July 27, 2006 at 8:16 pm · Authored by Ewan · Filed under MMS

If you haven’t done so already, please take 60 seconds to go and fill out the 160 Characters MMS survey here.  It doesn’t matter where you’re located — it’s all about tracking your experiences with the medium. 

After the 23rd of August 2006, the survey will be switched off and the results tallied.  The summary report should make really interesting reading.

July 20, 2006 at 1:39 am · Authored by Ewan · Filed under People

Just in case you’re sat in sunny South America wondering exactly what the 160 Characters network event was like, here are some videos. 

Here’s a quick pan up and around the pub garden:

…

And here’s me showing the N90’s video functionality.  It’s a bit limited in terms of entertainment value.  In fact it contains a few seconds of totally dull blue sky!

I’d have liked to do more video.  I didn’t want to run the risk of people looking at me too strangely though.

July 20, 2006 at 1:30 am · Authored by Ewan · Filed under People

Well you remember I posted a note about my business cards?  Rather annoyingly they didn’t arrive in time for the 160 Characters networking event which took place this evening.  So, I was relegated to making copious excuses to new people.

Mike, founder of 160 Characters, is a super host — he’s extremely well connected and well liked throughout the industry — and in case you were looking for testimony to this point, you just had to be at the event to see the quality people that he attracts.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve managed to get to one so it was good to meet everyone.

It is, conveniently, one of those events where you can walk up to someone and say ‘hi’ without fear of the person looking at you in horror and blanking you: everyone is there to connect. 

I didn’t meet as many people as I should have.  I talked to quite a few people in-depth.  While that was thoroughly enjoyable by the time it got to 9.30pm I noticed that half the area was undiscovered — I hadn’t ventured over to the groups of people to say hi.  At that time though, I reckoned it was a bit too late to say hi. 

I had some wicked conversations.  It’s quite different going to a networking event representing SMS Text News as apposed to representing one of my companies in a purely business context.  The moment I said ‘I’m a blogger’ and explained a little more in detail, many people were a little more guarded in their comments in front of me.   Bring it on.  Some were careful to insist that ‘this is off the record’ — which I was perfectly happy to accommodate.  I was there to meet people not to report on gossip.  Although, let me tell you about the Customer Affairs Director of one of the UK’s biggest network operators, … he was completely drunk and….. 

Only kidding.  In fact I didn’t meet any network operators.  Probably a good idea.  I really don’t know what I’m going to do if I ever meet anyone in a position of responsibility at Three.  I just. Can’t. Handle. The. No. Internet. To. The. Handset. Policy. 

I bumped into two delightful ladies from Band&Brown — Katy Luddit gave me her card, whilst her colleagues looked at me in some dismay as I fumbled with my ‘er sorry I don’t have any cards’ explanation.  Gahhh what an idiot.  Still, the cards arrive tomorrow.   Kudos to Katy’s colleague who also thought the Three no-internet policy was ludicrous. 

The tanned Adonis-like forms that comprise Infomob (Steve & Tim) were outrageously healthy looking and full of energy.  It just shouldn’t be allowed (particularly when you take into account the quarter pounder with cheese I had at Wimpy earlier in the day).  Steve was particularly animated about MIG — I’ve been quite excited to see what they’re going to do together with ITV Broadband and SMS micro-payments. 

Ed, newly appointed UK Country Manager of Crickee, was there early and thus I gather got talking to quite a few people.  They’re live and in beta — lots of changes coming it seems.  That’s a good few blog posts in itself I reckon from what he was saying.

Always the smart man, Ed had his card behind the bar and offered a pint of Coke.  Nice one.  I headed to the bar and whilst I calculated just exactly how I was going to manage carrying the drinks, got talking to Richard Segal of ARN Consulting.  I immediately accosted him with my ‘why don’t you guys text more when you’re doing recruitment‘ argument.  Richard made a wickedly interesting point which deserves following up.  Quick take: it’s not the candidates he generally texts — that’s usually done by personal email.  It’s his clients that respond well to text messaging updates.  More to come on that.

On the way out the bar in a clear panic trying not to drop the drinks (the place was crowded!), I spied the man himself, Mike Grenville, chatting with a representative of mBlox.  Amongst other things I put the ‘what was your first mobile phone question’ to the chap from mBlox and received one of the most in-depth and illuminating answers I’ve ever come across.  I’m hoping to get that transcribed down into a ‘10 questions with’ soon.

Meeting with Claudia Popper, I once again had to do the ‘duhh sorry haven’t got any cards’ thing — amongst other things she’s special advisor to MEF - The Global Voice of Mobile Entertainment, it says here on the card.  I need to talk to her and find out more about that.

Steve Rothwell, Technical Director of Eagle Eye Solutions had two tips for me.  One: mobile couponing is coming and two: Buymeabeer.com. 

"Tell me it’s not a barcode thing," I pleaded with him, hearing the word ‘couponing’. 
"Not at all," he exclaimed. Good.  I had a quick look at Buymeabeer — I remember hearing about this a while ago.  Again, I’ve more research to do on this.

Raoul Witherall, Business Development Manager of AdRevenue Mobile looked at me strangely when I asked him, ‘Oh, right, so is that advertising on the mobile then?’   As well he might.  He went on to give me a brief overview of what they’re doing down in Plymouth which clearly demonstrated that  I need to know more about what they’re doing.  I’ve asked him if he’ll do a 10-questions-with soon!

Sitting under the shade away from the dying sun (which was still quite warm even later on), I met Oisin Lunny, Product Manager (Media Services) of Interoute. He was sat with affable colleague Mark Lewis ("the Geek").  I was particularly excited to hear about their live music event services that they’re delivering. Hopefully more to come on that too.  Oisin had possibly one of the best business card back-pages that I’ve seen around.  Got a flickr of that coming.

The hottest phone I saw that evening was the one Ed was sporting.  I’ve got a picture of that on the way.  I know, really geeky. 

Plus I’ve eeeeeeven got some video.

Yes.  I know it’s highly suspect going along to a MOBILE  networking event and video blogging it.  Everyone else was more or less behaving yet I was poncing about taking pictures and video.  I was giving serious thought to walking about and sticking the N90 in the face of each person and demanding they give a 25 second elevator pitch to camera. 

Yes. I don’t know if that would have gone down too well.  You never know, maybe next time.

July 19, 2006 at 3:03 pm · Authored by Ewan · Filed under People

Woosh! I have checked all schedules and I am good to go. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend. But I am!

It’s been a long time since I’ve met with Mike Grenville of 160 Characters — years ago — you know what I wonder if it was back in 2004? Maybe 2005. I haven’t managed to make it to an event in a while, anyway. He’s an enormously well respected figure around the UK mobile industry thus I am very much looking forward to knocking about with him and others from the industry tonight.

Who’s going? If you’re in London tonight at about 6.30pm, and you won’t get a nosebleed from going south of the river, then your presence is required and requested.

The 160 Characters event details are here.

Here is the Beer in the Garden page.

The Google Maps link: here.