Technology World

5 Tips for Levelling your Resources

2008-01-28T04:24:00.002-08:00

As a Project Manager, would you like to spread work evenly across your team? This task is called "resource leveling" and it's one of the hardest things you will have to do. To help you out, we've listed...

5 Tips for Leveling your Resources

It's easy enough using tools like Microsoft Project, to create a Project Plan and allocate resources against it. But how do you make sure that each resource has an amount of work allocated which exactly matches the amount of time they have available, i.e. how do you know they are not under or over loaded?

Very few tools actually provide sound resource leveling features, so we've described here 5 generic tips for doing it yourself...

1. Create a Bullet Proof Plan

The first step is to create a Work Breakdown Structure that includes ALL phases, activities and tasks. The worst thing you can do is to level your resources and then find that you've missed critical tasks in your plan and have to start again. Once your task list is complete, list all resources that are allocated to the project. Miss no-one. If you later find you've missed someone, then it could play havoc with your leveling. Only with a complete list of tasks and resources are you truly ready to level your resources.

2. Start with Critical Tasks

Now, identify the most critical tasks in your plan and calculate the amount of effort required to complete them. Then allocate your best resources to completing these tasks and make sure that the effort allocated is sufficient.

3. Perform Leveling

Great - so every critical task has the resources needed to complete it. But in doing this, were any of your resources over-allocated? For instance, is Bob Smith allocated for 60 hours a week instead of 40? The process of reallocating people against tasks to even out their workload, is called "resource leveling" To do it, take these steps:

Identify the number of hours that each person in your team has available for work.
Then calculate the number of hours they are allocated to tasks, in your plan.
If the number of hours allocated is greater than the number of hours they have available, then they are "over-allocated". If it's the reverse, then they are "under-allocated".
For any resources under or over allocated, you need to change the tasks they are allocated to, in order to try and perfectly fit their available hours against their allocated hours.
Only when you've completed this, are resources considered as "levelled".

4. Tackle Non-Critical Tasks

It's now time to perform all of the above steps for your non-critical tasks. This is a time consuming process, but by starting with your critical tasks first and your non-critical tasks second, you know that the project has a great chance of succeeding.

5. Constant Surveillance

Your Project Plan is a living and breathing document. It changes every time you complete a new task or finish an old one. You need to constantly monitor your resource utilization and make sure that your team are allocated to tasks in the most efficient manner. This will give you the best chance of succeeding.

Work smarter by purchasing the Project Management Kit of templates. They will save you time and make life easier!

Kick Starting Your Projects

2008-01-28T04:24:00.001-08:00

Want to kick start your projects into life in the New Year? By reading this newsletter, you’ll find out how to rally your team and give your project that boost needed to finish on time.

Kick starting your projects...

Welcome to 2008. As a Project Manager, the New Year is a challenging time for your project. You have staff away on leave, you may have deliverables from last year that you need to catch up on and the clock is already ticking. So how do you catch up and then give your project the edge you need to get ahead? Here are 5 tips for doing just this...

Tip 1: Playing Catch up

Projects are always ahead in some areas and behind in others. When starting the New Year, make a list of all of the areas that you’re behind in. Then prioritize the list and calculate the amount of effort needed to complete them. Are there any tasks that can be completed by others outside your team? If there are non-critical tasks that you can outsource, then now is the time to consider it. Use whatever resources you can find to complete these tasks as soon as possible. This will allow you to start the new year with a clean slate and a fresh mind, which is critical to motivating your team.

Tip 2: Re-planning

Once you've caught up as many tasks from the prior year as possible, revisit your Project Plan. Update every task in the plan and recreate your project schedule for 2008. You need to make your team feel like they're getting a fresh start, without dragging stresses from the prior year into the New Year. This will boost motivation and enthusiasm for completing the revitalized plan.

Tip 3: The Road Ahead

Now that you have a crystal clear plan for 2008, you're ready to get the team behind it. Wait until everyone is back from leave, and then take them out for lunch. Walk them through this year's challenges and the timeframes in which they must be achieved. Try not to talk about last year. Instead, focus on the road ahead and gather their support. If possible, ask a customer to come along, to impress on your staff what it is that they need to deliver. Tell them you're proud of them and what they're capable of achieving.

Tip 4: Individualization

The trick now is to make each person feel like they are a critical cog in the wheel. Meet them individually, reward their successes and recognize achievement whenever you see it.

Tip 5: Quick wins

A winning team like to know they are winning right from the start. Focus on delivering a couple of critical tasks early, then shout about the success. Then get more quick winds under your belt and shout again. This creates the feeling of achievement and it creates momentum in the team. Sure, the project may not be finished until you've crossed the finishing line, but half the fun should be in getting there.

By taking these 5 tips, you can kick start your projects in the New Year and boost motivation levels to an all time high...

Work smarter by purchasing the Project Management Kit of templates. They will save you time and make life easier!

Building your Project Management Career

2008-01-28T04:23:00.000-08:00

Would you like to boost your career in Project Management? Christmas is often the perfect time to reflect on your Project Management career to date and set a new path for the coming years. If you’re interested in getting the most out of your career, read this newsletter which gives you tips and tricks on...

Building your Project Management Career

Most people find themselves in Project Management by chance. They were offered a role, took it because it looked like fun and now they're running on "go-go juice" (pure adrenalin) trying to coordinate people, time and money to meet the expectations of the customer. It's pretty hard to schedule a career around this.

However the Christmas period usually gives people a chance to reflect on the year to date and plan ahead for the following year. So use this time wisely, by reflecting on our advice below...

Your dream job

It may be something like "to be a professional baseball player" or "leading climbers up Mount Everest " and it may have nothing to do with project management at all - but by defining your dream job and what it has to offer, it will set the scene for where you are in your career now and will paint a clear picture of the road ahead. It will also help you define where you want to be in 5 years time, which is critical to setting a clear career path.

The long term goal

How will you ever achieve your long term goal if you don't know what it is? Give it a try by thinking about the type of role you want to be doing in 5 years time and what it would involve. For instance, do you want to have your own business, be a PM high flier, an industry expert or to retire? Whatever it is, write down a detailed description of your 5 year goal and what it is about this goal that makes it attractive.

Navel Gazing

Now think about where you are and how that matches your long term goal. How far are you from meeting your goals? List in detail all of the things that are different between your current role and your long term goal. Then prioritize those differences, so you know which is more important to you. For instance, is taking on more challenging projects more important than earning more money?

Decisions

Take a little time to decide how serious you are about achieving your long term goal and what you are prepared to do about it. For instance, if it requires more responsibility, a larger team and more stress, are you really willing to take this on board?

Decide on your goal and feel proud about it. Only a fraction of the workforce actually succeed in setting a long term personal goal. Tell others about what you have decided. The more you tell others about what you're going to achieve, the more you will believe that you can achieve it. Self-motivation is critical to a promising career.

Action Plan

It's now time to set out an action plan. Between your current role and your ideal long term role, which interim roles will you need to fulfill? Create your own career plan, by defining each of these roles and how they are going to help you to realize your dream.

Describe what it is that you expect to get out of each role (e.g. what you will learn or the types of experience gained) and then add timescales to each role, so you have a plan of attack.

Taking the Plunge

Talk through your plan with your current boss to get their feedback and support. Bounce it off a mentor, friend or colleague. If you believe in it yourself and it feels right then stick to it.

Constantly look for opportunities that match your action plan and when you're ready, take the plunge. By driving your career yourself, you will feel more empowered and confident in your abilities. And you'll boost your chances of achieving that dream job.

Note: Most employers require "indepth knowledge and experience in using a Project Management Methodology", such as MPMM. So boost your career by purchasing MPMM now.

Motivating Project Staff over Christmas

2008-01-28T04:22:00.002-08:00

As a Project Manager, the Christmas period coming up can be a real worry. You have a backlog of project work to complete, yet many of your team will be on leave and the remaining team members want to "wind down" over the Christmas period. So how do you keep on track? Read this newsletter to learn tips for...

Motivating Project Staff over Christmas

The Christmas period often results in substantial delays for projects. With staff holidays, reduced productivity and a lack of focus, teams often fall way behind with their deliverables. Besides - when your peers are all away in the Caribbean, who wants to work, right?

It takes a talented Project Manager to keep their project on track over this period and deliver an outstanding result. To help you do this, use these 5 tips...

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Often, Project Managers have no idea who is taking leave until the week before Christmas. So they suddenly become short of resource and unplanned delays occur. You need to plan ahead.

Find out right now, who in your team wants to take leave over the Christmas period (December and January) and for how long. Then negotiate with them as to when that leave is taken. Try and schedule the leave for a timeframe that fits with your project plan. For instance, if you're in the design phase over Christmas, try and convince your construction workers to take their leave over this period.

Tip 2: Make it fun

It's fair to say that most people don't want to "slog it out" between Christmas and the New Year. They really want easy, interesting work that is fun to do. They don't want to do anything repetitive, anything stressful or anything too big, while others are on holiday. So get the most out of their performance by giving them work that fits their needs.

Every project plan is full of "fun" tasks and "mundane" tasks. Try and give your team members that stay behind and work over Christmas, some of the fun tasks to do. Whether it's researching a new solution, designing a concept, creating a marketing plan or creating prototypes, as long as the work is fun then your staff are more likely to maintain a high level of productivity.

Also, by giving them shorter tasks to complete over this period, it makes them feel like they're achieving more.

Tip 3: Don't burn-out on the run-up

Project Managers often try and finish as many deliverables before Christmas as possible, so that they can show that they have delivered more within the current year. So teams are usually stressed around this time.

It's fine to increase the work slightly before Christmas, but remember; only a percentage of your team will be taking a holiday and will be able to wind-down afterwards. So be careful not to overload the guys that will be staying around over the Christmas period, or they might burn out early in the new year. Remember: overloading only works if it is short term and is followed by a period of complete rest.

