Friday, 30 November 2007

Yahoo! Lock into PDF



I was interested to see that Yahoo! has announced plans to integrate online ads into PDF documents.

Yahoo! has reached a deal to start running advertisements in Adobe's PDF document-reading format.

The service will allow publishers to make money by including adverts linked to the content of a PDF document in a panel at the side of the page. The advertisements will not appear if the PDF document is printed.

It is the first time that Adobe has allowed dynamic adverts into its PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Dynamic adverts can be changed for particular audiences or rotated to make sure that a particular user never sees the same advertisement twice. The evolving online ad model rolls on.

Digital Strategy 2.0 Summit



The Digital Strategy 2.0 Summit has been held this week in Auckland. I simply did not have time to attend, but the need and urgency to address New Zealand's woeful broadband performance is real.

Once again, I accessed the Online Telegraph this morning and was confronted by confirmation of this. The Business Page inline video clearly knew where I was from.

'This Player requires a faster connection to enable smooth playback of video.

The connection speed detected will cause a potentially unviewable experience'.


I am signed up to Telecom's Broadband service. Says it all really.

Thursday, 29 November 2007

Investor Pitch


Yesterday afternoon, I attended an investor presentation at ABN Amro Craigs NZ HQ. It is based in Tauranga.

The presentation itself was excellent. It showcased a new software solution, but what interested me were the questions from the investors. Their focus was on the business case and not particularly the technology. They were interested in IP protection, competitor profiling and revenue streams. It was an abject lesson to learn. And it will effect the way I pitch Pingar in similar situations. I might be excited by the technology. Investors though are focused totally on the ROI. Period.

Wednesday, 28 November 2007

On-Line Ad Spend Up 23%


The latest report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau puts online advertising spend in NZ at $40 million for the third quarter of 2007 - up 23 per cent on the previous quarter, and brings the total for the first three quarters to $98.6 million.

Display advertising increased by 40 per cent on the second quarter, whilst search and directory spending was up 15.5 per cent. Classified ad spend was up 21.5 over Q2.

It is clear from these statistics, and others offshore, that online advertising continues to grab a larger share of global advertising spend. That is great news since it is core to the Pingar model.

And according to separate research by Outsell, this is not a flash in the pan. Online advertising spend is forecast to continue to grow as advertisers take advantage of new online opportunities. Good time ahead.

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Global Banking?


One interesting observation made at today's International Market Forum related to the reach of New Zealand banks offshore. I did not attend the specific workshop where this issue was raised, but on reflection, the observation mapped my own experience.

When I have enquired before about overseas NZ bank representation, even through correspondent banks, in key global territories, I have drawn a blank. I had no luck in the UAE and Bangalore? - forget about it. I can't even SWIFT NZ dollars into India. I have to convert them first to US dollar's or GBP and then this is converted into INR. Two lots of currency conversion payments on one basic transaction. That really sucks.

It is not a problem I ever had in the UK. But then in NZ, the banks are not locally owned. 90% are owned by Australian banks. Which makes me think. If Aussie really wanted to slow down NZ exports all they would really need to do, would be to.......hmmmmmmm

Tauranga Networks



I have just returned from the International Market Forum organised in Tauranga by NZTE & Export NZ.

As ever, I am amazed at the quality of innovative businesses that operate out of the Bay of Plenty. I blog a lot about global engagement. It is great to have an opportunity to do that on my 'home turf'. If you want inspiration, then the Bay has it.

And the networking continues tonight with the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce farewell party for Jane Nees who leaves as Chief Executive to become a full-time councillor. A large turnout is guaranteed so a second set of business cards is at the ready.

At this morning's 'E-Business' workshop, I talked about the value of the medium as a means of collaborating, communicating and networking. I hope the message got across. The tool might be technology, but the application is '100% Pure' business.

Monday, 26 November 2007

E-Commerce in the USA


Tomorrow, I am leading a workshop called 'E-business: Using the Internet as a Sales Tool'. It is all part of an International Market Forum being organised in Tauranga by NZTE & Export NZ. This focus is on North America.

The timing is appropriate. I noticed a lead story on Yahoo Finance today that is highly relevant to tomorrow's workshop. It is entitled 'Wary Online Retailers Step Up Offers'.

According to the article, with a holiday season that is expected to be the weakest since 2002, and numbers of new online customers leveling off, more Web retailers have been pushing special offers and promotions to draw consumers. "The online community is getting more competitive as the amount of new customers slows," according to Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, an online arm of the National Retail Federation. "Add to that the concerns about the economy, and promotions and sales provide a great way to get people excited."

