We recently caught up with Beth Thompson, Director of Sales at BigHand, one of the leading providers of voice productivity technology, including their recently launched app for BlackBerry 10. Check out the Q&A below to see what she had to say on the app, how voice dictation can help increase business productivity, and what the future holds.

Biz Blog: Hi Beth, thanks for joining me today. Can you briefly describe the functionality of the BigHand app and the underlying enterprise workflow platform?

Beth Thompson: BigHand’s dictation app enables professionals to dictate directly into their smartphone from anywhere and submit verbal instructions, memos, requests, and documents to office-based support staff. From there, the submitted voice files enter a workflow that is based on the organization’s operations, whether it’s directed to an office assistant or to a centralized working pool.

What cost or time saving benefits does this provide to businesses, or specific industries in particular? Can you include an example of a typical workflow?

We have over 170,000 users worldwide, with a particular focus on the legal marketplace. With law firms facing stiff competition and pressure to reduce costs, they look for technologies like BigHand to help streamline their operations. Our technology helps firms leverage existing support staff while streamlining the document production process. Not to mention, saving lawyers significant time by allowing them to using their voice to get more done, from anywhere in the world. They use our dictation app for recording billable time, memos, and verbal tasks or if they are stuck in traffic for a couple hours, they can submit all of their work verbally. They can also attach photos to recorded dictations if they are out on-site.

A typical workflow would include a lawyer who records a dictation via their BigHand dictation app which sends it through to their assistant. The assistant can choose to have the dictation go through a speech recognition engine, significantly reducing the amount of time they will have to spend on transcribing the dictation or transcribe directly from the dictation. The lawyer can then track the progress of the submitted work, and also receive the completed document back via their smartphone. Most of the time it’s finished by the time they get back to the office.

Voice dictation as a concept has been around for quite some time. How has it shifted as smartphones were introduced?

We all dictate every day, we just call it voicemail. As consumers begin to embrace voice-to-text technologies, they begin to realize that talking is faster than typing. So the benefits are significant in that professionals, such as lawyers, can save time by sending a dictation vs. typing or leaving a voicemail that can’t be tracked.

BigHand is a great example of a native BlackBerry 10 app. Can you share your thoughts on the experience of developing for the BlackBerry 10 platform?

Our longtime relationship with BlackBerry has helped BigHand bring some of the first enterprise mobile dictation apps to the legal marketplace years ago. The new BlackBerry 10 app is a continuation of that relationship and reinforces BigHand’s commitment to providing first-to-market productivity apps for busy professionals as well as continuing to support our large mobile application user base that utilizes BlackBerry devices.

What does the future hold for BigHand? Can you give us any sneak peeks into upcoming features that you’d like to build into the app?

We are hoping to integrate the entire document production process into the app, from dictation to document approval.

Thanks again Beth!

Be sure to head over to BlackBerry World to download the client app for free on your BlackBerry 10 smartphone. For the full advanced features, you’ll need to register for a BigHand account; get the details at www.bighand.com.

How would a voice dictation workflow system improve your productivity at work? Share in the comments below.

Ricoh Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Ricoh Americas Corporation, is a document management and services provider with over 2,000 employees. A significant part of Ricoh’s business involves IT services, in which they support 45 locations across Canada providing infrastructure support for mobility, hardware and software, and management of BlackBerry smartphones.

Being involved in IT, having a history of partnering with BlackBerry, and having just developed a field services app, Ricoh spent some time considering BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. We caught up with Andy Ambrozic, Ricoh Canada’s Director of Infrastructure and Operations, to get his thoughts:

Hi Andy, thanks for joining us. We hear that you’re a big fan of all-touch devices. How you think the BlackBerry 10 touch screen and other features stack up?

Ambrozic: I loved the touch screen on the BlackBerry 10 device. It’s fluid to use and the predictive typing is really good. After a while you feel like it’s adapting to you and thinking for you. The device has a totally different look and feel, with some excellent advances. The size is just right as well. The larger screen is easier to use for viewing different kinds of media.

The BlackBerry Hub experience is also very good. I call it “sneak peeks” because if you’re in one screen and you’re watching a video, you can swipe slowly and get a quick look at new messages or social media updates on the BlackBerry Hub screen. It’s a true multitasking experience.

