Village Gamer

Email may soon become the new snail mail, a new Robert Half Technology survey suggests. Nearly half (48 per cent) of chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed recently said real-time workplace communication tools will surpass traditional email in popularity within the next five years.

The Canadian survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, “In the next five years, do you think real-time workplace communication tools – for example, Instant Messaging, SharePoint, Yammer, etc.,  will be more or less popular than email among employees?”

Their responses:

• Much More Popular……………….. 15%
• Somewhat more popular……………. 33%
• The same……………………….. 38%
• Somewhat less popular……………. 6%
• Much less popular……………….. 1%
• Don’t know/ no answer……………. 7%

Robert Half Technology outlines three benefits a transition to real-time tools could have on the workplace:

• Speed: Instant messaging (IM) allows employees to have conversations at the click of a button, without opening emails or waiting for responses. IM also enables employees in different locations to have real-time conversations, thus resolving issues more quickly.
• Convenience: Many programs include a host of features like IM, microblogging, forums, and document collaboration and management. This eliminates the need to switch between separate programs to communicate. Not only does this have the potential to improve efficiency, but it can increase collaboration on projects and reduce the need for meetings.
• Social Aspect: Enterprise social networking sites, such as Yammer or Chatter, are useful for collaboration and sharing ideas and best practices within the company. This technology also has the potential to foster teamwork and camaraderie among employees.

“Although there is a definite place for email in the workplace, using real-time tools allows workers to solve problems and get the answers they seek much more quickly than constructing an email and waiting for a reply,” said Lara Dodo, a regional vice-president for Robert Half Technology in Canada. “IT professionals need to be sure to keep pace with new technologies – as expertise in these real-time tools can enhance their marketability and stay competitive in the job market.”

IGLOO Software announced today that the company has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Niche quadrant of the Social Software in the Workplace and Externally Facing Social Software reports. IGLOO was one of 22 and 18 vendors respectively to appear in the reports.

The Gartner reports help to advise business executives and IT leaders who are seeking information and direction on investments in social technologies. The Magic Quadrant for Social Software in the Workplace consists of products that support internal information sharing, project coordination and collaboration. The Magic Quadrant for Externally Facing Social Software consists of products that support external teaming and networking where most participants reside outside the organization.

“We consider our positioning in the Magic Quadrant confirmation of our strategy to focus exclusively on a 100% cloud solution to enable modern business collaboration,” said Dan Latendre, CEO of IGLOO Software. “This unique approach provides a highly flexible and agile solution that can only be achieved with a pure SaaS (Software as a Service) model.”

You can download a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant for Social Software in the Workplace, courtesy of IGLOO – registration required.

Author credits:

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Social Software in the Workplace by Nikos Drakos et al., August 25, 2011.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Externally Facing Social Software by Jeffrey Mann, et al., August 25, 2011.

Canadians are heavy users of social networks and other communications technologies, but many are not taking basic steps to protect their personal information, a comprehensive survey of 2,000 randomly selected adults has determined. Commissioned by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and published late last week, the survey found that three-quarters (74 percent) of respondents own at least one mobile communications device, such as a cell phone, smart phone or tablet – yet only four in ten use password locks for the devices, or adjust their settings to limit the sharing of personal information that may be stored on the devices.

The 2011 Canadians and Privacy Survey also found that one-third of Canadians use public Wi-Fi sites, such as those located at coffee shops and airports, where online communication may not always be protected by encryption. Of those, fully 85 percent admitted to some concern about possible risks to the security of their personal information.

The poll, conducted in late February and early March by Harris/Decima, also found that just over half (51 percent) of respondents use social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn. Fortunately, four in five said they take advantage of privacy settings that allow them to control access to their online content. Even so, 45 percent of all respondents who use social networking sites acknowledged that they are concerned about the associated risks to their privacy.

“Canadians are recognizing that their personal information is not safe in this new digital environment, unless they take concrete measures to protect it,” Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart observed. “Unfortunately, however, too few are taking even the most basic precautions, such as setting passwords on their mobile devices.”

