Through acquisitions of leading companies like EdgeCase, Digital Garage hopes to expand its capabilities and offer a full service for startups. Targeting the Lean Startup movement, the consultancy will assist with the design, development and delivery of web and mobile applications based on lean and agile methodologies.

Digital Garage, since its establishment in 1995, has pioneered various domains of Internet business in Japan, including portals, media representation, e-Commerce, mobile communication and blogging. An investor in Twitter and Path, Digital Garage has created partnerships to customise the Japanese versions of Technorati, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Paul Wilson, EdgeCase UK MD explains:  “I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to bring the Lean Startup Methodology to established businesses, as well as startups, as it is the most important business development of the past five years. This is an incredibly exciting moment for EdgeCase and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of it.”

Since its launch in 2006, EdgeCase has specialised in the development of mobile and web applications for both startups and Fortune 500 companies. The company currently employs 33 people, from offices in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio and Edinburgh, Scotland.

The acquisition follows a period of sustained growth, and will see Paul Wilson become Managing Director of EdgeCase UK. Founders Ken Barker and Joe O’Brien will continue in their previous roles as President and CEO respectively.

Joe O’Brien, CEO and co-founder of EdgeCase comments:  “We have always excelled at building software and teams. We help startups get on their feet technically and by hiring and training teams for them. For our Fortune 500 clients we are able to translate the lean and agile concepts from our startup clients, as well as train their existing teams on the newer technologies for maximum impact.  Forming New Context gives us an incredible platform to help take our work to the next level and offer clients a broader set of capabilities and strengths as well as reach places we have not been able to yet, such as the Asian market.”

New Context President and group CTO of DG, Ian McFarland comments: “We’re excited to bring together so many thought leaders from the design and development worlds under one roof. EdgeCase has a proven track record in eliminating risk in the areas of design and implementation. Combined with Digital Garage’s strength in operations and finance, we see huge potential to reshape how software is designed, developed and delivered. This is just a first step, but we think it’s a big one.”

The acquisition has already drawn attention from leading industry figures. Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, Inc and the Obvious Corporation, says: “I’m really excited about the vision Ian has made for New Context. I think it has the potential to transform how software is made, and really help their clients to take Agile and Lean to a new level.”

And Eric Ries, author of New York Times bestseller ‘The Lean Startup’ lends his support:  “I’m excited by the birth of this new company, dedicated to lean startup principles, and addressing both design and development.  This integrated approach is both powerful and unique.”

http://edgecase.com/

For more information contact:  Lauren Cormack

TIN IT OR BIN IT is your weekly social media need-to-know.

Hot off the press we deliver the week’s most ground breaking social media news,
oh-no-you-didn’t stories, tips you can’t afford to miss or simply our opinion on trends in the digital landscape.

Lastly, we’ll tell you whether it’s tin material or bin material!

View them all here on our Facebook page.

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Facebook announced this week that they are rolling out Timeline to all users. It will be compulsory in February for user’s entire history (the ‘story of their life’) to be exposed in reverse-chronological order on their profile. That includes status updates, photos, marital changes and other major life events. In a nutshell it means that those embarrassing posts and photos that you had forgotten about will resurface. Yikes.

Not surprisingly Facebook has received wide criticism for this. Key tech site Mashable said, “Facebook must know that putting a ticking clock in front of users is bound to make very few of them happy, yet here it is, stop watch in hand.” Until recently users had the choice to opt-in to Timeline, now they will be automatically switched over – whether they like it or not. However you are given seven days to delete the content that on you profiles and hide what you don’t want to display.

We have taken a peek at the new look and played about with it. It looks fairly slick with the cover photo and new layout but it is also quite cluttered due to the massive amount of statuses and photos now displayed in the Timeline.

To tie up with the new feature, Facebook are also introducing apps to personalise your page with interests such as cooking, listening and reading. A user listening to Spotify on a smartphone, for instance, will default to posting every song to their Timeline for all their ‘friends’ to see. So it’s crunch time, is Facebook’s new Timeline a yay or a nay, a Tin or a Bin? It’s an interesting idea but the fact that they are forcing their users to change to this radical new feature leaves a bitter aftertaste. It would have been nice to have a choice in the matter.

