IDGWorld

We've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:04:00 +0000

In case you're wondering where we've been, we've taken the action over to Facebook. It just seemed like the right move since we know you're already there procrastinating, cyber stalking your exes and posting cat memes. (Admit it.) Be sure to "like" our Facebook page to keep up to date on life, work and play at IDG. See you on the flip side!

IDG at CES

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:33:00 +0000

CES 2013 may not officially begin until tomorrow, but you wouldn't know it from all the activity in Las Vegas right now. Some 70+ IDGers have already moved into the Aria Hotel, laptops and video cameras at the ready to cover it all. That includes the big news that is sure to come from the major consumer electronics companies at today's CES Press Day.

TechHive and PCWorld have opened up their mobile office at the convention's central plaza, ramping up video efforts with several small film crews. Of course, the group's business and sales team is also in attendance, meeting with clients and throwing what is sure to be a legendary bash at Ghostbar on Wednesday night.

IDG News Service is in full force at CES as well, producing IDG Daily video recaps and a special edition of World Tech Update on Thursday from Las Vegas. Perhaps most exciting, though, is IDG News Service's new U-Stream feed, which will stream video live from the show floor and capture the excitement of CES attendees.

Be sure to follow along (just click on the links above), and if you happen to be in Las Vegas and see the IDG van rolling through, say hello!

Deadline Nearing for 2013 Computerworld Honors Awards

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Have your organization's or client's technology innovations changed the world for the better? Not only should you feel pretty darn good about yourself, but you should also submit your case study to Computerworld Honors!

The deadline is approaching for applications for the 2013 Computerworld Honors awards - now in its 25th year of recognizing those who create and use information technology to promote and advance public welfare, benefit society and contribute to positive change.

For details about the program and to submit a nomination, visit http://www.cwhonors.org/2013/Nomination_Form.asp.

Take your place among recent 2012 honorees:

• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Vodafone Group PLC
• City and County of San Francisco
• City University of Hong Kong
• Microsoft Corp.
• Skype
• Ethiopia Commodity Exchange
• Kellogg Co.
• SunGard Financial Systems
• Dell
• Seattle Children’s Hospital
• U.S. Postal Service
• Chicago Department of Transportation
• Fujitsu Ltd.
• The Procter & Gamble Co.
• American Red Cross
• eBay Giving Works
• IBM
• Yahoo! JAPAN
• Cisco Systems

Nominations are open until January 18, 2013, with the Awards Ceremony and Gala Evening taking place on June 3rd in Washington, DC. Good luck!

IDG Vietnam hosts ASEAN Banker Forum

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:24:00 +0000

IDG Vietnam hosted the ASEAN Banker Forum in Ho Chi Minh City last week, and the photos are in! Featuring the theme "Retail banking: Building competitive advantages that engage and retain customers," ASEAN Banker Forum 2012 attracted 30 sponsors, 25 speakers, 13 booths, and more than 450 conference attendees and 600 exposition visitors.

This annual event provides an interactive platform for bankers and technology corporations to discuss and evaluate growth opportunities for retail banking in Vietnam. It also serves as a meeting point for Vietnamese bankers and bankers from the ASEAN countries to meet and exchange ideas for better development in the banking sector.

For more photos of the event, check out our Facebook gallery.

Code Red (Bull) at Jobworld Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:06:00 +0000

IDG Denmark developers Dan Nim Andersen (left) and Odin Broersma
nearing the end of their marathon coding session last Saturday night.

IDG Denmark has just launched its new Jobworld site, an IT jobs site developed in-house from the ground up. Dan Nim Andersen and Odin Broersma, above, spent 12 hours completing the final coding on Saturday, and the site was launched on schedule thanks in no small part to "several kilos of candy and untold cans of Red Bull and cola" that fueled the development team, IDG Denmark Head of Development Lars Jacobsen said.

See how all that hard work paid off here!

IDG Editor Tells Story of IT Giant Satyam in New Book

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:33:00 +0000

As online editor at Fairfax Business Media Asia, IDG’s Singapore-based licensee, Zafar Anjum is used to breaking news for Computerworld Singapore, Computerworld Malaysia and CIO Asia. In his newly published book, The Resurgence of Satyam, Anjum delves even deeper, chronicling the scandal that rocked India’s corporate world and became known as "India’s Enron."

When Satyam founder and Chairman Ramalinga Raju confessed to committing an accounting fraud of more than US$1 billion, the company’s demise seemed all but certain.

"Almost everyone wrote the company off, but a miracle happened," said Anjum. "The Indian government stepped in, brought in a professional board, auctioned off the company to the Mahindra Group, and within a year and a half, the company returned to profitability. It was the phoenix-like rise of the company that interested me, and I thought I must tell this inspiring story."

Zafar Anjum

Anjum, who had been chasing the Satyam story since it broke in January 2009, approached his agent with a book proposal last August, and within a few weeks, Random House bought the global rights for the book. Anjum said he began writing in earnest in October 2011 and finished the book in May of this year.

