The Horizon 2008 Report is now available for downloading and viewing. Here is the main report description:
"The main sections of the report describe six emerging technologies or practices that will likely enter mainstream use in learning-focused organizations within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years. Also highlighted are a set of challenges and trends that will influence our choices in the same time frames...The two technologies placed on the first adoption horizon in this edition, grassroots video and collaboration webs, are already in use on many campuses. Examples of these are not difficult to find. Applications of mobile broadband and data mashups, both on the mid-term horizon, are evident in organizations at the leading edge of technology adoption, and are beginning to appear at many institutions. Educational uses of the two topics on
the far-term horizon, collective intelligence and social operating systems, are understandably rarer; however, there are examples in the worlds of commerce, industry and entertainment that hint at coming use in academia within four to five years."
They have some interesting new features this year. Including a wiki to discuss the project and the use of tagging standards, so that you can add examples of your own using del.icio.us. They also have some other things planned for April/May. In addition to analyzing the MetaTrends of the last 5 years, this report outlines the major emerging technologies for college level education in the next five years. This year's list includes:
1 year or less
Grassroots Video
Collaboration Webs
2-3 years
Mobile Broadband
Data Mashups
4-5 years
Collective Intelligence
Social Operating Systems
The main report is available at: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2008-Horizon-Report.pdf
The wiki is available at: http://horizon.nmc.org/wiki/Main_Page
The del.icio.us tags are available at:
Grassroots Video http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+video
Collaboration Webs http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+virtualcollab
Mobile Broadband http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+mobile
Data Mashups http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+mashups
Collective Intelligence http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+collectiveintelligence
Social Operating Systems http://del.icio.us/tag/hz08+socialos
A good number of our members read and commented on this report last year. Some of the trends are interesting and perhaps something our stores can take advantage of...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
The end of reading -- according to Mr. Jobs
Steve Jobs recently commented that people do not read anymore, so any e-reader product is doomed to fail -- since none of us read. That's bad news for the textbook business, where most of what we sell is reading material.
There is an interesting editorial/response to Mr. Job's recent statements in Ad Age this week. As a rebuttal, it is worth a quick read. I think the rebuttal makes some worthwhile points to consider -- how the Kindle has sparked peoples' interest (at least at a novelty level), and even more so in the points related to "what is reading?", and that the point is about getting text -- whether from magazines, newspapers, books, or blogs anywhere and on demand. Anywhere and on demand -- relevant words for our industry in the year(s) ahead. What do those terms mean to your store?
Something to think about as you read the Ad Age article at:
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=123332
There is an interesting editorial/response to Mr. Job's recent statements in Ad Age this week. As a rebuttal, it is worth a quick read. I think the rebuttal makes some worthwhile points to consider -- how the Kindle has sparked peoples' interest (at least at a novelty level), and even more so in the points related to "what is reading?", and that the point is about getting text -- whether from magazines, newspapers, books, or blogs anywhere and on demand. Anywhere and on demand -- relevant words for our industry in the year(s) ahead. What do those terms mean to your store?
Something to think about as you read the Ad Age article at:
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=123332
Thursday, January 24, 2008
IBM -- predictions of the future...
There is an interesting piece today on some of IBM's top predictions for emerging technologies. Real or science fiction? You decide. One of the interesting items on the list is #4: Our cell phones will be our wallet, ticket broker, concierge, bank, shopping buddy and more. We are already seeing some of this in the college store environment. Or consider the ability to take your iPhone into Starbucks, hear a song you like and have the device be able to tell what is playing and allow you to immediately purchase and download the tune while you wait for your latte to be served up. What will these advances in mobile commerce mean for college stores and our customers?
For the full article on IBM's predictions, see: http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/35049/118/
For the full article on IBM's predictions, see: http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/35049/118/
A new e-reader -- gone mobile and flexible
Okay, here is a device I want. The Readius. Not only does it bring in the new highly flexible organic display technology -- but does so in a mobile phone! It is described as a merge of the Kindle or Sony reader and a mobile phone.
This is probably the first commercially available application of organic displays for e-readers, certainly in combination with mobile phone technology. It is being produced by Polymer Vision -- a Dutch company that spun off from Phillips.
You can see a video presentation of the technology via YouTube at the following location:
Another blog of interest
Perhaps it is bad form to recommend another blog for readers, but here is one full of articles and entries that would be of interest to our members. The blog author, Martyn Daniels, is one of the lead authors for the "Brave New World" report published by the Bookseller's Association of the UK and Ireland. In the past month there have been several interesting postings on print on demand and the concept of chunking. For readers looking for more regular or additional postings or sources of information, check out Martyn's blog at:
http://bookseller-association.blogspot.com/
But please come back again! As readership grows (and my travel schedule has breaks) I will add more entries. This could be a good forum for us to discuss digital content issues within the college store environment.
http://bookseller-association.blogspot.com/
But please come back again! As readership grows (and my travel schedule has breaks) I will add more entries. This could be a good forum for us to discuss digital content issues within the college store environment.
