A Comparison in Corporate Innovation Between Google and Microsoft : From Beginning to End scripted by Employees

Here are two highly contrasting personal stories about innovation in major technology companies, Microsoft and Google - in Microsoft's case from a former Vice President and in Google's case, an employee who has been with the organisation for one month. This is a fascinating comparison between an idealistic starter at Google, eyes wide open as if experiencing the candy shop for the first time, where all before him seems like an unclimbed snow covered mountain peak full of wonder and awe offering the glorious challenges of a lifetime, not without its dangers, that can be conquered in the due process of time and a former Microsoft Vice President, who like many true innovators in organisations was thwarted over time not by his will or want to innovate or for that matter the organisation's publicly expressed desire to do so but by the organisation's internal culture and processes and the inherent power struggles which regularly conceal and undermine the inherent nuances and subtleties required for organisational innovation. These articles read together offer compelling examples of the importance of idealism, yet show its powerful constraints and undoing. The real mystery in innovation is seeking the balance between imagination and pragmatism. This piece begins with the untainted imaginationand ends...well read on.

Click to read more ...

Digital Anthropology and Your Tribe

TalkTalk is a provider of digital communication technology services in the UK mainly. The recently teamed up with the University of Kent to research peoples' attitudes and behaviours towards the digital world. The aim was to go beyond traditional rseearch to determine how techonology fits into our lives.

Six stereotypes were identified - the Digital Extroverts, the Timid Technophobes, the Social Secretaries, the First Lifers,the E-ager Beavers, the Web Boomers, full descriptions of which can be read from the full report Digital Anthrolopogy.

Fancy seeing which tribe you belong to...Take the quick quiz to find out.

NICTA and PhD's

NICTA, Australia’s information and communications technology (ICT) research centre of excellence, works with university partners to provide an environment that enhances and supports the quality of Australian computer science and electrical engineering PhD education. This partnership has recently celebrated an important milestone, the graduation of the 100th PhD student to carry out their research at NICTA – just three years since the program started.

Click to read more ...

Climate Change and Nuclear Power in Australia - a speech by Dr Ziggy Switkowski

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon arranged by The Australian German Association where Dr Ziggy Switkowski was key speaker. Ziggy has previously been CEO of Telstra before the Sol era and is now chairman of ANSTO. The subject was climate change and the future of nuclear power in Australia. What follows is a summary of his speech.

Click to read more ...

Ralph Kerle interviews Dr John Best, Vice President, Technology, Research & Development - Thales

Ralph Kerle interviews Dr John Best, Vice President, Technology, Research and Development - Thales from Grant Crossley on Vimeo.

Ralph Kerle, Chairman of The Creative Leadership Forum interviews Dr John Best, Vice President, Technology, Research and Development of Thales, one of the world leaders in weapons development. Thales deliver weapon critical defence systems with a broad spectrum of products and services.
They talk about The Australian Transformation and Innovation Centre (ATIC), a facility where Thales has invested significantly in order to provide an environment where their customers can come in, experiment with the technology and trial the benefits of new products in a safe environment.
The importance of prototyping as an essential component in the creative process of product development is also discussed.