How do you think BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 supports both user and corporate needs?

The BlackBerry Balance technology that’s a part of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 has the potential to be huge. Full work and personal separation on BlackBerry smartphones will make it easier for our users, but also much easier for IT administrators.

We’re also in the midst of finalizing a BYOD policy. A big issue for our users and our organization is we want to be sure personal data is kept separate from work information. Data integrity has always been paramount for Ricoh IT, so the ability to achieve that is a tremendous plus for the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 platform. BlackBerry Balance enables that separation so seamlessly.

How much has using BlackBerry solutions benefitted Ricoh Canada so far and where are you planning to go with your deployment now that you have BlackBerry 10?

There are a lot of benefits that come to mind as I look back over the past 10+ years of using BlackBerry solutions. There’s peace of mind with the security. The devices have always had a high degree of ruggedness and reliability. But mostly I look at how far we’ve evolved from paging devices to email to app driven devices. In recent times, BlackBerry smartphones have pointed to the need to develop apps that help extend our internal processes out to the field.

We’ve just developed our own Field Service Automation app on existing BlackBerry smartphones. We’ve tried it on BlackBerry 10 devices and it worked really well. We definitely plan to deploy our app on the new devices. The app gives our field technicians the ability to manage the entire service call from their devices – from dispatch information to GPS navigation, inventory, time spent on a job and so on. All the job information is then sent back to our ERP system so we have an up-to-date record of the entire service call.

How inspired are you to develop apps for BlackBerry 10 devices?

BlackBerry 10 opens up all sorts of possibilities. If you look at the design, the speed, web and browser evolution, the engine and the application development language, I think it’s going to be a lot easier to build and port apps with BlackBerry 10. We’re now looking at developing a number of apps for our mobile users. For example, we may add a bar code reader to our Field Service Automation app on BlackBerry 10 devices so our technicians can read part numbers without having to input them by hand.

Does your business have a BlackBerry app that you’re planning to migrate to the BlackBerry 10 platform? Share in the comments below.

In January we’ll be launching a special webcast as part of the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program. The webcast will seek to answer your top questions on BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. We’re looking forward to connecting with you to understand what you need to know most, and to help provide the answers and direction that will launch your business forward in the New Year.

The webcast panel participants will include senior RIM individuals from Enterprise Product Management, Enterprise Marketing, Enterprise Partnerships, and Platform Security. Submit your questions today to BlackBerryEnterpriseKnowledge@rim.com, or share them in the comments below. We’ll be gathering the top questions and preparing responses.

Share your questions here:

• BlackBerryEnterpriseKnowledge@rim.com
• The comments below this post
• @BlackBerry4Biz on Twitter

We’re looking forward to sharing the webcast in January! In the meantime, satisfy your webcast cravings by checking out www.blackberry.com/blackberry10webcasts, a new series aimed at arming you with the knowledge that you need to prepare your organization for BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

Have questions for the webcast? Submit them in the comments below.

I had the chance to catch up with Paul Lucier, RIM’s Vice President of Government Solutions, and Larry Silver, RIM Director of US Federal Government, to chat about the latest news in the U.S. capitol when it comes to mobility, and the fantastic ways that BlackBerry solutions are leading the way in mobile innovation. Check out the video below for the full scoop:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Do you work in Law Enforcement or Government? Do you see opportunities to improve your work form a mobile perspective? Share in the comments below.

We’re delighted to be sponsoring the 2012 SMB Influencer program yet again, and this year’s Awards Gala is in full swing here in New York City. Influencers and members of the SMB community have come from far and wide to honor their peers and take part in the awards ceremony. Research In Motion® (RIM®) is a huge supporter of small and medium-sized businesses around the world, with smartphones and mobile device management solutions that are affordable and scalable. Over the years we’ve heard some amazing success stories of businesses that have used BlackBerry® solutions to help grow, expand, and communicate with customers and stakeholders.

I’ve managed to catch up with RIM Sr. Director for Enterprise Accounts Bryan Lee here at the event to chat about RIM’s commitment to the SMB community, Bryan’s role and impact at RIM, and the SMB Influencer program. Check it out below for the full scoop!

