THIS ISSUE'S STREAM:
+++ It's Showdown Time and $10,000 is Up For Grabs!
+++ Looking To Do Business With Broadcasters?
+++ Canada's New High-Tech Haven and Silicon Harbour
+++ Webcasters JumpTV and RecordTV Back in the News
+++ CANOE Sets Sail For France
+++ CBC Develops Internet-TV Series for Kids
+++ PlayStation 2 Hardware at a Premium in Canada
+++ Art and Science Converge For Broadband Learning
+++ Big Guns Form Giant Canadian B2B Site
+++ MTS Invests in High Speed Internet
+++ Study Says Fiber Optic Networks Cheaper
+++ The Kids Are Alright ... Again
+++ Bell Mobility Offers Wireless Access to Hotmail
+++ Coming Soon to a Handheld Near You: Streaming Media
+++ DoCoMo: The Shape of Wireless Things to Come?
+++ Canadian Internet Usage Up in August
+++ Not Connected and Proud of it
+++ Justice Minister Scores Domain Victory
+++ A Special Invitation for BitStream Subscribers
+++ SMART Toronto 6-Month Members' Meeting and Power Party
+++ Technology With Curves.
+++ CAB Dotcom Showdown at Broadcasting 2000
+++ New Media Business Conference
+++ Featured Job: Web Development Manager, Toronto
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[-- AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER --]
If you've got a great interactive content or technology
idea or are looking to connect with key players in the
broadcasting industry, then the following two items will
be right up your alley!
+++ It's Showdown Time and $10,000 is Up For Grabs!
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is
inviting the interactive community to enter The Dotcom
Showdown. Pitch your interactive media content idea or
your new technological solution to a panel of TV and
radio broadcasters and venture capitalists and you could
walk away with $10,000 and/or a deal! The Dotcom Showdown
is one of the interactive highlights of Broadcasting 2000
on-air.on-line, to be held in Calgary, Alberta from
November 12 to 14, 2000. The Dotcom Showdown is brought to
you by the CAB in conjunction with your friends at MMSG.
It may be the best 10 minutes you ever spend. Click on the
link below for details!
http://www.multimediator.com/info/showdown.shtml
+++ Looking To Do Business With Broadcasters?
Then you won't want to miss the "How To Do Business With
Broadcasters" workshop at Broadcasting 2000 ... where
broadcasting and interactive media converge. Broadcasters
have told the CAB that they want to do business with
interactive media companies. The "How To Do Business
With Broadcasters" workshop is designed to give
you the inside scoop on how to pitch your interactive
media concept or services to broadcasters. Find out
'straight from the horse's mouth' what broadcasters are
looking for ... and what it will take to close the deal.
This unique workshop is just one of the many ways that the
Broadcasting 2000 convention will help you develop new
business partnerships with Canada's leading broadcasters.
If you want to connect with key players in the
broadcasting industry, then you won't want to miss this
workshop ... or this convention! The broadcasters will be
there ready to do business ... will you? For more
information on Broadcasting 2000, contact Stefanie Siska
at ssiska@cab-acr.ca or visit the CAB Web site at
http://www.cab-acr.ca.
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[-- NEWSPEAK: MULTIMEDIA INDUSTRY NEWS --]
+++ Canada's New High-Tech Haven and Silicon Harbour
The National Post reports that Ottawa, long home to the
high-tech industry, has recently come of age. "Record run-
ups on the stocks of local superstars Nortel Networks and
JDS Uniphase have created countless "optionaires"
(millionaires based on the value of their stock options),
while dozens, if not hundreds of others, have cashed in as
their start-up companies have sold to heavyweight
multinational tech companies such as Cisco, Alcatel and
PMC-Sierra for record sums." The Ottawa Economic
Development Corporation reports that venture capital is
said to be pouring in to the city at a rate of $860
million so far this year, up from a record of $274 million
for all of last year. And sometime this fall, "the high-
tech industry will surpass the federal government as the
region's number one employer, with somewhere between
75,000 to 80,000 jobs at more than 1,000 companies."
