Asian e-Marketing April 2011 by MediaBUZZ Pte Ltd

April 2011

Security in the Digital Age ( P art 2)

InMobi on Data PrivacyTop and10 Springboard Researchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Futureinof2011, Digital ComPredictions page 22 munications, Page 35

Uncovering the Risks of SoYahoo: Science is Insight, cial Networking Applications Not Hindsight!, page 41 in the Workplace, Page 18

Data Privacy Protection Out Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State-of-the-art onThere the Web is more than Mobile Advertising Marketplace, just a Chore, Page 39 page 44

EDITORIAL:

O N L I N E

V E R S I O N

Since information technology is such a critical part of our business, it leaves us to wonder if our level of security measures is sufficient to sustain normal, daily operations during a data loss or security breach. I don’t know what you are or not doing, but I think it‘s worthwhile to spend more time on data theft threats and the many ways we are exposed to security risks and dedicate this issue again to “Security in the Digital Age” (Part 2). I am aware that Asian e-Marketing can only give you a brief glimpse into data intrusion or privacy compliance, but it should help you in getting potentially tenuous situations better under control. Wise brands ensure that information collected for marketing purposes are properly encrypted, that usable account numbers will always be masked by ‘reward account numbers’ and there is an emphasis on security with all the bells and whistles.

Daniela La Marca Editor-in-Chief Asian eMarketing

Our responsibility is to ensure that we protect the consumer data we collect and that we take extra steps to communicate what we are doing to bring value to customers while mitigating risks. Just remember: Discretion is the better part of valor! Happy reading,

PS: If you couldn’t catch the previous issue of Asian e-Marketing here is another chance.

Exclusive Sponsor of this Issue

APRIL 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

SECURITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE (Part 2) COMPANIES & CAMPAIGNS

Mobile Marketing Association’s Third Annual MMA Forum in Singapore

Slow but Steady Uptake of Data Loss Prevention Technology

InMobi on Data Privacy and the Future of Digital Communications

PayPal’s First Comprehensive Study on Online and Mobile Shopping in Singapore

DiGi iDeal’s Permission-based Mobile Advertising is a Win-Win for Consumers and Advertisers

LEGISLATION

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Privacy and Security in the New Mobile World

Springboard Research Expects the IT Services Market in the People’s Republic of China Continuing its Rapid Growth 9 Singapore Gains Business Confidence

Social Media Now a Key Requirement for IT Service Management

Data Privacy Protection on the Web is more than just a Chore

Well Known News Sites are Early Winners with Google’s Panda Update

BUZZWORD

Blended Threat, Zero-day exploits

APPOINTMENTS

IMPRINT

What Your Chosen Career Path Can Reveal About Your Meeting Personality

Hiring of Social Media and Marketing Staff is Going Up

BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES

Uncovering the Risks of Social Networking Applications in the Workplace

Protection Tips for Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks

Sensible Precautions when Shopping Online

TECHNOLOGIES & PRODUCTS

VeriSign’s Encryption Technology and SSL Certificates

Armorlog’s Newly Developed Security Software Stops Scammers

Network Box’s Raised Alert Condition Due to Increased Email-based Malware Activity

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RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Privacy and Security in the New Mobile World The new role of the customer at the centre stage in marketing, particularly when it comes to mobile, has made privacy and personalisation two key areas to address in 2011 and beyond. The fact that mobile is so much more personal than any other channel and allows brands to tailor their messages far more closely to the consumer also creates a balancing act between the demand for personalisation and the need to protect consumer data and privacy. Whilst customers want to cut out irrelevance and maintain control over what they receive, this also means sharing a certain level of information about their personal lives, which does not always sit happily with concerns over how they share that data and how it will be used. Establishing a middle way between these two elements will therefore be of central importance for the industry as mobile progresses. MMA recognises the fact that there are growing privacy concerns given the kind of consumer data that is put out there through the use of various mobile services. We have seen some progress in terms of practices employed by industry members and are continuously working toward a more transparent and secure consumer environment. We at MMA have seen tremendous response from our members when it comes to initiatives related to consumer privacy. It is high on the priority list as there is a clear understanding that it is an absolutely essential component for sustaining the industry and helping it grow. The MMA recently announced the launch of an initiative

focused on the development of a comprehensive set of mobile privacy guidelines to complement its already well-established Global Code of Conduct. The objective of these guidelines is to address the growing need for marketers and consumers to have a transparent, accepted understanding as to how consumer information is collected and used for the purposes of relevant value exchange within a mobile marketing context and across market sectors. The launch of this initiative shows the MMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Mobile industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing commitment to the importance of consumer transparency with regards to privacy issues and data collection. The industry recognizes that in order for marketers and publishers to responsibly and sustainably engage consumers through and with the mobile channel, we need to continuously update how we address the collection, management and use of personal data or related consumer information. Since its inception, MMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission has been to educate this influencer network on industry best practices and codes of conduct in order to ensure responsible, un-intrusive provision of mobile marketing services. The goal is to equip these industry players with the relevant knowledge needed for them to self-regulate their activities. MMA recognises that wireless subscribers have a right

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

to privacy and there are a number of rules that content providers need to abide by in order to respect this right of the subscribers. As per MMA guidelines, content providers must obtain approval from subscribers before sending commercial SMS or MMS messages and other content. Directions on how to unsubscribe from the program should be included in the program messaging on a regular basis. Content providers must also always be cognizant of the number of messages they are sending to participants in their programs to avoid a poor user experience. Premium rate programs require double opt-in. The goal of any opt-in is to communicate to the subscriber the financial obligation they are about to incur by entering the program. It is fundamental to the concept of control that a subscriber maintains the ability to stop participating and receiving the messages from a program when desired. To facilitate this capability, upon entering a program, the subscriber must be told how to opt-out of the program. A subscriber can stop participating and receiving messages from any program by sending STOP/ END/ CANCEL/ UNSUBSCRIBE/ QUIT to the shortcode used for the program. When sent, these words cancel the subscriber's previous opt-in

for messaging. It is important for subscribers to understand and be in control of their participation and, therefore, program information must be transparent. Regardless of manner of entry for a subscriber, help messaging commands, phone numbers, URLs and email addresses should result in the subscriber receiving help with their issue. Moreover, HELP messages should not result in premium charges to the subscriber's bill. Additionally, MMA has special guidelines to ensure the legibility of sweepstakes and contests. These cover everything from declaration of prizes to be awarded and the method for awarding such prizes to ensuring that sweepstakes/ contests involving premium charges include an alternate free method of entry. A complete copy of rules is expected to be submitted before any such contests are rolled out and prizes need to be age appropriate. The guidelines and other regulatory literature produced by MMA has a great deal of contribution from its members and is proof of the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication toward eradicating unethical practices. MMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main focus is to continue to involve its

members in these processes as well as encourage them to adhere to these guidelines in the interest of consumer welfare. We will continue to work towards educating the industry and hope that our members and the industry as a whole use this global wealth of knowledge to avoid any breach of consumer rights. We would like to encourage consumers to be more vigilant when opting into mobile marketing services and to be sure about all the necessary costs and terms involved when participating in any campaigns. We also encourage consumers to continue to raise their concerns and share as much feedback as possible for the industry to learn and grow. Once brands have aligned their strategies to incorporate all of these customer centric elements, the final piece to the puzzle will be establishing what the emerging business models in mobile marketing are and how the ecosystem as a whole will make money in the new world where the end user has control.â&#x2122;Ś By Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director, Mobile Marketing Association Asia Pacific Limited

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Slow but Steady Uptake of Data Loss Prevention Technology Despite the serious threat posed to enterprises from accidental and malicious misuse of data, uptake of data loss prevention technology will remain low for the next four years, according to Ovum. In a new report, the independent technology analyst firm states that the data loss prevention (DLP) technology market will reach global revenues of just $832 million by 2015, from a low base point of $458 million in 2009. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) delivers the highest levels of protection for sensitive data, while greatly reducing the cost and complexity of safeguarding business-critical information. These figures are small in comparison to other key IT security markets such as network security, which will reach revenues of $6.5 billion in 2015. Andy Kellett, Ovum analyst and author of the report commented: “Both public and private sector organisations have compelling reasons to protect their sensitive data, such as the potential for financial losses and regulatory requirements. DLP solutions are widely available but, despite this, enterprise take-up levels remain relatively low.

There are some justifiable reasons for this reluctance to take up DLP products; current offerings are often perceived as too complex to deploy and support and also expensive to operate and maintain, while not providing a good enough return on investment. Part of the problem is the unrealistic way these products were originally brought to market. “However, organisations of all types and sizes must make better provision for protecting the sensitive data that they work with, maintain and store. If this does not happen, we will see regulatory and business implications, causing businesses to fail.” According to the report, organisations that may have been put off investing in DLP technology due to IT budget pressures should take a risk-based prioritisation approach to deployments. Mr. Kellett continued: “Organisations may not be certain about where all their sensitive data is held, but will normally know what their most valuable data assets are. These are the areas for prioritisation and should be the first stage of the DLP project.”♦ Source: Ovum

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RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

