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The annual Diversify Sportsfest gets bigger and bigger each year. At the rate the company is growing, this should not be surprising. October is a busy month for everyone at Diversify, and special events like the Sportsfest are fun and meaningful affairs that let everyone see a different, more casual side of the people they see every day.
The 2018 Diversify Sportsfest is a celebration of competition and the chance to establish stronger camaraderie with each other. It serves as a high point for later in the year and a chance to also show off athletic prowess.
A Three Way Contest
For the third straight year, Diversify’s Sportsfest was held once again at the British School Manila. It’s always great to be in familiar territory while welcoming new people to Diversify’s favourite sporting venue. Much like last year, basketball, badminton and volleyball were the three events the Sportsfest centred around. Similarly, the day started with an Oath of Sportsmanship that all the athletes participated in, followed by a lively Zumba session that put everyone in an active mood.
Of course, there was a higher level of anticipation in this year’s Sportsfest than in previous years. There were more participants and teams for each of the games this year due in part to the company’s expansion in 2018. If last year’s highlight was the “Makati vs. BGC” rivalry, this year upped the stakes with teams from the newly opened Twenty-Five Seven site. No longer just a contest between two offices, this year’s Sportsfest now meant three talented offices with more teams to get involved.
Introducing the Diversify Cup
The Twenty-Five Seven teams were not the only additions to the Sportsfest. During the opening ceremony, Diversify’s management team introduced the Diversify Cup. Not only was this going to be a symbol of bragging rights for the winner, it was also the start of a brand new tradition for all of Diversify’s sportsfests.
As explained by COO Jez Batulan, each site will play for the right to take home the Diversify Cup and display it in their respective office. It will remain with the winners until the next Sportsfest for their chance to defend it.
Upping The Sportsfest Competition
In previous years, RSC teams often dominated all the events. The teams of Twenty-Four Seven were determined to avenge last year’s loss— eager to show their rivals how much they have improved. Meanwhile, the rookie teams of Twenty-Five Seven were intent on making their mark in their first ever Sportsfest.
In the badminton events, the action was fast-paced with no team wanting to let up. With three divisions happening this year – men’s, women’s and mixed doubles – it was anyone’s game. To the surprise of many, Twenty-Four Seven defeated RSC in the Men’s and Women’s divisions while RSC won in mixed doubles.
As the badminton games were happening, loud and lively cheers echoed from the basketball court of British School Manila. Not to be outshined by their neighbours, Twenty-Five Seven brought a new level of intensity to Diversify basketball. The rookies trounced RSC’s and Twenty-Four Seven teams and finished the tournament undefeated.
Later in the afternoon, the indoor arena was converted to a volleyball court for the final matches of the day. RSC’s volleyball team, keen to prove their long-standing dominance, skillfully won all their games— showing everyone why they were the best.
Crowning The First Diversify Cup Winners
Crowning the champion of the 2018 Sportsfest was not as easy as it was in previous years. The friendly rivalry between RSC and Twenty-Four Seven took an unexpected turn. After tallying the results of each event, RSC and Twenty-Four Seven tied for first place. Faced with an unprecedented situation, the game officials had to review the score of each team in every event to break the tie. In the end, RSC’s experience and grit once again proved to be unmatched as they were named the first winners of the Diversify Cup.
By the end of the day, everyone was all smiles amidst the exhaustion from all the games. The competitive spirit was alive in Diversify and helped many of us feel closer to each other. New rivalries were born and are proving to keep friendly competition alive while forming bonds with new and old teammates. More than anything, forging stronger relationships have always been an underlying theme of every Sportsfest.
Competition often shapes our best selves and allows us to show our full potential. Whether it’s professionally, personally or athletically; this will always ring true. As this year’s Sportsfest draws to a close, our teams earned a much-needed breather, but you can bet that teams are already preparing for next year’s games.
Social media makes it easier for people to interact with their favourite brands. Because of it’s accessibility, it provides to retail companies adds a layer of transparency that today’s consumers prefer. They connect on personal levels with brands that often makes them loyal to particular brands or retailers. This interactivity is mostly due from the work social media managers do.
More retail companies recognize the benefits of having social media managers and what they can do for their business. While platforms like Facebook and Twitter are seen as extensions of customer service, social media management requires a specialized skill set apart from the usual customer service representative. Their tasks are often misconstrued as simple when the truth is that their role is a lot more nuanced. Forward-thinking retailers already leverage social media managers to augment their customer service efforts.
Evolving Your Customer Service Team
It can be said that social media managers are the busiest people of any retail company. Because of social media’s reach and real-time interactions, social media teams need to be highly responsive and available 24/7.
As part of customer service, they interact with customers on a daily basis on various platforms. They establish a certain rapport that can lead to potential brand loyalty among consumers in the process. Retailers who successfully integrate their social media and their customer service will see more value added to the customer experience.
A Specialized Role
A common misconception for social media managers — and by extension customer service teams – is that they have an “easy” job that anyone can do. This often leads to the wrong assumption they can be replaced just as easily. Social media managers require analytical, strategic, creative, communications and other skills that set them apart from anyone who has an active presence on Twitter. As a top influencer puts it, “[it] involves being creative like an artist but also learning to be the ‘data scientist’.” In addition, many social media managers today have specialized knowledge in retail and other industries that can help when interacting with customers. This knowledge can help upsell your company’s products and services. When properly integrated to your company culture, they become fully invested in your vision and how you aim to reach more customers.
Shaping Your Online Reputation
In the age of social media, your customer service team is responsible for how your company is perceived. As a Forbes article puts it, customer service is called the “human face – or voice – of your brand”. Social media has made it easier for people to share their personal experiences with companies, whether positive or negative.
In a recent survey by Sprout Solutions, 81% of people said that social media has helped increase accountability among businesses, saying it helps encourage transparency and amplifies issues. Additionally, 45% of consumers said they use social media to share their positive experiences with a brand. With a good, well-trained customer service team, they will be able to provide quality service and support that customers will rave about.
Finding the best Social Media Managers
Quality customer service is essential for medium, large or listed companies. While resources may be available locally, it can be a very costly endeavour. Smart companies today acknowledge the value of an offshore customer service team that operates on a 24/7 basis. Most of all, they provide excellent service and value to a company at a lowered cost.
The traditional outsourcing model of hiring solely call centre agents is becoming an outdated practice. As demand for more specialized, competent customer service steadily increases, companies should no longer consider it a minor role. Because of this, the role of social media managers should not immediately be dismissed as easily replaced. Their back office support keeps loyal customers satisfied while also attracting new ones due to their professional approach.
Whether in retail or other industries, social media now plays a critical role in letting a business flourish. By working together with a customer service team, they positively shape online reputations that attract a wider audience and making them loyal customers.
Adapting an offshoring strategy is a major business decision that needs to be carefully considered. Most companies that look at offshoring see it primarily as a good cost-saving measure and taking advantage of these cost savings require proper implementation and time.
Many established providers know the challenges that come with an offshore strategy and how to properly service their clients. Through customized strategies and consistent support, businesses and offshore service providers work together towards mutual success.
Diversify has seen first-hand how offshoring can transform businesses. Whether you’re in the retail, finance or even construction industry, there’s an offshoring strategy tailor-made just for you. It’s important, however, that businesses first understand what it means to have an offshore team in the Philippines.
Offshoring At A Glance
Let’s get this out of the way: offshoring and outsourcing have fundamentally different concepts. If your business is looking for more immediate, short-term solution without extra management, then offshoring may not be for you. While traditional outsourcing means engaging a provider to manage your team, offshoring is about working with and managing your own workforce in a full serviced workplace. With offshoring, businesses retain full control over the people who make up their team and their specific roles.
This means there is greater transparency in offshoring since you manage your team members directly. While outsourcing focuses on processes and getting them done, offshoring has a more people-oriented approach. Though implementation takes much longer than an outsourcing strategy would, offshoring becomes more affordable in the long-term.
Having a more hands-on approach is what makes offshoring unique. Businesses have a much larger say in what goes on with their team instead of letting their provider do all the work. This also means training and developing their offshore team. When properly implemented, a team’s output is optimized and they become valuable members of their business.
Your Offshore Team in the Philippines
So where can you find team members to fill these roles? We at Diversify have always called the Philippines the best location for an offshore team. The country is host to a very deep talent pool full of potential team members with specialised skills. With about 400,000 graduates a year, many Filipinos are experienced in a wide range of roles, from accounting, communications and administration. It’s also easy to communicate with a workforce in the Philippines thanks largely in part to their 95% English literacy rate. The BPO industry is a major contributor to the country’s GDP and is poised to become its biggest one within the next few years. The government has long recognized what offshoring – and the BPO Industry – has done for the Philippines and they have taken steps to cultivate it.
