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Project Digital - Tomorrow

49K views 239 replies 51 participants last post by  Lee F 
#1 ·
An American technology giant is set to lead a property deals spree in Manchester city centre.

Surveyors DTZ say that so-called Project Digital is now close to taking 100,000 sq ft of central Manchester office space.

Sources have indicated the company on the search for premises in Manchester is a global brand.

Speculation is rife that it could be Apple.

Assessing the city’s office market, DTZ said: "In a significant move, it is understood that an undisclosed US technology corporate has terms agreed on 17 different Greater Manchester buildings, with seven more to follow.

"Project Digital is set to take up to 100,000 sq ft of grade A space in 2012, progressing to an eventual total of around 170,000 sq ft."

The Project Digital deal is expected to be followed by a series of other transactions.

DTZ calculates that as many as 29 occupiers are looking for around 830,000 sq ft of space in and around Manchester.

An announcement is expected this autumn from health giant BUPA, which has been looking a 160,000 sq ft Greater Manchester base.

A shortlist of Salford and city centre sites is being considered.

Jacbos Engineering is also looking for 90,000 sq ft, with Cheadle tipped as its likely destination.

Private college BPP is seeking 50,000-60,000 sq ft to consolidate operations in the city centre while another college, Futureworks, has a requirement for 25,000 sq ft.

Rob Yates, director of office agency at DTZ in Manchester, said: "We expect the second half of 2012 to show improved levels of activity.

"There are a number of deals due to commit plus larger transactions to come to fruition. We expect the final take up figure for 2012 to be around 700,000-800,000 sq ft."

In a separate report, surveyors at GVA disclose that business confidence has continued to affect regional office occupier markets.

Christopher Cheap, a director at GVA , said: "The overriding theme across all north west markets is occupier nervousness and higher levels of due diligence increasing the

time taken to convert firm interest into transactional commitment.

"This is particularly the case with larger lettings or pre-lettings, which essentially underpin take up levels.

"It is clear that this has contributed to a lag in the pipeline of transactions over the last quarter.

However, with a number of these ‘deals’ still very much on track, we expect there to be increased activity towards the end of the year.

"The central Manchester market continues to see a high number of smaller transactions within the secondary sector which yet again illustrates its scale and robustness as

indigenous occupiers continue to move."


Source: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ject-digital-takeover-of-office-space-in-city
 
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#82 ·


Edit - the trams may look like Metrolink trams at 11secs but they are not :lol:

Is that Alexendraplatz???

http://newsroom.cisco.com/release/1114539/Tomorrow-Starts-Here

Tomorrow Starts Here

Cisco unveils global integrated marketing campaign, "Internet of Everything", is a revolutionary campaign with a big message: Connecting people, process, data and things will make the network more valuable than ever.





Watch this video as Cisco wakes the world up with the Internet of Everything.





Related Links

Blog: Internet of Everything: Fueling an Amazing Future #TomorrowStartsHere

Behind The Brand: Cisco CMO Blair Christie Shares Details Around Latest Campaign


SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2012 – The Internet is only 8000 days old. 2.5 billion people and 37 billion things will join the Internet by 2020. And Cisco believes this is just the beginning. 99 percent of things in the physical world are still unconnected, ready to be woken up.

A campaign that connects the unconnected

Today, the company launched a new campaign that showcases how Cisco makes amazing things happen when we connect the unconnected.

These new connections mean unprecedented opportunities as people, processes, data and things join and interact on the "Internet of Everything." Things like medical devices. Buildings. Even highways.

Cisco's campaign, developed with branding and advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, introduces the tagline "Tomorrow Starts Here." There's broadcast advertising, digital and social media.
And a technology that's suitably innovative: augmented reality-enabled print advertising. With a smartphone or tablet, readers can bring print advertising to life. They can open up a world of videos, case studies, whitepapers, and infographics that they can share, like, follow or download. It proves this massive shift isn't just coming. It's happening.


