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My new “All Time Favorite Picture” was just recently posted on NASA’s Goddard Photo and Video Flikr account. Captured by the Mars Exploration Rover Unit Spirit One from the surface of that distant planet, it is the first recorded image of Earth from a planet beyond the moon. I doubt that Buzz Aldrin could have held a camera so steady, even if he placed it on the lunar module.
I love this picture because it shows just how small we truly are and triggers curiosity on what really may be out there. Make no mistake, I am certainly not suggesting that space aliens are booking Star Destroyer tickets to visit us any time soon, but I have to admit that if I were sitting next to Spirit One and gazed at that teeny little light up there – I would bet the farm that nothing could possibly live on it.
For me, if anything, this picture puts us all into proper perspective.I don’t’ think that I am going to get too upset when my tomatoes don’t grow this year or if my favorite hockey team falls short of the Stanley Cup (again…).
Almost one year ago today I wrote a blog piece about gap intelligence’s new experiment on health insurance. gap intelligence, like millions of other small companies across the country, kept a very close eye on expenses as the global economy came to a grinding halt. Health insurance was one of our biggest expenses and we were challenged to find a way to reduce our overall health care costs while maintaining the same level of coverage for the team.
After deliberating for several months, most insurance brokers suggested that we adopt a new approach to health care that was growing exponentially in popularity – a Health Savings Account (or HSA for short). In its most simplistic form, a HSA is a bank account that is really no different than a personal checking account – you receive a debit card to withdraw funds to pay medical bills and you get a monthly statement showing your balance. The HSA account is then supported by a very high deductible health insurance plan, which is in our case provided by Blue Shield of California. Through the plan, 100% of the deductible (several thousand dollars) is paid by the employee, who uses the pre-tax funds collected in their HSA accounts. After the deductible had been reached, 100% of every dollar thereafter would be covered by Blue Shield of California. Given that gap intelligence is a relatively young company and whose employees would presumably need minimal medical attention, the HSA plan seemed then (and to an extent is today) an ideal solution to ease our budget. Our health insurance premiums would decrease substantially, our employees could save on taxes and keep a medical fund for life, and everyone would be covered in case of a dire emergency.
This May is our annual renewal of our health insurance policy and to celebrate or first anniversary, Blue Shield of California raised our premiums by 58%. You read that right – 58%.A premium that cost us $100 a month in April will cost $158 in May (underline that). Blue Shield’s reasoning behind the massive rate increase was that diabetics, who require expensive insulin medication to stay alive, quickly gobbled up their high deductibles and then enjoyed 100% coverage of every dollar thereafter.*** In other words, people were actually using their health insurance.
Though “it’s the diabetics” was the reason given for our rate increase, the underlying reasons may be do to health care reform, the astronomical costs of medicine in the US, a national shortage of doctors (and medical schools), malpractice insurance, malpractice fraud, and so on…..
With few viable options presented to us, gap intelligence is going to stick out the HSA program one more year. Blue Shield was forthright enough to warn us that its policy to cover 100% of costs after the deductible was reached will end in 2011, when it will then fall to 80%. Between now and then, we’ll look at other health care options, either through Blue Shield or other providers (Blue Shield may cut us after this blog), but I did want to share some of the challenges of being a small business and perhaps show an example of how health care impacts us all (without getting on either side of the political fence).
I have long been bullish on the impact that the smart phone / device industry would have on printing. Many, many of my counterparts believe that the iPhone, anDroid, iPad, and Microsoft’s upcoming Digital Journal will eliminate the need to print. I, on the other hand, honestly believe that we are not installing hundreds of millions of smart phones across Earth, but we are actually installing hundreds of millions of little computers that will one day need to print. The need to print from a smart device will come naturally, much like how printing developed around 5 – 8 years after the birth of the personal PC. Early personal computer users were first in “shock and awe” around their new found device (like your iPhone) and it took some time for users to generate printing needs for software developers to address.
They just haven’t found a need to print……yet. It will come.