The Future of DRM
DRM -- that is Digital Rights Management for the lay person. DRM captures the set of technologies and business models for protecting intellectual property and that controls the uses and distribution of digital content.
There is an interesting article from the Wharton Business School today on the future of DRM from a business model perspective. It is an interesting read, along with some of the commentary offered by readers. The Wharton experts conclude that DRM is not going away, despite recent developments in the music industry. Instead, the DRM components will likely just become less intrusive. This is good or interesting news for those of us interested in digital course materials, where students have reported that current DRM approaches represent an obstacle to adoption.
The article can be found at: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1882
There is an interesting article from the Wharton Business School today on the future of DRM from a business model perspective. It is an interesting read, along with some of the commentary offered by readers. The Wharton experts conclude that DRM is not going away, despite recent developments in the music industry. Instead, the DRM components will likely just become less intrusive. This is good or interesting news for those of us interested in digital course materials, where students have reported that current DRM approaches represent an obstacle to adoption.
The article can be found at: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1882
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Longer Life batteries
There was an interesting story today about a revolutionary breakthrough in battery life for mobile devices -- from laptops to ipods. Stanford University researchers found a way to increase battery life by about 10 times! That could make devices even more portable and further support the move to mobile technologies for a wider range of applications.
Check out the full story at: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6226196.html
Check out the full story at: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6226196.html
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Embracing the Digital Age
Some of you who know me will recall last November when I suggested reading the "Brave New World" report produced by the Booksellers Association of the UK and Ireland. The earlier report gave a good overview of much of the digital industry, key trends, some action items for stores and associations, as well as other information. I suggested it as "required reading" at the time, particularly a subset of the chapters. That report is still available by clicking the link under the "Title Waves" section on this blog.
About two weeks ago the Booksellers Association released a follow-up report from their taskforce on the topic. The new report is entitled " Embracing the Digital Age: An Opportunity for Booksellers and the Book Trade". I have placed a link to this report in the "Title Wave" section of this blog as well.
This new report is very much worth your time to read if you are a bookseller today. It is a much shorter and strategic-action oriented report. There are notable overlaps with some of the recommendations and directions of our own digital content strategic planning taskforce. Of the ten key proposals outlined in the executive summary, at least 8 directly connect with some of our discussions in various areas of NACS. The report is effectively and clearly written and well worth your time to peruse.
The aspect of the report I found most interesting is the concept of developing an "enhanced trade infrastructure" to support bookstores in the digital space. We have other initiatives designed to support that concept as well, such as a new project with Caravan being supported by the NACS Foundation -- but more on that in a subsequent posting. The new report identifies ten proposals for improving the trade infrastructure among stores for digital. To quote the report briefly, these proposals are:
1. Websites. A bookshop must have an integrated on-line presence with the capacity for financial transactions, or it is not realising its full capability in selling books. These websites have two prime functions: as trading systems allowing customers to buy online and as community notice-boards.
2. Customer-facing information service. A new information service should be developed to allow booksellers to mix information from the professional bibliographic databases with elements from publishers' marketing sources to present titles on their websites in a more appropriate way to customers, and where the customer does not leave the bookseller's website.
3. The bookshop as the hub of the local community. The use of digital techniques will raise the profile of the bookshop as the essential information centre in the local community.
4. A title alert system for account customers. A title recommendation system should be developed, to alert customers to new or backlist titles recommended by the bookseller that reflects the customer's buying interests and allows them to browse the title online before buying.
5. A grid system for categorising bookshops. The trade must develop a categorisation system for booksellers across the country to allow the efficient targeting of digital marketing messages and information.
6. Enabling booksellers to sell digital content. Faced with a proliferation of digital content, many consumers will need advice and guidance from a source they know and trust. This will provide an opportunity for booksellers to extend their relationship with their customers in the digital world.
7. Market research. There should be a programme of research so that the changing patterns of consumer behaviour can be understood and monitored.
8. Getting the digitisation message accepted. The positive message about the digital opportunity must be sold to the book trade via regular newsletters e-mailed to booksellers and publishers to keep them up to date with developments; in addition, there should be trade press briefings, a series of trade forums, and a major conference early in 2008 to debate and agree the proposals in the report.
