E-consultancy - API - Internet Marketing News and Blogs

The Web Week in Review

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 11:00:00 UT

Thank god it's Friday! Without further ado, here are the stories that caught Drama 2.0's attention this past week.

Global analytics budgets on the rise

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:00:00 UT

Nearly 70% of organisations are planning to increase their spending on web analytics this year, according to a new international study by the Web Analytics Association (WAA).

The budget increases, the Industry Outlook survey suggests, will mainly be ploughed into training.�

Ordnance Survey API nears launch

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:45:00 UT

The Ordnance Survey�s long-awaited API has moved a step closer to launch, with the organisation preparing to announce an alpha release later today.

The 'OpenSpace' platform�has been in the pipeline�for at least a couple of years and�will reportedly now�be fully unveiled�sometime in 2008.�

Google Analytics celebrates second birthday

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:26:00 UT

Google Analytics,�Big G's�highly popular free reporting software,�is two years old tomorrow, but what impact has it had and what's in store for the future?

Arguably one of the biggest developments in the online marketing space in the past few years, Google Analytics is a fine tool for marketers, although it isn't without its issues.

We caught up with Google Analytics' Brian Clifton, as well as web analytics gurus Jim Sterne and Eric Peterson, to see how the software is shaping up, two years on...�

Life without MySpace

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 07:30:00 UT

The recent redesign and introduction of 3rd party apps may be too little too late for MySpace as many users have jumped ship, including me.

Adsense coming to Facebook?

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:23:00 UT

Google is apparently looking to tap into the Facebook widget �phenomenon� by serving Adsense ads on third-party applications created for the site.

Steve Rubel has linked to an article in AdAge that quotes Google CEO Eric Schmidt as saying:

�How will those developers get paid for those services? We would like to have our ads in those applications.�

Interview: Timo Soininen, CEO of Sulake

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 11:46:00 UT

Timo Soininen is the CEO of Sulake Corporation , the Finnish digital media group that owns virtual world Habbo Hotel, as well as other online games and social networks.

We asked him about the risks and rewards for brands�targeting online communities, as well as the company�s plans for the future.

Launching a Facebook widget: dos and don'ts

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 08:44:00 UT

Thousands of�applications have been created on Facebook�s open platform since the social network opened up to developers earlier this year.�But launching one, and generating interest, is not necessarily easy.

�Attitudinal matching� company Synature is one UK firm that has already taken the plunge, launching a version of its qubox software that�allows Facebook members to search for like-minded people on the site, as well as potentially becoming a platform for targeted advertising. Here, John Woods,�its CEO, talks about the challenges the company faced, and why he thinks the API can be a significant opportunity for brands.

Google adds developers' Mapplets to maps

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:30:00 UT

Google Maps has launched an on-site applets platform that could do for the mapping tool what Apps have done for Facebook.

Mapplets are mini web applications that can be bolted on to extend a user's Google Maps experience with a range of new functions, from petrol prices to Manchester's Metro system.

Yahoo! unveils Panama APIs

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 08:04:00 UT

Yahoo! has released a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow advertisers to tailor their experience with the company's search marketing platform.

Three levels of tweaking capability are available to developers, each of which allows for customisation of the out-of-the-box new Panama engine, which was released in the UK last week.

Top ten Facebook widgets

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:49:00 UT

Social network Facebook opened its doors to�third party developers�last week, allowing users to add�apps to their profile pages for the first time.

Since the launch of the Facebook development platform, plenty of widgets have been added to the site.�Here's a list of the most popular so far...

Google shifts in to offline web gear

Thu, 31 May 2007 08:42:00 UT

Google is attempting to bridge the divide between online and offline working by releasing new software that syncronises the two.

At its Developer Day in Sydney today, the company announced Google Gears, an open-source technology platform that allows programmers to build websites that continue to function even without connectivity.

Google launches MyMaps, a social mapping service

Thu, 5 Apr 2007 10:21:00 UT

Google has launched a set of free map-making tools in a bid to encourage more web users to develop mash-ups using its Google Maps platform.

MyMaps, as they are called, have been designed by the web giant to help non-techies create customised online maps and share information about their local neighbourhoods, holidays and so on.

Amazon kills Statsaholic, but does Jeff know?

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:30:00 UT

Statsaholic, the Alexa-powered traffic tool formerly known as Alexaholic, is being systematically crushed by Amazon in a move that is going to create a wave of negative PR for the online retail giant.

Earlier this month Amazon sent a legal warning that forced Alexaholic to drop the Alexa from its name. Fair enough � brands have to look after their trademarks. But now it is preventing Statsaholic from using its API at all.

This is bad news, and sends out a highly ridiculous message to current and prospective users of Amazon Web Services. The message is this: �If you are successful, we can close you down.�

Interview: Online mapping guru Ed Parsons

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:49:00 UT

�Ed Parsons is the former chief technology officer of the Ordnance Survey, and one of the most knowledgeable people in the UK�s geospatial industry.

Before his much talked about departure last month, he was one of the central figures in the debate over the Ordnance Survey�s licensing regime � i.e., whether it should offer low cost access to mapping data to encourage the development of applications and mash-ups.�He had also been pushing for the organisation to launch an API for non-commercial services and to adopt an open source�model in some of its projects.

I�caught up with him�last week�to find out more about internet mapping and his plans for the future�

Interview with Ed Freyfogle of Nestoria

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:17:00 UT

Nestoria is a property-focused vertical search engine based in the UK, founded by former engineers at Yahoo.

I talked to co-founder Ed Freyfogle to find out more about the site, the challenges of starting up in the UK and�APIs...

Interview with the producers of BBC Backstage

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 13:57:00 UT

Ian Forrester and Matthew Cashmore�of BBC Backstage, the Beeb's developer network,�talked to us about the challenges and opportunities of opening up your data to third parties.

Flickr launches new camera finder

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:27:00 UT

Flickr has spotted a new revenue stream via the launch of its camera finder service, which displays the most popular cameras used on the photo sharing site.

Flickr is using the data from photos uploaded to the site to display the most popular makes of cameras and camera phones.

Yahoo! APIs 'could reduce peanut butter effect'

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:23:00 UT

Gifting its underlying infrastructure to web users could help focus a flailing Yahoo!, according to one of the portal's lead developers.

According to an internal memo, aimed at counteracting its listing fortunes but leaked this weekend, company senior vice president Brad Garlinghouse likened the search giant's one-stop shop approach to "peanut butter" - "a thin layer of investment spread across everything we do and thus we focus on nothing in particular".

E-consultancy seeks Head of Website Development

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:47:00 UT

E-consultancy has doubled in size over the past year, but with that has come new challenges - let's just say we have a hefty development to-do list.

With that in mind we're on the lookout for a world class Head of Website Development. Somebody with very strong technical / development skills, as well as an understanding of how our plans fit in with business and marketing goals.

More details after the jump...