Canterbury Software Newsletter

Canterbury Software Newsletter

New Website for Canterbury Software

Canterbury Software would like to announce the launch of the new website and would like to encourage everyone to go and visit the site and have a look around. The website can be found at the old address Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.. The site has a new forum (discussion board) that will allow members to interact and start and join discussions. If you would like to sign up and start using these forums you will need to register by clicking on the forum and then clicking on register.

There have been multiple forums set up and users are able to register as members and then log in and post and reply to messages in the forums. The threading of messages will be supported to allow easy navigation. To date we have placed topics around Jobs (situations vacant and jobs wanted), Software Development, US Special Interest Group, Robotics Special Interest Group, KiwiFlash/MacroMedia and Online sales and Marketing. We would like to encourage everyone to sign up and start using this wonderful feature. If you would like to have any other catagory added please feel free to contact the facilitator at facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz

Name the New CSI Newsletter

All of you will be receiving this newsletter for the first time. We are still looking for a name for this newsletter and would like to invite our members and the wider audience to submit their creative ideas for a new name. If you have an idea please submit them to facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz

Barfly

On every 1st Tuesday of each month Canterbury Software companies have been meeting at a local esatblishment called the Barfly, located at 90 Armagh Street for a stress free networking event. Canterbury Software has now been running the event for the last two months and invite everyone to come along and become involved. A number of new companies have been coming out of the woodwork to meet up with other like minded people and we encourage the wider community to come along. Drinks are available at half price for the duration of the event and nibbles are provided courtesy of Canterbury Software. So if you are wondering what to do on a Tuesday evening, come along and join us

Canterbury Events

The Canterbury Software Summit 2005

As most of you will be aware, Canterbury Software's Annual Software Summit 2005 is fast approaching and is shaping up to be a great event. The summit will offer local companies the opportunity to hear from some of the countries leading software businesses and how they have managed growth and strategies. Endace, Hyperfactory, NZ Tourism Online, InFact, Black Coffee and Silicon Coach are all stars of the Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50 index in 2004. They are headlining our 2005 Summit because the focus of the event is growth.

Also speaking is John O'Hara who has established and grown through to successful exits, four New Zealand based technology companies. He has also completed over a half dozen off-shore licensing agreements with major American and English companies. John will be speaking on growth strategies. If you are involved in Canterbury's software industry and interested in growing this is an event not to be missed.

Attend the summit to Learn from the stars of the Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50 index
Endace, Hyperfactory, NZ Tourism Online, InFact, Black Coffee Software & Silicon Coach

Share the experiences of your own business and find potential partner companies

Venue: Rydges Hotel, Oxford Tce, Christchurch
Date: September 15, 2005
Time: 12:30 - 5:30
Drinks and refreshments provided

Free admission for Canterbury Software Cluster members, $20 for all non members

It is not to late to register
To register: Email facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz by September 9 2005 or call Hamish House on (03) 378 0090

ES Connectivity 05

ES Connectivity 05 is a showcase of New Zealand electronics capability with an emphasis on developing and furthering relationships in the industry and most importantly - doing business.

During the trade event powerful next generation technology will be showcased through a range of demonstations and a robotics, electronics and flash conference. This years event coincides with the New Zealand High-Tech Awards, adding an exciting but insightful end point for this premier technology weekend in Christchurch.

The event is now sold out for exhibitors but registration for visitors will remain available right up until the day of opening. You can also register as a visitor at the door (entry free) The event will be held in the Christchurch Convention Centre – not the Town Hall as mentioned before. (we’ve managed to secure more appropriate space in the Convention centre.)

New updates available from the site www.esconnectivity.org.nz

Canterbury Software and The New Zealand Computer Society - Industry Students Event

Come along and hear Shaun Ryan, CEO SLI Systems Ltd talk about the development of SLI and the technologies they use in their innovative web-searching products. Come and take the opportunity to talk with students about your industry and business, what staff you employ, and whether you are looking to employ graduates……

Come and enjoy the refreshments provided by the sponsors.

Date: Thursday September 8
Time: 5:30 - 7:00
Location: Canterbury Innovation Incubator (Cii) 200 Armagh Street, Christchurch
Cost: Free

For more information, and to register, please go to our website - http://www.nzcs.org.nz/tools/events/event.asp?SECT=canterbury&ID=908

Trade Show Opportunities

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Enterpreneurship Programme

Some of you will have attended the wonderful presentation of Ken Morse on successfully tackling global markets.

Ken run's the Global Entrepreneurship programme at MIT and has extended an invitation for a New Zealand contingent for the week long programe in January of 2005.

The intensive one week programme introduces participants to MIT's technology transfer system, entrepreneurial programs, and networks that have created more than 5,000 firms (so far) with combined annual sales of over $200 billion.

In lectures, visits to high-tech start-ups, and live case studies with successful entrepreneurs, participants learn to create, identify and evaluate opportunities for new ventures both with start-ups and within existing organisations, understanding how to build new companies from corporate and university R&D and interpret customer needs and quantify thevalue proposition.

Dates: January 30 - February 3, 2006
Duration: one week program
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts

More information can be found at: http://wwwentrepreneurship.mit.edu/Downloads/EDP-Glossy.pdf

If you are interested in this programme please contact Hamish House on hamish.house@cdc.org.nz asap

ANZA Technology Showcase Conference in Palo Alto, California

The Australian and New Zealand Technology Showcase Conference will be held at the Crown Plaza Cabana, Palo Alto, California November 13-16th, 2005 and is aimed at companies either with a presence in the US or looking to enter the US market. Part of the programme this year will be a bootcamp to prepare companies before they depart for the show, which will be held on October 3 in Christchurch. Criteria for selection will include market readiness and strength of value proposition. The conference does not directly focus on deal making but rather on the relevance of networking and making the relevant contacts in the market. You will be educated on what it takes to succeed and do well in the US, and the key challenges and how to overcome them.