The Internet transforms. Again.

"When the Internet emerged just over two decades ago, it changed everything. But what we're about to see makes that pale in comparison," said John Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer, Cisco. "The Internet of Everything will disrupt all kinds of industries. That means new opportunities, new businesses, new experiences and new services. And big opportunities for people, companies, and countries.

"The ‘Internet of Everything' demands a distributed, application-centric networking, computing and storage platform that connects things in ways that just weren't possible – even imaginable - before. And that explosion of new connection depends on Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled devices, more broadband access around the world, and IPv6. Our network provides an intelligent, manageable, highly secure infrastructure that can scale to support billions of connected devices."

Cisco at the center

"We love making change happen," said Blair Christie, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Cisco. "It's in our DNA. Today's leaders want partners who can guide them through change and shape their organizations for the future. They're asking: how can all this connectivity help me grow my business, deliver better services and experiences, and open up new possibilities? Well, we've got the answers. The Internet of Everything will transform the way we live, work, play and learn, and we're right at the center. I think our new brand strategy captures the optimism and the opportunity waiting for Cisco. And the world."
 
#92 ·
Rollout of free WiFi in Manchester city centre starts as digital revolution speeds up

Exclusive by Paul Britton December 20, 2012

The first stage of a project to blanket Manchester city centre with free mobile internet access is due to start tomorrow.
Town hall bosses and transport chiefs have signed a deal with a communications company to offer the service, the M.E.N. can reveal. The free WiFi roll-out will be launched in three phases. The first, starting tomorrow, will see access available around St Peter’s Square, Albert Square and Cross Street. By summer, it is hoped the whole city centre will be covered.
Passengers on buses, trains and Metrolink trams will also benefit, with plans to offer free access at transport hubs. Council bosses hailed the move as a major breakthrough for ‘digital city’ Manchester. Nigel Murphy, the town hall’s executive member for environment, said: "Providing improved internet access for Manchester residents, businesses and visitors promotes social inclusion and economic growth. "We want to ensure that Manchester residents and visitors get the most out of the city – and giving them free WiFi access will mean they have a wealth of information and services at their fingertips. This will make another important contribution towards our goal of ensuring that Manchester is one of the world’s leading digital cities."
Areas of the city centre with a high volume of pedestrians have been selected first. The second phase – due to be implemented in spring – will take in transport hubs and stops along key routes used by train, bus and tram passengers. The final stage, from the summer onwards, involves the extension of the free services to remaining areas of the city centre, including outlying districts and key shopping centres.
The project is being launched at no cost to the taxpayer or Transport for Greater Manchester. Arqiva, a specialist communications infrastructure and media services company, has been selected to run the service. The project will provide up to 30 minutes of free access a day to the internet through the _FreeBeeMcr WiFi network. Access to public-sector websites, including the council’s and Visit Manchester, will be unlimited.
A council spokesman added: "On top of this, because it is a wholesale network, many users should be able to access WiFi as part of their contracts with mobile network and broadband operators from early next year." The move comes as an increasing number of people are using mobile devices to access the internet. Figures from watchdog Ofcom reveal almost half of all UK adults own a smartphone, with the percentage even higher for under-24s. More than 40 per cent of Manchester city centre’s population is aged under 24.
 
#93 ·
This is great news. There´s been a lot of talk about the free wifi provision for a long time but ones enthusiasm does dampen the longer it goes with no delivery. I was recently in Malayasia and it was incredible how easily accessible good, free and fast wifi was EVERYWHERE! In fact free wifi is available on the street in most asian countries. The UK is very behind the times in this.
 
#101 ·
Hi guys. Just popped over from the Leeds thread to see whats going on across the penns. Found this thread and read through it all I was so intrigued. What ever's planned it sounds amazing. All the clues pointing to CISCO sound like they tie in well together and the article they released about they're vision for cities sounds amazing. If that is whats instore for Manchester then it sounds brilliant. Only one thing doesn't add up to me.. If it is indeed a new database of business/shops etc in the city, which is then accessed through various ways to point you in the correct direction etc, then why the sites at Birchwood and Knutsford? I realise these sites have large business parks however not many shops/cafes/attractions etc to warrant such a radical new technology? Either way whatever it is sounds really exciting for your city. I will keep an eye on this one.
 
