Archive for September, 2008

SIME speakers get flight changes to their phone with Traveas, and you can too

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 30, 2008

This post is about SIME News

Today SIME and Traveas announced a partnership to provide all international SIME speakers with a mobile service that will enhance their travel experience when coming to Stockholm.

The mobile itinerary provided for them contains all relevant information about their trip to Stockholm, such as flight dates and times, name, address and a map to their hotel as well as current weather in Stockholm. In addition to the mobile itinerary the Traveas TravealTracker is activated, so for any change that occurs on the trip the speaker automatically receives an SMS update with the latest flight status.

You can download the full pressrelease here. (44 KB pdf) There is also a post about the partnership on the Traveas blog.

Getting flight information changes to your mobile phone through SMS might seem like a simple service, but it is actually a rather complex problem that no-one was solving until Traveas came along. Sure, some airports and airlines provide an SMS service but those only work for their specific flights.

I had a chat with Jack Melcher-Claësson, co-founder of Traveas, about the service and their company:

Andie: Your service for tracking flight changes and travel information will be provided for the SIME speakers, but anyone travelling to SIME can track flight changes with your tool. How does it work?
Jack: Of course, anyone travelling to SIME (or anywhere in the world for that matter) can just visit www.traveas.com, search and identify their flight, and order the tracking service by sending an SMS to the given number. It´s as easy as that.
Andie: You have just launched the international version of the TravelTracker service. I understand this is in direct response to a lot of international interest from traveling agencies for your service?
Jack: Yes, we just came back from a very interesting trip around Europe where we had meetings with a couple of the major players in the Big 3 (UK, France & Germany). Since our service is global we see great opportunities in our internationalization, and we are of course very excited about the interest they have shown in our solution when it comes to providing their travellers with the most updated and relevant information concerning a journey.
Andie: Behind your seemingly simple service there must be a rather complex system for aggregating flight information and detecting relevant changes. Can you tell us something about the challenges in solving these problems and how you’ve approached them?

Jack: Yes that’s correct, the simpler the service seems to be the more complex the technology behind it is. Google feels quiet simple too right? Well, we have created a logic to interpret all kinds of different sources of flight status information and to sort out the most relevant information in each flight we track. Doing it that way a traveller don´t need to find status on his flight through various airport websites or calling airlines customer service, he just let us know which flight he´s interested in and we will automatically let him know directly in his mobile phone if and when a change occurs. We have a huge amount of different information sources that constantly provides us with real time information and we cover a major part of all international airports and airline companies.

If you want to track your flights, head over to traveas.com

Traveas also has a good company blog where you can follow the company progress and read interesting notes on the travel industry. You can find it at http://blog.traveas.com/

Apply for a SIME08 Blogger Press Pass

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 29, 2008

This post is about SIME News

We have set aside a number of seats at SIME08 for interesting bloggers. If you think you are one of them, and would like to participate in SIME08, please apply for a Blogger Press Pass below. If selected for a Blogger Press Pass, you get a “2 days conference” ticket to SIME08, which means you get access to the two conference days on November 12-13 but not the SIME Awards gala dinner. Unfortunately we don’t have room for everyone, so please fill out the simple application form below and we will consider your request.

What do we expect from Blogger Press Pass attendants? Basically - nothing. We hope you participate and make SIME a great conference, and cover topics you find interesting and that fit your blog as you normally would. You will have the opportunity to talk to and interview many of the international top speakers.

Please send your application before October 13. We will announce the Blogger Press Passes on October 14. If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact Andie Nordgren: andie@sime.nu

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Notes from World Economic Forum

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Published
by
Ola Ahlvarsson
on September 29, 2008

This post is about Entrepreneurship and Inspiration

These are some notes and interesting quotes from the World Economic Forum, where Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia among others discussed the future of the web.

Moderator: What is the next web?

Wales: The next web – I have no idea?

Wales continues: The broad cast model move towards increased activity. Everyone knows models like wikipedia can be successful. The future is probably in applying the same models in other things than text. It could be in music, workflow etc. A lot of interesting things will be seen in the browser space. Ajax enabled a lot, ajax is java but it works. More will follow. We have not seen enough innovation in the browser space from Microsoft which leaves room for a lot of new innovation.

Tero who is the chief entertainment officer for Nokia (ex Nokia CTO, which is an interesting shift of position that is symbolic for Nokias strategy change from technology to entertainment):

Chinese kids taught me that mobile is the next web. In the future it´s mobile first, then maybe in the ancient pc´s. The future web is about people and places in a deeper sense than today. The web will provide you with information about the world and opportunities around you as you move.

