Sunderland Software City

Free trial of 1DayLater's user messaging service

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:41:57 +0100

1Daylater is looking for web-based software companies to help trial a new type of in-software messaging system.

The application, which has been designed to sit unobtrusively on almost any website, is able to send short messages to users depending on how many times they have visited the site.

It's aim is to keep users engaged at each step of their user experience, whether they have logged into your service one time or a hundred. The end result is better communication and improved retention rates.

The message system was originally designed to supplement time-tracking software 1DayLater.com but their directors say it can be used on most websites where users are required to log in.

Now the brothers behind 1Daylater are interested in getting other software companies using the message application on their sites in order to gather some feedback. Eventually they hope to release it as a stand-alone product which can be bolted onto any web-based software.

The message system can be used for sending out:
• Hints and tips
• General news announcements.

As well as:
• Advertising promotional deals & loyalty based cross-promotional offers.
• Enhancing analytics – software providers can observe regular users who haven't signed up for premium features.

Since implementing this feature 1DayLater.com has noticed an overall rise in retention rates and a greater number of conversions to premium features as a result. They have also had a reduction in administration queries for simple problems.

1DayLater’s Paul King said: “Many of today’s subscription-based software companies rely on good retention rates, but often find it difficult to engage users with new information during their initial visits.

“Intro videos are a good way of educating the user but as new features are developed these often become outdated or fail to get important new changes across. 1DayLater's user messaging system allows companies to relay up-to-date information to individual users during each part of their own user-experience.”

The 1DayLater user messaging system can be seen first-hand by creating and signing into any free 1DayLater account. You can also read the company’s blog and contact paul@1daylater.com for more information about how to get involved in the trial.

Sunderland Software Centre Technology Fit Out Consultancy

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:40:31 +0100

You are invited to submit a proposal to provide Sunderland Software City (SSC) advice and support on the technology fit out of the new Sunderland Software Centre. This work will involve managing stakeholder groups, advising on technology choice and supporting procurement procedures for technology equipment and services.

To view the full tender specification please Click here.

Confirmation of participation in the process, by way of submission of your proposal, must be provided to Anita Rowell at anita.rowell@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com no later than 12:00 noon (BST) on 16th September 2010.

Any queries on the tender should be directed to David Dunn at david.dunn@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

Selling at a higher level lite

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:08:03 +0100

“I’m not a sales person by profession and I wanted to understand how my business and myself could do better in terms of sales and how to give a better service to our customers. The course has answered that and done a lot more. It’s given me a set of tools I can use and it’s given me a lot more confidence.” Andrew Fisk, MD, Tagish

“Selling at a Higher Level has been great - it’s really helped me improve my sales process... I’d recommend it to anyone in a customer-facing role.” Abbi Retting, Account Manager, The Test Factory

“I’m new to sales and this is my first job after graduating. The course has really helped me understand the sales process and how to interact with customers and how to build rapport with them.” Laura Smith, Sales Executive, Nonlinear Dynamics

Following the success of the Selling at a Higher Level blended sales training programme, Engleby Associates and Sunderland Software City have released a condensed programme designed to increase the skills and confidence of more sales professionals working in the North-East.

When you book onto this programme you will gain access to:
• 2 x half-day sales workshops, full of activities, case studies and practical exercises.
• 3 months unrestricted access to an online learning portal packed with sales related e-learning courses, books and simulations – designed to increase your skills, available 24x7.
• Access to expert and peer support, tools, templates and guides via a social media community site.

At the end of the programme you will have:
• An understanding of selling best practices for software and technology sales.
• Learnt and used a range of sales tools and templates designed to accelerate your success.
• Gained a network of like-minded peers to share current and future experiences with.
• Increased confidence and developed the mindset of a winner.

This condensed Selling at a Higher Level programme is open to software companies based in the North East (max two delegates per company) and is subsidised by Sunderland Software City.

The workshops will take place on:

Wednesday September 29 2010
Thursday October 21 2010

Demand is expected to be extremely high with just 12 places are available on a first come first served basis. Places are available for the heavily subsidised rate of just £99 + VAT per delegate.

You can register by email or by calling Richard or Tracy on 01670 505 792. More information about Engleby Associates and their work is available at their website

You can also see recent graduates of Selling at a Higher Level expain how the course helped them in this short film

Virtual office helps real life companies grow

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:46:10 +0100

North East software companies can now take their products to customers on the other side of the world without leaving the office as Sunderland Software City opens office space online in the virtual world Second Life.

Second Life’s virtual North East now contains a ten-story Sunderland Software City tower, complete with helipad, where companies associated with the initiative - which encourages the growth of the software business in the region - can meet virtually with customers from all corners of the globe.

The space allows local businesses to market their products face-to-face at both private meetings and public sales and networking events, using live audio and video-streaming to demonstrate their services.

Second Life was founded in 2003 and has an estimated 18 million users worldwide. “Residents” interact with each other in an online world using personal 3D avatars to meet other residents and socialise and do business.

The Second Life economy grew an estimated 65% in the last year, with residents spending almost 500 million hours logged on to the site. Second Life’s real world turnover reached $57 million in March with transactions for the quarter hitting $160 million, a 30% increase on 2009.

Sunderland Software City Chief Executive Officer Bernie Callaghan said: “The software industry is a global market, so the major benefit of virtual office space in Second Life is that the businesses we support don’t have to jump on a plane to meet their customers – which I’m sure they’ll be grateful for after the disruption of the last few weeks!

“Although it obviously isn’t the only way they could do that, it is a lot more personal than other methods– which a lot of companies really appreciate and which is why a lot of major industry players do business this way.