Perhaps the biggest reason companies choose to offshore to the Philippines is the people themselves. In a 2017 report by Tholons, the Philippines ranked the top offshoring destination when it came to talent, skill and quality. The report also called the Philippines the “undisputed leader” in customer service, citing a positive business climate, supportive government regulations and its place as one of the world’s largest English speaking nations.
Companies that found success with an offshore team in the Philippines cite their strong working relationship with Filipinos. Clients often call Filipinos hardworking, dedicated, engaging and very personable team members they are happy to have. Some would say this is due to uniquely Filipino cultural traits that other countries don’t have. For one, values of loyalty, discipline and respect are part of the Filipino psyche and they carry these with them to their personal and professional lives.
Offshoring Challenges and A Best Practice
No matter how good any business strategy is, they are not always perfect and can encounter some problems. Offshoring is certainly no exception to this and there are a few challenges that often arise. Because local teams work closely with a team outside their region, cultural miscommunication and challenges may occur. For instance, Canadians or Australians may approach particular situations in a way that Filipinos may not be used to. If companies ignore these cultural nuances or don’t try to find a middle ground, there are likely to be issues. To get around this, consistent interactions with your offshore team in the Philippines can give both sides better insight of each other’s work cultures. Doing this ensures smoother communication and issue resolutions with minimal or no incident.
You’ll hear it a lot from companies that have a successful offshoring strategy in place, but engagement is key. As part of your local team, your offshore team should be treated as such. Forward-thinking companies often check in with their teams to monitor their daily output, routines and overall satisfaction. Being more familiar and engaged with your offshore team helps develop a stronger rapport understanding of their greatest assets and areas for improvement. This close association with your offshore team is something you are unable to do with a traditional outsourced team.
The Long Term Effect
Finding success through offshoring is not something that happens overnight. It requires consistent engagement and development of your team as you establish their roles in the company. But working with the right provider can ensure that your offshoring experience is a smooth one.
It’s through this engagement that they become motivated, dedicated and loyal to your company. By showing how everyone’s roles fit into the overall vision of your company, the more driven they become. This is particularly true when you work with a team based in the Philippines. By expanding your reach, your offshore team becomes an essential asset to your global success. The best part of it all? You can reach new levels of success locally and globally at a fraction of the cost.
Diversify’s experience with the Philippines has made us one of the leading offshore service providers in the country. If you wish to begin your offshore journey with us, feel free to contact us today.
Last July, Diversify took a different approach to their usual monthly huddles. For three weeks, Diversify employees were invited to live green and take part in a themed huddle that introduced a brand new company wide initiative. Not only was it a more laid back setting, but one could say it was also eye-opening and educational.
Through the weekly huddles, the management team of Diversify unveiled the Live Green initiative. In an effort to make the company more environmentally conscious, the huddle organizers outlined some first steps of the initiative and what Diversify will be doing. During the huddle, the hope was that all Diversify employees would start making better eco-friendly changes for the betterment of future generations.
Life with Less Plastic
To kick off the initiative, it was announced that Diversify would be reducing its consumption of single usage plastic items. For the month of August, employees could expect to see a how plastic is used and disposed of in the office. For instance, following the initiative meant saying no to plastic bags and yes to reusable bags. Though not something that happens overnight, the gradual shift to less plastic usage helps Diversify employees become more environmentally aware.
In order to further this message, the huddle organizers put together a small video packaging highlighting the benefits of using less plastic. Not only does it mean a healthier lifestyle with less plastic, but there are also come cost saving benefits that come with it. Most of all, it encourages everyone that their own small actions have a large impact in making the world a better place.
As a way to encourage the reduction of single use plastics, the huddle organizers gifted all Diversify employees with their own metal straws. After talking about what the reduction of single use plastic straws can do, employees were free to use their new straws both in and out of the office.
The First of Many Live Green Projects
The reduction of single use plastics in Diversify is just the start of a bigger environmental campaign. In the coming months, there will be eco-friendly projects to unveil that will instill new habits among Diversify’s employees.
From trash segregation, better energy conservation and recycling programs, the Live Green initiative will be spread out over the next few months as Diversify becomes more environmentally conscious.
Following Diversify’s Core Principles
It was certainly confusing at first for some employees why July’s huddles focused solely on environmental issues. As the organizers explained, the Live Green initiative is deeply rooted in what Diversify stands for. When Diversify becomes more environmentally conscious, they show respect and understanding to their surroundings and the people around it. By making an effort to see these changes as a company, they embody the excellence that Diversify has consistently strived to produce. These are the core principles Diversify is founded on.
Although a much different huddle, there was a sense of excitement in the air among Diversify’s employees. By the end of the huddle, many had become aware of what they can do to help the environment in their own unique way. Through this collaborative effort, Diversify’s Live Green initiative is well on its way to becoming a success.
Some of the most successful companies today are no stranger to the advantages of outsourcing. As a constantly evolving business strategy, modern outsourcing has become a favored approach for companies of all sizes. With businesses becoming more global and interconnected, outsourcing has helped them stay competitive amidst a constantly shifting landscape.
Of course, acceptance of outsourcing cannot happen overnight. New, bold business methods will always have some level of pushback from those comfortable with traditional approaches. Even the most effective strategies developed may be seen as unfavorable when they are not implemented properly.
Today, modern outsourcing is more hands-on. Rather than working for companies, outsourced teams collaborate with them, acting as an extension of your local team. This means freeing local resources and cost savings, making way for more value adding opportunities opening up locally.
An Outdated Method
When looking back at the outsourcing controversy from the Royal Bank of Canada in 2013, many experts admit that avoidable mistakes were certainly made by RBC. While outsourcing does mean sending functions overseas, its purpose could have been communicated much better. By gaining a better understanding to outsourcing, its real impact could have been analyzed and anticipated better. By RBC’s own admission, they acknowledged their lack of sensitivity and worked to offer job opportunities to those affected.
As a silver lining, RBC’s actions also led many employers to reevaluate their use of an outsourced workforce and understand what it meant to use them.
Where Outsourcing is Today
Plenty has changed with outsourcing since then, with the development of better technologies and communication tools. This also means a change in how outsourcing is viewed and managed by companies today. Gone is the traditional definition of assigning mid to low level functions to a team based overseas. In its place, there is a growing need for a more qualified, cost effective workforce that can handle different functions across many industries.
Canada is certainly no stranger to the challenges outsourcing brings, but it has also reaped much more from the benefits it has brought. Through its constant evolution, outsourcing methods have become more effective and more specialized, showing the importance of flexibility and better management. By taking advantage of the new, modern outsourcing approach, businesses can get a leg up and compete with others on a global scale.
The Benefits of Modern Outsourcing
When businesses adopt a modern outsourcing approach, it means that they get to work on a smarter level. Additionally, it will help them focus on better strategies that prioritize cost, growth and efficiency. Canada has seen an increasing number of enquiries from companies searching for these diverse and productive workforces, as they have become aware that outsourcing is not what it used to be.
Some businesses still view outsourcing as it was 5-10 years ago. The traditional approach of recruiting a provider to manage low-level functions with minimal input has certainly proven itself to be a good cost-cutting strategy. IT outsourcing in Canada for instance continues to be reliable approach for some.
However, times have changed and so has the way we do business. Thanks to our interconnectivity and advances in technology, it is much easier collaborate with teams that can provide quality work at reduced cost.
To stay competitive, businesses need specialized workforces that can handle more major roles. This means tapping into the potential of a highly skilled talent pool that can take on these functions and operate on the highest level, all at a reduced cost.
This modern approach to outsourcing also means being more hands-on and managing your team member’s roles, responsibilities, even career trajectory. In effect, they become an extension of your local team, aiding in your business growth and expanding your own global presence.
No Longer a “Set and Forget” Process
One of the biggest pitfalls traditional outsourcing had was that companies gave nearly free reign for their providers to manage their teams. It sometimes meant shifting priorities on the fly and immediately recruiting and replacing team members just to meet their objectives.
To get the most out of modern outsourcing, it starts with effective management of those you will recruit to your team. Proper training, constant engagement, and your own local input can make all the difference for you to find success. While it does entail more time and responsibilities than traditional outsourcing would, your business will stand to benefit greatly in the long run.
Looking to the Philippines
It’s no secret that Canadian businesses have found success with traditional outsourcing. By changing their view and adapting a more modern approach, we can definitely see more businesses of every size find the same level of success as their predecessors did. Much of this is predicated on finding the right offshore provider to work with.
The Philippines has emerged as one of the major players in modern outsourcing. This should come as no surprise as outsourcing and the BPO industry is the second biggest contributor to the country’s GDP. The Filipino talent pool is incredibly deep as a result of this, boasts a 94% English literacy rate. Many global companies have called the Philippines a second home for their business, largely in part to their use of the modern outsourcing model.
