News and Events

Nouns: People doing things in places

Here are the Five Innovative Startups That Will Present at Democamp Vancouver 15

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

On July 25, Vancouver will hostDemocamp 15, an event that offers five startups the opportunity to showcase their work to a crowd and gain feedbacks and ideas, as well as network with the rest of the local technology community.

The event clearly states that there will be no PowerPoint presentations or droning lectures. Rather there would be a five-minute demo presentation followed by five minutes of audience Q&A. Democamp was introduced as a show and tell platform, which highlights shipped products already in existence, contrary to pitching new products for accelerators.

It has been over a year since that last Democamp and event organizer Ian MacKinnon decided to try something different in order to solidify interest. By using a crowdfunding platform called “Picatic,” Democamp was able to raise the necessary funding as well as sell 50 tickets weeks in advance. And to reward those enthusiastic funders and attendees, the first 50 people to purchase tickets were offered a chance to go online and vote for the demoers they most wanted to see.

Those selected were Perch, Harp Platform, poweredbyDRA/Mall Rat, Øidle and Socualizer.

Perch is an app that turns iOS devices into an always-on video portal. The app is specifically designed to connect two spaces together, which will create a burden-free method of communication unlike other system. The experience of speaking with someone through the Perch portal is second only to having him or her in the room with you.

The developers of PhoneGap created Harp Platform to help web content publishers easily present and develop their works by being integrated with Dropbox.

PoweredbyDRA/Mall Rat was developed to make building, managing and deploying “tailored smart maps” to web and mobile devices easier. They define “tailored smart maps” as a stylized, vector-based map that includes indoor navigation. Their first product, Mall Rat was specifically designed for the mobile shopping mall experience.

Øidle is a quick and easy service that assists those seeking a perfect venue. It turns the time consuming job of finding vacant event space into a simple search, so that event organizers don’t have to settle.

Socualizer is a social media visualizer developed by Google Chrome. It allows event marketers to engage audiences through Twitter and Instagram, by tracking hashtags and mentions.

You can get a chance to see all five chosen startups present their product at Democamp 15 for a general admission price of $10.

Vancouver’s Mobile Community Discusses Future of Marketing at DigiBC’s MoMoVan

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

There was once a time when we would roll out of bed and flick on the television and digest the morning news with a fresh cup of coffee.

Now many people admit that they start the day off by reaching for their mobile devices and routinely checking each of their apps and sites for current events, social and business correspondences and progression in their Clash of Clans economy. Mobile devices have changed every little thing we do, but it is still a relatively new technology and businesses are only starting to understand how to harness its full potential.

On Monday July 8, 2013, DigiBC presented MoMoVan, a digital marketing event that addressed businesses’ shift to become mobile first. Whether it is promoting a new product or supplying news, companies recognized that mobile is the media format of the future. But which platform should a company choose is still to be determined, mobile sites versus apps? That was a major question the panel at MoMoVan tried to tackle.

“It depends on what you are trying to accomplish,” said Johann Starke, president of FCV, an interactive and digital marketing agency. “Apps work great, but if you are building an app for a political party with a campaign where the content has to change, it depends on how it is structured. What if there is a problem? What if you need to update it? You are totally at their [App Store approval] mercy. I think the things that have time constraints, you are better off doing a mobile site and use apps for things that are product based.”

“Apps are a bit of a gamble,” Starke added. “You got to be careful that you time it right. I’ve heard horror stories about stuff taking 90 days from the time you send it in for approval and if they reject anything you’ll have to fix it. So it is tricky.”

Apps are a big commitment for companies, but for users they tend to be nothing more than a short-term fling, a impulse download followed by neglect and then deletion. There are only a handful of apps that have sustainable relevance and remain a permanent fixture on my iPhone.

Apps are a premium experience and it comes with a price. A quality app with a poorly planned purpose will result in lost of time and money. “The reality is,” said Sandy Fleischer, Managing Partner at Pound & Grain, “apps are going to break. It depends on the complexity, but ultimately apps are software, while websites can sometimes be brochure-ware. In general, the maintenance requirement for an internal app is going to be more so than on a website.”

Despite all that, new apps are being produced. Apple announced that in June that there are now over 900,000 apps in the App Store. That is a 28% increase from one year ago.

In terms of user data, people spend a lot more time on apps than browsing mobile site. But some believe the market is now saturated and it is about time we see a decline in app productions. We don’t need another weather forecast, currency converter or food review app. We have reached a point where only the best apps should survive.