“The Satyam scandal became a global business story pretty quickly after it hit the headlines in India,” Anjum told a reporter at The Hindu, one of India’s most respected newspapers. “After all, it was India’s fourth largest outsourcing company, and it was also listed on the Nasdaq in the U.S. The Indian growth story was being keenly watched in the outside world, and Satyam’s fall was not a blip. It grabbed eyeballs everywhere as it seemed to puncture the shining [reputation] of India, which was then a rising and shining outpost of globalization in Asia.”

Anjum is the author of numerous short stories, essays, a novel and has recently completed a feature-length screenplay that he is hoping to have produced. More information about The Resurgence of Satyam is available here.

Computer Sweden Introduces Weekly Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:44:00 +0000

From left: technology reporter Tomas Zirn, opinion and event editor Eva Melin, and news and technology Editor Sverker Brundin are responsible for producing the Computer Sweden Podcast each week.

Thanks to a new series of podcasts, Computer Sweden fans can now get a weekly dose of tech news delivered right through their headphones. At 20 to 30 minutes, each podcast runs the length of the average commute, according to Computer Sweden technology reporter Tomas Zirn.

Zirn produces the show along with Eva Melin, opinion and event editor, and Sverker Brundin, news and technology editor. Each podcast features Zirn, Brundin and Melin discussing several of the big IT stories of the week, interspered with some more offbeat topics.

"So far we have discussed everything from Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch to a behind-the-scenes look at Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s luxury yacht," Zirn said.

A new podcast is released every Thursday, so be sure to check out the latest here!

Non-Waterlogged Landscapes to Beat the Hurricane Blues

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:38:00 +0000

Sanchita Ray of IDC Asia Pacific took first prize in the 2013 IDG Employee
Photo Calendar Contest with her Crescent Moon Oasis, Gobi Desert.

It's been a rough week on the East Coast, and the media coverage of Hurricane Sandy's destruction is starting to get downright depressing. Fortunately, we have some beautiful photos of still-intact landscapes to raise your spirits.

Each year, IDG runs an employee photography contest, choosing the 12 best photos to publish as a wall calendar. The 2013 winners have now been chosen, and we've collected the striking images in a Facebook gallery. Check them out here, and let us know which is your favorite!

IDG World Expo Takes Five Art of the Show Awards

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Congrats to IDG World Expo, who received more first-place awards than any other event organizer or association in the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ (IAEE) Art of the Show competition for 2012! The awards program celebrates creativity in the events industry, with 15 categories of awards spanning three show sizes. This year’s competition drew 199 entries from the U.S., Canada and England.

IDG World Expo has been well represented in the IAEE awards program since its inception. The business unit’s 2012 honors are:

Winner: Show Daily: Over 150,000 net square feet (nsf) E3 2012
Winner: Show Photography: Under 50,000 nsf Macworld/iWorld 2012
Winner: Sponsorship Development Program: Over 150,000 nsf E3 2012
Honorable mention: Attendance Promotion Brochure: Under 50,000 nsf Macworld/iWorld 2012
Honorable mention: Print Advertising: Under 50,000 nsf Macworld/iWorld 2012

Web Marketing Association names IDG.com Best Media Website

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Seems we've won some bragging rights thanks to design firm Boston Interactive!

After helping us to launch a new and improved version of IDG.com last November, Boston Interactive quietly submitted the site to the Web Marketing Association's annual awards competition. So, it came as quite a pleasant surprise when IDG.com was named Best Media Website and presented with a WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development earlier this month.

Improvements to the new IDG.com included an interactive global map that allows visitors to search by region and see audiences, brands and statistics — such as page views and unique visitors per month — for the entire region.

"IDG's new website uses interactive features and a modern design, not only to communicate their global leadership, but to allow the company to stand out from competition within the media industry," said Chuck Murphy, founder and CEO of Boston Interactive. "For this reason, we were confident in our decision to submit IDG to the WebAwards and are thrilled for the new IDG.com to be named the 2012 Best Media Website."

The Web Marketing Association reviewed submissions in 96 industry categories. According to its site, the WebAward Competition is the premier award recognition program for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

Thanks again to the folks at BI for helping us to stand out online!

CITEworld.com Takes on Consumerization of IT

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:23:00 +0000

IDG's U.S. operations are having quite the busy month. Hot on the heels of the consumer-focused TechHive launch, we're turning our attention to the business side of IT with IDG Enterprise's debut of CITEworld. The new site, an acronym for Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise, launched Monday as a comprehensive resource for IT professionals and business leaders who want to make the most of consumer technologies in the workplace.

Under the editorial direction of Matt Rosoff, CITEworld.com covers smartphones and tablets in the enterprise, mobile apps, BYOD, cloud services, social computing, collaboration, data security, renegade development, and the new breed of user-focused enterprise startups that are disrupting the IT landscape.