(Source: National Post)
Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail reports that some have begun
referring to Victoria, BC as "Silicon Harbour." Advanced
technology is now Victoria's fastest-growing industry,
"expanding by about 15 per cent a year and outpacing
Vancouver's rate of growth in terms of the number of new
companies," grossing $800 million in 1999. That total
rivals tourism, which clocked in at $1 billion. It is
further estimated that "about half of Victoria's high-tech
firms are IT companies, with 5 per cent in advanced
manufacturing and the remainder in biotechnology. E-
business startups are driving today's boom in Victoria,
where the average high-tech company has 10 workers.
(Source: The Globe and Mail)
+++ Webcasters JumpTV and RecordTV Back in the News
In a move that could perhaps be likened to one
"considering" being a millionaire, Montreal's JumpTV is
considering entering the contentious Webcasting fray,
according to an article in The Globe and Mail. The company
is said to be exploring the option, but concede that it
may be a long time before they hit the air. "We're looking
at whether or not there's an opportunity," Farrel Miller,
JumpTV's chief executive officer told The Globe. The
Ontario numbered company behind JumpTV is said to have
filed an application with the Copyright Board of Canada to
"create a new tariff for Internet retransmissions for a
three-year period beginning next year. If granted, the fee
could allow Canadian Web-based broadcasters to reproduce
television content over the Internet without owning the
content or paying its owners for licensing rights." "It
does appear to be another iCraveTV and will raise
precisely the same issues," said Michael Geist, a
University of Ottawa law professor who specializes in the
Internet and electronic commerce.
http://www.jumptv.com
On another front, RecordTV.com has resurfaced. More or
less. CEO David Simon has sent an email to former users
stating that "many of you must know by now that we are
involved in a major legal problem, 12 of the largest
TV/movie studios in the world are suing us for what they
claim is copyright infringement. Many people have asked
what they can do to help support our cause (and no we do
not have a legal defense fund as has been reported)." What
they can do, according to Simon, is sign up with one of
their sponsors (Freebies newsletter and Netsetter) "to
help cover our legal costs," at no expense to the
subscriber. RecordTV was billed as an Internet VCR before
encountering legal woes.
http://www.recordtv.com
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+++ CANOE Sets Sail For France
CANOE, the popular Canadian Web site, has expanded in a
big way after launching CANOE.FR. The Paris-based site is
dedicated to content relating to France. The newsroom for
the new venture will include an editorial staff of about
20, focusing on French news, finance and the stock market,
sports, culture and entertainment. "We are confident we
can replicate our Canadian success in France by providing
French Web users with superior and continuous coverage of
local, national and international events in their main
areas of interest," said Pierre Karl Peladeau, chief
executive officer of parent company Quebecor.
http://www.canoe.fr
+++ CBC Develops Internet-TV Series For Kids
CBC has begun developing Canada's first fully integrated
television and Internet series geared to children aged 7
to 12. Slated to begin production in Spring 2001, the
program will integrate Internet and television media. New
software resources are being developed that will "give
children the ability to build content that will be
showcased on both platforms" and will feature "advanced
storytelling, community forums and communications tools to
engage, entertain and enrich the experience of young
viewers and visitors." "We are on the crest of a new era
in television made possible by blending Internet
technology with advanced digital television technology,"
says Adrian Mills, Managing Director, cbc.ca and Creative
Head, Children's, Youth & Daytime Programming.
