R2Integrated

 (Part One of a series)
 
One of the things that I like do when analyzing a Web service is looking at its architecture. Not so much how the engineers have designed the databases or chose a programming framework, but the architecture of the published information.

For example, I know that blogs are unique in how they organize content.  Posts are published in reverse chronological order and sorted by categories.  Readers can leave comments and trackbacks signal that someone else found the post interesting enough to write about it.

Not certain if it was the great lunch or the topic but the Digital Publishing Conference presentation was very well attended by over half the participants of the entire conference.  Judging by the feedback after the conference it was the topic that had people excited. Less than 10% of the audience knew about RIA and 5% were actually using the technology. 

During the presentation we threw out the old school PowerPoint method and introduced a Flex based RIA that gives the History, What is RIA, Uses and Considerations. Think of it as RIA 101.  Click here to view and play the presentation!

I’ll be speaking at the DPA Conference Wednesday, June 25^th in New York City. The topic is Rich Internet Applications (RIAs): Web Tools for Tomorrow's Richer, More Social Sites- What they are, how they work, and why you need them. We have killer examples and breakout the RIA world today and how it can be used for organizations. I’ll post the presentation after the show.

As any home owner who has lived in a house for any period of time, I just wrapped up another session of ant eradication from my property. Now, I have no doubts that this round, just as any other in the past, will be an utter failure. A futile attempt at overcoming the pest and annoyance of these tiny creatures. so, you may wonder - what does this have to do with technology? Nothing, except for a complete understanding of the emphasis behind the new technologies we find ourselves using today in the world of the Internet.

Until recently the real drive for online content was to provide information on the web that users will find and consume in a manner that the advertisers dictated. All as a means to direct consumers towards one specific product or another. This content was never truly there to help educate, or help progress the general public forwards, but just a means to an end. That end being a sale.

Today we have entered i ... Read More »

I recently attended the Future of the Internet conference at The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard. I wanted to share a couple thoughts about how the conference used social software to keep everyone organized and connected.

I like how the Berkman Center provided conference attendees with a directory of social tools and related tags that we could use to connect with one another.  After the sessions h ... Read More »

RIA’s have been popping regularly since the beginning of the year on more and more sites.  I have found that most RIA segment into the following categories: Rich Media, Product Selection, Visual Search, Widget Builders and Forms & Data Visualizers.  Since the release of Silverlight 2.0 (BETA) and Adobe Flex 3.0, designers and engineers have the professional grade tools and adoption of the technology.  The results are the increase in creative practical use of RIA .

By: Eric Jones, Director of Digital Marketing, R2i

As Director of Digital Marketing, I work to facilitate the experience that customers and potential customers have with regards to my clients. One of the challenges I have is helping the clients make the experience useful, relevant, and ultimately quick. Then get them to pick-up the phone or fill in the form.  There used to be Top 10 list for everything… Now it is the Top 7, or even just the Top 3. Now people want to know, and know now, not later, how you can help them.   

So let’s take a look at how information should be arranged based on what the consumer wants to know, not what you want to tell them. Try to take a step back, and understand why they might be looking for your product or your service. Not so much of why you think your company is best at doing it.  Your client has a need, and the only q ... Read More »

By: Jody Stoehr, Director of Business Development and Partnerships, R2i

Being in the sales field, social network theory plays a significant role in how I interact and connect with other professionals.  With the emergence and evolution of social media sites, we use many networking tools today to connect with others:  LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.  And, I often find myself asking this question:  What is the right balance of cyber interaction versus face-to-face time?

In order to maximize social network tools, it is important to remain balanced, never underestimating the power of personal interaction.  The “old school” way of networking is undoubtedly the key to making memorable connections and lasting impressions.  But in order to maintain a good balance, keeping a social media presence can be invaluable.  For instance, a connection that may have otherwis ... Read More »

As technical director of digital marketing here at R2i, I am often the bridge betwen technology and design within the digital marketing wing of the company.  I also get to spend time thinking about how both groups can work together smoothly.
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