Email Still Preferred for Communications with Businesses

No question: when it comes to interacting with a business or friends, email rules. An Ipsos survey recently found that 67 percent of consumers prefer email as a primary method of communications in their personal and business capacities, and 65 percent say they will continue to prefer email in the future.

Consumer opinion of the future importance of email registered far above future expectations for video conferencing (19 percent), instant messaging (17 percent), SMS text messages (12 percent) and Web meetings (12 percent).

Significantly, 65 percent of the demographic between the ages of 18 to 34 expect to favor email to communicate with businesses in five years. That makes sense: a retailer is not likely to be found on a "buddy" list. Nor are most major retailers likely to rush to publish such customer service "buddy" lists so consumers can contact them that way.

Craigslist Blocks VoIP

Craigslist.org does have a problem with spam. In its attempts to defeat spam, though, it also now seems to be blocking attempts by legitimate VoIP number users to authenticate the ads they want to place on Craigslist, reports Cory Andrews of VoIP Insider.

Craiglist apparently uses a telephone verification process that places an automated outbound call to a user placing a classified ad in certain categories.

The problem is that Craigslist is categorically blocking legitimate VoIP and Pre-paid cellular users from authenticating themselves.

The call delivers a unique code using text to speech, which is then used by the poster to authenticate the ad they are placing.

Craig’s uses a third party service, ReduceFraud.com, to screen out VoIP and Pre-paid cellular numbers, and will not deliver an automated verification call to VoIP numbers.

How do they check? "They check the DID number to see who owns the NPA NXX X number block, and if the DID number is owned by Level 3 Communications, they classify it as VoIP," says Andrews.

ReduceFraud.com is owned and operated by a California firm Telecentrex, who offers its own hosted VoIP service.

Consumers Pulling Back

The percentage of consumers who feel we are in tough times or a recession has increased since April, according to a monthly survey by The NPD Group, Inc.

In May, 58 percent of consumers said we are in a recession, compared to 55 percent in April.

What’s more, consumers are not only less optimistic about the economy, they are beginning to change their behavior in response.

How are consumers reacting? The survey respondents said they are planning to spend less on things like apparel and footwear. And with vacation season approaching, 49 percent of consumers said they plan to cut back on leisure travel.

“Consumers are finally starting to react to the price of gas and other rising costs and are shifting shopping intentions,” says NPD chief industry expert Marshal Cohen.

Channel Conflict Growing in Video Business

There's always some tension between the economic interests of content owners and distributors of that content. Cable operators make their money one way; programmers another. So when Time Warner Cable CEO fires off a warning, that's just part of growing tensions in the video entertainment ecosystem.

"There is a model today for financing TV programming where the cable networks rely on subscription revenue as well as advertising revenue," says Britt. "As cable companies, we are in effect retailers; we buy programming wholesale, we put it in a package, and we sell it to subscribers."

But programming moving direct to Internet distribution will upset the current arrangements, he warns.

"Programmers shouldn't think that if they put the same content on the Internet for free, at the same time we're showing it, that we're going to pay the same wholesale price as we were paying before," Britt tells the Wall Street Journal.

Global Software Piracy Scorecard

In 2007, for every two dollars spent on legitimate software purchases, one dollar’s worth of software was obtained illegally. In the highest piracy countries–those with 75 percent piracy or higher–for every one dollar spent on PC hardware, less than seven cents was spent on legitimate software, says the Business Software Alliance.

In developed markets, that ratio is eight times higher. By the end of 2007, there were more than one billion PCs installed around the world; nearly half have pirated software on them.

Best Buy Expands Recyling Programs

Best Buy Co. has launched a test of its newest electronics recycling program to in 117 U.S. stores, in addition to the existing programs offered by Best Buy stores, which have focused on mobile phones, ink cartridges, batteries and other smaller mobile devices.

Starting June 1, 117 stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota markets are inviting customers to bring in no more than two units per day, per household, for recycling at no charge.

Customers can bring items such as televisions and monitors up to 32”, computers, phones, cameras, and other electronics devices and peripherals in for recycling.

The following items cannot be accepted through this program:

• Televisions or monitor screens greater than 32”
• Console televisions
• Air conditioners
• Microwaves
• Appliances (customers are invited instead to use Best Buy’s appliance haul-away and pick-up programs)

Meanwhile, Best Buy continues to offer these electronics and appliance recycling options, available in every U.S. store:

• Recycling kiosks: at the front of every store, ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CDs, DVDs, and PDA/smart phones can be dropped off for free recycling
• Appliance and television haul-away: Best Buy will remove an old or obsolete appliance or television free of charge from a consumers' home when a new product is purchased and delivered by Best Buy Home Delivery or Geek Squad Home Theater Installation Service.
• Appliance and television pick-up: For $100, Best Buy will arrange a home visit to remove up to two (2) appliance units and/or televisions for recycling, with $20 for each additional unit.
• Tech Trade-In: Visit www.bestbuytradein.com to trade in select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card.

BT to Cut Carbon Footprint 80% by 2020

British Telecom plans to reduce its carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020. BT earlier had said it would invest close to half a billion dollars in wind farms that could supply close to 25 percent of the company’s power needs by 2016.