Some of the benefits to showcasing companies include:

- Make valuable connections in the US

- Building your US network

- Showcase your Business proposition

- Get feedback on your US market strategy

- Meet leading US Expat

- Meet potential partners

- Improve your pitching techniques

- Fine tune your proposition

- Meet potential investors

- Network with Australian/NZ technology companies

- US mentor programme

For further information on this event go to http://www.anzatechnet.com.

New Zealand Boot Camp Seminar

Showcasing Companies Must Register Now So They Don’t Lose The Opportunity To Showcase At The Conference In November
Over 36 companies have already registered for the ANZA Technology Network Boot Camp Seminars. Companies attending the Boot Camp Seminars will be given priority when registering for the November conference. The Boot Camps are a critical prerequisite for companies planning on showcasing at the November ANZA Technology Network Conference in Silicon Valley
Boot Camp registration is open at: http://www.anzatechnet.com/conference2005/reg_all/reg1_bootcamp.jsp

Boot Camp Dates:
Christchurch- Monday, October 3, 2005
Wellington - Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Auckland - Wednesday, October 5, 2005

The Boot Camps will be run by a panel of experts with extensive US experience who will:

- Prepare participating showcasing companies on how to leverage and maximize the opportunities presented at the Conference.

- Provide lessons, skills and techniques on how to stand out in the US

- including a focus on the 30-second elevator pitch.

- Provide feedback on fine-tuning the 5 minute presentations for the conference

- Update companies on the conference outline and how to maximize the Mentors program leading up to the conference

If you are interested in this opportunity and have a product or service that is ready to go in the US market, please respond to Hamish House on 03 378 0090 or by email facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz Some assistance will be available for companies that neet the criteria.

Join the NZ Team!...New Zealand Pavilian at CeBit, Hannover 2006

A number of companies in the past have been able to leverage off a strong country presence at major trade event. The presence of a New Zealand Pavilion at CeBit in 2005, the largest technology tradeshow in the world, was a success for the companies who attended last year:

Aftermail, Animation Research, EMS-Cortex, Endace, HITLabNZ, i-lign, Information Edge, Navman, Next Window, NZ Supercomputer Centre, Outsource2New Zealand, Prolificx, Right Hemisphere, Talkingtech, Terralink

The three objectives for our attendance were all fulfilled last year:

Raise New Zealand’s profile as a technology country

- Major media exposure

- Hugely positive feedback, with Hannover Fairs management citing the NZ Exhibit as the most innovative at the show

- Real success of the New Zealand – New Thinking Brand

Assess the market competitiveness of your products on the world’s biggest stage

- The show clearly demonstrated that NZ technology is as good if not better than global competition

- Greatly increased confidence among the NZ exhibitors

Provide a good platform to do business for the exhibiting companies

- More than 300 good leads generated

- More than 12 overseas distributorships signed up

- Estimated $10-20M revenue generated

Fore more information about how you can take advantage of the exhibition in 2006 contact: Hamish House (03) 378 0090 or Facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz

Technology World 2006

The Cambridge Partnering Expo or Technology World 05 http://www.technologyworld05.com is an event for leading edge technology companies that are looking to form new business relationships (selling, buying, licensing new technologies or establishing joint ventures). in the UK and surrounds. A core emphasis of the event is pre-arranged appointments and private meetings during the event, where companies can get together and explore new opportunities with companies of most relevance to them. The event takes place in three seperate and distinct areas of England (London, Cambridge and Manchester).

15 May 2006, London - Barbican Exhibition Hall
One on one meetings with companies

17 May 2006, Cambridge Hinzton Hall
One on one meetings with companies

19 May 2006, Manchester International Centre
One on one meetings with companies

Based on the event’s success last year, we would like to support companies that are serious about the opportunities in the UK. We are now inviting initial expressions of interest from companies to form part of a trade delegation. Please respond to Hamish House (03) 378 0090 or Facilitator@canterburysoftware.org.nz

Members News

SLI Systems' New Ad Champion(TM) Helps Boost Revenues From Paid Search Campaigns

Learning Search(TM) Module Harnesses Customer Search Terms and Click-Through Behavior to Automatically Create More Effective Custom Ads and Landing Pages

SLI Systems, Inc., a provider of search technology and services that enhance results and revenues for Internet sites and e-commerce destinations, today announced Ad Champion™, the latest module in the company's Learning Search™ suite of search services. Available immediately, SLI Systems' Ad Champion is a hosted service designed to improve the effectiveness of online retailers' paid search campaigns by using the search terms -- both common and uncommon -- visitors use on a company's site to drive campaigns on search engines like Google.

With SLI Systems' advanced search behavior analytics engine, Ad Champion analyzes and compiles the keywords from a retailer's site, automatically crafts customized ads for each phrase and develops landing pages that increase the likelihood of a purchase being made. Ad Champion has been shown to improve revenues for charter customers such as Etronics.com, a leading online electronics retailer, which has deployed Ad Champion as part of its overall efforts to deliver more relevant search results to customers. Etronics.com has already seen a significant increase in traffic and sales from Ad Champion.

For more information contact SLI Systems at sales@sli-systems.com or to view the entire article from SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) visit http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=92104

If you have any news or events that you would like to have published in our new newsletter, please send them to the facilitator of Canterbury Software Inc Facilitator@canterburysoftware.org..nz or phone Hamish House on (03) 378 0090

ENDS

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