Innovation Toronto » New IT Project(s)

Microsoft gives start-ups leg up

innovation2 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:30:44 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

In a bid to win over future business, Microsoft has announced a programme to give some start-ups free software and support.

BizSpark is a global project open to private companies that have been in business for less than three years with less than $1m in annual revenue.

The software giant is partnering with business networks around the world as well as government agencies.

“We’re building a customer base for the future,” said Microsoft’s Dan’l Lewin.

“The rising tide of people building new companies, building successful companies using our product is good for us because we share in that over time. The goal is to remove any barriers to getting going.” he told BBC News.

To take part in BizSpark, selected start ups must also gain the recommendation of a venture capital firm, business network or a so-called “Microsoft Champ”, one of the 1,000 company employees around the world focused on software developers.

Those who qualify will get a three-year subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network as well as cloud services technologies.

I Saw The Future Of Social Networking The Other Day

innovation2 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:50:35 +0000

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Anyone who’s been reading this blog for more than a few months knows I’m bullish on mobile social networking.

The space is wide open at this point - no one has created an application that has gotten enough traction to go mainstream. That’s partly because of tech limitations - browser based networks don’t leverage the power of the mobile device, and client based applications are blocked by service providers and handset limitations.

But it’s coming. A few years from now we’ll use our mobile devices to help us remember details of people we know, but not well. And it will help us meet new people for dating, business and friendship. Imagine walking into a meeting, classroom, party, bar, subway station, airplane, etc. and seeing profile information about other people in the area, depending on privacy settings. Picture, name, dating status, resume information, etc. The information that is available would be relevant to the setting - quick LinkedIn-type information for a business meeting v. Facebook dating status for a bar.

Economy Has Become a Drag on Silicon Valley

innovation2 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:07:25 +0000

photo credit: hira3

SAN FRANCISCO — Housing prices in Silicon Valley remain defiantly high. New BMWs and Saabs cruise Highway 101. But for the first time there are signs that the current economic downturn is taking its toll on the country’s cradle of technology and innovation.

Job growth has slowed, start-up companies are hiring and spending more cautiously, and early-stage investors who nurture the start-ups with money and expertise are growing more frugal.

Most of the investors, entrepreneurs and innovators who build companies in the Valley do so with the hope of taking them public or selling them — the rainmaking opportunities that people here call exits. But with gloom pervading the financial markets and the business climate, the exits are hard to find.

First Mobile Weekend Planning Meeting

ron — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:03:05 +0000

We’re getting started on planning a Mobile Weekend event focusing on mobile applications. So if you’re interested in helping out or being part of the group that helps organize the event, go visit the official post for Mobile Weekend and leave us a comment letting us know that you’re going to be attending.

The first meeting will be held on Friday, Jan 18th, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the offices of Innovation Toronto located at 169 Eastern Ave., Toronto, ON.

The First Innovation Wednesday

ron — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Well, we had fun!

The first Innovation Wednesday meetup was great fun. We wound up talking mainly about the gaming industry and how to make Toronto into a player or even major player in the genre . . .

Many thanks to our new friends Rob and Jim for their insights into a fascinating industry. Innovation Toronto is pleased to be helping out with T.O. Jam 2 coming in May.

It is Getting Interesting . . .

ron — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:51:56 +0000

Thanks to everyone who took the time to come out to the meeting and the great ideas and approaches that you are all generating. There is some significant progress being made on both potential focus and methodologies.

The emails are great but it would be terrific for us to share some of this really good stuff, that you have been kind enough to send me, with the others. We encourage everyone to join in the discussions by becoming a member of the new google group set up for just this purpose. There are some fascinating threads already underway.

Just fire me over an email of interest :) Yes, I did say email . . .

Help Wanted

ron — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:13:07 +0000

Hi Everyone,

We are in the process of launching a new charitable project (focused on pets) over the next couple of weeks and need back end help in forms creation, shopping cart creation etc.. Our host is apache/mysql/php.

Please email rsmith(at]innovationtoronto(dot}com if you would be interested in exploring the possibilities.