Forrester comments on the latest move from Adobe – a clever move indeed, though expensive. Makes me wonder will MS keep its hands off WebTrends or will it focus on helping Yahoo Analytics (ex-Index Tools) to fly. I think we will see even more consolidation happen soon. I think also some BI vendor will move soon in this.

What do you think?

Despite this, Finnish ICT companies have under-invested in the region. Central and South East Europe are becoming a new centre for programming and digital expertise. “The international companies operating in the area are increasing their investments in spite of the recession. They are recruiting more personnel for existing development and service centers and transferring subcontracting work to the region,” says Finpro Consultant Tommi Pelkonen.

The opportunities for Finnish companies in Central and South East Europe lie in the so-called nearshoring market, and in developing sales, sales channels and business. “Each company should try to assess its own investment in the region according to the evaluation principles that are most important to the company itself. For companies, finding micro-level business partners and getting into the industry networks as an active player and provider of competence are more important than macro-economic numbers,” emphasizes Pelkonen.

Millions of euros in subsidies available for IT development in the region

Nearly all the countries in Central and South East Europe are running national programs, which are aimed at attracting both the manufacturing industry and companies offering top expertise. Companies in the ICT sector have been among the most desirable investors and, in order to attract them to the region, the most important university cities have utilized state and EU subsidies to invest in incubator, business park and innovation network activities.

Tax breaks offered by state governments and competent labor available at a reasonable price have brought companies like Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, British Telecom, SAP, Microsoft, HP, Oracle, IBM, and Cisco to South East Europe. Finnish companies operating in the region include Tieto, Ixonos, Itella Information, Comptel, Movial, Apaja, and Sanako. Sanoma also plays an important role in media marketing in nearly every country in the area. “European companies have centralized functions such as financial administration, customer service, and purchasing in the region. This can make them very interesting potential customers for Finnish companies, and the same applies to international and local companies operating in the region. Furthermore, Finnish ICT companies can achieve direct cost benefits through subcontracting,” explains Pelkonen.

The opportunities in countries in the region differ from each other in interesting ways. For example, Turkey, with 70 million inhabitants, will be the largest ICT growth market in Europe in the near future. Turkey also serves as a gateway to the Middle East. On the other hand, Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, has become a centre for IT companies in the Balkan region. Greece receives a lot of EU money to increase the level of technology development in the country. Budapest is already home to a community of nearly 2,000 programmers and designers specialized in telecommunications and working for top companies that also have product development activities. In contrast, the low cost level in Bulgaria and Romania makes these countries attractive options, even compared to India, in terms of cost efficiency in subcontracting.

Creativity for strategies

According to Pelkonen, Finnish ICT companies often have unimaginative internationalization strategies. “The strategies for Finnish programming and digital media companies are repetitive, which may be a sign of weakness. First, they go to Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, France, and the United States and then look for efficiency in China and India. This approach may not actually increase the market share. For example, it is much easier to sell products or services in the United States if a company can show that it already has hundreds of thousands or even millions of users in Turkey or Romania,” suggests Pelkonen.
A report compiled by Finpro and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy analyzed the business opportunities for Finnish programming and digital media in Central and South East Europe in a heterogeneous market area comprising 16 countries and nearly 100 million consumers. The results of this report were presented at a Ministry of Employment and the Economy’s seminar held on May 28 in Salo.

For further information:

• Tommi Pelkonen, Consultant, Software and Digital Media, Finpro Central and South East Europe
  tel. +36 20 2501 077, tommi.pelkonen(a)finpro.fi

Anyway, I decided to share with the world my Netvibes-link-collection.

Comments very much welcome!

Barbie’s parent, the world’s largest toymaker, on April 27 unveiled its newest Barbie initiative called “Barbie Girls” which meshes together the online and offline play experience for girls.

If from the Finnish angle you look at this, they are trying to challenge HabboHotel audiences or even younger generations. Similar to Lego approach. Children are online, they are built to be hooked to brands (also onlin) already from early ages.

Any other similar concepts out there?

Absolutely groundbreaking and thorough new report from Avenue A – Razorfish. If you study this, you will know it all. And can talk about key trends in our industry. New internet is born, and it is very different from the one we know from 1990s. If there is one analysis report you are going to study this quarter, this is the one!

Key conclusions extracted here below:

1. Your Web site is like everything and nothing you’ve ever known.

Your Web site is the central expression of your company’s brand. It’s a product showcase and a customer service center. It’s your company’s most profitable store and your best communications tool. It’s an information hub. It’s a testing ground for new ideas. It’s the place where different people from different places with different needs have an experience that’s tailored just for them. At least it should be.

2. Distribution will trump destination.

As it becomes harder to get people to come to a content site, it becomes critical to distribute your content where they already go. You’re seeing MTV distribute content on Google Video (and across the Google AdSense network of sites); ABC, among many others, making its shows available on iTunes; CBS putting shows on YouTube; and Time Inc. distributing
content on Brightcove. All have realized that building destination sites alone simply won’t do. Get ready for Fragmentation Nation—content will be syndicated so far and wide, it will make cable television look positively concentrated.