The quality of work provided by the Filipino workforce is second to none. What’s more, collaborating with a modern outsourcing team in the Philippines means even better cost savings. This provides Canada many opportunities to outsource different functions beyond the usual healthcare and IT industries we often outsource to. Finance, retail, fast food and construction are just some of the industries today that recognize the need for a modern outsourcing strategy.
Partnering With The Right Provider
In recent years, we’ve seen an emergence of more modern outsourcing providers that can help businesses realize their objectives. These providers live and breathe the modern outsourcing trend and have rooted themselves in countries like the Philippines to fully tap into their potential. Modern outsourcing requires a deeper commitment than traditional outsourcing, but the right provider will ensure businesses have a seamless transition into adopting it. Although it’s possible for trends to change over time, partnering with the right provider will guarantee you are ready to take on and adapt to any challenge that comes your way.
By properly considering the different factors that go into partnering with a modern outsourcing provider, companies of different sizes will be able to leverage themselves into global competitors. For Canadian businesses, there hasn’t been a better time to adapt this more modern approach than now.
The retail industry is experiencing a beneficial yet challenging transition. With more retailers going digital, online shopping has become more competitive. This means knowing a little bit about everything in the digital space and going beyond what it traditionally means to be a retailer. Some of the most successful companies today see what it means to adapt current business trends to their advantage. They know how to make the most of their business without spending too much.
This is where offshoring comes into play. With more retailers looking at a bigger global presence in today’s online landscape, staying with the trend has become more important than ever.
What Retailers Need To Know
Many retailers may be thinking that offshoring roles are the typical ones that appear in the news. It’s true that retailers can benefit from offshoring their customer service and administrative tasks. Delegating these functions will certainly contribute to further productivity and efficiency in their operations.
However, offshoring is now not just limited to these roles. With the ever changing business landscape, the need for more specialized, highly trained roles has become a priority. This has resulted in wider markets, better brand awareness, and a stronger presence online for many retailers. Through proper implementation, many in the retail industry have become aware of the potential offshoring teams have as they take on important roles and collaborate with their local teams.
In other words, if you still haven’t considered offshoring to help your retail business, there’s no better time to start than now. Let’s look at some of the roles that you will be able to offshore.
More and more finance roles are being sent to offshore teams. These roles have ranged from accountants, analysts, bookkeeping and overall financial administration. Whether they’re a medium, large or listed business, the retail industry can take advantage of offshored financial roles. The cost savings incurred would be significant compared to what they would hire locally. The most experienced retail companies today see where the current business trends are going, including offshoring.
The very idea of offshoring such vital roles would have been unheard of only a few years ago. Letting an offshore team handle a company’s financial responsibilities might have even been seen as taboo. However, offshoring has shown that any of the roles listed can be handled at very high levels. Today’s technology has made it easier for people to communicate and collaborate better regardless of where they are in the world. That is to say, if you haven’t thought about hiring an offshore accountant, your competitors may already have.
When you think about the retail industry, you don’t normally associate it with IT roles right away. In fact, many retailers would probably say that handling the backend of their website isn’t in their priority. However, this line of thinking needs to be changed, especially in the current business environment.
Part of the success of retailers like Amazon and Loblaws is their understanding of ecommerce’s impact in today’s society. They see the real value of establishing a strong online presence that allowed them to scale their businesses based on consumer demands. In order to do this, they needed a strong back office support from an IT team to handle different channels of their businesses. Through regular maintenance and data handling, an offshored IT team allowed them stay competitive at a lowered cost.
With your website in place, your retail business will no doubt need leads and traffic that will direct people to it. This is where a smart marketing team becomes effective. Their understanding of trends and consumer behavior shapes the strategy and direction your business should take. This is especially important in the retail industry, where there are numerous specialized interests that can be catered to. Through smart content distribution, your marketing team can be a dedicated source of asset creation that ranges from blogs, research papers, infographics and even short video presentations. In turn, you retailers can turn browsers into potential buyers.
The content and direction online that a marketing team can create is vital to any retail business. Working with them also does not need to be a costly endeavor. Many industries have espoused their satisfaction of working with an offshore marketing team, and these benefits can also be carried over into the retail industry.
Working With The Right Provider
It’s certainly an exciting time to be in the retail industry. With more tools and technology in place, businesses can reach more customers than they previously could. We’ve seen already how major companies have utilize offshore teams to their advantage by assigning them mid to high level functions they can manage.
Diversify continues to work closely with clients in the retail industry and we understand their different needs. Through a collaborative process with us, our clients have produced strong results and have been able to free up resources for further ventures. Drop us a line today to start your offshoring journey.
As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the need for traditional approaches becomes less prevalent. Stories of the rise of artificial intelligence or AI in the workplace have become more and more prevalent. This is both an exciting and cautious time for the offshore outsourcing/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. We previously predicted that it would be the trend to watch out for, together with the decline of the traditional call center. Though this does mean automating plenty of low, entry level functions, adapting automation puts businesses in the forefront of trends and ahead of their competition.
The Philippines, in particular, has been preparing for this major transition. After all, the BPO industry is poised to become the highest part of the country’s GDP within the next five years. We’re seeing different voices in favor of automation, while others see the future effects on the Filipino workforce. Let’s take a look at some of the insights presented.
The Rise of AI
Even on a surface level, most people are aware of what AI can do for any business. The successful implementation of AI in the BPO industry in particular would mean a massive increase in productivity. Menial and repetitive tasks such as administrative work can become automated, allowing for the allocation of resources in different areas of focus.
The Philippines remains cautiously optimistic with the implementation of AI. Lawmakers understand the concerns brought about the possible loss of jobs and how it will affect the overall business climate. They assure companies that AI would “compliment” current technologies rather than replace them outright. Furthermore, experts encourage further training and upskilling in special areas as these are areas that need to be strengthened. Experts in the Philippines also predict that automation will gain major traction in the next three to five years.
The Drawbacks To Come
Still, skepticism around fully automating functions in the BPO industry still remains. The concerns surrounding it are not unfounded either. The biggest issue being what it would mean for employment. While some see the implementation of AI as an opportunity, others see it as a threat to their livelihood. Despite the assurance from the government, fully automating processes with AI would mean losing over 1.3 million jobs in the Philippine BPO industry alone. If companies are not able to provide alternatives for their livelihood, it becomes detrimental to the industry and the Philippines as a whole.
Additionally, we are already seeing some of the problems that automation has brought to some major companies. YouTube, for instance, caused a stir among its most prolific users with the demonetization of different videos due in part to buggy automation. Facebook’s automation problems are also well documented, with some writers observing it as both a blessing and a curse. Few have observed that AI’s biggest flaw comes with being unable to properly address context with the content being produced. Errors as a result of automation, especially on a major scale, have had unintended consequences.
Finding The Balance
Human interaction is an indispensable asset to any business and in many ways, forms its heart. For all the convenience AI can bring, many people still prefer a “boots on the ground” approach. As Sudhir Agarwal, CEO of Everise, stated “people like talking to people, not machines.”
The BPO industry is never one to shy away from new technology, and AI is no different. If companies are able to take advantage and the quality of work that comes out of the Philippines, they will no doubt have an advantage in the coming years. Part of what makes it such a resilient industry is its ability to stay relevant together with emerging trends. The Philippine workforce has proven again and again it is able to overcome challenges in order to produce quality, world class work. Companies are now seeing both the importance of AI, and the significance of upskilling their workforce. Much like offshoring, the implementation of AI is set to create more jobs rather than decrease them. Slowly but surely, more companies are accepting the next step in a constantly changing business landscape. Those that recognize this are now finding the right balance with new technologies and the people behind it.
Like any business strategy, offshoring is not without its challenges and issues. If applied incorrectly, offshoring can result in a negative experience, with companies not realizing what it can fully do. Many horror stories surrounding offshoring mistakes often come as a result of mismanagement or insufficient knowledge about what it does. Awhile back we looked at some common offshoring mistakes that companies often make. Since then, we’ve seen some improvement in some aspects, while also noticing new concerns that should be addressed.
Avoiding Common Offshoring Mistakes
The offshoring of key functions to reliable providers continues to show itself as a proven business strategy. Companies see the real value of sending functions of all levels to teams that they are wholly responsible for. Getting an idea, therefore, of what offshoring means is also being aware of the limitations it can create. Many of these may sound obvious but even some very established companies have overlooked some of these factors on occasion.
Overlooking Due Diligence
Due diligence is important for any professional collaboration, not just with offshoring. Your grand ideas and visions for a more global presence can certainly be helped with an offshore team. However, without making due diligence checks on potential providers, this can have more negative consequences before you even get started.
