Tuesday, 31 July 2007

Working with NZTE

I have a meeting later today with Lionel Crawley, BOP Regional Manager of NZTE.

NZTE has been hugely supportive of Pingar's development since last year. Today we are looking at The Enterprise Development Grants programme, Market Development component (EDG-MD). This is designed to assist businesses such as Pingar with the implementation of significant international market development initiatives.

Over the next few weeks and months, I will blog on the initiatives we are putting into place to take Pingar to the global market. EDG-MD is a great initiative and a very practical way for NZTE to help the funding and planning of that program.

Monday, 30 July 2007

It's Only a Game - Maybe Not


Updated 31/7/07: India need just 73 to win the second Test, closing day four on 10-0 after bowling out England for 355.

The news overnight was not good.

India had scored a commanding 481 in their first innings. England are 40 - 0 wicket in their second innings, still some 240 runs behind. Well, it's only a game.

At the end of this week, I travel to Bangalore, India. I guess their take will be slightly different. 'It's only a game' does not really reflect India's passion for the game and their national side. Let's hope that Strauss, or Cook, or the rain come to my and England's rescue. Otherwise, it's going to be a tough week ahead.

Friday, 27 July 2007

John Beer to Visit NZ


You can now put a face to the name!

John Beer, my UK Pingar partner, is traveling to NZ to spend a week at the end of August. It is going to be a good opportunity to both introduce John to our partners here as well as get feedback on his Pingar experience back in Europe.

Just so long as he does not bring their rain!

Medical Assurance Society AGM


Last night, I attended the Medical Assurance Society AGM. It was held at Mills Reef and was well attended by members.

We use MAS to insure our home and our car. Our experience of them has been excellent. The one insurance policy they do not offer, wait for it, is medical insurance. With almost half their members being medical professionals, I am still trying to work this one out.

Thursday, 26 July 2007

FTA with UAE?

Yesterday, I commented on the need for closer economic co-operation between New Zealand and the UAE.

This morning, I read the following in the National Business Review:

'Negotiations have begun in Wellington to establish a free trade agreement between New Zealand and six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Together Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman represent a major trading partner, according to Trade Minister Phil Goff'.


Now that's uncanny.

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

That's life Hesham!


The news that Dubai Aerospace Enterprise plans to acquire between 51 per cent and 60 per cent of Auckland International Airport is causing quite a stir. Even Winston Peters, our mild-mannered Foreign Minister, has had a few words to stay.

My mind goes back to the end of March when I met Hesham Saleh, in NZTE's offices in Dubai. I was there to discuss Pingar and the regional opportunities that might exist to support its development. Hesham was hugely helpful.

The importance of the UAE region has already been identified by NZTE and in the recent Cullen budget, funds have been made available to expand the NZTE Beachhead program in Dubai.

What now? In my view, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise's interest in AIA should be seen as part of the huge potential that closer economic cooperation between NZ and the UAE could bring. Just ask Grant Dalton and Emirates Team New Zealand. Or maybe just pop in for a coffee with Hesham when you are next passing by.

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

Voices for Innovation


I have received an email from Claire O'Halloran, Emerging Partners Lead, Microsoft UK SMS&P Partner Group drawing my attention to a new initiative called Voices for Innovation (VFI). I have signed up.

The concept behind it is solid. So is the opportunity to network on the Member's Community Forum. Any opportunity to network online with global partners is essential when based in geographically remote regions such as ours. One point: VFI has been inspired by Microsoft and I therefore guess many of its initial members will be Microsoft partners. The key to its success will therefore rely on its ability to remain agnostic from 'The Master'.

But VFI is more than just another social (B2B) networking site. It is designed to provide its members with a means of lobbying global opinion formers about the need to manage and encourage innovation as a key policy objective. Time will tell if this forum can actually help achieve this.

If you want to make a difference and make New Zealand's ICT voice heard, you can sign up here.

Working with Microsoft Project


Writing Project plans is like painting the Fourth Bridge. They go on, and on, and on....

And so today, I am once again reviewing tasks and creating sub-tasks. The list gets ever longer. As a discipline though, it totally focuses me on the job at hand.

Normally, I apply Microsoft Project to individual software development jobs, but I have decided to use its tools to manage my Business Plan. Creating a GANTT Chart clusters all the key elements of the Business Plan into an easily understood 'Task' listing. It removes all the waffle that wraps around the key points in the printed Plan.

To me at least, the potential of Pingar is very, very clear.

