Difference Between Account Director and Project Manager

Just as how I’d always say a graphic designer and website designer is different. I found this article written by Heather Fox-Lawson of Jones & Palmer. She wrote the importance of project management and highlight there is a difference between the Account Director and Project Manager.

You will be mistaken for thinking that these two roles, the Project Manager and Account Director sound very alike, but they are not – there are differences;

• The Project Manager manages the project rather than the relationship between the supplier and the client, that is not to say that Project Managers do not care about their clients, they have the same objectives as the Account Director – providing the client we a defined product that meet requirements and stays within the budget. Their primary objective is ensuring the delivery of the project.
• The Account Director may be managing a large account that has several projects underway, it would be unfair to assume that anyone could single handily manage all the projects. It is therefore allocated to a devoted Project Manager to become their life over the coming weeks.
• Project Managers will put into place project management methods in order to assist in the delivery of the project.
• Whilst the Project Manager ensures that the project does not go over budget it is the responsibility of the Account Director to initiate and agree the budget from the client.

Now that you know. Get off your desk and walk to your boss and ask what really is your role in your company?

Malaysia Website Clones

Previously, I was saying how Malaysia clients loved to use the phrase “I want a website like…” and true enough, this leads to many Malaysia website clones. Some managed to get away with it while some have been brought forward and even, nearly penalized for it – Lim Kok Wing website.

I’m not saying a business idea can’t be inspired from a competitor or creation. But it’s disappointing and embarrassing to find websites which offer the same exact idea like it’s competitor. If they were an entrepreneur, haven’t they asked themselves; why is my website better than my competitors?

Here’s a new Malaysia website clone case I recently found:

PennyAuction is suppose to be the originator of this idea in Malaysia. Quick introduction is registered users buy credits and bid for products.

Here’s the clone which I found out not long ago:

Visually, they may look different. One possibly better than the other. However, both ideas are similar and in fact, the only defining difference of MyBid is they offer 3 free bids upon registration.

Let’s try to end Malaysia website clones and make them think harder about their idea. The biggest benefit is they’ll have a more solid business idea later.

So, what other Malaysia website clones have you noticed?

Intel Core i5 Official Launch Event

The Intel Core i5 was officially launched September 15, 2009. As an Intel Insider, I was invited to the event where Intel’s distributors and partners would attend too. The event was really insightful and they did their best to make it not for the tech-savvy, I’d say.

Here’s a summary of events in a montage. Click on the image for a larger version.

In a list, the event agenda was:

• Lunch – loved the beef!
• Welcome remarks by MC.
• Speech by Simon Chan (Intel Malaysia, Sales Manager)
• Speech by Ryaz Patel (Intel Malaysia, Country Manager)
  • 3D rendering demo of Alamaya
  • Music rendering demo by Roland Asia Pacific
• Press conference

I don’t want to get geeky on you so I’ll leave the technical benefits of the new Intel Core processors out. However, what I can tell you from the demos and presentations was:

The new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors were made for performance. If you have the money (moolah) to upgrade, get an Intel Core i7 right away and you’ll have no problems with most of your workload. Be it Photoshop, 3D, music or video.

And watch out for Goldfries. He’s got an engineering sample for review!

Most Popular Social Media Platforms I Use

Twitter feels like it’s becoming my blogging replacement, so to speak. Most likely it’s due to the ease of putting my thoughts into a 140 characters. But don’t get me wrong. I still love blogging and sharing my life observations and thoughts in work and play.

It’s just that, blogging requires more time thinking about what you should be writing. Does this weight say content I publish on Twitter shouldn’t be highly read as compared to my blog? Yes. No. Maybe.

Let’s have a look through the social media I’m now using and based on my experience, what’s it being used by myself at the moment.

Facebook

Right now, I’m using it to stay connected with friends – like Friendster. While I learn more about taking advantage of it for business later on.

Twitter

I’m much more active in Twitter right now. Quick updates with average speeds typing out 140 characters isn’t difficult. And it’s especially comforting when you can publish your Twitter updates to your Facebook status.

FlickR

I wanted to use it as a photography portfolio platform. However, figured Facebook may play a bigger role. Makes me wonder if this means FlickR is losing it’s touch.

SlideShare

If you didn’t know, this is a platform for you to publish your presentations either for public or private. Like social media, it’s a place for everyone to consume large amounts of generated content.

YouTube

If you’re on Gmail or use any Google application, you’d already have created a Google Account. And this account plugs you into most if not all Google tools. I rarely upload videos but if I do, I’d definitely use YouTube because I won’t have to worry about bandwidth.

LinkedIn

The business person’s social network paltform. I rarely login to this social networking platform unless I want to know more about a person I’m dealing with. Scarily enough, if you did tell a client you’ve not met before you dug up details of them here, they just might freak out.

Delicious

Once I’ve migrated all my bookmarks here, I’m stuck. Dare I say, Delicious is the social bookmarking platform which is now helping memorize my online findings. Plus, giving me another channel to do more research for clients.

Posterous and Tumblr

I see the 2 platforms as similar ones except of the way you post stuff to it. The major benefits of using either one is it makes the blogging experience more simplified. No need for special headings, copy/paste from Word and etc. Currently, I’m experimenting with Posterous for Simpleet and it’s coming along very well.

This is not even a handful of available social media for use out on the web right now. But I’d say they are few of the popular ones which I’ve heard and am using right now.

What about yourself? When was the last time you listed the platforms you’re actively using today?

My Official DiGi Pimp My Broadband Video

As I mentioned before, I’m not a director and drawing isn’t my strongest skill when it came to design – life drawing, at least. But enough chatter, I hope you find the heart to enjoy my video submission to the DiGi Pimp My Broadband or at least, thump to the groove.

If you found the video okay, please vote for it on the DiGi Pimp My Broadband website. There are no tedious registrations and only just a button to click; thumbs up.

Or, create your own video and submit it to the website.