Tip 4: Regroup

Post Christmas day, many staff quickly become de-motivated. The Christmas cheer has finished, the office may feel empty and the telephone never rings! Now is the perfect time to regroup by taking your team out to lunch and revisiting your work goals for the next few weeks. Get your team together frequently over this period, so that they feel like a team within a team, while the others are away.

Tip 5: Reward and Recognize

And finally, make a special effort to reward achievement over this period, as you normally would when everyone else is there. A valued team will always be more productive!

By taking these 5 tips, you'll be able to keep team motivation levels high during the Christmas period and allow your team to gain the time to regroup, refresh and gain new energy for the coming year ahead.

Work smarter by purchasing the Project Management Kit of templates. They will save you time and make life easier!

How to use Project Standards...

2008-01-28T04:22:00.001-08:00

Have you ever heard a Project Manager say "we use best practice" or "we applied project standards" to projects? If you have, then what do they really mean and how do they do it? Read on, to learn...

How to use Project Standards...

A "Project Standard" is an agreed best practice way of managing a project. We say agreed, as the standard will usually have been reviewed and used by thousands of project managers around the world, before it becomes formally recognized as a "standard" practice.

There are 3 common standards in the Project Management industry:

1. PMI "PMBOK" Standard
2. OGC "Prince2" Standard
3. APM "Body of Knowledge" Standard

These standards give you a generic way of managing projects. They don't give you a prescriptive "step-by-step" approach to managing projects (as MPMM does), but they do give you a set of practices and principles that you can apply to your projects, to boost your chances of success. So how should you use them? Here's how...

Make your selection

Review each of the above standards and select the one that has the closest fit with the way you run projects now. Each standard will have a completely different approach, terminology and lifecycle to the rest.

Only by selecting the standard that closely matches the way you work, will you really be able to immediately boost your efficiency.

Pick and Choose

Standards are typically generic, so that they fit all industries and all project sizes. So they will probably include stuff you won't need. Pick and choose the elements of the standard that you know you need to deliver projects successfully.

Customize to Fit

Then take the parts you've chosen and customize them to fit your environment. Keeping within copyright law, you'll probably want to change the terminology, the language used and the sequence of activities used.

Break it Down

To be able to use a standard properly, you really need to take it to the next level for your projects. You need to define the next level down. So for instance, if it talks about "risk management", then you'll want to list and describe the exact steps needed to manage risk within a project. For every step, describe what should be completed, how, by whom and in which order.

Use it for projects

Now that you have chosen your standard, picked the relevant parts, customized it by adding your own terminology and described it in a little more detail, you're ready to use it for your projects. Here are some tips on how to use it:

	Use the same standard for every project. Only by applying the same principles over and over again, will you gain "economies of scale" allowing you to manage projects faster.
	Don't always apply the standard in its entirety. Only apply the bits that are relevant to the particular project you're managing.
	Continue improving the standard. On every project, identify the elements of the standard that help and those that didn't. If you continuously improve the standard used , then it will become a "living and breathing" tool to help you improve your projects.

By using standards to improve the way you work, you'll soon be known as "that guru who always gets their projects done on time!"

Use these templates which are based on project standards.
Download this methodology to help you implement standards.

Create your own Project Lifecycle...

2008-01-28T04:21:00.001-08:00

It you don't want to have to start every project from scratch, then it's worthwhile creating your own Project Lifecycle.

How should you do this? What should it look like? And how do you use it? Keep reading to find out how to...

Create your own Project Lifecycle...

A Project Lifecycle is a series of steps that you take to complete a project from start to finish. Of course, it implies that you can complete the same steps for every project— so is this true?

In principle, yes. Every project will have an Initiation phase, a Planning phase, an Execution phase and a Closure phase. However within these phases, the steps you take may vary slightly between projects.

The trick is to create a lifecycle that is generic enough to use for all of your projects, while still being specific enough to add value and save you time on delivery. Here's how to do it...

Map it out

Every project is delivered in some form of lifecycle. You probably usually define your project upfront, then you'll hire your team, you'll plan and complete a set of tasks to create some deliverables and then get your customer to signoff the output. This sequence of steps are what is called a "lifecycle" and chances are that you're using the same generic lifecycle every time you deliver a project!

So start by mapping out your current project lifecycle on a blank sheet of paper and identify the elements that you know work well, and those that don't.

And improve it

Then try and improve your lifecycle by analyzing why certain steps don't work well currently. Analyze the root cause and identify which steps you could take instead, to improve your chance of success. For instance, maybe "scope creep" is an issue for you, so by putting in place better steps for managing changes to scope, it would help.

Once you have identified the sequence of steps that you know will deliver your projects successfully from start to finish, the next thing you need to do is to "get detailed".

Get detailed

With a clearly defined series of steps, you now need to define the tasks and activities that are needed to perform each step efficiently. For instance, if your first step was to get funding for your project, then do you need to create a Business Case or Financial Plan to do it? What type of person will authorize the funding and what information will they need to do it?

For every step, describe how you intend to do it, the tasks and activities to be taken, and as importantly, who is responsible for doing them (e.g. it is yourself or members of your team)?

Tool up

Great—so you have a crystal clear process for delivering projects. Now how can you do each step quickly and efficiently? Typically project managers use templates, software and examples to help them complete each step faster and more efficiently. With a well documented lifecycle, the right lifecycle steps and good tools, you will be armed and ready to tackle any type of project to succeed.

Get ready

And finally, with all of this collateral, you need to collect it into a single place, ready to use on projects. Many project managers use "MPMM" for this, as you can create a brand new Project Lifecycle and import all of your templates and examples into it, ready for use.

By creating your own project lifecycle or customizing that of another, you can apply a single approach to managing successful projects.

Download a complete Project Lifecycle within MPMM now...

Building high performing teams

2008-01-28T04:20:00.001-08:00

So you're a Project Manager on a new project and you want to build a high performing team? Excellent, this is a great goal to strive for.

But it's not easy, especially in the project environment which has its own challenges. To do it, take these tips for...

Building high performing teams

What exactly is a high performing team? It's "a team that exceeds the goals you set, by working hard and smart, as a group, not individuals."

Whether you're in IT, construction, engineering or another industry, building a high performing team is critical to success. You can do it in just 5 steps...

1) Planning

Before you hire your first person, you need to document what it is that your team have to achieve and by when. You also need to create specific Job descriptions that set out your expectations for each role and how you'll measure their performance.

Don't stop there. Think about the team culture you want to build, the dynamics of your team and how they should work together. Only with a personal vision for how your team will perform, will you be able to meet that goal.

2) Recruiting

Recruitment is harder than it looks. It's easy to recruit the wrong person, and it's even easier to build a team that don't perform well. A candidate should only be recruited if they fit the job description, align with your personal vision for how the team will work together and they want to work in a culture that depicts your vision.

Take your time. Be swayed by your gut feel. Recruit "like-minded people". Introduce them to high performing staff you know of and get their feedback. Be choosy. Recruit the best. If you have to pay top dollar for top performer, it will often cost less in the long run, than a cheap resource who doesn't perform.

3) Culture Creation

If you've hired "like-minded people" then they will all like each other, and that's a great start. Get them working together on tasks. Constantly change the people you pair up, so that people get to know others in the team.

If your ideal culture is "performance through achievement" then shout out loud about each team success. And if you want "performance through happy customers" then strengthen the relationship between the team and your customers. Get them socializing. Try team sports.

4) Self Motivation

A happy motivated team will always out-perform an unhappy unmotivated one. And it starts with you! Are you happy and motivated? Get on track personally by working out, relaxing after hours, de-stress and set personal goals. Your motivation will rub off on your team.

Then when you're ready, focus on motivating your team. Use team building and group rallying exercises to get them pumped. Tell them how proud you are to work with them. Help them understand why the goals are important and how every team member contributes to them.

5) Recognition & Reward

People only respond positively to positive behavior. So you need to constantly recognize achievement when it's due. Tell the team about an individuals success. Make them feel proud. Spread the love—don't focus on one team or person too frequently.

And reward them when it's due. Reward them unexpectedly as people will appreciate it all the more. Meals to restaurants, tickets to the super-bowl. These things mean a lot to staff when they didn't expect it!

And there you are. If you plan for success, recruit a great team, build a positive culture and recognize achievement, then you'll build a healthy project team and boost your chances of success!

And if you want your team to perform even better, download the Project Management Kit now to save time completing projects.

Download the Project Management Kit now.

Turning around Failing Projects

2008-01-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

Most Project Managers have been there. You're assigned a project that's going off the rails and you're expected to turn it around. Where do you start? Why is it failing? What should you do to get it back on track?

People who exceed in these roles are called "turn-around specialists" and it's a discipline of its own. Yet Project Managers are often asked to do it. So we thought we'd offer some tips and advice here, on:

Turning around Failing Projects

Great– you've been assigned to a new project, but things are already going crazy. Your team are dissatisfied, your deliverables are late and your budget has already been exceeded. Your Project Sponsor is unhappy and no-one really knows who the customer is. Where do you start?

Confirmation

The first thing to do is to find the documented vision for the project, go to the Sponsor and confirm that it's still accurate. If there is no vision, then you need to create one pretty darned quickly. Identify the key project stakeholders and get them to agree on exactly what the project must achieve, by when and whom for. Only with a solid vision will you have a clear stake in the ground from which to move forward.

Review

Next, you need to find out what's going on. Why are the team unhappy? Why is everything late etc. Identify the top 10 things that need to be fixed to get the project back on track. Don't look back, only look forward.

Don't do a post mortem. Instead make it a short, sharp review that identifies the key issues affecting the project. Involve your team as much as possible, as you need their buy-in.

Quick Wins

You need to build confidence with your Sponsor and more importantly, your team. Choose a couple of issues that you know you can solve immediately, and once solved, communicate it to your team.

Plan of Attack

Only now, will you have a good feel for the project issues and what it will take to resolve them. You can now create a plan of attack. Identify the actions to be taken by all of the team, to deliver the project vision successfully. We say "all" of the team, as you need to gain the buy-in of your entire team to get the show on the road.

