Monthly Archives: September 2009
Microsoft antivirus is now available
Microsoft antivirus is now available (note that it’s not installable on your machine if you’re running Forefront ) !
Free high-quality consumer anti-virus and anti-malware software from Microsoft! Available for use on genuine Windows PCs at no cost, Microsoft Security Essentials is an anti-malware service that helps protect consumers against viruses, spyware and other malware.
Microsoft Security Essentials is available in 8 languages across the 19 countries shown below, using it requires no registration, there are no trial conversions or renewals required to stay up to date with the latest version and it is available for download directly from Microsoft now at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/.
| Australia | Austria | Belgium | Brazil |
| Canada | France | Germany | Ireland |
| Israel | Italy | Japan | Mexico |
| Netherlands | New Zealand | Singapore | Spain |
| Switzerland | United Kingdom | United States |
You can learn more about Microsoft Security Essentials on their website, check out the system requirements (XP SP2 and above, etc)
See press Release here-below.
Microsoft’s New Tool in the Fight Against Malware Free to Consumers Microsoft Security Essentials, available for download tomorrow, provides real-time security protection. Editor’s note – Sept. 28, 2009 – information about the Security Essentials download availability was updated after original publication. REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 28, 2009 — Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Corp.’s new no-cost, core anti-malware service that helps protect consumers against viruses, spyware and other malicious software, will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 29. Microsoft Security Essentials, independently certified by West Coast Labs, is backed by the company’s global security response team and is built on the same award-winning core security technology found in the company’s security solutions for businesses. It requires no registration, trials or renewals and will be available for download directly from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials. “Consumers have told us that they want the protection of real-time security software but we know that too many are either unwilling or unable to pay for it, and so end up unprotected,” said Amy Barzdukas, general manager for consumer security at Microsoft. “With Microsoft Security Essentials, consumers can get high-quality protection that is easy to get and easy to use — and it won’t get in their way.” Making Microsoft Security Essentials broadly available as a free consumer download for genuine Windows-based PCs is part of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to provide a more trustworthy computing experience for all customers. By making Microsoft Security Essentials easy to get and easy to use, Microsoft hopes to encourage broader adoption of anti-virus protection across the consumer audience, which in turn will help increase security across the entire Windows ecosystem. For business customers, Microsoft continues to offer Forefront Client Security, providing centralized, comprehensive management and reporting capabilities. Maximum Security, Minimum Resource Requirements Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to run quietly in the background alerting users only when there is an action for them to take. It also limits CPU and memory usage, resulting in less impact on the tasks consumers perform every day such as opening documents or browser windows or loading search results, even on older or less powerful PCs. Microsoft Security Essentials uses real-time protection to help prevent PCs from becoming infected, and it is the first Microsoft security product to make use of the company’s new Dynamic Signature Service, a technology that helps ensure users stay protected by the most current virus definitions available without having to wait for the next scheduled download. “Microsoft is focused on the challenges that prevent consumers from running up-to-date anti-virus software today, particularly in emerging markets where there is a growing prevalence of malware,” said Jon Crotty, security analyst at IDC. “With Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft is helping to reduce some of the barriers that constrain consumers from running AV.” Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 including Windows XP mode on both x86 and x64 PCs. Microsoft Security Essentials will be available in eight languages and 19 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. More information about Microsoft Security Essentials and the product download is available at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.
Interview of Steve Ballmer regarding the 3 screen strategy
Interesting Interview of Steve Ballmer regarding the 3 screen strategy:
On Microsoft’s “three screens and the cloud” strategy: Ballmer says it’s a “fundamental shift in the computing paradigm.” He added “We used to talk about mainframe computer, mini computer, PC computing, client server computing, graphical computing, the internet; I think this notion of three screens and a cloud, multiple devices that are all important, the cloud not just as a point of delivery of individual applications, but really as a new platform, a scale-out, very manageable platform that has services that span security contacts, I think it’s a big deal.”