PayPal’s First Comprehensive Study on Online and Mobile Shopping in Singapore Conducted by Nielsen in January and February 2011, the wide-ranging PayPal Online and Mobile Shopping Insights Study sampled 407 Singapore shoppers for their online and mobile shopping transactions over the past 12 months, exploring potential growth and respective trends in Singapore. It is PayPal’s first ever comprehensive consumer survey in the country to measure local attitudes and behaviours when shopping online and on mobile devices. The research confirms that online shopping is increasingly gaining popularity in tech-savvy Singapore, which is no surprise, but what is amazing is how fast it has grown. According to PayPal’s study, the size of the Singapore online shopping market reached S$1.1 billion in 2010 and is forecast to reach S$4.4 billion in 2015. Even though 1.2 million Singaporean online shoppers (above the age of 18 years old) had an average spend per head of S$1,492 over the past year, two-thirds of the online shopping spend (S$730 million) came from the middle income and above groups in Singapore. The study also reveals the unique preferences of Singaporean online shoppers and the business implica-

tions for local retailers, strengthening Singaporeans’ reputation as being one of Asia Pacific’s most affluent and sophisticated online shoppers. Contrary to popular belief that Singaporeans shop online primarily on overseas websites, a significant portion of online retail purchases are domestic as online shoppers spend nearly 40% (approximately S$420 million) on local websites. Even when Singaporean online shoppers do buy from overseas websites, they cite “unavailability” (58%) and “greater choice” (48%) as more important reasons than “less expensive” (44%), “better discounts” (42%) or “strong Singapore dollar” (35%). Therefore, local merchants can benefit from the growth in domestic online spending as well as offer a wider choice and selection of goods (instead of competing on price) to get a larger slice of the online shopping market. Elias Ghanem, PayPal’s General Manager for South East Asia and India, said, “With the online shopping market growing so quickly and breaking through the billion dollar mark, Singaporeans are clearly finding great value and a wide range of products and services

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

on the Web, be it on domestic or overseas websites. The study results prove to local merchants that they should embrace a multichannel approach for both in-store and online retail experience, with mobile as an emerging platform, in order to be wherever their customers are.” Some of the key findings for domestic and cross-border online shopping in Singapore:

• Online shopping is more than just airline and hotel bookings. While the travel category is tops, it only accounted for S$307 million or 28% of the online shopping market in Singapore. Other key online shopping categories include: Fashion/Beauty (S$146 million, 13% share), Entertainment/Lifestyle (S$143 million, 13% share), IT/Electronics (S$117 million, 11% share), General Insurance (S$83 million, 8% share), and Gifts/Collectibles (S$75 million, 7% share). • Singaporean online shoppers buy different items between domestic and overseas websites. Movies/events tickets (S$36 million) and general insurance (S$36 million) are top categories for domestic online shopping, while books (S$41 million) and movies/music/video games (S$24 million) are top categories for cross-border online shopping. In addition, online shoppers buy nearly double the amount of

clothing (S$84 million) and travel packages (S$38 million) on overseas websites compared to domestic sites. • Enhancing security can boost online spending, especially for the high income group. Slightly more than 4 out of 10 say that current credit/debit card security measures for online transactions are inadequate and half believe they are taking a risk every time they transact online with their credit/debit cards. Yet, increasing safety measures would convince nearly 6 out of 10 to spend more online. In fact, the high income group was the most concerned about security measures (57%), but are the most willing to increase their online shopping if safety is improved (65%). In addition, these were the key findings for m-commerce and mobile shopping:

• Mobile shopping is in its infancy stage. Over 364,000 Singaporean online shoppers spent S$43 million on their mobile devices last year, approximately 4% of the online shopping market. Mobile shoppers bought low-priced items like movie tickets, fashion items and mobile apps, leading to an average spend per head of S$119 over the past year. • Growth potential for mobile shopping is significant. Four out of 10 online shoppers in Singapore are

willing to make a purchase on their mobile phones. More importantly, nearly 6 out of 10 of the high income group would be interested to do so, and they accounted for more than half of the mobile spend last year. In addition to more Singaporean online shoppers interested in buying on their mobile devices, they would like to buy higher-priced items like IT/electronics, general insurance and collectibles, boosting the potential size of the mobile shopping market. • Convenient, safe, and fast mobile shopping experience will be critical for mass adoption. The top three barriers to mobile shopping are small screen size (55%), security concerns (52%) and slow mobile Internet connection (42%). Based on the online and mobile shopping study results, Elias concluded, “The strong call-to-action for local merchants is to quickly adopt a multi-channel retail strategy, provide greater choice in their online product offerings and offer more secure online payment options. In order to sell to mobile shoppers, they should choose a safer mobile payment method that can be completed in as few clicks as possible.”♦

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Springboard Research Expects the IT Services Market in the People’s Republic of China Continuing its Rapid Growth According to Springboard Research, the IT Services market in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will witness strong growth after recovering from a slight slowdown in the wake of the global economic downturn.

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Leveraging their pioneering research model and industry thought leaders, Springboard Research provides insight, analysis, and innovation specific to global emerging markets.

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The total domestic IT services spending in 2011 is expected to grow by 12% over 2010, finds their latest report “PRC IT Services Report: 2010”. It analyses the prevalent trends in the IT Services market, provides market sizing, forecasts, key service providers with rankings and key IT solutions trends. It also highlights the future “mega trends” that are expected to shape the IT Services market in 2011. The PRC market for 2011 is expected to reach US$11.5 billion, representing 22% of the overall APEJ (Asia Pacific excluding Japan) IT services market. The domestic IT outsourcing market is expected to remain in the early adoption stage over the next five years, although it is growing at a faster pace than that of the discrete services segment. Further, Springboard Research expects the IT services market in PRC to continue its rapid growth, which will be driven by:

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Government Support: The Chinese government’s stimulus initiatives for the 12th five-year plan will focus on expanding domestic demand which as a consequence will also stimulate IT expenditures from government entities and state-owned enterprises. Private Cloud Computing: New delivery models like private cloud computing are expected to fuel IT services growth in 2011. “The emerging trend of adopting virtualization/private cloud deployment will bring more opportunities to system integration service providers in China,” noted Gene Cao, Senior Analyst, IT Services, Springboard Research. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR): Limited internal BCDR capabilities and expensive rental costs for data centers will result in growing opportunities for BCDR service providers. The majority of the investment in BCDR services is expected to come from banking, financial services, and government organizations in the PRC.

Fred Giron, VP - IT Services, Springboard Research noted, “Multinational service providers are now focusing on expanding their geographic coverage to tier 2 and 3 cities in the PRC. Springboard Research expects the competition will intensify dramatically over the next few years in this rapidly expanding and maturing market.” Working with leading technology vendors, IT professionals, and local channels, Springboard Research finds that discrete IT services constituted 90% of the PRC’s IT services market in 2010 and are set to continue growing on the back of new IT project rollouts. Systems integration, infrastructure deployment and support services will continue to have the largest portion of the discrete IT services market in the coming years.♦

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Singapore Gains Business Confidence Business confidence has grown since 2010, but is now accompanied in Singapore by reports that revenues and profits are increasing in line with expectations, according to the Regus Business Confidence Index, which is based on the opinion of over 17,000 companies from around the world. A positive outlook from Singapore businesses is at last being matched by real results, with a clear rebound in exports, revived manufacturing, investment, and private consumption. Undoubtedly, the economy is on the road to recovery with an increased confidence among companies and a positive outlook in hiring practices.

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The index is up 31 points on its lowest trough in April 2010 and 25 since October 2009 when the survey began; In Singapore the index reveals an above average rating of 146; Over two thirds (69%) of Singaporean companies report a rise in revenue, and 61% have experienced healthy profit growth; 82% of companies in Singapore expected their company revenues to rise in the next 12 months.

Departmental spending is predicted to rise this year, with the exception of property where companies are maintaining a strict cost control policy. Globally, 81% of companies expect to freeze or cut their property spending and in Singapore 74% of companies expect to follow suit. This matches other research studies which reveal a general trend towards lower cost working practices. Filippo Sarti, Regus CEO, Asia Pacific, comments: “That Business Confidence is returning is great news as is the fact that so many Singaporean companies are reporting rising revenues and profit. As many as 70% of Singapore companies polled, reported increased company profits. However, it would seem that firms are only investing where there is a clear bottom line return, such as sales and marketing, whereas spending on property will continue to decline in 2011.” Nevertheless, the overall business landscape is cautiously optimistic with regards to employment. The Singapore chapter of the "Asian Development Outlook 2011" report by the Asian Development Bank, noted that last year, a total of 112,500 people were employed in Singapore with the overall unemployment rate decreasing to 2.2% for foreign workers and 3.1% for Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Sarti adds. “We have seen remarkable changes here in Singapore since the global recession and dire economic state of just a few years ago. Due to the hardhitting consequences of the recession, however, businesses now prefer to minimize risks by opting for more flexible and scalable work arrangements for employees.”♦

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Social Media Now a Key Requirement for IT Service Management Access to social media facilities is now a key requirement in IT service management, and organizations that delay implementation could be making a big mistake, according to Ovum. In a new report the independent technology analyst claims that IT users will increasingly view “social software” as a must-have, and failure to provide it could result in issues for IT departments. Mark Blowers, Ovum lead analyst and co-author of the report, said, “IT users are coming to expect similar levels of interaction in their corporate lives as they do when conducting online life as private consumers. Social media tools can work well in IT service management, especially in bringing about improvements in the service provided to users. “Delaying an organization’s participation in incorporating social media IT service management related functions could be a big mistake. As IT service desks increasingly move up the agenda in terms of importance for organizations, integration of social media will be seen by employees as a must-have, and a lack of availability could generate inefficiencies, such as workarounds, creating compliance issues.”