3. Accountability will rule the day.

In the past, a competitive review, a dated research report, or a finger in the wind was enough to pull together and measure a marketing plan. Online advertising changed everything; Pandora’s Box was opened, and it contained metrics, sales, and accountability. There is no going back. Other media channels will adapt, or they will see ad dollars slowly drift away.

4. Today’s Web is in its “Uncle Milty” stage.

More than 50 years ago, Milton Berle’s television programs captivated the country. While incredibly popular and important in TV’s history, the experience of a grainy black-and-white program pales in comparison to the TiVo-driven HD world that we can experience today. We’re about to see the same type of change online. Today’s Web is dominated by text and static images. Tomorrow’s Web will be a high-speed, personalized, video-laden, go-anywhere, view-anything, use-any-device experience. Whether AJAX, Second Life, YouTube, or Windows Vista, there are a host of developments that, in total, will fundamentally change the way we use the Web.
5. The consumer is not in control.

This might be a surprise, because the notion of “consumer control” is widely accepted. But you still control your brands. You decide what products are launched. You implement customer service policies. You price your products. However, you are now dealing with an “activist consumer” who has a voice, and it can be a loud one. These consumers expect to have things on their terms—what they want and when they want it. They assume that if you can’t provide what they need, your competitor will. They are well informed, researching their purchases as a matter of course. They have embraced social media, and sharing their experiences and opinions in a public way is the norm. They may not be in control, but if you ignore these activist consumers, chances are you won’t be in control much longer, either.

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More issues on the 100-page report – study it – it is a must for you to stay updated

Few recent interesting launches:

Yahoo Pipes

“Pipes is an interactive feed aggregator and manipulator. Using Pipes, you can create feeds that are more powerful, useful and relevant.”

In short: Programming content visually.

Google Apps

“Google Apps and its APIs open up a wide variety of new opportunities to integrate and extend Google’s communication and collaboration services. Domain adminstrators can use the APIs to migrate from and integrate with existing IT infrastructure. Application developers can use the APIs to extend Google’s growing offering of services.”

In short: Programme on top of Google to serve own service needs.

To get a better grasp what on can do with basing programming on top of online tune into here.

As last year, decided to collect some forecasts to this forum.

E-Marketer online development trends for 2007 (the full article is also in Public Folders – Reports)
* Online Ad Spending Will Hit $20 Billion
* Some Money and Lots of Hype for Online Video Advertising
* Social Networks Are Set for a $1 Billion Windfall
* Downloadable Games Will Get Hotter
* Thirty-Seven Million Strong: A ‘Minority’ Bigger than Canada
* Mobile TV Arrives
* US B2C E-Commerce Will Cruise Past $200 Billion
* The Retail Power of Word-of-Mouth
* Broadband Services Will Matter as Much as Speed
* DVRs Pump Up TV Viewing

Gartner on Mobile camera phones

Worldwide sales of camera phones will account for 48 percent of total worldwide mobile phone sales in 2006, growing to 81 percent by 2010, according to new forecasts from Gartner Inc. Worldwide sales of camera phones, which have almost tripled since 2004, will reach 460 million in 2006, an increase of 43 percent from 2005. This trend is set to continue, leading to sales of one billion camera phones by 2010

Deutsche Bank forecasts:

some 1.1 billion mobile phones will be sold globally in 2007, up from nearly 960 million in 2006. Moreover, Apple is expected to launch iPhone to the markets soon.

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Multiple forecasts on global advertising expenditure:

Aegis Media recently predicted that global ad spending would rise 5.8 percent in 2007, after a 6 percent increase last year. Zenith Optimedia, part of Publicis Groupe, said spending would grow by 5.4 percent, following a 6.1 percent gain in 2006. Group M, the media division of WPP Group, expects a 5 percent gain this year, down from a 5.3 percent increase in 2006.

Consumer Electronics forecasts

sales of consumer electronics will increase 7 percent this year, exceeding $155 billion.

IDC estimates that

the IPTV market in Western Europe is currently worth around $500 million, and will grow at a CAGR of 71% to reach $4.3 billion by 2010. In the next five years, household penetration of IPTV services will increase from 1% in 2006 to 11% by 2010. The countries that will make up a large portion of this growth are France, Italy, and Spain, where the pay-TV markets are less developed than elsewhere in Western Europe, where the first large IPTV services were launched, and where some of the more innovative providers are based.

Moreover they estimate that:

Tech marketing spending will continue to outpace global IT spending in 2007,” said Michael Gerard, research director at IDC’s CMO Advisory Research. IDC projects that global companies will increase their IT spending by 6.6% in 2007

Many more forecasts exist, but here we have a start