After all, what is the point of spending money and time creating something that will only be lost in the desolate sea of icons?

Milestone Reached by Canada Post as Mobile App Hits One Million Downloads

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

Over the Canada Day long weekend, Canada Post’s mobile app received its one-millionth download.

The app allows Canadians to access postal services such as parcel tracking, shipping rate look-ups and epost (a digital mailbox) through their smartphones. It is compatible for all major platforms including iOS, Blackberry and Android, with 85% of downloads coming from iPhones or iPad devices.

Canada Post’s mobile app had gained a lot of popularity. In 2011, the app was used seven million times, but in the first six months of 2013, Canadians have nearly doubled the usage.

It had consistently been a top five free business app in the country, with parcel tracking being the number one feature. Over 12 million Canada Post packages have been tracked using the app. In 2012 package-tracking usage has increased by almost three times since the app was introduced one year before.

“We know Canadians have changed how they communicate and how they use postal services,” says Kerry Munro, Group President, Digital Delivery Network at Canada Post. “Our job is to make it convenient for them and evolve to meet their changing needs.”

The one-millionth-download milestone is a big accomplishment for Canada Post and they proudly presented some stats showing their route towards that achievement. Toronto holds the majority of Canada Post’s mobile app users with 23.2%, Montreal is second with 17.9% and Vancouver is third with 8.7%.

When epost was introduced in December 2012, approximately 26,000 users have been accessing it every month. The service offers online mailing and bill presentment and payment through an electronic document delivery service.

Even though post is transitioning slowly into the virtual world, a post office is still a necessary place to visit once in awhile. A feature that has been assisting people and been gaining popularity is the post office locator. From 2011 to 2012, users have risen from 445,000 to 1.2 million.

People and businesses alike are quickly learning to utilize this new tool Canada Post has offered. Now with a new redesigned web environment, Canada Post is hoping to enhance the mailing experience in a digitized world. The new site is geared toward businesses with simplified navigation processes and an intelligent system that streamlines searches.

Canadians Surprisingly Satisfied with Their Phone and Internet Service, Study Suggests

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

J.D. Power Recently released their 2013 Canadian Television Provider Customer Satisfaction Study and the 2013 Canadian Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study. According to the findings, customers who bundle their television, Internet and telephone services with the same telecom provider have the highest percent of satisfaction.

The study for television providers used six factors to measure customers’ overall satisfaction, those were cost of service, programming, communication, customer service and billing. The study for Internet providers used five, performance and reliability, cost of service, communication, billing and customer service.

The key insight from the study was that 83% of customers bundle their TV and Internet service, while 17% only subscribe to TV with their provider. 59% of customers with a TV and Internet also have telephone service from the same provider, which is referred to as the triple-play package.

Customers who selected the triple-play package pay an average of $165 per month. TV and Internet bundle cost an average of $156, while TV-only subscriptions cost $89.

“Bundling typically provides discounts and has the added convenience of one bill with one provider,” said Adrian Chung, account director at J.D. Power. “These elements are key drivers of higher satisfaction and provide the stickiness that leads to long-term loyalty.”

Triple-play customers tend to have the highest overall satisfaction with 690 on a 1,000-point scale, while TV and Internet bundlers have 678 and TV-only with 658. And 19% of triple-play customers stated that they “definitely will” recommend their providers to others.

Customers who subscribe to premium TV packages are more loyal to the provider. Only 16% indicated they “will likely” switch to another provider in the next year. They are also more “likely” to purchase additional services, while 22% of basic TV subscribers will likely switch in the next 12 months.

The study also shows that 42% of customers view content on their smarphones or tablets, but satisfaction among these customers average at 661, 22 points lower than those who only watch on their television.

“Satisfaction for mobile users suffers because they tend to experience more problems with picture and download speed,” said Chung. “They expect their mobile device to have the same speed and quality as their home TV, and in many cases their expectations are not met.”

When it comes to Internet, speed is the determining factor. The study shows that 15% of Internet users with fibre optic had their expectations exceeded, while only 8% of DSL and cable users have the same response.

Satisfaction is highest for customers with fibre optic Internet service. Customers who choose this service will experience fewer problems, but issues with their connection often lead to a significant decline in satisfaction.

“While customers with fibre optic connections are very pleased with the speed and reliability of their Internet connection, they also have very high expectations,” said Chung.

29% of DSL customers and 31% of cable customers have experienced outage with their Internet connection, where as only 25% of customers with fibre optic have experienced problems with their Internet. But if a problem does arise, fibre optic users’ satisfaction drops 114 points, 15 more than DSL and 13 more than cable.