Shaking up the usual order of things, CITEworld.com evolved from an event - the CITE Conference & Expo - held in San Francisco this past March. Tackling what may be the most relevant and controversial enterprise IT topic today, the conference proved immensely popular and highlighted the need for continued discussion. Thus, CITEworld.com was born.

Has the consumerization of IT changed how you work? Let us know in the comments, or send us a tweet, and then go check out CITEworld.com!

Celebrating TechHive's Launch

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:25:00 +0000


At the TechHive launch party in San Francisco, ABC's Maya Baratz gives Willow Garage's iRobot a loving hug.

We're wishing a warm welcome to TechHive, the newest member of the IDG family! The IDG Consumer & SMB group (the folks behind Macworld and PCWorld) officially announced the launch of the new tech lifestyle website on Monday, but celebrations began even earlier, with tech-star-studded parties in New York and San Francisco.

See the party pics, and learn more about TechHive, after the jump...

Editorial Director Jason Snell shares a laugh with Wired's Steven Levy.

ABC's Maya Baratz and the Today Show's Rina Raphael

TechHive editor Tim Moynihan (right) poses with Lindsay Kaplan of DuJour magazine and Richard Blakeley of Thrillist.

Google's Allison Mooney and Lisa Ferri of ABC News attended the NYC launch party for TechHive.

Across the country, in San Francisco, Alexa Tsotsis (TechCrunch), Spencer Chen (Appcelerator), and Michelle Zatlyn (CloudFare) were also celebrating the new site.

Ruzwana Bashir of Peek and Morgan Missen of Main pose for the camera during cocktail hour.

IDG's Alexa Wriggins and Technologizer's Harry McCracken

Scribe Wine's Andrew Paul Mariani (right) and BranchIt's Doug Dalton (left) sip cocktails with a friend.

Designed for anyone with a love for phones, tablets, cameras, HDTVs, apps and gadgets, TechHive is bringing IDG's editorial quality to the tech lifestyle category. The new website features high-impact visuals, custom infographics and compelling video, plus a tech product database that gives users access to information on hundreds of products.

"TechHive brings the core DNA of PCWorld and Macworld to a new audience," said Jason Snell, VP/Editorial Director. "That DNA is product expertise, and you see it in our trustworthy in-depth reviews, in our productivity-boosting how-to and tips articles, and in our analytical news coverage. With TechHive, we don’t cover technology for entertainment; we cover it to tell our audience what matters and why it matters in their life. Our mission is to tell them which products to buy, which ones to avoid and how they can be as productive as possible."

Be sure to check out the new website, and then say hello to TechHive on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy Birthday, CSO!

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:08:00 +0000

IDG Enterprise’s CSO brand celebrated its 10-year anniversary this month, marking the milestone with a redesign of the print issue, a commemorative video and a reception during The Security Standard conference in Brooklyn, New York.

“CSO is more successful than ever...” said Editor-in-chief Derek Slater. “One of our hallmarks is that we cover more different types of risk management than any other publication. It’s fun to see the fruits of our labor over the years result in CSO becoming ever-more influential.”

Slater, a 20-year IDG veteran who was part of CSO’s launch team, reflected on how CSO has evolved: “In terms of subject matter, we were very much like the CIO brand in that we were in a position of advocacy, educating the C-suite about the importance of managing security in a professional way. Now, the CSO has an established seat in the boardroom, and security and risk are part of most strategic business discussions. Companies that think broadly about risk management today are better positioned for success.”

CSO’s print redesign includes the addition of three new sections — Tech, Risk and Lead — each of which will have a corresponding blog on CSOonline.com. Managing Editor Bill Brenner will blog on IT security, Slater on risks and rewards within enterprise risk management and Senior Editor Joan Goodchild on career issues and leadership.

Additionally, CSO will continue to produce national and regional conferences, as well as the more intimate CSO Executive Roundtables, CSO Executive Dinner Discussions and custom events. In early 2013, the CSO team will launch a new event, the CS040 Security Confab + Awards, which recognize practitioner organizations and their teams that have delivered ground-breaking business value through the innovative application of risk and security concepts and technologies.

Be sure to check out the latest from CSO at CSOonline.com.

Macworld’s Lex Friedman pens humorous parenting book in the style of Dr. Seuss

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:07:00 +0000

Two of Macworld Staff Writer Lex Friedman’s loves led him to write The Kid in the Crib, a book done in the style of Dr. Seuss for moms and dads struggling with the daily challenges of parenting, released earlier this month.

"I love reading the Seuss books to my kids and will do so as often as asked," Friedman said. "I similarly love any good parody — the works of 'Weird Al' Yankovic, a good Saturday Night Live lampoon, even old-school Mad Magazine. Coupling those two passions made good sense to me."