He also says that Microsoft obviously won’t be the only player in the new market, and joked that some people “for whatever crazy reasons don’t want to be on windows, might want to be on linux:”
Ballmer: Now in our own case, you know we’re going to try to share technologies, so that we get kind of synergy from a developers perspective. Windows on the phone, you know, Windows PCs controlling TVs, the Windows PC of course itself, Windows Azure in the cloud, so we have a lot of work that’s trying to share technology, but obviously you don’t want exactly the same experience on a little screen and a very big screen and a mid-size screen.
- On Why Microsoft won’t build a branded phone, as they have with the Zune and Xbox: Smart phones, like desktop and laptop computers and televisions, are “non-niche devices,” which he defines as 300 million or more units per year. These markets are large enough that there will be multiple manufacturers, and it’s unlikely that any single vertical vendor will dominate the market. It makes sense, he says, for Microsoft to be a vendor of the platform and services for these types of devices. So, don’t expect a Microsoft branded phone.
Take a look also at this VIDEO
Holiday Shoppers Creatively Conservative, But More Confident
Holiday Shoppers Creatively Conservative, But More Confident
by Jack Loechner, Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 8:15 AM
According new research from Information Resources, Inc. consumers will take a more strategic approach to holiday shopping this year and are heading into stores with shopping lists and a budget in mind. They are not expected to give up their focus on conservative spending by creating tremendous credit card balances.
Consumer attitudes and concerns surrounding gas prices, cost of utilities, job stability, the rise in food prices, and the recession are all seeing a decline in how these factors will affect this year’s holiday shopping rituals. Consumers’ holiday shopping will be less affected by economic factors than last year, says the report. In comparison to last year, the key survey findings include:
•Concern about the price of food has dropped more than 20% this year (98% in 2008 versus 77% in 2009)
•Expressed concern for the effect of gasoline prices on holiday shopping has dropped by 10% compared to 2008
•Utilitiy concerns saw a similar decline, down just over 9% from 2008
•The overall effect of the recession on shopping decisions has decreased nearly 5%
•Job stability concern remains top of mind, with only a 1% decline
Thom Blischok. President, IRI Consulting & Innovation, notes that “… last year’s dismal holiday retail results are being left behind as consumers are slightly more optimistic about the economy and are much more savvy about how they attack their holiday gift and meal list.”
The values American consumers continue to hold dear during the recession, religion, family time, and communal holiday meals, remain important to the shopper. Specifically the study found that:
•More than 81% of consumers say religion is a major factor in their holiday celebrations
•More than 98% of shoppers will make spending time with family a priority in the holiday season
•93% of consumers’ holiday plans include getting together with family and friends over the dinner table and at parties
•More than 90% of shoppers are making gift-giving a priority, up nearly three percentage points from last year
Nearly two thirds of consumers plan to eat their holiday meals at home, half plan to dine at their friends’ homes and holiday parties, and almost all plan to consume alcoholic beverages during these holiday parties. Consumers plan to spend the same or less this year than in 2008 on holiday meals, according to the report. More than 94% plan on spending no more than $500 on food and 90% plan on spending no more than $200 on holiday beer, wine, and spirits purchases. Only 11% of consumers mention they will shop without a grocery list, and private label buying continues to be top of mind for shoppers.
Additional survey findings include:
•79% say budgeting, and 60% say matched quality to name brands remain leading reasons for the switch to private label.
•92% of consumers will do grocery store holiday shopping based on sales, discounts, product selection, and in-stock items.
•23% of shoppers have a gift-giving budget over $799, down 13% from 2008
•11% more plan on budgeting up to $499 this year for gifts than in 2008
•71% of consumers will not be giving food as gifts this year
•only 18% will be making their gift purchases without a shopping list.
•An 18% increase in online shopping from 2008 is expected, when only 41% of consumers shopped online
Blischok concludes that “… CPG companies and retailers need to take advantage of this… savvy shopper… by appealing to values and budgets… (but) these actions and strategies must be swift… especially as shoppers continue making purchase decisions in their homes.”
For more information, please visit Information Resources here.
