EduLib - Education, Libraries, Publishing & Technology: ASA Conference Presentation on the Role of the Intermediary

EduLib - Education, Libraries, Publishing & Technology

This is a very occasional blog on education, libraries, publishing and the technologies that support these activities.

The rules that I try to follow when writing this blog are:
1. Try not to waste the time of the reader (hence the long Subject headings).
2. Be informative.
3. If not informative, be provocative & controversial.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

ASA Conference Presentation on the Role of the Intermediary

On 22 February 2011, I spoke at the ASA Conference in London. My presentation explored the nature of the intermediaries – organisations and technologies – that are positioned between authors and readers, and the roles that these intermediaries carry out. I attempted to deconstruct these roles (like a bad magician deconstructing your pocket-watch) and drew attention to the potentially increasing or diminishing importance of each role in the supply chain (or the demand chain), with special reference to the electronic world. The presentation contained messages of both doom and hope for intermediaries, as the threats and opportunities of the impending e-only world continue to unfold themselves.

You can view a video of the presentation here:
http://blog.publishingtechnology.com/supply-chain/role-intermediary-publishing-technology-asa-conference-2011/

About Me

Mark Carden is a business development executive, consultant and recruiter, who has 30 years of experience in project management, software engineering and technology sales.

In the publishing, education and libraries sector he has held international Vice President positions at Publishing Technology, Ingram Digital, Innovative Interfaces, and Dynix.

Mark's career started in software development, project management and consulting; he has worked for several 'blue-chip' companies including Accenture, NatWest Life and Barclays Bank.

He has a BA in Philosophy & Psychology from Oxford University, and has also attended executive education programmes at the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University and the Saïd Business School at Oxford University.

Mark's special interests include: Publishing software, library automation systems, e-books, campus & enterprise portals, hand-held computing, business strategy, how time factors affect company & management behaviours, and the transition of owner-managed businesses into professionally-managed companies.