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What's Inside
Letter from ED
If you've been following our newsletter, then you know that on October 22 our membership spoke loudly and clearly: WINBC and New Media BC will shortly be officially merged into a new not-for-profit industry association called DigiBC – The Digital Media and Wireless Association of BC.
It's time now to build our new brand, and building a brand is all about the value you create for your members or customers, and it's about staying innovative. A brand is your character; it's what you promise and what you deliver.
Has WINBC delivered on its promise to be relevant and to deliver value to its members? You bet. Just ask the four wireless companies who came with us to the recent CTIA show in San Diego how many business development opportunities WINBC has facilitated for them, how much money they saved thanks to support from Qualcomm, CommNexus and Western Diversification, or how much time they saved because of our pre-conference business meetings and events . You could also ask Tagga, Ants Media, Invoke Media and XOMO Digital Media how WINBC and New Media BC helped them secure funds from NRC-IRAP to pursue innovation at the 2010 BC Showcase & Services community project.
Members of both prior organizations are automatically members of the new industry association. With more than 400 members we will be one of the largest industry associations in BC.
My promise to DigiBC members is that we will deliver increased member value, innovative industry programs, tangible results… and FUN!
Here are a few highlights of what kept your current association busy over the past month:
- We presented the 2010 BC Showcase and Services Initiative to all three levels of government and received kudos from all. The initiative puts us in an excellent position to promote our industry to the world;
- At CTIA IT & Entertainment in San Diego, we identified new areas for accelerated commercialization and began a profitable relationship between Vancouver and San Diego in the wireless health and life sciences sector;
- After the joint AGM/EGM of New Media BC and WINBC on Oct. 20 we enjoyed a small celebration of our merger. I promise we'll have a much larger celebration once DigiBC notches a few major successes;
- Received media coverage in Techreports.net from Toronto. Also, Curt Cherewayko, from Business in Vancouver, wrote several good articles about our merger, about the 2010 BC Showcase and Services, and about Mobile Monday Vancouver;
- BC Demo Day II took place on Oct. 22. Another 30 companies applied to be part of the 2010 BC Showcase and Services, adding to a total of more than 100 companies. About 65 will make it into the Showcase and 25 into the Services;
- The B2B Directory that is part of the 2010 Showcase initiative will be FREE to any BC digital media and wireless company (BCTIA members included);
- At the BC Exports Awards on Oct. 30, both In Motion Technology and Backstage Technologies won awards. Congratulations!
Mark your calendars for November and December events (details in this newsletter)!
- November 2 – MoMoVan: How to use social media, mobile apps and networking during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games to change the world's perception about Vancouver, BC, Canada. From Super Natural BC to Super Digital BC, eh.
- November 12-13 – Fusion Digital Media + Venture Forum
- November 16 – Luncheon and presentation of "Tacit Knowledge and Social Media" by Dr. David Jacobson, Director of Emerging Technologies at PWC Toronto and former professor at Harvard, at Vancity Theatre
- November 26 – Breakfast networking and BC Wireless Health Forum II at Sutton Place
- December 10 – Official launch of the 2010 BC Digital Media and Wireless Showcase and Services at Robson Square plus Annual Christmas Party
Got any ideas or suggestions on the above topics, or any others? Let me know about them. Remember, we have less than 104 days before the big O Games begin!
Thank you for reading,
Michael Bidu
Executive Director, WINBC
P.S. Smile, It's Monday!
Wireless Health to be $2 billion sector
within 5 years
At the recent West CTIA Wireless & IT conference in San Diego, the founders of the West Wireless Health Institute (WWHI) took the stage to announce that since the health care industry cannot continue with its current structure, and wireless health will to grow into a $2 billion sector in the next 5 years, changing the way things are done, enhancing disease detection, prevention and monitoring, reducing costs, and moving healthcare into the hands of consumers.
WINBC sponsored an insightful ("San Diego-The Nation's Hub for Wireless Healthcare") event featuring the three founders of the WWHI. Some 500 wireless, health care and life sciences professionals, along with local residents and members of the academic community in San Diego turned out to see the panel composed of Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, Gary West, Chair of the Institute and Don Jones, VP, Health and Life Sciences at Qualcomm. The leaders presented their vision for one of the first medical research centers devoted to wireless health care.