Monday, 23 July 2007

entertainmentbook.co.nz


I have just enjoyed my first 'non-work' weekend for some months. It has been a long-time coming. It gave Jacqui and myself a chance to use our recently acquired 'Entertainment™ Book' for the first time.

Jacqui had purchased a copy to help raise funds for the Waipuna Hospice.
Entertainment™ Books are only available through fund-raising groups, organisations and corporations as a member benefit or fund-raiser.

The Entertainment™ Book is a restaurant and activity guide that provides special 25 to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, hotels and attractions throughout Australia & New Zealand. We used it to buy lunch at the Sidetrack Cafe in Mount Maunganui on Sunday. It was superb.

Going through the Entertainment™ Book, there are many places we have often heard about, but not yet visited. The concept behind the guidebook works. Money goes to charity AND you can get great meal discounts. Time for more 'non-work' weekends ahead I think.

Friday, 20 July 2007

Bangalore Bound


The tickets are booked, the bags will soon be packed. I am off to Bangalore.

It's been some time since I was in 'IT City'. Intervening trips to both the US and the UAE have delayed the normal 3 - 4 month visit. So there is a lot to catch up on.

It will be great to catch up with familiar faces and familiar places. I am looking forward to spending my time with the fantastic team at HBI Software and HBI Sales. Then there is the airport, the autos, M.G. Road and The Capitol.

There is so much to do. I cannot wait.

Thursday, 19 July 2007

ICT Technology Park in Tauranga?


I have just received a copy of the Priority One Annual Report. In it, Dave Marriott, the CEO, raises the prospect of the development of an ICT Technology Park in the Western Bay of Plenty.

I think this is a great idea. It will require more though than just advanced infrastructure. I believe it will require the support of some large technology partners as well as a strong relationship with some tertiary eduction facility. To be a really attractive proposition to both local and incoming ICT tenants, the Tauranga facility will have to raise the bar and match the standards set by established technology parks both here in NZ and offshore. That is the challenge.

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

Xploring the View

Xplor UK & Ireland, one of the affiliated associations of Xplor International, has agreed a partnership programme with Strategy Analysis Ltd to offer its industry publication 'The VIEW' as a membership benefit.

The VIEW, published quarterly, is targeted at busy executives who are looking for an overview on what is happening in the ever-evolving technology industry.

Nice.

NZ$ Reality


Last week, I attended a Breakfast meeting where Doug Steel, Westpac Bank economist, forecast that the New Zealand dollar would remain high for some time yet.

This morning, his colleague Sharon McCaw, another economist at Westpac, has said the same thing. Climbing world dairy prices are to blame. It's good news of course for the farmers and it's good news for New Zealand Inc. For those not in this sector however, the impact is more serious. The high dollar is here to stay and I guess to stay for some considerable time yet.

Planning for this is now a critical part of any business strategy.

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

FAST Facts

I blogged last week about Pingar's relationship with FAST, the global leader in Enterprise Search.

On Friday, I received a letter from John M. Lervik, CEO of FAST. In it, John confirmed FAST's support and engagement for Pingar's global launch. John is based in Europe.

It is important for NZ ICT companies to develop global partnerships. In isolation, we focus on 'Export'. That is not a long-term strategy for success. ICT is a global business and NZ ICT businesses must engage at this level. If we don't, then we will fail to commercialise at a global level, the innovation and creativity we are so effective at.

Friday, 13 July 2007

Working with ANZSIC Codes


I attended a BOP ICT Cluster event last night in Tauranga.

I talked to Annie Hill of Priority One about the Stay in the Bay portal. A leading software company in the Bay (check my Link to Blogs!) agreed to sign up today.

The problem they, and I have, is with the industry classification used on the Stay in the Bay portal. It is based on the widely used ANZSIC code trade classification. Unfortunately, I do not believe it represents today's business realities.

There are no trade classifications for anything connected to the Internet or the Web. And many other new 'business services' fail to be mentioned. Today's ANZSIC codes should be re-written. And re-written soon.

Experienced Project Manager Sought

I am seeking an experienced Project Manager for a 4–6 month contract position, with potential extension.

The role requires the successful implementation of a detailed technical specification, currently being finalised. The Project Manager will liaise with the technical specification authors who are located in both Europe and New Zealand. The core development team is located in Bangalore, India. The successful candidate will therefore be expected to undertake some overseas travel during the course of this contract.

