IdeaConnection Innovation
BLOG

Posts in April 2011


Innovating Change out of Tragedy

Apr-29-11 By Aminda
2011 may be remembered for its global disasters; from the New Zealand earthquake to the Japan Tsunami’s to the southern U.S. tornadoes this week. If there is any light amidst the tragedy, it could be the developments and improvements that arise from aid efforts.
Transforming Medicine

Transforming Medicine

Apr-28-11 By Aminda
Where does the future of medicine and medical practice lie? There are plenty of opinions and suggestions but the future looks wide open.
American Express Advancing IP Marketplace

American Express Advancing IP Marketplace

Apr-27-11 By Aminda
According to research from financial services provided American Express, U.S. historical data show that only a small fraction of commercially viable IP is being monetized. In response to this pessimistic finding, they have created an Intellectual Property Zone (IP Zone) designed to promote the advancement of the intellectual property (IP) marketplace, including patents, trademarks, software and other IP products.
The Science of Innovation

The Science of Innovation

Apr-26-11 By Aminda
Innovation intermediary Innocentive has announced recent partnerships that should advance the availability and visibility of innovation challenges in the scientific community.
First, in partnership with Popular Science Magazine, an online challenge forum will be co-hosted on PopSci.com and InnoCentive.com. Known as the “Pavilion", it will host an exclusive set of challenges in a variety of scientific disciplines, posted by corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The magazine will also devise its own Challenges, the first of which will launch in May when the Pavilion goes live.
In Perfect Partnership

In Perfect Partnership

Apr-25-11 By Aminda
Both in business and out, perfect partnerships don’t just happen magically, they take deliberate effort. Innovative companies agree that strong partnerships are important to effectively opening up innovation but how do those partnerships really look in reality? Here are a few practical tips published by Blogging Innovation, provided by the experts at P&G.
Help them help you
First, Kelly McDow, Associate General Counsel for P&G’s Connect+Develop has some tips from a legal perspective.  
She recommends helping your OI partner find a flexible collaborative IP attorney. If they already have one, work with them to engage and educate. This builds the relationship and trust, which only helps make a better deal if one is to be made.
Crowdsourcing: an ethics dilemma?

Crowdsourcing: an ethics dilemma?

Apr-23-11 By Aminda
Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society raised the challenging question as to whether corporate social media is ethical. Is there a “Tom Sawyer syndrome” at work in which people are suckered into doing work thinking that it’s something to be enjoyed, where they are persuaded to complete simple tasks for no pay at all, instead offering recognition within the volunteer community or points in the guise of a game.
Olympic-sized Innovation

Olympic-sized Innovation

Apr-22-11 By Aminda
The 2012 London summer Olympics are more than a year away but preparations have been underway for some time. Organizers are working with partners, principally Cisco, to develop an IT, telecommunications, audio-visual, timing and scoring network so huge that it's 35 times more capable than that used in Beijing.

Customer Engagement Case Study

Apr-21-11 By Aminda
Makers of Snagit brand screen capture software, TechSmith, have published an interesting case study on how they saved approximately $500,000 on research by crowdsourcing the testing of the beta version of a new product. A Mac version of the software, which had been available to PC users for more than 20 years, was in high demand. In response, TechSmith handed the creation over to those who wanted it.
Community Management and Crowdsourcing

Community Management and Crowdsourcing

Apr-20-11 By Aminda
PR Newswire recently posted a brief but insightful guide to successfully engaging customers and creating a sense of community through crowdsourcing. Whether utilizing crowdsourcing to get a job done, to gather insight into consumer opinion or raise funds, these tips can be useful. The insight come from the organizers of the 3six5 project, nominated for a 2011 Webby Award, which recorded the year 2010 with 365 stories told by 365 different writers. In summary, the recommendations include:

Smarter Sourcing Techniques

Apr-18-11 By Aminda
The goal of crowdsourcing usually is to obtain creative ideas or have tasks completed quickly while keeping costs minimal. As the technique gets more attention so do its success stories. And the challenges. Crowdsourcing does not eliminate costs, as illustrated by a project undertaken by the University College London and shared by The Society for Scholarly Publishing.