Welcome to the revamped EPN Consulting blog site.
This is the virtual space where “The” European Professionals Network can meet and discuss several topics from Transport to ICT, from Energy to Environment, from Consultancy to Innovation without forgetting Business trends and goals.
Recently the new Apple (Wi-Fi only) i-Pad was launched on the US market and in a few days the 3G+Wi-Fi version will appear in the shops. In Europe they will arrive shortly. With this device Apple hopes to re-create the success that is being having with i-Pods and i-Phones.
Many people, though, are a bit sceptical this time about the real need of buying an iPad: the common question is: “What for?” because:
· It can’t stay in pockets
· it’s heavy (from kg 0.68 Wi-Fi only to kg 0.73 3G+Wi-Fi)
· it can’t be used with one hand only
· it is not multi-tasking
· it has no USB ports
· it has no webcam
· it doesn’t support Adobe Flash
· it is not that cheap (prices vary from $499 to $629)
OK, it seems excellent for reading e-newspapers and e-books, it has got a great display for games and it can use the same applications developed for the iPhone. But, is this enough to make people crazy to buy it? How many people have a desperate need to read e-newspapers and e-books on the go? And to play games on it? Well…
We know that one of Apple’s strategies is to create lots of expectations for new products, then sell basic models of these new products in order to give customers something new to play with and in the same time stimulate them to plan further purchases of advanced models, etc. but…
Long time ago there was a kind of PCs, the Tablet PCs, that were announced to be “revolutionary”, “to change people’s habits”. They could be used as a notepad, it was possible to handwrite notes and draw graphs on their screen but in reality they were a big commercial flop: too expensive and too heavy to be carried around.
Now we have got this “pad”. Other computer makers, such as Dell and Asustek, are hectic to show that they also have a pad shortly coming on the market, but again: what for?!?
In these days people in mobility have quite a rich choice of devices such as: iPhone (new version is announced for June 2010), several kinds of Blackberry (with real and virtual keyboard), Netbooks (display sizes from 10” to 12”), Laptops (display sizes from 13” to 17”). Where will the iPad fit in as far as ubiquitous needs are concerned? I don’t know. Do you?
The situation in European airports is now returning to normal operations except for some cases in Scandinavia. As many wrote, what happened last week was much worse than the 9/11. Many people had to live in airports for days (do you remember the film “The Terminal”?) being hundreds/thousands kilometres from home.
During this period I had to travel from London to Turin (NW-Italy) and I explored several possibilities.
In normal times it is possible to fly directly with a return ticket whose cost ranges from £10 to £150. The travelling procedure, including queuing up at security gates, takes normally about 5 hours.
During flights disruption I looked for travelling by train and by coach. Well, this is when I got surprised.
Travelling by train costs something more than £300, return ticket, and takes about 12 hours per journey leg, whereas travelling by coach costs about £150 and takes 24 hours per journey leg.
In summary, to go from London to Turin, 1,100 km, with the best offers, we find:
· by Plane, 5 hours per journey leg, return ticket = £ 10
· by Train, 12 hours per journey leg, return ticket = £300
· by Coach, 24 hours per journey leg, return ticket = £150
The concepts of Space, Time and related Cost has radically changed in the last decade, hasn’t it?
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the ITS & Transport section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed all topics regarding the world of Transport and Intelligent Transport Systems. Topics encompass technologies, case studies, info on conferences and workshops, project opportunities, etc.
All transport fields are accepted: Public Transport, Motorways, Logistics, Transport Planning, Transport modelling, Urban Transport, e-Ticketing, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Innovation section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed all topics regarding the concept of Innovation.
Innovation can be applied to many sectors: Industry, R&D, project management techniques, manufacturing processes, marketing techniques, design, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the ICT section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed all topics regarding Information and Communication Technologies. Topics encompass info on ICT conferences and workshops, communications technologies, mobile and ubiquitous communications, PDAs, SatNav devices, satellite communications, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the European Projects section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed all topics regarding the world of European Projects. Topics encompass project management methodologies, info on conferences and workshops, project opportunities, themes of interest, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Environment section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed all topics regarding Environment. Topics encompass renewable energies, climate change, waste, pollution, nature, laws, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Consultancy section of the EPN Consulting Blog.
In this section there will be discussed any topic regarding the world of consultancy. Topics encompass methodologies, technical and/or commercial strategies, opportunities of collaboration, advices, suggested solutions to mentioned problems, etc.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder
Dear Readers,
EPN Consulting, “The” European Professionals Network (www.EPNconsulting.eu), has launched its blog where Professionals can exchange ideas on / discuss news, questions, doubts, opinions, etc. on a number of subjects.
The subjects we start with are:
- Consultancy
- Environment
- European Projects
- ICT
- Innovation
- ITS & Transport
These are important areas of our daily professional work and in some way there are all interconnected.
The aim of this blog is to give EPN Consulting members and occasional readers a fresh and updated added value to their professional know-how.
We invite you to actively participate to this blog: everyone will benefit from it!
Stefano Mainero
EPN Consulting Ltd. – Director and Founder