 According to Dr. Topol, the US, alone, will be short 200,000 physicians by 2020, and there are not enough medical schools in the country to meet even current patient demands for doctors. This means doctors will have to become more productive -- and it is wireless devices that will deliver that productivity. Through the widespread use of wireless sensors and remote monitoring systems, doctors will be able to lower costs while providing higher quality care. WWHI will help get emerging wireless health technologies quickly into the hands of doctors, healthcare organizations and consumers, while ensuring that wireless life-enhancing and lifesaving devices are safe, secure, and cost-effective.
Dr. Topol also focused on wireless enabling a strong shift toward pragmatic health care and on how new sensors will be able to take an individual's genome into consideration when monitoring such things as caloric intake and glucose levels.
BC Wireless cluster learns how wireless
tech is Revolutionizing Healthcare
CTIA Wireless Health Conference - San Diego |
CTIA Wireless Health Conference - San Diego |
CTIA Wireless Health Conference - San Diego |
On October 5th to 9th, WINBC,LifeSciences BC and four BC companies (Intrinsyc Software, Guard RFID, Wireless 2000 and Simba Technologies) visited CTIA Wireless & IT in San Diego to see how one of the largest life science and wireless clusters in the US has come to the forefront of wireless healthcare. WINBC took the opportunity to connect our companies to partners in San Diego, and to see and learn about the technologies, applications and solutions that are revolutionizing healthcare. Most importantly, we set the stage for our own Wireless Health Summit, in May 2010, by securing the participation of executives from Qualcomm, the West Wireless Health Institute and other San Diego wireless health leaders.
We had four days of meetings with wireless health leaders, including Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, Don Jones, VP, Health and Life Sciences at Qualcomm, Rob McCrae, Chair, Wireless Health Sciences Alliance, as well as the team at CommNexus. We exhibited in the Wireless Health Pavilion along with 30 other wireless health companies, including Airstrip Technologies, Cardionet, Corventis, and MedApps. See the full list to learn more about each of the exhibitors. We had over 20 meetings with wireless and wireless health executives, media, venture capital organizations, economic development agencies, and health institutes.
 Download the first ever BC Wireless Health Guide, which was distributed at CTIA in San Diego.
Getting the right health info to the right person: CTIA Wireless Health, San Diego
The take-home message from the conference was that wireless health is not only about making healthcare more cost effective, but also about empowering consumers and enabling patients to become responsible participants in their own health interests.
- Don Jones, VP, LifeSciences at Qualcomm, defined "wireless health" as the ability to present the right information and interaction, to the right person (patient or provider), in the right place and at the right time.
- The most prevalent wireless health technologies coming to market will be in monitoring; not just for body telemetry, but for therapy management, intervention and disease monitoring
- 14% of the US population uses 40% of its healthcare resources, and this population is not tech savvy. The iPhone is a great product, but it is not going to make an impact with consumers aged 65, or older. Service-oriented products will be essential with this demographic.
- Simplicity determines success: products and business models that are very simple will have a greater likelihood of success – such as a wireless device delivered your door, which the patient applies and uses, themselves.
- Will we use the "phone we own," or another device for capturing data? The answer is both, depending on the data to be collected. If the device is being used for compliance, personal phones are fine; but if the device is being used to monitor body telemetry, then a different gateway device will likely be used. There is a place for specialized gateway devices currently as body area network (BAN) radios are currently Bluetooth. This trend will change as multimodal BAN radios become more common in consumer devices.
- There are huge opportunities in patient compliance: currently the market is dominated by large call centers that call patients daily, especially in chronic disease management. Mobile will change this entirely.
- Is the iPhone a medical device? As a blood monitor, yes; as a pedometer, no. Some wireless health care oriented products sold to consumers won't be regulated by the FDA. But being regulated could actually be a good thing. For example, getting FDA clearance for non-medical apps can make them more attractive to carriers, some of which won't touch apps without FDA clearance (e.g.: Pill Phone)
- Will wireless health be cellular or WiFi-based? The complexity of the broadband/Wi-Fi approach is an argument for using cellular connectivity.