Companies that want to offshore need to maintain a level of diligence when they consider their provider. No matter how confident companies might be in the integrity and output of their chosen provider, they still need to conduct due diligence to see if they are indeed up to the standards they have set for themselves. From the quality of talent to their chosen location’s infrastructure, due diligence is an indispensable part of the offshoring process. Once in place, companies can begin to look at other factors that could affect their offshoring experience.
Impatience with Implementation
Offshoring’s unique cost saving approach is what many businesses consider its greatest benefit. So much so that some companies want their strategies to get off the ground as soon as possible. However, doing so many increase risks and could become a very costly endeavor in the longer term.
The reality is that offshoring is not something that can happen overnight. We’ve talked about how businesses need to be patient with the offshoring process. It will require a deep commitment that will cover the professional and personal development of your offshore team. In fact, we believe that it takes companies at least a year to see what offshoring can truly do.
Before any company undertakes an offshoring strategy, they need to ask themselves if they are ready for the long haul.
Not Prioritizing Visibility
One of the clear differences offshoring has from something like outsourcing and freelance work is in collaboration. Your offshore team acts as an extension of your local team and is as vital to your success as they are.
Unfortunately, this is still something that is overlooked. Offshore teams are sometimes seen as a group of people working abroad at a lowered cost. They are not closely involved in the company’s strategies and are only engaged with when needed.
This is why it is important that all teams – local and offshore – are kept in the loop on daily operations. Doing so develops team engagement, which is important if you want to achieve success on a global platform. Leaving your offshore team in the dark may cause a drop in production, affecting your company’s overall morale.
Unclear Roles and Responsibilities
It’s often challenging for businesses that offshore for the first time to make a seamless transition into it. What offshoring covers can lead to confusion from people not knowing what their future roles will be. You may have an idea of what roles you are looking to offshore, but your team may not fully grasp the scale of their new responsibilities.
This doesn’t just mean your offshore team. Your local team will also be affected by the transition period. If they are not aware of their new responsibilities and collaborations, something as simple as time zones could lead to some initial problems. Good offshoring providers stress the importance of clearly defining roles and working with a set timetable to make sure everyone operates on the same wavelength.
A Lack of Proper Strategy
We’ve made it clear that offshoring is a major business decision that needs to be seriously considered. Given this, a lack of strategy or proper management will result in major consequences. Companies that adapt offshoring without looking at its lasting effects can have a negative on the objectives and responsibilities it set for itself. When properly adapted, a good offshoring strategy will give everyone ample time to prepare for changes, whether major or minor, that are about to happen.
This leads back also to proper management. Even if they are not present locally, you will not get the most out of your offshore team without ongoing management. Sure, it might feel that the work itself might be out of your hands locally, which can lead to some concern. Through proper and consistent management however, companies not only can rely on their offshoring provider, but they also help build stronger working relationships between teams. As we stated earlier, the work that offshore teams do should not be seen as less important in spite of being located in another country.
Collaborating with the right provider
Whatever the size of your business is, there’s an offshoring strategy that’s ready for you. Committing to a major decision like offshoring can seem difficult, but the right providers know how to make it a seamless transition for everyone involved. By being aware of the common mistakes surrounding offshoring’s implementation, you also get an idea of how to ensure you are getting the most out of your teams. As one of the leading offshoring providers in the Philippines, Diversify is committed to ensuring that all current and future clients avoid making common offshoring mistakes that have plagued others.


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Food prices and just about every other essential has been become more expensive in recent months, creating more pressure for organizations that help families put food on the table.
Robin Hawkes, president of the Our Town Food Bank in Tottenham, says demand has “certainly risen sharply” in the last six weeks.
“Food prices are worrying, especially in towns with limited shopping options,” she said.
According to Statistics Canada, the rate of inflation hit an 18-year high in October, with the consumer price index (CPI) rising 4.7 per cent compared to this time last year. Food prices saw an overall increase of 3.9 per cent, with meat prices going up 10 per cent.
Fortunately, the food bank is well supported due to the generosity of local residents and businesses, Hawkes noted.
She said the best way to support the food bank right now is to make donations of small denomination gift cards. Food donations are also welcome, but she said Our Town and other area food banks are well stocked with pasta and beans.
The pandemic and recovery period has led to more people seeking support from food banks, especially in Toronto, based on a recent report by two food charities.
Heather Morgan, president of the Angus Food Bank, said their list of clients has also been going up.
Normally, they service 180 to 200 clients, which could be individuals or families.
“Every time we open we get one or two new ones, and I think it’s going to continue on in the new year, now that the support programs have ended,” she said.
While they have enough donations right now to service clients, their stockpile of good food is down considerably compared to this time last year.
She said most people who seek help are having trouble paying their bills. The cost of housing is one of the biggest factors.
“They just can’t make it work,” she said.
On the positive side, she said many people are “stepping up” to keep the bank's shelves stocked.
Morgan said there a number of food drives planned over the coming weeks, and the Legion will also be making a sizeable donation from money raised during its 'Chase the Ace' tournament.
She said the Angus food bank could use more juice boxes and snacks for kids lunches.
Dave Bradbury, of the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Alliston, said the organization remains in a “good position” even with more clients coming through the doors.
“Our number of clients has been increasing, but not as much as the ones in cities,” he said.
The Alliston food bank relocated to a new, bigger location on Wellington Street West at the beginning of the year, and it recently allowed clients to start shopping inside again, with physical distancing and capacity limits in place.
— With files from Torstar.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Food banks in Ontario are under immense pressure due to the economic problems created by the pandemic, so Simcoe.com spoke with local organizations to see how they are coping during these difficult times.


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Apple announced on Tuesday a deal with the company it once painted as Big Brother in its infamous 1984 ad: IBM.
It’s called the Fire Phone, and Amazon is hoping that its entry into the mobile arena will prove a hot seller that puts the iconic brand at everyone’s fingertips.
In a second high-profile legal fight, a federal jury sided with Apple, ordering Korea’s Samsung to pay nearly $120 million for infringing on some of Apple’s patents.
Drivers will soon be able to control their iPhones by hitting dashboard knobs, tapping a touchscreen or via voice control, as Apple unveils its new attempt to bridge the gap between smartphones and cars.
Technology giant Apple is buying a large manufacturing space in Arizona, where high-tech glass for its devices will be produced.
An all-digital public library is opening today, as officials in Bexar County, Texas, celebrate the opening of the BiblioTech library. The facility offers about 10,000 free e-books for the 1.7 million residents of the county, which includes San Antonio.
Apple Inc. “conspired to raise the retail price of e-books,” a federal judge ruled Wednesday as a civil lawsuit brought by the Justice Department reached its conclusion.
Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles’ journey to becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices.
Tech giant Apple used a “complex web of offshore entities” to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes in the U.S., a congressional investigation has found.
Apple said today that the computers of some of its employees were attacked by hackers, who used the same vulnerability to access computers at Facebook.


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The luizas of the Pacific Northwest have become popular in recent years thanks to the lure of the ice fishing industry.
Now the ice industry is bringing in another, even more lucrative revenue source, as luillas are being used to make fishing gear.
The fishery’s boom is in part due to a boom in the availability of frozen luikas in the Puget Sound region, and it’s all thanks to an unexpected twist in the history of the species.
Luiza luidias are a subspecies of the luiliacoracina, an ice fishing fish with long, pointed tails.
They live primarily in the Pacific and are found in the ocean’s deep waters, in the cold waters of Alaska, and in the Arctic.
Luiza are sometimes called a “sea-dwelling luigi,” after the way they can move through the water.
But the luvias of the Arctic have an unusual anatomy: their tails are fused to their body.
This unique anatomy, and their ability to live in these frigid waters, make luifas highly valuable for ice fishing.
But what exactly is luíga fishing?
In the past, luisas were only harvested in the tropics and south of Mexico.
Today, the region is a huge market for the ice-fishing industry.
“Ice fishing has grown a lot in the last couple of decades,” says Greg Schulz, executive director of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, an organization that manages the region’s luifea.
“There’s a lot of demand for luiceas from the Pacific to the Caribbean.”
Schulz says that a lot has changed in the past few decades.
Luuisa fishing has expanded, and they’re now available in the U.S. and Canada, where they’re also more commonly harvested.
The Pacific Northwest has seen a lot more luila fishing in recent decades.
And the lucias’ luistic anatomy is now a lot easier to exploit.
“They have really nice and flexible bodies, and when you take those luidas, you can put them in a box and put them into a water tank,” says Schulz.
“That’s really what the luuisas are great at.”
The luifa, or luisa box, is an inexpensive way to capture luísas frozen in their native waters.
“The luuisa box is actually a really good box to store luibias,” says Scott Wiedemann, manager of the Luuisa Fish Harvesting Program at the Northwest Fishing Research Station.
