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And here we continue with after lunch events…

1320 :Meet the Intrapreneurs: WiFi the true story?

• Martin Tivéus, CEO Glocalnet, Sweden

Quick fact presented: Investments in the telecoms and/or internet infrastructure has driven productivity 5-8x higher than other investments.

Martin proceeded to talk about slow connections and stifling connectivity, citing the Wi-Fi at SIME’07 as an example.The odd thing was that Glocalnet was supposed to solve these problems, and although there were Glocalnet networks to connect to at SIME’07, I found I either
(a) kept getting disconnected every 5 seconds
(b) couldn’t even get to the Glocalnet default page when you open your browser
(c) met an error message when I finally skipped (b) and got to the welcome-click-here-to-use page, and finally clicked on the click-here-type-icon.

Coincidentally, the internet was down the whole time yesterday, and was highly erratic in the morning, but as soon as Martin was a few minutes into his speech, I found the internet working perfectly fine. Hmmm… hidden marketing gimmick perhaps?

The market? Apparently more people are staying connected whilst in the outdoors. Company personnel who cannot access Facebook in the office (because the site has been banned/blacklisted for access) go to nearby cafes or parks. Students are doing their homework in the great outdoors more, and kids have even resorted to playing treasure hunt using mobile phones, etc and wifi. What ever happened to good old fashioned treasure hunts I wonder?

Though Martin says it’s “not just a summer product”, I have difficulties imagining people outdoors for long (unless they can’t help it) in the winter. I mean, the infrastructure for Wi-Fi and/or internet connectivity is spreading and improving, so getting a connection whilst indoors isn’t that difficult right? (Unless of course you have the erratic connection we have at SIME’07.)

The challenge comes, Martin shares, when you have to consider “where to put the Wi-Fi equipment”. Roofs make great storage spaces but to err is to human and to be greedy is even more so. “People have asked for flat screen tvs in exchange.”

Will mobile broadband kill Wi-Fi in the future? Martin thinks it’s here to stay. Not only are Wi-Fi enabled devices increasing/present in large numbers, but consumers will want the convenience and value Wi-Fi can provide. It can be cheap as well, and boost home device connectivity.

1340: Forces of conversion: which passion fuels growth?

• Johan Lindgren, CEO Telenor, Sweden
• Mikael Bäckström, President Market unit Nordic and Baltics, Ericsson, Sweden
• Petri Kokko, Director Google Sweden and Finland

The question of who was going to drive innovation on the mobile platform?Would it be the advertising agencies? The telecoms companies? Marketing agencies? Johan suggests that companies such as Ericsson can “drive functionality”, and support the movement but the innovation and true driving force would stem from entrepreneurs.

What seems to be in the way? The problem is the “telecoms operators, content operators, vendors and companies like Google are all in different corners,” Mikael starts. Sometimes these corners come together to collaborate on X and Y, but usually this only involves 2 or 3 corners. “We need to come together”, to sit down and talk, to work together. “Functionality is there but we have to create the ecosystem and the drive to create(for example) ads on the mobile system. If we do this in a good way, there is enough money for everyone to make a buck.”

What we need are “value networks” instead of value chains. People can be competing on one level, but collaborating on another. How we create these networks - that’s what matters. “It’s really a win-win-win-win situation”, says Petri.

Quick fact: Telenor has 140m subscribers worldwide! The mobile platform is growing in developing countries, creating markets as users get more and more annoyed with what they have today.

“We don’t know what is going to fly (take-off). We need to test, through Alpha and Beta (stages). It’s about how fast you are (these days), not how big you are,” Petri shares.

The “key is to nurture open networks”. Petri (and co.) feels there is not enough openness in the market. He speaks of a gate analogy. Whenever we are on one side of the fence, trying to get to the other, there is a gate between us. This gate has to be opened. It should just be removed for free and easy access.

Of course it is also important not to lose sight on keeping the individual user in focus in the midst of rapid development. Usability is important.

1415: What’s love got to do with IT?

• Tom Varsavsky, digital native, Spain
• Patrick Ståhle, CEO Aegis Media APAC, Singapore
• Johan Siwers, VP Northern Europe Match.com at IAC Personals / Match.com

Alex Schulman, Sweden’s most hated and loved blogger, was supposed to come on stage for this panel discussion but was a no show in the end.

The session started with friendship. Tom proved to be a really witty 13 year old, quick to draw. We have all heard about the continuous debate on the link between violence and computer games. What does Tom have to say about this? “You take your anger out in video games so you don’t kill people.” Redirected anger. This is coming from the mouth of part of the target group society is supposed to protect. Maybe society and governments should listen more?

We also have another debate about the stupidity of children on internet matters - about how children/tweens/teenagers are too trusting online. Have hope people - the next generation are not as stupid as some people out there think them to be! “You don’t say a lot of things (to someone you met on the internet) because they could be like crazy molesters,” Tom comments, saying that the ‘friends’ he has on his online gaming communities are not real friends in his book.

How many of us have doubt about the success of internet matchmaking sites? Johan is here to share more about the business! “There are different ways of connecting people online… the killer app on the internet has always been communication”, and as the success rate Match.com has had is testament to this. An estimate shows about 500 000 people have met on the service and has created long term relationships.

However, are we really helping people or are we not helping people? Patrick asks. “To have transparency and meeting with so many other people there with the same intention, (I) can’t see anything bad”, says Johan.

Personally, I see online match making sites as a double edged sword. No doubt there are some people who benefit from the service. However, am I the only that feels that perhaps the provision of such services, in some way, has a negative influence on the development of (face to face) people skills? Does it erode self confidence for those who use the services as a front to meet new people because they have insecurities of (face to face) communication? What are your thoughts?

