82ASK has been unveiled as one of four finalists at the Startups Awards 2006 in the Best Use of Technology category. The short listing judges were impressed by 82ASK’s concept and potential, placing the business among a handful of finalists selected from hundreds of entries. 82ASK is also in contention for the “NatWest Startups Business of the Year” prize.

The Startups Awards, organised by Crimson Business’ Startups.co.uk, comprises of 15 categories, each showcasing the best new businesses in the UK. Endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and underlining its commitment to identifying and rewarding the UK’s best new businesses, the third annual Startups Awards is organised in conjunction with NatWest. The winners will be unveiled at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington on Friday 20 October.

82ASK CEO Sarah McVittie said of the shortlisting: “We’re delighted to have our company’s innovations recognised by Startups.co.uk. We’ve worked incredibly hard to ensure that our technology systems are at the cutting edge, constantly improving our service for our customers.” 82ASK CTO Paul Butcher commented that “being a finalist in the Best Use of Technology category is a major accomplishment for the whole tech team — we’re proud of our hard work and creativity, and are very pleased to receive this recognition.”

Recently I was heading home from work and a thought hit me out of the blue: I had to get a gift for my my friend’s birthday and I needed to get it now! It was a bit late so I needed to locate something that had exactly the right gift — I was thinking about a rare sci-fi dvd — and which was open to accommodate my poor planning. It got me to thinking about how the industry is responding to the need for mobile information in the retail sector. Industry segments are waking up to the fact that increasingly, consumers are considering how mobile phones could make their shopping experience easier. A recent article on Searchnewz reports on the mobile search phenomenon and its implications for the retail sector. However, the article doesn’t mention an important element of the retail experience: timing. Read the rest of this entry »

Living in London, I’m really excited about the prospect of the 2012 games. There’s so many events I want to see, I just don’t know how to choose, but I reckon that with my insider knowledge, I’ll have a fair chance of catching the ones I want to! I know that to get to Islington you head to Angel, that not using an Oyster Card means paying a ‘tourist tax’, and that if you miss the midnight tube, you’re in for a hefty taxi fare. But I have to confess, I’m still worried about how the extra traffic will impact my travel plans, and what to do when my fabulously planned tube route is messed up when a line stops running! Read the rest of this entry »

Who says that virtual workplaces have to be faceless? 82ASK just hosted its summer staff party in Cambridge, and our Texperts from all over the UK descended on the River Cam for a day of punting, basking in the sun, and general carousing! Read the rest of this entry »