For now it’s a Bin It.

TIN IT OR BIN IT is your weekly social media need-to-know.

Hot off the press we deliver the week’s most ground breaking social media news,
oh-no-you-didn’t stories, tips you can’t afford to miss or simply our opinion on trends in the digital landscape.

Lastly, we’ll tell you whether it’s tin material or bin material!

View them all here on our Facebook page.

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This week we are looking at an app called Situationist, which apparently aims to create extra-ordinary situations in your everyday life. Sounds exciting but it is quite a big claim to follow through on.

The app uses geo-location and looks to make your every day life more exciting and random by alerting you to other user’s proximity and encourages members to interact with each other in unpredictable situations. The situations can vary from things like hugs, compliments, scare tactics, or even…revolutions. Users upload their photo and pick the situations they want from a list, knowing that those choices might then occur anywhere, and at any time.

It’s certainly intriguing but possibly not for the right reasons. Stalker tool perhaps…?

One of the visionaries behind the app, Ben Carey states that this is the complete opposite of what they are fighting against: “When the media deliberately demonise strangers as paedophiles, stalkers or terrorists, it is time to fight back and reconnect with our fellow citizens and human beings”.

This idea is certainly great in theory but when you look closer, it really just boils down to strangers doing random things to you.

Despite the best intentions this app is just plain weird and that’s why it’s probably banned from the app store. This is a BIN IT.

A family faith, Generation Magazine, December 2011.

A burden shared at Acorns, Inspire Magazine, September 2011.

New office for funeral firm, Edinburgh Evening News, 29 August 2011.

William Purves opens first funeral directors in Craigmillar, STV Edinburgh, 29 August 2011.

Top ten tips: Funeral finances,The Scotsman, 11 July 2011.

Funeral directors William Purves hires Hot Tin Roof, The Drum, 3 May 2011.

Acorns,  a new unique bereavement programme launches in Edinburgh, Lothian Life, 25 April 2011.

Unique bereavement support service launches in Edinburgh, STV Edinburgh, 11 April 2011.

Grieving service comes together to deal with loss, The Scotsman, 6 April 2011.

Create an awesome cinemagraph in Photoshop, .net magazine, 4 January 2012.

Haggis Adventures look to online video to engage with youth market, The Drum, 18 November 2011.

University of Stirling add cinemagraphs to website with Heehaw Digital, The Drum, 16 November 2011.

Stirling is the first UK University to use cinemagraphs, Creative Boom, 11 November 2011.

Top Ten Digital Marketing tips for travel & tourism businesses, Travel Bulletin, 11 November 2011.

Powerful online video for Haggis Adventures, Coach Holiday News, 1 November 2011.

Heehaw launches online video for Haggis Adventures, Travel Bulletin, 31 October 2011.

Pagan Osborne tasks Heehaw with website overhaul, The Drum, 4 October 2011.

Heehaw Digital appoints head of digital development, The Drum, 23 September 2011.

Design agency Heehaw Digital recruits head of digital development, The Scotsman, 23 September 2011.

Until now, fraud and money-laundering regulations have meant that customers applying for a financial product online have usually had to follow this up by providing proof of identity and other documents by post.

As a result, up to 90% of sign-ups are never completed – meaning many customers are missing out on the attractive ‘online only’ rates offered by banks.

But in a major step for both consumers and the finance industry, miiCard and Callcredit have joined forces to provide a unique online identity service that removes the need for paper-based checks.

The miiCard (My Internet Identity Card) service allows a consumer to prove their identity online and in real-time, creating the same level of trust as a passport or driving licence. Callcredit’s award-winning identity verification software, which contains data on millions of UK consumers, gives an extra, robust layer of protection that ensures the service meets strict anti-money laundering and fraud regulations.

James Varga, Chief Executive of miiCard, said: “In a digital economy where there is a 70% to 90% drop out rate when selling financial products online as soon as the process goes offline, removing the drivers’ licence, passport and utility bill checks is critical. Creating this level of trust online will not only change the face of financial services but anywhere you need to know who you’re dealing with.”

Graham Lund, Managing Director of Callcredit, said: “At this time of year, many consumers will be looking to get their finances in order for 2012 by taking advantage of competitive online banking offers.