9. Training. Booksellers will need to develop their specialist skills (e.g. digital marketing; advising customers on digital content).
10. Experimentation. The trade must be prepared to undergo a significant period of experimentation.
To learn more about each of the proposals, please check out the report using the link provided under the "title wave" section of this blog.
We plan to reach out to the BA of UK/IRE early this year to see how we might collaborate on achieving some of these proposals. I am interesed in hearing from potential partners interested in working with us on some of these initiatives -- or from stores who have ideas on how we might help accomplish some of these goals.
About two weeks ago the Booksellers Association released a follow-up report from their taskforce on the topic. The new report is entitled " Embracing the Digital Age: An Opportunity for Booksellers and the Book Trade". I have placed a link to this report in the "Title Wave" section of this blog as well.
This new report is very much worth your time to read if you are a bookseller today. It is a much shorter and strategic-action oriented report. There are notable overlaps with some of the recommendations and directions of our own digital content strategic planning taskforce. Of the ten key proposals outlined in the executive summary, at least 8 directly connect with some of our discussions in various areas of NACS. The report is effectively and clearly written and well worth your time to peruse.
The aspect of the report I found most interesting is the concept of developing an "enhanced trade infrastructure" to support bookstores in the digital space. We have other initiatives designed to support that concept as well, such as a new project with Caravan being supported by the NACS Foundation -- but more on that in a subsequent posting. The new report identifies ten proposals for improving the trade infrastructure among stores for digital. To quote the report briefly, these proposals are:
1. Websites. A bookshop must have an integrated on-line presence with the capacity for financial transactions, or it is not realising its full capability in selling books. These websites have two prime functions: as trading systems allowing customers to buy online and as community notice-boards.
2. Customer-facing information service. A new information service should be developed to allow booksellers to mix information from the professional bibliographic databases with elements from publishers' marketing sources to present titles on their websites in a more appropriate way to customers, and where the customer does not leave the bookseller's website.
3. The bookshop as the hub of the local community. The use of digital techniques will raise the profile of the bookshop as the essential information centre in the local community.
4. A title alert system for account customers. A title recommendation system should be developed, to alert customers to new or backlist titles recommended by the bookseller that reflects the customer's buying interests and allows them to browse the title online before buying.
5. A grid system for categorising bookshops. The trade must develop a categorisation system for booksellers across the country to allow the efficient targeting of digital marketing messages and information.
6. Enabling booksellers to sell digital content. Faced with a proliferation of digital content, many consumers will need advice and guidance from a source they know and trust. This will provide an opportunity for booksellers to extend their relationship with their customers in the digital world.
7. Market research. There should be a programme of research so that the changing patterns of consumer behaviour can be understood and monitored.
8. Getting the digitisation message accepted. The positive message about the digital opportunity must be sold to the book trade via regular newsletters e-mailed to booksellers and publishers to keep them up to date with developments; in addition, there should be trade press briefings, a series of trade forums, and a major conference early in 2008 to debate and agree the proposals in the report.
9. Training. Booksellers will need to develop their specialist skills (e.g. digital marketing; advising customers on digital content).
10. Experimentation. The trade must be prepared to undergo a significant period of experimentation.
To learn more about each of the proposals, please check out the report using the link provided under the "title wave" section of this blog.
We plan to reach out to the BA of UK/IRE early this year to see how we might collaborate on achieving some of these proposals. I am interesed in hearing from potential partners interested in working with us on some of these initiatives -- or from stores who have ideas on how we might help accomplish some of these goals.
Welcome to 2008!
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for a silent December. Things continue to be very busy in the digital space. I was glad to see the last article on Blackboard engendered the start of discussion. It looks like someone is really out there and sometimes reading what's on this blog!
Well, as I mentioned, there are many interesting developments over the past month. The Kindle, of course was big news. According to one news report, the initial supply sold out in 5 days, leaving Amazon with a 7 day back-order period while they rushed to get more devices. It will be interesting to see what happens with the device this year -- and its impact on e-book sales.
I will be traveling for the next 4-5 days, but I have several posts saved up for this forum. If you subscribe to the blog, you should receive an e-mail when new posts are entered. One of the topics to report on are the new report from the UK-Ireland Booksellers Association. This is a must-read report for anyone interested in how traditional stores will prepare for a future with more digital product. Another upcoming post will relate to the new project between NACS and Caravan. Of course, developments with CourseSmart in the last two months will also be of interest. We have several use cases that stores contributed, which I will post here for feedback (and additional submissions). Finally, NACS Taskforce on digital content is making progress. That work is due to our Board at the end of February -- but I will provide a brief glimpse into the taskforce work and direction here soon.