Take for example Microsoft’s new Digital Journal, a product coming out later this year that I really, really, want. The journal will replace my $1.50 composition notebook that I take to meetings. Questions: Where is the opportunity for me to generate prints with my composition notebook? Where are the opportunities for me to generate prints with my Digital Journal? I agree.
Just to recap, gap intelligence is a market intelligence company that helps manufacturers of imaging and printing products stay on top of their markets.We function as the “eyes and ears” in the marketplace for our clients and follow products, pricing, promotions, advertisements, specifications, end-caps, and POP stickers in every possible channel.
Through our first seven years, gap intelligence has stuck to the imaging and printing industries, following everything from ink tanks, paper, laser printers, digital cameras, and walk-up copiers.2010 marks a significant change in our coverage as we have expanded outside of the printing and imaging space.
To kick off the New Year, gap intelligence was thrilled to announce the launch of its e-Reader market intelligence service.We are the very first research firm to employ a dedicated analyst following the small nuances of the e-Reader market – capturing tactical marketing intelligence information, finding insight and strategy from the data, and presenting our information in very usable formats.If you haven’t heard, e-Readers have quickly become a mainstream consumer electronics item and may do to the book industry what the iPod did to music.Our constant market tracking and intelligence services will guide e-Reader makers to make smart decisions now to thrive in what will be a highly competitive and turbulent market.
For the second quarter, gap intelligence is thrilled to announce its first market intelligence services that cover the mobile computing industries.We are now tracking notebooks, netbooks, and tablets in all shapes and sizes – desktop replacement, thin and light, touch enabled tablets, and even Apple’s iPad.For those of you in the computing industry who may not have heard of gap intelligence, I say to you “Congratulations!”You can now see your market in detail never before offered and receive support from a team of analysts who will give you the insight needed to make smart business decisions.
For you lucky mobile computing manufacturers, you now have access to the service and support that gap intelligence delivers on these product categories:
Mobile Computing
- e-Readers
- Digital Frames
- Projectors
- Inkjet Printers
- AiO & Fax Machines
- B&W Laser Printers
- Color Laser Printers
- Ink & Photo Supplies
- Print Media
- Digital Cameras
- Copier / MFP
- Total Cost of Ownership
- European Price Monitoring
- Brazil, Russia, China Price Monitoring
It is absolutely inexcusable that I have not told you about the 2009 Hirooka Awards (third annual) – a night filled with celebrity, style, and fashion! The Hirooka Awards is the night for gap-ians to celebrate our accomplishments both as a team and highlight those individual achievements that helped make the year so great.
The 2009 Hirooka Awards were hosted last December (should have been blogged a long time ago) at the glamorous House Blues in downtown San Diego, California. Our celebrities walked down the red carpet, talked to the hordes of curious press, and posed for thousands of paparazzi snaps along the way. The evening started by some special “gap university” awards – for those whose experiences through 2009’s global economic downturn earned them a MBA. Master’s of Business Administration degrees to Tom Foster, Sarina Dahukey, Jake Fishman, Michelle Cowan, and Chris Barnes!
While everyone at gap is a winner, here is a break down of this year’s Hirooka Award winners!
Rookie of the Year: Gurpreet Kaur (Market Analyst)
PT Players of the Year:
Deron Kershaw (Research Analyst)
Taryn Popplewell (System Ops)
Christine Abuyen ( Research Analyst)
Quote of the Year: Laurel Popplewell (System Ops)
Writer of the Year: Sarina Dahukey (Senior Analyst)
Presenter of the Year: Jake Fishman (Senior Analyst)
Leadership Award: Katie Hess (System Ops)
Can’t Live Without You Award: Nicole Manko (Market Analyst)
Crawl to Sprint (fast learner): Joshua Stone (Research Analyst)
Smells Like Team Spirit Award: Laurel Popplewell (System Ops)
The Sarina Dahukey Most Organized Stamp Collection Award (most organized desk) Erin Vogelsanger (System Ops)
Best Dressed: Nicole Manko (Market Analyst)
Nickname of the Year: Gurpreet “Goopie” Kaur
People’s Choice: Michelle Cowan (Systems Manager)
Most Valuable Player: Michelle Cowan (Systems Manager)
Congratulations to our Hirooka Award winners and good luck to our 2010 nominees!
