* Finding and retaining talent in the new media industry
* Finding and managing the right strategic partnerships
* Creating new media products for a global market
* Mastering the challenges of successfully managing clients
* Securing financing and attracting investors
* Creating new media content that really sells
As an added bonus, conference attendees will receive a
complimentary hard copy of the Executive Summary of
MultiMediator's Canadian New Media Producers' Survey 2000.
And if you register and pay before September 25, 2000, you
will receive a free Playdium PlayCard!
If you are interested in learning how to grow your new
media business and networking with fellow new media
entrepreneurs facing the same challenges, you won't want
to miss this event. For more information and to register
for the New Media Business conference, please contact The
Canadian Institute directly by phoning (toll free) 1-877-
927-7936, faxing (toll free) 1-877-927-1563 or surfing
http://www.canadianinstitute.com.
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[-- NEWSPEAK: MULTIMEDIA INDUSTRY NEWS --]
+++ Cowpland Resigns as CEO of Corel
In one of those rare Canadian business stories that
garners headlines worldwide, Michael Cowpland has resigned
as CEO, president and chairman of Corel "in order to
dedicate his time and resources to new start-up
opportunities," according to the official Corel press
release. The announcement comes after a year of turmoil
which saw the company's stock fall and a cut of 20 per
cent of its workforce in June. Throughout, Cowpland has
remained adamant that a turnaround of Corel's fortunes was
just around the corner. In fact the day before his
surprise announcement he is quoted as saying that "Corel
is a very strong company which is ... just beginning its
potential growth." Under Dr. Cowpland's watch, Corel began
as a company that focused on graphics software before
buying WordPerfect. More recently the company has tried to
position itself in the Linux movement. Cowpland will
remain on the board as a director and as a technology
adviser to Corel. Mr. Derek J. Burney, formerly executive
vice-president, engineering and chief technology officer
of Corel has been appointed interim CEO and president.
http://www.corel.com/news/2000/august/august_15a_2000.htm
+++ Canadian E-Commerce Sales Said to be Lagging
A new survey indicates that Canadian companies received
$4.2 billion in online orders last year, which equals just
0.2 percent of the $1.8 trillion in overall private sector
sales in 1999. The Statistics Canada survey, published in
The Globe and Mail, indicates that e-commerce accounted
for only 20 cents of every $100 of sales last year in
Canada, while manufacturers accounted for the largest
chunk of online sales, with about 22 per cent or $900-
million of the total activity. Other findings conclude
that while retailers garnered the bulk of the e-commerce
spotlight, they accounted for 15 percent of total Internet
sales, while information and cultural industries accounted
for the third-largest segment, or 13 per cent of the
total. The survey sampled 23,000 businesses and public
institutions. Industry Canada has also stated that the
figures for the year 2000 might change dramatically, since
many companies were "distracted by Y2K bug considerations
during the survey period." (Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/000810/d000810a.htm
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+++ Canadian Internet Demographics Shifting
The Internet's demographic makeup is shifting quickly,
according to David Ellis, president of Omnia
Communications, and Duncan McKie, president of POLLARA, in
their report "A View from the Living Room: the Broadband
Internet as a Mass Market." The report indicates that
"while early adopters have dominated the Canadian Internet
scene until now, a new influx of mainstream consumers are
about to change the rules of the games," according to a
summary published by Canada.Internet.com. "Contrary to the
myth of how the Digital Divide may be closing, the newest
onliners are not under-privileged and under-educated, but
middle-class consumers with disposable income," Omnia
Communications' David Ellis is quoted as saying. "The
Newbies and Mainstreamers, who now form almost two-thirds
of Canada's adult online population, are the least
comfortable with digital technologies of all kinds.
They'll need a whole new level of user-friendliness and
customer care from online service and content providers".
The report combined demographic data with in-depth
interviews. (Source: Canada.Internet.Com)
http://canada.internet.com
+++ Don Mattrick and Electronic Arts Land Potter Deal
They call Don Mattrick the Canadian wunderkind and this
past week he more than lived up to that reputation.