Consumer goods in Japan – Fashion victims.
Consumer goods in Japan
Fashion victims
Sep 17th 2009 | TOKYO
From The Economist print edition
Beleaguered firms are merging at last—but cost-cutting is still taboo
Reuters
Why pay more if it’s no more comfortable?THE Japanese have long been tacit devotees of the old Gucci family motto: “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” For years, no nation has spent more per person on luxury goods, nor been more disposed to pay the earth for a potentially deadly fishy delicacy. But something is awry in the land of mass luxury. The Japanese are finally, after an economic crisis that follows almost two decades of growing hardship, turning thrifty.
Even before exports collapsed last year, wages at the national level had begun to fall as well-paid elderly workers retired, to be replaced by underpaid youngsters. Now comes what Brian Salsberg of McKinsey, a consultancy, calls a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour. People are suddenly fighting for a good deal.
The response, as so often in Japanese business, is well-intentioned but a bit muddled. Feeble prospects at home help explain why Suntory, a firm familiar to foreigners as the maker of a single-malt whisky, has made a bid for Orangina Schweppes, best known for a fizzy orange drink beloved in France. Suntory was already in merger talks with Kirin, another Japanese drinks firm, which has acquired aggressively in Australia. Both firms hope their combined heft will help them move into China and other fast-growing markets. A potentially more tangible benefit of merger—cutting costs at home to boost profitability—is less discussed.
The same is true of the more defensive mergers on the Japanese high street. As sales of luxury goods have tumbled in the past year, there is barely an upmarket national department store that has not joined forces with a rival. But when Nikkei, a Japanese business newspaper, said last month that the newly merged Isetan Mitsukoshi, the country’s largest department-store operator, planned to shed about 1,000 jobs as part of a cost-cutting drive, the company poured cold water on the report.
The episode underscored how hard it remains for Japanese companies to use cost-cutting as the logic for merging. Instead their primary focus is on driving top-line and market-share growth, says Steven Thomas, a mergers expert at UBS, an investment bank. Reducing overlaps is, at best, a secondary consideration. “It would get very exciting if a more cold-blooded attitude started to emerge,” he says.
Yet not all are struggling. Some mid-market Japanese retailers, such as Uniqlo, a clothes store, and Muji, which sells everything from belts to bicycles, have retained an edge at home and expanded abroad. Online retailers are doing well. And where there were once slow-moving rivers of people only in Tokyo’s fashion ghettos of Ginza and Omotesando, now you must fight through the crowds at determinedly cost-conscious foreign chains such as America’s Costco and Sweden’s H&M.
The latter’s compatriot, IKEA, may be the best indication in Japan that people will still shop if the price is right. It abandoned Japan in 1986, owing to poor sales. When it returned three years ago, many doubted the hard-working Japanese would have the time, let alone the inclination, to spend weekends in flat-pack frustration. They were wrong. IKEA’s sales in the year to August were up 44% from the previous year. That is another reason for the beleaguered incumbents to seek solace in each other’s embrace.
5 Reasons The Microsoft Zune HD Will Contend With The Apple iPod
5 Reasons The Microsoft Zune HD Will Contend With The Apple iPod
By Brian Kraemer, ChannelWeb
12:11 PM EDT jeu.. sept.. 17, 2009 Competing in the mobile music field inevitably means competing against Apple (NSDQ:AAPL)’s wildly popular iPod in all of its various incarnations, but Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) is working to differentiate itself from the rest of the field with its Zune HD.
To challenge Apple’s iPod for the mobile music device market crown, the Microsoft Zune HD is bringing back some of its favorite features from previous iterations while adding some important new functionality to entice new users.
High Definition Is King
High definition is an important enough differentiator that Microsoft put it in the name. Sure, the touch-screen device is a music player, but video on the go is becoming more and more important to consumers. And in the home, HD television and clear images are important. That’s why Microsoft pulled out all the stops and put Nvidia’s Tegra system-on-a-chip platform — which the chip maker calls the “world’s first HD mobile processor” — in the Zune. The mobile device from Microsoft is built to show movies and television shows in 720p.
