Coca-Cola aims to replicate US viral video success in UK
Coca-Cola is launching a UK version of its Happiness Machine viral, hoping to replicate its success in the US.The video shows a vending machine giving out an assortment of items to surprised students in a college campus. The UK version will see the addition of UK-specific items such as strawberries and cream and the board game Twister. The US version is now Coca-Cola’s most successful viral campaign and has had over 2.5m views on YouTube.
Marketing Week
Vodafone axes 100 marketers
Vodafone is axing 100 jobs from its 900-strong group marketing function in a major cost-cutting drive. The departures, which include UK marketers, follow a 90-day consultation of the company's global marketing operations, led by group marketing officer Wendy Becker. Vodafone's group marketing division is responsible for promotion of handsets and company branding, as well as raising awareness of Vodafone 360, the internet service that launched last year, spanning games, apps and mapping tools.
Marketing Magazine
Average broadband speeds: ISPs must 'fess up or consumers can walk
Broadband companies come clean on how headline speeds compare to the real-world. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has revised its code of practice on what broadband speeds ISPs can tell their users to expect, after research found a growing gap between the advertised headline speeds and their real-world equivalents. The guidelines outline steps the ISPs should take to give customers a better indication of what broadband speeds they're likely to achieve.
Silicon
Virgin Media survives World Cup, buys back shares
Did the World Cup bring any sunshine to Virgin Media? The company today announced profits of £80m on increased turnover of £964m in its most recent quarter. But long-suffering shareholders take precedence over customers - Virgin will spend £375m buying back shares. Buy-backs usually have the goal of raising the share price. Virgin also gave itself the target that debt should be reduced to three times its annual operating cashflow "within two to three years". NTL, having absorbed its only cable rival, acquired Virgin Mobile four years ago.
The Register
Hackers winning the security battle, says Cisco
Malicious hackers are winning the enterprise security fight, according to Cisco's chief security officer. John Stewart said in the Cisco 2010 Midyear Security Report that the hacking industry is now so advanced that malware writers are copy-protecting their own wares and are better funded and more astute than the forces of IT security."Why do hackers succeed? They're lucky, they're patient and they're brilliant. They're also better funded than you," he said.
V3
Is there really a key to reboot the internet?
It sounds like a Fellowship of the Ring for the internet age – a carefully chosen alliance of technology warriors, safeguarding a mythical key that could one day shut down the internet. According to yesterday's news reports, these keyholders will share responsibility for "rebooting the web" in the event of a catastrophic global meltdown.
The Guardian
Brits Reluctant to Pay for Online Content
UK consumers are less willing to pay for online content than web users in other countries, according to new research. It spells bad news for publishers looking to boost revenues from the internet. Accountancy giant KPMG has released a report into consumer behaviour online, which found that 81 per cent of UK web users would go elsewhere for content if a frequently used free site began charging.
Business Week
Nokia C6 now available online in UK
Nokia has announced the release of the C6 now available to buy on its UK website.Aimed at being a messaging and social focused phone, it’s been tailored to have both these aspects at the forefront of the phone's functionality. With a slide-out QWERTY keyboard it should make texting, emailing and updating your social life a breeze. On the homescreen you'll be able to pick live widgets for Facebook and Twitter making sure you don't miss any of the social goings-on in your life.
T3
Opening UK cyber-security challenge cracked
Enthusiasts claim to have already solved the first test in the Cyber Security Challenge UK hunt for would-be cyber-security experts. The challenge, consisting of a series of online and face-to-face competitions, was launched by UK security minister Baroness Neville-Jones on Monday. It is intended to inspire talented individuals to take up the fight against cybercrime as a career, addressing the growing skills shortage in the area.
The Register
Akamai Reports Q1 Average UK Broadband Internet Speed as 3.8Mbps
Akamai, which delivers 20% of global online traffic, has released its latest State of the Internet Q1-2010 report and revealed that the average UK broadband internet connection speed during Q1 was 3.8Mbps (yesterdays May 2010 data from Ofcom recorded 5.2Mbps), while the fastest average maximum UK speed stood at 12.3Mbps.
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