Silverman said the number of retailers offering free shipping with no conditions, such as a minimum purchase, has jumped to 41.4 percent from 36 percent last year.

It does pose a series of questions at NZ businesses that might be thinking of entering the US e-commerce market. How up-to-speed are they in terms of online market intelligence and how should they respond to the type of commercial pressures that now exist within this online space? Tomorrow's workshop will attempt to address some of these questions.

The Ice Angels



At last week's Entrepreneur's meeting, I had a 10 minute 'speed date' with Mike Murphy of the Ice Angels.

The ICE Angels are a network of private angel investors brought together by The ICEHOUSE to facilitate investment in early stage companies, providing structure to the deal revision process and benefiting from scale economies in sourcing deal flow. That's their words, not mine.....

Now my words. They do a great job at providing qualified 'start-ups' with advice on becoming investment ready and then, in some cases, backing those start-ups with their own money. In NZ, Ice Angels are an important source of 'start-up' funding.

What struck me though was the scale of the Ice Angels funding v the demand from innovative NZ start-ups v the availability of other funding sources in NZ. The comparison was made more acute by a lunch I had had two weeks before in Auckland with Investment NZ and a US-based venture capital lawyer. The contrast was sharp. I think there were perhaps more funding sources in the lawyer's single block in Palo Alto than are available throughout the whole of New Zealand. The contrast was that great.

Ice Angels provide a great model for start up investment. New Zealand needs more angels like them.

Friday, 23 November 2007

A Week in Review


The Office on the Deck. Home again.

I have returned to Tauranga having spent 8 days on the NZ road. It has been a long journey. The flight from Wellington last Sunday gave Jacqui and I just two hours to pack the car to head for Auckland. Since then, it has been non-stop.

On Monday, we met a number of great NZ Entrepreneurs looking to expand globally in Westhaven. Then in the evening, it was off to the British Consul General's offices for a reception for the visiting UK T&I Global Entrepreneur Team.

On Tuesday, we had the chance to sit down with Derek Goodwin and Sheetal Mehta in a one-2-one meeting with the Team. We discussed Pingar's own market entry plans for the UK and how we could engage more directly with the Global Entrepreneur Program. Since Pingar had been given 'Greenlight' status by the Program in February, it was great to have the opportunity to meet face to face in NZ.

Tuesday also gave Jacqui and I the chance to engage with NZTE on one of my pet projects of the moment: Creating an environment which will allow NZ ICT businesses to 'soft land' in the UK to expand their business globally. The response was good, so hopefully that is one more box ticked off and one more opportunity gained.

Wednesday saw another Cocktail Party - this time the British Consul General's pre-Xmas drinks reception. Good nibbles, good wine and good company. It was well deserved after Jacqui's heroic three hour meeting with the accountants in the morning. Talk about engaging with the 'dark side'!

And now it's follow-up time. I think I have more conference calls planned in the next 24 hours than I have had for some weeks. It's good, it's positive and we are back. And so hopefully is this blog.

Saturday, 17 November 2007

Engage UK


Wellington Today. The sun actually shone....

I've blogged before about the need for greater engagement between NZ ICT companies and the UK. I prefer the concept of 'engagement' than the concept of 'export'. It is much more embracing and reflects the reality of working with a global mindset.

On Friday, I had the chance to meet up and discuss this briefly with Rod Drury in Wellington. Apart from doing great things with Xero Live, Rod is a Kiwi software entrepreneur who understands the importance of global engagement. He has been there, done that and is now doing it again.

I am in Auckland on Monday for a couple of days and will be taking up the case for a more formal 'Engage UK' strategy with UK T&I and NZTE. It is important to ensure that key agencies buy into the concept. The drive to make this work however will not come from government. It will and must come from the private sector. I believe that process will happen soon.

Thursday, 15 November 2007

Wellington Bound


Note to Self: Take an umbrella...

I am traveling to Wellington today for the first of several 'interesting' meetings over the next few days. Considerable time and investment has been made over the past few months to make these meetings possible.

More news when I can.

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Spanish Eagle - The Restoration



Ten years ago, my father published his first novel. It was called Spanish Eagle - The Restoration.

It was based on the fate of the Romanov dynasty and the possibility that a relative of Tsar Nicholas 11 had been traced. Could the Russian monarchy rise again and impose itself on a Communist regime that was in a state of collapse?

Fast forward 90 years. I was interested to see that Reuters have published a video based on 'Solving a Royal Mystery'. Sorry guys, dad got their first!

North American Market Forum


Export NZ, NZTE and Tauranga Chamber of Commerce are jointly organising a North American Market Forum on 27th November.

The forum will run multiple workshops catering for Emergent and Established exporter streams.

