We will move in our definitive office on Friday November 30, i.e. in about 2 weeks. As we are staying in the same building, it will be easier as a “full move” to another place. Actually, we are going down from the 6th to the 2nd floor, but with more place and a well-organized place (big open space part).

We will have there about 295m2 for us. So, some room for growth ;-)

Here some pictures of the state of the works for about 2 weeks, quite a mess! But, the preparation plan is ok, still in time. And everything will be ready beginning of next week.

I have participated last year to the launch of a great website called beach-list.com by beta-testing and providing some pictures from saint barth.

This website is really great, tons of information, descriptions, maps, ratings about the best and beautiful beaches around the world. Very nice aggregation work!

everything goes in direction of preservation of the beaches:

Beaches take millions of years to form and even though they constantly renew themselves, if we want to have them for generations to come, we had best ensure they are well preserved. That means saving them from overdevelopment and keeping them in pristine condition so we can all enjoy them. A sign on a Belize beach sums it up best:

“Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.”

So, if you are searching for information about beaches everywhere in the world, have a look there!

Cambridge Technology Partners, an IT consulting firm on the Swiss market, announced on last Monday its spin off from Novell, after being integrated in 2001.

Here the official press release (pdf).

This decision is the final step in Novell’s process of divestment in business consulting that started early this year. The spin-off will allow Novell to focus on its core business, infrastructure software, and enable Cambridge to further strengthen its position on the market by freely pursuing new business partnerships and launching strategic initiatives around its new solutions in Switzerland and soon in other European countries. Cambridge will continue to be managed by its existing management team.

“The spin-off is great news for our customers as it will reinforce Cambridge’s strategy of agnostic, high-end consulting and technology services.” said Vijay Srinivasan, Cambridge Technology Partners CEO.

It is interesting to note that a part of the Management Team of Cambridge and its employees has already left the company in  to found Optaros. Have a look for example at the CV of Bob Gett, President and CEO of Optaros.

Disclaimer: Bruno von Rotz, VP Strategy and Research of Optaros, is Member of the Board of innoveo.

As in 2005 and 2006, I will have the chance to be in Paris for the fourth conference LeWeb3.

This time, I will attend the conference with Laurent. We were number 24 and 25 to register, not bad ;-)

The program is quite interesting, have a look. Plus a workshop session track. Plus a start-up competition. Plus a Netvibes LeWeb3 Party on Tuesday evening. Plus a GCS dinner 7.0 (I hope, no news for quite along time ;-).

We will travel with the new TGV and will be in Paris on Monday evening (December 10). And interested to join any bloggers’ party ;-) We will leave first on Thursday (December 13). We are staying at the hotel Daunou Opera, in front of the offices of Occam Capital, Altaïde, and … the Harry’s Bar :-)

Already 781 participants registered, wow!

So, hope to meet again some friends: Marc, Jeff, Rodrigo, Robert (new happy father ;-), Sandrine, Thierry, etc.

I would like to meet, because I am following their blogs since months/years (for some of them ;-) and we haven’t met yet, or we haven’t exchanged enough yet:

• Dragos
• François
• Jacques
• Ouriel
• Salah

And all the others I have forgotten (arrgggg…. :-). If *you* would like to meet, just drop me an email: didier DOT beck AT gmail DOT com.

And see you there!

I was not very present the last time on my blog, you know why — innoveo is taking quite a lot of time, but it’s good time ;-)

On the other hand, I don’t find so cool that so many good and exciting bloggers are not taking the time anymore to post! Surely, but just partly, an effect of twitter and/or facebook. But hey, I *really* miss all the posts of Marc (I know, you lost your voice), Jeff, Rodrigo, Dragos, and even Loic… All are present on Twitter/Facebook, are posting videos (salut Loic :-), but I am missing the textual post, full of interesting thoughts, well constructed and structured, and so on. I like videos and podcasts, but they are not bringing the same depth of analysis. Nothing particular to blogging, just as it is in our real life, isn’t it?

So, colleagues and friends, do not forget to *write* and articulate some of your thoughts, at least I am missing them ;-) Perhaps I am the only one, who knows!

Now, it is time to talk about me: I will re-start to post regularly, on different topics, as usual. Quite a lot of stuff to exchange with you, to tell you. And I still like to write, even if it is in “broken English” ;-) So, stay tuned, I will try to post daily again.

By the way, this is really funny, it is my 900th post!

