At NEC we’re very interested in the concept of a Next Generation World (NGW), looking the future applications of current and evolved technology and our demo room at the O2 Arena is a key demonstration of the investment that NEC is placing in this area.

As a side point, we’re always interested in providing tours around the facility to interested parties, please leave a comment if you’d be interested inbeing shown around . Photos of the demo room are available here. 

I’ve already written in a few posts  this year about how the education sector is looking at engaging with teenagers through the use of mobile phones and other technology and it’s fantastic to see that the charity sector is also travelling in the same direction. A recent article on the BBC’s website has announced that ChildLine has begun to integrate online and mobile technology into its strategy for protecting vulnerable children.

Today ChildLine struggles to answer more than 67 per cent of the thousands of daily calls made to the organisation by children trying to find someone to speak to. To counter this shortfall. the charity is recruiting more telephone operatives whilst developing a broader spread of communication channels. Now children will be able to find the help they need by text message and via online portals such as MSN.

Through the roll-out of this service ChildLine has become aware of the different ways in which boys and girls are preferring to get in contact. Boys it seems are far happier discussing their problems via text message and are less likely to call help-lines, an audience that would not perhaps have previously benefited from ChildLine’s activity. It’s great to see such a worthy cause making its presence and impact even greater through the sensible utilisation of technology and the charity is a good example to many other organisations without such forward thinking strategies.