“We encourage people to use passwords, encryption, privacy settings and every other available measure to safeguard their personal information, because the meaningful protection of privacy has to start with the individual.”

Indeed, the survey detected widespread concern about the impact of technology on people’s privacy. Four in 10 respondents felt that computers and the Internet pose a risk to their privacy, up from one-quarter (26 percent) in a similar survey just two years ago. Levels of concern about a range of technologies and applications, including cellphones, online banking, and credit and debit card transactions, all rose since 2009.

While younger Canadians aged 18 to 34 are the most enthusiastic users of technology, they are also the most likely to use available mechanisms to protect their privacy.

“This was a gratifying finding,” Commissioner Stoddart said. “Young people are sometimes stereotyped as digital exhibitionists who are quite uninhibited in posting comments and personal images. And yet, this new data shows that they not only care about privacy, they are actually leaders in protecting it.”

Other highlights of the poll include:

• Six in 10 respondents felt that their personal information enjoys weaker protection than it did 10 years ago. Indeed 65 percent said the protection of personal information will be among the most pressing issues confronting Canadians in the decade ahead.
• Canadians are deeply suspicious about the collection and use of personal information by public- and private-sector organizations. Only 22 percent of respondents said governments are taking their obligations to protect privacy seriously, and 14 percent said businesses take their responsibilities seriously.
• An overwhelming majority want tough sanctions against organizations that fail to properly protect the privacy of individuals. More than eight in 10 respondents wanted to see measures such as publicly naming offending organizations, fining them, or taking legal action against them.
• There was widespread concern about businesses that request too much personal information, don’t keep it secure, sell it to other organizations, or use it to send spam or make other unsolicited marketing contact. About nine in 10 respondents found such practices disturbing.
• More than eight in 10 respondents (83 percent) said Internet companies should ask their customers for permission to track their online behaviour and Internet usage.
• With respect to the personal information that Canadians provide at airports and border crossings, a substantial majority (85 percent) said they are somewhat or very concerned when it is shared with foreign authorities.
• More than eight in 10 respondents (82 percent) opposed giving police and intelligence agencies the power to access e-mail records and other Internet usage data without a warrant from the courts.
• There was little appetite for genetic testing to find out whether people have a heightened risk of developing certain diseases. Only one-quarter (26 percent) of respondents said they are somewhat or very interested in such services.
• Only 30 percent of respondents felt they had a good or very good grasp of their privacy rights under the law. Still, three-quarters (74 percent) of respondents felt they are doing a good or very good job of protecting their own privacy. Younger respondents were the least likely to rate their knowledge of privacy rights as very good, or to have confidence in their ability to protect it.

The OPC commissioned the poll in order to gauge public understanding and awareness of privacy, particularly as it is affected by the Office’s four priority issues: information technology, public safety, identity integrity and protection, and genetic technology. Similar surveys were conducted in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

A PDF version of the  complete survey, which has a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percent, 19 times out of 20, is available for download from the Privacy Commissioner’s web site.

Canadian emerging technology CEOs are finding it more difficult to add new qualified employees to their payroll, according to a PwC report exploring talent management issues for the Canadian emerging technology sector. The report found 44% of CEOs listed recruiting new talent and management team members as their biggest hiring issue. What’s more, an overwhelming majority (72%) either don’t have a talent management strategy in place or aren’t sure if their existing strategy is effective.

“It is interesting to hear that IT entrepreneurs are challenged with finding qualified people,” says Peter Matutat, National Emerging Company Practice Leader, PwC. “At the heart of the issue may be that IT grads are coming out of school with a skill set that isn’t quite what employers are looking for.”

“The nature of emerging technology companies means they aren’t just seeking people with the technical know-how, but employees who are more well-rounded,” adds Matutat. “Start-up companies also highly value softer skills like creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.”

Tobi Day-Hamilton, director of advancement at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, says change needs to happen at the university level to ensure grads are equipped with the skills technology companies are looking for.