Mainstream social media channels are already being used by some organizations to convey information about IT issues. For example, Twitter is used to broadcast information about incidents and alerts, particularly by small enterprises that do not have access to a bespoke system and by large organizations, such as Internet service providers, that take advantage of its wide reach. According to the report, enterprises need to take this ad -hoc use forward and integrate their IT service management facilities with the appropriate social media. Blowers commented, “Organizations should be taking steps such as integrating IT service management with Twitter feeds. This allows business users to turn a tweet into a customer support ticket known as a ‘twicket’. When responding, the service desk agent can respond quickly to the Twitter account or privately using the Twitter Message facility.”♦ Source: Ovum

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Well Known News Sites are Early Winners with Google’s Panda Update The independent search marketing specialist and technology firm Greenlight reveals the big winners and losers, visibility-wise, from Google’s Panda algorithm update, which has been designed to improve Google’s ability to detect and devalue “low quality content”. Because of the widely held perception that Panda was designed to tackle content farms, Greenlight chose a broad keyword set that reflected the kind of informational searches that content farms tend to target. These informational searches were split across 10 verticals: automotive, beauty, fashion, finance, health, home improvements, marketing, sports, technology and travel. As rankings were tracked on a daily basis, Greenlight built up an accurate picture of the sites that tended to consistently rank for a large number of keywords in the data set, which it compared to ranking data after Panda.

this scope, there have been numerous smaller niche sites that have both gained and lost from Panda, many of which would appear in the table below if we focus only on pure percentage gains or losses in reach”, say Adam Bunn, Director of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) at Greenlight. “Whilst the data is available, we feel the most immediately interesting stories are to be found in the fortunes (or misfortunes) of the bigger, more wellknown sites that appear in the list.”

algorithm updates tend to last a while, with ranking fluctuations occurring for several days or even weeks. Given this being early data, Greenlight will be following up once things have had a chance to settle down, to see if anything has changed. The average aggregate reach of sites pre- and post- Panda is shown in the table below along with the percentage change in reach.♦

Greenlight notes the effects of big Google Panda – Winners and Losers

As soon as Panda was released, Greenlight built a sample keyword set and started tracking visibility for this keyword set on Google.co.uk on a daily basis, revealing now that the winners are largely made up of well known news sources such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, Yahoo.com, Times Online and The BBC, along with YouTube and a couple of other sites. Meanwhile, big losers appear to include article and content directories such as HubPages and Ezine Articles, review sites like DooYoo.co.uk, "how too" sites like Videojug and eHow. Most devastatingly of all, another review site, Ciao, has lost 99% of its search engine visibility in Google.co.uk. “Naturally in an algorithm update of

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

What Your Chosen Career Path Can Reveal About Your Meeting Personality With work taking over the majority of our waking hours, it is not surprising that the unique demands of a career play a major role in shaping one’s behaviour. Nowhere are these tendencies more obvious than at meetings and other professional interactions, especially since these sessions are such a crucial part of getting things done! Based on PGi’s extensive experience facilitating a whopping 82,000 meetings daily for corporations across diverse industries, we have been able to identify distinctive Meeting Personalities and the types of professions they are likely to match. Have you ever felt the frustration of people joining your meeting late and interrupting your presentation? What about getting distracted by the tapping of a keyboard from someone multi tasking on a conference call? Whether online, over the phone or face-to-face, keeping people engaged and productive during a meeting is not an easy task. Even the best planned meetings can be a total loss if the attendees are not given an agenda or know the objective of the meeting prior to and during the meeting.

At PGi, we have identified a list of ‘unique’ personalities we often encounter in meetings and share some tips to help you get the best out of your time and the people attending. If you are a project manager, an event planner, an advertising executive or a public relations consultant, you’re most likely… The Multitasker.

As a successful professional in these roles, you are not only a whiz at juggling multiple clients, vendors and projects simultaneously, but also one who thrives on the adrenaline rush of racing from deadline to deadline. Having made a fine art out of balancing, you tend to carry your multitasking superpowers over to meetings. Hands up, all those guilty of scribbling notes during a conference call while responding to emails on your Blackberry!

While you may be blessed with the gift of being a consummate Multitasker, do exercise caution. A major requirement in your line of work is the ability to listen to clients and draw out important information. To keep your multitasking tendency in check, make it a point to keep your computer and mobile phone out of sight and pay attention instead. If you are a businessman, investment banker, stock broker or property agent, you’re most likely… The Mobile Meeter. As your job requires you to be con-

stantly on the move to find the next business lead, you probably spend your work day travelling from customer meeting to sales presentation to industry seminar. While working out of a briefcase may not be a welcome prospect for everyone, you thrive on sniffing out the next major deal! As a professional who is always on

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

the go, you are likely to be familiar with dialing in to conference calls and web meetings from a hotel room, a roadside café, a taxi or an airport lounge. As a Mobile Meeter, it is critical that you always have on hand an up-to-date calendar of meetings with indication of time zones. Every considerate Mobile Meeter should also invest in a pair of noisecancelling headphones to ensure the background noise in any location will not get in the way of a productive meeting. If you’re an artist, an inventor, an advertising creative or a talk show host, you’re most likely… The Disrupter Your job is often an unstructured

one which requires you to explore the full potential of your imagination and truly think out of the box. Does the mention of one thing tend to ignite 10 related ideas in your head? Do you find it impossible to hold back on sharing those ideas? If so, say hello to the Disrupter, for that is what you tend to become in a meeting! As a Disrupter, you are often a brilliant creative mind who is unable to uncover new ways of thinking. While your ingenuity is a valuable trait, do make sure you are not derailing a meeting from its intended objectives. Wait until the most appropriate section in a meeting to share your thoughts. That way, you will not only be recognized as a creative genius but also an effective and considerate team player. If you’re an analyst, auctioneer, doctor, strategist or CEO, you’re most likely to be… The Maestro. The unique demands of your career mean that yours are big shoes to

sive headline.

fill! You have the killer combination of a commanding presence, a razor -sharp mind and a results-focused approach. Your natural ability to look beyond complexity to get to the root of a problem means that you are probably The Maestro of meetings. You are able to lead meetings towards concrete outcomes effortlessly, and inspire confidence and respect from others. However, despite the Maestro’s effectiveness at meetings, you have the tendency to get frustrated with personalities like The Disrupter or the Socialiser. Take care not to dampen their creativity by creating an appropriate time for them to speak and by considering their views seriously.

Your likeability and skill at building rapport are likely to influence the way you behave during meetings too, making you The Socialiser. Even before the meeting begins, you are greeting each participant and chatting away with some of them like old friends! Your ability to put participants at ease, especially in a high-pressure environment, is highly valued. While you usually create a positive impression, do exercise self-awareness so as to remain professional and avoid encroaching on personal boundaries. If you’re a digital strategist, technology analyst and communications professional, you’re likely to be… The Social Networker. As a social media pioneer whose work description includes Facebook -ing, Tweeting, blogging and Four-

If you’re an ambassador, a financial consultant, an insurance advisor or journalist, you’re most likely to be… The Socialiser To reach the very top in your cho-

sen career path, one needs to possess a charismatic personality, a vast network of contacts and the ability to draw critical information from these contacts. Not only are you a master at networking, but you’re also capable of building trust with others very quickly. This is critical for getting that bit of political insight, signing another customer or achieving that exclu-

squar-ing so you can counsel clients about these platforms, you are probably connected 24/7. You are also likely to feel the constant urge to update your networks about what you are doing, eating and seeing at all times of the day… even during meetings! Find yourself itching to check Facebook during a meeting? Find yourself unconsciously tweeting about what an ugly tie the colleague sitting opposite you in the meeting is wearing? You’re probably the Social Networker! Take care not to get carried away, as not everything should be posted on a social network, especially if it concerns corporate matters. Don’t let your passion for the job land you in hot soup!♦

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Hiring of Social Media and Marketing Staff is Going Up In 2011, new hires will be mainly in the social media and marketing space, according to research issued by the Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA), as brands and agencies continue to expand their business focus on digital. SoDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest Digital Marketing Outlook report surveyed 199 brand marketers, 235 agency representatives, and 233 marketing technology-related professionals, and found that 68 percent of respondents intend to increase the number of digital staff in their organizations this year, up from the 57 percent that did so in 2010. Respondents also reported a significant portion of those hires will be in social media and marketing, as marketers continue to allocate increased budget to the medium.

Source: SoDA 2011 Digital Marketing Outlook report

Fifty percent of agency staff said they intend to hire social media marketing professionals in 2011, while 49 percent and 39 percent plan to increase resources in social community management and social media monitoring resources, respectively. The only area topping social roles for agencies is website design and development, the research observed. Brand marketers, meanwhile, also view more social media-related roles as a priority, with 31 percent of respondents planning to increase social media marketing staff this year and 22 percent intending to invest more heavily in social media monitoring. Intention of acquiring digital marketing skill sets in 2011:

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

In terms of overall hiring trends, agencies appear to be expanding their digital capabilities most aggressively, with 86 percent planning to hire in 2011, up from 75 percent that did so in 2010. Fifty-four percent of brand

marketers also plan to expand their digital staff compared with 42 percent that did so the previous year, although four percent also plan to reduce their headcount.â&#x2122;Ś Source: Society of Digital Agencies

Online shopping is increasingly gaining popularity in tech-savvy Singapore, which is no surprise, but what is amazing is how fast it has grown. According to PayPalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study, the size of the Singapore online shopping market reached S$1.1 billion in 2010 and is forecast to reach S$4.4 billion in 2015.

BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES

Uncovering the Risks of Social Networking Applications in the Workplace With the revolution of Web 2.0, social networking applications are now playing a pivotal role in influencing and shaping the way we socialize and collaborate for both work and personal purposes. In fact, the use of social networking applications can be broadly categorized into three enabling objectives: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Saying, Socializing and Sharingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

employees who have Internet access are putting their organizations at a risk by using certain applications that could involve the sharing of sensitive and confidential information.

Specific examples of Saying applications are like Gmail, Yahoo! Instant Messaging, Microsoft Hotmail which enable people to communicate. Socializing refers to applications like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn that connects everyone on social and professional basis; while applications that enable Sharing include BitTorrent, YouSendIt, and Xunlei.