I have been asked to facilitate the workshop: E-business: Using the Internet as a Sales Tool. Given Pingar's own interest in the North American market, there are a number of other workshops I will try to attend.

I like these focused Forums. They provide a great networking environment for businesses facing common problems. The North American market is massive, but so are many of the challenges. If you operate out of the Bay of Plenty and are looking to export to North America, then this Forum is for you.

Microsoft Exchange Server


Today, we are upgrading our email service in the UK, NZ and India to utilise Microsoft Exchange Server from a single box.

Remote configuration of servers and email accounts in any environment can be complex. Co-ordinating that across multiple time zones creates even more potential pitfalls. The new DNS can take up to 24 hours to propogate across all the Net and support is not yet 24/7.

The new mail boxes have been set up. The next few hours will determine the impact on both the network and the performance of our systems. This is not an exercise I want to repeat any time soon.

Tuesday, 13 November 2007

Hunter's in Bangalore

Last Thursday, Jacqui and I took a couple of days off work to coincide with Diwali. It gave us a chance to visit Marlborough and catch up with Jane Hunter, the owner of Hunter's Wines.

Jacqui had met Jane at a Business Women's function in Tauranga a couple of months ago. I have always been partial to the odd tipple myself. I remember well sinking a few glasses or so of Hunter's when we lived back in the UK.

The purpose of Thursday's visit though was slightly more sober. Together with one or two other local wineries, Jane is launching her wines in India. And one of the first stockists will be the Taj Group of hotels in Bangalore. That's good. That's very, very good.

The choice of wines in Bangalore hotels has always been restricted. The potential though has always been there. Overseas guests know it. So does the local taxman and he knows how to add that tarrif.

However, in the interest's of the New Zealand's exports, a bottle of Jane's finest will be ordered when I next visit the Taj Residence. All in the name of patriotism of course. And a decent tipple.

Introducing XPS SaaS


I am constantly asked to describe what Pingar is in plain English and in less than xxxx words.

So for the latest extract from one of John Beer's (my UK-based Pingar partner) more recent technical descriptions of just one Pingar module;

'Pingar’s Microsoft XPS Publishing servers are looking to be the first XPS SaaS document based service where it creates and promotes Microsoft XPS document format online and uses DRM (Digital Rights Management) and UPPM (User Profiling Privacy Management) tools of XPS and Microsoft Live'.

So there we have it. Thanks John.......

The Global Entrepreneur Program


The Global Entrepreneur Programme is an initiative of UK Trade & Investment.

Back in February, Pingar got 'Greenlight' status to join the Program as a 'Technology of Tremendous Potential'. Since then, John Beer has been liaising with the Global Entrepreneur Team in London. Next week, I get my turn.

It is great news that the Global Entrepreneur Team are in Auckland on Monday and Tuesday. It gives me the chance to update them on all things Pingar as well as find out what their plans are for the future. Other NZ companies can take advantage of the services that this initiative offers. I hope they take it.

Introducing FRENZ


FRENZ (Facilitating Research co-operation between Europe and New Zealand) is a joint initiative between the New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) and the European Commission (EC) to enhance the engagement of the New Zealand research, science and technology community with the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7).

This morning I met Carole Glynn, its Director to discuss FP7 from a New Zealand perspective. It was a great meeting since Carole really understands this space. FRENZ offers a range of support services to NZ organisations wishing to participate in FP7 activities. We will be talking again.

Monday, 12 November 2007

Pingar and The Investment Challenge



The $NZ6 Million Investment Challenge has been organised by UK Trade & Investment and Unlimited Magazine. It offers New Zealand companies an opportunity to expand their business into the UK with the chance to secure $6 million in investment capital.

For more details about the Investment Challenge, you should check it out here.

Wednesday, 7 November 2007

Happy Diwali Festival


For Hindus, Diwali (Deepavali) is not only a 'Festival of Lights', it also is a special occasion to worship Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.

It is a time for worship and it is a time for celebration. In India, it is also a public holiday when family and friends can enjoy this festive period together.

On Thursday and Friday this week, HBI Software will close its offices for the occasion. To everyone in Bangalore and beyond, I wish you all a 'Very Happy Diwali'.

Working with EDAs (UK)


Over the past few weeks, I have been in regular contact with Jan Andrews of East of England International. We have been identifying the opportunity for establishing an office for Pingar in the region.

Over that time, Jan has provided with me with a number of answers to a number of questions. These include IT salaries in the region, the local skill base, the availability of high quality office accommodation etc. The response has been fast, so I have been able to share the information with partners both here in NZ and in the UK.

