Register TODAY! The 2011 European Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Summit in Vienna will a most fruitful value contribution to your career path in Competitive Intelligence through state-of-the-art learning and a most professional CI network you will be able to build and support.

Please find the conference program below.

Register TODAY and bring colleagues too.

SCIP asks for proposals to speek at the 2011 Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Summit, 8-10 November in Vienna, Austria.

As your Chairman for the 2011 Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Summit, 8-10 November in Vienna, Austria I would like to invite you to contribute to the Summit with your session or workshop. Below you can find the entire text of the Call for Proposals and the direct download links for the forms.

2011 SCIP European Summit Conference Call for Proposals

1. Gaining Influence for the Competitive Intelligence Unit

2. Competitive Intelligence Communication

3. Innovation and the Competitive Intelligence Process

4. Analysis Tools

5. Competitive Intelligence and Strategy

6. Structuring and Modifying a CI Unit

SPEAKER BENEFITS

Call for proposals document download

Questions form download

SCIP joins forces with the leading competitive intelligence training organization to offer global certification in the field.

A joint venture between SCIP and ACI, the world's leading competitive intelligence training organizations, advances the profession's standards for this relatively young field through a quality certification program.

Read the official press release from the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) society and the Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence LLC (ACI).

Download the .pdf press release.

Another European SCIP conference - this time in Barcelona, Spain. Meeting old friends again and making new ones. Yet: something drastic was different: No air travel! A SCIP Competitive Intelligence Magazine article, by Jens Thieme and Michel Bernaiche.

Michel and I - two fellows who originally met at a Northern European intelligence gathering - decided to make the trip to another SCIP conference a journey to remember. Read on my friends, you might be planning a cool appearance at this year's Vienna Conference just for kicks.

Download the pdf version of this CIM article here.

 
Great European CI Summit detour

Of Bears, Doughnuts and Chemistry, by Jens Thieme and Michel Bernaiche

The European CI Summit, SCIP November 2010 in Barcelona attracted 200 attendees from 22 different countries around the world with attendees.  But this is a story about a pair of friends who trekked their way through 5 countries over 4 days in an effort to continue and build their friendship that began at a CI gathering in Helsinki, Finland many moons back. When these two unsuspecting CI leaders in their respective companies Dunkin' Brands (the guys who feed you well even when Hotel Mom is closed for vacation) and Ciba (the former world leader in specialty chemicals, owned by BASF today), ventured to Helsinki to participate in a CI forum geared to providing insights and conversations that would lead to further development of CI programs around the world - little they guessed about the career successes and mutual adventures ahead.

It was here, at an International dinner event that included such delicacies as pigeon, bear salami, frog leg and reindeer, that a friendship was born that should not only bridge continents but business fields as far apart as doughnuts and automotive additives. For years to come, these two thought leaders in the world of CI, would meet in 9 different countries over the course of 4 years for one reason or another but mostly for the good of CI.

While chemicals and breakfast coffee hardly make a tempting combination these two remain just as passionate about CI as they did when they first met, though the true benefit of their meeting comes at the hands of the CI community at large. Jens and Michel as true ambassadors to the global CI cause have always remained interested in sharing thoughts, ideas and best practices in authoring, speaking and work-shopping in an effort to further elevate the relevance and longevity of CI.

So their trip to this year's European CI Summit in Barcelona, Spain began in Zurich, where the two discussed over espresso on the Limmat river, ideas around where the next Euro Summit could be in an effort to improve and further strengthen the eastern European CI community.  From there, they moved on to Bern where they had lunch and discussed the tough past two years that SCIP experienced and their related Board duties.  As daylight dwindled, they arrived in the quiet Souther Swiss Alps town of Naters where the two took part in one of their favorite traditions, toastings.

Onward, their travels took them to Lago Maggiore, Milan, Sion, Nice, Monaco and finally Barcelona - all by car - where they enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones and the refreshing absence of air travel nuisances. Charged with excitement from these newly shared adventuresand an updated tool box of fresh ideas for the CI community that was to gather in Barcelona the two set out to enjoy the company of hundreds of CI related professionals and offered their experience in workshops, sessions and meetings again.

While this profession proves time and again that it is not only exciting to engage in and build upon the global CI community offers value way beyond individual growth potential and networking opportunities: true friendship and shared engagement in the cause of progress as individuals and professionals don't know any boundaries here and this spirit was - once again - felt every minute in the meeting rooms and Hotel hall ways at the summit venue.