- What about privacy concerns and wireless health? It was generally believed that this is a non-issue. Medical records today are not secure; most people today do not have an informed perception about privacy issues. The security measure available for phones today will provide better protection than the current standard for non-wireless security.
The Stethoscope is Dead: BC Wireless Health
Forum Part II
 So says Dr. Eric Topol, Chief Medical Officer, West Wireless Health Institute. According to Dr. Topol, the medicine of tomorrow is going to be very different, largely due to the ubiquitous use of wireless devices, which have already changed how we listen to music, how we communicate and, increasingly, how we deliver medicine. Wireless components in healthcare will enable continuous tracking of physiological metrics, determinations of individual physiology, and prevention.
Join us on November 26 (7:30am - 10:00am) as we continue to unravel the wireless health opportunity in BC. Those BC companies that attended CTIA Wireless & IT conference in San Diego will share their insights. We're inviting industry leaders such as GE, J&J to tell you how their organizations are making an impact on healthcare; a panel will take your questions.
» Register today for BC Wireless Health Forum II
WINBC Making Headlines
WINBC, our members and our wireless community were in the limelight this month with articles on the 2010 Showcase & Service project, the WINBC-New Media BC merger, and Mobile Monday Vancouver (MoMoVan).
Merger unites wireless, digital media groups
Michael Bidu and WINBC were featured in a Business in Vancouver (Oct 6 - 12 edition) article about our 2010 Showcase & Service and the merger of WINBC and New Media BC. The article noted that the new association, DigiBC, will represent 22,000 employees and more than 400 member companies (and some 1,300 wireless and digital media companies, in all).
 It also noted that "the new entity will have greater clout in promoting itself to government and other industries." One of DigiBC's first initiatives will be to showcase our wireless and digital media companies before, during and after the Olympics at the BC Showcase in Robson Square. The article also reviewed our achievements to date, including the $300,000 committed from Western Diversification, and the fact that more than 60 companies are included in the Showcase. Read the full article.
Virtual worlds now delivering real-world business opportunities
Mobile Monday Vancouver and its speakers and presenters were featured in Business in Vancouver (Oct 20 - 26 edition). The discussion on the evening of Oct 5 was around the monetization of virtual goods. As video games, social networks and virtual worlds increasingly become stand-ins for reality, development shops are exploring new ways to monetize fantasy by creating virtual marketplaces complete with digital goods. Read the full article.
Come Celebrate on December 10!
There are 14 Mondays until the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games! In less than 102 days we will welcome the world to Vancouver and through our 2010 Showcase & Service project, we will show the world that BC is a world-class centre of wireless and digital media. On December 10 in Robson Square we will have a celebration to open the 2010 Showcase & Service project.
More than 70 companies have joined the 2010 Showcase and Service project to date. At the Vancity Theatre on October 22, more than 130 attendees watched 24 presentations from new Showcase & Service applicants, including such companies as: Next Level Games, airG, XOMO Digital, RxNetworks, Verrus and more. Click here to see the entire list.
Mike Carter, Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Government; Julia Rylands, Director, NRC-IRAP; Naina Sloan, Director, Western Economic Diversification Canada; Ken Veldman, Manager, Business Programs at the 2010 Commerce Centre; Jeremy Dunn, VP, Laura Ballance Media Group and Warren Franklin, CEO, Rainmaker Entertainment and Chair of New Media BC were all were on hand to give support.
Since April, our creative and technical teams have worked on developing our presence at the BC Showcase in Robson Square, which will include an array of video content, featuring leaders in the mobile and digital media industries. There will be mobile services for media and business delegates and a digital directory, complete with matchmaking functions to enable immediate and simple lead generation between visitors and BC wireless and digital companies. There will also be a series of experiential events, including the December 10 Grand Opening, that will take the showcase out of Robson Square, engage Vancouverites and show the community what our sector is capable of.