In the eastern region, Vidéotron ranks highest in both television customer satisfaction with 747 and Internet customer satisfaction with 755. In the western region, SaskTel ranks highest in customer service with 730 points for television customer satisfaction and 705 for Internet customer satisfaction.

More than 10,500 telecommunication customers responded to the study conducted in October 2012 and April 2013.

Nokia Downsizing in Vancouver Sparks City’s Startup Ecosystem

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

Formerly published in Techvibes Media.
Posted by Elliot Chan on Jul 2, 2013

1326666854194_ORIGINAL

News of company downsizing tends to be upsetting, filling former employees with distraught. But that was not the case for the talented group Nokia dismissed during various rounds of cutbacks starting in 2009.

Wavefront, Canada’s Centre of Excellence for Wireless Commercialization and Research has partnered with Nokia to support former employees’ transition between jobs. The program will not only shorten the period of unemployment, but also create more career opportunities for ex-Nokia employees.

Wavefront’s Venture Acceleration Program, launched in December 2012, is now helping former Nokia employees with quality business models to pursue new entrepreneurial projects. Since the inauguration Wavefront has assisted nine new companies who had enrolled in the VAP program. Brad Lowe, Wavefront’s Wireless Accelerator Architect, expects more startup companies to form in the near future.

In addition to the program, Nokia also hosted a competition. The company offered a $35,000 seed funding reward for the employees who pitched the best ideas for new businesses. Automatic admission to VAP was granted to any employees with business ideas involving wireless space.

“We’ve got a bunch of highly skilled people who spent years working for a global powerhouse in mobility, and we wanted to see that those people—if they were interested—continue to build on that and start new companies that would keep those jobs in British Columbia,” said Lowe. “To Nokia’s credit, they put in place this program to try to get people into new jobs. I always joke that there’s no better place to be laid off from than Nokia.”

Adaia, smartphone marker known for its rugged design is one of the companies formed after the disbanding of Nokia’s Burnaby division. Benefiting from the help of VAP, Adaia is getting plenty of media coverage and attention for its new product, a smartphone that is both shock-proof and is capable of functioning after being submerged in 10 metres of seawater and continues working at altitude of 9,000 metres. The smartphone also comes with detailed topographical maps and is satellite enabled, which allows it to send text anywhere in the world, but not receive—essential for getting help in emergency situations.

“I was so fed up,” said onetime Nokia consultant, Heikki Sarajarvi. “I can’t be the only one who is destroying these smartphones doing completely normal things.”

Sarajarvi spoke with sailors who were prone to damaging their phones in salty, wet conditions and decided that things need to change. That was the initial spark for Adaia, a company with 16 employees, half of which were once employed by Nokia.

The high-end smartphone won’t be available until next year and won’t be cheap either, but with its durability Sarajarvi believes that buying one physically sound smartphone is better than constantly replacing fragile, inexpensive models.

Adaia is currently leading the way for post Nokia startups, with its new phone now in beta testing. Partnering up with BMW Group’s Designworks USA, Adaia is hoping to take their product to the next level and get it into the market.

“Dualism is the key characteristic of the design,” said Laurenz Schaffer, the president of the BMW Group-owned design firm. “It had to support an extreme, active lifestyle in the outdoors, as well as be appropriate to use in an executive meeting.”

Good things come from change and former Nokia employees are embracing it in hopes of making an economical impact in British Columbia.

Tough Mudder: the hardest thing you’ll ever do

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

Tough mudder

Whistler hosts the world’s toughest obstacle course

Formerly published in The Other Press. June 4 2013

By Elliot Chan, Staff Writer

On June 22 and June 23, participants in Whistler Village will have an opportunity to show just what they’re made of in the annual Tough Mudder event. Modeled after the British Special Forces training camps, the 10-12 mile long obstacle course tests mental and physical strength and stamina, and challenges people with common fears, such as fire, water, and heights.

“It’s a great, well-organized event,” said former participant Ryan Mair. “It forces you to challenge yourself and more so, inspires you to help others overcome their challenges. As soon as you think you’re almost done, you’re not. Tons of fun and would recommend it to all levels of athletes or people looking to lead a healthier lifestyle.”

The obstacles include everything from climbing walls, running through fire, to minor electrocution. What some might consider torturous, others see as an opportunity to create lasting memories and build camaraderie to achieve a sole goal of completing the course.