Then take your plan to your Sponsor and get their support. Don't be afraid to ask for more money, time or resource as this is the time to ask for it. If you ask now while you're fresh in the role, it won't reflect on you. Don't wait until you're near the end of the project before you ask.

Rally

With your Project Sponsors support, get the project team together, for a single communications event. Tell them what you've found, what needs to be fixed and how you plan to do it. Tell them about the quick wins that have already been made and how you know that if everyone focuses on the plan ahead, you can deliver successfully.

Milestones

Set clear milestones that everyone understands. Put the milestones and plan of attack on a wall chart to make them visible. Then meet regularly to discuss their progress.

Love, Hugs and Tears

Then love your high performing staff, hug your underperformers who show promise, and shed no tears at having to change staff that show no signs of buying in to your action plan. It's onwards and upwards!

Want a Project Management Methodology that helps you get projects back on track? Download a free trial edition of MPMM now.

Managing a Program of Work

2008-01-28T04:18:00.000-08:00

Want to manage a program of work?

As you become more experienced managing projects, you will often be asked to manage an entire "program of work". This is usually more challenging than managing a single project, as you will have a greater budget, team and responsibilities than you had before.

To help you out, we've defined here the 4 steps to take when...

Managing a Program of Work

So what is a Program? Well, a simple definition is that it's a group of projects. But wait– there's more! The projects in a program will have been grouped together for a reason, which is typically that they contribute to the same objectives in the business strategy.

Also, programs may include operational work within their scope, which makes them different by their very nature.

So you've been asked to run a program to build a new retail complex which involves 3 construction projects and some general marketing activities. How do you do it? Here are some tips:

Review the Strategy

When kicking off your program of work, the first step is to review your company strategy and agree on the objectives that your program is responsible for delivering. This is important, as the objectives are what you use to peg your projects to. If you end up creating new projects that don't contribute to your specified objectives, then they should be excluded from your program of work!

Get support

To gain the support, funds and "mind share" of your executive team, complete a Business Case. This will help you to identify the benefits and costs of running the program, the risks you foresee and what it is that you need to make it a success. It will also help you get the funding you require, as your Business Case will justify the funding needed, by stating the benefits to be realized.

Start carefully

Now that you have the funding and support from management, you're ready to kickoff. Before launching into scoping your projects—instead define your overall program of work in depth first. Create a Program Charter setting out your vision, objectives, roadmap and deliverables. Then set up a Program Office and appoint the key members of your administration team.

Selection is critical

You're now ready to define your projects and other related work. Scope out each project carefully and make sure that the benefits delivered from all of your projects combined, deliver the goals stated in your Business Case. Selecting the right projects to deliver the right benefits is critical. Make sure you categorize, evaluate, select and prioritize your projects carefully.

It's all down to execution

Now kick off your projects in a logical order. Spread your program resources (people, time and money) evenly so you don't have resource constraints. Go for quick wins first. Schedule larger projects next, once you have momentum. Never schedule critical projects to take place at the end. To retain the buy-in of your Sponsor, make sure your projects deliver value early.

Control chaos

After your projects kick off, changes in the business often cause a level of chaos. Your projects change in scope, their budgets get constrained and resource shortages start occurring. How you react to these changes will determine your level of success as a Program Manager.

When this happens, step back and re-assess your program. Outside influences are often the cause and these are things that you alone can fix. Only in exceptional circumstances should you dive into the depths of the program itself and work alongside project managers and teams at the micro level. A good Program Manager will instead step back and make macro level changes to influence the success of the program.

We hope these tips help improve your program management success!

Next Steps...

	Use this kit of templates to run projects within a program.
	Use this methodology to improve your project success.

Managing a Portfolio of Work

2008-01-28T04:17:00.000-08:00

Want to "move up" in the field of Project Management? If so, then consider a career as a Project Portfolio Manager. You will be responsible for managing an entire portfolio of work, to help your company to achieve the overall business strategy.

So how do you startup, plan, execute and close a portfolio? We will explain how to do it right here, in this special newsletter edition on...

Managing a Portfolio of Work

What is Project Portfolio Management? Well, the short and sweet definition is that it's "managing most (or all) of an organizations resources towards achieving a common goal". Wow - that's huge!

Yes, if you're responsible for managing a portfolio of work, then you often have all, or at least a large portion of the organizations resources (people, equipment, money...) at your disposal. This is why portfolios usually include a whole suite of projects, programs and even operational work, grouped together to achieve a common goal. So how do you manage a portfolio? Take these 4 steps:

Initiate your Portfolio

When starting up a new portfolio of work, take the first step by identifying the elements of the business strategy that will be achieved by the portfolio and the timeframes in which it must be delivered.

Then create a Portfolio Charter (like a Project Charter), stating the objectives, scope, constraints and risks involved in undertaking it. You will then want to create a Portfolio Management Office consisting of planners and administrators responsible for reporting the status of the portfolio at all times.

And you'll also want to create a Governance Structure, which is a fancy term for appointing the portfolio sponsor, board and manager, as well as making sure that their roles are clearly defined.

Plan your Portfolio

Now comes the fun bit - scoping out the programs, projects and operational work that are needed to undertake the portfolio. Make sure that you scope each group of work clearly and accurately, and that there is no overlap between related projects.

Also, make sure you balance your resources evenly across programs. Remember, you only have a fixed amount of resource at your disposal, so make sure there are no shortages or surpluses in your plan.

Once you've scoped out the programs, projects and other related work, schedule it all in a Gantt chart. Then make sure that items on the critical path have ample resource to succeed.

Execute your Portfolio

Then kick-off your programs and projects in the order specified in your plan. You'll need to appoint Program and Project Managers for each chunk of work and closely monitor their delivery.

While each program and project is being delivered, you need to carefully monitor and control the overall performance of the portfolio, to make sure that it delivers the strategic goals agreed.

Close your Portfolio

Portfolios don't usually close over night like projects do. The reason is that by the end of the portfolio schedule, the majority of the value of the portfolio should have been gained by the business. If you've worked smart, you will have scheduled the high value projects at the start and the low value projects at the end, so the success of the portfolio will already be known throughout the organization.

To close your portfolio when ready, you need to document its outcome in a Portfolio Closure Report. In this report you will specify the strategic objectives achieved and value delivered to the organization. Then gain approval to release the remaining staff, suppliers, equipment and funds held by the portfolio team.

So if you get the opportunity to run a portfolio of work, you can use these tips above to boost your likelihood of success.

Further Information

The bread and butter of portfolio management is the running of projects. Use this template kit to deliver projects quickly and easily.

Want a methodology for managing projects? Download a free trial from www.MPMM.com

Monitor and Control Your Projects (Part 3)

2008-01-28T04:12:00.000-08:00

There are 3 critical areas that many project managers overlook when monitoring and controlling projects, and they are often the root cause of project failure. These 3 areas are the management of; suppliers, procurement and communications. To help you to monitor and control each area efficiently, we've described each in further detail below...

Monitor and Control Your Projects
(Part 3)

Having previously covered the management of time, cost, quality, change, risk and issues - the final step in the "Monitor and Control" newsletter series is the management of suppliers, procurement and communications.

If you can monitor and control all of these aspects smoothly and efficiently, then you will have a great chance of delivering your project successfully. So let's tackle the last 3 remaining areas now...

Managing Suppliers

Always make sure you appoint suppliers through a formal process. Even if you're appointing suppliers you know and have worked with for some time, always create a statement of work which defines the exact scope of work that you wish them to perform.

Next create a formal detailed supplier contract for the scope of work to be completed. In this contract, define the work to be completed, the responsibilities of both parties, the performance criteria and terms and conditions for the relationship. Then if things go sour, you have something to fall back on.

In your contract, have milestones which specify what it is that you expect them to have delivered and by when. Then at each milestone date, complete a formal review of deliverables completed to date, vs. the deliverables specified in the contract. If things change during the project, then amend the contract accordingly. The contract should always represent the nature of the agreement and never become "out dated".

You can then closely monitor and control your suppliers performance.

Control Procurement

As well as managing your suppliers overall performance, you also need to monitor and control the procurement of goods and services from those suppliers.

Controlling procurement is all about reviewing and accepting goods and services once they have been delivered by your supplier. You need to implement a Procurement Management Process which enables your team to take ownership of the item being delivered, review it against pre-defined criteria and approve payment for it, based on your supplier contract.

Tip: Always make sure that you issue Purchase Orders for products you require from suppliers. Create a detailed description of the product you require on the Purchase Order, so that you have something to measure against when it arrives.

Perform Communications

Communication is King! As part of the "monitor and control" phase in a project, you'll need to keep a constant eye on the communications that are taking place.

You should always have a formal Communications Plan in place so that key messages are communicated to the right people at the right time. You can then monitor and control your project communications by making sure that the activities on your communications plan are completed at the right time, and in the right manner.

Make sure you have a feedback process so that if the wrong messages are received by staff, suppliers or stakeholders, then you'll be immediately informed and can take action to resolve it.

So that's in. In these last 3 newsletters, we've explained how to monitor and control your project by managing:

	Time, Cost and Quality
	Change, Risks, and Issues
	Suppliers, Procurement and Communications

By using these key project management principles, you can deliver projects quickly and efficiently, with less stress and effort than before.

Further Information

Visit Method123.com for the complete set of templates, forms and checklists to complete projects quickly.

See MPMM.com for smart software that helps you implement methodologies for projects.

Monitor and Control Your Projects (Part 2)

2008-01-28T04:11:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest challenges you will face as a Project Manager is "scope creep". That's when during the Execution phase of the project, the planned scope of work changes, often causing delays and expense.

To avoid this, you need to carefully Monitor and Control your projects, by implementing change, risk and issue processes. Here are some tips on how to do it...