All this and more is coming soon. I will endeavor to become more regular in my blogging activity in the New Year. I will not claim that to be my New Year's resolution -- as I would not want to jinx the efforts too early. I would love some assistance though -- if someone would like to work with me on this blog, or has a story or thought to contribute, please drop me a note or post to this message.
Best wishes to all for a very happy 2008!
-M
Sorry for a silent December. Things continue to be very busy in the digital space. I was glad to see the last article on Blackboard engendered the start of discussion. It looks like someone is really out there and sometimes reading what's on this blog!
Well, as I mentioned, there are many interesting developments over the past month. The Kindle, of course was big news. According to one news report, the initial supply sold out in 5 days, leaving Amazon with a 7 day back-order period while they rushed to get more devices. It will be interesting to see what happens with the device this year -- and its impact on e-book sales.
I will be traveling for the next 4-5 days, but I have several posts saved up for this forum. If you subscribe to the blog, you should receive an e-mail when new posts are entered. One of the topics to report on are the new report from the UK-Ireland Booksellers Association. This is a must-read report for anyone interested in how traditional stores will prepare for a future with more digital product. Another upcoming post will relate to the new project between NACS and Caravan. Of course, developments with CourseSmart in the last two months will also be of interest. We have several use cases that stores contributed, which I will post here for feedback (and additional submissions). Finally, NACS Taskforce on digital content is making progress. That work is due to our Board at the end of February -- but I will provide a brief glimpse into the taskforce work and direction here soon.
All this and more is coming soon. I will endeavor to become more regular in my blogging activity in the New Year. I will not claim that to be my New Year's resolution -- as I would not want to jinx the efforts too early. I would love some assistance though -- if someone would like to work with me on this blog, or has a story or thought to contribute, please drop me a note or post to this message.
Best wishes to all for a very happy 2008!
-M
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Digital Textbooks through BlackBoard
Well, we have long expected it (or suspected it), but I have confirmation - Blackboard is selling digital textbooks direct to students. I am co-teaching an executive/weekend MBA course next semester for the University at Albany. I had to register for my blackboard account this afternoon so that I could start setting up the course over the next few weekends. One of the line items to complete as you are completing the registration form is "set up your course e-pack." If you click the help or "what is this" option, it takes you to Blackboard's Digital Content FAQ page (permanent link not available).
I searched and was able to find one textbook option I was considering for sale directly through Blackboard/WebCT. The version includes the full text electronically, plus a number of interactive tools, quizzes and other content to go with the electronic text. The site does note that if I contact my publisher rep I can get pricing for the printed textbook and/or access code bundles that can be sold through the college bookstore. It would be interesting to know how this price compares to what students would pay for the text through the college store. Is the price reasonable to students?
On the site above it says that students can purchase access codes online from blackboard/webCT, in a bundled package with the textbook, or in the campus bookstore. By the latter, I assume they mean the "hang-tag" type purchase model for publisher content (like the MBS or Nebraska systems) since to my knowledge, Blackboard has not made any arrangements to sell access codes directly through stores, yes?
Interestingly, the system does allow students to get a temporary 15-day access to an e-Pack. It does not indicate what the limitations of that access might be (i.e., with 15 days, I could print out or screen scrape the whole book for "free").
Looking at the offering, I don't think this is anything really all that new, but it would be interesting to know how many faculty are choosing the e-pack option and how many students are opting to buy the digital through Blackboard rather than through the store. Keeping in mind that convenience is the #1 determinant of which technologies students say they will use for educational purposes. As the inventory of digital content textbooks grows, we may see more faculty and students willing to adopt the digital option, or the print+digital option.
College stores need to be thinking about how or what we would bring to the table to interest Blackboard in talking with us. There is also the question of what we want to get out of that conversation at the national level. Our agenda is already full for the Digital Content Taskforce meeting this Friday, but perhaps I can find a way to bring this up. Any thoughts?
I searched and was able to find one textbook option I was considering for sale directly through Blackboard/WebCT. The version includes the full text electronically, plus a number of interactive tools, quizzes and other content to go with the electronic text. The site does note that if I contact my publisher rep I can get pricing for the printed textbook and/or access code bundles that can be sold through the college bookstore. It would be interesting to know how this price compares to what students would pay for the text through the college store. Is the price reasonable to students?
On the site above it says that students can purchase access codes online from blackboard/webCT, in a bundled package with the textbook, or in the campus bookstore. By the latter, I assume they mean the "hang-tag" type purchase model for publisher content (like the MBS or Nebraska systems) since to my knowledge, Blackboard has not made any arrangements to sell access codes directly through stores, yes?