The successful candidate must have evidence of managing complex software development projects to strict time lines. Using this experience, the main requirements the successful candidate will be expected to assist the company with, include:

* Identify the skill-sets necessary to complete the successful implementation of the detailed technical specification

* Develop a detailed project plan in partnership with the technical specification authors and Bangalore-based development team

* Identify and then manage the project through all the key milestones to ensure it is implemented and delivered to time frame and budget.

For further details, please email me at peter@whc.co.nz

Thursday, 12 July 2007

European Online Advertising Rising Fast


The annual value of pan-European online advertising is set to reach 16bn euros ($22bn; £10.8bn) by 2012, more than double that of 2006. The report by research body Forrester said online adverts would leap to 18% of market share, up from 9% currently.

The report said search engines would continue to dominate online advertising spend, followed by display advertisements and e-mails.

"After five years of dipping their toes into the online marketing waters, firms have come to realise that the net is a valuable medium for client acquisition, retention and market expansion," said the study.

For Pingar, this is a huge validation of our own research. This growth is here now, and here to stay.

China Calling?


Following on from yesterday's blog about FAST, today the focus is on global markets.

I have just returned from an Export Breakfast hosted by NZTE and Export NZ. It is an excellent forum to meet with, and talk to, other 'exporters' in the region. It also focused my mind on Pingar's own global ambition.

As covered in previous blogs, trips to both the US and the UAE earlier in the year have set up some good potential partnerships / networks for the roll out of Pingar's platform in those regions.

Longer term, we have been looking at the emerging market in China. This has always been a potential hard nut to crack, both in terms of market entry and legislation. Events last night might just have changed that. I hope to blog more about this in the next couple of weeks, but a trip East later this year is no longer out of the question.

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

FAST Forward


I can finally reveal the outcome of several months of negotiation. Pingar has penned a deal with FAST Search, the leading Enterprise Search platform.

For Pingar, this represents a major development in our own Platform development. FAST think the same. You can read their Stock Exchange Announcement about the deal here.

Now that it is in the open, I will be blogging on a regular basis about how Pingar and FAST will be working together to market the Pingar platform to the global market. This represents just the first step in a significant and evolving relationship. It is exciting times ahead.

Tuesday, 10 July 2007

Adios Frank Arrigo

One of the good things about regular bloggers is that you get to begin to understand them as people as well as bloggers. Well, sort of.

When I set up this blog, I was already checking others. One belonged to Frank Arrigo, responsible for all Microsoft Technical Communities in Australia. I added Frank's blog to my own List of Blogs. (Strange to write like this - I have never actually met the man, though I get a sense I know him. That is weird.)

Frank has just announced he is upping sticks, selling the house and shifting over to Redmond for a position, no doubt a little closer to God. What is Australia's loss is Bill's gain. Yet when one really thinks about it, exporting real talent to Redmond will ultimately help everyone in the global Microsoft developer community.

So Adios Frank, and Welcome back.

Monday, 9 July 2007

UK Search Engine Stats


I have just seen some interesting stats from 'The UK Search Engine Marketing Report 2007', published by the e-Consultancy in April.

Just under half (48%) of respondents carry out paid search exclusively in-house. Some 27% of respondents carry out all their paid search activity via an agency, with a further 14% using both in house and agency resources.

In terms of budget, company respondents say they spend 32% of their total marketing budget on online marketing. One third of this was spent on Search. Agency respondents report a similar proportion of budget going to search engine marketing.

It's interesting because these numbers far exceed what I would expect by a similar report into New Zealand online marketing behaviour. Things here are definitely on the up, but this reports shows just how far the online advertising industry in New Zealand has to go - just to play catch-up.

Understanding Exchange Rate Risks


I am putting the finishing touches today to a Business Plan, using Excel.

There is one factor though that is difficult to manage. Although based in New Zealand, most revenue is likely to be generated in the form of US Dollars, Aussie Dollars, the British Pound and the Euro. That is creating a problem. With the NZ dollar at record highs, what impact will its eventual decline have on the bottom line? Given the unpredictable nature of exchange rates and different timing scenarios, how do I build this into a plan?

On Thursday, Export NZ and NZTE have organised an Export Breakfast in Tauranga called 'Understanding Your Exchange Rate Risk in a Global Economy'. I will be there. It is a little scary that no matter how well a business is planned and managed, a sudden major correction in the NZ exchange rate could blow a hole in the best prepared Plan.