“As a recognised leader in identity verification and fraud prevention, we have been working closely with miiCard to make it easier for customers to complete the sign-up process without compromising compliance with regulations or fraud rates. The new service provides a consumer-focused solution that combines the latest cutting edge technology with the widest range of robust data sources. Today represents a shift in the way consumers and companies will view identity verification in the future.”

miiCard

TIN IT OR BIN IT is your weekly social media need-to-know.

Hot off the press we deliver the week’s most ground breaking social media news,
oh-no-you-didn’t stories, tips you can’t afford to miss or simply our opinion on trends in the digital landscape.

Lastly, we’ll tell you whether it’s tin material or bin material!

View them all here on our Facebook page.

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After a brief break we are now back in 2012 with your weekly social media need-to-know.

We have been looking at a free iPhone app called Wander, which connects pen pals and Instagram to allow users to look at and take part in the lives of others all over the world, whilst also interacting and sharing with them.

Not everyone has the money or opportunity to go travelling around the world, so this free app can help to satisfy your curiosity for other cultures and help you become closer to the lives of others.

Wander creates connections with people you have never met through photo based conversation threads and provides the opportunity to explore different surrounding in an interactive, expressive way. Magic.

Each week, you can explore a new part of the world with a new user acting as your local guide. The app works by highlighting a new guide, from over 80 countries and across 6 continents that you can choose to connect with.

If you connect, the app will then suggest photo-based missions to start the interaction. You then upload them to the conversation. No worries if you don’t speak the same language, as there is a built in translation feature to aid your communication.

Wander currently has 12,000 app downloads and nearly 1,100 photos shared each week.

The only downside appears to be that is it currently just available for iPhone users, however the app will soon be rolled out for Android devices. Hurrah!

Wander seems to be the natural step in social networking and for that reason it’s a TIN IT.

C2 Software help Durham police to launch ‘real time’ neighbourhood website, Durham Times, 24 November 2011.

C2 Software use social media to connect Durham Constabulary with community, The Advertiser, 24 November 2011.

Watch crim crackdowns on live plod blog, The Register, 24 November 2011.

Durham police to launch ‘real-time’ neighbourhood website, Darlington & Stockton Times, 24 November 2011.

Durham police plan for real time information, The Guardian, 23 November 2011.

Steps to design a user friendly website, SME Web, 8 November 2011.

The social side of CRM, Microscope, 7 November 2011.

Samsung puts bite on Apple in phone wars, The Scotsman, 27 October 2011.

Designing your website, don’t forget your users, Fresh Business Thinking, 5 October 2011.

Seven steps to a user-friendly website, Enterprise Nation, 30 September 2011.

How to get the best website through user-centred design, Real Business, 28 September 2011.

Guide to new EU cookie laws, SME Web, 9 September 2011.

The cookie crumbles, IT Donut, 12 September 2011.

C2 make sense of the EU cookie legislation, Bitsy, 30 August 2011.

Making sense of the new EU cookie regulations, EN For Business, 16 August 2011.

C2 Software examine the new EU cookie legislation, The Marketing Lounge, 16 August 2011.

EU cookie legislation, Fresh Business Thinking, 4 August 2011.

Making sense of the EU cookie legislation, Real Business, 3 August 2011.

Student teachers to manage their own online profiles, M2, 11 July 2011.

C2 launches Scottish Prison Service website, The Drum, 6 June 2011.

C2 Software release Scottish Prison Service website early, ScotlandIS, 1 June 2011.

http://www.c2software.com/

Steps SMEs can take to manage salaries in light of stratospheric bonuses, SME Web, 2 February 2012.

Your HR Calendar for 2012, InspiresMe.co.uk, 1 February 2012.

SME Focus, The Herald, 30 January 2012.

2012: The key dates of the year ahead, Business Matters, 9 January 2012.

Bonuses: Are they worth it, Business Matters, 7 December 2011.

How to avoid pitfalls and make the most of the holiday season, Fresh Business Thinking, 1 December 2011.

sportscotland outsources HR services for 50 governing bodies of sport, HR Magazine, 21 November 2011.

10 tips to enjoy the festive season at work, Inspireme.co.uk, 17 November 2011.