Interestingly, the system does allow students to get a temporary 15-day access to an e-Pack. It does not indicate what the limitations of that access might be (i.e., with 15 days, I could print out or screen scrape the whole book for "free").
Looking at the offering, I don't think this is anything really all that new, but it would be interesting to know how many faculty are choosing the e-pack option and how many students are opting to buy the digital through Blackboard rather than through the store. Keeping in mind that convenience is the #1 determinant of which technologies students say they will use for educational purposes. As the inventory of digital content textbooks grows, we may see more faculty and students willing to adopt the digital option, or the print+digital option.
College stores need to be thinking about how or what we would bring to the table to interest Blackboard in talking with us. There is also the question of what we want to get out of that conversation at the national level. Our agenda is already full for the Digital Content Taskforce meeting this Friday, but perhaps I can find a way to bring this up. Any thoughts?
Monday, November 26, 2007
End of music DRM?
There's an interesting story on Rafat Ali's blog recently about how UK retailers are demanding the end of DRM on music. Here's the clip, along with a link to the original blogpost which has links to some other interesting related stories:
UK Music Retailers To Labels: ‘Drop DRM By Christmas’
By Robert Andrews - Tue 20 Nov 2007 10:22 AM PST
The writing’s on the wall for music DRM - now even the folk who sell music (the UK’s Entertainment Retailers Association) are calling on the industry to drop the protection.
Director-general Kim Bayley said labels have been “quick to complain” that the holy grail of digital offsetting physical sales has not yet been met. But clumsy protection ”might have added to the slow take-up of legal digital services”, she told FT.com, observing “just 150 million tracks” have been sold digitally in the UK in the last three years. “Sadly, that amounts to an average of less than one £0.79 ($1.61) per download per head of population per year. At the moment, [DRM] just puts consumers off.”
The numbers might be skewed (not every member of the population was an analog music customer). But Bayley isn’t dawdling - the ERA, which represents nearly 200 retailers like HMV (LSE: HMV) and WH Smith, wants the industry to drop DRM before Christmas, so customers can add free and open tracks to the iPods they get under the tree this year.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-uk-music-retailers-to-labels-drop-drm-by-christmas/
UK Music Retailers To Labels: ‘Drop DRM By Christmas’
By Robert Andrews - Tue 20 Nov 2007 10:22 AM PST
The writing’s on the wall for music DRM - now even the folk who sell music (the UK’s Entertainment Retailers Association) are calling on the industry to drop the protection.
Director-general Kim Bayley said labels have been “quick to complain” that the holy grail of digital offsetting physical sales has not yet been met. But clumsy protection ”might have added to the slow take-up of legal digital services”, she told FT.com, observing “just 150 million tracks” have been sold digitally in the UK in the last three years. “Sadly, that amounts to an average of less than one £0.79 ($1.61) per download per head of population per year. At the moment, [DRM] just puts consumers off.”
The numbers might be skewed (not every member of the population was an analog music customer). But Bayley isn’t dawdling - the ERA, which represents nearly 200 retailers like HMV (LSE: HMV) and WH Smith, wants the industry to drop DRM before Christmas, so customers can add free and open tracks to the iPods they get under the tree this year.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-uk-music-retailers-to-labels-drop-drm-by-christmas/
More on Kindle...
For some interesting stories and blog links on Kindle, check out the stories on Gizmodo. The link you want is:
http://gizmodo.com/search/kindle
Happy e-reading!
-M
http://gizmodo.com/search/kindle
Happy e-reading!
-M
Amazon Kindle sells out in less than 5 days!
The long awaited Amazon e-reader went on sale last week on Nov 19th. 5 days later all inventory was completely sold out. I read many of the reviews of the device on the Amazon site, but many of those doing the reviewing clearly had not seen the device -- they were complaining about features not being there that were. Thus we learn one of the challenges with wiki-like social systems -- not everyone contributing content is qualified to do so. Back to the main line of discussion though -- the Amazon Kindle sold out in just 5 days and is not due to be back in stock until Dec 3 -- about 7 days from now. Guess that makes the Kindle the "must have" device of the season.
Among the plusses of the kindle -- many reviews have noted that it is very easy to use. This may mean that we are getting close to a viable e-reader. The EVDO network (wireless-like networking capability) is a big plus, as is the ability to easily expand memory with chips. It's also possible to subscribe to major newspapers -- Times, Washington Post, etc. -- which is a nice feature.
