Captain Mainelli's Violin

A high class data classification engine is like a well-tuned musical instrument. Michael Mainelli is working closely with HTTP, which is an exciting and innovative OTC Bulletin Board listed software and technology development company. Michael has been putting HTTP's software through its paces and it's been playing like a Stradivarius; hence the headline. (This is a feeble attempt to link a topical Z/Yen piece to a topical headline - surely you can do better than this. - Ed). HTTP products cover novel ways of sorting, classification, data recognition and statistics. Main segments for the application of HTTP technologies include market research analysis, medical imaging, speech recognition, data mining and generic statistical analysis. Please contact Michael for further details.

Getting Away From It All

If the new office has seemed quiet this April, it certainly isn't to do with vacations. Sarah-Jane Critchley was in Dubai running an e-procurement workshop, Ian Harris was in Washington DC doing a governance review for an international NGO and Marie Logan was in Birmingham, Salford and Thanet for the Children's Society. Sadly, Marie has suddenly woken up to the fact that she's drawn the short straw in this situation. In a fit of pique, she has landed husband Joe with a plum job in the new Scottish parliament and decided to make a new life for herself north of the border. Through clenched teeth we extend our warmest congratulations to the Logans and wish Marie well when she leaves 1 June.

Up The Palace

No, not a Crystal Palace Eagle having a dig at Jeremy Smith's love of Chelsea. Z/Yen was honoured to be invited to run a fishy adaptation of our boating bourse game at St James's Palace for our client, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC version of the game utilises data on the Alaskan salmon industry which we are modeling for the MSC to demonstrate the economic value of their certification standards. The game gets teams to try and maximise their profits by investing in good practices and fishing at sustainable levels. Our game was part of a seminar day run by the MSC, World Wildlife Fund and the Forestry Stewardship Council. High profile players and attendees included Sir Peter Davis (Sainsbury), the Rt Honourable John Gummer, Rick Stein and HRH the Prince of Wales. The day was a great success, the credit for the Z/Yen part going to Rakesh Shah, Linda Cook and Marie Logan. Somewhat out of character, our own Ian Harris compered the game, assisted by HRH who gave out the prizes, including a surreal fluffy "Beanie" fish as a booby prize. Is this the same Ian Harris who was famous for being a "royalty refusnik" in his student days? Clearly not. Runners up in the headline competition for this item were "Z/Yen by appointment", "Harris does Charlie up at St James's Palace" and "Z/Yen goes up a couple of floors".

Z/Yen Goes Up A Couple Of Floors

Literally. The address remains unchanged: 5-7 St Helen's Place, but instead of a small dark garret in the lower ground floor of number seven we're now a much larger, brightly lit expanse on the first floor of number five. Many congratulations to Jeremy Smith and the office team under Linda Cook for managing such a smooth, tears-free move in February. Congratulations also to Ian Harris who has now succeeded in being away on vacation for all three office moves since Z/Yen's inception.