*hyperLINK***hyperLINK***hyperLINK***hyperLINK***hyperLINK* Here is this week's hyperLINK, your window on the local, national and international IT sector, brought to you by Canterbury Software Inc and editor Carol Webb. It includes news on the next CSI Tech BBQ and other CSI events, as part of promoting success through connections for IT products, services and people.
See the full version at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm Sign-up options at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/news.htm + Please forward this newsletter. You can freely re-use the feature stories, provided you acknowledge the credited feature story writer and hyperLINK as source. ############### FRIDAY TECH BBQ SEPTEMBER 26: Simulation Hardware, 6/72 Orbell St, Sydenham. The Simulation Hardware guys are in the mood to celebrate their move to spacious warehouse premises in Sydenham with a boomer BBQ. Get your name in the draw by 6pm and the winner will be taken for a virtual spin around Christchurch in the Boeing 767 300ER training cockpit (see feature story below. BYO bangers for the BBQ and liquid refreshments. Inquiries to Steve Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED] OCTOBER 3: At Cii (Canterbury Innovation Incubator, 200 Armagh St, following the October Elevator Cafe which starts at 5.30. For further information (and to see who got snapped by the CSI paparazzi at recent events) go to the Tech BBQ page at http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/bbq.htm ELEVATOR CAFE Come along next week to the CSI's October Elevator Cafe - you may learn a thing or two about presenting a product or service, you may find a potential business partner, and you'll certainly find out about the broad range of opportunities Canterbury's software companies are involved with. You'll get the chance to quiz people about their company, their services and products. And they'll be looking for feedback on their presentations too. It's happening at 5pm at the Canterbury Innovation Incubator (200 Armagh St). It's free to all, and will be followed by the Tech BBQ afterwards (6pm-ish, BYO). + Canterbury Software Inc is keen to promote the Friday Tech BBQ as a meeting point for all-comers from the Christchurch tech community. The BBQ is an informal social and networking event that takes place every Friday, 5.30pm to around 7.30pm. It's a chance to meet other similar people in a relaxed environment, talk shop, network and get to know each other better. ############### hyperLINK contents: Issue 21, September 25 2003 + Christchurch flight sim builders poised for business take-off + Testing times - lessons for developers + Tech Newsbytes from all around + Incredibly useful website of the week + Online with CSI + Hot topics at the forum + Contact us, subscribe/unsubscribe etc ############### *FEATURE* CHRISTCHURCH FLIGHT SIM BUILDERS POISED FOR BUSINESS TAKE-OFF By CAROL WEBB A Christchurch company started by three online flying hobbyists is appearing on the radar of aviation companies looking for affordable pilot training cockpit simulators. [more here http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/current.htm#feature1 ] ------------------------------ *FEATURE* TESTING TIMES Software and products that go to market with major bugs in functionality frustrate users, increase support costs and lower revenues, writes software and hardware testing specialist PETER BROWN. In an article specially written for hyperLINK, CSI member Brown says developers must learn to take testing seriously. http://www.canterburysoftware.org.nz/resourcestech.htm ------------------------------ *NEWSBYTES* WALKING THE TALK: A free, must-do Canterbury Software Inc marketing workshop on Wednesday October 1 from 9am to noon will be run by Wellington-based advertising/PR/marketing guru Warwick McCormack. Register your interest in the workshop now with Nicky Leadley, phone 0800 249 232 or e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] And there's more: presenter McCormack will be available for one-to one follow-up coaching, fully funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the day following the workshop. You can take advantage of this opportunity by making an appointment with him during the workshop. NB: the workshop and follow-up coaching are open to CSI members only. If you're not already a member, sign up here http://www.canterburysoftware.org.nz/join.htm Membership is only $50 a year and this workshop alone is worth every cent of that. GO GLOBAL: If you are already operating offshore and anticipating high growth over the next 12 months you will be interested in a new programme developed by The Icehouse and The University of Auckland Business School, with support from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. Called 321 Go Global, this programme will provide you with the framework and knowledge to grow your business internationally without having to learn the hard way. Seminars are being held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in November. Find out more at www.321goglobal.co.nz or from James Saruchera phone 353 6879 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] The first 80 applications will receive a free copy of Leading at the Speed of Growth, an insightful book written by one of the programme�s international presenters, Dr Jana Matthews. UNBUNDLING RECOMMENDED: The Telecommunications Commissioner has recommended the government open up Telecom's copper-line network to competitors but it is likely to be at least 2005 before there are any real benefits for Telecom's rivals, who will