Another clear case of doubt about the success rate of online matchmaking sites was brought up by an audience member: “How many people match up through Match.com? How many people say they quit because they found someone through the site, though they really didn’t?”

Would you use such a service? Tom says he would, but “only if (he) was desperate.”. In Singapore we have the SDU (Social Development Unit), a paid membership model, that exists as a platform to “promote marriage amongst single graduates”. I found Tom’s statement to be one commonly echoed amongst the populace.

Johan shares an interesting point of view on relationships and meeting people. He says that when we are younger, it’s a game to meet new people. We even go up to elders to get advice and so forth. However, when we are older, we expect and hope someone will flirt. We become less comfortable asking others for advice and solutions to our problems.

“Certain social groups are not applicable (for romantic purposes. For example, you don’t look for love on facebook where everyone else can see,” Patrick says. There is a question of “over transparency.” That’s another bad thing. It’s akin to having a party and inviting selected individuals. If everyone can see who you invite, the people who are not invited are going to start asking you “why not me?”

The online world rids the dependence on context. Using Match.com as an example, Johan continues, that if we want to meet someone with alike interests, it depends on where we go, in what situation we find ourselves in, whether it be in a bar, a sports event etc. You have to physically be there when the other person is. The second thing is open and honest dialogue. An online entity like Match.com “make people be able to talk one on one in an anonymous way”. This is important because you don’t risk being publicly rejected (referring to dating), and run the risk of ridicule by others.

One question for me immediately comes to mind: can we truly be anonymous online?

One comment by Patrick on the biggest challenge to producers (of content, advertisements etc.) is how to create that (open and honest) dialogue. They “don’t know how to”. They don’t listen to their consumers. “We have moved from mass communicating to one on one communication. Consumers want to be listened to.”

Where does the classical media stand in all this? It’s still good at building brands, Patrick shares. It’s like coke. It creates a community.

Of course let’s not forget that the internet can also be used as a channel for hate.

1440: Break! Had some caramel chocolate cake thing with coconut on top… and coffee of course! =)

Upon return from break, the audience watched a soccer clip, and cheered loudly (as though we were at the match itself), when a goal was scored. Why? To generate a sound/video clip. It was quite fun. Just wish more people were more participative.

1530: Is “free” a better business model than “paid”?

Who are stupid, the new companies, without business models but with many happy users or traditional industrialists that say happiness is positive cash flow?

• Tariq Krim, CEO and founder Netvibes, France
• Tristan Nitot, Founder and President of Mozilla Europe, UK
• Stefan Glaenzer, former executive chairman and investor, Last.fm, founder and CEO, Myblog.de, Germany

This panel was also joined by a certain David from My Space Europe, and Someone (note the capitalization for significance) from Somewhere else. I didn’t catch their names, and if anyone knows, please let me know.

The problem with most online services nowadays is that you have to fill up a form to use it. This form filling in itself may deter some people from using the product. Tariq suggests we should have a model to “just take and use if you like it… instead of having forms to fill up.” The price of everything is zero. “You must instead invent the economy around your tool.”

“Banner advertising is a bubble (that’s) going to explode in the next 5 years. Visually you don’t see the advertising. Nobody remembers (what was in the banner advertisement you just saw). The real thing that matters is attention,” Tariq comments. “If you find a service you can engage with, you can form a relationship with that service. Revenue generating methods can be attached afterwards.” Advertising is becoming a service.

Why are we even talking about something free? “How do you make money when your competitor (in this case Microsoft) decides that the price tag on the browser is zero?”, Tristan laments? “A company can’t do it. A community can.” Money generated goes towards sustaining this community. “It HAD to be free,” this was a fact of life on the browser market, continues Tristan. He wouldn’t advocate Firefox’s model though, qualifying with “we’re an exception”.

The content is out there, the distribution is solved, but its the navigation that poses problems. As Stefan puts it, how do we find and sieve through all the content out there? The valuable thing is finding content based on personal preferences.

There is always the debate on whether the focus should be on creating revenue or creating products? Looking at the competitiveness of the widgetization trend, does this mean you don’t need a marketing/advertising budget? Does the best app(lication) win?

Stefan says that we must have the will of creating the best possible product. The rest will see.

Free advertisement will follow if you are able to create something that will give value to user experience. One referral from a friend can be worth the billboard at the side of a busy street, or more.

Is there a new form of currency evolving? How do we place value on this? How many people actually read “terms and conditions” attached to online sites? “People are giving information away for free about themselves without realizing it. They have no perception of how this can strike and bite them back in the future,” Tristan comments. A new currency is in transition. It doesn’t exist now. He continues, “the impression is that you get stuff for free, but you’re selling your soul without a price tag on it”

1600: Forget business! How can we use technology to improve a planet called Tellus?

With Laptops under 100 dollars, micro loans and increasing global opportunities in a world where knowledge is available for everyone and brains is the hottest asset - what should we do more?

• Simon Mulcahy, Head of IT Industries Group, World Economic Forum, Switzerland
• Jacob Hsu, CEO and founder of Symbio, China

One other lady was on this panel.
Moderator: Beata Wickbom, founder SIME, CEO secondbusiness, Sweden

1630: The Andreas Weigend Show featuring David H Holtzman - back on public request

Amazon’s ex chief scientist and our favourite Internet genius, Andreas Weigend, gets his very own TV show with the right to invite anyone in the world. This time they presented David H Holtzman, the former spy who became CTO for IBM’s Internet technology group, and then CTO for Network Solutions, before starting and selling Opion, writing Privacy Lost and thus cementing his position as the world’s foremost digital privacy guru.