#102 ·
The Birchwood and Knutsford sites are there to expand the project to the west and south of the city. As the project is based around connectivity it's important that they look beyond the boundaries of the city centre. I also believe that these sites are just the start of a larger project which will see more sites in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
 
#103 ·
Not directly linked to Project Tomorrow, but it'll certainly help Manchester become this digital city it wants to be.

London vs. Manchester web design companies – the difference is cost

Once upon a time, before the dawning of the digital age, London was the undisputed champion of creativity.

These days, this is far from being the case. In the new age of online marketing, creativity abounds wherever you are, north or south. Today, the only real difference between London and Manchester web design companies is cost.

Of course, there will always be die-hard, London-centric marketers holding onto the glory days. Take London adman, Paul Burke of AMV BDDO. Earlier this year he received a barrage of abuse from regional advertising agencies after publishing an article in a well-known ad mag.

He asserted: “If you work in advertising and call yourself ‘creative,’ why on earth would you move away from London, away from the very hub of creativity? There’s no output without input and London will give you more input than any other place on the planet. It’s where whatever’s going to happen, happens first. Its pace, vibe and diversity can’t help but keep you switched on so if you work in advertising, isn’t this the place you ought to be?”

Burke went on to say that London has the broadest selection of everything: “Most importantly,” he argued: “It has the broadest selection of inhabitants. Clever, interesting people who value our capital city, contribute to it and couldn’t bear to leave it behind. So, doing what you do for a living, how can you?”

Well, you could argue that cost is a good reason. Nay, a great reason to leave London behind.

Since the recession began in 2008, traditional advertising has been declining rapidly, with spend dropping to less than half of what advertisers spent getting their messages into printed newspapers just five years ago. Somehow, now seems an inappropriate time to be getting overly precious about creativity. Especially since the IMF has warned the global economy is going to take a full decade to recover from the financial crisis, meaning marketing budgets will remain lean and mean until 2018.

Smart business owners have already ‘turned digital’ in their drive to get their messages across in the most impactful and cost-effective way possible. Whether their target audience is in London, Manchester or Moldova, forward-facing businesses are acutely aware that the future of marketing is online. They understand well that social media, mobile and multi-screen media are the mediums of choice for reading about and interacting with brands.

It comes as no surprise then that the undoing of some of the traditional London creative marketing agencies has, by and large, been due to their failure to develop a full service digital offering. Equally unsurprising is the way the ‘big agency’ holding groups have been very busy indeed acquiring web design and digital independents in all their key markets, including specialist shops that deliver web, mobile and app development, social media activity and search marketing skills.

The London ‘biggies’ with their strategically acquired digital arms, would have us cling to the belief that London web design and marketing is better. However, deep down, they know only too well this is a myth.

The simple truth is this: If you are a business in need of a stunning web presence and brilliant online marketing, the only real difference between London and Manchester web design companies is cost.
It is cost that is prompting the growing number of London-based businesses to head north for their websites and online marketing packages.

These businesses have realised that Manchester web companies can offer a far more cost-effective online solution than their London counterparts; that Manchester can offer what London cannot: talent and creativity at a relatively low cost.

Contrary to the opinions of some London ‘creatives’ Manchester has always been a hub attracting diversity and creative talent. Now even the BBC has moved a significant portion of its operation to Manchester, placing Manchester digital agencies closer than ever to the very heart of the national media.

Operating from its impressive base at Media City UK and with regional offices in smaller Nothern cities such as Leeds, Hull and Sheffield, the move has facilitated the creation of exciting, new creative partnerships between the Beeb and cutting-edge northern digital companies.