“You can put it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and they’ll be able to eat right away.”
Wiedeman says the box holds about 3,000 luias, and each luika is typically sold for about $40.
The boxes are made of a plastic material that is easily washed away from the lubed fish.
It’s important to note that the luitas in these boxes aren’t frozen, and the fish that come out of them are actually alive.
That means they’re alive when the luaisas arrive at the market.
“When you get them in, they’re in good condition,” says Wiedmann.
“But if they don’t, you need to take them out of there.”
Wietemann says that he’s noticed that some luiga boxes have become extremely hard to come by over the years.
He says he’s seeing more boxes being imported from China, and says it’s a problem that could be solved by having a different supplier of luida boxes.
“You’ve got to get the luluas in a different place, because it’s not like they’re on ice anymore,” he says.
“It’s more like they can walk around and eat whatever they want.”
The ice-hunting luikeas are typically sold by the pound.
The luciá, or frozen lucea box, holds about 500 luciísas.
Schulz says he knows of at least two people who have sold luireas for $2,500 each.
“I would say it’s really a niche market, and if you can sell a box at $1,500, it’s going to be a lot cheaper than a box of luvas,” he explains.
“And that’s what makes them so popular.”
Luikea fishing, or ice fishing with lulísas, is a growing industry in the Northwest, thanks in part to the popularity of ice fishing equipment.
In 2016, for example, the Pugilano Island fishery netted about 5,500 luigas.
Lueba luija, or “luluikea,” fishing with frozen luluis is a much more popular and lucrative venture. “Lueba


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“For marketers they are the next big thing”
By Fadi Shuman, Global Chief Digital Officer
14 Nov, 2016
Driverless cars are like a modern day headless horseman and people are spooked. According to a survey released earlier this year by the American Automobile Association (AAA), three out of four U.S. drivers said they would be “afraid” to ride in self-driving cars. But like most things in life, this is primarily a fear of the unknown, as people seem to get used to these cars quickly once they experience them.
It would be naive to underestimate the seismic impact truly autonomous vehicles could have on civilization as we know it. Airplanes allowed us to work and travel like never before. Mobile phones gave us the freedom to communicate wherever and whenever needed, and the internet allowed us to truly become a global civilization. I believe autonomous vehicles will have as significant an impact on the world, on society, and indeed on marketing, as those previous innovations.
For many, the concept of driverless cars means Uber - without the driver. But there’s so much more to it if you consider how far this technology can take us and what opportunities it presents for marketers and businesses.
Taking the ‘driving’ out of the equation means more time and space for people to be consuming media (and yes, advertising). Suddenly the living room will have extended beyond the home, as the car becomes the second space people use for entertainment and leisure. Not only that, but the car’s use will increase due to new levels of comfort and convenience.
Being mobile means advertising can be presented to you at the right time AND the right place. For instance, the onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) system will know your food preferences and can suggest compatible lunch spots nearby. You’ll be able to pre-order while still in motion and your food will be ready just as you arrive. You could then search for the nearest toy store (and receive discount offers from them in real time) just before doing some in-car shopping so that your groceries are ready for pick up upon arrival.
Aside from in-vehicle opportunities, marketers should also be considering the new consumers that will be able to access their stores. As a retailer in this dystopian driverless future, free transport can be provided to those who were previously unable or unwilling to get to a retail destination – be it a mall, a department store, a restaurant or an entertainment center. Door-to-door pick up and drop off provides a fantastic opportunity to grow and build loyal customers.
Goods will be delivered to us by vehicles designed purely for that purpose, which will operate 24/7 by land, sea and air making delivery costs a less important part of ecommerce. There can be a greater focus on customers and service, as the machines calculate the most efficient way to deliver thousands of packages.
The transformation of society, and ultimately of marketing, will really progress as soon as vehicles can be truly autonomous. Removing the bulk associated with a human ‘safety driver’ means cars can be designed with a more social purpose, and people will start using vehicles for more than just getting from A to B. The battleground for attention during this pivotal time in a person’s life will be a prize worth fighting for.
Clearly our phones will be the brains behind these vehicles. That’s where the AI will live allowing us plug in and go. The once humble mobile phone will continue to evolve at a dramatic pace ultimately becoming our 2nd brain. Those making and powering these AI phones can easily become the most powerful companies in the world.
It is definitely a scary prospect to give away so much control, but we’re already doing it without really acknowledging it. Whether it’s commercial flights running on autopilot for the majority of a journey, or the simple automation of ordering groceries before you run out – we are increasingly giving away control and we love it. This generation-defining change is occurring at breakneck speed and technology will soon be intelligent enough to make this future a reality. I say don’t fear it, embrace it. And be ready for a new marketing ecosystem that will change everything. Again.
Source: The Drum


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The owner of a Westmoreland County gun store, Tracey McMahan, is facing charges following an investigation into her business sales, according to the district attorney’s office. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office began investigating McMahan, who owns Hi Grade Shooting Supply, after a victim contacted Westmoreland County detectives in October, 2021. According to investigators, McMahan allegedly accepted payment of $4,600 for a shotgun but the customer never received the gun or a refund.
Another victim tried to sell a Beretta shotgun to McMahan’s business on consignment for $3,500 but never received the money. McMahan was charged with several counts of theft and receiving stolen property. According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, she was also charged with theft by deception and is facing additional charges filed by Pennsylvania State Police. McMahan was arraigned and released on $50,000 unsecured bond.
Court documents show she was also charged with theft by deception.


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Nashua has delicious plans for Fall Restaurant Week
Next week, Fall Restaurant Week will kick off its annual dining festival with special promotions and discounts at numerous dining establishments on and around Main Street.
Fourteen local restaurants are participating in Nashua’s sixth annual Fall Restaurant Week, which will take place from Sept. 23-29.
Hosted by Great American Downtown, the restaurant week is traditionally held in October, but this year’s event was pushed ahead, partly because of the nice weather, said Dixon.
On average, between 5,000 and 6,000 extra diners will hit the downtown area throughout the week, according to Dixon.
“This is a unique, old-fashioned ’50s style diner that recently opened in the city. They will be offering great discounts to highlight their new establishment,” said Dixon.
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“Apple Inc. is facing a claim for about $2 billion in damages from a German patent-holding firm that alleges the U.S. technology giant infringed on a cellphone technology it owns, a German court said Wednesday,” Friedrich Geiger reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“IPCom GmbH accuses Apple of improperly using patented technology that gives emergency calls priority on mobile networks,” Geiger reports. “A spokesman for IPCom, which is backed by U.S. fund manager Fortress Investments Group LLC, said the company’s demand for more than €1.57 billion ($2.12 billion) covers only Apple’s alleged infringement relating to devices sold in Germany. He declined to comment on whether IPCom would file similar suits in other countries.”
“IPCom’s lawsuit comes after the European Patent Office last month rejected requests from Apple, Nokia Corp., HTC Corp., Vodafone Group PLC and Ericsson to declare the patent invalid. IPCom said it is suing other companies for alleged infringement of the patent beside Apple, including Nokia,” Geiger reports. “Companies like IPCom, which critics derisively call patent trolls, make money by buying patents and then claiming royalties on them. IPCom bought the patent in question in 2007 from Robert Bosch GmbH, a German automotive-parts company that was a pioneer in car phones but left the business at the dawn of hand-held devices.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: FRAND abuse.
Apple faces €1.57 billion patent damages claim in Germany – February 5, 2014


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What happens in Vegas famously stays in Vegas – except for this year of course as we stayed home and kicked off 2021 with the very first digital-only CES show. Personally, I missed the fountains and cocktails, if not the sore feet and endless lines. And although last week’s virtual event lacked the buzz of in-person contact, it was still good to tap into some of the thinking and trends across markets. So, keeping with tradition here’s our run down of the highlights that jumped out for Team Cambridge Consultants.
Curious to see what we presented?
The attendees – beyond tech and consumer
Back in the late 60s this event started as a Consumer Electronics Show focused on the consumer tech market but now the acronym has become the name. For many years now, it’s been a place for non-consumer and non-tech companies to visit to understand the potential of technology – and for whole new categories to emerge with start-ups alongside multinationals.
We saw this with sports and fitness a decade ago, then with the emergence of the connected health space, new opportunities for CPGs and then more recently with agriculture and other industrial areas. This year we saw talks from Caterpillar and John Deere – technology-focused companies to a degree, but surprising attendees for some – and product launches from L’Oréal and Amorepacific. I’m sure many non-tech companies were in the audience too. All were taking a leaf out of my colleague Jen Gomez’s book, who reminds us that CES is always a good opportunity to learn from others, even virtually.