Monitor and Control Your Projects
(Part 2)

So things aren't going to plan because your customer has changed the scope of the project? Don't worry, this is a normal event for a Project Manager, as many projects are time consuming and while the project has been progressing, the business pressures faced by the customer have changed.

The art is not in minimizing change, but in managing it properly when it does occur. Here's how to do it...

Monitor Change

The most typical cause of a project going off-the-rails is that the scope has grown out of control, by "osmosis". The client has asked for changes, the team have had new ideas and your nice neat set of project tasks now look like spaghetti.

To succeed, you need to keep tight control of your project scope, by being vigilant about change. Do this by implementing a change management process. As soon as you identify a request for change in your project, document it formally by specifying where the change has come from, why it's needed and its impact on your project objectives.

And if the change is likely to affect the target end dates, budget or deliverables, then get your sponsor and customers approval before implementing it. Don't be afraid to ask for more time, people or money if you need it, especially if the change was initiated by the customer.

Never allow change to run your project. Instead, run your project by managing change!

Control Risks

As a Project Manager, it's all too easy to roll your sleeves up and get stuck into the project delivery. But when you do this, it's often hard to keep your head above water. You may end up managing at the micro level and high level risks to the project may pass you by.

It's hard, but try and remain a little divorced from the detailed day-to-day operation of your project where possible. In this way, you can continually assess the overall risk to the project from the outside and pounce on new risks when they appear.

Also, implement a Risk Management Process to formalize the way that risks are identified, assessed and mitigated. For each risk that appears, quantify its potential impact on the project, then take immediate action to minimize the likelihood of it occurring. Always create contingency plans, so that if the risk does occur, you can go to "plan b" and minimize its effect on the project delivery.

Resolve Issues

Resolving issues sounds easy right? The challenge however, is not just in resolving every issue that turns your way, but instead monitoring all of the issues that occur on a project and only resolving issues that are likely to impact on the project outcome. It's very infrequent on a project that you'll have time to resolve every issue that crops up - so be picky.

To make sure that you resolve issues in a timely manner, you need to put in place an Issue Management Process. This helps you to review all of the issues that crop up, assess their impact, delegate the ones that can be handled by others and resolve those that are critical to the project.

And there you have it! By managing change, risks and issues, you'll be able to avoid scope creep and boost your chances of achieving project success!

Further Information

Visit Method123.com for the complete set of templates, forms and checklists to complete projects quickly.

See MPMM.com for smart software that helps you implement methodologies for projects.

Monitor and Control Your Projects (Part 1)

2008-01-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

How should you monitor and control your projects? It's a good question, because everyone does it differently. We believe that the processes you use to monitor and control projects should be the same, regardless of the size and type of project you undertake. So read on, to find out how to effectively...

Monitor and Control Your Projects
(Part 1)

After you've started up and planned your projects, you'll move into the Execution (or "delivery") phase in the project life cycle.

This is typically the longest phase in the project, as it's in this phase that the physical deliverables are built for the customer. Whether your project is to build a construction complex, computer system or land a space vehicle on mars, you will need to very carefully monitor progress and control delivery. Otherwise, your project could go off the rails.

So to monitor and control delivery, you need to implement 9 critical project management processes. We'll describe the first 3 processes here, and in the next newsletter we'll cover the remaining 4 critical processes or you.

Critical Process #1: Time Management

Every Project Manager knows that the customer expects their project to be delivered "on time". But how many Project Managers actually record every hour spent by staff on the project?

To ensure on-time delivery, that's what you need to do: implement a time management process. This process will help you to monitor the time spent by all of the members of your team, so that you can control how time is spent.

It's not just about "having great time management skills" either, it's about putting in place a process for recording time spent by staff by using timesheets and recording that time against the project plan.

That way, you can create an accurate picture of the current status of the project to determine whether or not it is likely to finish under / on / over the time allotted.

Critical Process #2: Cost Management

Few Project Managers can tell you for every day of the project, exactly how much of their budget they have spent to date. The reason is that many of the project costs are often difficult to track, especially when they relate to the use of equipment and consumption of materials.

But to deliver you project within budget, you need to monitor and control all of the costs that accrue, on a very regular basis. You can do this by implementing a cost management process.

Cost Management is all about accurately recording project expenses, as they occur. By using Expense Forms and an Expense Register, you can monitor all project costs and control expenditure when unplanned expenses arise. You don't need to be an accountant, you just need to keep an eye on the overall project expenditure on a weekly basis and act quickly when any issues arise.

Critical Process #3: Quality Management

It's often said that the hardest thing to monitor is "quality". Most Project Managers find it difficult to determine exactly what the customer expects in terms of deliverable "quality", let alone measure the actual levels of quality achieved. But you must try.

To do this properly, you need to implement a Quality Management Process. By following this process, you can set quality targets to be achieved and gain agreement from your customer.

Then you can use Quality Assurance and Quality Control techniques to monitor and control the actual quality of your project deliverables. If your quality levels drop below the targets set, then you can take action to rectify it. By constantly reviewing quality levels and ensuring that they always meet the target, you can feel confident that your customer will sign off your project as complete, once all of the deliverables have been produced.

And there you have it. By implementing time, cost and quality management, you can take the first steps needed to properly monitor and control your project delivery.

Use Templates or a Methodology to monitor and control your projects effectively.

Create a Project Charter

2008-01-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

Want to improve your project success? Most Project Managers will tell you that the best way to ensure success is to define your project clearly from the outset. That way, all of your team members, stakeholders and customers will have a single view of what the project needs to achieve. So the best way to define you project clearly is to:

Create a Project Charter

A Project Charter is a document that is completed at the very start of the project life cycle. It sets out the project vision, objectives and scope, so that you can gain a clear picture of what it is that the project must achieve.

It also describes the deliverables, the people involved in producing them and the timeframes for delivery.

To create a Charter for your project, take these 5 steps:

Step 1: Set the Vision

Every team needs a "Vision". By clarifying the vision for the project and the goals that must be met, your team will gain a single collective understanding of what it is expected of them. When setting out your vision, make sure that you:

	Gain agreement from the Sponsor first
	Write it using clear, meaningful words
	Communicate it to all team members

Don't email the vision out to your team. Instead, present it personally, so that they have a first hand understanding of what it is, why it's important and what it should mean to them.

Step 2: Define the Scope

With a clear vision, the next most important step is to define the project scope. The scope lists the activities and deliverables that must be completed, in order to achieve the vision.

Having a detailed scope helps you to plan your project effectively. It also helps you to prevent "scope creep" which is when unplanned deliverables and activities are added to your To Do list by your customer.

Only by clarifying the project scope at the outset, can you manage your customers needs, by telling them for instance that a request is "out of scope" and therefore requires additional time or money to complete it.

Step 3: Structure the Project Team

So you know your end target (i.e. your vision) and deliverables to be produced (i.e. your scope), you now need to identify the people who are going to do the work.

Create a Project Organizational Structure chart which show all of the customers, stakeholders, team members and other people involved with your project. Depict the reporting lines between each, and where possible, add lines of communication as well.

Documenting the organization structure is important, as it clarifies the number of people needed to complete your project and the responsibilities of each member in your team. It also helps you to create Job Descriptions for each member of your team.

Step 4: Create a Roadmap

Then create a project roadmap. This is a high level project plan that lists the phases, activities and tasks that your project will pass through, to complete the entire project management life cycle.

As well as setting out the activities needed to complete the project from start to finish, you need to identify the resources needed for each project phase. And finally, identify the overall budget required to complete the project, so that you gain financial approval to undertake the project, as early as possible in the project life cycle.

Step 5: Identify Risks and Issues

The last step to take when creating a Project Charter is to list the risks and issues that are currently apparent. By listing these items, you can make your Project Sponsor aware of the overall level of risk of the project and enlist their support to resolve them early.

By taking these 5 steps, you're ready to create a Project Charter to initiate projects more successfully. If you would to implement these 5 steps for your projects, then get the Project Charter template now.

Want to boost your project management success? Check out these 2 great project management solutions...

	Project Management Templates
	Project Management Methodology

Improve Project Success

2008-01-28T04:08:00.000-08:00

As a Method123 Newsletter recipient, we thought we'd tell you that we have just released a major new version of MPMM® Professional. This version allows you to create a customized project management methodology for your business.

You can now ...

	Add multiple new methodologies
	Customize the MPMM methodology
	Create multiple customized methodologies
	Upload your existing project methodology
	Add your existing project templates
	Edit all MPMM content and terminology
	Share methodologies with your colleagues.

If you want to customize your project methodology and templates, then MPMM Version 3.0 will help you.

Quick Facts

	It's based on the PMBOK® and Prince2®
	It was created by Project Management Experts
	Offers an entire Project Management Methodology
	Every phase, activity and task is described in depth
	Includes 1000+ content pages, tables, and examples.

Benefits

	Helps deliver your projects on time and within budget
	You can manage staff, customers and suppliers easily
	Monitor and control risks, changes and issues
	Create project documentation more quickly
	Improve the quality of your deliverables.

Free Trial
Click here to Download a Free Trial now...

Manage Projects "Within Budget"

2008-01-28T04:07:00.000-08:00

One could say that your biggest challenge as a Project Manager is delivering "within budget".

If you are late then you can consider adding more staff, if the quality of your deliverables is not good enough then you can consider scheduling more time, but if you are over budget, then there are not a lot of options for you. So to help you out, we have described here how to:

Manage Projects "Within Budget"

Every Project Manager has a fixed budget. It is one of those things that makes a "project" a project. If you had an on-going annual budget, then you would be managing an operational activity, not a project.

The budgeting challenge for a Project Manager is that often by the time that they are allocated to a project, the budget has already been set by the Sponsor. The Project Manager does not have any real "say" in the matter. So how to can you manage your project within budget, when you have not created the budget in the first place? Here are 10 top tips on how...

Tip 1: Revise the budget
As soon as you are allocated to a project, make it one of your first jobs to revise the budget set. Even if the budget has not formally been set, the Project Sponsor will have some ideas on the overall amount of budget available for use. If you think that the budget is insufficient, tell your Sponsor as early as possible.