Clearly then, creativity thrives up north. So if you are a London-based business looking for a web design company ask yourself two important questions. One: do I want to pay through the nose for my online marketing in London? And two: Is a Manchester-based web company, where I can hire creative talent at a significantly reduced cost, worth exploring?

Referring again to Burke’s ode to creativity, he mentioned the poor creative people who move out of London. He states: “I was talking to ‘one’ yesterday who told me he hadn’t been to the theatre in years. Of course he hadn’t! He lives too far away! His life is governed by train timetables! He calls his wife ‘the missus’ and informed me you get so much more for your money if you move out. I felt like saying it’s all over! Just give up and join the golf club! See how many points you can accrue on your Homebase loyalty card!”

Crikey, this poor bloke had only moved out to the suburbs of London. Just imagine how Burke feels about the rest of us. Anyway, the point is this - a point Burke seems to have brushed off as utterly trifling - that you do indeed get much more for your money outside London. And if you do happen to go outside to find a good Manchester web design company, you are likely to find out just how much more.
Today, when comparing London and Manchester web design companies the only real difference is cost and Manchester’s ability to bring that oh so important combination to your online marketing: creativity and cost-saving.
 
#106 ·
It will be on BBC iPlayer, was on the Today programme (5-6pm). A feature about how the council has invested £25m or so into the Sharp Project. Halfway through they mentioned another large digital project code named Tomorrow involving a US manufacturer of iPods, iPads and other computer devices scheduled for 2013.
 
#108 ·
Thanks for sharing - that's a huge giveaway

For those who don't know/cba listening; it goes a little like this;

"... and don't tell anyone - it's a big secret - but 2013 will see the announcement of a major project in Manchester involving a certain American company which makes phones, music players, tablets, computers...." and then the report ends with the sound of an apple crunching as it's bitten into....


Notice he says 'will see' rather than 'might/may see' - indicating that they're not just regurgitating the rumours the MEN coughed up a while back
 
#115 ·
I really don't know to be honest.

I think it's quite probable that what is announced, assuming it is ever announced as opposed to just happens, won't tick the boxes that gets SSC excited.

That is not to say the scheme may not be very valuable in terms of the local economy, it may well be, just a slow burner though.
 
#117 · (Edited)
First things first, the BBC Radio 4 report is almost certainly accurate - senior members of the Sharp Project/MCC are interviewed in it, keen to promote what is being done. It is obvious that such good news (ie. Apple will be setting up in Manchester) would have been informally disclosed to the station as part of this discussion.

So then, colour me very intrigued! This has a lot of potential, although we still know very little. But alas, from what do we already know of it, we can already rule out a few scenarios - for sure, Tomorrow is nothing on the scale of a new regional headquarters or major relocation, the sort of stuff that would make an imprint on the wider landscape of the UK technology economy. In fact, I still believe this is a consortium project - and probably an experimental development too - but not an major Apple development.

Radio 4 states that Tomorrow is "a major project in Manchester involving a certain American company", and I interpret the word "involving" as meaning "including, but not limited to" (although other interpretations are possible). It confirms the participation of Apple, but not whether it is their doing alone or as part of a group of firms.

Indeed, the unusual distribution of office space (17+ offices distributed across the region) also tallies with the consortium speculation, presumably with each site hosting a different firm, or work group.

It is worth noting that the cumulative total office space known to be linked with Tomorrow is equivalent to a bit less than two Chancery Place buildings worked to full capacity (Chancery Place is approx 100000 sq ft). The possible number of new jobs created by Tomorrow therefore figures in the mid-hundreds, but we should not expect to see lofty figures like this actually realised; if the project is indeed as innovative and as digital as is said, then it is very likely that a much lower number of jobs will be created than the total market footprint would usually imply (and if Tomorrow is indeed server/networking oriented in nature, the number of new jobs may be quite low indeed).

