presentation or demo and finishing up with some questions and answers.
Because we provide company and technology background information in advance of introductory briefings, our clients are often able to have high-value conversations with technology analysts and receive feedback on their value proposition, as well as an authoritative perspective on trends affecting their market. These are the kinds of briefings our clients really enjoy. Unfortunately, some briefings are void of feedback and end with a sales pitch to sponsor a research report.
Our objective when engaging with technology analysts is to seek out opportunities for our clients to be included in research reports that do not require sponsorship and articles that are published in outlets that reach their target customers. It is through engaging with a healthy mix of big-name and boutique analyst firms that we are able to find these kinds of opportunities for our clients.
By inmedia
The PC World Canada email newsletter just alerted me to their Partner Resource Centre, which is featuring How new technology can help your Small Business’ bottom line (PDF). The article discusses some of the challenges small businesses are faced with when trying to measure the ROI on technology investments and shares the following tips:
1. Study headcount and work processes for different jobs and assess their related costs.
2. Examine overall workflow, paying special attention to any ad hoc or manual processes that could be helped through automation.
3. Analyze the cost of maintaining an older technology, then factor in the savings you may realize through reduced maintenance or service costs.
4. Check out remote monitoring and other outsourcing services and compare that to managing your own systems in-house.
5. Identify the quickest areas of return (e.g. integrating POS data with accounting systems can reduce input requirements and administrative headcount).
Specifically, the article recommends small businesses invest in technology that will allow them to automate routine processes, create real-time business reports and connect business information and staff. For more details, head over to the Partner Resource Centre.
By Danny Sullivan
Technology industry watchers have long been waiting for India to start competing on a par with the world’s biggest technology nations. And with good reason – the Indian IT market was recently noted to have passed the $50 billion mark, with phenomenal year-on-year growth.
Today’s news that India is now home to the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world is a testament to that growth. As The Times’s Rhys Bailey puts it, “India’s entry into the top flight of high-speed computing comes amid a significant reshuffle among the sector’s elite installations with America’s dominance over the sector coming under challenge.”
By Francis Moran
The announcement this morning that global computer services company IBM has struck a deal to acquire Ottawa’s Cognos will end months of speculation over who would eventually claim the largest remaining independent business intelligence software company. However, the disappearance from the public markets of Ottawa’s second-largest (after Nortel) publicly traded company is sure to reignite the hand-wringing over why this town can’t seem to create and sustain many large public companies. Bridgewater Systems’ announcement earlier this month that it was planning an initial public offering will do little to assuage the angst.
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