Another point that was argued was that the future web is all about  the customized manipulation to smaller pieces of data. The pieces that make up our individual identity. I can seamleesly combine this map, this information attached, for these people in unique ways where the information is not in silos like facebook or outlook but always accessable mashable etc. Manipulating data can be both good and bad. It will reanable the web for science. Silos are broken down. Dead things all around us will generate information. Disposable stickers communicating will be everywhere. It can be really exciting or really bad. Each one of us becomes a unit that is manipulated. Or we have more control.

Some great quotes:

Jean Luis Schiltz, minister of information Luxembourg:

Thank you for this great session. I am still as confused, but on a much higher level!

Tim Berners Lee (founder of the web):

The next web will go from documents to data

Tom Illube, Garlik:

In none of the technology sessions has anyone moaned about the financial markets….it´s because we are technology entrepreneurs and we don´t care. We are moving full speed ahead to change the world

Josh Spear speaks at SIME08

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 26, 2008

This post is about SIME News

International trendspotter extraordinaire and founder of the Undercurrent digital think-tank Josh Spear has inspired peole all over the world, and joshspear.com has been a daily read for creative professionals for many years. He started the blog out of frustration that journalism school didn’t take the blogging phenomenon seriously in 2004.

Josh will speak at SIME08 in Stockholm on November 12-13. Here is a talk Josh did at Google Zeitgeist last year, about the ways today’s youth see media and how the way they live their lives is incongruent with how traditional media try to reach them (Josh comes on after the introducer from Google Zeitgeist):

Lena K Samuelsson shares her insight at SIME08

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 25, 2008

This post is about SIME News

Lena K Samuelsson has been at the helm of major swedish news paper Svenska Dagbladet as editor in chief during a time of change and innovation. Her leadership has earned the newspaper several awards.

Svenska Dagbladet recently announced that they are continuing a strong effort to put the best change-makers and intrapreneurs in the organization in positions where they can drive innovation and create an organization prepared for the ever-changing landscape of demands from readers and advertisers. Integrating and developing their journalism in all avaliable channels is an important focus.

Lena K Samuelsson comes to SIME to share her experiences and insight from creating a DNA of change at Svenska Dagbladet. Have you signed up yet?

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Why this is an exceptional year to enter the SIME Awards

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 19, 2008

This post is about SIME News

I had a little chat with Urban Pettersson of the SIME Awards organization about this year’s competition. Register your company for the Awards here, or suggest a company you think should be considered for an award!

Andie: What kind of submissions are especially interesting for the SIME Awards? What kind of excellence is the jury looking for?

Urban: We are interested in all kinds of excellence :-). If you are doing the same thing as everybody else but a bit better you could be a winner! Or, if you are doing something new and different the Award could be yours.

Andie: I hear there are some changes to the Award process this year that makes it especially exciting to enter the competition. Tell us what’s new!

Urban: First of all we have the best jury we have ever had, honestly. The competition will be tuff but fair. Secondly, the nominees and the winners will be presented allready during the conference and thus be much more exposed. Winning the SIME Award will be more important than ever. Thirdly, everybody competing in this years SIME Awards can publish a video of themselves on the SIME site, we hope this will be alot of fun!

Andie: What is the difference between the category awards and the SIME Grand Prize?

Urban: We have nine category Awards that you can apply for. The Grand Prize is given to the company or person that has been most important for the development of Internet in Scandinavia. You can not apply for it, it is a don´t call us - we call you prize.

Andie: What can you expect as a winner of a SIME Award?

Urban: Expect alot of envy from your competitors, pride from your collegues and hugs from your partner!

Success for first SIME event in Helsingfors

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 19, 2008

This post is about SIME News

Press release:

SIME, Scandinavian Interactive Media Event, the biggest digital business event in northern Europe expands from Sweden to neighboring Nordic countries. September 17th saw the first SIME Finland event in Helsinki, where 400 Finnish executives, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and media profiles spent the day in a bustling Swedish Theatre with 30 speakers from 10 countries.

“The Finnish digital business world has felt the need for a forum like SIME, and have embraced the event in a phenomenal way. Next year we need to book a venue twice the size”, says SIME CEO Christoffer Granfelt.

Microsoft, Kauppalehti (Finland’s leading business magazine), Soumi24 and International Herald Tribune were some of the sponsors that welcomed SIME to town.

Exciting young Finnish startups like Muxlim, the world’s largest online community for muslims, and Habbo Hotel who have created a pixelized hotel world loved by over 100 million kids around the globe presented their work at SIME Finland.