have to equip Telecom's telephone exchanges with their own hardware. The Commerce Commission estimates the benefits of unbundling the local loop will equate to $204 million over a five-year period as consumers take advantage of lower prices for fast internet products. More at NZ Herald - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology IHUG SALE: Ihug is to be sold to Australian company iiNet for A$71.5 million (NZ$81.7 million), with the combined entity to list on the New Zealand stock exchange. Ihug, founded and still majority owned by Kiwi brothers Tim and Nick Wood, has about 100,000 customers in New Zealand. JETSREAM RESHUFFLE: Xtra�s Jetstream plans and pricing have been reconfigured to offer a new low entry price point for monthly usage of up to 500MB a month. The new plans give a choice of monthly allowances of 500 MB, 1000 MB and 2000 MB a month, and download and upload speeds of up to 256 kilobits per second (kbps). The Home 500 and Home 1000 plans, which operate at download speeds up to 2 MBs per second, are being reduced in price by $10 a month. CUNNING DISGUISE: The latest virus to hit the Web poses as a security update from Microsoft and takes advantage of a two-year-old weakness in Internet Explorer. Disguised as an official e-mail from Microsoft, the file comes attached to a note asking the recipient to install a "September 2003, cumulative patch" to protect against vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser and Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs. If installed, the program, known as Swen or Gibe.F, attempts to disable firewall and antivirus software, gather password information and replicate itself via e-mail, as well as the Kazaa peer-to-peer network and Internet Relay Chat instant-messaging. CASH BOOSTS: The Government has dipped into a four year contingency fund to find cash for a next generation internet project and secondary school curriculum funding. Business training and a tertiary initiative will also receive funding. The NGI (next generation Internet) based research network gets $200,000 to build a business case for a network linking research institutions nationally and an international link. An extra $8 million over four years goes towards implementing the secondary school technology curriculum. A further $11.6 million over four years has been allocated to develop enterprise training for emerging industries, including ICT, within tertiary institutes, and $10 million is targeted at addressing a lack of commercial and entrepreneurial skills among graduates and existing decision-makers in business. IMPORTANT QUESTION: Since its launch in May, CSI's hyperLINK has brought you lots of stories, news and info, going to almost 800 hi-tech players and sector observers. We want to get continued financial backing for it, and need to know this: Is hyperLINK helpful to your business? Simply email CSI Facilitator James Saruchera [EMAIL PROTECTED] saying Yes or No. (Further comments would be appreciated!). COMING UP: The famous (and rightly so) NZCS Canterbury Branch annual golf tournament will be held at Harewood Golf Club Old Course, McLeans Island Road, on Friday November 7. ------------------------------ *EXPORT FOCUS* CONSULTING AGREEMENT This checklist addresses the issues that a Consulting Agreement must contain when a company is engaging a person as a consultant. http://www.marketnewzealand.com/common/files/auerbach-consulting.pd f +From a series of checklists prepared by Trade NZ to help companies work through the export planning process. NEXT WEEK: CONTRACT MANUFACTURING AGREEMENT ------------------------------ *WEBSITE OF THE WEEK* SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ONLINE http://www.sdmagazine.com Award winning magazine Software Development has a feature-packed website with a mix of strategic technology coverage and people management issues facing developers. There�s a lively forum and you can subscribe to a number of top class magazine websites in the CMP Media group. + Tell the editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) about any sites you'd like to share with hyperLINK's readers ------------------------------ *CSI WEBSITE HAPPENINGS* If you're planning a software-related event in Canterbury, or a business-related one which could be of use to the software community (such as how to get government funding or great marketing strategies!), CSI has now got an easy Events submission form on its website. Get more people along, by letting the software community know what you've got planned. Use the form at: http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/events.htm#evform ------------------------------ *MEANWHILE, AT THE FORUM* The Forum is your online community, where you can: + air your problems and concerns about marketing your software internationally + get rapid and effective suggestions from others like you, who've already done it + raise and discuss subjects of general concern to members Go to http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/forum.htm ------------------------------ CONTACT US ... SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE hyperLINK email options: http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/news.htm Contact the editor, Carol Webb: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ --> via Canterbury Software email forum: Success through Connections Email your messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Searchable list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] Leave or rejoin the list: http://canterburysoftware.org.nz/forum.htm