Tip 2: Create a Financial Plan
Whether a budget already exists of not, your next step is to create a detailed Financial Plan for your project. This plan will set out all of the planned expenses and when they are likely to occur. Make sure that your Sponsor accepts your plan and that you are comfortable that you can deliver the project against it.

Tip 3: Baseline the plan
Right, so you are now managing the project against a detailed Financial Plan, not a loose budget or general guide on what should be spent. You have a detailed view of the forecast project costs, against which to measure project progress. You should now baseline the plan by getting your Sponsors endorsement and communicating it to your team leaders.

Tip 4: The plan is the plan
Many people manage their project against the total amount of expenditure available. Do not fall into this trap, as you will always think you have enough funds to complete the project. Instead, manage the project against the detailed Financial Plan you have set out. If some items go over budget, investigate why and fix the issues. Only by managing at this level of detail can you build an accurate view of the projects performance against budget.

Tip 5: Get serious
If you are serious about delivering your projects within budget, then you need to implement some form of Cost Management Process. This process will give you formal procedures for the identification, recording and tracking of project costs.

Tip 6: Use Expense Forms
Ensure that your staff record all expenses using Expense Forms. Only by formally recording expenses can you build an accurate picture of the overall cost of the project to date.

Tip 7: Register your expenses
By using an Expense Register or log, you can create a summarized view of the project cost to date, at any point in time.

Tip 8: Report progress We have seen some Project Managers tell their Sponsor that they are likely to be over budget the week before they were due to finish! If you even have an inkling that you might be over budget, tell your Project Sponsor about it as early as possible. It will help you gain buy in and they may even be able to help you out.

Tip 9: Do not be afraid If you need more money and you have exhausted all other options, then ask for it. Do not be afraid to tell your Project Sponsor that you have reached this point. Remember, there are quite often very valid reasons for needing more money throughout the project.

Tip 10: Balance time, cost and quality evenly Remember, your goal is to deliver the project on time, to cost and quality. Never compromise time and quality to bring your project in under budget. It is a challenging job, but always try and balance time, cost and quality fairly. You can do it!

If you would like help managing projects within budget, then these 2 products will give you all of the templates and methods you need...

	Project Management Templates
	Project Management Methodology

How to Deliver Projects On Time

2008-01-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

As a Project Manager, you are always pushed to deliver your projects on time. Not a day goes by that you don't worry about whether you are on, behind or ahead of schedule.

To help you to boost your chances of success, we've described here...

How to Deliver Projects On Time

On a project, it is easy to get bogged down with the details, and forget about the "helicopter view". Other than completing Project Status Reports at the end of each reporting period, many Project Managers adopt the approach that their own knowledge and experience alone will ensure that the project delivers on time.

But the reality is that all project managers need to complete some basic steps throughout the project, to make sure that it is "on track", otherwise it is easy for a project to go off the rails.

So what are the steps that a Project Manager needs to complete to make sure that the project is delivered on time? We have listed them for you here...

Step 1: Plan to succeed
There is an old project saying: "Plan not to fail, don't fail to plan". By creating a detailed Project Plan with fixed delivery milestones that your customer agree with, you will gain a firm basis for measuring the progress of the project.

Make sure that your plan includes delivery milestones every month where possible and that the Work Breakdown Structure is detailed enough to show all of the critical tasks that must be completed. Non-critical tasks can be re-scheduled later, but tasks which are on the critical path must be completed by the due dates specified.

Step 2: Clock the time spent
Almost every Project Manager these days has implemented Timesheets for tracking time. But how many actually record that time in a Time Sheet Register and update the Project Plan with the time spent per project task?

By doing this, you can allocate a set amount of time and effort to complete every task on the Project Plan, and easily identify when you are late. If staff spend more time than that allocated and the task is still not complete, then you will need to investigate why this has occurred and resolve the problems identified. This process is called the Time Management Process and it ensures that staff complete tasks where possible, in the timeframe allocated to them.

Step 3: Create a helicopter view
It is harder than it looks. To accurately monitor and report on the project at a helicopter level, you need a crystal clear picture of the project delivery against a schedule.

You need to know for every task in your project plan, whether it is under / on / over schedule and what the overall impact on the project is. You also need to have identified the critical path and determined whether the tasks on this path are on track.

Only with this detailed knowledge can you gain a sufficient "helicopter view" to be able to report accurately to your Project Board or Sponsor. Remember, by keeping your sponsor accurately informed of the project progress, you will ensure their full support.

Step 4: Going "Belly Up"
So you have done all this but your project is going "belly up" (i.e. slipping). What then? Well the first step is to investigate the reasons why. It may be that the scope of the project has grown from that originally agreed, or you have encountered complexities that were not identified when you started, or that the plan was too aggressive in the first place.

Regardless, you need to 1) Stop 2) Investigate 3) Resolve 4) Report. To resolve the problem, you may need to formally redefine the scope of the project, hire additional resources to help out, or agree with the customer on a new delivery timeframe. You will also need to update the Project Plan with any additional tasks required to fix the problems, and then you will need to report on the new status to your Sponsor.

Step 5: Getting the right mix
Almost every project team will encounter unforeseen changes, risks and issues. Your level of success will depend on how you manage these when they arise. By implementing these project processes below, you can ensure that your mix of changes, risks and issues are easily manageable:

	Change Management Process
	Risk Management Process
	Issue Management Process

To help you deliver projects on time and keep your Project Sponsor happy, use these two great project management solutions now...

	Project Management Templates
	Project Management Methodology

Using software to help you manage projects

2008-01-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

To deliver projects successfully, it is fair to say that most Project Managers use software tools to help them out. But which tools do you need, when should you use them and what do you use them for? In this newsletter, you will find out all about...

Using software to help you manage projects

If you Google the term "project management software" then you will find something like 196 million search results! So which tools do you need and how should you use them to boost your chances of success? To help you out, we have described here the 5 typical groups of project software used, why they are used and how:

Type 1: Planning Software
The most common type of software tool used by project teams, is project planning software. Managers and teams typically use it to create a Gantt chart of their "Work Breakdown Structure" (WBS).

But it should also be used to schedule resources and financial expenditure, as well as equipment used and materials consumed. Dependencies within and between projects should also be listed.

Sample Providers: MS Project, Primavera

Type 2: Methodology Software
After planning a project, you need to implement a suite of processes to ensure its success. These processes together form part of a "methodology" for the project's execution. Such methodologies exist and are easily downloadable. They help you to implement processes to manage the project's; risk, changes, issues, time, cost, quality, staff, customers and suppliers.

By implementing such a methodology, you can improve your project efficiency and improve your chances of success.

Sample Providers: MPMM

Type 3: Tracking Software
Ok, so you have created a plan and implemented a suite of project processes. You are now ready for the execution phase of the project.

To help you monitor and control the project's execution, most managers implement some form of tracking software. This software helps you to:

	Monitor and record changes, risks and issues
	Keep track of time and money spent
	Control the quality of deliverables
	Report and communicate project status
	Keep the project "on track" at all times

As with the other types of software specified here, using this type of software to monitor and control the project's progress is critical to success.

Sample Providers: Mercury, Tenrox

Type 4: Collaboration Software
On all projects, collaboration between project staff is key. They need to meet to discuss the project progress, current risks and issues, work outstanding and the plan going forward.

There are now a range of software providers that help your team to collaborate more easily, using MSN messenger, intranets, extranets and forums. They allow your team to identify and resolve issues quickly. They promote positive communication and they help you build a "team spirit" even if your team are spread across different physical locations.

Sample Providers: BaseCampHQ, AceProject

Type 5: Administration Software
Admin is often one of the most time consuming tasks for a manager. You need to create documentation, keep accounts up-to-date and administer risks and issues. Yet it is typically the area that you can gain the greatest level of efficiency in, using smart software tools.

By implementing templates to generate documentation quickly and software for your accounts, you can save an enormous amount of time administering, leaving you free to focus on the people side of running a project.

Sample Providers: Method123 for templates, Oracle Projects for accounting

We hope this has given you a brief overview of the types of project management software available in the market so you can reduce the 196 million software search results to just a few!

If you are interested in viewing two great project management solutions, then check these out now...

	Project Management Templates
	Project Management Methodology

Welcome to first edition of Inside Mobile Europe

2007-12-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

We hope that Inside Mobile Europe can better inform you of our products and services and help you meet your marketing needs. In our first edition we are happy to include the 2008 media pack. The media pack includes all advertising options and rates plus the editorial calendar. We continue to succeed in our aim of offering you targeted solutions, especially online, where our personalised newsletters and keyword alerts are now achieving great results for our partners.

As shown with the release of the latest BPA Audit certificates, Mobile Europe is now the market leading title amongst mobile operators in Europe. We go to more mobile operator readers than any other publication, a result of plenty of hard work, commitment & investment over the years. The printed version of Mobile Europe reaches 8,691Wireless Telecom Professionals, of which over 57% work within a Mobile Network Operator. That’s the biggest and most targeted European wireless readership of any title. And it’s all fully audited.

Over the next two months we’ve got some great looking features for you to get involved in. The December/ January issue will carry our annual review of the European mobile year for 2007, plus predictions for 2008, in. Packed with comment and opinions on the defining moments of 2007, this issue will also set the agenda for the year to come, with market forecasts and predictions for 2008 from top industry thinkers.

February’s issue will be distributed at the Mobile World Congress, and will carry a full preview of that show. What will the hot topics be, who will be the most talked about, what do leading industry figures want to achieve at the show? There will also be full features on Mobile Broadband Evolution, On-Device Portals, Mobile TV, Mobile Web Services, Test & Measurement and Next Generation Billing. Please do get involved.

Click here to download the 2008 media kit
http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/advertiser_enquiry

Mobile Europe Newsletter - 30 November 2007

2007-12-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Airwide gets wider

Airwide Solutions splashed down in Finland this week with the acquisition of First Hop, a company that provides mobile service control and gateway technologies.