Smokey the Bear has the summer to worry about forest fires.Accountants are currently enduring their 7 day work week that runs through April 15th.Gary has camera season.Camera season is a twice annual event when every single digital camera maker launches, unveils, bows, discloses, reveals, and make public their latest and greatest digital cameras. The year’s first camera season starts at the Consumer Electronics Trade Show and runs through the PMA Trade Show – usually January 1 through March 1.The first two months of the year is marked by chaos, turmoil, and very little blogging by this guy.
Think that interest in photography has diminished during this down economy?Through the first 8 weeks of 2010, I wrote about 285 new cameras.Yes, 285.I wrote A LOT.The cameras came in small shapes and big lenses.There are cameras that can be dunked underwater, that can be dropped in the snow, and can be thrown in the mud.There are green cameras and champagne cameras, there are pink ones, and another that comes with a backpacking strap.Pentax’ Optio W90 looks like it was designed by the guy who makes Coleman lanterns and General Imaging’s new camera line was crafted by fashion designer Jason Wu – who’s gowns have been worn by Michelle Obama (I researched this).
All of these cameras have kept me from blogging.So, much like Stephen King’s excluded cabin tucked away in the New Hampshire woods, I have taken to the sludge of Lake Arrowhead to catch up on some blogs.However, before I recap the 2009 Hirooka Awards, announce the new categories that we have launched, and show you the world’s first gap app, please humor me by reading through “Gary’s Camera Season Part 1 Award” winners.This is the first time I have hosted a Camera Award show, probably my last, and the awards themselves are coveted by absolutely no one.
In the spirit of Four H Ribbons handed out at the State Fair:
Third Place – Yellow Ribbon
Sony Cyber-shot TX5.Sony’s first waterproof camera, the $249 Cyber-shot TX5 can be dropped in the shallow end, can take movies of VERY slow moving fish, and can be kept frozen in a block of ice – in case your in an avalanche.More than what the camera can do on the outside, it’s more about what the Cyber-shot TX5 can do on the inside that matters.The camera ships with a back-lit CMOS sensor that gives it 10-fps shooting speed, adds Sony’s very cool sweep panorama shooting mode, can record high definition video, and is operated by a touch screen display.
Second Place – Red Ribbon
Olympus SP 800UZ.For those who, like me, prefer to do their stalking from a distance, Olympus’ SP 800UZ is the Zoom King.The model is headlined by its 30-times optical zoom lens that has few equals (FujiFilm FinePix HS10).Outside of capturing long range subjects, the SP 800UZ can record high def video, ships with Olympus’ very clever Art Filters (see movie), and includes 2GB of memory – enough storage for a full day of prowling.Best yet, while other cameras with weaker lenses and less features are offered for as much as $499, the SP 800UZ is quite the bargain at $349.
First Place – Blue Ribbon
General Imaging Jason Wu Series.Why does a simplistic camera from a small camera company win my Blue Ribbon?It’s not what the camera does, but how the camera was developed. General Imaging’s Jason Wu series is the first camera I can think of that has completely rethought the way a camera is packaged to the customer.Apple rethought packaging with its iPhone – giving the product such an elegant casing that it made customers feel like they just bought something very special.General Imaging’s Jas Wu series takes a page from Apple’s playbook and comes in an elegantly crafted box that would shine in the jewelry case at Nordstrom’s.
With its focused aimed squarely at Mom’s and gift givers, General Imaging designed the Jason Wu camera to be as simplistic as possible.The Jason Wu camera is fitted with just three buttons, on, shutter, and video, includes 4GB (no need for memory cards), and ships with a built-in USB plug that both transfers images and charges the camera.Flip turned the camcorder market on its ear by being the first to include a USB plug, expect the rest of the camera market to follow General Imaging’s lead.Trend setting packaging, fashion plate brand name, and truly innovative features – esteemed fashion designer Jason Wu gets my 4H Blue Ribbon.I am sure he is thrilled.