Mattrick used his magic to help Electronic Arts land what
many expect to be a very lucrative deal: the rights to
develop Harry Potter videogames. "EA has accepted the
challenge to create a series of interactive games that
reflect the incredible imagination of J.K. Rowling's
books," said Mattrick, president of EA worldwide studios.
"We are extremely excited to become part of the Harry
Potter phenomenon by bringing our own brand of interactive
magic to this fantastic series." The deal sees EA secure
world-wide rights to develop computer and videogames based
on the Harry Potter books and the yet-to-be-released
movie. The Potter project will be developed at EA offices
in England but will "be overseen by some Canada-based
staff, including Mattrick."
http://www.ea.com
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+++ CANOE Hit by Staff Reductions
In a move some analysts are calling "not surprising,"
Quebecor has announced layoffs at its CANOE operation. Up
to 65 workers have been handed pink slips less that two
weeks after Quebecor's warning that losses would have to
be stemmed (see BitStream #25). The layoffs amount to
about one-quarter of CANOE's 242 staff, according the a
report in the Toronto Star, ranging from "an executive
vice-president, online journalists, editors, technical
personal and others." Quebecor attributes its CANOE losses
to be $8.1 million in the second quarter. (Source: Toronto
Star)
http://www.quebecor.com/htmen/0_0/7_0_1.asp?NewsID=88
+++ Chapters Strikes Back at National Post Allegations
Canadian book retailer Chapters has sent out a notice to
its Chapter 1 Club members debunking recent allegations
made by the National Post. "We'd like to state that the
10-article attack published in the National Post on July
29th was a collection of factually incorrect and grossly
misleading reports. Chapters has filed a Notice of Libel
against the National Post for its inaccurate and
irresponsible articles. This is the first required legal
step in commencing an action for libel." The e-mail goes
on to state that Chapters remains on "very solid financial
footing," having built "a national network of 320
bookstores."
http://www.chapters.ca
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+++ Trapeze Launches Online Thriller
Toronto developer Trapeze has announced the launch of
SafehouseLive, an interactive suspense thriller that tests
its audience's capacity to tell the difference between
what is "real" and what is "entertainment." Users follow a
storyline that involves a killer who is at large at an
online rave. This cutting-edge broadband entertainment
site allows users to control their experience by switching
between four different cameras to find the rave killer.
SafehouseLive was filmed in real time with all four
cameras running simultaneously. Rebecca Scott, Trapeze's
Creative Director, says their "creative goal is to produce
emotional content for the Web and, in the case of
SafehouseLive, the emotion is fear and/or suspense. We
understand that stories are the best way to grab people's
attention, retain their loyalty, and keep them coming back
for more."
http://www.safehouselive.com
http://www.trapezemedia.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reach thousands of Canadian Internet professionals
with just one buy! Advertise in MultiMediator's BitStream.
It's fast, easy, and effective!
For rates: (416) 364-1455 Ext. 100 or
sales@multimediator.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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+++ intertoob Aims for Internet Broadcasting
A Calgary company has lofty plans to launch "the world's
first 24-hour live interactive Internet TV-style
broadcast." According to official marketing material,
"viewers can simply log onto [the] site and not only
watch, but also participate, direct, and even control the
content of live TV-style programming." A news conference
was scheduled to take place on August 9th from the Ship &
Anchor Studio in Calgary to launch the channel. The in-
house programs will be produced by "mainly local amateurs
-- actors, musicians, writers, artists, directors and
producers -- who also work for experience. We have a line
up of over 50 programs and our programs are only loosely
scripted." (Perhaps too loosely ... at press time, there was
nothing on the site to indicate that the launch press
conference had taken place as scheduled.)
http://www.intertooob.com
+++ BEE MultiMedia Sets Sights on Web Domination
Montreal's self-proclaimed "Internet Juggernaut" is
reportedly shopping for acquisitions among the World Wide
Web. Their wish list contains a few familiar names, such
as Real Networks, Napster and Netscape. BEE MultiMedia's
breathlessly optimistic press release indicates that, in
light of the company's "tremendous success" comes a desire
to "broaden its user base." "The obvious targets for us
are those companies with a large and broad user base. Most
people want to be able to watch television programs on the
Net and most businesses have a widget they want to sell.