BC Demo Day II - Vancity Theatre |
BC Demo Day II - Vancity Theatre |
BC Demo Day II - Vancity Theatre |
Tacit Knowledge, the Golden Age of Mobile
Apps and the Power of Social Media
 For years, businesses have been groping for an answer on how to unlock their biggest asset—the tacit knowledge that exists in their employees. Tapping into tacit knowledge could well lie in introducing social networking into the workplace. Have lunch with Dr. David Jacobson, Director - Emerging Technologies, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Toronto on November 16 (12:00pm - 2:00pm), when he will deliver a keynote on tacit knowledge, the golden age of mobile apps and the power of social media. He will outline valuable strategies to help you take advantage of the evolving communications trends. Click here to read David's bio.
» Register today
October MoMoVan: All About Monetization
 On October 5th we talked about monetizing of virtual goods, with a panel discussion moderated by Jordan Willms from Work at Play. Brian Shuster, CEO, Utherverse; Roger Graham, CEO, REIXL; Chris Koziak, CEO, Super Rewards and Alex Mendelev, VP, Business Development at Backstage Games all shared their insights.
Highlights included:
- Brian's (Utherverse) insights into the challenges of operating a virtual currency - including the need to be your own central banker, with concerns over money supply, exchange rate stability – especially precipitous drops in exchange rates when rare items become commonplace through bugs or attacks!
- Alex's (Backstage Games) description of a monetization strategy for casual games beyond advertising, through the delivery of game credits in exchange for completing a variety of CPA offers.
- Roger (of REIXL) on bringing digital media to bricks and mortar retailers as a selling tool that can be measured the same way as web ads.
Thank you to all our speakers and presenters!
WINBC WELCOMES THREE NEW MEMBERS
Angel Forum – Vancouver
Founded in 1997, the Angel Forum™ - Vancouver, Canada introduces emerging companies to private equity Angel Investors and Venture Capital funds. As the oldest & largest angel network in Western Canada with 50+ investors, our primary objective is to facilitate investment in emerging companies. We are supported by leading organizations in BC and belong to Canada's National Angel Capital Organization and US's Angel Capital Association. Presenting companies have raised over $28 million directly through the Forum. Since 1998, we have offered Investor Ready™ workshops for companies and investors.
Guard RFID
Guard RFID Solutions Inc. provides the most robust, reliable and least expensive Active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and platform. We are driving the adoption of active RFID solutions with total cost of ownership (TCO) parity with passive solutions.
Information Theory Solutions
Information Theory Solutions (ITS) offers system-level analysis of the physical layer connection between transmitter and receiver. The company specializes in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless links, error correction coding, modulation and signal processing. Services include tutorials on the latest wireless technology and simulation analysis of link level performance.
BC Wireless Industry News
WINBC and New Media BC Merge to Form DigiBC (Official Release)
Vancouver, BC, October 22, 2009 — The Wireless Innovation Network of BC and New Media BC agreed to form a new organization - DigiBC - The Digital Media and Wireless Association of BC to represent the interests of the wireless, mobile and digital media sectors. More
Clevest Solutions and Milsoft Utility Solutions Achieve MultiSpeak Version 3 and 4 Certification
Vancouver, BC, October 28, 2009 — Clevest Solutions announced that its Mobile Field Force AVL application has passed MultiSpeak® certification for interoperability with Milsoft Utility Solutions' DisSpatch outage management system on MultiSpeak® Version 3 and Version 4. More
Middle Tennesee Medical Center Chooses GuardRFID's TotGuard Active RFID System for Infant and Pediatric Security
On October 26th, Guard RFID announced that the Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MMTC) has chosen their TotGuard Infant Protection solution for its new $267 million facility in Murfreesboro, TN. The facility is to be equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, and GuardRFID's TotGuard system will play a pivotal role in protecting newborn and pediatric patients. More
Intrinsyc Launches Destinator 9 GPS Navigation for Symbian Qt Phones
On October 27th Intrinsyc Software International, Inc. announced a new version of Destinator GPS navigation software for Symbian Qt phones and touch devices. More
WebTech Wireless Announces Completion of Acquisition of Grey Island
On October 26, WebTech Wireless and Grey Island announced that they have completed their previously announced, court-approved plan in which WebTech Wireless has acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Grey Island. More
Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 2-In-1 Data Card Now Available For Use On The Verizon Wireless Network
On October 8th, Sierra Wireless and Verizon Wireless announced that the AirCard 402 2-in-1 mobile broadband card has been approved to run in the United States through Verizon Wireless' open development program. More
Upcoming Events
November 10, 2009 - Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association President's Reception, Vancouver, BC
Join Bernard Lord, President & CEO, CWTA and other members of the BC wireless community from 5-7pm for a reception and update on CWTA's latest initiatives. It will take place at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside (Port of New York Room), 1133 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. Space is limited, RSVP by November 3.