After having managed to bring Lorenz in a McDonald in 2004, we were confronted today with a kind of “small miracle”: Bojan has eaten a McDo with us!

Wow

I know, that was an important news ;-) But, hey, we have to stay focused.

…because I can’t shut up.

I think I am one of the last blogger who has remarked that Russell Beattie is blogging again. Actually since … months (April 2007, gosh!).

I was a happy reader of Russell during months before he decided to stop to blog in April 2006, after having posted something like 3’000 posts!

It is a bit as meeting again an old “friend” (relatively speaking) after some times, you get the impression that you haven’t stopped to meet/to discuss ;-)

I like very much the tone/his voice. It is about mobility and his last project called mowser (mobility browser).

Have a look, worth a read!

Didier Beck is founder, owner, Managing Partner and Board member of innoveo solutions, an independent software company privately held by its founding members. Since 2000 he also acts as an independent member of the Board of Directors of Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, an online marketing company focused on the pharmaceutical industry.

He has more than 14 years experience with the strategic implementation of technology in the insurance industry. The main focus of his activities lies in connecting the insurance business with technology and in leveraging the innovation potential brought by new Web technologies which help to develop profitable growth.

Prior to innoveo and since 2006, Didier was the CEO of ecenter solutions, a software and technology subsidiary spun off from the Helvetia Group. ecenter solutions was delivering a unified, multinational infrastructure and platform for e-business solutions. Between 2000 and 2005, he contributed to the development and implementation of the e-business strategy of the Helvetia Group. As one of the initiators of the formation of the corporate-wide multinational eBusiness Center, he was nominated Deputy Manager in 2001, before becoming its Director and Manager in 2002. Before 2000, he was in charge of various IT architecture, projects, and management functions within Helvetia Switzerland.

He has a Masters of Science in Computer Engineering (1995) from the Upper Alsace University – France, and a Masters in Business Administration from EM Lyon – France (2001), with specialization in strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship. He speaks French, German and English.

Didier is also a blogger (didierbeck.com) since 2004, blog followed by more than 80,000 unique visitors monthly. He has published more than 1’000 posts, that have generated about 4.5 million pageviews.

He is 37 years old and lives in France near Mulhouse with his wife, who is a General Practitioner, and his son (7 years). He loves listening to (all kind of) music (as a former drummer), gardening, taking pictures, tasting and drinking some good wines during a fine meal with friends, reading a lot, and, last but not least, playing with his son!

Today, Friday September 28, 2007, was my last working day by Helvetia, after having worked there for the last 12 years, in various functions: from Software engineer to CEO of a small subsidiary, to make it short ;-)

I am very proud to have had the chance to work for this company. I have met there a lot of very good and experienced professionals, I have learnt so much. Really great.

Now, why did I leave? Very simple: Helvetia is a medium-sized company (more than 5’000 employees), with the normal positive and negative sides of a healthy organization of this size. And I like more and more smaller entities.

12 years is quite a long time and I have never thought I would stay so much time in the same company ;-) But not doing the same job! So, I must admit that this day was a particular day, also when I gave back my 12-years old badge. On the other side, it is good not having anymore this old picture on my badge!

I have now the chance, with 13 of my friends and colleagues to spin out and to start a new business in excellent conditions, thanks to Helvetia.

Helvetia is from now on my customer, and I will do my best to serve this great company as a professional and dedicated provider.

A very warm thanks to all my friends and colleagues at Helvetia. I had a great time with you all, I hope that we will continue to collaborate and to work together in the same great way. I wish you all the best and take care!

Some of the recommendations you can find about me in LinkedIn.

As CEO and co-founder of ecenter solutions

Many teams in a corporate environment try to spin-off and create an independent company, but very few have succeeded like Didier’s group inside Helvetia Patria. I have known and work with Didier and his team in the course of the last 2 years, and he is one of the most energetic, smart, fun, and driven CEO I know. I recommend him as an expert in software engineering (with one of the most interesting SOA environment available today), as well as a manager of a successful business unit, as a leader of a promising start-up, and as a friend.

September 27, 2007

Marc Goldberg, Managing Partner, Occam Capital

As member of the Board of Boomerang

Didier’s strategic insights during our Board meetings have proven to be immensely valuable over the years. I can say that he has been instrumental in the development of the company since 2000. Didier is a dedicated individual who always makes himself available when advice is needed.

September 27, 2007

Emmanuel Bueb, Owner, Boomerang