2 Business Technology November 2011 an independent report from lyonsdown, distributed with the daily telegraph
an independent report from lyonsdown, distributed with the daily telegraph Publisher Bradley Scheffer brad@lyonsdown.co.uk Managing Editor Lucie Carrington lucie@lyonsdown.co.uk Editor Sue Tabbitt Creative Director Martin Nolan studio@lyonsdown.co.uk Sub Editor Amy Dickson amy@lyonsdown.co.uk Journal Assistant Natalie Luketic natalie@lyonsdown.co.uk Project Manager Aidan Neville aidan@lyonsdown.co.uk For more information on any of our supplements please contact us: Telephone: 020 8349 4363 Email: info@lyonsdown.co.uk Online: www.lyonsdown.co.uk A sight to behold Businesses need to raise their game and be far more imaginative with technology if they want to engage staff and clients, who are increasingly IT savvy By Sue Tabbitt Speak to any technology vendor for more than five minutes and the chances are they’ll slip in the somewhat ugly term “consumerisation of IT”. It’s a lever into the usual marketing pitch of course, but there is a point behind the hype – namely that consumer technology (and people’s imagination with and use of it) is now considerably ahead of business technology. Enter the world of work, and it’s like slipping back in time. Budget constraints, an inefficient approach to technology projects, concerns about control and security, and a general lack of imagination have prevented organisations from keeping pace with developments elsewhere. The result is a generation of staff who know more about technology and its potential than their employers do. From the dynamic ways they use the internet, social networks and mobile technology, to their expectations of 3D immersion when gaming or at the cinema, these upcoming employees – who are also consumers of course – have high expectations for the tools and technologies at their disposal in their office lives. When these aren’t met, individuals are likely to respond by bringing their own assets into November 2011 work – from smartphones and iPads to their own online software accounts – not just for social networks, but for file-sharing sites and so on. When it comes to communicating to a wider audience – and more formally – the same issues arise. Younger, technology savvy users want to be able to put together advanced, interactive collateral, using the latest presentation technologies, video and so on. Outside the workplace, meanwhile – as consumers – this is also how they want to engage with brands, retailers and service providers. They expect to be dazzled when being sold to; they demand that all of their senses are stimulated; they want to be able to watch the video, touch the product, get a sense of the experience. Most of the big brands know this and have responded – by allocating large budgets to digital media agencies. More traditional businesses typically do less well, however, believing rather complacently that they can cut corners and do everything in- house with a few core tools and a good sales team. As younger generations rise through the ranks, they will find that they can no longer get away with this. They shouldn’t have to, either. Digital media agencies have much to offer certainly, but advanced AV technology is now so accessible, affordable and easy to use that organisations really have no excuse not to raise their game. The opportunities to amaze and delight customers are unlimited; in most cases all that’s missing is the vision. Business Technology Audio visual communications – in this issue 17 video walls are on display in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre Page 8 £10m is being raised for Team GB 2012 using the latest AV technology Page 9 7metres is the height of a helium balloon used to wow Opera Holland Park visitors with optical illusions Page 11 28,000 Randstad employees worldwide watched the CEO appear holographically last year Page 13 3 biztechreport.co.uk Contributors Cover: Lucy Ward Supporters Sue Tabbitt is a technology journalist covering a broad range of business and IT subjects for The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian as well as specialist technology and industry publications. Jim Mortleman is a freelance writer, journalist and commentator with over two decades’ experience examining technology developments and their implications for business and society. He has written for numerous trade, consumer, online and national titles, as well as organising and presenting at high-tech events. Tracey Caldwell is a freelance business technology journalist with specialisms including networking and communications. She is a regular contributor to the Guardian Professional website. Paul Bray writes regularly on business and technology for many publications including The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Britain’s Top Employers, Computing, Director and Nasdaq International. Caramel Quin has been writing and broadcasting about technology on both sides of the Atlantic for 18 years, using her engineering background to translate tech jargon into plain English. She won best writer in the BlackBerry Women & Technology awards, 2006 and this year won the CEDIA award for best technology feature for a piece in Grand Designs magazine. Gemma Stroud is a freelance journalist specialising in consumer issues.
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