The Business and Pleasure of Free Software

Some people make great software and try to make money by selling it as compiled (runnable, but not readable) programs. Others make great software, then give it away for free, and even let people both see and reuse their source code as they see fit.

These are the two typical ways of distributing software today. It’s commercial and secretive versus free and open. It’s business versus community. You might even say it’s capitalism versus communism. That’s the simplified, black and white way of seeing it, a way of seeing that misses out on the complexities and nuances of software development and distribution today.

Best of Open Source Software Awards 2008

InfoWorld has just announced the results of the 2008 Bossies, or Best of Open Source Software Awards. No less than 60 open source software programs have been awarded with a Bossie this year. Stuff your toolbox with whatever you need from the list of award winners, and be ready to take on any task, be it in personal productivity or in enterprise application development.

See the complete list here.

The new reality of marketing: understanding and respecting the power of the user

The new reality of marketing is about customers, or users, and the increasing power that they represent. The balance of power between suppliers and customers has clearly shifted in the last decade. Where suppliers previously commanded a large amount of credibility, customers now chose to listen to and take advice from each other.

the next big thing.

- ubiquitous and powerful mobile devices can help brands make b2u a reality.

Mobility is the next big frontier in digital branding. It offers immense possibilities in making B2U a reality, because of the uniquely personal and immediate nature of the platform.

web 2.0 tools.

“Web 2.0” is a catch-all term for a variety
of technologies and tools. They can be useful for building interactive elements into your branding approach. Here, we provide a primer on some important Web 2.0 tools:

does your brand speak to the individual in all of us?

- by using digital media creatively, brands can develop closer ties to customers.

The internet, mobile services, gaming and other digital media are tremendously flexible and far- reaching media channels. They provide easy access to authoring tools in many formats, such as video, images and the written word. These media are being advanced every day by millions of bloggers, writers, artists and filmmakers who are both customers and influences.

B2U – Business to You

The world is communicating differently. We have passed B2B and B2C. The future is B2U - “Business to You“. Organisations must reach out to their target customers as unique individuals. New technology makes it possible, but must be linked to the timeless art of communication. This is what Creuna is about. We build brands and business concepts for a digital reality.

the art of digital branding.

By Ian Cocoran (Allworth Press; 2007)“The Art of Digital Branding” is written by Ian Cocoran, a regular contributor for Interbrand’s Brandchannel. He has extensive experience with digital branding and has been reviewing websites for Brandchannel since 2001.This book, Cocoran’s first on this topic, is a well-written and often humorous look at the web, how it is best utilized for branding and why many online branding attempts fail. Drawing on real-life examples, it covers both the psychology and the practicalities of online branding. It shows that if you intend to live your brand, it must be lived online as well.

the world is flat.

By Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux; 2005)In “The World Is Flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century”, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman strips away the apparent complexity of situations to explain why and how globalisation and technology have driven the great changes we have experiencedin our time.In addition to shedding a fresh light on events, Friedman points to more surprising developments to come over the next few decades. Follow his nine rules and it will change your point of view on how business will be practiced in the future.Buy the book here.