The SXSW Interactive Festival is the largest interactive festival of its kind in North America. Get a FREE badge to join an elite group of 15,000 innovators, forward-thinkers, investors, press and savvy start-ups for a week of networking in Austin, TX! SXSW, Austrade and iPitch.com.au have teamed up to give away a free Gold level badge, for the winner of this short essay contest. Unleash your creative thoughts and submit a 100-word answer to this question—What do you think will be the most innovative, breakout technology of 2011? Email your answer to tony.george@austrade.gov.au Deadline for submission is 30 November 2010. If your idea is selected, you will win a pass to 2011 SXSW in Austin, Texas -- and you will receive a comp Gold registration for SXSW 2011 (travel and lodging are not covered in this package). Valued at $950 US dollars, this Gold Badge allows for admission to SXSW Interactive as well as to its concurrent event, SXSW Film. Also be on the lookout for information about attending the Australian Technology Meet-up at SXSW this year as well! For further information please contact Tony George, Senior Director, US Market Development, Austrade Los Angeles (tony.george@austrade.gov.au). Open to entrants that reside in Australia or have an ABN.
Over the last week or two, I have had the pleasure of being invited to the Frankly Speaking Podcasts. Frankly Speaking is a topical podcast run by two of my team mates, Micheal Kordahi & Andrew Coates. They discuss what's happenning in Tech This week.
The first one I got to sit in on last week featured Nick Homes a Court CEO of BizSpark Partner BuzzNumbers: http://www.noisetosignal.com.au/franklyspeaking/?p=301
Although I was actually sitting in on this one – I had to be really quiet <- quite a feat for me!
Fortunately, the next time I got to visit the Studio, I was actually a guest presenter! During this first Birthday episode, we chatted about Kinect, Halo, and the art of Story telling. I really enjoyed being part of the podcast, and who knows…. I may even get invited back in future episodes!
http://www.noisetosignal.com.au/franklyspeaking/?p=308
If you listen to Frankly Speaking, fill out the Survey to give Michael & Andrew feedback & go in the running to win a Kinect: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/419260/FranklySpeaking-listener-survey-2010
Local Aussie Start up Buzz Numbers has been featured today on the Global BizSpark site as the Startup of the day! They have also appeared on the front page of TechMeme.com! It is fantastic to see Aussie startups getting global recognition!
See the Interview with Nick Holmes a Court, Founder and CTO on the Global BizSpark Site here:
http://www.bizspark.com/Blogs/Microspark-BizSpark-Startup-of-the-Day/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=4f77559d%2D0614%2D489c%2D9e9e%2Dfb18e981cb5a&ID=262
I love his response to the below question:
What’s the ONE THING you would like readers to take away from this interview? Stop talking about your ideas, go and build them!
What’s the ONE THING you would like readers to take away from this interview?
Stop talking about your ideas, go and build them!
Great Work Nick & the Team at Buzz Numbers!
There were so many announcements last week at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference held in Seattle. This post is a quick summary of the Azure related announcements that were made that I think you NEED to know about:
1. Windows Azure Platform Benefits for Cloud Essentials will be available on January 7th and provide an mechanism for partners to try Azure without getting charged.
2. Extra Small Windows Azure Compute Instance ($.05/hr) now makes running smaller apps, sites, and testing scenarios much more affordable.
3. Windows Azure Virtual Machine Role now allows partners to deploy any app compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2 to the cloud.
4. Windows Azure Marketplace is built on Pinpoint and provides developers the ability find, buy and sell services. Today the DataMarket (previously Codename Dallas) is live and provides access to commercial datasets and public data sources. The broader AppMarket will be available before the end of the calendar year.
5. SQL Azure Reporting is now in CTP and opens up new opportunities for partners building business intelligence solutions in the cloud. Review the FAQ.
Don't forget that an MSDN subscription allows you to qualify for Discounted Azure rates – and all members of BizSpark therefore receive these great rates! See more info here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ee461076.aspx?ppud=4
All PDC session recordings can be found at: http://microsoftpdc.com
Thanks to Jon Roskill for the collation of links
The Agenda for the BizSpark Startup Camp being held in Brisbane next weekend has been finalised. I am very excited about the extra value sessions we are including to give you additional business knowledge & advice while at the Startup camp:
Time Slot
Speaker
Subject
There are still a few places left – so register now: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bizspark_au/archive/2010/10/20/bizspark-phone-7-startup-camp-in-brisbane.aspx
Bio’s for speakers are below:
Yik Loong Lee (Loong)
Electrical Engineering (Honours), Master of Commerce, Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors
Principal Project Officer, Mentoring and Investment Readiness unit
Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
Loong has qualifications in Electrical Engineering and Commerce and in his spare time is a badminton champion. All good skills for his career which involves launching companies and being competitive in the global environment
Born in 1979, Loong is a borderline Generation X/Y so doesn’t know whether he should be working diligently or speaking to his friends on Facebook.