While the hotel (Hisperia Tower) was situated a bit off course from the stunningly attractive inner city attractions of Barcelona the hotel itself made up for the taxi rides at night. First class rooms, top notch break out facilities and excellent food for main courses and as snacks soothed the senses all along.

As the lodging and conferencing areas were separated in two main buildings the setup provided excellent access to the exhibit halls and major gathering places. Breakfast and afternoon snacks were offered right between the vendor community's booths and meeting areas which provided an outstanding opportunity for practitioners and vendors to stick together whenever outside of sessions. This energy and friendly atmosphere was echoed in the many break out sessions.

With an increased focus on interactivity this year's summit has to be judged as one of the most active, energetic and result oriented events in the history of SCIP events! Many participants took away a tremendous amount of new contacts, fresh ideas and immediately applicable learnings. While the key notes could become a bit more actionable and strategic for summits to come there are additional feedbacks that offer requirements by our members and participants: accessible c-level executives should be lured in to the format more and more to gain insights into the voice of the customer for CI practitioner's services to their decision makers.

Not to single out any of the sessions or workshops in this review but it bares mentioning that the most cheered upon speakers acted up to the challenge of increased interactivity with scores of creative ideas ranging from throwing candy into the crowd for active responses to mutually created work documents as key take-away's.

As with any of the past SCIP summits sadness kicks in when bidding each other farewell, thanking all contributors and supporters for massive value that was provided and for all the friends who disperse into the wide world. While Michel and Jens have yet to share their first calorie laden doughnut together, the ongoing joy, fun and experience shared, beginning with bear salami and temporarily ending with the last Spanish tapas in some idle, yummy Barcelona down town bar - the mind is already set for next year's adventure: a train ride across Europe to catch that chocolaty Sacher Torte in Vienna (Google is and you will gain weight and appetite already) and add on more friends and value for our jobs, once again bridging industries and geographies because the chemistry is just perfect as enabled by those excellent SCIP summits.

(Michel Bernaiche and Jens Thieme have become CI adventurers and visionaries over time and serve the global CI community at the SCIP board. Don't hesitate to take advantage of their energy and expertise and who knows: some more friendships and personal successes might just be around the corner...)

Find the current SCIP Competitive Intelligence Magazine here.

Ever wondered why your edits in iPhone don't land in your MS Outlook address book? Me too, so I figured out how to fix it.

I just loooove the iPhone Business Card Reader App by SHAPE Software. Simply take a photo of a business card and the OCR software creates a contact data card for your iPhone contact address book.

Problem being: the new contacts sits nicely in your iPhone but won't move to Outlook. Well, not without tweaking anway. But worry not, here is how to fix it:

Using a Windows PC, follow this step and make sure the iTunes sync add-in is enabled in Outlook 2003:.

1. In Outlook, choose Tools > Options.
2. Click Other and then click Advanced Options.
3. Select COM add-ins and select the iTunes sync add-in and click OK.
4. Click Apply and then continue with the steps below.

Then...
Connect your iPhone to the computer using the supplied USB cable and launch the iTunes application, if it does not launch automatically. iTunes displays your iPhone on the left panel under "Devices."

Click your iPhone on the iTunes panel and click the "Info" tab. Click "Sync contacts with" and select "Outlook."

Select "All Contacts" if you want to sync all the contacts from your iPhone to Outlook. If you want to select specific contacts, click "Selected groups" and place a check on the contacts you want to sync to Outlook.

Click "Apply" to sync your iPhone contacts to Outlook. Click the "Eject" button on the right panel and disconnect your phone from the computer. Close iTunes.

Launch Outlook and click the "Contacts" tab. You should see the imported iPhone contacts. 

At this year's SCIP (Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Association) European Summit in Barcelona, Spain, November 16-18 I will hold another competitive intelligence related workshop.

After the huge success at last year's Amsterdam Summit I was asked by SCIP to come up with an advanced edition of the workshop based on my past experience to establish and advance a global competitive intelligence unit. I truly hope to meet you all again at that SCIP conference. Contact me should you have any questions prior to signing up for that workshop.

For participants in my last year's SCIP workshop: if you are ready to extend your CI unit's exposure throughout the organization this workshop is for you. There is about 30% overlap with the initial workshop which might serve as a refresher.

November 16, 9am-12noon

Sky is the Limit! Identify Surprising Opportunities to Expand your CI Unit’s Operation Span

Jens Thieme, Global Head of Program Management Custom Manufacturing/Lonza

Participants will work out and experience hands-on how to easily and structurally identify the CI function’s status and growth potential and how to exploit additional opportunities from within their own organization.