Airwide already had a mobile messaging gateway product, so why invest in FirstHop? Airwide's Jay Seaton said that although some legacy messaging vendors were struggling to provide service innovation, Airwide was definitely not one of those companies. Instead, the acquisition made sense because operators are demanding a modular approach to building messaging infrastructure (the best storage, the best router etc) and FirstHop brings to Airwide best of breed next gen messaging gateways.

Staying with messaging, NeuStar racked up another customer announcement with the news that SFR will be rolling out NeuStar's Mobile Messaging Gateway (MMG) solution to offer mobile access to MSN Messenger customers. The announcement shows there is still mileage in the gateway messaging space, as operators stick in the main with hovering up the in-line communities, alongside longer terms goals to develop their own IM communities through SMS+ type strategies.

Another mobile IM provider lost a well known industry face this week, with Oz's Beverly Wilkes heading off to voice-messaging provider Spinvox, to market their services to US consumers. Whether this is a sign of the times for Oz or not, it's too early to say.

There was significant investment news in the advertising space as well, with word that Telefonica and Vodafone have become strategic investors in mobile advertising company Amobee. It seems the operators need somewhere to go to fend off the coming advance of Google, which mobile companies fear, although they also state the company adds little value to mobile. How this investment will sit with Yahoo! though, with whom Vodafone has a very close relationship on mobile advertising, is another thing.

Finally, there was some interesting research from IMS which pointed out that, for all the talk of FMC and VoWiFi, at the start of 2006, there were globally only around ten handset models featuring built-in Wi-Fi chipsets.The count has risen to approximately 25 handset models in 2007, driven by operators of both mobile and fixed networks launching fixed-mobile services and special home-zone tariffs, IMS said. Bill Morelli, Mobile Technologies analyst at IMS Research, said that by 2012, he expected one in five handsets shipping to contain WiFi. "While this is respectable growth, it is far more moderate than what many ardent FMC supporters are projecting," Morelli said.

For our twopence worth, and having spoken to Vyke's Aaron Powers this week, we feel confirmed in this opinion even more. VoWiFi adoption will only be widespread when operators stop trying to enable it 'over here' (where they want to eat up fixed line minutes) but disable it 'over here' (where they want to stop standalone VoIP providers stealing their own minutes). At the moment the user experience is too confusing and laboured. Until there is industry momentum to enable a smoother, more integrated service, it will remain at best an enterprise and 'in the know' consumer experience.
After all, merely having WiFi enabled handsets in the market does not equal VoWiFi use

Pick of this week's stories

28 November, 2007
NeuStar and SFR offer Windows Live Messenger to mobile users in France
NeuStar has today announced that it has partnered with leading mobile phone operator SFR to bring Windows Live Messenger to SFR's 18 million customers in France.

27 November, 2007
Nokia Siemens Networks supplies new indoor mobile network coverage solution to Bouygues Telecom
Bouygues Telecom has chosen a new solution from Nokia Siemens Networks to improve indoor GSM mobile network coverage for its customers. The innovative solution, featuring small-sized base stations, allows improving and extending coverage for instance in high office

28 November, 2007
Actix introduces new multi-technology capital planning module
Actix, the specialist in Network Status Management (NSM) solutions for mobile operators, has launched a Capital Planning Module (CPM) to complement the Actix Radioplan automatic planning suite for mobile radio access networks. Actix' Radioplan CPM is said to

28 November, 2007
New research said to uncover convergence disconnect
Subscriber management, controlling identity across multiple access networks, and delivering sophisticated data services, number among the biggest convergence challenges facing service providers, according to a wide-ranging global report launched today. The independent research, sponsored by Apertio, questioned over

27 November, 2007
MACH helps Vivacell deliver Financial Clearing and IOT Check Solutions and extends contract for Data Clearing
MACH, the global clearing and settlement specialist in mobile based transactions, has today announced that VivaCell, a subsidiary of Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, has chosen MACH's Financial Clearing and IOT Check (Inter-Operator Tariff) solutions, while also extending its contract for

European Communications E-Newsletter November 2007

2007-12-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the November 2007 edition of the European Communications E-Newsletter.
This issue of the Newsletter contains the usual mix of news, features and information on key industry subjects and events.
In the news this month: IP Networks deployed by fixed and mobile operators will lead to mainstream Voice over IP and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) services, driven by the increasing popularity of "smart" devices such as PDAs and smartphones, according to a new report from ABI Research.
Elsewhere, VoluBill, a leading supplier of real-time charging, control and monitoring applications for VoIP, data, messaging and content services, announced it has signed an agreement to purchase assets relating to the Dynamic Charging Platform (DCP) product business from Intec Telecom Systems.
Check out the completely redesigned European Communications website, http://www.eurocomms.com

In keeping with the flavour of European Communications online, you'll find stories that cover the length and breadth of the continent.
Meanwhile, this month's selection of features are taken from the Autumn issue of European Communications.
We hope you enjoy this latest edition.
The following links are to the Free Subscription and Reader Response sections of the website, where you can subscribe to the magazine, future E-Newsletters and Keyword Alerts. You can also request information on advertisers and sponsors, as well as specific product and service sectors. There is also a link to the Events section of the site where you will find an up-to-date listing of conferences and exhibitions on the industry.
Free subscription and reader response:subscribe
Events diary:http://www.eurocomms.com/events/

THE AUTUMN 2007 ISSUE OF EUROPEAN COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLERegister here to receive every quarterly issue of Europe's leading Telecoms publication by email, free of charge, then follow the link which appears to read the new issue. To view the issue in digital format, click here:
http://viewer.zmags.co.uk/showmag.php?mid=twtqp

Pick of this month's stories

29 November, 2007
Italian operator Eutelia chooses Nokia Siemens Networks to create a high-capacity fiber optic carrier network across Italy

Nokia Siemens Networks has signed a frame agreement with Eutelia to build a high-performance fiber optic carrier network for the Italian operator. The new generation transport network will allow Eutelia to provide its customers with advanced services and

17 September, 2007
SMS - A richer experience
Will the huge success of SMS be eclipsed by later generation services? Not exactly, says Prisicilla Awde

17 September, 2007
IN-BUILDING CONNECTIVITY - Getting into the building
Andrea Casini explains how operators can look to grow their existing operations in the face of a tough market environment

29 November, 2007
Solution1 and Telstra Europe partner to deliver business communications solutions to UK businesses
Solution1, a communication service provider of managed network services, VoIP and ISP solutions, and Telstra Europe have announced a strategic partnership to deliver voice and data networking solutions to UK businesses.

17 September, 2007
COMMON ELEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - Pulling it all together
The challenge for carriers today is to establish a global and standardised network operating system that ties together both networks and applications. Verizon and Nakina teamed up to use the TM Forum's NGOSS eTOM and SID solutions and

17 September, 2007
MOBILE REVENUES/MOBILE TV - Mobile moves on
Laura Marriott looks at the way operators are able to marry new technologies, such as mobile TV, with mobile marketing initiatives in order to deliver the services subscribers want, in a personalised and convenient form

14 November, 2007
Over 250m VoIP users over 3G mobile networks by 2012, claims report
A new research study from Disruptive Analysis is said to show that evolution of mobile VoIP will rapidly eclipse voice over WiFi and become a mainstream form of communication. The analyst firm predicts that the number of VoIPo3G users

17 September, 2007
FIBRE ACCESS - Broadening the band
The strategic partnership of Iskratel and Telekom Slovenije has already become a good example of mutual collaboration between a technologically leading network equipment vendor and a progressively oriented telco operator. Uros Jenko explains that both sides have participated

17 September, 2007
LEAD INTERVIEW - Quality is the key
The promise of IPTV is fraught with dangers - from outages to poor quality pictures - but effective systems test and measurement could save the day. Co-founders Alan Robinson, CEO, and Robert Winters, Chief Marketing Officer of Shenick

17 September, 2007
IMS BILLING & DEPLOYMENT - Storing up future problems?
IMS has gained substantial momentum as the standardised architecture for the convergence of communications service delivery. But many early adopters have taken a network-centric approach to the benefits of IMS deployment rather than taking a holistic view of

17 September, 2007
OSS MIDDLEWARE - The Middle Path
The move to newer generation networks has brought the realisation that a horizontal layered structure of OSS/BSS that is common across service layouts is more viable. Anita Gupta explains that in such architectures, the middleware layer acts as

19 November, 2007
VoluBill to acquire Intec DCP assets from Intec Telecom Systems
VoluBill, a leading supplier of real-time charging, control and monitoring applications for VoIP, data, messaging and content services, has today announced it has signed an agreement to purchase assets relating to the Dynamic Charging Platform (DCP) product business

17 September, 2007
WIMAX V CELLULAR - Prize Fight
How accurate is the position that WiMAX and cellular technologies stand in opposite corners in the development of wide area wireless standards? Robert Syputa takes a look

08 November, 2007
How to Expand Your Product Portfolio and Enhance Customer Service
Adopting a convergent charging strategy is increasingly important for Communications Service Providers. Why? To diversify the product portfolio, increase revenues, raise average profit per user and lower operational costs. Download an informative paper that helps you

13 November, 2007
Telia Denmark deploys Agillic's Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) for Postpaid Solution
Agillic, the specialist in customer lifecycle management, has announced that Telia, the third largest telecom operator in Denmark has successfully deployed Agillic's CLM for Postpaid Solution. Based on an on-demand business model, the solution is designed to drive

17 September, 2007
MOBILE MUSIC - Hitting the right note
Oren Glanz looks at the future for mobile music, and what operators need to consider to ensure they don’t get left behind

20 November, 2007
SIP services will generate $150 billion in annual revenue by 2012, claims ABI Research
IP Networks deployed by fixed and mobile operators will lead to mainstream Voice over IP and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) services, driven by the increasing popularity of "smart" devices such as PDAs and smartphones, according to a new

27 November, 2007

Nokia Siemens Networks supplies new indoor mobile network coverage solution to Bouygues Telecom
Bouygues Telecom has chosen a new solution from Nokia Siemens Networks to improve indoor GSM mobile network coverage for its customers. The innovative solution, featuring small-sized base stations, allows improving and extending coverage for instance in high office

Microsoft Security Summit 2007

2007-11-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Is Your Software SECURE?