According to Friedman, the book is "Based on a True Story, Inspired By True Events, and Ripped From The Headlines of My Life. I have a 5-year-old, 3-year-old and an 18-month-old. Historically, my kids don’t learn to sleep well and through the night until they’re a bit older, and that’s been just the kind of bleary-eyed parenting nightmare you’d expect.”

Writing in the style of Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel) proved to be a struggle, Friedman said, as Seuss used a strict rhyme and meter in The Cat in the Hat, called anapestic dimeter.

"It’s easy to muck about with the precise syllable counts and rhyme points — much easier! — but the flavor of the parody immediately goes sour," Friedman said. "So the struggle was to make sure I didn’t take any rhyme or meter shortcuts."

The Kid is also illustrated in a style similar to that of Geisel’s. Friedman said he found illustrator Felix Schlater through the Internet. "I saw a Dr. Seuss-style drawing of Captain America on Reddit, and emailed the artist. He was interested, and a match was made."

Friedman said he sees The Kid’s target audience as parents of young children "or anyone who's ever been a young kid him or herself... Certainly anyone familiar with The Cat in the Hat should recognize what The Kid in the Crib is parodying — the only question is how much they’ll appreciate the jokes!"

Macworld Staff Writer Lex Friedman

The Kid is Friedman’s second general-audience book. His first, The Snuggie Sutra, is "exactly what it sounds like,” he said, "The Kama Sutra crossed with a Snuggie. While The Kid isn’t meant for kids either, it’s at least not wholly inappropriate if one of my own three children happens across it."

Both books are available on Amazon.com. Sales and marketing are being handled by the book’s publisher Lyons Press, although Friedman said, "I tweet about it an awful lot."

Friedman started writing humor while at summer camp and never stopped. "I had a humor column in high school wherein I mostly paid homage to Dave Barry by trying to sound just like him."

In college, he wrote a weekly humor column for the student paper where he mastered his own voice. He was a regular contributor to the humor website Cracked.com for awhile.

"These days," he said, "I try to inject humor into my Macworld columns whenever appropriate. And also other times. This is why I have editors."

Fiedman has also written two tech e-books, Teach Yourself iTunes Match in 10 Minutes and Mac Basics for Windows Refugees. ("The humor books are a lot more fun," he said.)

Asked how he finds time to write with a family and a job he said, "I have a very patient wife and very patient kids. I wrote much of the book on weekends while in the playroom with my kids, thanks to my laptop. I wrote some while they were asleep. And then my wife gave me a couple hours here and there where she took the kids while I took some weekend time to finish putting the whole book together."

Besides the pleasure he gets from writing and reading humor and comedy, Friedman said he loves "laughing almost as much as I love making people laugh. That sounds a little hokey, so I should point out that I also get cash, filthy green lucre, when publishers buy my books. Of course, it is the book publishing industry, so it's barely enough dollars to fill the box that once held a deck of cards. But still!"

To learn more about Friedman's work and to purchase his books, visit lexfriedman.com.

IDG Sweden’s story on IKEA cinema system goes viral

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 18:06:00 +0000

IKEA's Uppleva home cinema system

When Swedish home products chain IKEA announced the June release of its first entry into the electronics arena, IDG Sweden’s gadget and digital lifestyle magazine M3 ran a largely dismissive review that drew international attention. More than 50 websites and magazines picked up the story.

The IKEA Uppleva ("Experience") is a complete home cinema system with an integrated HDTV, sound system and media player with support for Blu-Ray and many other file formats, including DVD, CD and MP3. All of the components and cables are built into or hidden in the unit, resulting in a seemingly cable-free minimalist entertainment system controlled by a single remote. With several designs and configurations, the Uppleva is fully customizable; customers can add extra compartments for storage or additional electronic equipment. Base price is about US$1,000, and buyers must assemble the unit at home.

M3 was the first publication and site in the world to review the Uppleva’s assembly and integrated electronics and found it less than impressive, especially the HDTV. The response times of the TV’s features were slow (some didn’t work at all) and the interface lacking; picture quality was muddy. M3’s bottom line was that consumers could get a much better TV 'experience' for the same price elsewhere.

M3 saw a flood of free publicity when its review (and review videos) were released.

"IKEA’s entry into the gadget scene was a big shocker," said Andreas Ivarsson, M3 managing editor. "We saw a chance to reach outside our main target group. We’ve all been assembling IKEA shelves for years — especially us Swedes — and we knew one of the best ways to convey our review to our readers is via video."

After the review was released, Ivarsson contacted the online gadget guide Gizmodo, which picked up the story "and from there it went viral," he said.

M3’s Uppleva tests began in early June."At first IKEA told us we would have to wait a couple more weeks for a test sample, but my campaign to convince them [to trust us with an early delivery] paid off," Ivarsson said. "Our test lab is almost as secret as the Batcave."

Ivarsson said that since IKEA claimed the Uppleva was its first complete home cinema at an affordable price, "our first criteria was to see how true that was. Even before we began the testing we knew that Uppleva was not like the high-end home cinema systems we normally test, but we wanted to know how good could it be."

