Archive for July, 2010
From: Chain Drug Review/July 19, 2010 | Supplier News (download pdf version)
SAN DIEGO — Ireland has more to offer the United States market than shamrock charms and plush leprechauns.
That was evident from a visit by Irish manufacturing executives to the NACDS Marketplace Conference. The trip, which was made under the auspices of the Enterprise Ireland trade development agency, allowed the suppliers to assess American prospects for a variety of products that includes chemical-free baby wipes, natural skin care products and cushions that double as sun shades.
The executives (pictured above, left to right Ed McCloskey, Dave Mulhall and Jamie Jenkinson) toured the trade show floor and met retailers as a prelude to possibly having their own booth at next year’s Marketplace. Their participation developed from a meeting between Ann Marie Maxwell, manager of consumer products for Enterprise Ireland, an agency of the Irish government, and National Association of Chain Drug Stores vice president of meetings and international programs Terry Arth at last year’s conference. Consultant Robert Coopman accompanied the visitors as a liaison.
Noting that health and beauty aids dominate the show floor at Marketplace, Enterprise Ireland senior development adviser Ed Conway said the H&BA categories allow for the kinds of innovation that Irish manufacturers have successfully exported around the world. Demand for niche H&BAs “suits the creativity of the Irish,” he said. And, Maxwell added, Enterprise Ireland will only lend its support to suppliers of innovative products. Read the rest of this entry »
Published July 30th, 2010 by admin in Archive, Consumer/Retail, EI Client News | Post a Comment »
I read an article today by Mint.com founder, Aaron Patzer, entitled, Predicting entrepreneurial success: Got what it takes?
Here’s a short excerpt,
“If you were trying to find successful entrepreneurs — people who can innovate and commercialize radically new ideas — what would you look for?
An unusually high IQ? Wrong. Cooperation and team building over antagonism? Wrong again. Conscientiousness and planning over spontaneity? Not quite.
It turns out none of these correlate strongly with entrepreneurial ability. What does, instead, are qualities like interest in novelty, being able to think on your feet and, believe it or not, age.
We know all this thanks to data compiled and constantly updated by the Founder Institute. A radically new idea in itself, the Founder Institute is a school/incubator of sorts with chapters in Silicon Valley, San Diego, New York, Boston, Houston, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and Singapore. Its goal is to train entrepreneurs in the skills they need to start 1,000 companies a year. This is entrepreneurship at a tremendous scale.
Using seasoned entrepreneurs as teachers (disclosure: I guest lecture there) is not a new concept. What’s different about the Founder Institute is the data it collects and funnels back into its admissions process.
As Michael Lewis described in “Moneyball,” statistics, data mining, and predictive analysis — mathematics seeking to remove human bias — often trump the best baseball scouts in finding sporting talent. It turns out the same is true for entrepreneurs.
In a one-hour, comprehensive battery of tests, the Founder Institute measures intelligence, aptitude, and psychology’s big five personality traits. Each student receives a score of 0 to 5 (higher is better), predicting how well he or she will do as an entrepreneur.” read the full article
Next tuesday, 08/03/10, I’m meeting with the team behind the Founder Institute at the Founder Showcase Q3.
***UPDATE: notes from Founder Showcase: http://americas.enterprise-ireland.com/blog/founder-showcase-q3-notes/
The Founder Institute is a four month apprenticeship and training program for both new and seasoned entrepreneurs. The Institute prepares founders to lead the next generation of world-class technology companies across a wide range of industries, from the biotech to the internet. All of the program stakeholders, from the participating founders to the experienced CEO Mentors, share in the upside generated by the companies formed during the program. Participants also enjoy free services from three dozen Institute Partners, fundraising opportunities at fair market value, and a teamwork-oriented environment to build a company. The Institute operates semesters twice a year in Silicon Valley, Singapore, Seattle, Los Angles, San Diego, Denver, Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Paris.
Look for my follow-up posts as I report from the Founder Showcase and report back on the key take-aways from the event.
UPDATE: notes from Founder Showcase: http://americas.enterprise-ireland.com/blog/founder-showcase-q3-notes/
Published July 29th, 2010 by davidsmith in Archive, Entrepreneurship, Events, Telecom/Mobil | Post a Comment »
Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner (Ecorner) is a great opportunity to see and listen to some premier Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and VC thought leaders.
If you can’t make it to the events, then the Ecorner video archives are a great way to keep current on the state of start-up thinking from the hub of start-ups!
2010’s hottest most-watched videos are
- Unlearn Your MBA – David Heinemeier Hansson, 37signals
- Make Meaning in Your Company – Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures
- A Panorama of Venture Capital and Beyond – Marc Andreessen, Serial Entrepreneur
- The Art of Teaching Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tina Seelig, Stanford Technology Ventures Program
- Five Biggest Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make, Jerry Kaplan, Winster
Published July 29th, 2010 by davidsmith in Archive, Entrepreneurship, Webinar | Post a Comment »
LONDON, July 15, 2010 ⎯ Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) today announced its work with Irish broadcaster RTÉ to deliver the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ final match to online audiences using Level 3’s Internet Broadcast services and piloting Adobe’s recently-released HTTP Dynamic Streaming, a protocol for on-demand and live adaptive bit rate video streaming over regular HTTP connections on the Adobe® Flash® Platform.
