Island Web Works

Nathan prompted me today to blog about something, truth is I have been so enjoying blogging about various walks on the Isle of Man that I forgot I also had to blog about work. Anyway, we have been a little quiet on the blogging front recently partly due to the fact it was the holiday ’silly season’ but also because we have been rather pre-occupied with several internal projects.

We have recently developed an all new Social CMS software called Connexions - this will form the core of two significant client web developments that we are about to roll out as well as our own re-branded web presence - due to be launched in the next few days.

Part of the web site re-launch will entail splitting the Web side of our business from the ‘Business Intelligence’ side.

Unfortunately, the success of the Island Web Works brand is stymieing the Business Intelligence side of our business as many people associate this with ‘Web Marketing’ and ‘Google Analytics’ etc., and not the wider aspects of business automation and customer relationship management that help re-enable efficient business processes through effective use of workflow and IT. Where appropriate, we can provide bespoke software development as well as our own award winning CRM software.

As a team we have been together for nearly a decade. At the outset we were almost exclusively focused on web site design; however, over the past few years the ‘Business Intelligence’ side of our business has developed so significantly, we recognised a separate brand was necessary to reflect this part of our business.

Charles Articles

MICTA is looking to become the representative body and collaboration forum for the Isle of Man ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) industry.

Specifically to:

1. Be an inclusive and accessible association attracting the membership of the majority of organisations in the Manx ICT Industry
2. Represent and promote the Manx ICT Industry to: Isle of Man Government, Isle of Man Commerce and Export Markets
3. Arrange ICT Industry networking events
4. Organise ICT Industry exhibitions
5. Foster and nurture appropriate collaboration and cooperation within the industry
6. Increase on-island ICT business retention
7. Increase off-island business (exports)

NEXT WEDNESDAY 28th JULY at 6pm, there is a formative meeting being held at the Claremont Hotel - Sanderson Suite. Light refreshments will be provided. There will be a small £6 admission fee to cover the cost of room hire and refreshments.

Sometimes someone has an idea that should be supported - hopefully if you are involved in the IT industry on the island, provide services that include IT products and or services, software or hardware, then you will be there.

Initial support appears to be very strong, the more attendees the better.

Further information is on www.micta.im

Charles Articles, Events Event, MICTA

The Apple iPhone and latest offering the iPad have been slated by many ‘technical types’ as lacking connectivity and stymied by the need to use the iStore to download apps etc., however, I am beginning to realise that they have not only got it right, but will start an explosion of this type of self contained device in the coming years. My reasoning behind this is simple - a lack of (or desire of) understanding.

For an ageing demographic with money to spend and a desire to connect with the world at large - modern technology aka the P.C. is simply too complex.

When I started in IT in 1988 we had DOS, followed by Windows 2, 3, 3.1, 3x,  95, 98, millenium edition, 2000, XP, Vista and now Windows 7 (which I love), roughly 14+ Microsoft versions of OS not to mention the plethora of alternatives from IBM and the like. Add to that the various versions of word processing software etc.,  from Lotus, Microsoft, and the rest -  and you can see a very worrying trend. The software - or rather the seemingly infinite choice of software is overwhelming - even for “IT professionals”.

I had to test a client’s web site security recently - with their approval of course, however, in my search for a suitable program I found myself downloading software from an unknown/un-trusted source. The amount of time I spent following this exercise - just to ensure my PC was ‘clean’ was significant… and I am supposed to know what I am doing. The threats I was checking for are everyday threats faced by the masses. WHY? - because the modern PC allows you to download and install whatever you want to! Which is why (I think) Apple are ahead of the curve.

Think about it - the average user just wants to do whatever they want to do - surf the web, email friends, share photo’s etc. Wouldn’t it be great to know that no matter what you download - it cannot harm your ‘device’.  By building devices that are restrictive - i.e. you cannot install any old software on them, also means they are secure – e.g. neither can anyone else.

Prescribing software you have access to may limit choice, however, would the demographic these devices target really care? I think not, all many of us want is simplicity and peace of mind. Would they pay ‘over the odds’ for this – apparently so, and indeed they are doing, American sales in May for the iPad exceeded the 2 million mark – and demand in Europe is expected to reach similar proportions. This I think mark’s the start of a massive shift in the way we buy technology; little black boxes that do fewer things but provide peace of mind! It is starting to sound good to me.