The next SIME event takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 6th, and on November 12-13 the main two-day SIME08 conference with the yearly SIME Awards takes over Stockholm. Over 60 speakers share their insight at the event, including media veterans like Pelle Törnberg, with a background in executive positions at MTG and Metro, Michael Oreskes, chief editor of AP and ex chief editor of International Herald Tribune, Svenska Dagbladet editor in chief Lena K Samuelsson, author Michael J. Wolf with a background as global head of MTV and head of the McKinsey global entertainment practice, along with the hottest young entrepreneurial stars like Net Jacobsson of Facebook, biggest hit maker on Youtube Mia Rose and Joi Ito, one of the world’s most prominent Internet Profiles with ties to among others Creative Commons, Technorati, Six Apart and FON. In the audience top Nordic and European executives, entrepreneurs, media and aficionados will listen, connect and participate.

For more information and press access to the event, contact

Ola Ahlvarsson, SIME Chairman,  ola@result.com, phone: +46708984335
Christoffer Granfelt, SIME CEO,  christoffer@sime.nu, phone: +46733436035

Press images: http://www.sime.nu/module.asp?xmoduleid=24664

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SIME Finland wrap-up with pictures and quotes

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 19, 2008

This post is about SIME News

SIME Finland is over - for this time. SIME CEO Christoffer Granfelt says we’ll come back, and that we need a venue twice the size. Get inspired by some pictures from the bustling event at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki, and see what people are saying about the event. A big thank you to everyone who came and made the event a great conference full of great people!

Some good quotes from and about the event:

“Numbers in start-ups is just another genre of science fiction” - Stefan Glaenzer in VC-panel

“I was personally very impressed by the excellent presentations and panel leadership from SIME’s Chairman Ola Ahlvarsson. This gentleman thoroughly knows how to take his audience and deliver a compelling presentation, as well as gently but firmly lead the panels into interesting discussions. Superb job Ola!” - Jussi Laakkonen

“SIME Finland that was held yesterday was really well organized and the atmosphere was great.” - Timo Paloheimo, Sombiz.net See also Timo’s photos from the event at his flickr page.

And some selected pictures from SIME Finland, see all of them at the SIME flickr page: SIME Finland pictures

Panel on social advertising

Hannu Ripatti and Dariush Ghatan networking during one of the breaks

First panel with presenting companies in full swing

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Stardoll and Muxlim - two companies that see explosive growth through word of mouth

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 17, 2008

This post is about SIME Companies

This afternoon at SIME Finland started off with presentations from Stardoll’s Henrik Torstensson and Muxlim’s Mohamed El-Fatatry. Both companies have grown through word of mouth by targeting a market no-one else was paying attention to.

Henrik shared some insights from the process of growing Stardoll, the paperdoll dressup site for girls:

Invest in making your product great and getting the best people rather than in marketing. This is not a question of either/or, but if you build the best product, people talk about it and are prepared to pay for using it. With an online property that dominates its market you become interesting for brand advertizers that usually don’t look at advertising with sites that are second or third on a local market even if the total number of users is larger than some local players.

Henrik says that having your tech team in the Nordics works well, and that going local globally has worked very well for Stardoll. Going global is more about scaling sales and support than scaling the tech team. Companies like Stardoll and Sulake (Habbo Hotel) have proved that a team in the Nordics can build websites that are liked and successful in many more markets.

Mohamed shared the story of Muxlim, the largest online muslim community, that grew organically from a small office at a university to a venture backed business trying to introduce the concept of the Muslim Lifestyle to the muslim community.

Muxlim tries to be a very open service that integrates other social services through Open Social and Facebook Connect. It wants to work as a complimentary service to other social spaces online.

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Rethink the box - Hannu Ripatti on online strategy

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Published
by
Andie Nordgren
on September 17, 2008

This post is about SIME Companies

Hannu Ripatti from Gyllene Skor gives us tips on how to make digital part of you company’s DNA rather than a disconnected add-on. By focusing on clear goals and creating ideas with a clear purpose, you can rethink one or several boxes instead of trying to think outside them.

Hannu points out customer focused design as a deprecated concept. Marketing in itself is not very customer focused, since the goal is to make people buy things they might not know about or know they need. The product and service you make needs to be customer focused, but strategies concerning both marketing and sales should avoid getting stuck in ideas about user focus and remember the business focus.

Gyllene Skor helps companies get a holistic grip on digital strategies and business opportunities.

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