For the final match, Level 3 provisioned the new HTTP Dynamic Streaming technology over the Level 3 content delivery network (CDN). Level 3 recently integrated the new technology into its content product offering as a means of fostering innovation in event delivery and providing more comprehensive end-to-end event support for customers without requiring them to change their workflow to accommodate the new technology.
Level 3 provided RTÉ with Internet Broadcast services including signal capture, encoding and transfer of the signal into the HTTP Dynamic Streaming format. The game was transmitted in HTTP over Level 3’s CDN to Adobe Flash Player 10.1.
“With the huge interest around the World Cup final it was essential for RTÉ to provide our audiences with the very best possible viewing experience and by offering our audiences the HTTP Dynamic Streaming delivered on the Adobe Flash Platform, and we were able to do that faster and more effectively with Level 3’s event support and the integration of this new technology” said Jonathan Lundberg, IT Infrastructure manager, RTÉ Publishing. “By using Level 3’s Internet Broadcast services and leveraging the scalability of their international CDN, we were able to offer fans in Ireland with a top-quality broadcast, no matter how many people tune in.”
By providing services specifically designed to effectively manage the process of live event delivery, Level 3 makes it easier for broadcasters like RTÉ to share event content via the Web with new audiences. Seamlessly integrating HTTP Dynamic Streaming further simplifies this process for the broadcaster.
HTTP Dynamic Streaming by Adobe is designed to support adaptive HTTP delivery of flash encoded content to allow for high quality video stream without stuttering, dropped frames or buffering. The process results in a much-improved user experience, allowing content owners to offer true HD streams to customers with sufficient bandwidth, without alienating those who have lower speed connections.
“As new technologies are introduced for event delivery, customers typically have to change their workflows, which can be time-consuming and costly,” said James Heard, president of European Markets at Level 3. “By integrating support for innovative technologies and new features like this into our portfolio, we’re helping our customers realize the potential of Internet broadcasting from every angle – not just the delivery of bits across a network – while keeping the stress and cost to a minimum.”
For more information on Level 3’s live event services, click here. To learn more about Level 3’s European capabilities, please click here.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) is a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services. Level 3 services are provided by wholly owned subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with an industry-leading combination of scalability and value over an end-to-end fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice. For more information, visit www.Level3.com. Level 3 and Level 3 Communications are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Adobe and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
About RTÉ.ie
RTÉ.ie is Ireland’s leading media website with over 67.5 million monthly page impressions* and over 2.9 million unique browsers per month. The website provides coverage of up-to-the-minute news, sport, business and entertainment information in text, audio and video formats, seven days a week.
RTÉ.ie/sport provides a combination of comprehensive coverage and on-demand highlight clips of all main Irish and international sports events. The site is committed to providing even more choice to its audiences by actively seeking out sporting events which can be streamed live and provides its viewers with compelling editorial content and analysis, web only matches, video highlights as well as latest scorelines.
Published July 28th, 2010 by davidsmith in Archive, Digital Media & Entertainment, Telecom/Mobil | Post a Comment »
Tuesday 17th August , 2010 | 09:00am – 17:00pm
Wednesday 18th August, 2010 | 09:00am – 17:00pm
First Flight North America workshop
This one-day workshop will introduce you to the First Flight programme and other relevant supports from Enterprise Ireland. This event will have specific relevance to companies focused on exporting to North America (including Canada). The August 17th workshop will focus Software & Financial Services sectors while the August 18th workshop targets the American Healthcare Market.
Through First Flight, you will:
- Uncover what could hold your business back from achieving profitable export sales
- Formulate and action a plan to target key risk areas
- Benefit from the expertise of experienced exporters
- Avail of other relevant Enterprise Ireland supports
This event will:
- Provide you with a brief overview of some key factors to consider when exporting to North America.
- Inform you of the benefits of First Flight to your business, the steps involved in First Flight and how your company can participate on First Flight.
- Outline how we can otherwise support your business in growing through exporting.
For more information see: http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/Events/First+Flight+North+America_Canada.htm
Published July 27th, 2010 by admin in Archive, InfoSecurity, Medical Technology, Software/Services | Post a Comment »
November 1-3, 2010 | InterContinental Hotel and Bank of America Conference Center
Join the industry’s most distinguished leaders at the 8th Annual Medical Innovation Summit. Take advantage of an exciting lineup of speakers, panel discussions, live surgeries and clinical presentations to learn about the latest trends in medical innovation and what they mean to you.
