Is AjaxWrite the new Microsoft Word?

Jonathan Bowers, March 24th 2006, 10:34AM

Like most of my generation, I have not written a document without the aid of a keyboard for about 10 years. I remember a strange transition period at University in the mid 90's when I would begin writing essays in freehand and then type them up in the final draft! The moment I realised I could do an essay in half the time by starting on the computer I never looked back!

Since then, Microsoft Word has been the obvious and only choice for me and most others I know. But today, in a more modern kind of cross-platform collaboration to my essay writing of old, I am typing this in AjaxWrite and then pasting it into my blog software!

Google have just bought Writely so we can expect their challenge to Microsoft's Office products on the horizon, but AjaxWrite has launched this week and the Net is talking about it. Creator Michael Robertson says that for 90% of the world's population, the need to buy Microsoft Word just vanished. There are those who agree.

It's fitting that Internet Explorer does not support this new tool, so you need to use Firefox 1.5 or above to get it up and running. Why not have a look and see what you think.

Tags: ajaxwrite, microsoftword, writely
# Comment (3 comments)

B2B slow to market on the Net

Jonathan Bowers, March 23rd 2006, 11:02AM

The Internet Advertising Bureau has set its sights on the B2B market with the news that only one third are currently embracing online marketing.

Apparently 63% of respondents say that the Internet will take more of their marketing budget in the future. From a privileged position as a technological B2B company, it's quite easy to suggest that this move is more a necessity than a choice.

Print platforms are now notoriously difficult for B2B companies to reach an audience through - raising awareness in non trade titles particularly. Quite apart from the worth of advertising space, editorial is very tough to attain, which will be frustrating for many who read about the addictive qualities of garden peas in the Metro free paper twice in the same week (Tues 21 and Thurs 23 March).

Over the Atlantic, US watchdogs are predicting that public opinion is moving away from TV as the top advertising medium. Everything points toward the web.

Does this mean that web giants like Google and Yahoo will clean up with ad banners and pay per clicks? Or is it an opportunity for companies to be more proactive in the way they market, reaching out to their audience through blogging, podcasting, wikis and other online communication tools?

I don't mind reading about garden peas but have to admit that my time splits much more in favour of web news week on week.

Tags: b2b, marketing, tvads
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The national world wide web

Jonathan Bowers, March 22nd 2006, 11:54AM

A quick glance at the news this week in the online world throws up questions about the Net's world wide status. France is voting on the threat of an iTunes monopoly, China is reconsidering its online gaming quotients and the EU is still pressurising Microsoft to open up to its rivals.

What happens when a international tools collide with national beliefs? How important is the ‘open’ nature of the Net?

From a viewpoint in the UK, the Internet is also evolving at different rates geographically. Perceptions of the web’s potential in the US led to an embracing of blogging, podcasting, VoIP in the business sector. Europe and the rest of the world are still dipping their toes in. What price will we pay for being hesitant?

Tags: control, webleaders, worldwideweb
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What's your story?

Jonathan Bowers, March 21st 2006, 10:19AM

Every morning I check my RSS feeds and you can guarantee that one name will come up more than any other - but more than that - this company will be mentioned in a positive light nine times out of ten. The company is of course Google. I guess it could have been Microsoft, but the sun shines a little less for Microsoft.

Just this morning, the news is out on Google Finance. Reading through articles I begin to believe that Google Finance will be better than all financial sites that have gone before. I think, "Yahoo! has been going for ten years, but I reckon Google might just do it better." Then I read that the online brokers also feel the threat and I feel sorry for them, but wonder if we, the world’s businesses, are better off with Google doing it anyway!

I just assume that they have the globes’ best financial analysts working with them and that they know us well enough to work out exactly what we want. And I do this, because Google has very successfully sold us a story that we not only believe, but want to believe. Even if we try hard not to, we can't help but admire the innovators of Mount View California because all their gadgets make our lives easier and more fun.

What Google has achieved as a massive corporate is very impressive. They have gained the general public's trust and maintain such a buzz that we want to talk about them. Seth Godin calls this Flipping the Funnel and believes that any business that can inspire the public to do their talking for them is truly on the track to success.

I wonder whether you agree? Or maybe not? If the very thought of Google makes you scream and run for cover, then I’d love to know why.

Tags: conversations, google
# Comment (1 comments)

Conversations are happening

Jonathan Bowers, March 20th 2006, 3:38PM

I'm excited to be starting the UKFast blog because it's a brilliant way to open up new routes of communication with not only existing clients, but all those interested in the incredible potential of the Internet.

I'd like the UKFastblog to develop into a community that embraces and discusses the world it resides in, find it's own place within the blogosphere and encourage other businesses to get online and engage in 'conversation.'

On his blog mediations earlier this month, Philip Young, wrote about institutions and businesses wary of allowing comment and dialogue to spread, companies that discourage 'talk' in case it is of a negative nature. I think it's this kind of approach that deterred the majority of businesses from embracing blogging a few years ago in the UK.

As Philip points out - conversations are happening anyway. You can either join in and represent yourself or allow talk to grow into gossip and in many cases misrepresentation. Wouldn't you rather have 'knowledge' than 'blissful ignorance'?

As an Internet Service Provider, UKFast has a great role to play in the dialogue about our industry and so we'll be posting every weekday from now on. We have a great deal of expertise within our walls and I'll be calling on it to discuss anything and everything happening in the online world and how it might affect businesses online and off.

Hopefully, a number of you will join me to become commentators and decision makers in the Internet as it continues evolving.

Tags: communication, conversations
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