#ShapingtheBlogs

For many global entrepreneurs, patents may be viewed as an important part of Intellectual Property and of great value to the entrepreneur. In the Nordic, we have heard that a patent ‘ensures a 20-year monopoly’. However, in Silicon Valley, a patent is simply a document of how something could be created. Success comes from acting on the idea and patent to build a product, customer base, revenues and hence a company to turn the idea into reality. Another question is the market need for and accepta...

Customers today demand convenience, ease of access and personalized offerings from corporations such as GE, Otis Elevator, and many smaller companies. By offering digital services, software interfaces and ‘pay for use’ business models, many traditional companies are reaching new market segments, delighting their customers and creating new highly valuable revenue streams.A recent study shows 82% of business leaders consider ‘digital initiatives’ top priority. However, many question – “Where to st...

Digitalization, the use of technology to streamline work processes, access information and improve global productivity can be considered the ‘next big paradigm shift’, impacting the way we all work, live and relate to one another. As with all change, this brings both benefits and challenges. Based on recent Gallup polls have indicated that less than 15% of workers today feel truly engaged and happy in their jobs, change is needed. Often low employee satisfaction is the lack of challenge and oppo...

The rapid advances in technological capabilities, combined with the global growth of entrepreneurialism and the ‘sharing economy’ bring many new opportunities for Norway. However, there can be challenges as new digital competitors compete with traditional corporations in all industries and today’s buyers demand engaging digital access to what they need when they need it. Welcome to the Digital Age. This world of digitalization brings great opportunities for growth of new innovations and transfor...

To many entrepreneurs, a key milestone on the path of success is attracting and securing venture funding. An even greater aspiration is funding from a US investor.However, if you really want to build a lasting, high-value company, venture capital might actually be damaging to your success. When you take VC cash, you are giving away ownership and often control of the direction and future of the business. Lean startup guru Steve Blank has summed this up well – “When you accept funding from a VC, t...

Like all industries, the world of travel is evolving rapidly through technological innovation and changing consumer demographics. The ubiquity of technology today makes it easy for travelers to learn about various destinations, then select and book flights, rooms, tours and many related products and services – all from mobile or web devices. Traditional travel agencies, hotels, tour agencies and airport shopping are often circumvented as travelers ‘self-plan’ their own experience. Gaining the ‘w...

Through effective use and leverage of technology, service-based business models and enhanced customer experience, organizations such as Adobe, Daimler Benz, Hilton and Schibsted Finn have achieved growth in revenue, profit and market valuation. Across all industries, digital capabilities, along with new market dynamics and buying patterns are driving the need for change. Benefits of digitalization include: Increased customer loyalty and retention – leading to more predictable revenue streamsAbil...

Today, ‘digitalization’ is the hot topic, buzzword and goal of most organizations – from industrial companies through startups and public / government entities. However the term ‘digitalization’ is frequently (mis) used to describe use of mobile and other technology in one’s daily life and work.Real digitalization of an organization involves: Delivering solutions to customers through technology (ie ‘solution as a service’, software, platform / API integration)Gathering, understanding and leverag...

“Those who don’t change will become extinct”. In 2015, IDC predicted that 30% of the top companies in any industry would be overtaken by a new competitor by 2017. Reality shows this was a conservative view. With rapid time to market for new offerings, global competition and rising customer expectations, successful ‘digitalization’ is critical for survival of all business. Simply put, digitalization is a process through which a company commits to leveraging technology to enhance or expand product...

In 2014, a group calling themselves hackappcom posted a proof of concept script on the popular code repository called Github that would allow for a user to attempt to breach iCloud and access a user account. This script would query iCloud services via the “Find My iPhone” API to guess username and password combinations. The problem here was that apparently Apple was not limiting the number of queries one could make, allowing attackers numerous chances to guess password combinations without the f...