Additionally, if Tomorrow is a collaborative/consortium project, Apple's extreme preference for doing all product development in-house makes it very unlikely that it will yield a mainstream product. So I suspect this is a corporate scheme, but that is only because of my suspicion that the key to understanding Tomorrow lies in that puzzling distribution of office space.

-----

Realistically, given the reportedly innovative nature of the project, the assumed participation of multiple firms, and the decision to set-up in a relatively cheap area (Manchester vs London), I suspect that Tomorrow is merely a pilot for a corporate network scheme, and that, upon maturity, it will move beyond Manchester, producing little tangible long-term benefit for region.

I hope I am wrong. And there is some reason to think that I might be - the Radio 4 report describes it as a "major project" (but then, they might not be privy to the details anyway), and if this is more than a pilot scheme it could generate a long return for the region. Further to that, even if the total number of jobs created is not particularly high, the flipside is that they will mostly be high-paid, technology jobs - exactly the sort of field Manchester needs to be expanding in.

This is going to be one of the most interesting developments of 2013.
 
#118 ·
First things first, the BBC Radio 4 report is almost certainly accurate - senior members of the Sharp Project/MCC are interviewed in it, keen to promote what is being done. It is obvious that this news would have been informally disclosed to the station.

So colour me very intrigued then! Alas, from what we already know of Tomorrow, we can be sure this is nothing on the scale of a regional headquarters or major relocation for Apple - the sort of stuff that would have a lasting impact on the regional economy. I still believe this is an experimental project, of several companies, and not an major Apple development.

Although the BBC Radio 4 report does seem to vindicate the long-running speculation that Apple is doing something new in Manchester, it says little to address the other long-running bit of speculation, that Tomorrow is the product of a consortium.

Radio 4 states that Tomorrow is "a major project in Manchester involving a certain American company", and I interpret the word "involving" as meaning "including, but not limited to" (although other interpretations are possible).

And the unusual distribution of office space - a large cumulative office space total, split across multiple offices distributed across the region - also tallies with the consortium speculation (with each site possibly hosting a different company, or split workforces).

Apple's extreme preference for doing all product development in-house also makes it very unlikely that Tomorrow will yield a mainstream product - further dampening my excitement.

Realistically, given the innovative nature of the project, the apparent participation of multiple firms, and the decision to set-up in a relatively low-cost base (Manchester vs London), I suspect that Tomorrow is merely a pilot scheme for a corporate networking technology, and that, upon maturity, it will move beyond Manchester, producing little tangible long-term benefit for region.

I hope I'm wrong, and there's still every chance I am. :)
With all due respect Retroscient, can you be a little more specific please.

I've just consumed 4-750 ml bottles of Stella, and my head is a little Betty Spaghettied. :drunk:

Sincere apologies for not........
 
#122 ·
Britain is to rejoin the space race with a series of projects designed to inspire a new generation of scientists

