Recently, I needed an Apache server to test a web application that I’m working on. In times past, that would have been a painful process. First I would have had to pick and install a linux distribution. Then install Apache and MySQL.

Now, however, with the increased popularity of VMware, there are many freely available virtual appliances that can easily be downloaded from the Web. After a little searching I found a LAMP virtual appliance at virtualappliances.net. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, all of which are pre-installed and ready-to-go. The Linux distribution is Ubuntu Server (which happens to be my preferred distro these days).

Once you have the virtual appliance downloaded and decompressed, you will need to install the VMware Tools in order to get decent performance. This was the tricky part with this virtual appliance. Ubuntu Server isn’t one of the officially supported distributions for VMware. That’s fine, though, because the VMware Tools installer will compile the drivers automatically for the installed Linux kernel if you do a little prep work first.

First, you’ll need to install gcc and the other default build tools (like make). The Ubuntu (and Debian) package manager, apt, makes this really easy:

apt-get install build-essential

You’ll need to run this as root (which is the default login for this virtual appliance). This command goes out to the Ubuntu servers and downloads the default build tools that VMware will need to compile the drivers.

apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

This downloads the appropriate linux kernel headers that VMware will need for a successful compile. After those two simple steps are complete, you can follow the standard VMware Tools install process. After selecting Install VMware Tools from the Virtual Machine menu, the process looked like this:

Don’t get hung up on the VMware Tools version, it will probably be different on your system. On most systems you don’t have to create the /media/cdrom directory, but this virtual appliance didn’t include it. That’s it, you now have a working LAMP (no pun intended).

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

As a customer, how do big companies communicate with you? Does that communication feel cold and impersonal?

Massive out-dialing campaigns and email blasts just don’t cut it anymore for corporate communication. One could argue that they have never been effective. But, for many years, there were no other options that scaled well for mass communication.

How can companies communicate with their customers on a more personal level today? Beyond in-person communication, which is still the most effective, in this Web 2.0 world, what mode of communication can actually improve customer retention and brand loyalty?

I’ve recently noticed big companies flocking to Twitter. Twitter is a Web 2.0, social conversation service. It is most effective as a micro-blogging tool where each post has to be summarized in 140 characters or less. So, each post is equal to one (hopefully complete) thought. It is especially effective at simulating water cooler conversations for distributed participants.

On Twitter, you find individuals that are of some interest to you (personally and/or professionally) and follow them. Their posts are then combined with all of the posts from the people you follow into a stream of conversations also known as your feed.

It’s a simple concept, really, but Twitter users don’t limit their posts to corporate jargon. Sure, you’ll find plenty of that. But often, Twitter users’ posts are more personal (in a good way of course). Because of this, you feel more connected to the people you follow than if you were simply reading their blog, listening to their podcast or getting email from them.

So, how should companies use Twitter to communicate to their customers? I see three main tactics that are being used today with varying effectiveness.

Just the Facts Ma’am

Some companies on Twitter use the medium in exactly the same way they use email. Their posts feel like they’ve been through 3 layers of marketing and 2 layers of legal (or maybe its the other way around). There is no personality behind the company, just the cold, hard facts.

Obviously, this isn’t the right approach to use on Twitter. My advice to companies doing this: go back to bulk email and snail-mail. You obviously don’t get social networking and collaboration.

Add the Personal Touch

A better use of Twitter is to put a personality behind the company name. Give ownership of the company’s Twitter feed to an individual or a small group and give them some freedom (this is where all of the corporate lawyers get nervous).

@coldfusion is a great example of this. @mikeysan is a Macintosh/iPhone developer that I follow. He had an issue with Adobe’s Cold Fusion and posted his opinion on Twitter:

@coldfusion responded with this:

You see what happened here? There is a real person behind @coldfusion and their sense of humor came out in the response. I personally found this very funny and it improved my brand awareness of Adobe’s Cold Fusion in the process. This level of intimacy with customers simply isn’t possible with email.

Represent

Another very effective way for companies to use Twitter is to allow individual representation. In other words, allow some (preferably high level) employees to represent the company in this public forum. The reason that high-level participants are preferred is due to name recognition. A John Chambers or Bill Gates are sure to attract a large group of followers. But it doesn’t have to be someone that high up the chain.

Padmasree Warrior is Cisco’s new Chief Technology Officer. She is also on Twitter. Her posts are sometimes personal and sometimes professional (just like many Twitter users). For example, last night, I know that Padmasree had a very long day and she was about to relax and watch the Olympics with a glass of wine:

On the other hand, I’ve actually had a conversation with her on Twitter about what the “next phase of the Internet” really means. You can click ont eh thumbnail image to read the whole conversation if you are interested.

Another note to companies: This is the most effective and appropriate use of Twitter. Customers feel a real connection to your company leaders and it will go a long way towards customer retention.

Here are a few companies that I know about on Twitter. I either follow them directly or I’ve seen them mentioned in conversations from users that I follow.

@comcastcares – Comcast
@Marvel – Marvel Comics
@coldfusion – Adobe Cold Fusion
@ciscoit – Cisco IT
@Cisco_UC – Cisco Unified Communications
@ev – Even Williams (a co-founder of Twitter)
@danyork – (Voxeo CTO Office)
@kevinrose – Founder of Digg
@appleinc – Apple, Inc.

What companies do you follow on Twitter? Are they using Twitter effectively?

There’s a lot of negative press around the iPhone 3G’s battery life. I don’t own a 3G yet, but I’ve carried my trusty 2G for over a year now. Yes, I was one of the Fan-Boys who payed $600 and waited in line for an 8-Gig iPhone. At least I got $100 back from Apple (it’s better than nothing).

There are plenty of battery saving tips published already. I’m not going to re-hash those here. I actually get more than a day out of my iPhone 2G with normal use. That’s as good as any smart phone I’ve ever owned.

I’m concerned about heavy-use days, however. With iPhone OS 2.0 and the App Store, there are a lot more heavy-use days.

So, I bought a mophie extended battery. I heard about the mophie on MacBreak Weekly. If you are a Mac owner and don’t listen to MBW, run, don’t walk to iTunes and subscribe immediately.

The mophie is an extended battery in the form of an iPhone case. It connects via the dock connector and charges the iPhone as if it were plugged into a wall power adapter.

The mophie adds some bulk to the iPhone. When connected, my iPhone feels similar in size to the old Treo 650 I used to carry around.

Actually, the Treo is thicker in some spots. I carried that phone for two years, so the iPhone with a mophie used occasionally is definitely worth the extra bulk.

One nice feature about the mophie is the cut-out design for the iPhone speaker and mic. It simulates what I often find myself doing with my hand. That is: making a cup shape around the speaker so that I can hear it better. With the mophie attached, the speaker volume is much better.

The price is a little steep at $100 and there isn’t an iPhone 3G version yet. According to the mophie web site, they will begin shipping the 3G version in late September. Given the decreased battery life with 3G and GPS, the mophie will probably be an essential accessory when I upgrade.

I’ve had it with my current hosting provider for mylenbusch.org. So, I’m in the process of changing to hostmonster.com. The move will take a few days. Thanks for your patience.