Recently graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Loong has broad experience in the areas of investment attraction and business development.
Having started his own business in 2001 he has first hand experience with the highs and lows of an entrepreneur.
Now heading up the Mentoring and Investment Readiness team in the Queensland Government, he works with an extensive network of business mentors and investors to assist Queensland businesses reach their full potential. He manages the Mentoring for Growth program, a facilitated real world mentoring, matching business needs with industry experience. The suite of programs is widely regarded as world best practice.
Chris Baxter
Chris Baxter is the Principal of Baxter IP, Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys, a Fellow of The Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA), a Member of American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and often presents to companies in Australia and overseas on how to patent software internationally. Before starting Baxter IP, Chris was an in-house patent attorney at ResMed, one of Australia's largest medical devices manufacturers, where he regularly drafted and prosecuted patent applications in the US, Europe, China, India, Australia & New Zealand. Chris has also worked at two large Australian patent and trade mark attorney firms.
Chris has worked on patents across a spectrum of technologies but specialises in:
Peter Allison
Business Development Manager at i.lab Incubator
Peter is heavily involved in providing assistance to start-up technology-based ventures within the University of Queensland’s technology incubator, i.lab Incubator www.ilab.com.au. He has personally experiences the thrills and despairs of launching and managing his own start-up venture, and now provides the benefits of that experience to dozens of new ventures commercialising a technologies ranging from software to biotechnology, nanotechnology and hardware electronics. Peter’s guiding perspective on new ventures is, “it’s not about the technology, it’s all about the business opportunity”.
Paul Russell
Paul Russell is the Director, Digital Economy and Creative Industries in the Business Innovation Group within DEEDI.
Paul joined the Queensland Government in 2003 and has held senior management positions in the Trade Division, Information Industries Bureau and Science Group. Paul entered the government with extensive experience in business development and government relations from previous senior roles in industry and professional services firms. Paul currently manages a number of teams that are focused on supporting technology based firms and industry sectors. These teams offer services ranging from business skills, enterprise development and growth, and commercialisation through to exporting and overseas alliances. One of the teams is focused on broadband and regional engagement activities. Paul holds an MBA and recently graduated from the Company Director's course.
I have suggested to quite a few BizSpark partners recently that they really should sign up on the cool new Microsoft Platform Ready & profile their applications. Not only because it is designed to help you develop & test your application – but because of the extra visibility you will receive as a result of signing up. All profiled apps that include any Azure components will be going into the AIIA ‘Buy Australia Software’ Catalogue which is sent to over 5,000 organisations.
As this is a relatively new offering from Microsoft, I thought I would include a breakdown of what the MPR program is & where you can find out more info. Also keep in mind that if you profile your app before the 10th of December 2010 you go in the running to win one of 5 Xbox 360s’ + Kinect packages!
I think the highlighted section below is probably the most important part of this offer for BizSpark members. By signing up for MPR, you get extra marketing and PR benefits as well as licences to access to use Microsoft Online Services of BPOS, CRM online & intune!!!
Microsoft Platform Ready (MPR)
Microsoft Platform Ready (MPR) helps you develop, test and take your product to market – streamline your efforts and profile your application / or intent to build on Azure today! www.microsoftplatformready.com
Develop - MPR Technical Resources
Test - MPR Testing Tool
Powered by Windows Azure Logo
Market - MPR Marketing Benefits
Cloud Essentials & Cloud Accelerate
Have you Jumpstarted your Startup with Microsoft BizSpark?
if you have, I want to hear more about it.
In return, I will help you achieve one of the greatest challenges for a Startup – I want to give you extra Visibility via 3 simple steps:
1. Email me your postal address & I will send you a shiny new "I jumpstarted my Startup with Microsoft BizSpark" sticker.
2. While eagerly awaiting delivery of your sticker, sign up on Microsoft Platform Ready and profile your application (if you do this before 10 December 2010 and answer a simple question you will go in the running to win an xBox 360 with Kinect) More details: https://partner.microsoft.com/australia/40150385
3. Once you get the sticker – take a quick snapshot of where you put your "I jumpstarted by Startup with Microsoft BizSpark" laptop sticker. In the email be sure to include your company logo & your Elevator Pitch about your company/product as both the logo & the Description will be included in the Australian BizSpark Company Catalogue.
By completing each of the above 3 simple steps, you will automatically get your company listed in the local Australian BizSpark Company catalogue & the Buy Australian Software Guide , get a shiny sticker as well as perhaps even win an xBox 360 + Kinect! Its all Good!