Saying applications, including webmail and instant messaging, can bring about more active collaboration, increased communications efficiency, and quicker timeto-market. The dark side is that these applications are unmonitored and as such, they pose business and security risks. Business risks include internal compliance with application usage policies that may not allow the use at all, or dictate what can or cannot be said about the company. Furthermore, saying applications are capable of transferring files, thus opening organizations up to data leakage and the delivery of malware via attachments. Palo Alto Networksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; latest Application Usage & Risk Report* (AUR) showed that the most frequently detected saying applications being used in the enterprise networks are Gmail (93%), Hotmail (90%), Yahoo! Mail (88%), and Facebook Mail (79%). In the report covering South East Asia countries - Singapore and Thailand which surveyed 41 organizations, Hotmail is found most common (83%) and most heavily used by nearly six times from the next closest web application (224 Gb vs 36 Gb) per organization. Socializing: When at Work, Users are Voyeurs

At work, social networking applications are also widely used among employees and employers to get their jobs done. For instance, a corporate professional or an employer uses LinkedIn to enable them to connect with people in their network or head hunt talents, while Facebook is widely used among marketers for sales, customer relations management, branding and communication. Applications that enable users to Say, Socialize and Share files are being used worldwide with remarkable consistency. No single geography whether it is Asia Pacific, US, or Europe is that different in terms of application usage at a category level. However, organizations today might face the possibility of data leakage as

Saying Applications: Unmonitored, Unchecked, and Very Risky

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With a base of more than 500 million users, it is no surprise that Facebook is the most popular social networking application. Social networking applications were found in 96% of participating organisations, which indicates that its control efforts are not working. Statistics in the AUR showed Facebook champions the percentage of most commonly detected socializing applications with 96%, followed by Twitter 93%, LinkedIn 85%, MySpace 79% and other Facebook apps at 76%. Facebook use among employees in the company are often perceived as waste of time where users are ‘voyeurs’ while at work. Interestingly, the bulk of the traffic (69%) is actually users watching Facebook pages. The risks that voyeurism represent include a potential loss of productivity and the possibility of malware introduction by clicking on a link within someone's "wall". Blindly allowing Facebook in the workplace may result in propagation of data leakage, loss of data and damage to the corporate reputation. Sharing: A better way to move and broadcast data Browser-based file-sharing applications have steadily grown in popularity to the point where they are now used more frequently than P2P or FTP. Now seen in 96% of organisations, these new class of applications simplify file sharing but can also be broadcast-oriented (similar to P2P) in their distribution model. By using RapidShare, MegaUpload or Mediafire, a user can now up-

load their content and allow it to be affiliated with many search engines. In Palo Alto Network’s latest AUR findings, an average of 500 Gb of data is being transferred per organisation during a one week period. Interestingly, Singapore consumes the second highest amount of bandwidth on a regional basis (P2P = 4.8 Tb and BB FS = 6.7 Tb) behind China. Saying, Socializing, and Sharing Security Risks Whether it is saying, socializing or sharing, these applications are popular vectors delivery of malware and vulnerability. The reason is simple: their popularity makes it easy for malware creators to deliver their payload by simply creating a compelling reason for a user to “click” on what appears to be an update, an IM, a tweet, or a post from a trusted acquaintance. The sender may in fact be the person they say, but that fact is insignificant. By “clicking” first on a link sent by a highly trusted source and asking or thinking later, the user has, unknowingly, propagated the threat or installed the malware. A New Generation of Savvy Workforce Applications that enable saying, socializing, and sharing have long been used in workplace environments, however their usage has been somewhat “quiet”. Today, the intertwined nature of work, home, family, and technol-

ogy, combined with a generation of users that is always connected and assumes usage is “approved”, has dramatically elevated the discussion around these applications. The speed of adoption by techsavvy network users adds significantly to the risks that companies must try to manage—making the challenge doubly difficult because of the resistance to change and the inflexibility that traditional control mechanisms exhibit. Organizations need to work diligently yet quickly to determine the appropriate balance between blocking and blindly allowing these applications. What should be taken into consideration by organisations are the issues or solution methods employed in enabling social networking in the workplace without jeopardizing the security and confidentially of information in an organization - this is where the IT and security teams need to exert their influence and expertise.♦ By Eric Chong, Regional Marketing Director Asia Pacific, Palo Alto Networks

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Protection Tips for Distributed Denial-ofService (DDoS) Attacks Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which attempt to cause disruption to an online service or application, have evolved to be more sophisticated, more prevalent and more dangerous than ever. Its key players are botnets that are able to control million of active PCs that are spewing out spam or pummeling a site with a distributed denial of service attack. Attacks are usually based on two main weak points: firstly, the sender addresses of the attacking data packet have been forged (IP spoofing), and secondly, unauthorized programs were installed before the attacks on selected computers which send out en masse, remote-controlled, data packets. With this kind of cybercrime showing no signs of abating and increasing rapidly in terms of sophistication, companies must focus more on keeping their digital environment clean, as such digital pollution obviously brings with it an abundance of malicious software. Most DDoS attacks seem to be used against websites to saturate their capacity and prevent legitimate users from visiting the websites, when in truth it can be a lot more sophisticated than that. DDoS attackers do not care how they are able to hit mail servers and in gen-

eral use a number of tactics to reach as many businesses as they can. Dictionary attacks, for instance, are a popular way of doing this when a businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s email domain is targeted with thousands or sometimes millions of randomly generated email addresses by spammers creating seemingly valid email addresses by combining first and last names from dictionaries. Therefore any organization with an online presence needs to take action to protect itself from these types of attacks. The German Bundesamt fĂźr Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik published useful guidelines for improving protection against Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. Asian eâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Marketing would like to present, in a nutshell, for our readers some useful basic measures to assist them in their defense from or at least limit damage from any potential DDoS attack: Prevention of IP spoofing For the IP spoofing used in DDoS attacks, the network agents are the ones who can effectively recognize and prevent any false packets on being fed into the Internet. Any organization connected to a network operator has a certain IP address area at its disposal and each IP packet which is sent from this organization must have

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an IP sender address from the area. If this is not the case, it concerns a forged address and the IP packet should not be passed on by the network agent. While IP spoofing is still possible within the allowed address area of the organization, the circle of possible originators to the organization is limited. A normal home access into the Internet has just one authorized IP address so that, through such selective accesses, IP spoofing isn’t possible. Use of packet filters Servers are often only connected to the network agent through a single network connection. Even if the servers are resistant against DDoS attacks, this network connection is restricted itself in its capacity and can be fully occupied by an attacker so that the servers can no longer be reached from the Internet. For this reason, network agents should consider shielding the network connection of the server operators against DDoS attacks by the use of packet filters, i.e. packet filtering should be carried out on target addresses when the packets leave the Internet. This is in particular very effective when done in co-operation with an attack recognition system with the server operator, the packet filter can be adapted dynamically to the attack which happens to be running. Establish a contingency plan In the event of an attack, a rapid response is crucial, as it is the only way to take effective countermeasures to identify the attacker and to restore normal operation within a short period. This is why an escalation procedure should be laid down in any contingency plan. Necessary information includes contact persons, persons in charge, alternative communication channels, instructions for action and the place where

resources that may be needed are stored. Network services which are not required are to be deactivated and those that require secured, sufficient password and access protection and alteration of (in particular pre-set) passwords must be guaranteed in good time. Further, all alterations and all access to the server must be recorded. Attention must be paid to restrictive granting of access rights to users, to use the system resources made available, and to increased care in alterations to the configuration. At regular intervals, the file system has to be checked for integrity. If only static data is required, a manipulation-proof, read-only data medium can be used. Reasonable level of security for computers with Internet connection and quick transfer of security updates Computers with an Internet connection should reach a reasonable level of security through consistent implementation of IT protection measures. Relevant updates are to be transferred as quickly as possible to eliminate any weak points and to guarantee that dangers can be counteracted. In addition, as know-how is necessary for working out an effective IT security configuration, administrators have to be adequately trained. Computers must be prevented from being misused as a starting point for attacks on other computers, therefore daily checking of files for viruses and attack programs is recommended. Malicious programs can be installed most easily on individual computers through viruses, Trojan

horses or through active content (in particular ActiveX). For this reason, a reliable and current virus protection application and the switching off of active content in the browser is strongly recommended. Under certain circumstances, the use of auxiliary programs for on-line protection of the client (for example PC -Firewalls) can be considered. Conclusion With botnets continuing to rise and terrorizing the Internet security landscape, email spam will likely not disappear any time soon. Not to mention that mobile spam will become a greater menace as well, simply due to the fact that many users still don’t see the problem here and are very dismissive of it. Effective measures against Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks must be taken at many points in the existing complex Internet structure through a concerted campaign. Content providers, server providers, network agents and end-users must act jointly to make the Internet a safer place with respect to endangerment through Distributed Denialof-Service Attacks.♦ Source: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik

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Sensible Precautions when Shopping Online Just as shoppers should take measures to protect themselves in brick-and-mortar stores - such as protecting their PIN numbers when checking out and not leaving purses or wallets unattended - online shoppers also need to take sensible precautions. This guide offers advice on how to make your online shopping experience enjoyable and safe. Shop at Secure Websites How can you tell if a Website is secure? It uses encryption technology to transfer information from your computer to the online merchant's computer. Encryption scrambles the information you send, such as your credit card number, in order to prevent computer hackers from obtaining it en route. The only people who can unscramble the code are those with legitimate access privileges. You can tell when you are dealing with a secure Web site in several ways:

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First, if you look at the top of your screen where the Web site address is displayed, you should see https://. The "s" that is displayed after "http" indicates that the Website is secure. Often, you do not see the "s" until you actually moved to the order page on the Web site; Another way to determine if a Web site is secure is to look for a closed padlock displayed at the bottom of your screen. If that lock is open, you should assume it is not a secure site;

•

The third symbol that indicates you are on a secure site is an unbroken key.

