Think-About-Tech - User's Blog Feed (cmrlee)

Deutsche Telekom Brings Software Portal Softwareload to UK

2009-10-23T08:25:37+01:00

Deutsche Telekom, the German communications leader, has launched its Softwareload download service in the UK. The service is extremely popular in Germany where Softwareload.de has more than a million users.

Softwareload.co.uk aims to become the place for Web users to purchase software from various application providers. Softwareload.co.uk contains software applications for work and home life, and customers can store their purchases securely on the site.

Products available at launch span categories such as anti-virus and security, data protection, photos and graphics, plus personal interest, leisure, Internet and browser software. Visitors can find products such as G Data security products, MAGIX photo and video applications, Nuance PDF apps and Nero burning software, alongside dozens of other applications. Customers can store their purchases for up to one year in the ‘My downloads’ section. This service is free for customers signing up before the end of 2009 and £4.99 thereafter for 12 months’ secure product storage. Softwareload.co.uk users can also benefit from customer support by both phone and email.

Online Scheduling From Doodle

2009-03-03T15:35:18+00:00

Friday was apparently national doodle day, but another Doodle has come to mind to me today: the online scheduling tool. It’s apparently being used by one in every ten people in its native Switzerland – that’s everyone, not just the online population – and it’s just starting to build up a following in the UK.

Scheduling meetings or social events can be a pain in the backside getting everyone to agree on a date and time and, when it comes to time-keeping, the Swiss are a pretty good example to follow.

Doodle is a free web service which allows users to establish a “poll” – a tabular display of possible available time slots – invite participants and see clearly in a table which options best suit everyone.

Doodle’s announced a string of new features today and the system also syncs up with all major calendar systems (including Microsoft Outlook), meaning users should...

Outlook for 2009 Digital Media Market

2008-12-08T12:16:51+00:00

I've been reading a lot about how next year's going to be surprisingly good for digital media as companies switch budgets from traditional advertising to the more targeted and measurable offering that digital platforms promise. This is good news indeed in the current climate, but then I came across this article from digital recruiters Bearing Partnership, which raises the interesting issue of skills shortage. Given the predicted growth in digital media, where are the skilled workers to deliver on demand? The article makes some salient points for digital media businesses; how to retain staff who know they're in demand and can move on quickly and also the possibility that other recruiters will enter the arena claiming to 'know digital' but really just be IT recruiters in disguise.

What's the answer? Invest in training at grass roots level? Harness skills in-house? What's clear is that digital media is still evolving and I suspect that a healthy mix of creative talent management coupled with a close relationship with a digital recruiter can all help to prevent the skills shortage effecting a business who wants to take advantage of digital growth.

4iP - a Chance for New Media Wannabes to Shine

2008-10-20T10:52:19+01:00

Last week Channel 4 launched its 4iP service, which invites the public to submit new media ideas which the broadcaster's digerati will then consider for potentially turning them into viable businesses. When I wrote about the market's interest for this service for New Media Knowledge the industry was pretty much unanimously behind it. It's not just for lonely nerds on a Mac in the attic, 4iP is for digital agencies, too. It's like a Dragon's Den for digital wannabes.

Channel 4 has been extremely shrewd here. The company has probably recognised that the game's up for TV as we know it - ad revenues are plummeting as marketers look to increase their web potential. Channel 4 is making sure it's got that side covered, too. It can scoop up new ideas and probably use some of them itself to improve its service. It's a great opportunity for start-ups to get noticed at a time when funding may not be so readily available.

Great work, C4. I salute you.