What’s App with you?

April 1, 2013

At the end of this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, many of the touted trends sounded quite familiar: device battles, context awareness, web apps vs. native and of course speeding things up with LTE.

While the focus is rightly still on the basics of cloud computing, user experience and managing the diversity of mobile devices, some new trends are emerging that present real opportunities for developers and providers looking for the next big thing.

Within the Project Lounge network, mobile payment, enterprise apps and leveraging the use of “big data” top the list of new developments we are talking with clients about.

The challenge is to pick your targets of innovation while still getting the basics right. After all, what good is innovation if performance, scalability and user-experience doesn’t work. At the Project Lounge there are experts ready to help you sort through the pieces and find the best solution.

More information: info@project-lounge.com.

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Creativity or Chaos?

March 1, 2013

Excellent project managers must think “out of the box”. Whether working by waterfall or agile, though, project teams are always surrounded by constraints and deadlines which limit their ability to think openly. Innovative and flexible thinking is often a last resort during the “creative chaos” phase shortly before launch or when things get out of control, as they sometimes do. So why not plan a little creative chaos into your next project?

The Project Lounge can help your project team get out of the box and begin to encourage innovative thinking right from the beginning.

In cooperation with experienced project management experts, artists and coaches, the Project Lounge offers the following workshop for your team:

Day One: Planned Chaos

  • Introduction: harnessing creative chaos
  • Guided tour of artist studio or exhibition (if possible)
  • Artist’s perspective: working inside and out of the box
  • Project manager’s perspective and group discussion
  • Vernissage: New Perspectives

Day Two: Innovation in Practice

You can choose between two interactive sessions:

  • Pushing the limit – putting innovation into practice.
    A hands-on workshop in which the participants will discover their own creative energy. The focus is on engaging individual enterprise rather than group dynamic.
  • Collective chaos – looking beyond the obvious.
    This session engages a whole group, challenging each member to “join the team”, express themselves and really listen to the needs of others.

Location, hotel accommodations, meals and transfers will be arranged to fit your project budget. For more information, contact info@project-lounge.com.

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Looking for the digital multi-talent?

February 1, 2013

Have you hit a brick wall in finding the right people for your project? Success in the digital economy requires breaking through barriers. Project managers need interdisciplinary skills to work cross-functional with experts in media, IT, legal and finance.

The Project Lounge collaborates with specialized recruiting partners to help you assess your needs and find the talent you are looking for.

We can also help with interim management, restructuring and other organizational or change-management challenges typical of the fast moving digital business.

Let us help you go beyond that brick wall.

For more information, please visit one of our recruiting partners or contact: recruiting@project-lounge.com

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Welcome to the Project Lounge

January 2, 2013

After 20 years with leading telecommunications, IT and media companies, I have decided to leverage my experience as an independent consultant. Since cross-functional cooperation and networking is key to any digital enterprise, the Project Lounge will provide consulting services in collaboration with experts and specialists across a number of disciplines. Our network of consulting and interim management services will address areas key to the success of any digital business:

  • strategy & business development
  • product marketing
  • project management
  • cross-platform channel management (web, mobile, video)
  • usability / user-experience
  • content sourcing
  • management of interdisciplinary teams

For further information contact: info@project-lounge.com.

For partnering opportunities, please visit the Project Lounge Partners.

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TV Reality

January 1, 2013

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Following successes at SPORT1, Andrew Luedders accepted a new challenge to manage the network of digital entertainment properties of German television broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1. From sat1.de and ran.de to prosieben.de, kabeleins.de and sixx.de, each property presented unique challenges. Working closely with the programming departments of the tv network, Andrew oversaw multiple teams of digital media experts and interfaced with technology, marketing and sales experts within the company. The reality of TV is that making things look great on screen takes real ingenuity and invisible hard work behind the scenes. As with TV shows, some digital properties succeed, while others fail, regardless of the time and effort put into them.  Top ratings for The Voice of Germany and the relaunch of sixx.de prove that nothing motivates more than success. Harmonization of legacy platforms and business analytics, introduction of responsive design for optimized mobile performance and the development of innovative new applications for social TV were just a few of the initiatives happening “behind the scenes”.

Faced with an opportunity to pursue new challenges abroad, Andrew left Germany after 20 years in the digital media arena to begin a new career as an independent digital media consultant in Switzerland and Asia.

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Going for Gold

January 1, 2013

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In an increasingly fast-paced and competitive digital media arena, Andrew Luedders accepted the call in 2007 by Germany’s number one sports website to head up efforts to relaunch the digital offering of SPORT1.de. As Director, Products & Development at Constantin Medien AG, Andrew and his team of software developers, editors, digital marketing and sales experts expanded the video offering and introduced new mobile apps and social media initiatives to the 3 million customers visiting its website some 30 million times each month. Through their focus on user experience, SEO and continuing innovation, Andrew and his team were able to maintain Sport1’s leadership position.

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Next Generation Entertainment

January 1, 2013

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With the further expansion of Deutsche Telekom’s nationwide xDSL network, Andrew Luedders was tasked with the creation of a next generation entertainment platform. Following the successful trials in 2004, Andrew led a team of digital experts to introduce a full range of IPTV services in 2005-2006. Working closely with designers, software developers and content providers, Andrew worked with Microsoft to create the largest IPTV project in Europe and second largest worldwide featuring over 160 TV / HDTV channels, 1500 VOD films, advanced PVR functionality, secure parental controls, a user-friendly program guide and many other new features.

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Content is King

January 1, 2013

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During the rapid expansion of broadband internet access in Germany in 2002, Andrew Luedders was asked to spearhead a new initiative to provide digital content for customers with high-speed internet access. The forward looking project – aptly called T-Online Vision – showcased new applications and content, from music videos, games, news and sports to Germany’s first interactive movie “Jack Point Jack”, marking T-Online’s debut as a film distributor along side MTV and RTL. The broadband portal introduced digital paid-content to the German market and integrated new technologies such as games-on-demand in cooperation with other innovative global technology companies such as exent. The successful showcase became a pre-cursor to T-Online’s introduction of video on demand and IPTV trials in 2003-2004.

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All Business is Local

January 1, 2013

TOI_Regional

True to the motto “thing globally, act locally,” Andrew transitioned from a global to a uniquely local focus at Deutsche Telekom’s internet subsidiary, T-Online. Leveraging a cross-cultural background and fluency in German, Andrew successfully negotiated with leading newspaper publishers in Germany to create a nationwide network of local internet portals at a time when digital media was only just beginning to take hold in 2000-2001. In collaboration with meinestadt.de, which continues today as one of Germany’s leading digital information providers, the platform became a frontrunner of digital advertising and e-commerce activities in Germany.

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Think Global

January 1, 2013

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Before creating Project Lounge Consulting, Andrew Luedders worked with leading companies in the telecommunications and digital media space. Between 1994 and 1999, Andrew worked in various positions at Deutsche Telekom, including as assistant director of international strategy and business development.

As Vice President and Director of Global Partnerships, Andrew was instrumental in establishing and managing the global alliance between Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Sprint. In this role, he supervised and guided joint business development activities between the three telecommunications companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The alliance was dissolved when the companies refocused their international strategies and Deutsche Telekom considered a European alliance with Telecom Italia.

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