According to Day-Hamilton, “We’re seeing a skills gap in what grads learn in post-secondary and what companies are now requesting in employees. In recent years, we found students were specializing in one area of technology, which meant grads were lacking general business and creativity skills. Increasingly, these are attributes that are becoming must-haves for many employers.”

Day-Hamilton also stresses the importance of co-op education throughout the university experience. “Employers want new hires to come in and hit the ground running, which is difficult to do if you don’t have the practical experience,” she says. “The more experience you can get before graduating, the better.”

The University of Waterloo has developed new program offerings to address this skills gap issue. The university is launching its Masters of Digital Experience Innovation this September and its Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts next year.

For job seekers, the industry looks positive. Turnover continues to be low with 81% of CEOs reporting less than 10% turnover and close to 70% with less than 5% turnover. The primary reasons for staff voluntarily leaving their companies last year were for higher compensation and new challenging opportunities (both 21%). Involuntary staff turnover was mostly attributed to poor performance (32%) rather than cost containment (11%), and 35% of respondents indicated they had no involuntary turnover at all.

Not exactly Canadian, but I felt that I would take advantage of editorial license as the company doesn’t state exactly where the survey respondents were from – if they were all living in the USA or not.

Over the past few years, the popularity of mobile phones and tablets have contributed to an explosion in gaming by offering users the newfound ability to game anytime and anywhere. A study just released by the research consultancy, Latitude, offers a deeper-dive investigation into the new gaming landscape and the profile of tomorrow’s gamer, suggesting opportunities for both game developers and companies across industries. A complete study summary (PDF) is available for download from Latitude.

The study included a Web survey of 290 smartphone owners between the ages of 15-54 who self-identified as “casual gamers,” with nearly half labeling themselves “game enthusiasts.” More than two-thirds said they expect to be gaming even more over the next few years. The multi-phase The Future of Gaming: a Portrait of the New Gamers study was designed by Latitude to investigate the evolution of gaming, to profile tomorrow’s gamers, and to showcase resulting opportunities across industries for the future of gaming. Smartphone ownership was a criterion for survey participation, but engagement with mobile games was not.

The study found that the stereotype of the reclusive gamer is outdated; this emerging demographic is social, heavily engaged with the “offline” world, and extremely goal-oriented – with a strong drive to improve themselves and the world around them. The new gamers are not constrained to any single platform, and have many different motivations for gaming in addition to just having fun [See New Gamers – Infographic- right]. Moreover, they expect that online games will continue to move out of the traditional screen environment, blending seamlessly with the “offline” world in new and engaging ways that go beyond just “checking in” with apps like Foursquare and SCVNGR.

“This study is part of our larger People Connected initiative, a series designed to offer a snapshot of intentionally small groups who are currently redefining what’s possible through the Web,” says Neela Sakaria, Senior Vice President of Latitude. “We go beyond just identifying changes in technology, delving deeply into technology’s potential impact on us as people – how we think, relate to each other, and approach our daily lives. Profiling dynamic user groups like ‘the new gamers’ gives us a window into how companies can not only develop meaningful tech experiences today but, more excitingly, grasp opportunities that are just on the horizon.”

The study pinpointed three key insights summarizing what the new gamers are expecting for the future:

1. Games Go Beyond the Screen
Eager to get beyond their smartphone screens, gamers are actively seeking new levels of interactivity, more intuitive interfaces (e.g., gestural or telepathic controls), and personalization of the physical world that mirrors what’s possible online. Future games should register and respond to people as they exist in the offline world, which may mean using a player’s location, mood or stress level as metrics in a game, or allowing players to overlay virtual environments or information onto their actual surroundings, as with augmented reality [See ‘New Gamers – Chart 5 – right].

Study participants expressed an overwhelming desire for immersive integration of digital content with traditionally offline spaces and activities:

•     95 percent would like to see more games that do a better job of combining digital content with the real, physical world.
•     90 percent agreed that current and future technologies will play a critical role in extending games beyond the traditional screen environment, moving them out into the real world.