http://www.cbc.ca/onair/jhtml/newsitem.jhtml?ID=1410
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+++ PlayStation 2 Hardware at a Premium in Canada
With the North American launch of its PlayStation 2 just
around the corner, Sony has announced that they will not
be able to meet the demand for the gaming unit in North
America. According to The Globe and Mail, there is
speculation that "hot demand for the product will cause a
customer stampede easily outdoing the mania in the summer
over the fourth book in the Harry Potter series." Sony
will ship 500,00 units to North America, half the number
it had originally expected to have at the ready for the
October 26 launch. Sony has indicated that it will " ramp
up production to have 1.3 million units shipped here by
the end of the year. It said it will still meet its goal
of three million units shipped to North America by March
31, 2001." Thousands of shoppers in Canada have - or wish
they had - pre-ordered the item. (Source: The Globe and
Mail)
+++ Art and Science Converge for Broadband Learning
The National Research Council of Canada, Pinchas Zukerman
and the National Arts Centre have partnered with NRC,
Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), CANARIE
(Canada's Advanced Internet Development Organization) and
the Canada - Israel Industrial Research and Development
Foundation in an "exploration of use of broadband Internet
as a tool for learning." When the National Arts Centre
Orchestra appeared in the Middle East on October 4th,
Maestro Zukerman conducted "Dialog Through Music" as
Israeli, Palestinian and Canadian youth took part in a
rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." Three groups of ten
high school students connected by live video with Israeli
students and Maestro Zukerman in Tel Aviv, Palestinian
students in Jerusalem, and Canadian students in Ottawa.
The experiment will further utilize the "potential for NAC
to use broadband learning technologies to build passion
for the arts among all Canadians, makes this partnership
between arts and sciences an exciting opportunity to
explore our future."
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+++ Big Guns Form Giant Canadian B2B Site
Bell Canada, CIBC, Scotiabank, Mouvement des caisses
Desjardins and BCE Emergis have joined forces to form what
they are calling "one of Canada's largest business-to-
business electronic marketplaces." The e-procurement
company, to be called Procuron, will "provide Canadian
businesses with a national B2B exchange to buy business
products and services including office equipment and
supplies, furniture, computer hardware and accessories,
travel, courier services and much more." In the first
year, the partners anticipate total combined spending of
approximately $1 billion through Procuron, which will have
its own sales force.
http://www.bell.ca
+++ MTS Invests in High Speed Internet
Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) has announced an
investment of $300 million over three years to "rapidly
expand and enhance" high-speed broadband services in that
province. More than half of the investment will be made in
the first year of the program that is expected to provide
85 per cent of Manitoba business and residential customers
with dedicated access to high-speed Internet services.
More than 70 per cent of customers in Winnipeg will have
access to next-generation high-speed Internet services by
the end of 2001, and 95 per cent by the end of 2003. "This
project will have a profound effect on the economy,
enabling Manitoba businesses to compete head-to-head with
major centres around the world," said Bill Fraser, MTS's
President and CEO.
http://www.mts.mb.ca/news/nr_2000_ngen_sep22.html
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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
mailto:sales@multimediator.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+++ Study Says Fiber Optic Networks Cheaper
Fiber optic networks are cheaper in the long run and are
100 times faster than alternative networks (including high
speed modem access and cable) concludes the Secor Fiber
Study. The Study, commissioned by Industry Canada for the
Des Affluent School Board (near Montreal), compared the
fiber optic option to the next Best Available Alternative
Technologies (BAAT). In the end the fiber optic solution
beat the BAAT in every category of the Affluent Board's
base requirements (administrative, pedagogical,
technical). The Des Affluents School Board is saving a
total of $495,560 per year over the next best alternative.
David Sutherland, of Canarie Inc. (Canada's Advanced
Internet Development Association), predicts an increase in
competition for traditional carriers based on the Study's
results. Sutherland, who is presently involved with
aligning a consortium of Ottawa-based businesses
interested in the development of fiber optic networks,
says that approximately 25 other school boards across
Canada, including Toronto's Peel Region School Board, are
investigating the switch. The Des Affluent School Board's
network is up-and-running, and break-even expectations are
on target with the Study's predictions: three years and
eight months. Sutherland says that some companies who
switched over to fiber optic networks are expecting to
break even less than a year later. Release of the Secor
Fiber Study is pending translation.