EnterVision broadcasting makes the most sense since it is
cross platform and works at most modem speeds,'' says
Herbert L. Becker, BEE Multimedia CEO. The company is
marketing a platform called EnterVision which it claims
will render streaming media players or decoders obsolete.
http://www.beemultimedia.com
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+++ eSalveo Takes Medicine Online
A Toronto firm is set to launch what it says is the only
Web site in Canada that allows patients to deal with
doctors directly through the Internet. eSalveo currently
has 35 Ontario doctors and about 300 of their patients
using the eSalveo system on a trial basis. eSalveo
suggests their site can be used for any number of medical
situations, including prescription renewals, "non urgent
medical advice" and post visit sick notes. Membership is
free, but of course doctors will charge a fee for any
services rendered. And while eSalveo does offer a
suggested price for services, the doctors themselves set
the actual rate. Once a prospective client has registered,
they can visit the virtual office to view rates and other
information. Future services will include online
prescription fulfillment, online appointment booking,
laboratory results and more.
http://www.esalveo.com
+++ Borderfree.com Breaks Down E-Tailing Borders
Brightspark Labs and Mosaic Venture Partners have unveiled
a new Web site they hope will transform the online buying
experience by empowering Canadian shoppers to buy any
product online from US sites. Since almost 55 percent of
US merchants do not ship to Canada, Borderfree.com has
created downloadable software that produces a shopping
basket that then "channels" access to US sites, before
"calculating and billing the fully loaded cost in local
currency at the Web point of purchase; offering
competitive shipping charges and delivery times; handling
all return items and taking responsibility for the
reimbursement of duties and taxes." Once shoppers have
chosen their items they receive a quote in Canadian prices
via e-mail. Pierre Schuurmans, president of Borderfree.com
says, "Borderfree.com will tip the balance of the e-
commerce scale -- putting Canadians and eventually all
international buyers on equal footing with their US
counterparts." There is a service fee of $5 for most
purchases.
http://www.borderfree.com
+++ Anytime, Anywhere Internet Access
Telus Mobility, Nortel Networks and Redknee.com have
showcased a fully operational, "in-vehicle" mobile
solution with the introduction of AIME (Advanced
Intelligent Mobile Entertainment) that delivers wireless
Internet, personalized information and streaming
multimedia content into automobiles. The AIME prototype
also offers mobile e-commerce, infotainment, messaging,
news, traffic, weather, location-based advertising and
other, user-defined services. "This is an example of our
aggressive strategy to rollout cost effective, fully
packetized, end-to-end network solutions for the next
generation high-performance wireless Internet," said Peter
MacKinnon, vice-president, Wireless Internet Strategic
Marketing, Nortel Networks.
http://www.nortelnetworks.com
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[-- DIGERATI DATEBOOK: UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS --]
+++ Canadian National E-Learning Workshop
October 3-4 in Toronto, ON
This workshop, presented by CANARIE Inc., will bring
together 200 people who are involved in the development
and use of computers and information technology in
education and training. It will be an opportunity to
observe leading-edge examples of e-learning applications
development; to meet researchers, practitioners, and
potential collaborators; and to learn what's around the
corner in affordable broadband networks. This workshop
will of interest to educators, developers, and strategic
planners in infrastructure for education. The emphasis
will be on educational and pedagogical aspects of advanced
network applications. For more information, visit the
CANARIE Web site at http://www.canarie.ca, e-mail
info@canarie.ca, or call (613) 943-5454.
+++ New Media Business
November 20-21, 2000 in Toronto
Sponsored by MultiMediator, this practical two-day
conference is full of valuable information and insights to
help you run a profitable new media business in Canada.