“Doing business on Second Life is enormously cost-effective for small companies too – not to mention extremely environmentally friendly.”

Sunderland Software City’s tower has been developed by Vector 76, a Gateshead company that specialises in the development of content and services for the 3D internet.

Chief Executive Shaun Allan, said: “To people outside the industry this might sound a bit left field, but Second Life is huge in the global software industry, so it’s a perfect place for local software companies to meet the right people.

“Vector76 & Sunderland Software City are here to provide North East business’s gain a strategic foothold in this expanding global market, as the lines between the conventional web and 3D web rapidly blur”

“A lot of major global companies are using Second Life to tap into new markets, and as a sign of how it can be used to keep costs right down and help improve their carbon footprint, IBM recently held a sales conference for 250 people in Second Life, which is thought to have saved them £250,000”.

For more information about Vector 76, contact Shaun on 07526 161 664 or visit the Vector 76 website.

To discuss using Sunderland Software City's virtual office call 0845 872 8575 or drop us a line

Virtual exhibition makes up for careers show disapointment

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:08:17 +0100

Sunderland Software City is making up for the disappointment of the last minute cancellation of the region’s biggest engineering careers show by making its stand at the event available virtually.

7000 North East youngsters were due to experience the exciting engineering careers available in the region at the Boom conference this week at the Metro Radio Arena, before the event was called off at short notice.

Software City - which supports the growth of the software industry in the North East - had planned to use the event to showcase some of the most interesting software being developed in the region, including gory software teaching medical students how to perform operations and software showing youngsters what their faces will look like in the future if they live unhealthily.

Young people can now view the software in a series of short films - available on You Tube and Vimeo - which also feature the people behind the software at local companies Animmersion, Ideonic and LamasaTech explaining why the software sector is such a great place to work.

Bernie Callaghan, Sunderland Software City’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We’re working to build an unmatched pool of software talent in the North East and a big part of that is showing local young people what an interesting and rewarding place the sector is to work.

“We know some of them might think that a career in software is a bit dull or is only for geeks, but that really isn’t true at all. We thought Boom was a great opportunity to dispel some of those myths, and were as disappointed as anyone when we heard the conference wasn’t going ahead.

“We thought we would try and let young people experience our stand another way, so we took out a camcorder and went to work. We filmed it in a huge rush so the film is definitely more Blair Witch Project than Avatar but if it inspires people we’re happy to arrange for companies like the ones in the film to come into schools and show students in person the benefits of a career in software.”

The films come complete with lesson plans developed by the Open University, which give students the chance to invent their own planets and create creatures to inhabit them and are designed to meet the needs of the Key Stage 3 ICT and Science Curricula

Sunderland Software City also organises fun and interactive workshops for schools aimed at getting students thinking about ICT as a possible career and getting then to think about how much of an impact software has on their lives.

The videos can be found on Vimeo and YouTube using the user name “sunsoftcity”.

Free IT Training for all

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:48:54 +0100

Everyone who lives or works in or around Sunderland is invited to apply for free IT training vouchers provided through the Microsoft Britain Works Challenge.

Sunderland received £10 million worth of Microsoft computer training vouchers after winning a national competition to find the local authority demonstrating the most use of technology to help address unemployment and increase people's access to improving their digital skills.

The vouchers are now available to anyone living or working in or around Sunderland.

Cabinet Member for Resources Cllr Dave Allan said; "We are determined to work with our training and employment partners across the city to help everyone make best use of this fantastic opportunity to learn and develop new and existing skills.

" Almost 80% of all jobs advertised now call for some kind of IT skills, and we want to make sure everyone, whether they have been unemployed for a while or have only recently been made redundant, can use these vouchers to access training and upskill to compete in the jobs market and find employment.

"You can either access the training via the computers at one of the 54 centres provided across the city such as the Jubilee Centre and Sunderland College, or at home."

"While the focus of this challenge is obviously on employment and training, everyone should also remember that the training vouchers are also there to help people of all ages make better use of their computers and develop new skills and interests."

Anyone who would like to register for their free individual Microsoft IT training package should visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/smile or call Sunderland City Council on 0191 520 5518 for details of the nearest community venue providing free computer access.

Job Linkage and Job Centre Plus were both part of Sunderland City Council's winning bid for Microsoft UK's Britain Works Challenge in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership, Sunderland Software City, Sunderland University, City of Sunderland College, and Unison

Software Ventures

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:29:08 +0100

Do you have a software related business idea? Need some help making that idea a reality? If so, Software Ventures could be for you.

Developed by industry experts, Software Ventures is an established programme that encourages the creation of high growth software based businesses.

It is aimed at individuals who have the seed of a software related idea or a full blown idea for a software related business.

The modules are designed and delivered by top industry professionals ensuring the most up to date and relevant content and contacts. The seven week programme also provides the unique opportunity to present your business plan to a panel of investors.

Places are strictly limited for this fully funded programme and there will be an application and interview process so early applications are recommended.

For more information call Sam Fuller on 0191 516 6087 or email sam.fuller@ne-bic.co.uk

Stimulating Software Innovation

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:43:35 +0100

Stimulating Software Innovation is a one day, fully funded programme designed to give an up to the minute view of the software industry and the potential of future developments.

This interactive session is ideal for anyone wishing to explore the software world in more detail as it not only looks at current trends but also provides a valuable insight into the constantly developing nature of software.

An excellent vehicle for continuous professional development, this session is a must for anyone looking to break into the software industry.

To apply for a place or for a no obligation chat, please contact Sam Fuller on 0191 516 6087 or email: sam.fuller@ne-bic.co.uk