Cross-Platform Pollination
Microsoft is pairing an online content store with the Zune HD, something Xbox owners are already familiar with. While the offerings for the Microsoft Zune HD are still paltry compared to Apple’s iTunes store, it is a crucial step for Redmond if they are serious about competing against the incumbent iPod. Another important feature for the Zune HD is its ability to translate content from one device to another. If a Zune user purchases a movie in HD, it will be available on the Xbox at home or even on a Windows Mobile device.
Unlimited Music Service
One thing that does differentiate Microsoft’s Zune HD from Apple’s line of iPods is the way users can consume music. Unlike the iTunes store, which requires paid downloads for seemingly everything, Microsoft users can pay a flat fee of $15 a month and have unlimited access to streaming music. The problem with the subscription model, of course, is that once you unsubscribe your music library is lost. At least, that was the case, until Microsoft decided to allow users to keep 10 songs a month as part of the streaming music deal. It’s not a huge amount, but it is at least a start.
Built-In Radio
Microsoft will still have a built-in radio tuner that owners of previous versions of the Zune will recognize, but with a twist. In addition to getting the regular terrestrial channels that appear on the radio dial, the Zune HD is taking HD to the radio as well. That means there’s more content available for customers to consume, all from the mobile device.
There Is A Browser — Sort Of
Microsoft isn’t unaware of the fact that mobile devices are continuing to converge as consumers become less interested in having cluttered pockets and are more interested in a single device that suits all their needs. To that end, Microsoft equipped the Zune HD with a Web browser which, from most reports, is basic and serviceable at best. The iPod and iPhone were released as mostly polished devices with functionality that is simple and intuitive. Microsoft’s Zune HD isn’t quite there — yet. But the fact that the browser is included is encouraging and points to the potential of the mobile device.
Limited Edition “The Beatles: Rock Band” Xbox 360 Sells for $17,300 in Online Auction Benefiting Doctors Without Borders
”All You Need Is Love” and Xbox LIVE To Keep Giving to Charity
Today Microsoft announced that gamers, Beatles fans, music lovers, and do-gooders across the world are raising tens of thousands of dollars to benefit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) by downloading the exclusive Xbox LIVE track, “All You Need Is Love,” at a record-setting pace and bidding for a limited edition “The Beatles: Rock Band” Xbox 360 console. The rare Xbox 360 console featuring illustrations from the eye-popping cinematic intro to “The Beatles: Rock Band” attracted more than 110 bids from around the globe, finally raising $17,300 for the charity in its 10 day online auction.
With $17,300 raised from the auction of the first limited edition Xbox 360 console, Doctors Without Borders will be able to purchase the equipment needed to carry out 86,500 immunizations using auto-disposable syringes, or purchase enough emergency kits composed of drugs and medical supplies to meet the basic needs of more than 2,800 people for 15 days in the aftermath of a disaster. Only a small number of these numbered, Beatles-themed Xbox 360 consoles will ever be available to the public with all proceeds to benefit Doctors Without Borders. Information on the release of the remaining limited edition consoles in regions worldwide is coming soon to www.xbox.com/thebeatlesrockband.
The love doesn’t stop there. Xbox 360 sales of the exclusive “All You Need Is Love” track broke records as the fastest selling downloadable song in “Rock Band” history within two days of its availability, demonstrating the passion and power of more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members to rally behind this social cause while enjoying The Beatles’ iconic anthem of love and peace. It’s not too late to join hands with the Xbox LIVE community to contribute to Doctors Without Borders – Microsoft, Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games and Harmonix proceeds from ”All You Need Is Love” sales will continue to benefit the charity, which was personally selected by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.
“We are thrilled over the contributions to us so far from downloads of ‘All You Need Is Love,’ and from the auction of the beautiful, one-of-a-kind Xbox console,” said Dr. Matt Spitzer, president of the board of directors of Doctors Without Borders. “We are incredibly grateful for having been selected as the beneficiary of this promotion. Funds generated from initiatives such as this can go a long way,” he added. “Severely malnourished children will be treated, people displaced by war will receive life-saving medical care, and people living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other neglected diseases will have access to the medicines they need. On behalf of our patients, Doctors Without Borders says ‘Thank You.’”
