We've started working with Softalk We've just started working with a new client. Softalk is a privately owned software company headquartered in Maidenhead in the Thames Valley. It's products include: > WorkgroupMail - an email server for small and medium sized businesses, which includes virus and spam filters > WorkgroupShare - share Outlook folders such as calendars, contacts, tasks, notes and email without the need for an expensive Microsoft Exchange server > Softalk Organizer - a calendar/contacts/email organiser that runs in a web browser > Softalk Collaboration Suite - a packaged solution including all three of the above products > OfficeTalk - a brilliant customer relationship management (CRM) package for small businesses (I can say this because I've used it myself for several years and can honestly say nothing comes close in terms of ease of use, cost, features etc. It kicks Act into a cocked hat. Note that this is my personal opinion as a user and not that of my client or me as its PR consultant when I wouldn't dream of criticising a competitor.) > MailFender - content control, anti-virus, anti-spam for Exchange Server. Lets you add legal disclaimers, filter inappropriate language etc If you need review copies, case studies, white papers, by-lined articles etc then give me a shout. A lot of it doesn't exist yet but we're working on putting it all together at this moment. You can read a news release about the win and our first Softalk news release in our news room (where you can all subscribe to RSS news feeds via Nooked). UPDATE: Forgot to mention that we're also helping Softalk to start a blog. I'll tell you more about this later as it is very early days at the moment.

26.7.05 17:30 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

London geek dinner with Robert Scoble I'm off to London later today for a couple of new business meetings, to attend the London geek dinner with Microsoft's Robert Scoble. Tomorrow I might try to drop in at the Online Marketing Show before catching the train home. Contact my office on +44 (0)113 282 5321 if you need to reach me while I'm in London.

7.6.05 08:56 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

Short mention in latest PR Week I'm mentioned in today's PR Week which has a short diary story about former BNFL press officer Jamie Reed being elected in Copeland to replace retiring MP Jack Cunningham who has been elevated to the House of Lords. It also says: "But more intriguing is Labour's selection process for the seat last February. Stuart Bruce of Bruce Marshall Associates informs us he was one of four people on an all-PR shortlist alongside Bell Pottinger board director and former special adviser to Cunningham, Tim Walker, and Thomas Docherty, another BNFL PR man."

20.5.05 11:22 Permalink / comment

Video games Olympics appoints Leeds agency Leeds-based NetworxPR has been appointed by Game Frontier to handle the media and public relations campaign for the ffice:smarttags" />UK finals of the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC). fficeffice" />  The UK final is being staged at the Magna Science Adventure Park in Sheffield on June 12-13 and will feature more than 200 of the best British gamers with thousands of spectators. The British champions that win through will attend the world finals in Paris to compete against 500 champion gamers from 50 countries for a $150,000 prize fund.   “We appointed NetworxPR because we thought they had the personality, vision and creativity needed for such an important event in the gaming industry. The games industry now rivals the film industry and many major sports and we are committed to investing to make this event a success,” explained Jaffer Mir, managing director of Game Frontier.   NetworxPR managing director Stuart Bruce added: “It’s apt to hold the UK finals in an old steel works as the UK video games industry is now worth more than £2 billion a year, which is more than the value of UK steel exports. Yorkshire now has a thriving games industry with some of the best developers and industry experts based in the region.”   Leeds-based Game Frontier (www.gamefrontier.com) is one of the official premium partners of the Electronic Sports World Cup and its managing director is a member of the global strategic board responsible for regulating the competition. As well as the UK Game Frontier is also responsible for organising tournaments in the United Arab Emirates.   In 2004, the second Electronic Sports World Cup is holding preliminaries in 50 countries, involving around 250,000 players all over the world and 500 champions during the finals at the Futuroscope Park in Paris, France. The UK qualifier is organised in two sections with eight regional qualifying rounds and the UK finals. Each qualifying round selects two Counter Strike and two Warcraft teams. The Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is a single player knock-out competition at the UK final.   Leeds-based NetworxPR (www.stuartbruce.com) is a boutique public relations consultancy specialising in technology, business-to-business and public sector communications. Its clients have included the University of Leeds, Privilege Insurance, Skills for Justice, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Silicon Valley software company Rockliffe.   ENDS   For further media information please contact Stuart Bruce, NetworxPR, 0113 282 5703 or prcounsel@stuartbruce.com Editor’s Notes   1.       Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is © Blizzard Entertainment. All rights reserved. The Frozen Throne is a trademark and Blizzard Entertainment and Warcraft are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

13.5.04 10:02 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

PR firm warns against cruel hoax chain letter NEWS RELEASE PR firm warns against cruel hoax chain letter Leeds-based NetworxPR is warning Yorkshire businesses not to be taken in by a cruel hoax letter pretending to be from John Craig, a seven year old boy suffering from cancer. Victims of the hoax usually receive a letter from a friend asking them to send a compliment slip to John Craig so that he can achieve his ambition to enter the Guinness Book of Records for receiving the most compliment slips sent to him. Stuart Bruce, the managing director of NetworxPR used to provide public relations advice to Royal Mail in the late 90s and says at that time John Craig used to receive approximately 3,500 letters a week from people who had been duped. The hoax originated in the late 1989 when Craig Shergold was diagnosed with cancer and the UK media and the American Make-a-Wish charity publicised his desire to be in the Guinness Book of Records. Craig received successfully received treatment for his cancer and made a full recovery, as well as appearing the Guinness Book of Records. However, the cards and compliment slips keep coming. There are now several variations on his name including Sherwood, Sherfold and Sheford, as well as John Craig. The address for John Craig in Carshalton, Surry is the same one as for Craig Shergold. "People shouldn't be taken in by this cruel hoax which is preying on gullibility of well-meaning people," explained Stuart Bruce, "I would advise anyone who receives this request to simply put it in the bin."

19.11.03 12:12 Permalink / 21 Comments / comment

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