Silicon Valley TechnoPole

CIO Roundtable - May 5th 2010

2010-05-07T17:45:08Z

Discussion was facilitated by Tim Crawford, internationally renowned thought leader in the areas of Cloud Computing and IT Optimization Strategies. Tim has over 20-years of Information Technology experience in Operations, Infrastructure, Information Security and Core Applications. Areas of focus include Cloud Computing, Infrastructure Optimization and key game-changing strategies for IT organizations. Tim has held senior IT leadership roles with global organizations such as Stanford University, Knight-Ridder, Philips Electronics, and National Semiconductor.

Tim speaks at industry conferences and has written for leading publications including InfoWorld, PC Magazine and VAR Business. Tim also serves on a number of boards including the Society for Information Management (SIM) San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, the Golden Gate University Alumni Association and Data Center Pulse. Tim received an MBA in International Business with Honors and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems both from Golden Gate University.

R2IS Announces Ticketless Travel

2010-04-19T04:26:22Z

“Buy Your Transport Ticket on Your Mobile” – Expectations are high for this new initiative that's now available for trial by transit authority customers.

Silicon Valley, CA - R2IS has just announced an innovative “breakthrough” for a Mobile Ticketing process whereby customers can order, pay for, obtain and validate tickets from any location, at any time, using mobile phones or other mobile handsets.

Mobile tickets reduce the production and distribution costs connected with traditional paper-based ticketing channels and increase customer convenience by providing new and simple ways to purchase tickets for transit authority customers.

It’s the end of coins, vouchers and long lines at machines, because now customers can purchase their ticket directly from their mobile phone. R2IS is behind the new mobile solution that allows purchase of tickets for bus, subway, commuter trains, light rail and other transit conveyances in any metropolitan area by using a smart phone function just before getting on.

Built into the application, is the ability to bill a ticket via a mobile phone. Within a minute, a "request" is processed and the customer receives a confirmation which functions as a ticket. Later, if necessary, the customer can check his personal purchase at the Transit Authority’s website.

The Smartphone function - “localization” allows the consumer to access the best itinerary, then purchase a ticket via the application. The application is adaptable for any mode of transportation; train, subway, light rail, bus, cable car, ferry, etc. The customer can conveniently use the application on their mobile device and choose the start and end point of their trip, then, pay. … the ticket is “built into the application".

Safe (Secure) Easy Solution

The new mobile ticketing solution is secure and easy to use for both users and providers. Unlike most mobile payment solutions, with the R2IS offering, the user doesn’t need SMS for ticket validation.

Promotional Messages

The SMS function can be used for promotional purposes. An example; a purchased ticket can include a message, "Buy five tickets and receive 20% discount". R2IS is the only application that allows for ticket choice, payment, use, consuming, promotion and control. "It's been very important for us to develop a product that meets our high service standards, as well as operational safety requirements. We can conclude that we have succeeded, “ says Eric Laurain, R2IS’ CEO and Founder.

In addition to handling and delivering tickets orders, the R2IS solution includes an administration module that allows the transportation company to check the passenger's ticket. This makes it much harder to “cheat the system” with the electronic tickets compared with fares from the traditional ticketing system.

"We have delivered a solution that offers improved flexibility and service to customers and simultaneously provide increased security for the companies using the R2IS solution. The system is stable and can handle a huge number of transactions. Both customers and transportation organizations receive benefits from the solution. Discussions with several large transit authorities have yielded positive responses once they understand how the solution enhances the customer experience and the amount of money they can save by adopting the R2IS offering.”

- says Steve Palladino, President R2IS North America. Please contact us for a private demonstration and consultation.

About R2IS

R2IS is one of the most innovative companies within mobile solutions. With focus on using the most innovative mobile technologies, R2IS creates new solutions and next generation best of breed business practices for customers in Europe and the USA.

For more information contact:

Thorn Bigley

Phone: +1 214-212-8707

E-mail: thorn@siliconvalleytechnopole.com

Nord IT Days at EuraTechnologies in Lille, France

2010-04-09T00:14:28Z

SiliconValley Technopole recently visited EuraTecholgies in Lille france for the Nord IT Days from the 17th of March.

During the Nord IT days, around 100 companies exhibited their products, meet with industry leaders and existing and potential customers from the Nord region. The event was arranged by and took place at EuraTechnologies, one of the largest incubators/accelerators in France.

The companies are all part of the EuraTechnologies Accelerator in Lille and range from Internet, RFID to retail payment solutions and e-Learning. Companies are from early-stages to well established companies with more than 1 M Euro in revenue.