DAVID WILLETTS, the science minister, has heralded the beginning of a new space age for Britain, including a flight by the UK’s first official astronaut.
Willetts said Tim Peake, a former military helicopter pilot from Chichester, West Sussex, could travel to the International Space Station as early as 2014 after Britain pledged funding towards the European manned space flight programme.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Willetts expressed the hope that his space projects would help create an “Apollo effect” in Britain, sparking nationwide enthusiasm for technology as America’s space programme had.
He is also planning to invest millions of pounds in high-performance computing at a British facility that will become the nerve centre for the world’s biggest space telescope.
The Square Kilometre Array, a network of thousands of antennae spread across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, will generate data at 20 times the rate of the internet as it gazes into the universe.
Jodrell Bank, near Manchester, is expected to be named within the next year as the centre for processing and analysing the information.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is also to transfer its centre for handling and analysing the data generated by its satellites and other missions to a science park at Harwell, Oxfordshire.
Willetts warned that another ambition — for Britain to become home to Europe’s first space port — had become entangled in Brussels red tape. This bureaucracy had, he said, prevented Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company, which is planning to take tourists into space on flights from next year, from setting up in this country. European Union airspace rules permit the use of conventional aircraft but not the kind of hybrid plane and spacecraft Branson will use.
Willetts said he was “very worried” about the attitude of Europe to advances in space and other areas such as nanotechnology, and accused Brussels and countries such as France of “putting obstacles in the way of innovation”.
“Space is no longer a luxury. It is not a vainglorious waste of money,” he said. “It is a crucial part of national infrastructure; it is crucial for both scientific research and commercial applications.”
In a speech in California next month, Willetts will announce £190m of government funding for space and science projects, including Jodrell Bank and a nearby centre to develop energy-efficient software to reduce computers’ use of electricity.
“We have a historic lead in high-performance computing which we are in danger of losing, but as we build up our capabilities in writing this software and handling these large datasets, this enables us to attract investment from companies like IBM and Cisco and build up our indigenous capabilities as well,” he said.
Willetts’s projects are part of a £600m technology initiative announced by George Osborne, the chancellor. It includes funding the development of commercial applications for graphene, an extra-tough, extra-thin carbon sheet material invented by physicists at Manchester University.
The minister admitted the £16m he had committed to the ESA was “a modest sum” compared with the £100bn cost of the International Space Station, but said: “We came in at a crucial point in the negotiations when there was a real risk for the ESA about maintaining their contribution.”
Britons have been into space before, but Peake would be the first officially representing this country. Those who have flown with Nasa, such as Michael Foale, have only been able to do so because they held dual British-US citizenship.
Peake is already training with the ESA, but could not be given a slot on a flight because Britain was not making any financial contribution.
“Nothing is guaranteed, but I will now be stressing very strongly that he should have a flight,” Willetts said.
“I know the flights are booked for the next 18 months, but we are now seen once more as a serious player in space. The other reason it matters is the Apollo effect — that is, if you want to interest young people in science, nothing beats the excitement of space and scientific discovery.”
Willetts said it was vital that the review of EU powers being carried out by William Hague, the foreign secretary, examined areas where Europe impeded scientific progress. He said it was possible some powers could be identified for repatriation, while Brussels needed to speed up its decision making.
Read this in the Sunday Times over the weekend and I just wondered if this has anything to do with Project Tomorrow? I thought the bit interesting about software development too, and it seems like its all local. What do you think?
 
#125 ·
Bit old, but don't think it was put on here.

22 AUGUST 2012 - 6:02PM | POSTED BY STEPHEN LEPITAK | 0 COMMENTS
What is Project Digital? – Manchester’s secret technology project dubbed ‘Tomorrow’

Wednesday evening saw the Manchester Evening News report a rumour that Apple could be one of 20 companies set to open in the city as part of a mysterious project known as ‘Project Digital’ or ‘Tomorrow’.

The story ran following the letting of 20 buildings, totally 180,000 sq ft, being let, with a ten-year commitment for each. The buildings are based across The Hive in the Northern Quarter of the city, MediaCity UK and Booths Park in Knutsford.

Property consultancy Edwards & Co has been appointed as advisors on developing the plans for a Manchester based, as well as a future plan to enter into London, while the Sheilda Bird Group, the interior design firm, has been working for ‘a global client’ for over two years, as its UK client design director.

Tenancy deals are understood to also have been concluded without the identities of the tenants being made known, mounting further speculation as to the size of the organisations involved.

The technology companies that are involved will form a community, which, should it go ahead, will boost the city’s digital reputation on an international scale.

Tim Newns, chief executive of the city’s development body, MIDAS described the potential of the project as being; “the most exciting digital investment in the UK,” stating that it could trigger a number of new investments within the area also.

“It is therefore a testament to Manchester’s growing reputation in the global digital community that the city has been chosen as the first location internationally to launch what will be ground-breaking technology. It will also be a huge opportunity for businesses based in Manchester and beyond to explore new ways of working to grow their competitiveness through enhanced technology,” he added.

Also known is that Manchester creative studio The Neighbourhood has been working on the launch concept for the project.

