The Business of Service

In a rerun of a failed 2010 measure, HB 3349 – Buy America got a hearing in the House Business and Labor Committee, but lack of support precluded a vote on the bill.

The summary for HB 3349 reads Prohibits contracting agency (e.g., government) from awarding contract for public improvement or public works unless iron, steel, wood products and manufactured goods, including equipment, used in public improvement or public works are produced within the United States. Specifies exceptions. The term public improvement or public works is interpreted to mean any construction. The term iron, steel, wood products and manufactured goods, including equipment seems to include, other than minerals (e.g. stone) anything non-supernatural. <

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To help marketers gain real-time, actionable insight across social media channels

IBM has launched a new cloud-based analytics software that helps marketers gain real-time, actionable insight from data available across social media channels.

The new software is designed to provide organisations with faster, precise social media marketing programs that support their brand’s total online presence through a cloud-based delivery model, said the company.

The new Coremetrics Social uses the analytics foundation of the Coremetrics Continuous Optimisation Platform and IBM’s complete suite of marketing optimisation apps, provides cross-channel reporting and benchmark capabilities to track and improve social marketing campaigns.

IBM said that the Coremetrics Social will help companies analyse the business impact of their social marketing initiatives, while its Unica Pivotal Veracity Email Optimisation Suite analyses e-mail links that are shared across social network platforms.

The new Unica Pivotal Veracity Email Optimisation suite tracks and analyses e-mail links that are shared across social network platforms, delivering actionable insights which marketers can turn into recognisable profit.

IBM Coremetrics chief strategy officer John Squire said the company’s approach to social media analytics is based on the understanding that people interact with an organisation’s brand in a number of ways including e-mail, social networking sites and company websites.

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Can the NHS save billions through ‘Business Discovery’?

QlikView Business Discovery in use at Addenbrooke’s. Credit Phil Mynott

When thoughts turn to technology in the NHS, people generally think of the much-maligned National Programme for IT (NPfIT), but there are innovative uses of technology at organisations that are making a real difference to day-to-day operations.

CBR has reported in the past about St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust switching to electronic patient health records and the use of digital dictation systems at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Recently CBR was invited to see how Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using business intelligence software to improve performance and efficiency throughout Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

“Hospitals are large, complex organisations.

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Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is a way of ensuring that customers and prospective customers can find your website online easily. Here are the top five tips to maximise the visibility of your site:

1. Before you conduct any SEO activity, you need to choose your search keywords wisely. You can check the popularity of relevant keywords at many websites for free, including Google Insights. A search term with a high popularity and low competitiveness is ideal.

2. The domain name of your website should include a search keyword. For example, if you have a designer shoes website, having a url such as designershoes.co.uk would increase visibility.

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Expects Q1 FY11 revenue to be in the range of $52m to $55m

Qlik Technologies, a provider of Business Intelligence, has reported total net revenue of $81.4m for the fourth quarter of 2010, an increase of 32% compared to $61.8m for the same period last year.

Revenues from lincense, maintenance and professional services grew to $56.3m, $18.3m and $6.8m, respectively, from $43.7m, $12.8m, and $5.4m for the same quarter previous year.

The company posted an operating income of $16.6m for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to $20.5m for the same period last year.

For the fourth quarter ended December 31 2010, the company posted net income of $10.6m, a decrease of 31% compared to a net income of $15.3m for the same quarter a year ago.

Net income per diluted share was down by 12% to $0.12 from $0.16 per share for year ago quarter.

For fiscal year 2010, the company’s revenue, operating income and net income increased to $227m, $27.6m and $13.5m, respectively.

QlikTech CEO Lars Bjork said the fourth quarter was highlighted by revenue that significantly exceeded their expectations, increasing 32% year-over-year.

“We have been pioneering an evolution in business intelligence, Business Discovery, our unique data discovery and user-driven BI, which is expanding the market by addressing the ease-of-use and quick time to value needs of business users,” Bjork said.

The company expects total revenue for the first quarter of 2011 to be in the range of $52m to $55m.

These days, having a presence online is of the utmost importance for businesses, with most potential clients using online searches to find the products and services they require. For small companies, having a business website doesn’t have to mean an extravagant expense or a time consuming design project, but it can bring vital benefits, such as:

Increasing your customer base. If you have a website it means you can be quickly and easily found online. Potential customers will use the web to research the products or services they need and being online means you have a presence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Showcase your services. Y

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