A big one – sustainability innovation
First emerging as a key topic around five years ago, sustainability was huge this time around – with it featuring heavily in many launches, talks and company showcases. Futurists say that water will outstrip the value of oil as climate change takes hold, so it was great to see water-saving solutions from L’Oréal, Moen, and the award-winning Hydraloop.
Also standing out was the combining of sustainability and personalization evidenced by the expansion of the Wiser smart home ecosystem from Schneider Electric, which has been recently nominated the world’s most sustainable company on Global 100 index. With homes predicted to become the single largest greenhouse gas emitters over the next decade, this timely system allows users to monitor and control their energy consumption. There’s also the bonus of significant savings on heating and cooling costs.
We’re already working with many clients on developing and evaluating sustainability innovation, so it’s encouraging to see the global spotlight falling on this vital area. Here’s one story worth catching up with – our digital services innovation for VeriTherm, which offers viable thermal verification for commercially developed properties.
AI – from fake news to healthcare
AI spokespeople from the likes of Hive, IBM, and BlackBerry were eloquent and positive – but also challenged expectations by asking: “If AI is so good why doesn’t it combat fake news?” The consensus being that the training for this is based on subjective data. The debate moved on to the risk and awareness of bias and prejudice.
Another excellent session expanded on concerns as experts explored trust in relation to the impact of AI on medical judgements in healthcare. The big challenge as seen as the ‘black box’ nature of AI and the general lack of explainability. Pat Bird of Phillips made a good observation, saying that he had proposed extending the regulatory guidance that existed for medical samples to data. The implication was that perhaps we don’t need to create a whole new regulatory framework but extend what we have already to digital data medical samples. The overall mission to attain trust was also summed nicely: we need to get nurses back to looking after patients rather than machines.
The care of data in the ‘The Digital Transformation of Personal Wellness’ was highlighted as crucial by Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW. She described the company’s digital acceleration sparked by the pandemic. Harnessing data successfully was instrumental in the journey to personalize their offering. They were now a technology experience company, creating intimacy with customers.
Evidence of #gotAI was reflected in the CES Award Winners. I have picked out a few of those that caught my eye when looking for smart products. The Oticon More hearing aid features a deep neural network, while the AltumView Sentinare 2 smart activity sensor also has deep learning algorithms used in senior care. Again for healthcare, the K300 autonomous health monitoring solution from Xandar Kardian can detect heart rate with superb accuracy without contact.
Onwards – to artificial general intelligence
The trajectory of AI was analyzed brilliantly in the debate between two great thinkers, Thomas Friedman and Professor Amnon Shashua. In ‘Technological Megashifts Impacting our World’ they tracked our technology journey so far and examined the imminent move from narrow AI to broad artificial general intelligence (AGI). They suggested that within three to five years computers will be able to read text. In a topical reference, they said a machine could ingest all regulations for a COVID vaccine and engage humans in a discussion about how safe it was. The debate moved to the question of what comes after ‘deep’ – deep intelligence and deep medicine. They suggested the field remained radically open, with the focus once more back on data, using it to ensure a massive move to democratization.
Automation – what now for smart cities?
The smart city concept has been around for several years but COVID has highlighted the massive inflexibility of cities. As was explored in a great panel discussion between Siemens, Lime, and Numina, most cities are fixed as soon as the concrete is poured. Now though the traditional rush hour is being replaced with mini rush hours and traffic flows have significantly altered.
The key takeout was that city policymakers divide into the progressives and the conservatives. Paris fell into the progressive camp by creating a complete digital twin. This enables them to simulate different people-moving options – quickly and cheaply. Mass transit systems are now under significant strain, due to low passenger numbers. This may open up new innovation opportunities to offer more dynamic and integrated transport options, across different modes of transport. I’m pretty sure we’ll see more innovations in this space at CES next year.
5G – the industrial perspective
There was a lot of chat about 5G. A LOT. If you dig below the surface, although 5G promises to be all things to all people (remember the famous 5G use case triangle?), this isn’t the case in reality. Indeed, more often than not the mobile network operators are focused solely on the enhanced mobile broadband element, or a fatter data pipe. But some industrial companies are sensing an opportunity in the ultra-reliable, low-latency comms corner and are willing to pay handsomely for licenses to prove it.
For all the talk from John Deere about improving the precision on the farm, what piqued my attention was what they didn’t mention regarding connectivity; specifically, their acquisition of CBRS licenses for manufacturing operations across several US sites. Enabling manufacturing lines to be more flexible by removing the need for miles of ethernet cable is a need that cuts across many industries and organizations. I’ll be watching Deere and others with interest to see how they deliver on the promise here. It's a big challenge that off the shelf kit is unlikely to solve straight out of the box.
Automotive – ambition is really taking off
It appeared that GM raided Ford’s past playbook by going all-in at CES this year. I was really impressed with the company’s ambition and vision to transform itself into a mobility company. The keynote presentation was packed full of transformative initiatives. We saw them unveiling their EV battery technology Ultium, the foundation for 22 new all-electric vehicle launches planned up until 2023; the announcement of their plan to roll out Super Cruise, their self-driving package to more affordable models later this year; their foray into last-mile logistics with BrightDrop; and, to top it all off, their flying car concept, the Cadillac eVTOL.
Amidst the blizzard of new announcements, it was interesting to see very little fanfare was made of perhaps one of the greatest technological achievements in recent times. It was their first successful fully self-driving trials (with no safety drivers) in downtown San Francisco late last year, a very significant automotive milestone.
I thought the GM keynote accurately reflected automotive trends that influenced many other announcements. There’s a significant push to launch electric vehicles, and we saw plenty of evidence of this. Established automotive suppliers Magna and LG, for example, announced a joint venture to focus on electric powertrain development.
Meanwhile, as self-driving features appear more widely, there is an opportunity to completely redefine the in-vehicle experience to offer greater comfort and immersion. Harman unveiled a development environment platform that designers can use to realize a completely new in-cabin experience. It is underpinned by advanced audio and video capabilities that rely on high bandwidth 5G connectivity, AI, and other emerging technologies. Exciting stuff.
What will stick?
There’s no avoiding it so briefly back to the pandemic. Obviously this has had an enormous impact on all of us as individuals, and has accelerated digital transformation in many industries. This was covered excessively, and I found more interesting the, perhaps, less expected trends and to think about ‘what will stick’? I think one that will last is the increased awareness of the importance of immunity. It’s a big topic – from the increased use of food supplements to improve immunity right through to the relationship between improved sleep and immunity (as highlighted by Philips and TV personality Dr Oz among others).
Get in touch
Another impact area I hope we’ve all experienced is an increase in empathy, from individuals, communities and multinationals alike. ‘Pay it forward’ schemes are popping up all over the place, as are ‘buy one donate one’ initiatives. It was super interesting to see the launch of Bellalovesme - a novel approach on banking with a karma account that enables random acts of kindness. Personally, I hope this approach does stick around.
On that note, please drop me an email if you’d like to chat further on any of these CES-inspired trends and continue the conversation one-on-one. I was glad not to pick up the annual cold from CES, but I have really missed meeting up with people and I’m already looking forward to Vegas in 2022. Hope to see you there!


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While some may argue that HomePod will fail in the market due to Siri’s performance compared to other voice assistants, many seem to discount the value of a smart speaker focused on high end sound quality. From the start, Apple has positioned HomePod as audio fidelity first, everything else second.
Based on a recent Reddit thread from r/audiophile, Apple has delivered on its hi-fi promise. Just like Apple has been praised for its displays on iPhones, iPads and Macs for being best-in-class and tuned to look true-to-life, the HomePod appears to be Apple showing off how it can use its audio engineering expertise to push the best performance out of a small music speaker…
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What CES visitors can expect to see this week.
Samsung Australia has just unveiled its latest NX10 digital camera at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new unit is said to have the heart of a DSLR inside the frame of a digital compact camera.
In what will no doubt be regarded as a classic marketing pun, Toshiba has demonstrated its strength in the PC and display market with the launch of the Cell TV, which actually features a Sony brain. WATCH VIDEO FROM CES.
Sharp Corporation has taken the traditional red, green, blue colour spectrum to a new level with the introduction of a yellow pixel creating Quad Pixel Technology. WATCH VIDEO FROM CES.
LG Electronics announced the world's first Full HD single lens 3D projector this morning in the first press conference at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. WATCH VIDEO FROM CES.
LG has introduced its new Infinia range of TVs at the CES show in Las Vegas. The supplier claims a combination of slim design, thin bezel and enhanced connectivity make LG the 3D TV supplier of choice. WATCH VIDEO FROM CES.
Following the success of its investment in the 3D epic Avatar, which has generated over $1 billion in just 17 days, Panasonic has announced it will be releasing a twin lens camcorder this year.
