By Danny Sullivan
Remember the amazing wind-up radio that appeared in the late 90s? Well, the Freeplay Foundation, the organisation behind that remarkable invention is close to extending the technology into an area that could have an even greater impact on third-world countries: home lighting.
The BBC reports, “As part of its LifeLight Project the Freeplay Foundation has drawn up designs for a charging base unit that would be able to power up several detachable lights that can be used around a home.”
It’s always exciting to hear about new technology innovations, but it’s even better when the impetus behind the innovation is truly for the benefit of others.
By Eliot Burdett
Re: Francis’s Ottawa inferiority complex theorem
There is no question Ottawa has its own culture – the prevalence of government, where success is measured differently, probably has a lot to do with it. There are no free rides in a world of entrepreneurship and being mediocre usually means you are fighting to stay alive. Perhaps there hasn’t been a consistent stream of great successes here to regularly inspire everyone? No question this city doesn’t have a wild west, “shoot ‘em or die” spirit.
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By inmedia
Right now, the most popular headline on Information Week is Growing Pains: Can Web 2.0 Evolve Into An Enterprise Technology?
The article explores the benefits and risks associated with using Web 2.0 technologies like wikis, blogs and social networks in the workplace, apposed to solutions developed specifically for the enterprise. After weighing the pros and cons from an IT organization, business organization and business competitiveness perspective, Web 2.0 technologies are deemed a losing proposition. However, the article notes that because Web 2.0 technologies can be more affordable and have simpler administration, they can quickly overtake legacy platforms, and already have done so in some areas.
By inmedia
Those looking for a fright this Halloween need look no further as the media is
littered with IT horror stories that are bound to keep many of you up at night. From dismal insight into the Canadian data centre to security breaches in the enterprise and the looming shortage of skilled IT workers. No less frightening but presented in a more playful fashion, eWeek has compiled what it considers the 13 Scariest Things in IT in 2007 and CIO is sharing a variety of technology disaster stories.
By Francis Moran
Here at inmedia, we regularly have the pleasure, challenge and reward of working with some phenomenal Ottawa companies where our assignment is generating the kind of media and analyst coverage that will move their business yardsticks in the global markets into which they sell.
At the same time, we all too regularly come across a deep-seated inferiority complex about the real ability of companies in this town to compete on the world stage.
This city is where inmedia was born and, notwithstanding that much of our business now comes from outside Ottawa, it’s where most of us live and it’s where we have the deepest community roots. We’re passionate about Ottawa and we care deeply that the technology sector in this city succeeds globally. So it is with the same trepidation that a parent feels about correcting a wayward child that I broach today’s difficult subject, around which I have developed a theorem. The theorem states:
“The likelihood that an Ottawa company will hire an Ottawa service provider to help it tackle its global markets is inversely proportional to the confidence it has in its own ability to actually tackle those markets.”
And there’s a corollary to my theorem:
“The likelihood that a prospective client will be sceptical about our ability to engage with global media and analysts declines exponentially the farther I travel from Ottawa.”
Maybe it’s not just an Ottawa thing, maybe it’s a Canadian thing. But it’s a worrisome thing. And here’s why.
An Ottawa technology company must export or whither on the vine. Such companies are turning to global markets and saying to their prospects, “I’d like you to put the wellbeing of your business in the hands of my small Ottawa company.” Then they turn to me and say, “There’s no way I’m putting the wellbeing of my business in the hands of your small Ottawa company.”
Talk about choking on your own dogfood.
Why does this happen?