Besides being part of the Nord Tech IT Days, SiliconValley Technopole meet with about 25 of the companies in EuraTechnologies to interview and assess their potential for the US market, and readiness for the Silicon Valley Technopole Business Acceleration program.

Raouti Chehih,

CEO of Euratechnologies

Silicon Valley Technopole's Steve Palladino

interviews CEO of NoParking, Mr Penet

R2IS's stand at Nord IT Days

Enaco's Stand at Nord IT Days

A 21st Century Reinvention of how Agencies and their Catalog Customers Produce Content by catalog production in the cloud

2010-03-25T00:20:11Z

Steve Palladino Silicon Valley Technopole Partner, hosted client PageonDemand.com’s webinar: Learn How To Increase Your Catalog Production ROI by as Much as 40% !

“A 21st Century Reinvention of how Agencies and their Catalog Customers Produce Content by catalog production in the cloud”.

PageonDemand.com’s partner Quark, was co-sponsor of this event.

This webinar discussed the latest thinking in Web technology for catalog production and went in detail about:

"See It / Like It" Prints- say goodbye to content handoffs
Build new Catalogs with a Single tool
Standardize Processes across all your teams
Rapid Deployment- get up and running quickly

This 40-minute webinar featured ideas and case studies about how to greatly improve your catalog production process, lower costs by 40% and quickly move to better ROI.

This is a very innovative solution available for companies who want to automate the catalog, business and production processes that enable you to move to a 21st century best practice now.

Click on this link to hear the session.

Streaming recording link:

https://quark.webex.com/quark/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=16459697&rKey=8dc7f8535a75c462

Silicon Valley Technopole delegation to Lille, France

2010-03-25T00:34:25Z

LILLE METROPOLE EUROPE: Amplify your European Network

Tech Tour March 15-19-2010

Just a quick note for Silicon Valley tech companies interested in establishing relationships with some of the big European Tech Stars or developing activates in Lille, France.

Euratechnologies and the Stanford Center for Professional Development are now accepting applications for the 2010 French Tech Tour- March 15-19, 2010.

Located at the heart of a triangle in between Brussels, London and Paris and Europe’s 15^th metropolis, Lille is the 2^nd French region for US Foreign Direct Investments. Over the past years, Lille’s strong economy has been able to attract Fortune 500 US companies such as Microsoft, FedEx, Ingram Micro, Smithfield …

Discover how this dynamic hub can boost your network in the European marketplace!

Please join us for Nord IT days a world class event that will gather investors, and global IT companies looking for the most competitive place to operate in Europe.

Sponsored by Euratechnologies-the largest IT Accelerator in Lille (and number 2 in all of France), and Stanford Center for Professional Development will bring together worldwide and well know multinationals that have selected Lille.

The entire Lille/Nord business and government environment will have a large presence during this event and the Silicon Valley delegation is invited to request 1-1 meetings during the week.

This event provides firms with a window into Europe with a minimal commitment of time and money. Providing them with the opportunity to create important strategic alliances immediately, and finally could provide the foundation for a strategy to make the move to Europe sooner rather than later.

Success Stories:

Hear from Motorola, Cap Gemini, Google and many others that have chosen Lille as a base of European operations.

B2B Meetings

Meet with all of the Country’s and region stakeholders in just one place..and establish, immediately commercial and institutional partnerships that will support your European operations

Walk Through the Country

Don’t have time to visit all of the companies, channel partners, governmental officials at their offices, no problem you can meet with them at the exhibit areas

Conferences

Come and learn about the latest topics in our world class conferences regarding: market trends, research and development, supply chain innovation, region success stories.

Business Sectors

Join us and find out why IT companies and Investors have choose Lille and what the region has to offer Silicon Valley companies in the areas of:

Software & Services, Virtualization & Cloud Computing, Telco & Wireless, e-Commerce

Why Lille

100M customers

Population

Youngest French region.
4 million inhabitants (nearly 7% of the French total)

Education & Training

150,000 students
France’s no. 2 center for higher education
10 % of all French engineers trained in Northern France

Research organizations

85 private industrial research centers.
34 higher education institutions.
6,500 researchers and teacher/researchers.
Over 300 public and Para-public laboratories.
Government Friendly to IT Sectors

Space is Limited-so sign up now!