Improper code security, SQL Injection, compromised web applications are just some of the ways for hackers to attack. As a software professional, it is imperative that you have the skills and knowledge about developing secure software products and applications. That’s exactly why you need to be a part of the Microsoft Security Summit 2007! To be held in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai, this summit presents itself as a fabulous opportunity to know all there is to know in the Developer Security world.

Should be attended by.........

Software developers, Analysts, Architects, Project Managers

Why?

•To gain understanding of the overall software security threats and challenges.

•Learn about the Security Development Lifecycle.

•Understand the challenges faced and how Microsoft is trying to address them.

•Make this an interactive platform where feedback can be shared with Microsoft on its Security initiatives.

When & Where?

21st November, 2007 Grand Hyatt, Mumbai Register Now
23rd November, 2007 Taj Blue Diamond, Pune Register Now
6th December, 2007 Taj Bengal, Kolkata Register Now
14th December, 2007 The Park, Chennai Register Now

View Agenda : http://www.microsoft.com/india/security/ss-dev.aspx

If you have any questions, please send an email to - securitysummit@erfolgcs.com

Be amongst the first 200 to register at the venue on the day of the event and walk away with a free copy of “The Security Development Lifecycle” by Michael Howard, worth Rs. 395/-

In addition to this, you could also receive Certification Discount vouchers. This limited period Second Shot Offer provides upto 25% discount on certification exams, in addition to a second shot at the exam at no additional cost.

European Communications E-Newsletter October 2007

2007-11-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

European Communications E-Newsletter October 2007

Welcome to the October 2007 edition of the European Communications E-Newsletter.
This issue of the Newsletter contains the usual mix of news, features and information on key industry subjects and events.
In the news this month: Nokia Siemens Networks and Deutsche Telekom have signed an agreement that makes Nokia Siemens Networks a strategic partner to Deutsche Telekom. As part of the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will assume control of Vivento Technical Services (VTS) - a division of Vivento, Deutsche Telekom's personnel service provider - and has signed a managed services contract said to be worth nearly €300 million over the next five years.
Elsewhere, the move by Vodafone to purchase Tele2's fixed network assets in Italy and Spain for EUR775 million has demonstrated the increasing importance of fixed broadband services in the mobile operator service portfolio, according to research specialist, Analysys. Effectively, mobile-only operators are being forced to use fixed revenues in order to boost revenues, it says.
WEBSITE REDESIGN
Check out the completely redesigned European Communications website, http://www.eurocomms.com
In keeping with the flavour of European Communications online, you'll find stories that cover the length and breadth of the continent.
Meanwhile, this month's selection of features are taken from the Autumn issue of European Communications.
We hope you enjoy this latest edition.
The following links are to the Free Subscription and Reader Response sections of the website, where you can subscribe to the magazine, future E-Newsletters and Keyword Alerts. You can also request information on advertisers and sponsors, as well as specific product and service sectors. There is also a link to the Events section of the site where you will find an up-to-date listing of conferences and exhibitions on the industry.
Free subscription and reader response:subscribe
Events diary:http://www.eurocomms.com/events/
THE AUTUMN 2007 ISSUE OF EUROPEAN COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE IS NOW AVAILABLE
Register here to receive every quarterly issue of Europe's leading Telecoms publication by email, free of charge, then follow the link which appears to read the new issue. To view the issue in digital format, click here
Patents & Standards in the Communication Industry
If your responsibilities include any aspect of the negotiation of licenses to implement standards, litigation and enforcement of your technology patents then there is one place you need to be this February.
C5's Patents & Standards in the Communication Industry returns in London on 27-28 February 2008, more practical, topical, and content-packed than ever.
This unique Forum will present 2 days of highly topical, specialist industry discussions, expert analysis, and practical strategies that will ensure you:
Make the most out of the Interface between Standards and Patents in Telecom Industry
Understand your contractual obligations to Standards-Setting Organisations
Incorporate the key competition considerations into your licenses negotiation strategy
Overcoming "Open Source" and "Open Standards" related issues
Manage the business and legal risks of using open source code
Build, exploit and protect your patent portfolio to effectively maximise it value
Implement the best strategies for enforcing your technology patent
DON'T MISS OUT on our extra, optional Master Class: <<>>
To find out more & to book your place(s) click www.c5-online.com/communication we are looking forward to welcoming you on the 27th -29th February 2008.Book now and save 10% off the delegate fee until 31st Oct 2007. Please quote 722L08.EUROCOMM in all your correspondence, or email Cordelia Ekeocha c.ekeocha@c5-online.com

Pick of this month's stories

10 October 2007

InformationWeek ranks Convergys in top 10 for innovative use of technology

Convergys Corporation, a global leader in customer care, human resources , and billing services , has announced its selection to the InformationWeek 500 Top 10, a prestigious list that recognizes companies for their innovative use of technology.

23 October 2007

Mobile-only operators forced to use fixed networks to boost revenues, says Analysys

The move by Vodafone to purchase Tele2's fixed network assets in Italy and Spain for EUR775 million demonstrates the increasing importance of fixed broadband services in the mobile operator service portfolio, according to research specialist, Analysys.

16 October 2007

Ukraine's Datagroup selects Comptel Fulfillment Solution

Comptel Corporation, the vendor of dynamic Operations Support System (OSS) software, has announced today that Datagroup, a fixed, broadband and satellite service provider in Ukraine, has selected Comptel Fulfillment Solution to provision their network and activate services faster

23 October 2007

KPN opens door to lucrative international networking contracts for UK channel

KPN International, the business unit of Netherlands based and multinational telecoms leader KPN, is launching a new way for UK channel partners to extend their international offering. KPN International is launching its Business Partner Programme as the demand

23 October 2007

Nokia Siemens Networks and Deutsche Telekom sign strategic partnership for managed services and next-generation network modernization

Nokia Siemens Networks and Deutsche Telekom have today signed a wide-ranging partnership agreement that places Nokia Siemens Networks as a strategic partner to Deutsche Telekom. Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will assume control of

17 September 2007

TELECOM ECONOMICS - Power Play

In the first of a regular column for European Communications, Benoit Reillier looks at the role played by regulators and politicians in the rapidly changing telecoms arena

17 September 2007

MANAGED NETWORKS - The right tools for the job

Telcos are good at ‘factory’ service provision but it’s an ethos that doesn’t fit with enterprise demands for highly complex ICT outsourcing. To tap that market, telcos will have to up their game and invest, says Leo McCloskey

17 September 2007

CEM - King Customer
Customer Experience Management (CEM) is a crucial process for mobile network operators and communication service providers in general. It places the customer at the centre of a converging communications environment, finally recognising that it is the end-users’ response

17 September 2007

MOBILE ADVERTISING - Make it personal
Mobile operators need to adopt an approach that allows them to target specific users with relevant advertisements, while, at the same time, managing the overall ad-related user experience, including user privacy and charging aspects, explains Danny Kalish

17 September 2007

BROADBAND SERVICES - A fibre-rich diet
In telecommunications, as in many other industries, success usually comes from careful planning. Danny Berko and Ron Levin explain that planning now for the deployment of effective and proven deep fibre platforms will help meet the demands of

17 September 2007

CWDM - A low risk tactic
CWDM technology provides the answer to bridging demand for bandwidth, both fast and cost effectively says Francis Nedvidek

17 September 2007

TMW AMERICAS PREVIEW - Under one roof
European Communications previews the TM Forum’s take on the converging industries of telecom, cable, content, media and the Internet at TMW Americas

17 September 2007

SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT - Intelligent identification
The telecoms market is renowned for its rapid billing cycles, but service creation has always been expensive, time-consuming and operator-led. Antoine Guy explains that a new approach promises to revolutionise this situation by addressing the very core of

17 September 2007

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION IN C&E EUROPE - New Models
Eastern European telecoms is poised to enter a new phase. The big mobile players that dominate the region’s telecoms markets are eager to transform their business models. With their networks mostly built-out and their subscriber numbers built-up to

17 September 2007

CDI - MDM - Creating the Master Record
In an era of commoditisation, competition and churn, it is becoming increasingly difficult for telecommunications providers to find meaningful market differentiators. Superior customer service offers a solution, but, to be truly effective, it requires superior customer information, explains

Mobile Europe's Newsweek

2007-11-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Mobile Europe's newsweek
.......................................................
In the news this week: research commissioned by TruePosition has revealed that, on average, 70% of consumers are receptive to advertisement-sponsored local search services which, says the LBS specialist, could prove to be a 'significant new source of revenue for mobile operators'.
"Location based services have been met with extreme cynicism in Europe over the last few years. They have promised much and delivered little. But these research findings clearly demonstrate that we are now experiencing something of an LBS renaissance," said Robert Morrison, Senior Vice President of Market and Business Development. "The technology, handsets and high bandwidth networks now exist to deliver the accuracy to ensure the best possible user experience. This will pave the way for LBS to deliver the revenues they have always promised and drive demand for the innovative services highlighted in our study."
Elsewhere, the International 450 Association (IA450) has announced its support of dual band CDMA2000 (IMT-MC) in 450Mhz and 2100MHz bands, as a 'superior option' for operators looking to expand network capacity and at the same time maintain strong coverage in low population density areas. Vadim Belyavskiy, IA450 Board Member, Technical Development Director, Moscow Cellular Communications, Skylink (Russia) and Piermario Di Pietro, CEO, Telemobil (Zapp Romania) set out the advantages of network operations in CDMA450 & 2100 MHz band at the 450 MHz Digitalization Conference, recently held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Pick of this week's stories
-----------------------------

01 November, 2007
International 450 Association endorses dual band IMT-MC 450/2100 networks
The International 450 Association (IA450) has announced its support of dual band CDMA2000 (IMT-MC) in 450Mhz and 2100MHz bands, as a 'superior option' for operators looking to expand network capacity and at the same time maintain strong coverage

29 October, 2007
QuickLogic adds a high-speed SPI Host Controller option into its CSSP library
QuickLogic has announced the addition of a SPI (serial peripheral interconnect) Host Controller to its customer specific standard product (CSSP) functional library. The SPI interface gives mobile device designers a low pin-count alternative to SDIO or mini-PCI for

29 October, 2007
New research said to reveal clear opportunities for location based services in the UK, Spain and US
TruePosition, the provider of wireless location technologies and solutions and a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, has announced the findings of a significant research study undertaken with IDC. One key outcome revealed that, on average, 70% of consumers are

29 October, 2007
Geodesic launches Mundu IM
Geodesic, a specialist in mobile networking and communications, has announced the European launch of its Mundu IM tool.