Negative views of the kindle were most often linked to price -- but $400 seems comparable to me, and includes the cost of the EVDO network. There have been complaints about the charges for "free content" dowloading -- used to defray the network transmission costs. However, my understanding is that these can be bypassed by connecting the device to a laptop (I know, I know, kind of defeats the purpose). People have also complained about the fees to access blogs ($2/mo) and newspapers ($15/mo). We will see how this plays out. Technology costs are always dropping, so the costs may go down in time. In a first offering of a product like this you would probably expect prices to be a bit high at first .
Even with the high price, the device sold out in five days -- clearly exceeding Amazon's expectations for sales of the device. Perhaps the day of the e-reader and e-reading has arrived? Or maybe it will take the next device to enter the market. Rumor has it Apple is going to release something in 2008. Who knows...
-M
Among the plusses of the kindle -- many reviews have noted that it is very easy to use. This may mean that we are getting close to a viable e-reader. The EVDO network (wireless-like networking capability) is a big plus, as is the ability to easily expand memory with chips. It's also possible to subscribe to major newspapers -- Times, Washington Post, etc. -- which is a nice feature.
Negative views of the kindle were most often linked to price -- but $400 seems comparable to me, and includes the cost of the EVDO network. There have been complaints about the charges for "free content" dowloading -- used to defray the network transmission costs. However, my understanding is that these can be bypassed by connecting the device to a laptop (I know, I know, kind of defeats the purpose). People have also complained about the fees to access blogs ($2/mo) and newspapers ($15/mo). We will see how this plays out. Technology costs are always dropping, so the costs may go down in time. In a first offering of a product like this you would probably expect prices to be a bit high at first .
Even with the high price, the device sold out in five days -- clearly exceeding Amazon's expectations for sales of the device. Perhaps the day of the e-reader and e-reading has arrived? Or maybe it will take the next device to enter the market. Rumor has it Apple is going to release something in 2008. Who knows...
-M
Back from Break
Hi folks,
Sorry for the long blog silence. The past month has been hectic. I did quite a bit of traveling around the continent giving talks, attending meetings, and visiting stores.
A quick nod to the Canadians and sorry I could not make it to CSC in person. My flight was cancelled almost 12 hours before I took off. There was great thinking on the feet though -- we managed to pull off the talk by pulling together the phone and the hotel PA system. That's the first time I have given a conference presentation remotely. I, back at home, was able to give the talk while still in my PJ's -- another new first for me. Next year I hope to make it to CSC in person.
The CACS meeting was also enjoyable. There was an engaged audience at the session, and the post-presentation buzz was good. I hope those who attended my session found it useful and thought-provoking.
As for me, I'm back home -- stuffed from turkey on the holiday, and with a stuffy nose from a bad cold. My apologies in advance for all of those I will be visiting in the next two weeks, as I am scheduled to be traveling 11 off the next 16 days.
-M
Sorry for the long blog silence. The past month has been hectic. I did quite a bit of traveling around the continent giving talks, attending meetings, and visiting stores.
A quick nod to the Canadians and sorry I could not make it to CSC in person. My flight was cancelled almost 12 hours before I took off. There was great thinking on the feet though -- we managed to pull off the talk by pulling together the phone and the hotel PA system. That's the first time I have given a conference presentation remotely. I, back at home, was able to give the talk while still in my PJ's -- another new first for me. Next year I hope to make it to CSC in person.
The CACS meeting was also enjoyable. There was an engaged audience at the session, and the post-presentation buzz was good. I hope those who attended my session found it useful and thought-provoking.
As for me, I'm back home -- stuffed from turkey on the holiday, and with a stuffy nose from a bad cold. My apologies in advance for all of those I will be visiting in the next two weeks, as I am scheduled to be traveling 11 off the next 16 days.
-M
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Finally, a fun post...
Ok, today I am posting a host of new messages. Travel does that. I will be traveling for the next 12 days, so you might see me somewhere about. However, to wet your digital appetite -- and just have some fun -- check out the following blog:
It's called, "Being Five" and is quite humorous.
http://www.beingfive.blogspot.com/
Check out the postings on digital natives vs immigrants, and the one on his dad's record collection.
Enjoy!
It's called, "Being Five" and is quite humorous.
http://www.beingfive.blogspot.com/
Check out the postings on digital natives vs immigrants, and the one on his dad's record collection.
Enjoy!
DCSP Taskforce -- initial discussions...
Following our first couple conference calls, some topics are already emerging as key areas for further discussion. Here are some of the initial themes from those discussions, in no particular order. I would be happy to discuss any of these in more depth in later postings, or one-on-one. Feel free to post your comments, reactions and suggestions in this blog. Final caveat -- this list is not yet complete, just a reflection of some of the themes that arose in the taskforce's initial discussions.