“The gamers of tomorrow won’t be limited by platform or location. As technology becomes more seamlessly integrated with our lives, everyone will be a gamer, and the world around us will become the ultimate playing field,” explains Natalie Stehfest, a senior research analyst who led the study and who heads up Latitude’s qualitative research team. “Technology will allow us to measure – and, ultimately, improve – ourselves in the context of our daily activities and surroundings. Many people making small changes can have a large impact in society, and this study suggests that the new gamers are ready to ‘level-up,’ and be challenged in this way.”

2. Life Becomes Play
Not only did participants want games to be well-integrated with the offline world in a technological sense, they requested games that better fit into the context of everyday life activities, and could provide added incentive to do things they want or need to do anyways. Currently, a variety of “life games” exist for personal wellness, learning, and even for completing household chores.

•     92 percent would like to use more “life games” (e.g., games that fit into the context of things they do anyways in life)
•     More than two-thirds would like games to help them achieve their personal goals, such as being healthier or more productive.

3. Social Matures into Societal
The social aspect of gaming makes it particularly well suited to tackling larger societal issues, as people can now share meaningful experiences easily in real-time. Obstacles related to engagement, crowdsourcing, and logistics are removed as mobile platforms make it easier to become an engaged community member or to get involved with socially good causes in a way that feels game-like, either overtly or in a broader, “social adventure” sense.

•     96 percent would like to see more games geared toward creating positive change in society over the next 5-10 years. (Only one-quarter have played games like this before.)
•     3 in 4 people would be more interested in getting to know their neighbors and the people in their communities if local meet-ups were designed to be more game-like (e.g., involving neighborhood “teams,” scavenger hunts, etc.).

In conjunction with The Future of Gaming survey, Latitude conducted a series of expert interviews with both game makers and game enthusiasts, culminating in the production of a mini-documentary, The Future of Gaming: a Portrait of the New Gamers, produced in collaboration with In the Car Media. This thought-provoking snapshot of the new gaming landscape serves up fresh, insider perspectives on how games have evolved, and who exactly is playing today – or will be tomorrow. The full video, featuring Buster Benson, CEO of Health Month, is available in HD on Vimeo.

“Our interviews are meant to bring to life what we found in the study: that the new gamers are connected – often outgoing – people who live and play in the ‘real world,’ and who have a serious interest in bettering themselves and society as a whole,” says Dan Hemmerly-Brown, the video’s director and an Innovation Engineer at Latitude. “These conversations have even inspired Latitude to consider possibilities for building game elements into our own research techniques and technologies.”

Squamish-based Tiipz has been selected from hundreds of start-ups across Canada to present its social new approach to market research today at Launch @GROW,happening at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Launch @GROW, an important platform for emerging companies, selects four brilliant new ventures each year to present their stories to more than 600 investors and influencers from Canada and Silicon Valley.

Explains Jason Cyr, who co-Founded Tiipz with partners Mark Nickson and Gesvyn Tjandra, “Today we have an exciting opportunity to explain how Tiipz will define a new approach to market research in the age of social media.”

Tiipz hasn’t yet officially launched, and already the company is working with clients including Westbeach, Kokanee, and Budweiser. Through a partnership with brand.LIVE, brands including Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Sennheiser and Mattel will be using Tiipz to undertake interactive customer research at the Live at Squamish concert happening this weekend.

Says Jason, “As a research tool, Tiipz is based entirely on engagement. The consumer benefits from a fun experience and a tangible reward for participation; they can share their opinion with others and possibly change the course of action for a business.”

“The business benefits from stronger market insights and increased brand loyalty. There’s no other research tool that’s nearly this engaging in the marketplace!”

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released Navigating Convergence II: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications, a compilation of independent research and views obtained from CRTC stakeholders, including consumers, public-interest advocates and members of the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. The first edition of the report was published in February 2010. A PDF version of the latest report is also available.