November 10, 2009 - Health Information Exchange Summit,
Philadelphia, PA
Do you want to identify future partnerships, uncover sales opportunities, increase market intelligence and create greater visibility in the U.S. market! Canadian eHealth companies are invited to attend and demonstrate their solutions to an invited audience of U.S. decision makers and health care professionals from the most important hospitals and medical research centres in the region. Invited Keynotes include: The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, P.C., M.P. Minister of Health (Canada) and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. For more information and registration: Canadian Consulate Philadelphia.
November 12-13, 2009 - Fusion 2009, Vancouver, BC
Fusion 2009, the only Western Canadian financing forum dedicated to digital media, showcasing early and growth stage companies that are original content/intellectual property ventures and firms developing new platforms & applications. 20 of Canada's hottest digital media companies will present before top tier investors from North America. The event includes a 2-day Entrepreneur Boot Camp (Nov 5 & 10), Pitch Conference (Nov 12), one-on-one meetings with local entrepreneurs and private round table investor sessions (Nov 13). Registration now open: www.thefusionforum.com.
November 16, 2009 - Tacit Knowledge, the Golden Age of Mobile Apps and the Power of Social Media, Vancouver, BC
Dr. David Jacobson, Director - Emerging Technologies, PricewaterhouseCoopers will deliver a keynote on using social networking to unlock your organizations most powerful asset: the tacit knowledge of your employees. A panel discussion with local leaders will follow. Register today at: Tacit Knowledge Presentation
November 23-24, 2009 - TechnologyWorld09, Coventry, UK
TechnologyWorld09, one of the largest technology 'speed meeting' events in the UK, and facilitates international business opportunities for over 500 companies each year. It brings together UK and non-UK based companies from across the globe to do business during two days of focused 1-2-1 meetings, seminar/panel discussion programs, exhibition showcase, networking events, and hands-on support on setting up or expanding in the UK from UK Trade & Investment advisors and other relevant organizations. For more information: TechnologyWorld09.
November 26, 2009 - BC Wireless Health Forum II, Vancouver, BC
Join us as we continue to unravel the wireless health opportunity in BC. Those BC companies that attended CTIA Wireless & IT conference in San Diego will share their insights. Keynote presentations from industry leaders such as GE, J&J will tell you how their organizations are making an impact on healthcare; a panel will take your questions. Register today: BC Wireless Health Forum II
November 26-29, 2009 - G-Star Game Show, Busan, Korea
Korea's largest gaming trade show and conference, G-Star attracts over 200,000 visitors, with a particular focus on mobile and online gaming. Selected BC companies participating in G-Star will have access to BC booth space, the International Content Creator's Conference (ICON), as well as networking and business-matching opportunities organized by BC's representative office in Korea. For more information about G-Star, contact: Ms. Soo Kyung Ahn at: 604-660-5916 or SooKyung.Ahn@gov.bc.ca.
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INDUSTRY EVENTS
CWTA
President's Reception
Vancouver, BC - Nov 10, 2009
Health Summit
Information Exchange Summit
Philadelphia, PA - Nov 10, 2009
Fusion 2009
The only Western Canadian financing forum dedicated to digital media - Vancouver, BC - Nov 12-13, 2009
Tacit Knowledge
Golden Age of Mobile Apps and the Power of Social Media - Vancouver, BC - Nov 16, 2009
TechnologyWorld09
Largest speed meeting event in UK - Conventry, UK - Nov 23-24, 2009
BC Wireless Health
Forum II
Wireless health opportunity in BC - Vancouver, BC - Nov 26, 2009
G Star Game Show
Korea's largest gaming tradeshow - Busan, Korea
Nov 26-29, 2009
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© 2009 WINBC. All Rights Reserved.