- Importance of strategic partnerships for the future; creating messaging for those partners and getting into more direct discussion.
- Drill into, explore, and better define conditions required for stores to participate in appropriate business models
- Importance of building awareness and action; creating a greater sense of industry need reflective of reality
- Need for new skills and related education
- Need for scalable technology and addressing current technology shortcomings
Of course, each of these points had many sub-themes and recommendations. But what thoughts do you have to expand upon this list -- either on specific points or for new points?
Digital Content Strategic Planning Taskforce
NACS recently formed a strategic planning taskforce in the area of digital content.
The initial charges for this task force are centered on the question of how NACS can best assist stores in positioning themselves for an increasingly complex and competitive digital environment. These include:
1. Develop a position statement for NACS role in digital content services to members.
2. Develop a high priority list of areas or objectives (not specific tasks) that NACS should concentrate on over the next 6-18 months (related to digital content delivery)
3. Identify success metrics for 12-18 months out - Delineating between "stretch" targets and expected achievements.
The desired outcomes from this task force include the following objectives or deliverables:
1. Consensus around industry priorities for positioning NACS and its members relative to digital content sales and services;
2. A list of priority areas or objectives for the NACS board to consider and discuss. The task force may be asked to further identify the resource requirements necessary to pursue one or more of the recommended objectives.
We are interested in getting more input into this taskforce, which consists of a powerhouse of talent from among the stores and some external perspectives. Please leave comments with your thoughts or suggestions. In the months ahead, I will post additional items and questions out of the taskforce allowing this to be a forum for disussion beyond the taskforce members.
The initial charges for this task force are centered on the question of how NACS can best assist stores in positioning themselves for an increasingly complex and competitive digital environment. These include:
1. Develop a position statement for NACS role in digital content services to members.
2. Develop a high priority list of areas or objectives (not specific tasks) that NACS should concentrate on over the next 6-18 months (related to digital content delivery)
3. Identify success metrics for 12-18 months out - Delineating between "stretch" targets and expected achievements.
The desired outcomes from this task force include the following objectives or deliverables:
1. Consensus around industry priorities for positioning NACS and its members relative to digital content sales and services;
2. A list of priority areas or objectives for the NACS board to consider and discuss. The task force may be asked to further identify the resource requirements necessary to pursue one or more of the recommended objectives.
We are interested in getting more input into this taskforce, which consists of a powerhouse of talent from among the stores and some external perspectives. Please leave comments with your thoughts or suggestions. In the months ahead, I will post additional items and questions out of the taskforce allowing this to be a forum for disussion beyond the taskforce members.
Response to a Post...
In a recent comment to this blog Anonymous said...
This is not related to your current post, but just a question for you....I recently read in Entertainment Weekly (yes!) that Madonna (and other prominent musicians) are moving away from the "big name" record labels and going with start-ups, direct to consumers (via the web), or otherwise giving their music away. The article suggested that these moves were to promote fan loyalty and generate more listeners. And since the real money for the artists is in licensing, merchandise, touring, etc.--there's no problem for them.My question is this: "How do you think this growing trend is likely to impact the already shifting concepts (perceptions?) of copyright, ownership, "right to", and "on the web is free" that our customers bring to the table?
A very interesting question, Anonymous. By coincidence this dicussion also came up in one of our recent digital content strategic planning taskforce conference calls. For a long time many industries in the US have been moving toward consolidation. However, here is an example of how technology facilitates the startup, the entrepreneur -- by providing outlets for stars, like Madonna and Radiohead, to move more easily to other outlets for their content distribution. The music industry is still progressing through a dramatic evolution. What will be interesting is how this plays out in the textbook and other print content markets. Will faculty also decide to end-run the traditional channel (publishers) to provide content to students at lower cost? Models like Connexions could facilitate that movement -- providing mechanisms of peer review, use count, and other social networking review elements that could make publishing in such outlets more valuable than what traditional publishers currently provide.
More directly to the point of your question -- what are the implications for copyright and IP? I am not sure. To my knowledge, the jury is still somewhat out on the repurposing of content (e.g., mash-ups). There are also initiatives to revise copyright and provide greater flexibility in academic markets -- but if the content is primarily produced for the academic market (i.e., textbooks) then the financial implications for content producers (a fair use criterion) could be significant. That would favor, in my opinion, restricting an overly radical reinterpretation of copyright law with textbook or course material content.