Samsung has launched its first two e-books, with reading, writing and sharing functionality, at the CES show in Las Vegas. The two potential Kindle-killers are available in 6-inch and 10-inch sizes.
Sony unveiled four new ranges of Bravia televisions at its press conference in Las Vegas, three of which will be 3D compatible.
According to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, the CE industry will generate more than $165 billion in US Shipment revenue this year, which is an increase from 2009 figures.
In the Microsoft keynote address at CES yesterday, CEO Steve Ballmer enthusiastically ran through some of the Xbox 360s achievements over 2009 and was very excited about the company's plans for the console in 2010.
Chinese television manufacturer TCL has taken on the larger companies at CES in Las Vegas with the release of two 3D televisions - one that requires glasses and one that does not.
E-books are everywhere at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with at least a dozen unknown brands exhibiting at the show up against Sony and its nemesis Samsung.
It looks like a clock radio or digital photo frame on steroids but it is actually Sony's new Dash - a sophisticated wireless internet device that is more like a personalised seven-inch touch screen tablet.
Panasonic and LG Electronics have both launched televisions at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with built-in Skype capability providing free internet video phone calls from any compatible device.
Panasonic director - consumer electronics, Paul Reid, has said that retailers should expect 3D TVs to be released in mid-2010.
At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Haier has released a television that is completely wireless - operating without a power cord.
HP has been awarded Greenpeace's 'Best in Show' award at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The award is for the HP Compaq 8000f Elite Ultra Slim Desktop PC, which has a host of environmentally friendly features.
Preliminary figures released from the Consumer Electronics Association have revealed that attendance numbers were up for the 2010 International CES in Las Vegas. In addition to this exhibitor numbers were also up from previous years.
Sony Australia has announced the local release details and pricing for its new bloggie mobile high definition snap camera, which was just unveiled at CES in Las Vegas.
One of the big hits of the CES is the Zomm Bluetooth keychain which is the world's first wireless leash for mobile phones that lets you know when you have left your phone behind.
Named one of the top 50 best inventions of 2009 alongside the Dyson Air Multiplier by Time Magazine, the Fold and Play recycled cardboard speaker from OrigAudio, is looking for a distributor in the Australian market.


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Circle of Hope Cancer Support Center has announced its 2022 signature fundraising event, Vine2Wine, scheduled 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Scorpion Santa Clarita.
“With views overlooking the hills of Santa Clarita and the sparkling lights of Magic Mountain, guests will enjoy an evening of gourmet cuisine, an unlimited wine and beer tasting experience from many of Southern California’s finest and favorite wineries and breweries and have an opportunity to speak with the vintners and brewers to learn about their wines, beers and spirits,” said a news release from Circle of Hope.
The evening also includes a live and silent auction, music, entertainment and more.
“The Scorpion experience will submerse attendees into Scorpion’s elaboratively decorated themed rooms paying homage to a variety of professional sports teams, movie and television memorabilia from the silver screen, hidden bars and lounges, a sunken basketball court and other exciting must-see attractions,” the release said. “The Scorpion experience will not disappoint and will be an experience you will not soon forget from the moment you arrive.”
“You will be walking the red carpet and will feel like you are part of a movie premiere before you even step foot in the door,” said Dawn Abasta, Circle of Hope board member and chair of the 2022 Vine2Wine. “And once inside, you will be blown away with what awaits you.”
The community is invited to attend this interactive wine and beer tasting experience that supports those battling cancer and cancer survivors in our community. All proceeds from the evening support the Circle of Hope Cancer Support Center, a cancer support organization in Santa Clarita that offers emotional, financial, educational and supportive wellness therapies free of charge to those in the community affected by cancer.
Sponsorship opportunities are available and tickets are available on the organization’s website, www.circleofhopeinc.org.


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After the shutdown of Telltale Games, it seemed like The Walking Dead: The Final Chapter would never be completed. However, Skybound Games, who is working on the games now, has announced that Episode 3, ‘Broken Toys,’ will release January 15.
It has risen.
The announcement of The Walking Dead: The Final Chapter‘s next episode came last Saturday during the Kinda Funny Games Showcase. The announcement came along with a new trailer, which you can see above. It acts as a kind of recap of Clementine’s journey, including showing off the people she’s known and lost throughout the games, as well as a glimpse as what to expect in Episode 3.
In a blog update on the Skybound website, Johnny O’Dell gave thanks to the team and talked about getting the older episodes back up after they were pulled:
We’re extremely thankful to the team working on this game to make sure the season is finished with the quality the game and the fans deserve. We are #stillnotbitten.
You may have noticed that all past seasons and episodes of TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD are back up on *almost* all platforms. If you purchased any of the games on PC, we are still getting that sorted and will have an update for you ahead of Broken Toys’ launch. If you already purchased the entire season of TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD: THE FINAL SEASON, you will still have access to episodes three and four on whichever platform you already used to purchase them.
The Walking Dead: The Final Chaper Episode 3, ‘Broken Toys,’ will release on all platforms on January 15.
- American Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime Retiring in April - February 22, 2019
- Yoshi Music Used in EPA Flash Game Without Permission - February 21, 2019
- Epic Games Sues Unofficial Fortnite Festival - February 20, 2019


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Don’t Meta with TX: Facebook’s Parent Company Expands Austin Leases
2022 promises to be a huge year for Facebook. In late 2021, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that they
2022 promises to be a huge year for Facebook. In late 2021, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that they were changing the name of Facebook’s parent company from Facebook to Meta. This move was an effort to expand the company’s reach beyond its original social media platform and to focus on where Zuckerberg sees the future headed: the Metaverse. And now, that company is making big moves in a Southern state that is quickly becoming the new Silicon Valley.
Moving to Austin?
When you think of tech companies and where they gather, the first place that comes to mind must be Silicon Valley. California is a high-tax state that nonetheless invites some of the brightest minds from around the world, and it’s a natural place for tech companies to plant roots and start growing. In the past few years, however, the exorbitant tax rates in California have some companies seeking a future elsewhere, and they may have found it in an unlikely place: Austin, Texas.
Meta recently made news for signing the second-biggest lease ever in downtown Austin. The largest lease belongs to Google as Silicon Valley companies begin claiming Austin as their new home bases. Meta is claiming 33 floors in the new skyscraper known as Sixth and Guadalupe, which will stand 840 feet tall when complete in 2023. The lease will include nearly 600K square feet of the new building as Meta expands their Austin offices, claiming all of the commercial space the building has to offer.
Business Insider writes, “Katherine Shappley, head of Meta’s Austin office and vice president for commerce customer success, told Austin Business Journal: ‘We first came to Austin over 10 years ago with just seven employees, now over 2,000 of us are proud to call Austin home. We’re committed to Austin and look forward to growing here together.’”
The new Meta offices are seeking 400 new employees and will have room for more in time. For now, Meta employees are mostly working remotely but are expected to return to their offices on January 31st.
As Meta begins expanding and moving in new directions, including growing into the virtual and augmented reality world of the Metaverse, it’s impressive to look back and see how it got where it is today.
It all started in 2003, when a sophomore at Harvard University named Mark Zuckerberg launched a website from his dorm room that he called Facemash. Zuckerberg hacked into the university’s student database and used student pictures to create a “hot or not” game, but of course the university shut it down. In 2004, Zuckeberg tried again, this time launching a social media concept called Facebook. In the beginning only students from Harvard could access it, but eventually Zuckerberg expanded it to students of other nearby Ivy League universities. Soon it was spreading to other colleges and universities, but to sign up you had to have a university email. Many people who signed up for the original Facebook with their college emails still use those login credentials even though the emails are long since deactivated.
In mid-2004, Zuckerberg moved to Palo Alto, California and worked out of a rental house with Napster founder Sean Parker. Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel invests $500K in the start-up Facebook and begins making noise for other investors to pay attention. Just before the end of 2004, Facebook announced that they had hit the milestone of 1 million active users and growth continued to accelerate.
In late 2005, high school students could use their emails to sign up for the site as well. At this point it was fairly basic, including a “Wall” on which to share your thoughts, private messaging, and annoying features like poking. Groups and pages were still being worked out. In 2006, Yahoo tried to buy Facebook for $1B, but Zuckerberg famously turned them down – a decision that would later turn out to be an extraordinarily wise one. Also in 2006, the News Feed feature would be introduced, and people were outraged over privacy concerns – perhaps a sign of the troubles to come for the rapidly growing company. In September of ’06, minimum user age was lowered to 13.
In 2007, Microsoft purchased a 1.6% share $240 million, valuing the company at $15 billion. That same year, Facebook launched a new ad program that saw immediate backlash because of concerns over the way user data was being protected – or not. In 2009, the “like” feature was added.