M3’s test panel gave Uppleva a 5 out of 10 rating.

"Our conclusion was that Uppleva is a quite-okay complete solution for the average person," Ivarsson said. "But to our main target group, tech-savvy gadget nerds, Uppleva is not a good choice. Uppleva’s extremely bad smart TV interface is very disturbing, but, on the other hand, the sound system is very good. We hope IKEA will fix the interface with a firmware update."

The IKEA Uppleva is currently on sale in Sweden and Germany. It is due in the U.K. later this year, and its U.S. release is scheduled for early 2013.

Photo Op: Bob Carrigan in China

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:23:00 +0000

IDG Communications CEO Bob Carrigan fielded questions from journalists earlier this month at a news conference at Macworld|iWorld Asia in Beijing. He also presented a keynote speech at the Macworld Asia International Forum. Organized by IDG World Expo China with the theme of “Mobile Internet Leads the Future,” the four-day show was held at Beijing National Convention Center and drew more 500 exhibitors from more than 10 countries and about 150,000 visitors. Nearly 40 new products were launched at the show, the largest for Apple products in Asia.

IGS’s Briony Rowe parlays events experience for London Olympics gig

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:37:00 +0000

IDG Global Solutions' Briony Rowe

Briony Rowe’s regular title is events director for IDG Global Solutions, but for seven days during the recent athletic extravaganza in London she was an Olympic Games Maker. Rowe was one of 70,000 volunteers chosen from a pool of 240,000 applicants to assist with making the Summer Games a successful experience for visitors and athletes alike.

Rowe was thrilled when London won the bid for the Olympics seven years ago. “I had worked in the events industry for more than 10 years, and the greatest event of all was coming to my hometown,” she said. “I had to be involved!”

Rowe applied to be a Games Maker in 2010. After making the first cut, she had an interview at the Excel Centre — later the venue for many competitions including gymnastics and judo — in which she explained her events experience and what type of work she preferred. “I promptly requested a role that would enable me to interact with the public as much as possible, rather than something too office-based,” she said. After passing the interview, she was assigned to the Event Services team at the Copper Box, site of the handball competition and the fencing portion of the modern pentathlon.

Training for the role included watching online video briefings and, in April, a full-day session that addressed crowd control, incident reporting, using radios to communicate onsite and other topics. The volunteers spent another day touring all sections of the venue: spectator seating, field of play, athletes’ area, the press/media section and staff areas such as the canteen. (“Very important for those much-needed coffees!” Rowe said.)

“The first time I arrived at Olympic Park was incredibly exciting. With just two weeks until the Games opened, it was fascinating to get a sneak preview of everything before the masses arrived,” she said.

Rowe’s duties varied with each shift and included scanning tickets and directing visitors to their seats, assisting the mobility team to guide guests in wheelchairs or with baby strollers, monitoring VIP areas to check proper accreditation for access and overseeing the area where the press interviewed athletes after the events.

“Whatever the role, a key part of being a Games Maker was to make sure everyone had a really enjoyable time,” she explained. “I also spent a lot of time taking photographs for people who wanted mementos of themselves at the venue. The team I worked with — much like all the volunteers I met — were very friendly and gave great service to everyone they met. Judging from the feedback on the Games, this did not go unnoticed: visitors rated Games Makers a score of 93% for helpfulness.”

Some of Rowe’s most memorable moments included watching the different nationalities cheer for their teams (Norwegian supporters all had cow bells, “which made a fantastic noise”) and visits by French President Francois Hollande and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, stopped by to watch Great Britain’s women’s handball team play their last game and spent time talking with them afterward.

“I was standing near her car as she came out to leave, and I was looking forward to getting the perfect picture when, at the last minute, she and her entourage changed routes and decided to walk to the next venue instead. At least I came close!”

IDGE’s Kevin Eberman donates time to 'help the needy get nerdy'

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:42:00 +0000

As director of network and system operations in IDG Enterprise’s Digital Solutions Group, Kevin Eberman keeps the online presence of several of IDGE’s major U.S. brands up and running. He knows a thing or two about technology and its importance to our daily lives. And yet he knows, too, that there are many people who don’t know how to use a computer, don’t have access to a computer and can’t afford a computer of their own. And so, Eberman donates part of his free time volunteering for an organization called Free Geek Providence, helping to make sure low-income Rhode Island residents have access to the technology they need for school and daily life.

Eberman was recruited to the Free Geek Providence board two years ago by a friend who helped launch the Providence, Rhode Island, chapter. "My friend didn’t have to try too hard," Eberman said, "since I think the Free Geek mission — 'We help the needy get nerdy' — is so compelling."

Eberman said he is bothered by the fact that so many people lack access to computers. "Not being able to afford a computer presents a huge barrier for people in how they live and manage their lives. These days, more and more services are only available online. Working to bridge this great digital divide is an important challenge of our time," he said.