Gravitating toward sporting excellence, The Scotsman, 16 November 2011.

Get your business ready for winter, SME Web, 25 October 2011.

Preparing for winter, EN For Business, 14 October 2011.

Is your business ready for winter, Business Matters, 12 October 2011.

Get ready for winter, Fresh Business Thinking, 5 October 2011.

Ten ways to prepare your business for winter, Real Business, 27 September 2011.

http://www.gravitatehr.co.uk/

Christmas is a key target for fraudsters, and shoppers are more than three times likely to experience fraud during the holiday period than any other time of year. James Varga, miiCard’s CEO explains: “Fraud is changing – as we start to reduce security and transactional fraud we are now seeing huge increases in fraud relating to identity theft, impersonation and false documentation. And almost 72% of fraud this Christmas will relate to identity related issues (Source: CIFAS).

Digital passport service miiCard believe it is imperative that UK consumers are aware of the risks and take measures to protect themselves. The company has published a guide identifying the ten tips for safe and secure online shopping which it will publish across the internet and tweet daily in the run up to Christmas. These tips aim to educate the consumer, and will include advice such as: only buy from well known websites, read customer reviews and be careful with the information you share.

As the number of online shoppers grow so we are seeing a corresponding increase in the incidence of internet fraud explains James Varga, founder of miiCard: “Shopping online is fast and convenient and for many of us is a far more attractive option than battling through the crowds on the high street. But, with the increased risk of fraud over the festive period, we are advising consumers to take control and actively protect their digital identity.”

Today in the UK there is no way of proving online ‘I am who I say I am’ in real time. And it is that loophole that fraudsters are leveraging to wage war on the internet shopper: the impact of e-commerce fraud on the UK economy is expected to rise by 18% from £165 million in 2011 to £195 million in 2015 (Source: PayPoint.net).

Varga continues: “We’re encouraging consumers to sign up for a miiCard digital passport and join our fast growing user group who want to create a system of trust online.” Varga wants to encourage banks and retailers to adopt an independent proof of identity that meets anti-money laundering standards. Currently there is no way to prove your identity online to the same level of authority of a passport or driver’s licence.

miiCard is a digital passport (or virtual driver’s licence) that allows consumers to prove they are who they say they are online in real time, validated to anti-money laundering standards. Owned and managed by the individual, miiCard allows the consumer to track, monitor and so take control of their online identity. It creates trust between parties when conducting business, fights fraud and protects consumers without the need for physical identity validation.

Ten Tips for Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season

1. Buy from well-known websites

Use credible sites like Amazon and eBay that have seller feedback, product reviews and buyer protection procedures in place.

2. Read the reviews

Take the time to read buyer feedback and reviews. Make sure the product is exactly what you want and the seller has a reliable and trusted selling history.

3. Research the business

If you are looking for that extra special something on a smaller, lesser known website, a quick Internet background search should provide you with peace of mind. Check for blog, forum and social media posts by and about the business. Ask your friends if they’ve bought from them before and what their experience was like.

4. Don’t be fooled

If an offer looks too good to be true it probably is. Research the items you’re looking to buy on a few different sites to get an idea of the true value of the goods.

5. Contact the seller

If you have any doubts about a suspicious seller or fake website, contact them to try and verify their details. Poor spelling and grammar in emails from a business can be a warning sign the business is not legitimate.

6. Do a little detective work

Add the words “fraud” and “scam” to the business or product. If someone has been scammed it’s very likely the victims will be making lots of noise in forums and posts online.

7. Read the small print

Read and understand privacy and returns policies. Print a copy of your order and check your bank statement carefully against anything you buy online. Alert your financial provider immediately if you notice anything suspicious.

8. Safety first

Only buy from secure sites that use security encryption in the URL “https://”. Log out accounts after completing a purchase and guard your passwords closely.

9. Don’t give too much away

Be careful with the information you share online. During the buying process all that should be required is: name, email, address, telephone number, payment information and shipping arrangements. Use a landline telephone number and a business address for delivery if possible. Never give out passport, driving licence or social security numbers to anyone online.

10. Payment protection

Using your regular bank account can make you vulnerable so pay by credit card for an added layer of fraud protection.

For more information contact: Sarah Lee