We only have room for 8 IT companies for the Silicon Valley Delegation. It this has some interest for you and your portfolio companies then we will arrange a call with you this week to discuss this in more detail. Remember we guarantee between 8-9 qualified 1-1 meetings with Sr. Executives from top IT, Government Officials, or Universities in the region. We would of course need to talk though specific area of interest with each of the companies in advance of this visit.

Why Most High Tech Companies Will Miss Revenue Numbers

2010-02-16T00:02:48Z

In our experience working with our clients‚ senior management, sales management and sales people, regardless of industry, we have found sales organizations making the same classic mistakes on a repetitive basis which keep them from making their revenue forecasts.

Fact is you either make the grade or you disappear into the annals of history. Selling is no exception. Organizations either evolve their selling models to suit the times and meet revenue numbers or they stagnate into non-existence.

Selling used to revolve around the products that an organization had to offer. Companies differentiated themselves through their products. Selling techniques involved trying to convince customers that their product was better than all the others because it was first to market or it was based on the latest and greatest technology. Organizations would take to market a product by advertising all the wonderful new features, shiny buttons and colorful lights. In the 21st century, adopting this model as the encompassing selling philosophy throughout the entire business can be the equivalent of business suicide. Developing a thorough understanding of the customer's business, his challenges and his goals, gives an organization the opportunity to build relationships and deliver solutions that are tailored to deliver the most value for each customer.

Today, survival depends not on your products and gadgets alone, but on the value that these things, and your organization, can offer customers. How an organization differentiates itself from its competitors involves coming to terms with the markets it plays in, understanding the needs of its different customers, understanding that its customers' needs differ, and catering for these needs accordingly.

When business development is correctly launched, technology companies' revenue and market share rise. But when it is incorrectly deployed IT companies fail. Yet today IT, software, and professional services companies continue to miss their forecasted revenues and most do not understand why.

If you look at the current environment of IT business operating cycles and methodologies deployed, one can identify five specific reasons why high tech firms continue to be stuck in the downward curve of the revenue success cycle.

The three factors affecting IT firms' revenue success today are:

Continued calculation of inaccurate sales forecasts.
Continued deployment of relationship marketing as a revenue generating tool.
Failure to calculate IT market demand.

This article will discuss these key areas where most companies need improvement.

1. The Continued Calculation of Inaccurate Sales Forecasts

In an economy where investors, bankers, and Wall Street drive corporate communication for financial commitments, IT sales quotas continue to be the imaginary land where fact and fiction do not meet. Today, there are ten models currently in use by a disproportionate number of high tech firms.

The top ten most common methods IT firms currently use to calculate their technology sales quotas are:

Last year's territory sales numbers.
Cost of the salesperson times a multiplier (sales costs x 3).
Cost of corporate General Administrative (G and A) plus a gross margin.
Revenue goals committed to Wall Street or VCs.
Total of the VP of Sales department's goals divided by the number of salespeople.
Salesperson's success the previous year.
An imaginary compensation number that was sold to the salesperson as their income potential if he/she hit 100% quota.
What the IT trade press says is the annual growth rate for technology for this year (up 12%, quotas are up 12%).
The VP of Sales' experiences at other companies.
A percentage of what the top salesperson did in their territory.

More times than not, the sales quota number is created based on commitments to investors, bankers or Wall Street, combined with accounting's perception of what the cost of sales should be. The short-term losers are the sales reps as they struggle to make their monthly numbers.

The long-term losers are the IT companies and the operating departments because business models have been budgeted on this fabricated sales quota.

Can you recognize your technology or professional service firm's method?

What do these measurements have to do with the potential of a particular salesperson's territory?

These elements are based upon outside influences and expenses not related to the sales potential of their technology product or service in an assigned territory.

The fact is none of these methods are accurate.

This impractical and unscientific quota determination, more times than not, just frustrates everybody. The Ops department is upset because the bench utilization is low. They end up blaming sales because they haven't "hit their numbers." Accounting is upset because A/R is shrinking and VCs are upset because their financial milestones are missed.

2. The Continued Deployment of CRM - It's Not A Revenue Generating Tool

The term relationship marketing is an oxymoron. Relationship marketing was invented by Customer Relationship Management (CRM) companies to explain their technology value. As this term became dominant in the IT sales model marketing arsenal, firms were led to believe that holding on to prospects and creating "relationships" was the key to IT sales revenue.

In fact that is not true. Transactional marketing is the key to IT sales. Relationships have nothing to do with buying IT. People buy value based on business pain.

The world is filled with professional lookers who waste IT salespeople's time, filling their sales forecast with inaccurate data and never buying. Just because a prospect might have the right executive title, a stated budget, and meets with you, does not mean he/she is a qualified buyer.