According to the report, the development and adoption of new devices, products and services is accelerating in Canada. Canadians are rapidly embracing the global digital environment and making their choices and voices known. The evolving environment is also creating opportunities for the communications industry to provide services and content in new and innovative ways.

In 2010, 24% of anglophones and 20% of francophones watched some of their television programming online, including newscasts, sports clips and shows, which were offered by Canadian and foreign services. This trend is expected to continue as these services give consumers the flexibility to catch up on the television shows they have missed, at a time and on the device that is most convenient. As consumers access more online content and services, traffic over Canadian Internet networks is projected to quadruple from 2009 to 2014.

Canadians are also increasingly adopting mobile devices, which can connect to the Internet and deliver content, information and social media services. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of wireless subscribers is expected to rise from 25.8 million to nearly 30 million, with half of them owning a smartphone. At the same time, mobile Internet subscriptions in Canada are predicted to increase significantly from 5.5 million in 2011 to 14 million in 2015.

The report also notes that consolidation has increased in the communications industry. Despite this trend, the introduction of new services, such as those that deliver television programming online or through phone lines (known as Internet Protocol television), and the emergence of new service providers in the wireless market create competitive options for consumers.

Bell Media has shared preliminary findings from its fourth annual Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot. The 2011 research illustrates the strong link between mobile media use and brand awareness, favourability and purchase intent.

Among the key findings:

• 82% of mobile media users agree that mobile media is a good way to learn about new products and brands
• 80% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can influence them to investigate a product or service
• 71% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can change the way they think about a product or service
• 65% of mobile media users agree that mobile media can influence them to buy a product or service

“The importance of mobile in daily life has already been well established. What these findings underline is a clear opportunity for brands to impact their key metrics by using mobile media and advertising,” says Jonathan Dunn, Associate Director, Mobile Sales and Marketing, Bell Media Digital. “We are seeing increasingly positive attitudes towards mobile advertising from consumers with nearly 30% of mobile media users citing excellent experiences with mobile ads.”

Of those surveyed, over half had purchased their phone in the last year leading to a smartphone penetration percentage within the survey sample of 56%. This is consistent with the Canadian Wireless and Telecommunications Association’s recently published figures for Smartphone use among key urban demographics in their 2011 Cell Phone Consumer Attitudes Study. These figures align with carrier device sales and widely available projections for Smartphone adoption in the next 6-12 months.

“Conscious of the dramatic acceleration of Smartphone adoption in Canada, the research we released provides much more than a trailing view of the market,” says Dunn. “The 2011 Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot was structured to ensure our sales teams and agency partners have access to data that can be confidently applied to proactive campaign planning.”

Canadian mobile users are also issuing a call to action for Canadian brands to make more content mobile friendly. When asked what would encourage them to use the mobile Internet more, the top reasons respondents gave all spoke to issues solved by more mobile-optimized sites including: sites better designed for mobile browsing; easier to use mobile sites; and more mobile sites.

“The feedback is significant in that it provides clear indication that Canadians have an appetite to engage with brands on mobile but are frustrated by web experiences designed exclusively for desktop,” said Dunn.

The Canadian Mobile Media Snapshot researched consumer use habits and preferences by device, operating system, content consumption and time and place-based use amongst Canadian mobile owners aged 16-64 across Canadian provinces. Age, gender and geographic lenses have been applied to the data to ensure brands working with Bell Media Digital Sales have access to highly relevant and actionable data about their target customer segments in a way that is consistent with existing planning practices.

Canada ended the second quarter of 2011 on a high note as one of the top 10 countries for corporate technology mergers and acquisitions, with numbers increasing from 21 deals in Q2 2010 to 30 in Q2 2011, according to Ernst & Young’s Global technology M&A update.

“Average global deal value skyrocketed to US$194 million in the second quarter of 2011, and the numbers here at home were just as strong,” says Tony Ianni, leader of corporate finance in Ernst & Young’s Transaction Advisory Services practice. “Canada saw the second-highest number of cross-border deals, behind the United States — an uptick in volume and value we’ve seen developing over the last several quarters.”

