Management Blog

Google's new customised feature

Google's search engine has received an extensive overhaul, The Australian reports.

The internet monolith now allows web users to edit, delete, rate and share search results in a move that brings social networking features to the search engine arena.

According to Google the key benefit of the SearchWiki is the ability to customise searches that are performed on a regular basis.

Users must be signed up to a Google account in order to use the service, which only applies to their search results.

Businesses keen to adopt open source

New research on workplace software use suggests 85 per cent of companies now use open source software products, Smart Company reports.

In addition, technology researchers Gartner claims the other 15 per cent of respondents said they were planning to use open source programs by the end of next year.

Gartner says the impetus behind the use of open source programs is cost as well as the ability to avoid being tied to a particular software vendor.

While open source software may be free, companies are warned that using these programs still warrants investment in product research, intellectual property issues and supportability risks.

Travelling with Wikitude

The launch of a smart phone delivered travel guide has the potential to wipe paper guidebooks off the face of the planet, The Times reports.

With Wikitude, travellers can be informed of their current location by simply capturing an image of their surrounds using their smart phone.

A full Wikipedia entry on the location can also be accessed using the service.

Currently available for phones that run Google's Android operating system, Wikitude uses GPS and mobile phone towers to determine a user's location.

Australians keen for green products

New research indicates 85 per cent of Australians are changing their buying patterns in order to reduce their carbon footprint, Marketing Magazine reports.

The L.E.K. Consulting study also found a small but increasing number of respondents said they'd be prepared to pay more for environmentally sustainable products and services.

It's claimed 63 per cent of Australians would be willing to change to carbon-friendly offerings that were equal in quality and price.

Researchers say the findings prove that opportunities abound for green marketers, especially in the retail, manufacturing, business services, energy, transport and electronics sectors.

Marketers respond to the Do Not Call register

New figures reveal the Federal Government's Do Not Call register is working with complaints about unsolicited telemarketing calls dropping over the past financial year, The Age reports.

According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the number of complaints fell to an average of 1,300 for the three months to September.

This is a drop from 2,400 complaints a month during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, business owners are keen to have the register extended to their phone numbers as many claim dealing with unsolicited calls wastes both their time and money.

The Federal Government is currently seeking public input on the extension.

Brand Australia tops tourism survey

Tourism Australia's 'Where the bloody hell are you?' advertising campaign may have copped a lot of flack, but it certainly hasn't harmed our country's brand identity, The Age reports.

According to the article, Future Brand's 2008 Country Brand Index has rated Australia as the strongest brand in the world for the third year in a row, beating Canada, the US, Italy and Switzerland for the title.

But it appears we're not so popular when it comes to specific interest areas; Australia failed to make it into the top five tourist destinations for culture, nightlife, shopping and fine dining.

Spam levels are down... but for how long?

Some good news on the spam front: The Age reports that a US web host responsible for 75 per cent of the world's unsolicited email has been shut down.

According to the article, the switch has been flicked on California based web host McColo following an investigation into their spam supporting activities.

Australian email experts claim that within 12 hours of McColo's demise spam traffic fell to a figure eight times its usual level.

But will this drop in spamming be short lived?

Some commentators say spammers may simply regroup and seek out accommodating web hosts based in other parts of the globe.

Admin wins out over people skills: study

A new workplace productivity study has found managers devote over a third of their time to admin tasks and only a small amount to supervising and training staff.

According to management-issues, The Global Productivity Report suggests managers spend up to 18.5 per cent of their time undertaking unproductive activities.

When asked about hurdles to productivity respondents said skills shortages, poor communications, red tape, rules and regulations, low morale, staff turnover and their supervisors were all issues.

The survey did uncover some good news. The international study indicates Australian managers spend the least amount of time working on unproductive activities.

Google dives into health trends

Mega-innovator Google has unveiled a new service called Flu Trends to provide an early warning system for disease outbreaks, The New York Times reports.

The service is based on a simple premise: when people start to feel flu-like symptoms they often turn to Google to search for advice.

By geographically tracking and collating these searches, Google.org – the company's philanthropic unit – says it can show where flu outbreaks are occurring. 

It's claimed the new web tool has potential to identify regional outbreaks of influenza up to 10 days earlier than US Government health officials.

Gladwell returns with Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell – the man behind the uber successful Blink and The Tipping Point books – is back with an investigation into what makes the world's best and brightest people tick.

Gladwell's publisher says Outliers: The story of success looks at the characteristics of extremely successful people by examining their cultural, family, generational and idiosyncratic experiences.

In its preview, the 800-CEO-READ blog claims the book offers a series of at case studies on software barons, sports stars, Asian maths champs and arguably the world's great pop band, the Beatles.

Outliers is released this week.