Charles Articles Apple

There are never-ending arguments raging in our offices regarding the potential future in the field of technology.  One of us might state that Apple is on it’s way out, or that cars will be auto-piloted in a few years.  This immediately triggers the other colleagues to retort in the strongest possible manner.

To settle these arguments once and for all we got the idea to publish our predictions for the technological future in a blog post, allowing you to comment and perhaps ultimately decide which version is the most plausible.

	Nathan’s predictions	Charles’ predictions	Andreas’ predictions
	Battery powered electric cars competing with regular cars with similar price/performance. (Con/Lib Transport policy will implement national charging network, Jet engine for Electric cars) Microsoft buys Yahoo outright after share price slump Apple lose market shares in mobile market to Google who will have bought HTC and terminated their Windows Mobile development	Price and performance of battery powered electric cars will be similar to regular cars Governments will legislate to limit performance of petrol cars.	Fuel cell electric cars competing with regular cars with similar price/performance Microsoft Bing disappears as a search engine Satellite phone functionality integrated into most mobile phones Electronic glasses available for mobile phones and netbooks which will project a 3D virtual screen
	Fuel cell electric cars competing with regular cars with similar price/performance Self-modifying line of business applications that adapt to usage in real-time	Holographic television becomes available There will be another World War probably over oil and gas resources	Petrol stations no longer allowed to sell petrol or diesel fuels Battery powered electric cars cease to exist Auto-piloted cars available NASA’s space program terminated permanently Batteries replaced by nano-engines
	Organic chips replace silicon computing chips “Table-top” fusion personal power plants available	Depends who wins!	Illegal to drive cars manually without a (very expensive) professional licence Hot fusion replace fission nuclear plants Quantum/light computer chips appears on the market

So there you have it.  The future according to Island Web Works.  Which version do you think is most likely to be correct?  Or perhaps you have your own predictions?  Let us know!

Andreas Articles Technology, The future

We made a conscious decision  about 3 years ago to re-focus on productivity solutions based around our own CRM software. Over the past 18 months or so we have also found ourselves developing bespoke solutions that operate standalone (i.e. do not require our CRM software to function). These solutions range from automating manual processes, through to the complete re-write  of legacy systems based on Excel spreadsheets or Access databases.

Events over the past year have highlighted how important innovation is to the health of the major economies. It will be interesting to see how many businesses take the oportunity to replace or even review their business processes in 2010. With worries about inflation surfacing and the associated pressure on wage settlements those that do will invariably be in a stronger position to capitalise on any upturn in business confidence later this year.

Charles Articles

Happy New Year!  I know February is approaching quickly, however, it is often the thought that counts.

Now that 2010 is upon us, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and bankers bonuses are re-appearing, and there is talk of ‘growth’, does that mean that we can cast aside the lessons of yesterday and throw caution to the wind?… I suspect not. Business will continue to be hard won, service will continue to be of paramount importance, and clients will continue to seek value for money.

Optimism is returning, over the past few months we have noticed that larger projects are returning to the table, but the same projects need to be cost justified.

The internet continues to play an important part, the more people search for value, the  more you need to be extolling the value of your products and services. Like it or not, the web is the preferred research mechanism for many. Social media, whilst I personally avoid it, is gaining ground, with the ‘youth’ market and many businesses adopting it wholesale. Like most technology there is both an upside and downside, however, it is undoubtedly a technology that is here for a while yet.

If you haven’t already done so, I suggest it is worth reviewing your web site content, keeping contact information up to date, review the services offered and make sure you have a recent news item (or blog posting) to impress upon visitors that you are still here!

Charles Articles

Nathan  forwarded me a link recently extolling the fact that CRM is dead, long live CEM:

Whilst I don’t disagree with some of the points made in the article, I do feel that this type of argument requires you to take a ‘position’. Citing quotations such as:

“Do I have a relationship with 17 million people? I don’t think I do.
Do I interact with 17 million people? You bet.”
Jim VonDerheide, vice president, CRM Strategies, for Hilton Hotels

..to my mind completely overlooks the fact that for most small medium sized operations, CRM is actually about the business process, and getting things done ‘back-office’ in the most cost and time efficient manner thereby providing the client with an efficient and cost effective service.

It is obviously important for a business to present itself professionally and value its clients, however, let’s not lose sight of what business is about - singularly that is profit, profit pays salaries, rent, and every other incidental that needs to be paid for, lose sight of this at your peril.

Charles Articles CRM