Biz Blog: Hi Bryan – tell me about what you do at RIM

I have the great pleasure of leading our U.S. enterprise sales division, which includes support for both large enterprises and small to medium-sized customers. In addition, I work closely with our VAR community who sell and support the BlackBerry solution.

Biz Blog: How has RIM been involved in SMB communities around the world?

Being connected, keeping your ideas and information secure, and engaging in real-time communication with your customers is crucial for starting and growing a business. These are areas that we focus on and work to constantly improve. Being reliably connected to everyone that you need to be connected with, and having access to all of the information that you need, really enables success. You know, as we’ve designed our business product roadmap and launched business solutions over the past 10 years, we’ve had SMB’s in mind with products like BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express, BlackBerry Business® Cloud Services, and the upcoming BlackBerry® 10 platform. We love the passion and dedication that this community embodies, and we love to support them.

Biz Blog: We’re all very excited about BlackBerry 10. How will this new platform enable small and medium-sized businesses and business owners?

The flow of BlackBerry 10 will enable new levels of productivity – we’ve had some sneak peeks of this at BlackBerry World™ and the recent BlackBerry® Jam Americas event in San Jose. The platform has been designed for rapid and functional interaction to help you get things done quickly and efficiently, staying on top of the many tasks and communications that you engage in on a daily basis. BlackBerry Hub, for example, lets you access all of the information that you need at a glance, and the people view in the calendar shows you who you’re meeting with and collects all the information you have about that particular person without having to jump between different applications. Integration with services that small businesses use is a major aspect, like Box being built right into the OS along with other cloud storage providers.

Ease of setup and implementation is also an important point for small businesses. ActiveSync® connectivity is available right out of the box, providing a free option for connecting the devices to your work mail server. For more robust device and application management, security, and BlackBerry Balance™, BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 will be available at launch. We’ve even enhanced the process for getting work mail, calendar, and contacts set up from a user experience perspective, which we shared at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012.

Biz Blog: Why are programs like the 2012 SMB Influencer initiative important?

Providing solutions for small and medium sized businesses is a good thing, but it’s also important to get out there and meet with the members of the community. It’s a real pleasure to do that and get to discuss challenges and solutions that are faced every day. We’re also here to honor the top 100 influencers; it’s fantastic to see the impact that many of these individuals and organizations have had.

Biz Blog: Any final thoughts for the SMB community?

Stay tuned for more details on BlackBerry 10; we’re very excited to share this with you and show you how it can help in your business. There will be more sneak peeks ahead of the launch in Q1 2013, so be sure to visit the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog. Lastly, a big “congratulations” to each of the top 100 SMB influencer champions!

Biz Blog: Thanks for joining us, Bryan!

Stay tuned for more coverage of the SMB Influencer Awards Gala, and more details about BlackBerry 10. How have BlackBerry solutions or products helped you grow and operate your small or medium-sized business? We love to hear your stories – share in the comments below!

A new series of technical webinars are kicking off this week, beginning with a platform overview of BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion led by Ajay Malhan, Technical Solutions Manager for Research In Motion (RIM). The webinars will continue over the following weeks and provide an in-depth look at how to install Universal Device Service for managing iOS® and Android™ devices, as well as how to install BlackBerry Device Service for managing BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets and upcoming BlackBerry® 10 smartphones. See the schedule below:

• August 15th – BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Platform Overview
• August 22nd – Installing Universal Device Service and Mobile Fusion Studio
• September 5th – Installing BlackBerry Device Service and Mobile Fusion Studio

Head over to the BlackBerry Resource Center to register, and be sure to block off your calendar. There will be live Q&A sessions after each webinar, so be sure to stick around and discuss with the presenter.

It’s been an honor to be a part of conversations with enterprise customers during a major transition for Research In Motion® (RIM®). We’ve had many valuable questions sent to us, and we’re taking the opportunity to get answers from Robin Bienfait, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for RIM. Robin oversees the Enterprise Business Unit, BlackBerry Operations, Customer Service, and Corporate IT functions. In short, she plays a major role in leading the vision for BlackBerry enterprise solutions, and the execution of making that vision a reality. Check out our chat below:

Hi Robin, thanks for joining me today! I’m looking forward to representing our enterprise customers and voicing the questions that they have.