The Summit provides an unrivaled perspective on the newest medical technologies and the financial drivers behind those innovations. It is dedicated to providing singular insights, networking opportunities and actionable take away for all participants.
- WITNESS THE INNOVATION REVOLUTION
- INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
- ENVISION THE LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES
Published July 27th, 2010 by admin in Archive, Events, Medical Technology | Post a Comment »
VigiTrust Announces Partnership With the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation To Provide Retailers With Access To PCI DSS On-Demand eLearning For Payment Card Security And Compliance.
New York, New York, (July 19, 2010) –-VigiTrust today announced it will partner with the NRF Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, to provide retailers with PCI DSS eLearning classes. The classes will be offered through the Foundation’s Universitywired program.
Businesses using credit card and debit cards — collectively referred to as payment cards — are required to be compliant with industry and regulatory programs to ensure security is being managed and consumers and business are protected. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a set of technical, procedural and training requirements, which all merchants who either transmit process or store credit cardholder data must adhere to.
Requirement 12.6 of PCI DSS states that all merchants must train in-scope personnel at the time of hire and annually. In-scope personnel include employees who handle or have access to credit card or credit card data, whether physically by handling credit cards or logically on computer systems. In addition, businesses must be able to demonstrate that their personnel have read and understood security policies put in place to protect cardholder data. Read the rest of this entry »
Published July 26th, 2010 by admin in Archive, Consumer/Retail, EI Client News, Economic, Education, InfoSecurity | Post a Comment »
Join us On August 17th at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery at 5:30pm to kick off Irish week in Wisconsin for an informal business networking reception. Learn more about business and investment opportunities with Irish companies and a look at Ireland as a great place to do business for U.S. companies looking to locate operations in Europe. Most of all we’ll “chat over a few pints” in the best of Irish traditions.
Published July 23rd, 2010 by johnmcintyre in Archive, Events, VC | Post a Comment »
Present at the CA Medical Device & Investor Forum
Application Deadline August 31, 2010
The California Medical Device & Investor Forum has become the top opportunity for medical device start-up companies that are seeking investment capital to make investment presentations to leading venture capitalists and investors. There are still a few spots left for select companies to participate!
If your company is interested in making an investment presentation, send an executive summary and investment presentation slides to luis.vasquez@octaneoc.org.
Companies that have presented in the past include:
- OrthAlign – Presented in 2008 & 2009 and raised VC rounds in early 2009 and early 2010. OrthAlign recently received 510(k) market clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for the latest design of its palm-sized disposable KneeAlign™ computer assisted system for total knee arthroplasty.
- Walk Vascular – Presented in 2008. The company is now part of Incuvate along with a $1.5 million investment.
- NeoMatrix – Presented in 2007 and raised a $15 million round in 2008 & 2009.
- Respirion – Presented in 2008 and is now part of Incuvate which has committed all the necessary funds to get the product to market.
- DxTerity Diagnositics – Presented in 2009 and raised $1 million in December 2009.
This year, The California Medical Device & Investor Forum expanded the investment presentations and will now feature expansion and growth stage medical device companies, as well as hot new start-ups.
If your company is interested in making an investment presentation, send an executive summary and investment presentation slides to luis.vasquez@octaneoc.org.
The deadline for applying to present is August 31, 2010. Submit your application or nomination early as spots go very quickly.
If your company is interested in making an investment presentation, send an executive summary and investment presentation slides to luis.vasquez@octaneoc.org
For more information contact: Eddie Goodwin at eddie.goodwin@enterprise-ireland.com
Published July 22nd, 2010 by admin in Archive, Medical Technology | Post a Comment »
At Casual Connect 2010 – http://seattle.casualconnect.org/. Here are some of the takeaways from Tim Chang of Norwest Venture Partners presentation today entitled, Casual 2.0: Emerging Trends in Casual Gaming. Slides/Audio Available here.
- Winster’s multiplayer synchronous collaborative game play
- Edgy games in social gaming
- Games for goods
- Foursquare but with a real life missions (to do, fitness, nutrition, education)
- Offerpal of offline – earning virtual currency through retail transactions
- Check in + loyalty + leveling
- Turn based phrased matched PVP (Staembirds; old school games like Starfleet Battles, Ace of Aces) ex: PVP Zombie Defense?
- Whale hunting and cultivating – identify your whales and iterate and understand what they are responding to
- End game – epic win in social games (VS attrition / burn out saturation)
- P4P – Groupon group shopping / discount mechanics?
- Reputation + referral based social mechanics – LinkedIn meets Social Gaming
A key factor in today’s discussion – Understanding Behavioral Drivers
Tim’s suggested reading:
- Predictability Irrational by Dan Ariely
- Stumbling On Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
- Game Based Marketing by Gabe Zichermann and Joselin Linder
Published July 22nd, 2010 by simoneboswell in Archive, Digital Media & Entertainment, Events | Post a Comment »
Newsletter
Facebook
Twitter
Linked in
Youtube
Best Connected Ireland
RSS 