Of course, transmitting your data over secure channels is of little value to you if the merchant stores the data unscrambled. You should try to find out if the vendor keeps the data in encrypted form. If a hacker were able to break in, they could not obtain your credit data and other personal information. Be sure to read the merchant's privacy and security policies to learn how they safeguard your personal data on their computers. Research the Website before You Order Do business with companies you already know. If the company is unfamiliar, do your homework before buying their products or services. If you decide to buy something from an unknown company, start out with an inexpensive order to learn if the company is trustworthy. Reliable companies should advertise their physical business address and at least one telephone number, either customer service or an order line. Call the telephone number and ask questions to determine if the business is legitimate. Even if you call after hours, many companies have a "live" answering service, especially if they don't want to miss orders. Ask how the merchant handles returned merchandise and complaints. Find out if it offers full refunds or only store

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credits. Read the Web Site's Privacy and Security Policies Every reputable e-commerce Web site offers information about how it processes your order. It is usually listed in the section entitled “Privacy Policy.” You can find out if the merchant intends to share your information with a third party or affiliate company. Do they require these companies to refrain from marketing to their customers? If not, you can expect to receive “spam” (unsolicited email) and possibly even mail or telephone solicitations from these companies. You can also learn what type of information is gathered by the Web site, and how it is - or is not shared with others. The online merchant’s data security practices are also often explained in the Privacy Policy, or perhaps a separate Security Policy. Look for online merchants who are members of a seal-of-approval program that sets voluntary guidelines for privacy-related practices, such as TRUSTe (www.truste.org), VeriSign (www.verisign.com), or BBBonline (www.bbbonline.org). Be Aware of Cookies and Behavioral Marketing Online merchants as well as other sites watch consumer shopping and surfing habits by using "cookies," an online tracking system that attaches pieces of code to our Internet browsers to track which sites we visit as we search the Web. "Persistent" cookies remain stored on your computer while "persession" cookies expire when you quit your browser. Online merchants use cookies to recognize you and speed up the shopping process the next time you visit. You may be able to set your browser to disable or refuse cookies but the trade-off may limit the functions you can perform online, and possibly prevent you from ordering online.

There is an on-going debate about this as some consumers are questioning if their behavioral marketing profile can be shared with others without their permission. Some have suggested an “opt-in” option for this before collecting or sharing any personal information about them, such as their computer's IP number. Another recommendation is a “Do Not Track" list for those who do not wish to be followed online, patterned after the widely used Do Not Call list. What's Safest: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cash, or Checks? The safest way to shop on the Internet is with a credit card. You have the right to dispute charges on your credit card, and you can withhold payment during a creditor investigation. It is recommended that you obtain one credit card that you use only for online payments to make it easier to detect wrongful credit charges. Disclose Only the Bare Minimum of Facts When You Order When placing an order, there is certain information that you must provide to the web merchant such as your name and address. Often, a merchant will try to obtain more information about you. They may ask questions about your leisure lifestyle or annual income. This information is used to target you for marketing purposes. It can lead to "spam" or even direct mail and telephone solicitations. Don't answer any question you feel unnecessary to process your order. Often, the Website will mark which questions need to be answered with an asterisk (*). Keep Your Password Private Reputable e-commerce Websites require the shopper to log-in before placing or viewing an order. The shopper is usually required to provide a username and a password. Never reveal your password to any-

one. When selecting a password, do not use commonly known information, such as your birth date, mother's maiden name, or numbers from your driver's license or Social Security number. Do not reuse the same password for other sites. The best password has at least eight characters and includes numbers and letters. Check the Website Address Above the web site at the top of your screen is a rectangular window that contains the web site address (also called the URL - Uniform Resource Locator). By checking that address, you can make sure that you are dealing with the correct company. Don't Fall for "Phishing" Messages Legitimate businesses don’t ask for sensitive information via email, so don’t respond to any request for financial information that comes to you in an email. Again, don’t click on any links embedded within such suspicious emails, and always call the retailer or financial institution to verify your account status before divulging any information. Always Print Hard and Soft Copies of Your Orders After placing an order online, you should receive a confirmation page that reviews your entire order. It should include the cost of the order, your customer information, product information, and the order confirmation number. It is recommended that you print out at least one copy of the Webpage(s) describing the item you ordered as well as the page showing company name, postal address, telephone number, and legal terms, including return policy. Keep it for your own records for at least the period covered by the return/warranty policy.♦

Just as shoppers should take measures to protect themselves in brick-and-mortar stores - such as protecting their PIN numbers when checking out and not leaving purses or wallets unattended - online shoppers also need to take sensible precautions.

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VeriSign’s Encryption Technology and SSL Certificates Gaining the trust of online customers is vital for the success of any company that requires sensitive data to be transmitted over the Web and especially for online shops and banking. However, with the skyrocketing rise in Internet fraud and data theft, maintaining the trust of potential customers has never been more in jeopardy. As people have become more IT savvy, they have become both more skeptical, and frankly, more scared of using online channels. Investment in technology to earn customers’ trust and to protect them is therefore vital. To ensure that current and future customers are fully aware of security investments being taken by ecommerce businesses, it is critical to go with a security vendor whose brand name is the best known and the most trusted. VeriSign has earned its industry-leading brand name recognition, and related customer trust, by delivering state-of-the-art online security and trust solutions. The company is the leading provider of SSL Certificates with a market share of over 70% and many commercial e-commerce sites display the VeriSign seal prominently on their Website to assure online users that their online business is authentic and that they are capable of securing their confidential information with SSL encryption. That’s simply due to the fact that people are reluctant to provide information like their credit card and Social Security numbers, passwords, health details, and other confidential data to a third party. SSL Certificates to encrypt and protect sensitive customer information Encryption is the process of transforming data to make it unintelligible to all but the intended recipient.

It is the basis of data integrity and privacy necessary for e-commerce. Customers and business partners will submit sensitive information and transact on web sites only when they are confident that it can be done so securely. The solution for businesses that are serious about e-commerce is to implement a trust infrastructure based on encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the world standard for web security, is used to encrypt and protect information transmitted over the Web with the ubiquitous HTTP protocol. SSL protects data in-motion that can be intercepted and tampered with if unencrypted. Support for SSL is built into all major operating systems, web browsers, Internet applications, and server hardware. A SSL Certificate is an electronic file that uniquely identifies individuals and web sites, and enables encrypted communications. SSL Certificates serve as a kind of “digital passport,” or credential. Typically, the “signer” of an SSL Certificate is a third-party Certificate Authority (CA) and VeriSign is the leader in this field having already secured more than one million web servers worldwide. There are three commonly recognized categories of SSL authentication:

1. Domain authenticated certificates are the lowest form of authentication available. With this category of validation, Certificate Authorities (CAs) conduct a process to verify that an entity requesting a domain authenticated SSL Certificate either owns the domain requested or has the right to use that domain name. The CA may also verify that the email ad-

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dress for the contact requesting the certificate is either listed in the WHOIS directory or meets the CA’s predetermined email alias requirements. All web sites secured with VeriSign®branded certificates submit to a higher level of authentication beyond domain authentication. 2. Organization authentication is the validation process that VeriSign and other CAs employ for common (i.e., non-EV) SSL Certificates. CAs verify the organization’s existence through a government-issued business credential, normally by searching government and private databases. If necessary, they may request such items as Articles of Incorporation, business licenses, and Fictitious Business Name statements. Before issuing an SSL Certificate with Organization Authentication, CAs verify a company’s identity and confirm it as a legal entity, validate that it has the right to use the domain name included in the certificate, and verify that the individual who requested the SSL Certificate on behalf of the company was authorized to

do so. 3. Extended Validation (EV) authentication has the highest level of authentication available with a SSL Certificate. EV authentication adds structure and controls to the authentication process. It includes an in-depth validation of an entity’s authenticity starting with a signed acknowledgement of agreement from the corporate contact. A company registration document may also be required if the CA is unable to confirm the organization’s details through a government database. A legal opinion letter may be requested to confirm the following details about the organization: • Physical address of the place of operation • Telephone number • Confirmation of the exclusive right to use the domain • Additional confirmation of the organization’s existence (if less than three years old) • Verification of the corporate contact’s employment

cryption is the technology that addresses the most obvious and oldest problem in online business, namely the susceptibility of sensitive data in-transit to interception by cyber criminals and the need for additional measures like authentication of web site legitimacy and trust building. The process represents very little burden for legitimate organizations, but is a substantial obstacle for any fraudster.♦

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) en-

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Armorlogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newly Developed Security Software Stops Scammers Armorlog International Limited recently announced that it started to seek distributors for its new authentication technology developed by its owners, known as Variable Proprietary Character Set Multi-layered LoginTM (VPCSMLTM). It is a software server side solution to network fraud that acts independently of the limitations of user side based solutions and is particularly important as a large proportion of fraud is in-house with the perpetrator being known or close to the victim. Therefore, a system needs to account for the fact that a usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; computer may be easily compromised by someone in a trusted position close to the victim. The system has features incorporated in the design to protect network user access and defend networks against denial of service (DoS) attacks. It is designed to prevent the user inadvertently revealing any logon credentials and will deter willful sharing of credentials which will assist publishers to protect copyright losses from illegal sharing of login credentials. The system can be used to prevent access to user logon credentials by phishing attacks, malware, keyboard logging, telephone scams, identity theft, device skimmers, shoulder browsers, password guessing programs and man in the middle attacks. As it is a pure software solution, it can be adapted for use on a wide range of platforms and will run on most common operating systems. The product will assist in satisfying privacy requirements and will assist in a reduction in losses from fraud and more importantly increased user security.

The Company has developed a standalone version of the software to run on the Apache server configuration, widely used on the Internet, however many networks will want to incorporate it within existing systems to maximize security and for most large networks it is more likely to be a case of a patent licensing arrangement. As part of the licensing conditions, licensees must agree not to allow the use of the technology for antisocial purposes such as money laundering, pornography, prostitution, weapons dealing, bait advertising and unlicensed, defective or illegal product distribution or dumping. Licensees will be required to display an unobtrusive Armorlog logo, licence number and web reference that will enable users to check if the site is legitimate as a further level of validation for consumers unfamiliar with the licensee, or if the user suspects the site may be a fraudulent or spoofed site. Armorlog are seeking expressions of interest from key industry participants to distribute this product to their customers for use in their networks and for the benefit and protection of their users. As the technology is security based, distributors may need to meet various statutory compliance requirements, including police checks in order to operate in various jurisdictions and industries. The licensing model offers recurring revenue streams for distributors and possibly network owners, depending on the profile of their membership and services that will assist in providing funding for the cost of overhead in maintaining an Internet presence and the provision of content and support services.â&#x2122;Ś

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Network Box’s Raised Alert Condition Due to Increased Email-based Malware Activity Multi-award winning managed security services firm, Network Box Corporation, noticed an unusual increase in email-based malware last month, occurring globally. “The malware is coming in from hundreds of thousands of sources in emails with varying subjects. So far, our heuristics such as NBH-BGTRACK and zero-day Zscan protection systems are holding it back, but the increase is more than four times baseline and all the samples we are seeing are emerging as never-beforeseen zero-day threats. We expect that this increased activity is caused by botnet herders attempting to increase their size”, said Mark Webb-Johnson, Network Box Corporation CTO. Accordingly, Network Box’s alert condition has been raised to 3 and is consistently monitoring the situation closely. The company continuously defends the networks of its customers by using PUSH technology to instantaneously update protection. In fact, Network Box is the only integrated managed solution in a virtual environment, comprising the three layers of security necessary to protect a network:

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• •

A virtual unified threat management (UTM) appliance - Network Box’s award-winning UTM device includes firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-phishing, and antispyware; Network operation centers (NOCs) that monitor and manage the UTMs; and Security response - When a new malware signature or security patch becomes available, Network Box pushes it out through its regional NOCs within three seconds and onto all end-user UTM devices worldwide within 45 seconds.