My pleasure Luke, it’s both a challenging time and a very exciting time for us at the moment, and I’m glad I can help to address our customers’ concerns directly.

Can you tell me a bit about your background and the role that you play with our enterprise customers?

Our customers are the reason we do what we do every day. My job is to meet customers where they’re at and help bring solutions to them that work best for their environment. I spent 22+ years at AT&T through all sorts of engineering and network operations leadership roles. When I left AT&T to join RIM over 5 years ago, I had led 30,000 people all dedicated to building a scalable and reliable enterprise class network. During that time, I interacted with enterprise customers on a daily basis, as I continue to do today. I believe it’s important to get to know the different pieces of a business – it’s not just about being a leader, it’s about getting involved in problems and solutions. I am 100% committed to using my experience, knowledge, and dedication to meet the needs of our enterprise customers – that’s what I’m here for.

Ok. I’m going to get right into the tough questions that our customers are asking. I know it’s important to you, and to all of RIM’s employees, to make sure that our customers hear information directly from you. – How can enterprises be confident that RIM will be around until the launch of BlackBerry® 10, and beyond, as a stable solution provider?

Our leadership team is very aware that BlackBerry is facing a few challenging quarters as we approach the launch of BlackBerry 10 – and we know there is much work to be done. A few weeks ago in Australia I met with many of our customers from the banking and financial sector; these customers rely on us, and we need to re-confirm their faith in our ability to perform and deliver. And we will work to do just that.

All companies need to go through changes in their evolution and it is our turn right now. Thorsten is making a lot of changes to ensure the company is addressing its challenges to give our customers the comfort that the company is not standing still and will be here to meet their needs. I think it’s important to look closely at the position that our business is in: We have $2.2 billion of cash in the bank, zero debt, are bringing in seasoned industry leaders who understand BlackBerry customers, are reducing costs in non-core areas, and investing in a plan to radically shift the company and the technology. I’m confident that we’re well positioned. What’s important is that we have a clear direction, are pivoting rapidly, and are absolutely committed to achieving these goals.

Our customers see a lot of media activity around RIM and speculation about its future. Will RIM be acquired or bought out, and if so, would this disrupt BlackBerry service for enterprise customers?

RIM is clearly a hot topic right now and many individuals and publications are speculating about our strategic options and future. We are a public company so media and analyst scrutiny is expected during such a major transition. The reality is straightforward: We have over 78 million customers that need our services on a day-to-day basis, and we’re firmly committed to the launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform. Our primary goal is to support our customers and drive value for shareholders and employees by continuing to invest and develop our enterprise initiatives.

You know, strategic partnerships have always been a part of RIM’s business model. We started building partnerships with carriers over a decade ago, and we’ll keep building partnerships to bring the best expertise and technology into the services and products we provide. I acutely understand the strategic importance of RIM’s network to our customers, and we are absolutely committed to upholding our long-standing history of providing this service reliably. The RIM network has supported critical functions for customers for over a decade; our global messaging infrastructure remains a competitive advantage.

At BlackBerry World 2012 you made commitments to our Enterprise customers: BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion as a cloud offering, and security for data at rest and data in transit for iOS and Android devices managed through BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. Can you provide an update on these?

We have a full roadmap and timeline for our enterprise offering and are well along the path of meeting these goals. As I said, we are continuing to invest in enterprise solutions and are dedicated to partnering with our customers to help them solve challenges and to help them succeed, it’s a priority and focus for us. We continue to expand and scale our MDM solution, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, including cross-platform management capabilities that we know are a major focus for many organizations.

It’s a CIO or IT administrator’s job to ensure that their organization’s mobility needs are met. Why shouldn’t they be planning for contingencies?

That’s a good question, Luke. Customers certainly don’t want to question their smartphone and connectivity – they just want it to work. Business continuity planning is a healthy practice for any business, and one that we often enable with BlackBerry solutions. But with a firm plan of action underway for RIM, demonstrable fiscal responsibility, and a deep history of security and support for enterprise, I firmly believe that we remain the clear choice for enterprise customers at this time. No one else has RIM’s track record of protecting enterprise data.