For more information, contact The Canadian Institute
directly by phoning (toll free) 1-877-927-7936, faxing
(toll free) 1-877-927-1563 or surfing
http://www.canadianinstitute.com.
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[-- PLUG: INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS --]
+++ Call for Entries for Baddeck New Media Awards
The Baddeck International New Media Festival is currently
seeking entries for this year's Baddeck International New
Media Awards to be presented October 19-21, 2000 in Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia. The Awards are presented in four
categories: marketing, education, entertainment and
independent projects for Web, disk and animation. A $5,000
cash Telefilm Canada New Media Award will also be
presented this year. The latest addition to the awards
line-up are the Atlantic Industry New Media Prizes, which
are open to all Atlantic Canada developers. For more
information, visit the Festival Web site at
http://www.baddeckfest.com or contact the Festival
office (toll free) at (888) 792-2363 or (902) 425-0943.
+++ Videoconferencing Guide Online
The Video Development Initiative (ViDe) has published
Version 2.0 of its Videoconferencing Cookbook. ViDe was
created in order to promote the deployment of digital
video in higher education by leveraging collective
resources and expertise towards addressing challenges to
deployment. CANAIRE is a member of ViDe.
http://www.vide.gatech.edu/cookbook2.0
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[-- RUSH JOB: NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES --]
+++ Featured Job: Cold Fusion and Java Programmer, Toronto
2 Cold Fusion and Java programmers are needed by a
"relaxed atmosphere" media agency that is focused on
applications for promotional activities on the Web. The
company is supportive of its staff, and its size has
doubled since December, which means that there will be
lots of future career opportunities for employees. The
successful applicants will have: 2+ years industry
experience; expertise in Cold Fusion, Java (coding and
testing); preference for other languages (e.g., PHP, ASP,
CGI); and, preferably, some sort of formal computer
training qualification. To apply, contact Al (Iggy) Pitt
of MultiMediator PixelScout, (416) 410-7704,
mailto:al@pixelscout.com.
----------------------------
Evolved from the extensive participation of MultiMediator
and MMSG in the new media industry and their respective
job placement activities, MultiMediator PixelScout is a
recruiting company pleased to devote itself exclusively to
the new media industry. For more information, call (416)
410-7704, e-mail recruiting@pixelscout.com, or surf
http://www.pixelscout.com.
----------------------------
+++ Featured Job: Intermediate Project Manager, Toronto
MultiMediator Strategy Group Inc. (MMSG), producer of the
award-winning MultiMediator Web site and the Canadian New
Media Awards, is looking for an Intermediate Project
Manager. The successful candidate will have a solid year
of hands-on Internet Project Management experience and
will be comfortable working in a client service
environment. Attention to detail and exceptional work
ethics are critical. MMSG offers a competitive salary,
benefits and -- best of all -- real career potential.
For details (or to post a job opening for FREE) visit
http://www.multimediator.com/betaville
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[-- ABOUT MULTIMEDIATOR'S BITSTREAM --]
MultiMediator's BitStream is a FREE e-mail newsletter
published every two weeks by MultiMediator - Canada's
Multimedia Guide. Each issue features news, announcements,
job listings, and other items of interest to the Canadian
multimedia community. Send your multimedia industry news
and information to mailto:bitstream@multimediator.com.
(Please do NOT send attachments.) If you contact
companies or individuals mentioned here, please tell them
you saw them in MultiMediator's BitStream.
Since 1995, more than a million people have turned to the
MultiMediator Web site for information about Canada's
multimedia industry. Find out why at
http://www.multimediator.com/.
Reach thousands of Canadian Internet professionals
with just one buy! Advertise in MultiMediator's BitStream.
It's fast, easy, and effective!
For rates: (416) 364-1455 Ext. 100 or
sales@multimediator.com
Copyright 2000 MultiMediator. All rights
reserved. "BitStream" is a trademark of MultiMediator
Partnership. The content of BitStream may be reproduced
in any medium for non-commercial purposes as long as
proper credit is given.
No electrons were harmed in the making of this newsletter.