As proclaimed many times on this blog, we don’t have huge reserves of marketing and advertising funds at our disposal.You won’t see television ads about gap intelligence, you won’t see our amazingly detailed market intelligence databases touted on the back of the New York Times, and we can’t afford to hire Lebron James as a spokesperson (Lebron, if your reading, I have a crisp $50 bill with your name on it).Our promotional efforts are limited, but when we do broadcast the gap intelligence name, we go all out.
Our Holiday Card has become a long standing tradition at gap intelligence.D.A.R.Y.L. psp We don’t send the bulk Hallmark card with a snowflake on the cover.Instead gap intelligence loves to use the Holiday Card to show our clients and partners the lighter side of the company.We hope to capture our company’s unique personality and show the people behind the numbers and analysis.
The 2009 Holiday Card shoot took place last week in Balboa Park, located near downtown San Diego and home to the World Famous San Diego Zoo.Balboa Park is one of the most scenic and photographed spots in San Diego, perhaps one of the most picturesque cities in the country.The theme for this year’s card is “Abbey Road” (thank you Christine for the idea) and we envisioned groups of four strolling across El Prado just as the Fab Four did on their famous album cover.
The stunt caused such a scene that passing tourists could not help but snap pictures for themselves.
All aspiring musical groups share a common album cover theme as each musician gazes far away from the camera lens as if they are pondering a deeper tomorrow.In the spirit of recreating a classic album cover, we posed on the roots of a massive tree for our “Boy Band Cover”.Take a deep breathe and be inspired by the vast emptiness of the skies above….
This outtake is the Abbey Road theme gone out of control.Balboa Park is also home to the Organ Pavilion, a massive stage that is open to the public.Katie took the mic as the “gap Rock Band” lead singer and was backed by a full chorus, dueling guitars, a sax, and drummer.Waitress movie download Sarina, Nicole, Josh, and I took to the stage as adoring fans.
Contrary to the spirited effort given by the girls of gap intelligence, the boys were miserable failures at this year’s Halloween Costume extravaganza.
Jake, Chris, Josh, and myself were all pitifully dressed for Halloween.Working GirlTo my own credit, however, I stole the Storm Trooper helmet (which is a permanent resident here) and faked my Halloween costume. AH HA!
Very big “Thank You’s” go to Erin (Tired) and Laurel (Yellow) for bringing in candy treats that everyone enjoyed – especially me (two chocolates and a 100,000 bar).No official awards were given this year, though the brightest costumes were certainly adorned by the Popplewell sisters – Blue and Yellow.
Occasionally there are certain public events a company reaches that serve as marks on the timeline when the company took a step from small firm to global powerhouse. In the 80’s Microsoft famously replaced every pillow case in every hotel room in Las Vegas to announce its revolutionary “Windows” operating system at the COMDEX Trade Show.
Apple’s “Big Brother” commercial famously pitted the grass roots computer company against the tyranny of IBM’s personal computer systems. In the same regards, gap intelligence experienced its own “Big Brother” moment just this week…… in a slightly smaller fashion.
If you are an avid a reader of BusinessWeek as I am, then you could not help but notice the back cover ad on this week’s edition:
Xerox’ ColorQube, a revolutionary concept of bringing low cost color to the enterprise workplace, has used gap intelligence’s unique copier contracts data to verify its robust claims. gap intelligence has been mentioned in the *fine print* many times on Xerox’ website, but this week’s BusinessWeek is the first time we have seen our name on the back cover. Mock our fine print if you must, but I ask you: “Is Google on the back page of this week’s BusinessWeek?” I think not.
Though we are small and our marketing budget is limited to the fine print found in millions of magazines across the globe, the message is still loud and clear: Nobody follows the copier industry as comprehensively as gap intelligence.*
*Our MFP / Copier Service is spearheaded by a comprehensive listing of over 13,000 copier cost-per-page service contracts. The Caretaker trailer Our pool of contracts is collected from the public, government, and education sectors as well as hundreds of active service agreements from private dealers. No other company in the world, not even Xerox, has an equal panel of competitive copier contracts.