In addition, there has been a huge increase in the propagation of mobile-targeted malware last month as well, with up to 200,000 downloads of malicious apps from the 'Android Market' alone. The malware in question was designed to do all manner of harm to users' devices, from sending text messages to premium-rate numbers, to stealing personal data, including passwords and credit card numbers. To combat these threats, Network Box utilizes a multi-engine strategy for anti-malware, including its own award winning 'Z-Scan AV' engine, which specifically targets zero-day viruses.

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“We will continue to closely monitor mobile malware, and take any necessary proactive, and reactive steps, to protect our customers,” said Mark Webb-Johnson, Network Box Corporation CTO. For more than ten years now, Kaspersky AV technology has been at the heart of every Network Box UTM+ (Unified Threat Management Plus) system. Coupled with Network Box's multi-award winning PUSH technology, new threat signatures are delivered in an average of less than 45 seconds.

Furthermore, mobile malware signatures are now automatically added to Kaspersky Anti-Virus malware databases, meaning that all Network Box UTM+ systems are automatically protected from mobile malware threats as well. For example, if a mobile user tries to download a malicious application on a Wi-Fi network protected by a Network Box UTM+ system, they would get a message informing them about the threat, and the download would automatically be aborted.♦

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Mobile Marketing Association’s Third Annual MMA Forum in Singapore

Rohit Dadwal

In its first year, in 2009, the MMA Forum Asia was broadly centered on technology, last year was on how to engage technology with the brands and the agencies, and this year consumer-centric engagement is in the limelight, with brands and agencies coming together to address the need to put consumers first when it comes to delivering value through their campaigns.

In its continuing efforts to encourage innovation in the industry, MMA has added two new components this year: The Pitch and The Mobile Experience Lab. Both are geared to help showcase upcoming mobile innovations and existing successful campaigns by entrepreneurs and industry pioneers. The Pitch is a 50-minute session where six companies will get a chance to show off their mobile innovation, product or service by way of a six-minute on-stage demonstration. The idea is to encourage original concepts from the young, bright minds in the industry by providing visibility to their ideas in front of a focused and highly networked audience.

In the third year now, the Forum once again sees a stellar line-up of international speakers and covers topics of regional and global relevance, with more than 250 delegates and leading sponsors such as CocaCola, Ericsson, Google, and Microsoft Advertising.

The Mobile Experience Lab, in turn, offers an interactive way for attendees to learn from mobile marketing innovators, observe successful mobile campaigns, and communicate with brands using mobile as a function of their integrated marketing strategy. Handpicked by a jury of industry peers, each mobile campaign station will offer a practical opportunity to experience the campaign from a consumer’s viewpoint.

According to Rohit Dadwal, MMA Asia Pacific MD, mobile demonstrates perfectly that consumer demand is driving the industry and not the other way around, “So, if consumers are driving it, their need would have to be valued from a handset perspective and a service perspective.”

Rohit explains: “We created this year an environment for innovation. What usually happens in conferences is that people like to hear what the big players are doing, what way the market is evolving, how the industry players within the ecosystem are evolving the marketplace, however, there are not a lot of places where you get to

COMPANIES & CAMPAIGNS see the smaller companies or the innovative, cutting edge prototype kind of organizations who have great ideas but don’t get showcased. For that reason we came up with The Pitch and The Experience Lab. We intend to spur innovation, help motivate start-ups, provide a stage and more importantly define that these companies, products and services also need to have a voice and can sit at the big table with the big brands.” Expect to see some engagement

with the audience as well, such as polling for the best demo. In general, the engagement and learning that participants gain from each other will be invaluable. The call for entries is still open till 25 April, 2011, and announcement of the selected companies will only take place at the conference. On closer inspection, 2011 is just continuing with last year’s theme, considering the byline of the conference which is “Consumers are mobile, are you?” The intention of

MMA in asking such a pivotal question is to force the industry to reflect on whether they are really as mobile as their consumers are and to help trigger extraordinary debates during their event.♦ For the latest updates on the Forum, please visit: Mobile Marketing Association (Asia Pacific) or http:// www.mobilemarketingforum.com/ singapore2011 By Daniela La Marca

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InMobi on Data Privacy and the Future of Digital Communications Asian e-Marketing recently interviewed Mr. Atul Satija, InMobiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice President and Managing Director APAC, who joined the company just at the end of last year. Atul is an experienced mobile advertising and digital media expert who was Head of Wireless Business for Japan & Asia-Pacific at Google, before joining InMobi. He was responsible to drive their mobile ecosystem, carrier strategy and partnerships, OEMs and publishers across the region. He also served as the Head of Business Development for Google in India where he kickstarted and scaled up their search syndication, adsense, mobile, Android, distribution and enterprise businesses. Before Google, Atul managed sales, consulting and business development roles in organisations across the telecom/technology sectors including Adobe, Samsung and Infosys. Since its Asia-Pacific launch in 2007, InMobi has grown to become the world's largest independent ad network, serving over 100 billion mobile ads to date and is, by now, the world's largest independent mobile advertising network. Atul was attracted to the enormous success of InMobi as well as its vision of building a global mobile advertising business. The chances for success are promising with mobile advertising already delivering 4-5 times better ROI than

online advertising according to an Insight Express study. Mobile campaigns are becoming a more and more powerful ad channel for marketers as well, outperforming online advertising by roughly three times across a variety of metrics, including ad awareness, message association and purchase intent. So let me give you a picture of the new man at the helm of inMobi in Asia Pacific by reading what he has to say: Q: What makes inMobi so successful? Atul Satija: Last year was the year for us to understand the app and developer ecosystems and the year before we started offices in several new geos (Japan, India and the US) from which we started to scale up our business. The Asia story witnessed explosive growth and will continue to do so but last year we focused more on expanding globally, deepening our footprint, and understanding how this app ecosystem is evolving. Unlike many other networks we realized early on that mobile is going to be even flatter as an economy than the Internet. In the Internet we never saw a small shop of 15 people having a product, whether an app or a website, being consumed globally.

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Atul Satija

In InMobi you have so many examples of developers from around the world (Taiwan, Korea or the UK) making very interesting applications that people are consuming globally. So for us to scale this development, we started investing ahead of the mobile networks and we now have a presence in almost every continent which makes us the largest independent mobile network. The second thing we realized is that the value a publisher gets in terms of site monetization comes from how well we are able to serve apps based on their audience. So we made very significant investments in product and technology to make sure they can scale as well as do so worldwide. These are the two main things: we have a global coverage which can help us improve performance for publishers and the fact that we have invested a lot in product and technology when compared to the mobile networks. Q: What is InMobi doing to protect users’ privacy and to gain their trust? Atul Satija: There are two ways to look at security and privacy, once you have more information about someone you can have a better dialogue like a conversation. I’ll be able to have a better conversation with you once I am able to understand who you are as a person and that makes the conversation more meaningful. So at a very fundamental level, the more information somebody has, the better the dialogue, the more the value. We want to understand users a lot more, so we can

serve them better ads which are meaningful for them and can add value for them. The challenge is how do we make sure that we are sensitive to the privacy that the user has? We handle their information very carefully, it’s very sensitive. How we handle the information is a challenge that comes with better understanding users at an individual level. We currently don’t try to understand each uniquely identifiable user, we try to understand them in groups and aggregates, so we know that people who are using an iPhone, broadly have slightly better demographic profiles than people who are using a device which is less expensive. This information is meaningful but it is not something that really has security concerns around it.

mission on that SMS. The medium that we work in is inside the browser or the application. There is no way for us to spam you because we cannot come outside your browser and take over your screen. We are in your browser and you decide whether to go to a website or play a game which comes with ads and they won’t pop-up or spam you. When you see an ad, if you are interested, you click it and then based on what you clicked, the action happens. It could either open a new page where the content is described or you go to your telephone’s dialing application to call the number that you saw.

This goes back to the DNA of our company. We started with mobile SMS search, but quickly moved on realizing that SMS was a very spammed medium, while the Internet had very little push based mechanisms of control to actually spam you. So when you go to an InMobi website or you choose to play a game that is the only time when you see the ad. In some sense, it is pull and the consumer has a choice to download an application fully knowing that he has paid for an unsubsidized application and that he won’t see any ad. Some users know that they are buying an app that is worth “X” and they are getting the app at “X minus 10”, whose cost is subsidized just like newspapers that carry ads. A third category of applications is where users consume the content entirely free, which is made possible through the free advertising included. We don’t do pop-ups, we don’t do pop-unders, and the only user engagement model we have is if you choose to touch or click something. That is how we charge advertisers. I don’t see any of the things that we are doing are in any way intrusive to the user, we have tried to stay away from any medium that we think is inappropriate for our advertisers or their users.