Yet, time and time again IT salespeople build "relationships" with prospects that never buy. Throughout their sales cycle, believing that relationships equal revenue, IT salespeople project their own sales expectations and quota insecurities onto prospects.

This continued belief by IT salespeople that "relationship" selling will generate revenue just extends sales cycles longer and longer. If a qualified buyer needs your IT services or technology to fix a business pain, he/she will buy from someone. Buyers do not need IT salespeople to take them to lunch or to be courted for twelve months.

Yet, the relationship marketing myth continues, increasing the sales and marketing costs of most IT firms. What is needed today in IT sales is the transactional marketing model. This method encourages IT salespeople to discover who is a qualified buyer and promotes forward movement of their sales steps. This results in moving the qualified buyer to take action steps toward the close of the sale.

The key to transactional marketing sales methods is forcing qualified prospects to move forward with action steps that make them prove that they are a qualified buyer. They may not buy from the IT salesperson that is sitting in front of them but they are going to buy from someone. When a purchase is made, the status changes from the category of a transactional marketing prospect to a relationship marketing client, and solidifies their value for building a long-term relationship.

Relationship marketing reduces the revenue success of IT sales teams. Transactional marketing accelerates IT sales cycles and qualifies prospects for long-term relationship marketing engagements.

3. Failure To Calculate Market Demand - There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere?

When was the last time an IT firm did a market gap analysis on the demand factor for their particular technology or professional service in the geographies they sell?

Many IT firms are trying to sell blue shoes to a market that wants red shoes.

Based on pre-2000 market studies or trade publication estimates, many IT firms have not conducted a market gap analysis demand of what they offer during the last year. So, instead of knowing what their potential prospects are buying, they estimate corporate revenues based on industry assumptions rather than accurate data.

Without proper market gap data, IT firms continue to overestimate market demand and incorrectly forecast corporate revenues. Thus, the lack of success toward reaching their corporate revenue goals and the process continues.

So Where Do We Go From Here?

The dynamics of technology and professional services' operating sales models have changed. As these five business factors continue to be used, more and more IT firms will miss their corporate revenue forecasts and additional employee layoffs will follow in 2010.

The key to IT success in today's market is the integration of sales, marketing, strategy and strategic alliances into one outbound sales program, where the firm as a whole is focused on revenue capture. Through this integration, technology firms can calculate more accurately, align the sales and marketing steps needed to minimize failure, and increase sales penetration opportunities.

By studying market demand, calculating sales quotas correctly, focusing only on prospects that are currently in the buying cycle and treating their sales team as a business asset, technology and professional services firms can not only survive, but prosper as well. For IT senior management to succeed they must learn how to adapt to the economy or they will continue to fail!

Silicon Valley Technopole Helps Launch Stanford University partnership in Lille France

2010-03-25T00:30:24Z

Euratechnologies in Lille, France and Stanford University in California signed a long term partnership agreement this Monday in Lille France.

Initially, the agreement signed this Monday includes the creation of an "executive program" open to fifty entrepreneurs per year, conducted by Stanford, in collaboration with universities and schools in Lille. Subsequently, this combination could allow a more direct collaboration between local higher education and the prestigious university of Stanford in California.

The program include the launch of joint projects in applied research and making online content available from Stanford and an advisory and assistance provided by Stanford.

Pierre de Saintignon, Lille first deputy in charge of economy, says this joint effort will make Eura technlogies, Lille site dedicated to new technologies, an "innovation campus" of Lille and the region.

The agreement was med in the presence of leaders of higher education at Stanfrod and the Lille region: Christian Sergheraert, president of Lille II, Therese Lebrun, President of the Catho, Bruno Bonduelle, president of ITC Great Lille, and Philippe Vasseur, President of Credit Mutuel Nord Europe, Andy DiPaolo, Executive Director SCPD, Senior Associate Dean of Engineering Stanford University, and Paul Marca, Deputy Director, Stanford Center for Professional Development.

"Euratechnolgoies is an amazing place because it brings together people who have the skills and knowledge to create innovation", noted Andy DiPaulo, Stanford, enthusiastically. In return, "Pierre de Saintignon, Lille first deputy in charge of economy was "very happy" about the partnership, saying that "it is a fundamental to our region to be included in strategies for innovation."

Steve Plalladino, Partner for Silicon Valley Technopole who lead the Mission said, "This partnership shows how Silicon Valley Technopole facilitates bringing together local government business initiatives, world class academia, with IT business leaders to create international collaboration to promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation between Silicon Valley and France".