Started in Portland, Oregon, in February 2000, Free Geek volunteers recycle computers that would otherwise end up in landfills, update them with open source software and donate them to organizations and individuals who cannot otherwise afford them. Increasingly, Eberman noted, Free Geek Providence is partnering with a number of different organizations that have the same or a similar mission such as the Broadband Rhode Island Digital Literacy Program and the Federal Hill House Association. The latter is a social service organization offering child care, senior activities, educational programs, employment placement and emergency food assistance and recently agreed to make room in one of its locations for Free Geek Providence.

"Moving out of the basement we had been operating in has been an engine of renewed enthusiasm and greater programming participation," Eberman said. "Our old space was small and difficult to get to and generally speaking, Free Geek Providence activities were sporadic. Now we can see that Free Geek can be self-sustaining, and that is really exciting."

In addition to providing computers, Free Geek Providence is also expanding its training programs. "The classic Free Geek training involves people coming in and working with a volunteer to refurbish a computer. When that computer is ready, the clients keep it," Eberman explained. "Increasingly, Free Geek is doing more direct training and classes, thanks to partnerships with Broadband Digital Literacy Program and others."

Anyone in the Greater Boston area interested in donating used computer equipment can contact the organization through its website. "We are happy to accept your desktop or laptop computer, printer, scanner, router, UPS, digital camera, PDA, cell phone and a whole lot more!" Eberman said.

IDG Germany partners with management school for Leadership Excellence Program

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:59:00 +0000

IDG Germany recently announced a partnership with WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar, Germany, for a non-IT management program for CIOs that will begin this October.

“Times and companies are changing,” said Michael Beilfuss, IDG Germany managing publisher. “Industries are facing a digital transformation, and while CIOs should be knowledgeable about managing that transformation, the modern CIO spends more time managing people – employees and suppliers – than technology. With the WHU we have found the perfect partner to offer CIOs a special program in general management.”

Created with sponsor Hewlett-Packard, the Leadership Excellence Program offers no IT-related content. “IT management knowhow is no longer the only skill that’s crucial for the modern CIO,” Beilfuss said. “What makes our program unique is teaching general management tailored exclusively to IT managers and the demands they face.”

IDG Germany is managing all aspects of the program, from choosing the participants to marketing and public relations. IDG Germany also played “the central role,” Beilfuss said, in developing the course, discussing with WHU, which is also the European partner of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, the questions that future CIOs might have to address.

The program, which will be offered yearly, has three components. The first, consisting of four days at the WHU, focuses on the skills of leadership, strategy and innovation.

“We’ll be asking participants to focus on understanding leadership and its values within the context of globalization and the relevance of local cultures and values,” Beilfuss said. “In the strategy section we’ll ask them to analyze, develop and discuss corporate strategies in highly dynamic and disruptive industrial and client environments. Innovation will deal with analysis of strategic change management, the barriers to innovation and the implementation of complex organizations systems.”

After completing this section of the course students will be required to write a final paper on applying general management skills to the future of IT management.

Beilfuss said organizers did not want the course to be “pure theory,” so they created a mandatory week-long international component. “Businesses of all kinds need to have the so-called ‘emerging’ countries on their radar, observe them intensively and evaluate them. Personal insights and experiences in these markets as well as proven intercultural competencies are a vital component of a CIO’s sustainable personality profile,” he said.

2012 course participants can choose between five days in Mumbai in February 2013 or China in February 2014. (2013 students can visit China the following year or India in 2015.) The India schedule will include workshops on intercultural leadership as well as field trips to selected production sites of Indian and European companies.

Participants must have IT responsibility at a company with 2,000 or more employees, at least 10 years of professional experience and at least five in a leadership role. The class limit is 25 people.

The Leadership Excellence Program is “good for CIOs and good for IDG,” Beilfuss said. “IDG Germany and CIO magazine are engaged in the community, so this is a way of furthering that and creating new business at the same time.”

For more information on the Leadership Excellence Program, click here, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Five IDG brands named finalists for Azbee editorial and design awards

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:44:00 +0000

IDG has plenty to celebrate this summer thanks to dozens of finalist nominations in the 2012 American Society of Business Publications Editors' Digital and Print Azbee Awards. Now in its 27^th year, the awards recognize achievement in editorial design in the business, trade and specialty press.

IDG Enterprise's Computerworld and CIO are among the publications and websites with the most finalist nominations, with CIO named in a list-leading 12 categories, and Computerworld logging 11 finalist nominations, including B2B Website of the Year. Meanwhile, IDGE's Network World was named in four finalist categories, and CFOworld is a finalist in one. IDG Consumer& SMB’s Macworld garnered four nominations.

"IDG Enterprise is committed to providing unbiased, targeted content for IT and security professionals who are changing the way their companies do business, making them more agile and successful," said John Gallant, chief content officer and SVP editorial, IDG Enterprise. "These Azbee nominations confirm that our investments in top journalists and designers are paying off for readers and the industry. We’re thrilled to be honored."