Atul Satija: While we may be the largest mobile advertising network globally, we also know that mobile as a medium is still very much in its infancy. People are constantly discovering new ways and means to use the medium and we definitely want to expand and sustain our presence in this space. We want to be able to serve ads in a very appropriate and meaningful way, so that you see value in it. We are working hard on understanding and giving value to users and the process of being a very successful mobile ad network.

If somebody wants to use a technology where you don’t even need to ask for it and somebody can push you then it can be misused to spam you, so you must seek per-

Q: What is your vision of the future for digitized communications?

I think that one thing that we have seen is that there are a lot of gaps in understanding the medium and a lot of myths floating around. One thing we enjoy sharing with people from the digital industry (whether agencies, brands, digital marketers or digital developers) are the many myths about mobile that you hear, such as mobile is an extension of digital, people feel like mobile is just like digital when in fact it is a totally, totally different medium! We have quite a bit of data, whether it is a network report or primary research that we do, on our network or on how we passively understand the users, so I think that is something of interest and value to all.♦ By Daniela La Marca

COMPANIES & CAMPAIGNS

DiGi iDeal’s Permissionbased Mobile Advertising is a Win-win for Consumers and Advertisers

DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd is committed to build a mobile Internet and broadband environment that enables true connectivity, creates socioeconomic development, and helps businesses grow. The company is driving progressive and responsible business practices for the Malaysian telecommunications industry, with a solid history of product and service innovation. Right now the firm is looking to expand its newly available permission-based mobile advertising service called DiGi iDeal by exploring new collaborations with retail partners, done through its partnership with Out There Media, the global leader in mobile advertising whose multi-channel mobile advertising marketplace programme, Mobucks™, forms the technological platform for DiGi iDeal. DiGi iDeal is designed to empower customers to opt in for specific retail information of interest at zero cost. This simple and convenient mobile advertising service allows customers to pick and choose the type of advertising they wish to receive on their mobile phones, according to their preferences, interests and needs. For every advertisement received, subscribers to the service will receive “iDeal” points, which are converted to free SMS and voice call minutes. Praveen Rajan, DiGi’s Head of Mobile Internet & Advanced Data Services explained: “It is important for us to deliver a comprehensive menu of retail promotion information to our customers of varying interests by identifying as many relevant Malaysian and international retail partners as possible. By empowering them to self-monitor the kind of advertisements they wish to receive, we hope to create a better customer experience while minimising the pervasive nature of

mobile advertising.” Kerstin Trikalitis, Out There Media CEO, said, “We are very excited to be announcing our partnership with DiGi, which further underlines our faith in the Malaysian market. We would like to welcome DiGi amongst our valued operator partners, and we look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with many exciting and awardwinning Mobile Advertising campaigns.” DiGi iDeal offers unprecedented benefits for the two main elements of its value chain, namely the advertisers and the end consumers. Advertisers can enhance their media mix with a new medium that ensures advanced targeting capabilities, consumer engagement, impressive responsiveness, maximum audience reach and highly effective brand awareness. At the same time consumers will be able to receive premium and exclusive benefits, offers and information that is directly relevant to their needs, interests and lifestyle. Customer response to various marketing campaigns has been very encouraging to date, at times reaching up to 40% - 50%, indicating the effectiveness of matching customer profiles with relevant promotions. DiGi iDeal has a number of established brands signed up to run campaigns targeting the service’s opt-in customer base. The current retail partners of DiGi iDeal include BMW, Malaysia Airlines, P&G and Unilever with many more in the immediate pipeline. Out There Media will support DiGi with sales, business development, technology and operations of DiGi iDeal out of its Asia headquarters in Singapore. It will be the primary point of contact for potential advertisers of this permissionbased mobile advertising service.♦

Regarding data security as just a chore is fundamentally wrong rather a proper, prudent and transparent handling of personal data should always be in the interest of every company.

LEGISLATION

Data Privacy Protection on the Web is more than just a Chore Regarding data security as just a chore is fundamentally wrong - rather a proper, prudent and transparent handling of personal data should always be in the interest of every company.

providing details on the storage and processing of IP addresses.

Just consider that privacy issues can cause problems with regulators and competitors as well as enormous damage by allowing criminal or careless employees or even third parties to access company data - not to mention that online businesses are still very much built on trust.

Place information regarding data collection and processing under the heading "Privacy" on your Website instantly recognizable and transparent for the user. Make sure that it is easy to understand and available at any time. If you use a web analytics system, please point this out to your customers and explain the purpose of the survey as well as the scope and use of the data to be collected.

A provider who deals non-transparently or even illegally with personal data is not trustworthy. Transparency and good data protection, however, are vital selling points and key building blocks for sustainable online success. For any company that collects and processes online customer data for marketing and CRM purposes it is, however, quite often simply too difficult to orientate themselves in the jungle of laws and the thicket of data protection compliance rules. Here are, therefore, a few tips on the proper use of online customer data: Legal duty to provide information Companies must inform their customers about the collection of personal data and the nature of the data collected, as well as the extent of their use and transmission of such information to third parties. This includes

Recommended course of action:

Be careful with the storage and processing of IP addresses Most jurisdictions consider IP addresses, in general, as personal data and customers therefore must be made aware of their storage and processing, or you need to seek their permission to use their IP addresses, as it allows companies to locate them, to find out which provider they use, or to know their access bandwidth. Recommended course of action: Be careful in the processing of IP addresses even if it is saved for only a short period of time and do make sure when choosing a web analysis system that it is using configuration options in order to prevent queries about visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; geo- or provider-information.

LEGISLATION

Grant right of withdrawal and objection Customers have, in general, the right to revoke any consent to the use of their data for purposes of advertising and market research and can even withdraw the right of forming user profiles that were created under a pseudonym for market research and analysis. This applies particularly to the deletion of existing personal data, if they are not required for the contractual relationship with the user. From a data protection point of view it is, therefore, not enough to suggest to the customer just a few certain modifications of their browser, such as blocking cookies.

right of withdrawal and objection. To make sure that your usage data is not saved, you should first turn off the log file of your Web server, as IP addresses are usually stored there. In that way you block the opportunity to generate personal user profiles of the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IP address which would not be listed in the first place. Many Web analytics vendors have far-reaching methods to ensure an active exclusion of a single visitor from data acquisition. When choosing a web analytics provider, you should keep an eye on such a function, as it is very useful. Answering correctly

privacy

questions

Recommended course of action: Save personal and non personal data in separate databases, as deletion or anonymization of personal information is then straightforward and easily implemented. In general - the more stringently your data is organized, the quicker and easier you can grant your customers their

Users generally have a right to obtain information regarding the recording of their personal data. Therefore, it is crucial to be prepared for any questions and to establish internal processes for handling such requests. Recommended course of action:

Appoint a specific contact person for answering questions about data security, which is listed in your website. Integrate either a direct email link into your privacy statement or introduce your company's data protection official by name. On request, you should be able to give clear and correct answers and respond to the concerns of your customers - as soon as possible and with the necessary openness. Refer to your privacy policy if it is available and ensure that all questions are answered in it. Silence or unfriendly/factually incorrect answers or a link to a privacy policy, which does not contribute relevant content, are irresponsible, unprofessional and harmful to the solid relationship of trust companies must build and sustain with their customers.â&#x2122;Ś By Daniela La Marca

LEGISLATION

BUZZWORD

Zero-day exploits

Blended Threat Blended threats are bundles of malicious programs that combine the functionality of different types of malware, including Trojans, worms and backdoors. A blended threat often involves an infection chain whereby a visitor to a website is first diverted to a malicious URL, then compelled via social engineering to download a malicious file, which then continues to download additional malicious files. By using multiple methods and techniques, cybercriminals are able to quickly and surreptitiously spread threats. A blended threat typically includes:

•

• •

•

More than one means of distribution, for instance, distributing a hybrid virus/worm via email that selfreplicates and also infects a Web server, so that the contagion will spread through all visitors to a particular site; Exploitation of vulnerabilities, which may be preexisting or even caused by malware distributed as part of the attack; The intent to cause real harm rather than just causing minor computer problems for victims, e.g. by launching a denial of service (DOS) attack against a target, or delivering a Trojan horse that will be activated at some later date; Automation that enables increasing contagion without requiring user actions, such as opening attachments.

To guard against blended threats, experts urge network administrators to be vigilant about patch management, use and maintain good firewall products, employ server software to detect malware, and educate users about proper email handling and online behavior.♦ Zero-day exploits refer to software vulnerabilities that

have been found in-the-wild before security researchers and software developers become aware of the threat. Because of this, they pose a higher risk to users than other vulnerabilities. There are zero days between the time the vulnerability is discovered and the first attack. Normally, when someone detects that a software program contains a potential security issue, that person or company will notify the software company, so that action can be taken. Given time, the software company can then fix the code and distribute a patch or software update. Even if potential attackers hear about the vulnerability, it may take them some time to exploit it; meanwhile, the fix will hopefully become available first. Sometimes, however, a hacker may be the first to discover the vulnerability. Since the vulnerability isn't known in advance, there is no way to guard against the exploit before it happens. Companies exposed to such exploits can, however, institute procedures for early detection, such as:

• • • •

Use virtual LANs (IPsec) to protect the contents of individual transmissions; Deploy an intrusion detection system; Introduce network access control to prevent rogue machines from gaining access to the network; Lock down wireless access points and use a security scheme like Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA2 for maximum protection against wireless-based attacks.♦

APPOINTMENTS

Interpublic Group’s Mediabrands announced today the appointment of Eden Engelken as Director of Infrastructure and Operations, Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Eden will be responsible for managing Mediabrands’ technology infrastructure across global and local markets as well as ensuring technology delivery with rigor and governance across all project deliverables. Jimmy Lee

Eden Engelken

He will provide leadership to a team of business intelligence and master data analysts that are creating customized, data-driven marketing solutions based on Mediabrands’ Marketing Intelligence Platform (MIP) that gives their clients seamless access to aggregated data through the use of a single easy-to-use dashboard interface accessible via the web.