As a bonus, continuing through Dec. 9, 2009, players who purchase and download the “All You Need Is Love” track for 160 Microsoft Points for charity will also be registered for the “The Beatles: Rock Band” Download & Win* for a chance to win one of the limited edition “The Beatles: Rock Band” Xbox 360 consoles and a Rickenbacker 325 replica guitar controller. Head on over to http://xbox.com/tbrbsweep to find out how you can be eligible to be one of five potential Grand Prize winners.
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971 working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 US (and DC) 18+. Game ends at 11:59 PM ET on 12-9-09. For full details, including free method of entry, see Official Rules at xbox.com/tbrbsweep
Video Bugatti Veyron on Forza Motorsport 3 !
Hier is hij dan eindelijk: De Bugatti Veyron video voor Forza Motorsport 3 dat eraan komt. Een klein voorsmaakje van how dreams are driven.
La star s’est fait attendre. Voici enfin la vidéo de la Bugatti Veyron qui fera son entrée dans le très attendu Forza Motorsport 3 !
Klik op de volgende link en geef je ogen de kost…
Cliquez sur le lien suivant et appréciez …
https://files.edelman.com/seos/1000/mpd/230920091f2dd193b58e7aac74282392273984a5
Forza Motorsport 3 Goes Gold and Announces Xbox LIVE Demo
Forza Motorsport 3 Goes Gold and Announces Xbox LIVE Demo
on September 24
The white flag waves as “Forza Motorsport 3” has Gone Gold, entering its final lap before launching on Oct. 23 in Europe exclusively on Xbox 360. To mark the occasion, Microsoft and Turn 10 today confirmed that a demo of the highly anticipated title will arrive on Xbox LIVE Marketplace starting Sept. 24.
The new demo lets you get behind the wheel of five of the world’s most amazing cars on the full circuit of the game’s Camino Viejo track. The demo includes five playable cars:
- 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
- 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
- 2009 Ferrari California
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
- 2009 Mini John Cooper Works
You will be able to drive all of the cars in the demo in full cock-pit view as well as experience damage, rollover and try out the game’s new rewind feature as you take turns on a beautiful Spanish mountain course inspired by the Montserrat region just outside of Barcelona, Spain. When logged into Xbox LIVE, the demo will also support official leaderboards for lap times, giving you a further taste of what players will experience in “Forza Motorsport 3.”
With today’s Gone Gold announcement and the recent announcements around the fan-designed R8 V10 5.2 FSI quattro and the exclusive Limited Collector’s Edition (which includes 10 exclusive bonus cars, VIP community status, and more), there has never been a better time to pre-order “Forza Motorsport 3.”
forzamotorsport.net: Forza Motorsport 3 Intro Video
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Last AD SPOT – Halo ODST, on Xbox 360.
Step Into the World of an ODST with the “Halo 3: ODST” Live-Action Short, Debuting this Labor Day Weekend as Fans Everywhere Prepare for the Launch of “Halo 3: ODST” on September 22 Today, Microsoft unveils a “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short, a 90 second ad spot for the eagerly awaited Xbox 360 exclusive, “Halo 3: ODST.” The ad debuts today exclusively on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/gametrailers and IGN.com.