IDG publications are finalists in the following categories:

CIO
• Blog – Mobile WorkHorse
• Web Feature Article –Why Law Enforcement Can’t Stop Hackers
• Editorial/Editor’s Letter – DIY Advantage, Dare to Reflect
• Feature Article – Forging the Vendor Collective
• Organizational Profile – Mission Impossible?
• Regular Column, Contributed – CIO Paradox column
• Regular Department – Numbers You Need
• Front Cover – Computer-generated – Vendor
• Feature Article – Design – Disaster Story
• Feature Article – Design – Relationships
• How-To Article – The BYOT Buzz

Computerworld
• B2B Website of the Year – Computerworld.com
• Blog – Android Power
• Web News Section – Computerworld.com/news
• Web Database – Salary Survey 2011
• Web Feature Article –Age Bias in IT: The Reality Behind the Rumors
• Original Research – Best Places to Work in IT 2011
• Front Cover – Computer-generated – Big Business Takes a Small Bite of the Apple
• Front Cover – Computer-generated – When IT Gets to Play
• Opening Page/Spread – Illustration – The Art & Science of Fashion
• Opening Page/Spread – Photo – What CFOs Want from IT
• Technical Article – The Clock is Ticking for Encryption

Network World
• Digital Magazine – Network World Digital eDition
• Feature Series – Enterprise Cloud Services
• Editorial/Editor’s Letter – “Big Questions About Cyberwar,” “The Water Pump Alarm
• How-To Article – How to Solve Windows 7 Crashes in Minutes

CFOworld
• Web Microsite/Special Section – “Both Sides Now”

Macworld
• Opening Page/Spread - Illustration• Azbee Category: Opening Page/Spread - Illustration
• Azbee Category: Feature Article “Remembering Steve Jobs”
• Azbee Category: How-To Article “62 Things You Can Do with Dropbox”

The Society’s contest is one of the largest U.S. business publication competitions. ASBPE received 1,500 entries for this competitive recognition. All entries are judged based on editorial and design on the web and in print. In most categories, a gold, silver and bronze award is given. The level of the awards will not be announced until the public awards ceremonies in July and August.
For a PDF of all Azbee finalists, go here.

Computerworld Honors Celebrates IT’s Role in Promoting Positive Change

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Computerworld Executive Editor of Events Julia King emceed the program along with Computerworld Publisher John Amato.

On June 4, with the elegant backdrop of the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. signifying the stature of the evening, the 24th annual Computerworld Honors Program brought together the men, women, organizations and institutions around the world whose visionary applications of information technology promote positive social, economic and educational change.

Companies and organizations around the world nominated more than 500 IT initiatives that represented innovation and a benefit to society. A panel of IDG Enterprise editorial leaders and IT experts selected 200 case studies to comprise this year’s Laureate class. There were 144 Laureates representing more than 25 countries at the black-tie event, which had a total of 329 people on site.

IT projects were honored in 10 categories: Collaboration, Digital Access, Economic Development, Emerging Technology, Environment, Health, Human Services, Innovation, Safety & Security and Training/Education.

“The breadth of new ideas in every category never ceases to inspire me,” said Computerworld Executive Editor of Events Julia King, who emceed along with Computerworld Publisher John Amato. “Many nominations showcased innovation on severely limited budgets. There were certainly many applications using leading-edge technologies, but across all the categories many Laureates were extremely resourceful in their use of low-cost consumer technologies, such as SMS.”

The evening’s events began with a presentation of medallions to all honorees inscribed with the program’s mission, “A Search for New Heroes.” Additional honors were given to the 50 21st Century Achievement Award finalists - five Laureates from each of the 10 categories - whose case studies represented outstanding innovation. The field was narrowed further with the presentation of the 21st Century Achievement Awards given to only one finalist in each category.

In addition, LinkedIn Co-founder and Executive Chairman Reid Hoffman received the Morgan Stanley Leadership Award for Global Commerce. The honor recognizes an individual whose personal leadership has made a critical contribution to the effective use of IT throughout the world.

With an array of IDG Enterprise staff looking on, including President & CEO Michael Friedenberg, IDG Communications CEO Bob Carrigan concluded the event with a toast to the winners.

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

IDG U.K. up for two AOP Awards

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Congats to IDG U.K., who The Association of Online Publishers has shortlisted for Digital Publisher 2012 - Business in this year’s most prestigious U.K. awards for digital publishing. Macworld U.K.’s ground-breaking app, Macworld Express, is also nominated for the Best Use of Mobile Award.

"We are very proud to hear that our Macworld Express app has been nominated for an award," said Mark Hattersley, Macworld U.K.'s editor-in-chief. "There are a lot of extremely creative people on the Macworld team who worked exceptionally hard on crafting the iPad app. We were overjoyed with the end result, and we do it first and foremost to make our readers happy, but it’s always a good feeling to get recognition from the industry we work in."

