Social by design’ to be key feature of Facebook Developer Garage on 16th Feb

‘Social by design’ is set to be the key message that organisations and developers alike will be shouting about at this Thursday’s upcoming Facebook Developer Garage.

The concept lies in the theory that marketing professionals should stop thinking of their interactions with their customers as one-way exchanges and focus primarily on developing apps that utilise the very feature that makes Facebook such an attractive platform for friends.

Social by design dictates that organisations wanting to build successful apps on Facebook’s platform need to not only be bringing friends to the core of application ideas but making them integral to the app’s functioning.

Roshan Singh of Gamaroff Digital, who will be speaking at the Facebook Developer Garage on Thursday, says: “Facebook itself is the best example of social by design and the best apps out there should feel like a natural extension of Facebook’s own platform.”

The Facebook Developer Garage will be held on Thursday 16th February as part of Social Media Week. http://www.facebookgarage.org.uk/

Gamaroff Digital is a social experience and mobile agency and official sponsor of the Facebook Developer Garage. http://www.gamaroffdigital.co.uk

Eurostar awards on-board Wi-Fi connectivity and infotainment contract to Nomad Digital

Eurostar, the high speed rail service between UK and mainland Europe, has awarded NOMAD Digital Ltd ('NOMAD'), the specialist provider of connectivity solutions to the rail industry, the contracts to supply on-board Wi-Fi connectivity and state-of-the-art infotainment for its existing fleet of high speed trains. This follows a rigorous, competitive procurement process in which NOMAD was the clear winner.

Over the next three years, Eurostar is making a £700 million investment in its fleet. This includes the complete overhaul and refurbishment of the existing fleet as well as the purchase of 10 new e320 train sets from Siemens. This programme of investment will ensure Eurostar will be able to expand its operations and provide its passengers with the best possible travel experience and service in a competitive environment across its entire fleet.

When the Eurostar refurbished trains and the new e320 trains come into operation in 2013 and 2014 respectively, customers will have access to high speed broadband internet on board. Passengers will also be able to view and/or download pre-loaded entertainment/infotainment to their own devices via a Secure Wireless LAN. The quality of the NOMAD technology is such that passengers will enjoy a high speed connection to the internet at all times throughout their journey, a seamless switchover at international borders and connectivity wherever the customer is seated and whenever it is required.

In addition to providing connectivity solutions and infotainment the contracts will also cover the provision of spares and maintenance (for 5 years) as well as monitoring and multilingual service support to customers.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director at Eurostar, said: "We are very pleased to be working with NOMAD and are confident that their Wi-Fi and infotainment solutions will significantly enhance the on-board travel experience and deliver our customers a high quality broadband service. Access to a high speed internet and quality infotainment is increasingly important to passengers and will ensure that whether they are travelling for business or leisure, they get the most out of their journey. In a world of on-rail competition providing the optimal digital experience will be key to our success."

Alexander Eriksen, CEO at NOMAD points out: "We are delighted to have been selected for provision of the wifi and infotainment solution for the Eurostar fleet. This contract is very strategic to NOMAD representing its entry into both the high speed rail and French markets. We look forward to working with such a prestigious company as Eurostar and delivering a high quality broadband experience to its customers."

Ve Interactive teams up with Concern Universal

Ve Interactive is delighted to announce it is teaming up with Concern Universal as its international charity partner. Ve Interactive will be working with Concern Universal for an initial twelve months commencing July 2011. The decision to choose an international charity partner is a first for Ve Interactive and Concern Universal was selected for its impressive sustainable, community-led development work with people living in poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Ve Interactive will provide pro-bono services to assist with Concern Universal’s digital presence, SEO & analytics, content, affiliate marketing, remarketing and social media strategies.

“We are really looking forward to helping this amazing organisation create an effective digital presence that will promote their important work, benefit their fund raising programs and increase their supporter engagement,” commented Adam Lynch, Director of Client Services at Ve Interactive.

“We are delighted to be able to assist. The development work of Concern Universal is impressive. They work at a local level with individuals, communities and partners, meaning that they can be truly responsive to local need and that sustainability can also be achieved. Furthermore we were impressed to learn that 95p in every pound raised is spent on that development work.”

Concern Universal’s communications manager, Debbie Stenner said, “Ve Interactive’s expertise and experience will give a tremendous boost to our efforts to spread the word about Concern Universal and get more people on board. We prioritise economy, efficiency and effectiveness in all that we do and this hugely valuable support from Ve Interactive will help us do that. The bottom line will be more people able to lift themselves out of poverty for good.”

FACTFILE:
Established in London, late 2009 - award-winning Ve Interactive is a digital marketing and software consultancy, specialising in online efficiency technologies, as well as strategic online reviewing and optimisation planning. Its collective endeavours have meant that Ve Interactive has now also opened offices in Boston, USA and Sydney, Australia. It has a high client retention rate, and its clients are seeing exponential growth from using its software and services. Ve Interactive has already been honoured with a utalkmarketing Award for Most Innovative Start Up 2011 and a Best Business Award 2011. It also gained another prestigious nomination for Digital Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010. www.veinteractive.com