The “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short is a haunting, action-packed production that charts the life of a UNSC Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, or ODST. In addition to the online debut of the 90 second short, Halo fans in the United States will be treated to a special, extended two minute 30 second version exclusively on Spike TV on Monday September 7. The extended version will premiere during “Band of Brothers” at 10:30 PM ET/PT. The short will also be available to download on Xbox LIVE starting September 8. For the production of the “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short, Microsoft and Bungie partnered with ad agency TAG SF, Legacy Effects (props), Asylum (visual effects) and Final Cut (editing). The short features an original musical score written and produced by Human. The short was directed by Rupert Sanders with MJZ, the director of the award-winning “Halo 3” ad spot “Believe.” The short was filmed on location in Budapest, Hungary. Also launching today at 6:00 p.m. PT is a unique “Halo 3: ODST” interactive experience site on http://www.xbox.com/halo. Visitors will be in control of an Operations of Naval Intelligence (ONI) application that blends science, psychology and analysis to evaluate which ODST candidates are best suited for upcoming missions in “Halo 3: ODST.” Featuring over 20 minutes of interactive content, visitors can interact with the evaluations of the four ODST squad members they will be fighting alongside in “Halo 3: ODST” in order to dive deeper into the fiction of the game. Microsoft and Bungie worked with AKQA SF and TAG SF on the experience site. Suit up and prepare to drop September 22 when “Halo 3: ODST” hits retail stores worldwide. For the latest updates on “Halo 3: ODST” follow the Halo Waypoint Twitter @HaloWaypoint or visit the Halo Waypoint Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HaloWaypoint.
Nirvana is back, also on Xbox 360
See this Great Trailer.
Kurt Cobain is back on Guitar Hero 5. Also on Xbox 360.
Researching online before buying offline
| Very intersting article read in the Sydney Morning Herald |
Consumers increasingly are researching online before buying offline, a trend known as ROBO, which has prompted retailers to change their advertising strategies. “This is not about e-commerce,” said John Murray, director of digital at Mitchell Communication Group. “This is all about the changes that are taking place in the consideration process. These days the visit to the store might be the last piece of the puzzle
|
By Julian Lee, September 3, 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald |
Consumers increasingly are researching online before buying offline, a trend known as ROBO, which has prompted retailers to change their advertising strategies. “This is not about e-commerce,” said John Murray, director of digital at Mitchell Communication Group. “This is all about the changes that are taking place in the consideration process. These days the visit to the store might be the last piece of the puzzle
ROBOs changing retail rules of engagement
JULIAN LEE
September 3, 2009
THE increasing number of people who are researching online before buying offline – known as ROBOs – is fuelling a mini-boom in retailers advertising online, with search marketing rather than e-commerce leading the charge.
Media buyers report increased activity among retail clients who are realising that the traditional rules of engagement with shoppers have changed.
Half of Australia’s shoppers are going online before they go into a shop, says a study by Google and the Australian Centre for Retail Studies, which also found that the number of queries for key categories was rising.
Google’s marketing manager for retail and consumer goods, Ross McDonald, said that in the year to July the number of queries made through Google across the retail category had grown by up to 30 per cent on the previous period.
But the deviations in the path to buying are driving online sceptics such as Harvey Norman and David Jones to revisit the internet.
A recent study by the consultants McKinsey found that unlike the old model where shoppers began their shopping journey being aware of a big number of brands, which reduced as they proceeded (the funnel method), it found the number of brands grew as soon as people went online and gathered information.
”Not all is lost for brands excluded from this first stage,” the authors write. ”Contrary to the funnel metaphor, the number of brands under consideration during the active evaluation phase may now actually expand rather than narrow as consumers seek information and shop a category.”
McKinsey found that in cars for example, another 2.2 brands were added to a potential buyer’s consideration list of 3.8. ”Brands already under consideration can no longer take that status for granted,” they say.
Findings such as these explain why the search category is expected to grow significantly in the next 12 months.
John Murray, the director of digital at Mitchell Communication Group, said: ”This is not about e-commerce. This is all about the changes that are taking place in the consideration process. These days the visit to the store might be the last piece of the puzzle.”
Mr Murray said he expected retail to be a ”major driver” of growth in search advertising in the next year, perhaps even reaching the same levels as mainstream advertising.
Retailers have been among the slowest to adopt online advertising, despite the sector’s accounting for a fifth of the $13 billion spent in the main media advertising market.
