social media
Buzzin’ man!
Okay no prizes for original titles for me when writing about Google’s new service Buzz. I’m now seeing it in my Gmail from my PC but so far I have checked it out more often on the iPhone. I fear Google may be a little late to the party on this one but the promised open-ness (“Connect sites you already use. Import your stuff from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader.”) should allow people already familiar with other Google services to tap into it. I already use Friendfeed in a very lacklustre manner admittedly but it fills my lifestreaming void (Bet you didn’t even know you could have one of them eh?) Increasingly many social networks do allow this cross pollination through RSS feeds and APIs. The amount of replication as a result can be overwhelming and irritating. I know one of the things I’ll be doing next week while waiting for the arrival of Nipper 3.0 will be sorting out all my feeds, where they’re going and who’s seeing them. I know, the excitement!
However not everyone is enthralled by Buzz. Laurent Francois of Social Media Today feels that the assumption that Google make that you automatically want to be visible or see all your Gmail contacts is a big assumption and a questionable attitude to privacy.
But what’s the buzz for business? The mobile version is location specific (although it’s been having a fine time pinpointing my location so far) allowing users to “view buzz near your location” or “Post buzz tagged with your location”. This could be a great boon to businesses using Buzz and Google Maps as one of the functions allows the user to see Buzz “Nearby” and add in locations not unlike that other new-ish kid on the Irish block, Foursquare. Businesses could buzz about special offers, events, opening hours etc. and pick up passing buzzers. Despite Laurent’s fears above it will still be up to customers whether they follow the buzz on businesses or not. For customers however it’s nice to know that you can click on the nearby button when you’re thinking of a purchase and seeing if any nearby businesses are offering any specials, whether they are open and what your options are.
Connect sites you already use
Import your stuff from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader.
IIA Team
See you in September
Today is my last day before I take six months leave. I will return to my duties in early September.
Members, in the meantime please, please don’t hesitate to contact members at iia dot ie with your guest blog posts. Check out the guidelines here.Members are also welcome to post all types of content to the main IIA.ie site as well. Read more here.
You can also contact the chairs of the IIA Working Groups who will be seeking blog posts, case studies and speakers in 2010.
Please bear with the IIA over the next couple of weeks as they adjust to my departure… 🙂
Membership
The value of your IIA membership
You may be deciding whether to renew your IIA Membership right? Or maybe you’re thinking about joining. We know, in (sorry to bring it up) times like these, every decision to shell out cash is a hard one.
In January of every year we encourage our existing members to renew their membership. It’s a great time to join as well because you will get a full year of all that goodness.
What goodness exactly?
- Did you know that you can save up to €1035 on training costs this year as an IIA Member? With an average satisfaction rating of 85% for events the training is well worth it.
- Did you know that as an IIA member you can approach our working groups for advice relating to a range of issues from legal queries to web development?
- Did you know the value of IIA Resources & Services, if it were to be undertaken by you privately, would amount to the following:
– Legal support on specific queries with a minimum value of €300 per query;
– Training course materials and Case Studies valued at €4,200;
– Development guides and White Papers valued at €3,600.
It’s a solid business case and that’s just the hard numbers. Being a member of the IIA is important, it puts you and your business at the centre of Ireland’s digital economy.
- Members have access to a growing range of business intelligence resources developed for the Irish market including “Join the Conversation: The Guide to Blogging for Business” and many others
- All members have an opportunity to raise their company profile by participating as a speaker, in a working group, as a guest blogger or simply by adding company news or company feeds to IIA.ie.
Uncategorized
Minister Ryan appoints Alex Chisholm as New Chairperson of the Commission for Communication Regulation
Commenting on the appointment Minister Ryan said “High speed broadband is critical for the Smart Economy which is the foundation for the Government’s economic recovery plan. ComReg’s role in creating the necessary regulatory conditions to facilitate investment and ensure healthy competition in the telecoms and broadband markets is all the more important now and I have every confidence that Mr Chisholm has the qualities to fulfil this role at what is a particularly challenging time for the industry. I wish him well”
Mr Chisholm will succeed Mr John Doherty who has held the position of Chairperson for the last 2 years. Mr Doherty, while continuing in his role as ComReg Commissioner, has recently taken up the position as Chairperson of the Body European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). The Minister paid tribute to Mr Doherty “I would like to take this opportunity to thank John for the considerable contribution he has made in the past two years as Chairperson of ComReg and I wish him every success in his role as Chairperson of the BEREC. John will bring his extensive experience and commitment to this new challenge”.
Minister Ryan also paid tribute to Commissioner Mike Byrne on his appointment as Vice Chairperson of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) with a view to becoming chairperson in November 2010. “It is a tribute to Ireland that both Commissioners Doherty and Byrne have been appointed to such high-level international positions. It is recognition of the high regard in which Ireland is held and is a great personal honour for them both.”
Note to Editors
Mr Chisholm’s appointment is in keeping with the practice of rotating the Chair of ComReg. The other two members of the three-person Commission, Mr John Doherty and Mr Mike Byrne have held the position in the past. Mr Chisholm was appointed to the Commission in 2007.
Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) replaces the European Regulators Group and acts as an exclusive forum for cooperation among national regulatory authorities (NRAs), and between NRAs and the Commission, in the exercise of the full range of their responsibilities under the EU regulatory framework.
BEREC is made up of the heads of the 27 national telecoms regulators. Decisions will be taken, as a rule, by two-thirds majority and by simple majority when BEREC gives opinions in the context of the Commission’s analysis of measures notified to the European Commission by national regulators. BEREC decisions will be prepared with the support of independent experts. BEREC will also advise, support and complement the independent work of national telecoms regulators, especially when it comes to regulatory decisions with cross-border aspects.
The Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) was created by a European Commission Decision in 2002.Comprising the national spectrum authorities of the 27 EU Member States, the RSPG provides the Commission with advice on high level policy matters in relation to spectrum. Representatives of the EEA countries, the European Parliament and the regional and international bodies may attend as observers. Before being transmitted to the Commission, the RSPG’s expert opinions are submitted to public consultations of all spectrum users, both commercial and non-commercial, as well as any other interested stakeholders. The RSPG therefore constitutes a unique platform for Member States, the Commission and all relevant stakeholders to discuss and co-ordinate regulation of radio spectrum.