Big-ticket deals drove the total value of global tech M&A to US$52.1 billion in Q2 2011, nearly doubling the deal value from an already strong first quarter. Global cross-border deal volume also increased 16% from Q1, while domestic deals declined by 11%. Not only that, cross-border deals showed a 32% increase over Q2 2010 numbers.

The total value of global deals with disclosed values increased by 92%, from US$27.1 billion in Q1 to US$52.1 billion in Q2 — a 69% increase from Q2 2010 (US$30.8 billion). While 61% of all disclosed value was concentrated in the top 10 deals, there was also significant deal-making strength at the opposite end of the spectrum, in deals of less than US$100 million.

This surge was powered by industry consolidation and ongoing disruptive innovation in the following areas:

• Cloud computing
• Smart mobility
• Internet and mobile video
• Smart grid and solar energy

“New waves of innovation, especially around smart mobility, cloud computing and social networking, are driving large and small deals across the globe,” says Ianni. “Not only did Q2 have the highest quarterly average since the first quarter of 2000, it also had the 20th-largest global technology deal ever by dollar value.”

Technology companies that continue to stockpile cash will have the flexibility to act when strategic M&A opportunities arise. Cash and investments held by the sector’s top 25 companies grew to US$591 billion by the end of Q2 2011 — an 18% year-over-year increase from US$499 billion at the end of Q2 2010.

“Interest in the technology sector continues to rise as information technology evolves into an increasingly valuable component of all products and services,” says Ianni. “But the question on everyone’s mind is whether deal-making will lose momentum or continue to overcome increasing divergence between buyers and sellers over valuation, geopolitical unrest and global debt issues.”

PwC has released the 2011 Big Table of Film and Video Incentives that are available across Canada. Use them to your development benefit. The following information is from the PwC site.

Filmed Entertainment

Canadian film and television productions now account for about $5 billion in annual revenue and employ more than 117,000 people (Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office – CAVCO, 2010). The Canadian industry continues to grow with the support of federal, provincial and territorial governments, which encourage investment by domestic and foreign producers through incentives that help offset the cost of productions in Canadian locations. The big table is your guide to these incentives.

PwC’s Global entertainment and media outlook forecasts that global spending on filmed entertainment will reach $113.1 billion in 2015. North America will continue to be the largest region, and will grow at 5.2% (compounded annually) from $39.0 billion in 2010 to $50.3 billion in 2015.

The Entertainment and Media practice at PwC provides solutions to critical issues facing the Canadian film industry. We welcome the opportunity to put our industry expertise and resources to work for you. Please contact us to find out more.

View the  Big Table of Film and Video Incentives in Canada — August 2011 (PDF 426kb)

Digital Media and Animation — Gaming

Canadian businesses in the digital media and animation sector have tremendous opportunities for growth as markets continue to emerge and expand. Global console games, the largest category, with revenues of $28.1 billion in 2010, will expand at a 4.4% compound annual rate to $34.8 billion in 2015.

The online market will benefit from increased penetration of broadband households combined with growing digital distribution of content. The increasing popularity of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), with their subscription fees and micro-transactions, is also aiding the expansion of the market. Casual games and social network games are important components as well. In addition, smartphones and tablets—such as the iPad® —with improved graphic capabilities, will raise the bar for the quality of wireless games and drive demand. At the same time, new application stores will increase the number of gamers willing to purchase games. Burgeoning 3G/4G networks will enable wireless games to approach the quality of console games.

To meet this demand, digital media and animation companies can take advantage of credits and incentives from two broad categories. First, several provinces offer refundable interactive digital media tax credits, based on eligible labour expenditures and eligible marketing and distribution expenses claimed by qualifying corporations with respect to interactive digital media products. The other, generous tax incentives under Canada’s scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) program, reward companies advancing science or technology in the gaming industry.

View the Big Table of Digital Media and Animation Incentives in Canada — August 2011 ( PDF 324 KB)