Will the planned layoff of 5,000 RIM employees affect customer service?

I want to clearly answer this – we do not expect any effect on customer service. Our customers are the reason we exist and we’re absolutely committed to helping ensure our customers’ needs are met. I know the decision to reduce headcount is very difficult – difficult on the people affected, difficult on their team members, difficult on their families – but we’re doing this to ensure the long-term success of the company. As Thorsten mentioned on the Q1 earnings call, support for critical functions like Network Operations, Customer Support, and BlackBerry 10 launch teams are our priority.

If RIM’s recent performance hasn’t been up to your expectations (and the expectations of many of our stakeholders), what changes have been made within RIM to proactively work to turn around performance? What additional changes are planned?

As I have outlined, many changes have been made to help build a strong and healthy future for RIM – we are focused on our priorities and keeping our line of sight on innovation. The culture is really shifting and streamlining. We’ve made radical shifts in top-level leadership to drive focus, reduced management layers, engaged in cost cutting initiatives, and a dedication to innovation via the BlackBerry 10 platform. We plan to continue this focus throughout fiscal year 2013 and in particular to meet the goal of cutting $1 billion in costs. We are pivoting strategically, and we’re confident in the clear path forward as well as in our assembled, experienced leadership team. Thorsten has discussed many of these changes in his recent submission to the Globe and Mail. If you haven’t read it, I’d encourage you to do so!

RIM has millions of customers waiting for the launch of BlackBerry 10. How do you know that BlackBerry 10 will meet their expectations?

Make no mistake; BlackBerry 10 is not a simple addition to our lineup of BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry 10 is a brand new mobile computing platform built on a rock-solid foundation of QNX technology that has been meeting the security, reliability, and performance needs of customers for more than 30 years. This platform will allow us to deeply engage with the mobile computing space and provide a springboard for rich future products and services. We are excited, we are dedicated, and we’re confident in this platform. In terms of meeting the needs and expectations, we’ll be partnering with many of our enterprise customers to allow them to take a look in advance of the launch, so they can see for themselves what we’re working on. The BlackBerry 10 platform will be supported and managed by BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, a solution built on years of leadership and experience in the MDM [Mobile Device Management] space. So you can see that this is an entire ecosystem and platform built to enable businesses and their employees. Like I said – very exciting stuff.

How can I trust BlackBerry Mobile Fusion as an MDM solution when the future of RIM is in question?

Beyond what I mentioned about a dedication to reliability and BlackBerry network service for our enterprise customers, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion represents a fundamental strength of RIM. We pioneered not only the smartphone market, but also mobile device management – in direct response to the needs of enterprise customers for security, manageability, efficiency, and convenience. We haven’t stopped, and won’t stop, listening to our customers, and BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is tailored to meet the needs of businesses today. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion builds on the foundation of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which has almost a quarter million active deployments. It represents innovation in mobile device management that extends across multiple platforms. Managing mobile enterprises has been our strength for over a decade, and BlackBerry Mobile Fusion with BlackBerry 10 will position us for the future.

It seems that one of RIM’s systemic issues has been product delays. How can customers be confident in RIM when BlackBerry 10 has been delayed more than once?

I know many of our customers are looking forward to the launch of BlackBerry 10, and they were disappointed by the delay into Q1 of calendar year 2013. The reason for this delay, as Thorsten has mentioned, is that we need more time to integrate all of the features that we’ve built. BlackBerry 10 is a combination of some incredible technologies, and the experience needs to be seamless. We will produce a stable mobile platform that delivers rich and exciting experiences for customers, and we refuse to compromise on quality in the process.

Thanks for joining me today Robin – do you have any closing thoughts for our enterprise customers?

Thanks for the questions, Luke. On behalf of all of RIM’s employees, I want to thank our customers for their incredible support – it’s clear that they’re cheering for us and want us to succeed. It’s truly an amazing experience to meet with so many influential business leaders in my work and to hear first-hand how important BlackBerry is to their business and personal lives. Their feedback is part of our daily evolution and growth and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

My favorite recent example of innovation in mobile computing comes from our very own QNX auto team and their recent integration of BlackBerry software into yet another vehicle. If you could make one thing in your life “connected”, what would it be? Share in the comments below.