Covered here and also on French National Television here.

Silicon Valley Immersion Week

2010-03-25T00:27:01Z

Last week we hosted a delegation of French technology companies in what we call a Silicon valley Immersion Week.

They were finalist companies selected from over 50 companies during the last 3 months by Euratechnolgoies, the Lille agency for promoting high tech in the Lille region.

The Immersion Week began November 9 and concluded on November 13 and introduced the French technology startups to the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley and focused on bridging the gap between France and Silicon Valley.

The Mission agenda featured workshops, networking events, panel discussions, and well as individual one-on-one meetings and interviews for the CEOs.

The finalists for the Immersion Week were:

Giroptic :Provides a wonderful one-shot 360° panoramic digital camera! This camera allows you to pack the power of an entire photo design and processing department in one easy to use, easy to handle, 21st century technology digital camera.

Interactive, panoramic shots taken fast, cost-effectively and with just one click, V-Cult : V-Cult is a Social 3D platform for e-business dedicated to the cultural world: painting, music, arts (A 3d social network). V-Cult proposes web 3d in real time solutions.

R2IS Mobile Store and architecture.

Enaco – OnLine elearning for, academic institutions.

E-FIJY creates interactive online presentations of places, products and service.

Meetings with real customers

As part of the our Immersion Week/Tech your program we connect the companies coming over with real opportunities, and this week the companies meet with HP, Google, Lucas Films/Interactive, Cisco and many more.

Intensive workshops

In Silicon Valley, being able to give a brief and to-the-point presentation about your company is essential.

We took the companies through workshops on doing business in the US and Silicon Valley, and helped them polish presentations and pitches to make them shine.

To the left Steve Palladino is helping one of the French Entrepreneurs to polish his company presentation at the start of the week.

Panel Discussions

The companies got feedback from a panel of Silicon Valley VC's, and key Enterprise Corp VP’s of business development -panels also shared their ideas for how to become a player in the US market. 18 month perspective on “hot” tech areas to watch, as well as a discussion of business/legal M&A strategies for what foreign companies must do in order to be successful in the US market.

From left to right: Erik Stuart - eBay Corporate Strategy, Ed Lambert - VP BridgeBank, Susan Lucas-Conwell, SD Forum, Bernard Slade, HP Corporate Ventures, Ephriam Lindenbaum Advance Ventures

Morning panel

In this panel investors ranging from business angels, seed level investors and VC's shared their views on the investment climate, areas that are interesting to invest in at this time and how to present your company to attract the attention of investors.

From left to right: Mark Fernandes Sierra Ventures, Doug Renert - Tandem Entrepreneurs, Jean-Louis Gassee, Allegis Capital, Nicolai Wadstrom

What we are looking for

2010-03-25T00:24:14Z

This is a simple guide to what we need to know about you, before going through our intake process. To make sure we can help your company and assure that we are a good match for your needs, we have set out below our selection criteria for the best candidates for our acceleration program:

Ready product

We are looking for companies with a ready product. If your company has a completed beta stage product with a disruptive potential, then we should talk. If your company is earlier stage, then we would like to see market validation in the form of positive responses from a limited evaluation rollout, or signs of early customer adoption and revenue generation. When contacting us, please outline the stage of your product development, who are your target customers – and your execution roadmap over the next 12 months.

Disruption potential

The earlier you are the more we will look for a market disruption potential as a crucial factor. This is due to the simple fact that disruptive companies move fast, which is why we engage earlier with them. If you have a proven home market, a huge disruptive potential is not as important for us to see. Outline how you disrupt a particular market and why you have the potential to quickly become a high-grow company.

Management team

We want to see a committed management team so that we can make sure that your company can fully leverage the opportunities we create, and that we can jointly execute on them. We want to see a team with clear roles behind a CEO, Technical Officer and Sales/business development Officer. Please outline the people in your team, their skill set, background and their distinct roles with-in the company.

Committed Working Capital

Is your company self-sufficient? Is it break-even or cash positive? If not, do you have outside investors supporting the company? Our execution is based on your company’s ability to follow an aggressive business development path for rapid market growth.

To assess this we need to know:

Your sources of working capital.
The high-level capitalization of your company (ie. the high-level division of ownership).
Your company’s current cash position.
Your company’s cash burn-rate and roadway before cash runs out.

Ready to see how we can accelerator your company?
Contact us here.

This information is also available here.