“Out of all the obstacles I’ve heard about in Tough Mudder the ice dunk is the one that concerns me the most,” said Tough Mudder newcomer Cody Beatch. “It’s going to take some big cojones to submerge yourself into near-freezing water.”

While most wise participants will have spent many months preparing for the grueling event, most would agree that there are certain parts of the obstacle course that cannot be anticipated. “I’m in above-average shape,” said first-time participant, Michael Ramos, “but there are some stuff you can’t train for. The mental side worries me a little, because that is mind over matter stuff. You think you are prepared for anything driving up to Whistler, but we’ll see how I react once I get there.”

Registration for the event is going until June 17, so if you want to grab a team, join an existing one, or run the course as an individual, you better pick up the pace. Then again, preregistration for 2014 Tough Mudder is already open. If you feel like you need more training and want to commit to something next summer, log onto their website at http://toughmudder.com.

The event will also include a post-party and award show with live music, contests, and the carnival of tough. If you are unprepared for such a trying event, but still want to witness it, spectators may buy tickets for $20 online or $40 onsite.

Whether you have something to prove or you’re just seeking a quality way to past the time, Tough Mudder is a growing event that is attracting and inspiring people across 20 nations.

Distraction or Entertainment? Either Way, Second Screens are Changing the Way We Watch TV

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

Whether it is because of our shortened attention span or our heightened interest, second screens are becoming a common television viewing habit. Mobile devices are changing the way people watch and interact with TV.

Engaging with a show and other viewers can now be as simple as using a smartphone or a tablet. The latest Nielsen survey shows that 46% of smartphone owners and 43% of tablet owners are choosing to be connected with their devices while watching TV. During the first quarter of 2013 two-thirds of tablet and smartphone owners said they were using the second screens multiple times a week.

But what are viewers really doing on their devices while watching television? Well, everything really. Majority of tablet owners are simply making general web searches and browsing.

But the survey shows that people are also using the second screens for contents that are related to what they are viewing, 13% of tablet and smartphone owners use the device to interact with the show or post about it on social networking sites. About 15% of users admit to watching a show because of something they have read on social media. And 20% of viewers with tablets are shopping on their devices during advertisement on television.

According to the Q1 2013 Cross-Platform Report, smartphone users can spend up to nine hours each month using social media on their phone. Tablet users average around four hours each month.

Multi-screen entertainment is a product that both television producers and digital device marketers are expecting to grow. Whether we are using it out of boredom or curiosity, the fact is that more often than not we are engaging in the second screen experience. And as social networks sites such as Twitter and broadcast companies such as Bell and Shaw develop more avenues for second screen, viewers and device users alike will continue adapting to the changing world of entertainment.

Canadian Companies Using the Cloud are More Innovative and Outperform Their Peers: Study

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

This month, IDC released the second annual Enterprise Cloud Study. Focusing on large Canadian organizations’ businesses and IT leaders, the study showed that cloud technology is essential for businesses striving to improve their customer service, increase productivity and save money.

Companies who have adopted the cloud first mindset are 25% more likely to be opened to new technologies and are considered more innovative, progressive and better suited for outperforming their peers according to the study, which was commissioned by Telus.

“The survey indicates that the number one priority for Canadian businesses is improving customer service. IT leaders are realizing that moving IT functions to the cloud can have a real impact on their bottom line and can help them focus on their core business, including their customers,” says Tony Krueck, vice-president, Business Solutions Marketing at Telus. “Those who have made the move are now reaping the benefits of cloud. The IDC survey found that an impressive 81% of Canadian businesses reported lowering the cost of IT due to cloud adoption.”

Many IDC experts foresee cloud as being a conventional technology in the coming years, estimating in Canada, cloud service will increase by a third and surpass $1 billion by 2014. At this transitional juncture, IDC believes that businesses will only have a short amount of time to become knowledgeable and expand their strategy to include cloud. Otherwise they might not be able to keep up.

Currently 55% of large Canadian businesses have third-party hosting services with almost 31% of organizations with both cloud and hosting. Organizations that utilized these services are better equipped when overcoming data security, compliance and data residency concerns.

“If we look at the results from the 2012 Telus IDC cloud survey, the number one reason Canadian enterprises are fearful to step outside of their traditional IT comfort zone is risk,” says Mark Schrutt, IDC Canada’s director of services and enterprise applications. “The good news is that this year, the majority of users said they were able to easily overcome these challenges and that cloud actually was a catalyst for improving data security.”