The 2012 Small Business Influencer program is well underway, with nominations now being accepted through July 15th, 2012. The program seeks to recognize individuals, companies, media, apps, and others who have been influential to the small and medium-sized business community. It’s a great way to connect with others, help to recognize those who have made an impact, and raise your profile online and off.

I’ve tracked down Anita Campbell, co-founder of the program and CEO of Small Business Trends, to chat about this year’s awards and her work in the small business community.

[Biz Blog]: Hello again Anita, thanks for joining me today! What are you most excited about concerning this year’s Small Business Influencer program?

The most exciting thing is that you don’t have to be a celebrity to be recognized. These are awards “for the rest of us.” It’s about the contributions that people, companies and organizations make to small businesses each and every day.

You’ve heard of the book “It Takes a Village,” about how it takes the support of the community to raise a child. Something similar could be said for supporting small businesses. It takes the support of many – vendors, service providers, news outlets, analysts, journalists, consultants and more. The Small Business Influencer Awards recognize those behind the scenes who support small businesses. If small businesses are the unsung heroes of our economy today, then those who help small businesses to be successful are the double unsung heroes. We’re thrilled to bring them recognition.

[Biz Blog]: Can you quickly run through the important dates that we should all be aware of, and where someone could go for further information?

I want everyone to remember three key dates:

July 15, 2012 – Last day to submit a nomination. There is no fee to nominate, and we encourage people to nominate themselves, a colleague, or a client. Nominate here.

August 5, 2012 – Last day for the community to vote. We open up nominations to the community for daily voting. The community votes count for 40%, and afterwards our panel of Expert Judges will weigh in for 60%.

October 17, 2012 – Awards Gala in New York City. This year we’re partnering with the New York XPO Small Business Conference to hold the Awards Gala in the evening after its fall conference, at the Javits Convention Center in New York. It will be a dynamic and magical night – join us!

Be sure to read our FAQs for more information.

[Biz Blog]: Small Business Trends has been around since 2003; tell me about the publication and the impact that it’s had since it launched.

We deliver “small business success…daily.”

Small Business Trends is a news, tips and advice site reaching over 4,000,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually. We reach hundreds of thousands more through social media channels and our other sites including our social site BizSugar.com. Over 250 contributors share their expertise and insights.

We are obsessively focused on small businesses and entrepreneurial startups. We deliver what you need to know to run your business, navigate through current issues, stay up to date, and make your business the success you want it to be. We tell you about the latest resources, the latest economic statistics that matter to business owners, the latest marketing advice, and much more.

To sum it up, the site has one purpose: to help business owners, managers and entrepreneurs be successful. That’s why the Small Business Influencer Awards are a perfect complement – it’s all about enabling success.

[Biz Blog]: You’ve had an interesting shift in the past from executive positions in larger companies to extensive work with the small business community. What motivated the change, and what do you love about working where you are now?

I was a corporate lawyer – a General Counsel-turned technology company executive. But I wanted to try my hand at starting and running my own business.

I love being a business owner, and consider it a high calling. If you examine the food chain of people supported by any small business, it’s not uncommon for dozens of people to depend wholly or partially on even the smallest business. Consider the employees, their families, the owner’s family, service providers, independent contractors, vendor companies – it’s probably a larger number than most people realize. Remember, too, that many small businesses serve other small businesses. A single customer or client is not just a rounding error to a small service provider, for instance, but could be the difference between profitability and unprofitability that month. Knowing that a business matters to so many people brings a feeling of purpose. It fires me up.

[Biz Blog]: What does the future hold for Small Business Trends and your work with the community?

We plan to continue bringing solid advice from the trenches. The entire site is a production of small business people and entrepreneurs, for small business people and entrepreneurs. That authenticity is unparalleled and as long as I am at the helm, it will continue.

We also feel that initiatives like the Small Business Influencer Awards further the mission we are on. I firmly believe the Influencer initiative helps small business people by making them aware of the “best of the best.” If you look at the Small Business Influencer website, it is a terrific resource if you are looking for a vendor or consultant, for instance.