In terms of international companies working within Manchester, Google already has a small presence in city, but is heavily rumoured to be one of the 20 involved, while ITV and BBC have both set up home within MediaCity UK in the last year.

Katie Gallagher from Manchester Digital is also enthusiastic about the future for the city, should the rumored organisations choose to set up shop in the city to work together on a project, described as being ‘a world first’.

“We thought that the BBC was a game changer for the city, and indeed it was, but this gives us a whole new game altogether. Just looking at the size of the space they’re taking – we could be talking 1,000 jobs there. That is mind boggling, and another BBC sized investment into the city,” she stated.

Commenting as to what it would mean for the digital industry’s ability to retain talent within the North West of England, Gallagher was also hugely optimistic.

“There was a bit of a panic within the industry when the BBC was coming, with people wondering if they would lose their talent to the BBC. There maybe some short term issues with that, but I’d don’t think that there’s been anything close to what people expected. The great thing about having these tech companies will be that they will be able to afford to train staff and it means that we can improve that mid-level tier of talent and it helps with that eco-system of spending your whole career in the North West,” she commented.

Speculation will continue to rumble on as to exactly which the companies involved and what they will be working on, but it does look as though whatever the plans are – they are likely to be revealed in the coming months.

Updated:

The twenty buildings that have been selected as part of the project include; The Hive, 1 New York Street, Chancery Place, Orange at MediaCityUK, Number One First Street, The Peninsula Manchester, Riverside, New Bailey Street, 304, Bridgewater Place, Towers, Manchester, Booths Park, Knutsford, Citilab, 196 Deansgate and Manchester Science Park.

In a statement Atul Bansal, co-founder of the commercial interior design practice Sheila Bird Group, commented: “This is an unbelievably exciting prospect for Manchester, as the first city to have access to this revolutionary technology and the potential is has to transform local businesses and the way they work, individually and together.

"As design director my team and I have had the opportunity to explore new ideas, pushing the boundaries to create a revolutionary concept. All of the spaces will differ both in style and design intent; none of the spaces will have a corporate style.

“There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world. The walls will be ‘alive’ and ‘Tomorrow’ will drive a new approach to work interactions and conversations.”
 
#126 ·
Good news great mates. :grouphug:

No much longer to wait.

From the revamped MEN website

Announcement on Project Tomorrow

22 Jan 2013 06:00

A major announcement on Project Tomorrow - the Manchester digital project said to involve one of the world’s biggest technology companies – is expected in the next fortnight.

The announcement will help to allay growing doubts about the scheme, which involves 20 locations around the city hosting 'ground-breaking technology'.

Some feared it had stalled, or had been abandoned altogether.

The project has been associated with a raft of global technology companies. Speculation has centred on global giants including Google, Apple and Microsoft. The name of the company involved has not been disclosed.

The statement is expected to clarify the project, announce a start date and provide an update on the progress being made to identify further sites in London.

Last August, an official statement from Project Tomorrow advisers confirmed speculation that terms had been agreed on 20 Manchester buildings totalling 180,000 sq ft in preparation for the launch
 
#127 ·
? :)

Who is behind the 180,000 sq ft 'Project Digital' in Manchester?

By Stacey Meadwell on January 22, 2013 2:45 PM| No TrackBacks

Some call it Project Digital; others refer to it as Project Tomorrow. Whichever you choose, Manchester is on the edge of its seat, writes Simon Binns.

There's plenty of established fact about the bumper 180,000 sq ft office requirement, which is shared across 20 buildings, including The Hive (Argent), 1 New York Street (Bruntwood), Orange at MediaCityUK (Peel), and Number One First Street (Ask).

Ten year leases have been signed by the collective of incoming tech firms. The product is based around interactive 3D modelling and data management that will allow companies to share information like never before, wherever they are in the world. As one person involved put it to me: 'The walls are alive.'

The covenant strength of the occupiers is platinum rated and what happens in Manchester may lead to 1m sq ft of office space being taken in London, as the project rolls south.