+++ The Kids Are Alright ... Again
Teenage Internet tycoons Michael Furdyk and Michael
Hayman, who gained national attention last year when they
(along with fellow teen impresario Albert Lai) sold their
MyDesktop Web site to internet.com for seven figures, have
secured $4.5 million for their latest venture, BuyBuddy.
The money will be used to double the number of employees
at the firm and to help finance product development for
its wireless business. Venture capital firm XDL Intervest
Capital Corp. of Toronto is investing the money in the
company which collects product prices from merchants and
then posts the data online, allowing for consumer
comparison shopping. "It'll just really help to propel the
business to the next level," Furdyk told the Globe and
Mail in regards to the funding. In recent months the
company has signed agreements with Rogers Wireless,
Clearnet and Bell Mobility. (Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.buybuddy.com
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+++ Bell Mobility Offers Wireless Access to Hotmail
One of the most popular Web-based e-mail systems in the
world is now available wirelessly for users of Bell
Mobility's Mobile Browser. Effective this month, Bell
Mobility customers can now access their MSN Hotmail
account directly from the Mobile Browser main menu in a
single click, enabling them to view, compose, send,
receive and forward e-mail. "Bell Mobility is pleased to
be the first wireless carrier to offer Canadians direct,
simple anytime, anywhere access to their MSN Hotmail e-
mail accounts," said Charlotte Burke, Vice President
Services Development at Bell Mobility. MSN Hotmail
recently surpassed 5 million active accounts in Canada.
http://www.bellmobility.com
+++ Coming Soon to a Handheld Near You: Streaming Media
PCS Innovations has announced a collaboration with Moby
Dark that will result in the means to broadcast high-
resolution audio and video to wireless devices. Users will
be able to broadcast live events to any device, any time,
every where. "Rich wireless content is the next wave in
mobile Internet technologies," said Michael O'Farrell,
EVP, Business Development. "PCS Innovations is
capitalizing on Moby Dark's leading research and
development history to deliver a cost-effective, robust
wireless solution for delivering video and audio to hand-
held devices and other wireless products. This is an
exciting initiative for us to take mobile communication to
the next level and we're pleased to be working with a
company that is truly a leader in its field."
http://www.pcsinnovations.com
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+++ DoCoMo: The Shape of Wireless Things to Come?
The New York Times reports that if we want to see the
future, we need look no further than Japan where DoCoMo is
sweeping the land. DoCoMo is a small, hand-held cell phone
with a tiny screen that allows for both voice connection
and wireless Internet access. Everyone, it seems, from
"Japanese housewives to bureaucrats to teenagers" are
buying the phones in order to "surf the Net, gossip, swap
e-mails and photos, listen to music, tell fortunes, play
games, make dates or sell stocks." And they're buying them
at a rate of 50,000 a day. The Times reports that DoCoMo
will allow North Americans to see their first glimpse of
the follow-up to the Internet, the so-called "Evernet"
age, a time when "you will be able to be online everywhere
all the time, not just from your PC." (Source: The New
York Times)
http://www.nttdocomo.com
+++ Canadian Internet Usage Up in August
Media Metrix has released its monthly Internet usage
report for August which shows that over 12 million
Canadians, including 2.7 million French-speaking
Canadians, surfed the Internet from home during the month.
In total, Canadians are said to have spent 1.1 billion
more minutes on the Internet in August versus July. They
spent on average of nearly an hour and a half longer
online during the month. Top sites visited included
Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo, Sympatico-Lycos, Excite@home and
AltaVista.
http://www.mediametrix.ca
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+++ Not Connected and Proud of it
A new report by Pew Internet & American Life Project
indicates that half of the adults in the U.S. do not have
Internet access and 57 per cent say they are not
interested in going online. The survey found that 32 per
cent of those without Internet access now say they
"definitely will not get Internet access," which would
equal approximately 31 million Americans. Another 25 per
cent of non-Internet users say the "probably will not
venture online," while 12 per cent say they will
"definitely go online," with 29 per cent saying they will
"probably get Internet access." "Most of the strongest
Internet holdouts are older Americans, who are fretful
about the online world and often don't believe it can
bring them any benefits. In contrast, a substantial
majority of those under 30 who are not currently online
say they plan to get access, though the expense of going
online still looms as a major issue to them. This suggests
that over an extended period of time, perhaps in a
generation, Internet penetration will reach the levels
enjoyed by the telephone, which is used by 94 per cent of
Americans, and the television, which is used by 98 per
cent of Americans. Among those most likely to say they
plan to get Internet access are parents with children
living at home."