I’m thrilled to partner with Ramon Ray and his premier SmallBizTechnology.com site (another excellent and authentic small biz information site) to co-produce the Small Business Influencer Awards. We hope to make it bigger and better each year for many years to come!

[Biz Blog]: Thanks for joining me today Anita!

Don’t forget to head over to www.smbinfluencer.com to submit a nomination for the 2012 Small Business Influencer awards, to view media from last year’s event, and to learn more about the program.

Last year we sponsored the 2011 Small Business Influencer Awards, and this year we’re very excited that we are sponsoring the event again as it’s back for another round. It was a pleasure to work with both Anita Campbell and Ramon Ray, the co-founders of the program, and I’m looking forward to this year’s event. The Small Business Influencer Awards recognize leading influencers in the small business market for all of their contributions and support. Influencer categories include News Outlets, Corporations, Media, Leaders, Experts, and Apps. You can nominate an influencer (or yourself) over at www.smbinfluencer.com. (North America only, see the official rules).

I caught up with Ramon to chat about this year’s awards as well as his work as an editor and technology evangelist, not to mention being the founder of www.smallbiztechnology.com. Check out our chat below:

[Biz Blog]: Hi Ramon, it’s great to be working with you again. Can you share a little about the Small Business Influencer program and what it seeks to accomplish?

First of all a big, big thanks to Research In Motion® (RIM®) for supporting small businesses over the years – this Small Business Influencer Awards programs is one big way to continue to show this support. THANK YOU.

Also a really big shout out for Anita’s leadership in this initiative – she’s like small biz rock star number 1.

So about this neat initiative: There is a lot of focus on small businesses in North America, in politics, and in our society overall. Everyone knows a small business owner. There is also lots of focus on the organizations that help small businesses. However, what we don’t see much of are the hardworking and often unsung heroes who influence small business owners! These influencers cut across all industries, business types, business sizes, revenue and demographics.

Our goal with the Small Business Influencer awards is to identify and shine the light on influencers of small businesses – hence, the small business influencer awards!

[Biz Blog]: When can a person nominate, vote, and attend the awards gala?

The nomination process is open now – they can head over to www.smbinfluencer.com to nominate themselves or someone else. The nomination process closes on July 15th, 2012. Voting begins the next day – July 16th through August 5th. An eligible person can vote once per day per nominee. The top 100 small business influencers will be announced in mid-August, and then we’ll have a fabulous award ceremony in New York City on October 17th, 2012!

[Biz Blog]: What’s changed since last year? Any new additions to this year’s program that you’re excited about?

Much of it will be the same – nominating, voting and an awesome award ceremony. But a few things have changed. We’ll be hosting the awards at the NY Business Expo and Conference in NYC at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

We also have some great new judges this year – I don’t want to call them out name by name here or mention just one, but they’re rock stars in their own right and amongst their peers for sure.

[Biz Blog]: Tell me about your work in the small business community. What does “technology evangelist” mean to you?

Well, I LOVE helping small businesses succeed – first and foremost. From being a technology consultant many years ago, to my roles as a technology evangelist – that is, evangelizing about how awesome technology is for small businesses to help them grow, to help them save time, save money, boost productivity and deliver better customer service. I love what I do – helping small businesses succeed.

[Biz Blog]: I’m a big fan of www.smallbiztechnology.com. Tell me about this initiative and how it’s impacted the SMB community.

Well thank you I’m a big fan too [:)]. But really, Monday to Friday you can visit Smallbiztechnology.com and find the latest and greatest information about technology with insight, interviews, news or tech products for your small business. It’s been around for many years, and I’m happy to have several writers who also contribute to other great sites.

[Biz Blog]: I’m also clearly a proponent of mobility in business. I’m curious, what are some mobility trends that you’re currently seeing in small and medium-sized businesses?

I see faster wireless broadband being adopted and smaller computing devices, as overall practical, becoming even more powerful devices. Finally the world of apps and online applications is going to continue to explode on mobile devices. The business owner who can leverage local and social and mobile is going to have a BIG edge as well.

[Biz Blog]: Thank for joining me today Ramon, see you in New York at the gala!

Are you a member of the small and medium-sized business community? Who has influenced your business the most? Head over to www.smbinfluencer.com to nominate them for a 2012 Small Business Influencer Award!