Take-Aways

• Identify fundamentals of a modern CI function broken down into real world key elements

• Establish an actionable framework that is used to guide any improvement by identifying obstacles and solutions for all key elements of the CI function

• Explore opportunities based on their own work environment and prepare decision makers to buy in to additional mandates for the CI function well beyond the current scope

Venue:

Hesperia Tower
Gran Via 144 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
08907 Barcelona
Barcelona Spain
Tel: (+34) 93 413 50 00
Fax: (+34) 934 135 010
hotel@hesperia-tower.com
http://www.hesperia-tower.com

Register for the SCIP Barcelona European Summit 2010 here.

As a board member of SCIP I would like to announce SCIP's name change and provide some background information as well.

After thorough debate and member involvement with wide spread debate and fruitful exchange we decided to change the name of the society to reflect on our growth path that has produced significant results since the economic down turn and SCIP's strategic alliance with the Frost & Sullivan Institute as a measure to strengthen the Competitive Intelligence profession long term.

Please find the press release on the name change and the official SCIP statement here.

Text copy of the press release:

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 8th the SCIP (www.scip.org ) Board of Directors voted to officially change the 25-year-old non-profit organization's name from "Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals" to "Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals."  This modification reflects the developing evolution of the competitive intelligence (CI) profession to support executive decision-making and firmly acknowledges the relationship between competitive intelligence and strategy.

"This name change executes on the next phase of our strategic growth plan by emphasizing the importance of the CI profession to an organization's direction and success," said SCIP Immediate Past Chair, Martha Gleason of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.  SCIP Vice-Chair Scott Leeb of Prudential Retirement commented, "This name change acknowledges and formalizes what CI professionals have known for some time -- strategy and competitive intelligence are inextricably linked."

"SCIP has evolved to become the global association for a broad range of professionals who directly support and influence strategy. To reflect this change in SCIP's name is only logical. Strategy anticipates and prepares our future and SCIP is a proud anchor for anyone who lends their skills and passion to it," said SCIP Board Member Jens Thieme of Lonza Group Ltd Switzerland.

The change to "Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals" will assist SCIP in a number of ways:

• Support an added focus on strategic decisions, one of SCIP's principal goals.
• Include individuals who both work with and are customers of intelligence practitioners.
• Increase the connection of senior decision makers with their intelligence effort.
• Emphasize both the tactical and strategic orientation of our members.
• Create a unique value proposition by combining strategic and competitive intelligence.
• Maintain the SCIP acronym to preserve our 25 years of brand development

SCIP membership consists of private sector intelligence practitioners who provide skilled analysis on the competitive environment which enhances business decision-making and organizational performance.  With the pace of technological development and the growth of global trade, today's business environment changes more quickly than ever before, so executives require additional informed analysis to make strategic business decisions.

Please contact me for further questions or revert directly to scip.org or SCIP's CEO at: kgarrison@scip.org

It does not happen every day that you recognize a face you know well in the papers under the heading "CEO 'spy' with S'pore link". Someone I met on multiple occasions provided me just that experience this week. Exciting? Hardly!

Having worked in the global Competitive Intelligence arena as a leading Intelligence Officer and as a Director of the Board of the largest Competitive Intelligence association the networks are colorful and interesting. Sometimes a bit too colorful it turns out.

As reported in the global media, Don Heathfield (as we know today that might not have been his name) was arrested this week among 9 other people on charges of spying for the Russian secret service. Having dealt with Donald over the years at conferences and business meetings as well as casual chats and even personal lunches it strikes me how much one can be tricked into false identities or circumstances.

Not wanting to comment on Don's potential involvement before he might even be convicted, the shock sits deep as I was actually under the impression to have dealt with a proper company and a reliable, solid and trustworthy CEO of FutureMap (Don's business).

I still remember last fall when I asked him during lunch we had in Basel, Switzerland where his weird accent came from he responded candidly that his mother came from Eastern Europe. Something seemed fishy there as Don knew about my upbringing in former communist East Germany because it seemed odd that he did not mention a specific country in response let alone Russia. I clearly identified his accent on the spot but did not want to elaborate further for politeness.

Sometimes I wonder though what might have happened had I pushed him further and nailed the question on this Russian shade more closely... or whether I should avoid opening his LinkedIn page (that also shows my lose connection with him)...