Saturday, 7 July 2007

TechCrunch - Added to Blog Links


TechCrunch, founded on June 11, 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. In addition to new companies, it profiles existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the new web space. TechCrunch is edited by Michael Arrington, who also writes a companion blog, CrunchNotes.

I have only scratched the surface, but Techcrunch looks like it contains some half-decent content. I have added CruchNotes to my 'Links to Blogs'. It is definitely worth a visit.

Friday, 6 July 2007

Bay Broadband


'Bay Broadband is a project funded and driven by seven Bay of Plenty Councils to ensure that there is a bright future for Broadband in the region'. So says the pdf brochure just received by email. It is great to see that this project is now underway.

18 months ago, a small group of us set up the 'Urban Fibre Network' committee for the Bay of Plenty. It was supported by the Ministry of Economic Development and mapped the Government's long-term Digital Strategy. The founding members included Craig Garner, ex CEO of Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, Simon Buchanon of New Media and Maurice French of Spirit Wireless. It was clear to us then that in order to gain traction, local government had to drive the initiative.

Bay Broadband is the outcome. The challenges will be great, but the long-term benefits not in doubt. Improved broadband access in the Bay will greatly enhance the economic and social potential this exciting region can offer.

Thursday, 5 July 2007

It's Just Like Wellington!


Torrential rain, high winds and tornadoes. That was Tauranga overnight.

I now know what Chris and his family have to endure on most days in Wellington. At least we have the satisfaction of knowing it will be fine again for the weekend. Check out those weekend temparatures for the capital. Time to rug up, methinks. And time to stock up on the Milo.

Essential Web 2007


A cool event put on by Library House in London last week.

The event’s agenda was shaped to provide a picture of the status and temperature of the web scene in Europe and Israel. The majority of the time at the event was given over to sessions featuring a mix of upcoming and hot web companies - some were pre-funded, raw start-ups, others were well-funded and well-known.

This LINK provides a background to the companies taking part. Some neat work, guys.

Wednesday, 4 July 2007

BA5 with Tauranga Chamber


Tonight, I will be at Mills Reef Winery attending a BA5 meeting organised by Tauranga Chamber of Commerce.

As we seek to build a business base in Tauranga, engaging with local suppliers is essential. BA5 events are great at helping this networking process.

Working with NZTE


I am back in Tauranga, home to New Zealand's second largest port. In 'NZ Export Year 2007', the Port of Tauranga represents the frontline for many Kiwi exporters throughout much of North Island.

I spent yesterday in Auckland at NZTE's offices in ANZ Tower. They hosted a meeting to discuss the NZ Pavillion at CEBIT 2008. The pitch was strong and demonstrated a commitment to assist NZ ICT businesses build a presence at the world's largest IT Expo.

Driving back to Tauranga, National Radio News once again reported that the NZ dollar sat close to its 20-year high against the US greenback. Yet this morning, I am strangely optimistic that despite this perverse cost to exporters, the situation is not all doom and gloom.

Overnight, Team New Zealand finally conceded the America's Cup to Alinghi. The immediate response of NZTE, through Trevor Mallard, has been to put up NZ$10 million to keep Team NZ afloat. This is good news. It demonstrates strength in adversity, a quality demanded of many exporters in today's hostile exchange rate environment.

Monday, 2 July 2007

Internet Advertising Revenue Hits New Record

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) have announced that Internet advertising revenues reached a new record of $4.9 billion for the first quarter of 2007. The 2007 first quarter revenues represent a 26 percent increase over Q1 2006 at $3.8 billion and a 2 percent increase over Q4 2006 at $4.8 billion.

"The recent results are particularly impressive when the size of the advertising revenue base is taken into account," said Peter Petrusky, director, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Given these results, we may expect continued strong revenue growth buoyed by an expanding broadband subscriber base, which could translate into more users spending more time online and offers a platform for rich media and video ads that dial-up connections can’t render."

"The continued growth of Internet advertising, on top of the record growth of 2006 and despite advertising's traditional sluggish first quarter, demonstrates the growing significance of interactive advertising to the overall advertising and marketing industry," added David Silverman, partner, Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sunday, 1 July 2007

NZ in Mourning


New Zealand is not a happy place this morning.

1. The All Blacks were defeated 20 - 15 last night, by Australia, in Melbourne.
2. Team New Zealand were defeated overnight by Alinghi in the sixth race of the America's Cup, in Valencia.
3. It is raining heavily across the North Island.

Well maybe the farmers are happy. Maybe.