Eden joins the Mediabrands team from BHP Billiton, where he served as Transition Program Manager and before that he worked for Hewlett Packard Australia as ITO Business Operations Manager, where he managed the integration of HP and EDS in Australia and New Zealand among other responsibilities.♦

Tom Ormes, Creative Director of iris’ Singapore operation, will relocate in June to take up the role at iris’ Amsterdam office. Ormes, who has been the creative force behind some of iris Singapore’s biggest campaigns and new business wins, including Johnnie Walker ‘Step Inside’, Tiger football, Sony Cybershot and Audi’s A8 and A1 campaigns, will take up the role working alongside iris Amsterdam’s managing director Chris Friend. Ormes, who joined the agency in December 2008, has been leading iris Singapore’s creative team of 16. In the past two years, iris’ Singapore office has grown from 25 to 70 people, and earned itself a reputation as one of the most successful agencies in the region.

Subha Naidu & Tom Ormes

To replace Ormes, iris has promoted Subha Naidu to fill the position of Creative Director. Subha Naidu joined iris in 2008 as creative group head and has rapidly risen through the iris Singapore creative ranks. He has been the creative lead on a number of iris’ blue-chip clients, including Heineken and Sony.♦

Akamai Technologies, Inc. appointed David Rich as Vice President, Asia Pacific to lead its rapidly expanding regional team covering Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. David has over 30 years of experience in the high-tech and telecoms sector, previously holding senior management roles at Verizon Business, Global One and Cable & Wireless, where he gained an in-depth knowledge of the business and regulatory landscape across Asia Pacific.

David Rich

Based out of Akamai's regional headquarters in Singapore, David will be responsible for driving the company's growth throughout the region, helping businesses to securely power rich media, enterprise applications and cloud services online.

Betty Lin formerly of Sun Microsystems HK, has also joined Akamai, and will serve as Country Manager for Hong Kong and Taiwan, reporting to David.♦

APPOINTMENTS

The Singapore Computer Society (SCS) announced the new line-up of its council members at the SCS Annual General Meeting on 30 March 2011. Mr. Alphonsus Pang, the Director of DSTA’s Corporate Services, was reappointed as the President of SCS to lead the largest infocomm professional body in Singapore. Into his third term, Alphonsus is set to lead his new council to mark more milestones for the Society. SCS’ Council comprises leading senior directors and executives from the private and public sectors as well as from academia. Each council member is a well respected industry leader. The office bearers for 2011/2012 are:

Alphonsus Pang

President Mr. Alphonsus Pang (Director, DSTA Corporate Services) Vice President Mr. Howie Lau (Vice President, Lenovo Singapore) Vice President Mr. Tan Teng Cheong (General Manager, Dell Singapore) Vice President Ms. Tham Ai Chyn (Director, IT & Facilities Management, SIM) Honorary Secretary Ms. Tham Ai Chyn (Director, IT & Facilities Management, SIM) Honorary Treasurer Mr. Adrian Chye (General Manager, Mediafreaks) Council Members

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Mr. Gavin Ang (Deputy Director, Institute for Infocomm Research) Dr. Timothy Chan (Director, School of Business, Singapore Polytechnic) Mr. Robert Chew (Chairman, ITSC) Mr. Lawrence Goh (Executive Partner, Accenture) Mr. Andrew Khaw (Senior Director, Industry Development Group, IDA) Mr. Philip Kwa (Consulting Director, Lodestone Management Consultants) Dr. Kwong Yuk Wah (Chief Information Officer, NTUC) Mr. Lai Poh Hing (Director, School of IT, Nanyang Polytechnic) Dr. Bernard Leong (Chief Technology Officer, Chalkboard) Mr. Leslie Ong (Managing Director, Oracle Corporation) Mr. Harish Pillay (Global Community & Technology Architect, Red Hat Asia) Mr. Yap Chee Yuen (Senior Vice President, Resorts World at Sentosa)

On connectivity, SCS now has more than 23,000 members, a 6% increase from 2009, and is the largest ICT Professional body in Singapore.♦ MOL Global, the parent company of MOL AccessPortal Sdn Berhad and Friendster, Inc., appointed Internet industry veteran and former Naspers/MIH executive Craig White as President of Global Operations. He will be based in Singapore. White has been responsible for several of the Naspers’ invested Internet and media companies including BuzzCity, ibibo, Lelong.com.my, Multiply, among others, and has more than 20 years of global leadership experience in the Internet and technology sectors. Before joining Naspers in Singapore, White was based in Thailand and was the president for M-Web Thailand/Sanook Online and the managing director for Thailand’s KSC Commercial Internet..♦ Craig White

APPOINTMENTS

OMD announced the appointment of Steve Blakeman as Chief Executive Officer for the Asia Pacific region. Steve will lead OMD operations, drive existing client satisfaction as well as drive growth and enhance OMD’s value-proposition across the region. Blakeman began his career at JWT and has over two decades of experience in advertising, media and marketing communications. He joins OMD from IPG, where he occupied the position of Chief Integration Strategy Officer, Asia Pacific, dividing his time between Universal McCann, Initiative and McCann Erickson on global clients such as Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson and MasterCard. Blakeman has established a reputation for innovation and thought leadership by developing creative channel planning solutions and data driven analysis to deliver tangible business benefit to clients. Steve Blakeman

Prior to IPG, Steve worked as Managing Partner at Omnicom Media Group owned media agency, PHD where he successfully launched their second office in the UK. Blakeman will commence his role at OMD at some point in the third quarter of 2011, reporting to Barry Cupples, CEO, Omnicom Media Group, Asia Pacific.♦

Mediabrands promoted Daniel Simon to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Asia at UM and Initiative. Daniel will be responsible for maintaining each company’s independence, driving operational synergies as well as managing day-today challenges throughout G14 and World Markets in Asia. Daniel joined UM in September 2006, as CFO of UM, Asia Pacific. In 2008, he was appointed CFO of Mediabrands, Asia Pacific and in March 2010, he was named a Member of the Board at Mediabrands, Asia Pacific, which saw him involved in Asia’s management while still CFO. Before joining Mediabrands, Daniel worked for Saatchi & Saatchi as CFO of its Asia Pacific operations. Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience both in advertising and the Asia Pacific region and graduated from the Wharton School with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. ♦ Daniel Simon

Equinix, Inc., a provider of global data center services, announced that Todd Handcock has been named chief marketing officer and vice president of marketing and strategy for Asia Pacific. Handcock joins Equinix from British Telecom (BT) where he was most recently vice president of Asia Pacific Business Transformation, accountable for leading BT’s major investment and expansion program in the region. Handcock will lead Equinix’s strategic planning and execution of the product and marketing roadmap in Asia Pacific. Prior to joining BT, Handcock was Asia Pacific vice president at Descartes Systems Group and general manager of Global Alliances and Accounts with Maves International Software. Handcock also held senior management positions at Ometraco Group and Cott Corporation. He began his career in Asia at the Canadian Embassy in Indonesia. Todd Handcock

Handcock holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary and a postgraduate diploma in Asia Pacific Management from the McRae Institute of International Management at Capilano College in Vancouver.♦

APPOINTMENTS

Yahoo! Inc. announced the acquisition of IntoNow. Launched in January 2011, IntoNow has built a platform and companion TV application based on real time indexing of television that deepens the connections between audiences, television content and advertisers. IntoNow has indexed more than five years of US based television programming, creating a rich database to build video discovery and programming experiences. IntoNow is able to identify content down to the airing, episode and time within the program as well as provide program information and links associated with it, all within a matter of seconds, enabling Yahoo! to provide an enhanced media experience and video programming, bolstering its social engagement across the Yahoo! network and on all screens. IntoNow users are now able to easily engage with friends around the shows they enjoy most and help people discover new shows, discuss favorites with friends and learn more about them, and provide recommendations for what is currently airing based on their interests and those they are connected to. The application is also integrated with Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and Netflix to enable more sharing and information gathering. "IntoNow has built a unique way for people to engage with each other around the content they enjoy," said Adam Cahan, CEO of IntoNow. "Companion applications and devices are changing the way we interact with TV in significant ways. The IntoNow team is excited to be joining Yahoo! to help create new consumer experiences and to be part of Yahoo!'s global scale and reach." ♦

IBM announced new offerings designed to speed the delivery of Web and cloud, which are part of a multi-phase initiative that integrates IBM WebSphere technology with Akamai's application delivery network, accelerating traffic between the public cloud and the data center while improving application performance for users both inside and outside the enterprise. IBM WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks helps businesses deliver applications faster by reducing the time it takes for information to move from the data center across the Internet to users on the public Internet. The solution also helps protect and secure applications through a scalable network of tens of thousands of servers that can be instantly called upon to serve unexpected bursts of traffic or to protect against intentionally malicious attacks. WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks is available now in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore, and will be rolled out in other countries over the course of the year.♦

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), a top-ranked international institution for leadership education, announced the launch of its new training facilities in Singapore. Singapore is CCL's first-ever Asian campus, which opened in February 2004 and has trained leaders from multinational organisations, regional companies and government agencies. The Singapore campus also contains a research unit, a collaborative effort with EDB, which focuses on conducting studies in the region for a better understanding of how leadership is approached here. The new campus is the first of several growth initiatives CCL has planned for Singapore in 2011, in a bid to better deliver its leadership programs to customers in the nation and from around the region. Elsewhere in Asia, the Center has plans to set up new facilities in New Delhi, India and Shanghai, China.♦

IMPRINT

MediaBUZZ Pte Ltd, launched in early 2004, is an independent online publisher in the Asia Pacific region, focusing on the business of digital media and marketing. Asian e-Marketing is a true pioneer in Asia Pacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital marketing scene, empowering e-marketers in the vibrant and fast-paced electronic marketing environment. Key sections include e-marketing tips, best practices and trends/statistics, legislation affecting e-marketing, training the spotlight on companies and their e-marketing campaigns and e-marketing leadership profiles. Click here for the latest online edition

Editor-in-Chief: Daniela La Marca

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