30 October, 2007
Huawei launches new generation WiMAX commercial solution
Huawei Technologies has recently rolled out its New Generation WiMAX commercial solution, with integrated 4G mobile technologies which is claimed to provide operators with 30% cost-savings on base stations while doubling their system capability.

Symbian Smartphone Show

2007-09-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Symbian Smartphone Show
Taking our world with us
3500 delegates, 120 exhibitors, 60 seminars, 10 keynotes - one show
Register now | Full Agenda | Download the brochure | Visit the website

________________________________________
Show Latest:
Keynotes finalised: 11 key figures from the smartphone industry share their views
Hear from: Nigel Clifford, CEO, Symbian • Toshio Miki, Associate Senior Vice President, NTT DoCoMo • Lee Williams, Senior Vice President, Software Platforms, Nokia • Bobby Rao, Corporate Strategy Director, Group Strategy, Vodafone • Mats Lindoff, CTO, Sony Ericsson • David Wood, EVP Research, Symbian • Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, RIM • Dr. Dohun Kwon, Managing Director and VP Samsung Electronics • Sandeep Chennakeshu, Senior Vice President and General Manager Wireless & Mobile Systems Group, Freescale • Guido Mangiagalli, Head of New Channels, Visa • Tomi Ahonen, Best selling Author (Full agenda...)
New speaker: Dr. Dohun Kwon, Managing Director and VP of Samsung Electronics
Dr. Dohun Kwon is Managing Director and VP at Samsung Electronics. He is a board member of Symbian. Dr. Kwon was leading a software development team for CDMA terminal of Korean and USA market (more...)
New Terminal Host: SHARP
The Smartphone Show is the only European event in the 2nd half where you can meet with ALL of the major handset manufacturers. Fujitsu, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and now SHARP are all at the show. (more...)
New speaker: Sandeep Chennakeshu, Ph D., SVP and General Manager Wireless & Mobile Systems Group, Freescale
Sandeep Chennakeshu is senior vice president and general manager of the Wireless & Mobile Systems Group at Freescale Semiconductor, the global leader in embedded processing solutions. (more...)
New speaker: Mike Lazaridis, President And Co-Ceo, Research In Motion
Mr. Lazaridis is known in the global wireless community as a visionary, innovator, and engineer of extraordinary talent. He traces his passion for his work to his hometown of Windsor, Ontario where his love of science and fascination with electronics were nurtured in supportive family and school environments. (more...)
________________________________________
Show Highlights:
Free seminars and keynote speeches
The Symbian Smartphone Show is free to attend - not just the fantastic show floor where the entire smartphone industry meet to do business, but also the 3 themed seminar theatres (more than 60 speaker presentations) and the industry keynote speeches (11 industry leaders present their views on the smartphone industry). (more...)
Show Features
• 120 Exhibitors
• Keynote Presentations
FREE to attend
• Seminar theatres
FREE to attend
• Symbian Developer Network Live!
• The Terminal
• Developer Training

Event Sponsor

Sponsors

Media Partners

The Symbian Developer Network will be live at the show
Symbian Developer Network LIVE! For developers, the Symbian Developer Network is going live, quite literally, at the show and is your chance to meet the people who produce the SDN; research the ASD exam questions and run the Symbian Academy (more...)
Developer training
As an integral part of the Symbian Smartphone Show; the Developer Training Classroom will consist of four x 2.5 hour intensive mini courses designed to provide you with comprehensive hands-on training. (more...)
________________________________________
More about the event:
Don't miss the biggest smartphone event of the year with the opportunity to experience the future of mobile direct from the industry's most forward-thinking players.
The world's biggest brands are going mobile and they're doing it first on smartphones. Consumer electronics, Internet, entertainment, commerce and publishing are all going mobile and they need your help to get there.
At the show:
• Here & Now - Today's most successful smartphone services, presented by leading innovators and entrepreneurs
• Mobile Futures - Ground-breaking technology that will power tomorrow's phones and deliver tomorrow's experiences
• Symbian Developer Network Live! - All the tools and support needed to build the future of mobile
• My Show - Log in to meet and network with the smartphone community; before, during and after the event

Speakers include:

Nigel Clifford,
CEO,
Symbian Toshio Miki,
Associate Senior Vice President,
NTT DoCoMo Lee Williams,
Senior VP,
Nokia Bobby
Yerramilli-Rao
Corporate Strategy Director
Vodafone

Mats Lindoff,
CVP & CTO,
Sony Ericsson David Wood,
EVP Research,
Symbian Mike Lazaridis,
President and Co-CEO,
RIM Dr. Dohun Kwon,
Managing Director and VP
Samsung Electronics

Sandeep Chennakeshu
SVP & GM, Wireless & Mobile Systems Group
Freescale Guido Mangiagalli
Head of New Channels,
Visa Europe Tomi T Ahonen
Best Selling Author Padmasree Warrior
EVP and CTO
Motorola

MSDN Magazine and Dr. Dobbs Journal for FREE

2007-09-07T05:01:00.001-07:00

Did you know that you can subscribe to the digital editions of MSDN Magazine and Dr. Dobbs Journal for FREE?

Go to http://msdn2.microsoft.com/hi-in/bb736747.aspx to see samples of the digital magazine.

Please click on https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/wizard.aspx?wizid=f4cc7a02-9146-41d9-acf3-d816d4f34f0c&lcid=16393 to subscribe to MSDN Magazine and Dr. Dobbs Journal Digital editions.

Mobile Europe September Magazine

2007-09-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to bring you your September issue of Mobile Europe.

This month we have great features from Tony Dennis examining the mobile gaming market, and from Priscilla Awde getting into the nitty gritty of mobile broadband and, specifically, mobile WiMAX. We’ve also got a special focus on mobile TV, and an article explaining the implications of NFC on the SIM card. There's also a lead industry interview with Alcatel-Lucent's Herbert Mittermayr, looking at the demand for DVB-SH.

If none of that sounds like your kind of thing, don’t forget the digital issue is fully-searchable. You can even make PDFs of pages or articles you like, or send pages via email to your contacts.

Enjoy the Issue by clicking here http://viewer.zmags.com/showmag.php?mid=rhqgq

Microsoft Technologies Live WebCasts

2007-08-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Just One Click to register and learn Microsoft New Technologies with Microsoft Experts Help.

ASP.NET 2.0 Deployment - Tips and Tricks: Get familiar with the compilation model of ASP.NET 2.0 and understand how it works when it comes to deployment. Analyse various deployment models available with ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005 and learn to choose an appropriate deployment model.Presenter: Harish Ranganathan Date: August 27, 2007

AJAX Enabling your ASP.NET 2.0 Applications Tips and Tricks: Understand how you can AJAX enable your existing ASP.NET 2.0 Applications. This session details the various steps involved in getting your ASP.NET 2.0 Application AJAX enabled and provides tips and tricks on getting started quickly with ASP.NET AJAX.Presenter: Harish Ranganathan Date: August 28, 2007

SQL Server 2005: Reading Execution Plans: The toughest part of any query analysis is reading the execution plans. Take a walk through various operators and their meaning in the context of the execution plan and check out the differences between SQL Server 2000 & SQL Server 2005.Presenter: Vinod Kumar Date: August 28, 2007

SQL Server 2005: Query Tuning: In application development everyone is faced with a need to tune their applications query. Learn the various query tuning parameters and tools that can be used with SQL Server 2005.Presenter: Vinod Kumar Date: August 29, 2007

Advanced ASP.NET AJAX: An advanced session on ASP.NET AJAX covering topics on web service call backs, predictive fetch patterns, paging pattern and internals of ASP.NET AJAX including the Update Panel internals.Presenter: Harish Ranganathan Date: August 29, 2007

ASP.NET "Futures" – a peep into what is coming up in vNext: Take a peep into ASP.NET "Futures" - features that are part of the next version of ASP.NET. This session introduces you to the Dynamic Data Controls, Dynamic Languages, Data binding techniques, etc.Presenter: Harish Ranganathan Date: August 30, 2007

What is new in Visual Studio 2008 for Web Developers: Get an insight into what's new for Web Developers with Visual Studio 2008. Get an overview of the various new features of Visual Studio 2008 that help in web development like support for JavaScript Intellisense, CSS Selectors, Nested Master Page Editing, etc.Presenter: Harish Ranganathan Date: August 31, 2007

Mobile Europe Digital Magazine

2007-08-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Here you can read what new features are going to come in Mobile in the feature. Mainly you come to know about Mobile World.

Mobile Europe is now offering a fantastic new reader experience: a searchable, interactive digital issue, which you can access for free, five days before anyone receives the print issue - with just one click.

In this issue, you will find analysis of all the key areas driving the mobile industry, including extensive news coverage and features focussing on emerging technologies, management and revenue opportunities.

Here is the link for July/August 2007 Mobile Europe Digital Edition.

http://www.zmag.dk/showmag.php?mid=rdghd