What this has taught me is that NZ companies can conduct quite serious market-related research from their desktop without having to initially commit to the time and cost of global travel. That comes later. UK Trade & Investment are well represented in NZ and can provide links to local Economic Development Agencies throughout the UK. From my experience of EEI, it is a great place to start.

Tuesday, 6 November 2007

The Melbourne Cup 2007


PostScript: Mahler came third. Jacqui came first - with Efficient in the sweepstake. Yipee!

For a few minutes every November, everything stops in Australia and New Zealand. Today is that day.

The Melbourne Cup is the premier race of the Year 'downunder'. Whilst tens of thousands gather at Fremlington to watch the event live, millions of others watch on TV sets at home, at work or at the local bar. Today, for a time, I will join them. Its the Kiwi thing to do.

And the winner? Check out Mahler and remember you saw it here first!

Monday, 5 November 2007

Outsourcing Means Growth


I had a meeting this morning with a Tauranga-based software development business to discuss Outsourcing. Their business cycle was typical.

Great clients...Increasing potential workload...Desperate recruitment situation...Resource Constraints...No growth.

Their situation sadly is not unique. And it will get worse. Statistics published last week indicated whilst demand for skilled IT professionals was increasing, the number of students taking up computer science in tertiary education was on the decline.

New Zealand is in good company. The growing shortage of highly skilled, well-trained IT professionals is casting its shadow over a number of developed economies. Companies in the US and Europe in particular have addressed this threat by their increasing use of outsourcing / offshoring. It has become standard business practice to outsource some IT and other BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) functions to cost effective centres in countries like India. The logic is simple. They by-pass their domestic skill shortages and become more global in both outlook and presence.

Why then the reluctance to follow a similar path by New Zealand business? To grow in a market that has an unemployment rate of only 3% and an appreciable skill shortage in key technology areas is difficult. Why are not more companies looking to outsource or offshore key IT and back-office functions? After this morning's meeting, one more Tauranga ICT business just now might. It's a beginning.

Sunday, 4 November 2007

Facebook Gets Traction


Microsoft's recent investment in FaceBook values FaceBook at about US$15 billion. Is this realistic?

Anecdotally, I have found myself using FaceBook more recently than any other social network. Others have too. Microsoft's own employees have been using FaceBook long before any investment was discussed. The same applies to the leaders of New Zealand's interactive advertising community. FaceBook would appear to be their 'social network' of choice.

What impact might this have on the wider Internet landscape, particularly on Google? Social networks and search are two separate functions for most users, but will that last? Can search be integrated into social networks in a way that is seamless and adds value to users? I believe it can.

The skirmish that has prompted so much corporate and investment activity in this area can only grow as these platforms consolidate. From my perspective, and with the positive impact for its advertising network under the terms of its share purchase, Microsoft has got a bargain.

Friday, 2 November 2007

Start-up Market Entry


Am I a Hare or a Snail?

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with John Beer to prepare for the commercial launch of Pingar. We have faced the classic start-up dilemma: Timing Market Entry.

Most start-ups natural instinct is to go to market as fast as possible once a commercial product, solution or service can be delivered. It is hard to resist. So much time, money and sweat has normally been expended building the output that the 'Goto' and 'First Mover Advantage' instincts kick in. And then the term 'Cash Burn' takes over. Market share grab is full on.

Perhaps unusually for a start-up, John and I have been around for a long-time with at least 50 years combined experience of the ICT space. I first experienced 'New Media' in 1978 when I left University. Then it was commercial radio! Since then I have seen multiple reiterations of the 'New Media / New Business' model.

And so have the snails.

Market entry is one milestone. Survival and expansion are the second and third. At Pingar, we have resisted the instinct to launch 'yesterday'. We have learnt from the snails.

Away from the platform development, building strong commercial partnerships has been a key focus for us. This has meant negotiating with global players who do not have the agility of a start-up. They can provide different and more compelling market entry opportunities however when the 'Goto' button is pressed.

Have we lost out on short term revenue and market share by taking this approach? Probably. Resisting the instinct to 'bestow our endeavours on a grateful market', has been difficult, particularly since a start-up / established corporate partner relationship is not immediately natural. The drivers behind such a partnership need working out to establish a 'win-win' formula that satisfies both parties roadmaps.

To be honest, we have never really feared the hares. It was always going to be the snails that threatened Milestones 2 @ 3. We think we have got it right. Pingar's launch will deliver its verdict on that assumption.

Thursday, 1 November 2007

Planning for London


Although it is still several weeks before I head off for London, I intend to start planning my diary for the visit today. I have a lot of people to meet.

I know London at that time of year. It is cold, dark, hectic. I cannot wait.