In 2010, protests in Tunisia launched what’s known now as the Arab Spring – a youth revolution across the Middle East. Much of the organizing was done on Facebook, and it’s recognized as a tool for political organization and social change.
In 2011, the Timeline arrives to Facebook accounts and people find it irritating, often recycling old posts and leaving them with little control over what they view. The following year in 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion. It was a preemptive attempt to head off what was sure to be Facebook’s greatest competitor and would turn out to be another very shrewd investment. That same year, Facebook raised $16 billion in their public offering. Also in 2012, Facebook crossed the threshold of 1 billion users.
In 2014 again in an attempt to head off a competitor, Facebook buys WhatsApp for $22 billion as well as virtual reality platform Oculus. In 2016 Facebook is at the center of political turmoil as people on both sides of the aisle accuse the company of doing too much – or not enough. The platform begins incorporating more video content from sponsored partners. The following year, Facebook users top 2 billion.
In 2018, Cambridge Analytica – a firm that worked on former president Donald Trump’s election campaign – was revealed to have accessed the data of 87 million users and Zuckerberg has to testify in front of Congress about his company’s commitment to data protection. As time goes by, even more privacy concerns are revealed.
However, Facebook vows to fix the problem and hires tens of thousands of specialists to work on data protection and make people feel more confident in their use of the platform. Over the next few years, Facebook would continue to grow at a steady rate. The pandemic forced the company to incorporate more automated moderation which has seen users disgruntled and complaining – but they don’t seem to be annoyed enough to stop using the platform.
Since the parent company has become Meta, it’s clear that they already have their eyes set on the new frontier: virtual reality in the Metaverse. By expanding their presence in Austin, Meta is signaling that the company may be making some big changes and taking some big chances in the not-too-distant future.
Tesla Does the Texas Shuffle
Meta is not alone in finding Austin a haven for tech companies. Google has been expanding their resources in Austin, and in late 2021, Elon Musk’s tech giant Tesla announced that the headquarters had moved from Silicon Valley to Austin. NY Post reports, “‘On December 1, 2021, Tesla, Inc. relocated its corporate headquarters to Gigafactory Texas at 13101 Harold Green Road, Austin, Texas 78725,’ the filing says.
Musk first announced the plans to move the company to Texas in October, adding the caveat that Tesla will continue ‘to expand our activities in California, so this is not a matter of, sort of, Tesla leaving California.’”
Like many tech companies, Musk cited the extraordinarily high cost of living in California and high tax rate as reason to begin expanding more elsewhere. Although Musk and others may claim they aren’t leaving their roots in Silicon Valley behind, Austin and other cities are quickly becoming the companies’ homes away from home.


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The technology industry will see "some major acquisitions" this year, according to Gary Shapiro, the chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association, which is hosting the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. "This will be the year of acquisitions," Mr Shapiro told the Telegraph.co.uk. "Valuations are so slow, it's a great time to be an acquirer. It's really phenomenal how low some companies are valued, some are valued at less than the assets they hold." Mr Shaprio said he expects companies with strong balance sheets, such as Microsoft and Intel, to sieze the opportunity and pick up bargains. He brushed aside intense speculation that attendance at this year's CES, the highlight of the technology calendar, has been decimated by the global economic downturn. He said he would be "shocked" if attendance is not down on last year when 1420,000 visited the convention, but expects "it will still be the third biggest CES in our 42-year history".
More than 2,700 companies are exhibiting their goods across 1.7m sq ft of exhibition space across the city. However analysts point out that companies will have paid for exhibiting space well in advance of the global economic slowdown. Some of the industry's biggest players, including Philips, Cisco Systems, Panasonic and Sanyo are not attending the event or have drastically scaled back their presence. Despite the gloom Mr Shaprio believes technology will "drag the world out of recession". "Technology companies has been through this before, they understand boom and bust. They [technology companies] went through it in 1980-81, in 1991 and 2001, they will get through this," he said. "2001 was a sudden crash - the sky fell in. The sky is not falling now." He predicts 2009 will be a "challenging year" but said innovation delivered by technology companies will help other companies cut costs and fuel growth in the wider economy. ( www.telegraph.co.uk )


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ISQED Panel to Discuss Electronic System Level 2.0
CoWare, Inc., the leading supplier of platform-driven electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services, announced that a panel to be held Tuesday, March 18, during the International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design (ISQED) will discuss “Electronic System Level (ESL 2.0) — Is Anybody Using It 2.0?”
Ambric to Demonstrate teraOPS class Am2045 MPPA at SPIE 2008
Ambric®, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company shipping the world’s first one teraOPS-class Am2000(tm) chip family of highly scalable, massively parallel processor arrays (MPPAs), will be exhibiting and delivering a paper at SPIE Defense+Security 2008.
Cypress Announces Designing with USB in Embedded Systems Webinar
Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY) announced a free online seminar that introduces embedded system designers to development with the USB protocol. The 60-minute webinar entitled “Introduction to USB Development in Embedded Systems,” will be presented in conjunction with Electronic Engineering Times.
Trendsmedia, Beacon Events Reveal Details of WiMAX World Asia
Event organizers Trendsmedia and Beacon Events announced that leading business executives will be keynoting the 2nd Annual WiMAX World Asia Conference & Expo, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on March 18-20, 2008.
eASIC Corporation Raises $48 Million
eASIC Corporation, a provider of zero mask-charge ASIC chips, announced it has raised $48M in late stage financing. The financing round was lead by Advanced Equities Incorporated.
Future Horizons Publishes Semiconductor Applications Markets Report
Future Horizons released the 2008 edition of its annual Semiconductor Applications Markets Report. The report identifies applications that are expected to drive semiconductor market growth through to 2012 and quantifies system volumes, semiconductor content and revenue for each application.
ABI Research Publishes Report on IP Multimedia Subsystems
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is expected to provide mobile telephone operators with a forecasted $300 billion in extra revenue over the next five years, according to a new study from ABI Research.
ISaGRAF 5 Control Software Fully Supports TenAsys INtime RTOS
ICS Triplex ISaGRAF Inc., the leading automation software technology partner, announced that their ISaGRAF 5 control software now fully supports TenAsys’ INtime real-time operating system (RTOS).
GE Fanuc Introduces IS-100, IS-200 Industrial Grade Servers
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms announced the IS-100 and IS-200 industrial grade servers. Both products benefit from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms’ industry-leading Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) programs, which ensure IS-100 and IS-200 hardware continuity over five years.
TED Rolls Out TB-5V-LX330-EX Virtex-5 FPGA LX330 Evaluation Platform
Tokyo Electron Device Limited (TED) has announced the inrevium “TB-5V-LX330-EX” evaluation platform for ASIC prototyping with the Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA LX330, which is the industry’s high density and high performance FPGA in the market.
Tensilica Supports MPEG-4 AAC-LC, aacPlus Multi-Channel Decoders
Tensilica®, Inc. has become the first processor IP (intellectual property) company to announce the approval and availability of MPEG-4 AAC-LC, aacPlus(tm) v1, and v2 multichannel decoder implementations from Dolby Laboratories, Inc (NYSE:DLB).
Advansus Rolls Out i965GM-DCQI Intel GME965 Mini-ITX Motherboard
Advansus, a joint-venture motherboard manufacturer of ASUS and Advantech, announces the roll out of i965GM-DCQI, an Intel® GME965 Mini-ITX motherboard designed for high definition video gaming machines and digital signage systems.


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Biomutant never had a firm release date, and at some point, the developers pushed the game back from its 2019 release year to 2020. And without an update from the devs since September of last year fans were wondering if the game was still in development. But the news that the game is still alive arrived as welcome relief to fans.
“Thank you for the update, anything is better than nothing. One of my most anticipated games of 2020,” wrote one fan on Twitter. “Happy to hear from you! I for one will be happy to try out the game whenever it will be released,” said another. The reason why the developer’s update means so much to the community is because of the prolonged silence. On the r/Biomutant subreddit, one of the top posts is from four months ago asking specifically, “When is the game coming out? Why is the developer so quiet?” So the update is the long-awaited answer to those questions, though there’s still no release date. But even the update was met with appreciation.
“I personally prefer this over the No Man’s Sky approach,” is the headline of one of the top subreddit topics since Experiment 101’s update and references Hello Games’ rocky launch and numerous post-launch fixes. “The Biomutant team should take the time they need so they don’t have to do anything like that.”Biomutant is an upcoming action RPG by a team of former Avalanche developers and published by THQ Nordic. Players can customize an animal protagonist and explore an open world using kung fu and various weapons. Biomutant features branching storylines and the build of your character will impact their playstyle. So for example, a heavier character will move more slowly but hit more powerfully.Without a firm release date, Biomutant is still tentatively scheduled to be released sometime in 2020.
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.
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