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=21
+++ Justice Minister Scores Domain Victory
Canadian Justice Minister Anne McLellan has won control of
several Internet domain names bearing her name but
registered to a company in Alberta. According to The Globe
and Mail, Smartcanuk.com, a Calgary Internet service
provider, had registered, and was already using
http://www.annemclellan.com and
http://www.annemclellan.org. An arbitrator has decreed
that Smartcanuk "had no rights or legitimate interest in
the names." Ms. McLellan, who already controls a .ca
domain bearing her name, is said to have feared the two
Smartcanuk domains might be used for "improper purposes."
(Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.annemclellan.ca
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[-- PLUG: INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS --]
+++ A Special Invitation for BitStream Subscribers
You're invited to The Canadian Institute's New Media
Business conference to be held in Toronto on November
20-21, 2000. 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. MultiMediator is proud to be a sponsor of the
New Media Business conference, and since you are a
subscriber to BitStream, you're entitled to a special 10%
discount off the conference fee when you register. It's
our way of thanking you for subscribing to our newsletter.
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.
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, please click on
the link below:
http://www.multimediator.com/info/nmconference.shtml
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[-- DIGERATI DATEBOOK: UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS --]
+++ SMART Toronto 6-Month Members' Meeting and Power Party
October 12, 2000 in Toronto, ON
http://www.sto.org
+++ Technology with Curves.
October 24, 2000 in Toronto, ON
Wired Woman Toronto hosts a CO-ED launch event for
"Technology with Curves: Women Reshaping the Digital
Landscape," a new book by Emma Smith, Denise Shortt, and
JoAnn Napier. The book offers a window into the lives and
work of women who are warming up the cold world of high-
tech.
http://www.wiredwoman.com
+++ CAB Dotcom Showdown at Broadcasting 2000
November 12-14, 2000 in Calgary, AB
Pitch your interactive media content idea to a special
panel and you could walk away with $10,000 and/or a deal.
http://www.multimediator.com/info/showdown.shtml
+++ New Media Business Conference
November 20-21, 2000 in Toronto, ON
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.multimediator.com/info/nmconference.shtml.
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[-- RUSH JOB: NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES --]
JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER WITH MULTIMEDIATOR PIXELSCOUT!
You work hard. You play hard. You know your stuff.
Now all you need is to take your career to the next level.
MultiMediator PixelScout is here to help. Simply register
yourself in the PixelScout New Media Database and one of
our recruiters will do their best to match you with the
right job. Rest assured, your information is not shared
with anybody without your prior approval. Register today!
http://www.pixelscout.com/seekers
+++ Featured Job: Web Development Manager, Toronto
This position is responsible for overseeing the strategy,
administration, new content and development as well as
E-commerce on all client Web sites. You will work closely
with the Advertising & Promotions Manager to ensure all
company Web sites are fully integrated in all campaigns
and partnerships with other companies. You will be
responsible for maintaining and enhancing current Web
sites as well as developing new sites. This involves
making the sites more dynamic, continuously refreshed with
new and relevant content and the information more in-
depth. The ideal candidate will be dynamic, highly-driven
and possess Business Development skills. Our client is
looking for a team player who can work and influence
people that don't report to them. A solid understanding of
Internet technology is essential. To apply, contact Al
Pitt of MultiMediator PixelScout, (416) 410-7704,
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.
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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
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Partnership. The content of BitStream may be reproduced
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