DEMO Goes to Africa

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:26:00 +0000

DEMO just can't be stopped! After success on both the East and West Coasts and expansion into China, Brazil and Singapore, the premier launchpad event for IT entrepreneurs will soon be landing on another continent: Africa.

IDG Enterprise announced its plans earlier this month for DEMO Africa 2012, which is slated to take place October 24-26 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

Working with IDG Enterprise’s DEMO team will be African eDevelopment Resource Center, publishers of CIO East Africa. Center Director Harry Hare will be the executive producer of DEMO Africa and will work with an advisory committee to select the companies invited to show their products at the event.

Also working with the DEMO team is the newly announced Liberalizing Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA), an alliance aimed at mobilizing and enhancing the start-up environment across the continent. The DEMO Africa announcement was made at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“With more than 50 countries, Africa is emerging as a hotbed for technology and innovation,” said Neal Silverman, IDG Enterprise SVP and General Manager, DEMO. “DEMO Africa 2012 allows for a collaborative environment where leading minds and companies from African nations can come together to gain exposure on a global level.”

Hare said that as DEMO Africa’s executive producer he will be responsible for the overall leadership of the event. “As executive producer, I am the conductor of the orchestra. Directing the performance and unifying the teams, setting the themes, executing clear preparations and making sure we have a high-quality, high-value event for both the launch companies and the attendees."

Hare added that he and the advisory committee are looking for “the Next Big Thing out of Africa. This could be the next Facebook or Google. We want the most innovative products that solve real problems to launch at DEMO Africa. Innovation, impact and ability to scale will be the key criteria in identifying companies that will be invited to launch here.”

Hare said he has seen many potential demonstrators’ products to date and will continue to vet even more. “I believe we will be able to discover and unearth some really cool companies that will make an impact in the industry. The DEMO Africa launch pad is really exciting and powerful.”

DEMO Africa will give emerging and established African companies an opportunity to launch their products on stage to an audience of IT entrepreneurs, investors and journalists in six-minute and 90-second presentations. The event will also act as a platform for companies outside the region looking to launch in the African market.

Companies launching products at any DEMO event are provided with presentation coaching, a dedicated DEMO public relations team, a turnkey exhibitor station with signage and online hosting of their six-minute launch video and profile on VentureBeat.com, a news site for venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, and on selected IDG Enterprise properties.

DEMO China will be held this August in Beijing; DEMO Brazil 2012 will be held Sept. 3-4 in São Paulo and DEMO Fall 2012 Oct. 1-3 in Santa Clara, Calif.

IDG Sweden’s Sustainability Day expanding to Göteborg, Malmö

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Miljöaktuellt editor-in-chief Mikael Salo (left) leads a panel discussion on how to successfully develop eco-design and innovation processes at IDG Sweden’s Sustainability Day in Stockholm.

With more than 800 attendees and almost 30 vendors, IDG Sweden’s Sustainability Day, held last month in Stockholm, was such a success that organizers plan to hold the event in two other Swedish cities later this year.

The one-day event, now in its eighth year, combined a high-level environmental sustainability conference for Swedish executives with exhibition space for companies with environmental solutions for business. After successfully experimenting with a second Sustainability Day last year in Göteborg, IDG Sweden will offer two events in November in Göteborg and Malmö (Sustainability Day West and South, respectively).

The theme of the April event, held at Stockholm University, was Solutions: A Call to Action.

"For many years now, we’ve heard about the problems and challenges — environmental, social and ethical — in the field of sustainability," said Mikael Salo, editor-in-chief of Miljöaktuellt, IDG Sweden’s monthly business magazine that focuses on sustainable development. “However, in the last few years there has been rise in best practices and profitable solutions for the sustainability industry. There was no reason to wait to take action.”

Salo created an agenda with the Swedish Association of Environmental Planners full of best practices in the field of sustainable business development, including management, innovation and eco-design, and sales and marketing.

In feedback, attendees lauded the event for "the focus on leadership," "good lectures and networking" and "the questions that needed answering to raise sustainability."

Friedenberg, Lee named Top Innovators in Business Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (IDGWorld) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Congratulations to Michael Friedenberg and Charles Lee who both represent IDG on Media Business' recent list of "Top Innovators in Business Publishing."

As CEO of IDG Enterprise, Friedenberg is praised for embracing new media technology. “IDG Enterprise has developed a mobile-first philosophy,” he said, “meaning that all website revamps and new site developments will start with being able to easily navigate on a mobile device. Then it is morphed for use on a standard computer.”

Lee, senior VP of strategic marketing services and custom solutions at IDG, has, in turn, created a vedor-as-publisher model, leveraging IDG's brands and social media to help b-to-b marketers produce and distribute their own content.

To view the full list of top innovators, or to read more about Friedenberg and Lee, check out the full article here.