The one question that does remain, however, is the most important. Who is it?

In this day and age, keeping such a secret is a rare thing. Only five people in Manchester know who it is, and they've all signed confidentiality agreements. There are tantalising links to two firms in particular, however.

The project will doubtless need someone with the processing capabilities to underpin it. Step forward Cisco. A month or so ago, Phil Smith CEO of Cisco UK & Ireland, appeared at a Cityco panel discussion in Manchester on how the city establishes itself as a global tech base. Sat next to him? Sir Howard.

Then this video(below) popped up on Cisco's website, talking about the 'internet of everything', how people and cities get connected and how 'tomorrow starts here.'

Inevitably, Apple have been linked to the requirement too, which some may view as a lazy grab at a household name. But a recent episode of Radio 4's Today programme, added weight to the rumour. An item looking at Manchester's Sharp Project creative hub made reference to 'a major project involving a certain American company which makes phones, music players, tablets, and computers,' set to drop in 2013. It ended with the crunching sound of somebody taking a bite out of...well, you know.

The firm is working on a next generation cloud computing solution with Google, although last summer, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak made waves by saying the technology would suffer 'a lot of horrible problems in the next five years.'

The worst fate that could befall the announcement - when it does come - is that it is underwhelming, such has been the hype. And that the occupiers, while big players in their field, fail to grab the imagination of the public at large.

So while we should never wish our lives away...Manchester's office market is desperately waiting for Tomorrow to come.

simon.binns@estatesgazette.com
Tomorrow Starts Here

Cisco unveils global integrated marketing campaign, "Internet of Everything", is a revolutionary campaign with a big message: Connecting people, process, data and things will make the network more valuable than ever

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2012 – The Internet is only 8000 days old. 2.5 billion people and 37 billion things will join the Internet by 2020. And Cisco believes this is just the beginning. 99 percent of things in the physical world are still unconnected, ready to be woken up.

A campaign that connects the unconnected

Today, the company launched a new campaign that showcases how Cisco makes amazing things happen when we connect the unconnected.

These new connections mean unprecedented opportunities as people, processes, data and things join and interact on the "Internet of Everything." Things like medical devices. Buildings. Even highways.

Cisco's campaign, developed with branding and advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, introduces the tagline "Tomorrow Starts Here." There's broadcast advertising, digital and social media.
And a technology that's suitably innovative: augmented reality-enabled print advertising. With a smartphone or tablet, readers can bring print advertising to life. They can open up a world of videos, case studies, whitepapers, and infographics that they can share, like, follow or download. It proves this massive shift isn't just coming. It's happening.


The Internet transforms. Again.

"When the Internet emerged just over two decades ago, it changed everything. But what we're about to see makes that pale in comparison," said John Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer, Cisco. "The Internet of Everything will disrupt all kinds of industries. That means new opportunities, new businesses, new experiences and new services. And big opportunities for people, companies, and countries.

"The ‘Internet of Everything' demands a distributed, application-centric networking, computing and storage platform that connects things in ways that just weren't possible – even imaginable - before. And that explosion of new connection depends on Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled devices, more broadband access around the world, and IPv6. Our network provides an intelligent, manageable, highly secure infrastructure that can scale to support billions of connected devices."

Cisco at the center

"We love making change happen," said Blair Christie, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Cisco. "It's in our DNA. Today's leaders want partners who can guide them through change and shape their organizations for the future. They're asking: how can all this connectivity help me grow my business, deliver better services and experiences, and open up new possibilities? Well, we've got the answers. The Internet of Everything will transform the way we live, work, play and learn, and we're right at the center. I think our new brand strategy captures the optimism and the opportunity waiting for Cisco. And the world." http://newsroom.cisco.com/release/1114539/Tomorrow-Starts-Here





http://www.cisco.com/web/tomorrow-s...RING_SITE=newsroom&CREATIVE=PR+to+hub+landing
 
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