As with most other industries, the concept of value will likely continue to move away from the product and more toward services and value-added elements that make the product of greater value to the consumer. Revenue might not come as much from the content itself, as from the ancillary elements that sit around or are applied to the content. The product (here the content) might ultimately be given away for free, or perhaps nearly free. Consider, for example, institutional licensing models for content -- that ensure access and affordability for all, and at a lower cost per student. We are already seeing these on campus for music and video, so when will digital textbooks follow? Content producers could do this with the understanding that making use of the content opens a host of new opportunities for revenue for content producers beyond what the content alone could provide.
Does that answer the question, or just raise more?
This is not related to your current post, but just a question for you....I recently read in Entertainment Weekly (yes!) that Madonna (and other prominent musicians) are moving away from the "big name" record labels and going with start-ups, direct to consumers (via the web), or otherwise giving their music away. The article suggested that these moves were to promote fan loyalty and generate more listeners. And since the real money for the artists is in licensing, merchandise, touring, etc.--there's no problem for them.My question is this: "How do you think this growing trend is likely to impact the already shifting concepts (perceptions?) of copyright, ownership, "right to", and "on the web is free" that our customers bring to the table?
A very interesting question, Anonymous. By coincidence this dicussion also came up in one of our recent digital content strategic planning taskforce conference calls. For a long time many industries in the US have been moving toward consolidation. However, here is an example of how technology facilitates the startup, the entrepreneur -- by providing outlets for stars, like Madonna and Radiohead, to move more easily to other outlets for their content distribution. The music industry is still progressing through a dramatic evolution. What will be interesting is how this plays out in the textbook and other print content markets. Will faculty also decide to end-run the traditional channel (publishers) to provide content to students at lower cost? Models like Connexions could facilitate that movement -- providing mechanisms of peer review, use count, and other social networking review elements that could make publishing in such outlets more valuable than what traditional publishers currently provide.
More directly to the point of your question -- what are the implications for copyright and IP? I am not sure. To my knowledge, the jury is still somewhat out on the repurposing of content (e.g., mash-ups). There are also initiatives to revise copyright and provide greater flexibility in academic markets -- but if the content is primarily produced for the academic market (i.e., textbooks) then the financial implications for content producers (a fair use criterion) could be significant. That would favor, in my opinion, restricting an overly radical reinterpretation of copyright law with textbook or course material content.
As with most other industries, the concept of value will likely continue to move away from the product and more toward services and value-added elements that make the product of greater value to the consumer. Revenue might not come as much from the content itself, as from the ancillary elements that sit around or are applied to the content. The product (here the content) might ultimately be given away for free, or perhaps nearly free. Consider, for example, institutional licensing models for content -- that ensure access and affordability for all, and at a lower cost per student. We are already seeing these on campus for music and video, so when will digital textbooks follow? Content producers could do this with the understanding that making use of the content opens a host of new opportunities for revenue for content producers beyond what the content alone could provide.
Does that answer the question, or just raise more?
Friday, October 19, 2007
At EDUCAUSE '07 next week...
I will be at EDUCAUSE '07 next week, and will try to post a few blog messages from there. In addition, NACS will be hosting Innovate! Online all next week. If you missed Innovate in the summer, this event is worth attending -- if for no other reason than to get to see the Ray Kurzweil video. He's fantastic and has a message that no college store manager should miss.
-M
-M
Videos to Watch
Ok it is Friday, so what better to do than watch some videos. Actually, these videos are very much worth watching if you are interested in some perspectives on technology and learning. They were produced by Micahel Wesch, an assistant professor of anthropology at KSU a few months back. There is still one more to come out in the series, which should be available later this fall. The third one - A Vision of Today's Students - is particularly interesting, but I think the whole set provide a powerful message about technology and learning and society.
Michael will be a speaker for us at CAMEX this year and the LSG will be recommending to their members that they all attend his session. Michael is a junior prof at Kansas State, is about 29 years old, and if you see him present you will get a taste of what some of the next generation of faculty will be like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g The Machine is Us/ing Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM Information R/evolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o A Vision of Students Today
Also, check out the following video too. It is a documentary produced by some of Michael's students and is very interesting as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ1jFaXgTnw&NR=1 Academia 2.0
Grab some popcorn, a colleague, and enjoy the shows!
-M
Michael will be a speaker for us at CAMEX this year and the LSG will be recommending to their members that they all attend his session. Michael is a junior prof at Kansas State, is about 29 years old, and if you see him present you will get a taste of what some of the next generation of faculty will be like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g The Machine is Us/ing Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM Information R/evolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o A Vision of Students Today
Also, check out the following video too. It is a documentary produced by some of Michael's students and is very interesting as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ1jFaXgTnw&NR=1 Academia 2.0
Grab some popcorn, a colleague, and enjoy the shows!
-M
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