A majority of Canadian businesses have relatable priorities: 23% said they wanted to provide better customer experience, 15% wanted to improve productivity, 13% wanted to be more cost efficient and 12% wanted to attract and retain skilled workers. By having a cloud first mentality companies are able to support these growing expectations by staying up to date with technology and functionality, by sourcing IT resources, skills and capabilities with greater ease and by allowing the business to be more agile.

“The future of cloud looks bright for Canadian business. The IDC white paper states that over the next four years cloud will grow by 25% and hosting by 9.6% compared to a growth rate of 3.5% for the rest of the Canadian IT market,” added Krueck. “Now is the time for businesses to develop expertise with these IT sourcing options to realize a competitive advantage.”

Canadian Videogame Industry Shows Great Presence at E3 Expo

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

The spotlight was on Canada during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo) this month in Los Angeles.

Canadian video game companies are turning a lot of heads on the world stage by showcasing some of the industries most anticipated and critically acclaimed titles, such as: Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag (Ubisoft), Batman: Arkham Origins (Warner Bros. Games Montreal), Below (Capybara Games/ Microsoft Studios), Dragon Age: Inquisition (Bioware / Electonic Arts), Gangstar Vegas (Gameloft), The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot (Ubisoft), NHL 2014 (Electronic Arts), FIFA 2014 (Electronic Arts), Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Ubisoft) and Watch Dogs (Ubisoft).

“When you look at the most anticipated games at the Expo, a significant portion of them are made in Canada,” saysJayson Hilchie, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association Canada. “That’s a source of tremendous pride for all Canadians.”

SEE ALSO: The Great Canadian Videogame Industry

Currently 16,500 Canadians are employed in the video game industry. Despite some turmoil the employment rate is up 5% and is growing at a moderate pace. Through provincial strategies and housing some of the world’s most creative workers, Canadian gaming industry is contributing over $2.3 billion to the economy.

ESAC reports that Canadian gaming companies’ average budget is $8.7 million and is usually produced by a team of 65 people in about a year and a half. With 329 video game studios in the country, 48% devote some of their resources to console games, while 84% are focused mainly on mobile devices. Even though in 2012 only 16% of projects were developed specifically for consoles, those games account for 66.5% of revenues.

“With some of the world’s largest video game studios located in Canada,” said Hilchie, “our video game industry is considered the biggest in the world on a per capita basis. E3 is a great showcase not only for our biggest games, but for Canadian creativity as well.”

The Entertainment Software Association brings together developers, distributers and worldwide media to experience the newest trends, products and technologies at the annual video game conference and show. Over 200 developers display their games to the public at the three-day event. With such tight competition, Canadians are hoping that their strength and vitality will keep them at the forefront of this growing industry.

Malware in Canada Among Worst in World, Report Reveals

/ Elliot Chan / Leave a comment

Like plumbing, heating and electricity, your computer is an important utility in your home and office. You depend on it for entertainment, communication and business, so it is vital to keep it healthy. But as our reliance on the Internet grows, sophisticated hackers and cyber thieves begin to prosper in their flourishing trade.

Websense this week released their third annual Canadian Cybercrime Report Card. In the report, Canada was ranked third in the top 10 countries for hosting advanced malware. The spine-chilling statistic will cause any computer user to consider the problem less as an annoyance and more of an epidemic.

“Canadian cyber-criminal activity is quickly evolving and taking on more nefarious forms,” says Carl Leonard, senior manager of security research for Websense. “Hackers are moving away from the broad ‘spam everyone’ approach because it only yields cents on the click. They’ve set their sights on much more targeted attacks where social engineering of the actual user can turn into millions of dollars in potential criminal profit.”

Canadian websites have an increase of 25% of malware hosting every year. The cause can range from compromised Internet service providers to vulnerable content management platforms such as WordPress. Regardless, Canada has become a safe haven for hackers and cyber thieves.

“ISPs really, should take a responsibility to monitor for malicious behaviour. ISPs really need to make it harder for the bad guys,” Leonard said. “Legislation can certainly help in that regard. When the public and private sector work together … that would make it more of a challenge.”

Websites hosting malware tend to stay up longer in Canada than in other countries, because security software often fail to flag them or has difficulty pinpointing who is responsible for an attack. Investigations can take years before police are allowed to take the infected website down. By that time most cyber-criminals have abandoned their post and have moved on to another part of the Internet.

“Ultimately it comes down to communication across boundaries,” Leonard said. “There is a good deal of information circulating in law enforcement globally. I don’t believe all of that is shared.”