UPDATE 2010/07/09

Apparently Don and his wife confirmed the claims and have been swapped with agents and spies of interest to the US in the largest spy swap after the cold war. According to a Boston Globe article Don's Russian clear name is: Andrey Bezrukov  or Андрей Безруков.

"Bezrukov and Vavilova have two sons, a 20-year-old student at George Washington University and a 16-year-old student of the International School of Boston. Both left the United States in the past few days and are in Russia awaiting the return of their parents..."

"The agreement requires Bezrukov and Vavilova to forfeit their $799,000 Cambridge townhouse, all the belongings and cash within it, and their US bank accounts and other assets.

Change Blogger.com title position

How to improve your blogger.com blog in search engine ranking and traffic generation based on the position that the individual page titles have within the title string that you see in the browser title line.

Recently I noticed a dramatic drop in traffic with all my blogger.com blogs that I run in blogger.com (umfinanzieren.com,undebt.org, viertesreich.info, kopfgeburt.info, http://www.whackedsigns.com/, http://www.climatologists.org/, http://www.boycottregimes.org/, http://www.againsttorture.org/, http://www.ituneseurope.com/, collectedspam.com). When opening any of the individual pages (posts, click at the post itself and the dedicated page opens for this individual entrance in your blog) I noticed that they all showed the blog title in front of the title string and the blog post titles were hidden behind the title.

As many of my blogs carry quite some keywords to attract targeted visitors in general the position of the individual blog post page titles (the name, titles of the various posts when they are posted) they would hardly be recognized by search engines and thus ranked very low in the search engine rankings.

Or in other words: the blog pages, based on their title did not differ much from any other in the blog and thus could not unfold the meaning of the pages content and attract the targeted traffic.

There is a simple trick to find out how search engines read and display back to users what they recognize in terms of your blog's page titles. Go to google.com and type: site:yourdomain.com (whereas yourdomain.com should actually be your real domain).

The result page will list all pages as recognized by Google and here you might notice, as I did, that all individual blog pages are "labeled" with the title of the blog in general and the individual page titles might be positioned at the end of that title.

See, search engines consider the beginning words of a page title most important and rank the pages accordingly in their index. So, if all your pages carry the same content in the first 5 or 6 words of the title string, they all rank equal and there is no targeting of content possible. This diminished the value of your blog pages and content and dilutes the entire value of the blog and its concept.

How to change

Fortunately there is a fix that you can apply which does not require specialist knowledge.

• Open your blogger.com account.
• Click at Dashboard.
• Find the blog you are working with.
• Click Design.
• Click Edit HTML.

In the window that shows the template HTML code position your mouse cursor and copy the content of the template with the keyboard keys CTRL+C. Open your favored plain text editor and paste the content there by using the keyboard keys CTRL+V and save the file on your desktop so you can easily find this backup copy later and delete when done (this is just for backup, in case you mess up the HTML code so you can easily replace the messed-up code with the original backup content).

Next you need to find the string that handles the position of your title string. It might look like this:

After a couple of very fruitful, active and rewarding years at the board of the Swiss Competitive Intelligence Association (SCIA) new ventures in my professional life dictate another mile stone to be completed.

With my relocation to Valais and the new challenge to build a new, global contract management function for the world's largest Contract Manufacturing Organization in Pharma, Biotech, Life Science I had to hand over my board membership to two new SCIA board memberswho are in fact very well known CI seniors and will enrich SCIA greatly.

To my former fellow board members Maarit, Urszula, Kurt, Robert and Thomas I would like to say: "It has been a great honor and pleasure to serve our Swiss Competitive Intelligence practitioners and collaborate with so many consultants, scholars and partners over the years. I will miss the friendly and productive, creative discussions at board meetings and in pubs, the gatherings at global SCIP conferences and the occasional chat in between. I am sure you will continue to have fun and success and be able to build this society stronger and more robust over time. You have become great friends, advisors and colleagues and I am proud having been part of the SCIA success story for some time."

To Monika and Chistian I would like to express my congratulations and thanks for the nice hand-over experience and our other encounters over the years as CI professionals.

You all are welcome at any time down here in beautiful Valais.

To the SCIA members, sponsors and partners I would like to express my deepest gratitude to be loyal, forthcoming, demanding at times and always friendly in any way. Serving you, learning with you, driving the Swiss CI community forward has been a pleasure beyond words and I thank you for that experience and the unforgettable evenings in Zurich the past years.