In the past financial year, the retail sector spent $15 million on general display ads on websites, representing only 3.16 per cent of that market, according to figures from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Frost & Sullivan reports that last year retailers made up 8.3 per cent of search advertising, compared with 26 per cent by travel and accommodation, 17 per cent by media and entertainment, and 13 per cent by the banking sector.
Paul Fisher, chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, said the experience of some retailers in failed e-commerce ventures had made them reticent about online advertising. David Jones closed its online shopping store in 2003, having written off debts of up to $15 million on the venture. Yet its recent appointment of a head of digital marketing and e-tail signalled it was re-evaluating the medium.
Marcelo Silva, general manager of Group M Search, also reported an increase in activity. ”It’s good to see the likes of Harvey Norman and Rebel Sport among others dipping their toe in the water,” he said. ”There’s a nice growth [rate] and with the level of education we will see search taking a greater share of the pie [this year].”
Rob Marston, director of search at media agency Starcom, expects mobile phones to fuel the growth. He said location-based technology that allowed retailers to promote the handsets of consumers who had already registered an interest in that store or category would be key. Google is already reporting significant growth in searches made on mobile phones, particularly since the introduction of iPhones. ”It’s the missing link, especially for the growing number of ROBOs,” Mr Marston said.
Mr McDonald of Google said retailers should take advantage of the fact that when people were looking for information online they were open to messages from advertisers. ”Our own research accords with the McKinsey findings. If you take the volume increases in search queries plus the fact that our own research shows that half of Australians are researching online before purchasing, we believe that that second phase in the path to purchase – the active evaluation phase – is crucial.”
Google was putting on more sales staff to accommodate the growth, he said.
Xbox 360 Sets the Stage for Beatlemania with Fab Exclusives ahead of 09.09.09 Launch
“All You Need Is Love” and more coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and “The Beatles: Rock Band”
Xbox 360, Apple Corp, MTV Games and Harmonix are giving the world new ways to relive the magic of Beatlemania with the launch of “The Beatles™: Rock Band™” (Harmonix/MTV Games) on 09.09.09. Beginning at launch, Xbox 360 will give Beatles fans, rockers and gamers alike the chance to download an exclusive Beatles track to benefit Doctors Without Borders and test their Beatles knowledge with a unique “1 vs 100” experience – only on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE.
All You Need is LIVE
This autumn, Xbox 360 will harness the passion of its more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members for charity. “All You Need Is Love” will be released exclusively on Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system as a downloadable song for “The Beatles: Rock Band” through Xbox LIVE on September 9, 2009 with Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games, Harmonix and Microsoft proceeds benefitting Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison personally selected the international emergency medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971 as the beneficiary of the proceeds. The track will be available for 160 Microsoft Points.
As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be able to fill even more of your entertainment time with music videos, documentaries and movies inspired by the Fab Four on Xbox LIVE. From classic tunes from band members to the best of the Mersey’s music from today and the critically acclaimed documentary, “Imagine: John Lennon,” it’s all there for you at the touch of a button.
In addition, “The Beatles: Rock Band” owners will be able to download the full “Abbey Road” album beginning on October 20, along with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Rubber Soul” following in November and December respectively. The albums will be available for 1360 Microsoft Points, with individual tracks at 160 Microsoft Points each.
Beatles-Inspired “1 vs 100 LIVE”
Need more ways to prove your love for The Beatles? Then challenge the depths of your knowledge of The Beatles in a unique “1 vs 100 LIVE” episode. Coming on August 29, as an Xbox LIVE Gold member, you’ll get the chance to not only chat live with some of the creative minds behind ”The Beatles: Rock Band,” but also call in to test your knowledge of the band and their music and even win some Microsoft Points for your efforts. Immediately following, fans who can’t get enough can continue the fun with two back-to-back “1 vs 100 Extended Play” episodes full of Beatles trivia.
More to come
Coming soon, music fans and gamers will also get the chance join the “Fab Four Mystery Tour” – an interactive look at the Beatles and the many twists and turns of their career. The website was created using artwork and animations from the eye-popping intro cinematic for “The Beatles: Rock Band” created by Passion Pictures, that debuted at E3 this year.
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