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London Calling
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%IF $FIRSTNAME != 'Subscriber'%Dear %FIRSTNAME%,
%/IF%Hola, and welcome to the spring has sprung March 2010 edition of the Sotic newsletter. After going on the road for the last few editions this months has been put together by the London office's dishwasher filler Leo (Nandos 1/2 Chicken Hot) Mindel.
Please read on to find out what we have been up to in one of our busiest periods of the year.
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It was for Movember - Honest
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Leo Mindel - Technology Director
As one of the two directors of Sotic I am asked many times what I actually do, and the answer has changed every month for the last eight years! One thing I did do was come up with the company name pronounced so-tick.
That aside I try and use my 20+ years in the IT industry to work out what technology the company and clients should be using and where it is going. Crystal ball anyone.
Outside of work, I have a very active family life and as many of you know am a Cub Scout Leader and a Watford FC supporter. One for pleasure one for . . .
This year I became a recent draft into the Sotic FC squad and have already been hailed as a total goal scoring machine by the rest of the team. The stats show the opposition score three times as many goals while I am on the pitch rather than playing in my best position warming the subs bench.
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New London Scottish Website
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London Scottish launches new site
Ambitious National One rugby club London Scottish have chosen Sotic to launch a brand new website, which is allowing them to communicate with their fans across the world using the latest in Social Media, including Twitter and Facebook.
Whilst this is the first site we have built for a semi-professional club, it is not semi-standard, with London Scottish able to take advantage of the shared tools we deliver for all of our clients. We wish them well on their push towards the Championship and their ultimate goal - the Guinness Premiership.
For more info on how we delivered the solution click here
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IRFU iPhone app in association with O2
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Top Rated iPhone apps
During the last month we have also seen the launch of a new iPhone App and the major update of two others. The Irish Rugby Football Union app, in association with O2, became an instant hit and with in 24 hours of launching had become the most popular downloaded app in Ireland.
At the same time the updated Guinness Premiership and Ski Club of Great Britain apps, both sponsored by Land Rover, were selected in the top 100 apps by PC Pro magazine, not bad considering there are now over 140K apps out there.
Both the IRFU and Guinness Premiereship apps now have our new MatchDayLive console allowing fans to follow their teams live. Sotic are continually developing new functionality in this area and will be launching new upgrades over the coming months.
For more information on our iPhone apps click here
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eCommerce for Ulster and beyond
Another Sotic launch this month is the new online store for Belfast Sports Retailer SS Moore Sports. The shop has over 750 products in the store, including Running, Football and Rugby kit. The store is also the official stockist for Ulster Rugby. The site has automated stock control and order feeds to their EPOS system - a bit of a change from the days when our Content Manager was a Saturday boy in one of their Belfast stores! Over the next few months additional items and different sports will be covered. Visit the new SS Moore Sports online shop here
For more info on Sotic's e-commerce platform click here
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Sotic - our own site re-launches
After years and years of designing top quality websites for all our clients out there we decided it was finally time to build a brand new one for ourselves. The company has changed and evolved quite a lot over the last few years and we needed something that better reflected the range and quality of services and software that we offer.
We should have launched it a lot sooner but the client took ages to approve the designs and come up with the content - something we're always prepared for! Have a look at our latest work, follow us on twitter or just put a face to a name. Feel free to have a good nosey around, we hope you like it!
Visit our new website here
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Custom designed toolbars for fans
The official toolbar, is easily downloaded and sits at the top of the fans web browser, delivering news and key links to your website regardless of the sites a fan is surfing.
The customised toolbar is delivered to your fans with direct hotlinks to your on-line ticket office, shop, or any page on your site you wish to highlight.
Included in the service is a professional design to match your branding and give the toolbar that "official" feel.
For more information click here
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At least we're consistent
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Sotic FC
Rather than focus on one person, this month we turn the spotlight on Sotic FC, our own five-a-side team. Currently occupying bottom spot on the Thursday Powerleague Regents Park East table, Sotic FC recorded their first and only win this season beating "Fred West Ham" 10-0. An interesting result as this is the exact same score awarded when the opposition do not turn up. Not that the team let this go to their head as they still managed to lose to the substitute team for the night 14-4.
Man of the season so far must to go to Nitin Patel, who like David James gets plenty of practice in goal behind a poor back four (yes we do play a back four in five-a-side as it keeps the score below 50).
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MatchDayMail nearing launch
Over the last year we have been developing the next generation email management system under the brand of MatchDayMail. This will have a clean intuitive look and feel, providing greater flexibility in creating Ezines with the ability to deliver e-mails at speeds in excess of 200,000 messages an hour.
MatchDayMail moved a huge step forward in the last month with the first clients migrating over to the new servers. As expected we had a few teething problems however we are on track to carry out all the remaining migrations against the original plan.
Further details of the new features will be sent out separately, with the launch date foolishly set for clients to be able to use the new lite version as 1st April.
Click here for more info on MatchDayMail
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Can drive at 200mph but can't escape Naomi
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Knome Fantasy Racing
With the Formula 1 season almost upon us, it is time to enter your team into Fantasy Formula 1 - run by our very own Naomi Gotts.
As some of you know Naomi was able to get up close and personal with Lewis Hamilton recently and has had to take a week off work while the restraining order is in place.
In the meantime the entries for this year's competition have opened and as reigning champion it is only right for me to plug this fine example of an online competition.
Pit your wheels against Sotic and enter your team here!
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Leeds Headingley Experience
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Headingley Experience Online
The new Headingley Experience website joins the Millennium Stadium & Thomond Park amongst Sotic's sporting venue clients.
The site has been built to demonstrate the versatility of Leeds Rugby's Conference and Banqueting wing at Headingley Carnegie Stadium and is the shop window for that sector of the business in the Leeds and Yorkshire area and beyond.
The site employs a clean design to show off the facilities on offer and the types of event hosted at the venue; with galleries, 360 degree passes and downloadable floorplans of those facilities where available helping to boost the online presentation of what the venue has to offer.
Visit the new website here
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I hope you enjoyed reading what we are up to, with luck some of the 2,000 daffodils I planted with the Cubs should start sprouting soon (doing my bit for Anglo-Welsh relationships)
On a personal note I would like to say good luck in the future to David Knapman from International Sailing Federation, who is leaving to become a Chef. It has been a real pleasure working with David over the last three years, his drive, enthusiasm and commitment to ISAF has been remarkable and we wish him well. Do I get that free meal now ?
Hasta La Mañana
Leo
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