New to me: The Followers pitch. PR saying I should cover their client’s news because my ‘followers’ need this info.

Was that accurate? Who is following Denise these days? Well, we did some research and it turns out:

• 26% are end users, developers or enterprise decision makers
• 25% are in a marketing role at a vendor
• 16% are at a PR agency
• 4% are other journalists
• 3% are analysts
• 17% are either spammers or other non-related organizations
• 9% have been inactive for at least 3 months

Over the past week we researched 10 technology journalists to find out who is following them. In the end we sampled 2,262 of 14,492 followers. Thanks to straining our eyes to the point of blindness, this leaves us with a margin of error of just +/- 2 points. Our goal was to try to research 15% of followers. To accomplish this, we researched the 2nd, 6th, and 16th follower in each page of 20 followers. For those with 3,000+ followers, we thank you and so does our vision insurance provider!

Enough of the how, what did the research uncover?

One of the most interesting facts about this research was the insight into the progression of the type of follower. Twitter’s follower listings are in order of when they clicked the ‘follow’ button from newest to oldest. As we first started our research, we noticed an extremely high number of marketing and vendor profiles. At times these reached 70% of followers. As we hit the half-way point the follower profile shifted toward the end-user. This suggests that early followers of tech journalists were directly in IT, seeking a way to connect with peers to discuss technology related issues. As the popularity of Twitter grew, companies began to take notice and the corporate Twitter account was born. That gives me an idea – who is following corporate Twitter accounts….? Wait…they should pay for that research

Some highlights:

• Larry Dignan, editor-in-chief at ZDNet, and Jessica Tsai of CRM Magazine take the prize for most end-user followers at 33%, Thomas Wailgum of CIO comes in a close second at 32%
• Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky has more press following him, 15%, than anyone else in our group
• As a percentage, more analysts follow Mary Hayes Weier of InformationWeek, 6%, followed by Rich Tehrani of TMCNet at 4%
• More than 50% of followers are on the corporate side, not a member of the influence audience (press, analysts, PR)
• 22% of all followers are completely irrelevant comprising spammers, inactive accounts and some that we just can’t explain on a company-sponsored blog

Our research shows this group of technology journalists has a broad Twitter following mostly comprised of enterprise users. Does it mean the pitch to Denise was accurate and her followers do indeed need to know the information? I am not sure because it depends on many factors, the least of which are newsworthiness and relevancy. It is one thing to say 26% of her followers are end users and it is another to say 10% of her followers are end users of VMWare and are interested in virtual and remote setups (hypothetically of course). Just like in any other area of PR and press/analyst interaction, you have to know more about the audience you are pitching and explain how it is relevant.

Who we researched:

• Adam Lashinsky, Fortune
• Denise Dubie, Network World
• Jessica Tsai, CRM Magazine
• Joe McKendrick, ZDNet SOA blog
• Larry Dignan, ZDNet
• Larry Walsh, Channel Insider
• Mary Hayes Weier, InformationWeek
• Rich Tehrani, TMCNet
• Sid Hill, Manufacturing Business Technology
• Thomas Wailgum, CIO

Justin is an account director at Wunderkind Public Relations with more than 10 years of technology and telecom public relations experience. Follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.

What did we learn?

• Two-thirds are male
• 60% are in the 18 – 44 years old bracket
• Most are more affluent and educated than the general population
• More than half are married
• One in four has an annual household income of $100K+

Is this what you thought the average blogger would be?

Technorati also uncovered an interesting convergence between bloggers and traditional media. According to the survey, “Despite being perceived by some as enemies of the traditional media, bloggers actually carry a journalistic pedigree. 35 percent of all respondents have worked within the traditional media as a writer, reporter, producer, or on-air personality.” In fact, 27 percent of respondents who blog work in traditional media. Quite interesting considering the stigma bloggers endure that they are less credible than those in traditional media outlets.

On The Practitioner, Dan discussed one of these reasons, sponsored endorsements and reviews of products, and how the FTC has stepped in to monitor a blogger’s disclosure. More so though, I believe it’s the cache a media outlet’s name brings to a news story and the implied guidelines an article must follow that helps build its credibility. Blogs are assumed to not follow such standards and generally do not have a direct association with a media brand.

However, the gap between bloggers and journalists is closing. Some traditional media outlets have even initiated partnerships with blogs to create a media hybrid. The Seattle Times has teamed up with five neighborhood blogs and news sites, two of which were founded by veteran journalists with backgrounds in broadcast news, in order to offer the same quality of coverage as budgets continue to shrink. “Seattle has become a hotbed for neighborhood and niche blogs,” said Kathy Best, the Times‘ managing editor for digital news and innovation. “As we watched our own newsroom resources shrink, we began talking about how we could tap into that hyper-local community movement to create partnerships that would allow us to continue to offer quality coverage in key areas.”

What value do you place on blogs versus traditional media?  Are you aggregating information from both media to form your own opinion, or do you rely solely on one or the other?  What do you predict 2010 will hold for the convergence of information sources?

Steve is President of Wunderkind Public Relations. He regularly comments on public relations strategy, social media and trends impacting the communications industry. You can follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Many agencies have debated the applicability of social media tools, but there is a growing recognition that utilizing these resources can enrich public sector management, and better serve constituents.  To see it in action, just look at the most prestigious place in government, the White House, and its adoption of Web 2.0 tools. According to a post in Internet Evolution, Macon Phillips, the White House director of new media, said he wants “to get everyone in government to develop an appreciation for, and a habit of using, new media until “ultimately, I work myself out of a job.”

Although Phillips’s passion for social media is very apparent, he recognizes that there will be challenges to gaining full support.  During the Gov 2.0 Summit held in Washington DC earlier this month, Phillips said he feels the largest obstacle to new media implementation is cultural, and that getting government officials to fully support social media initiatives may be challenging.  Others agree. According to Dion Hinchcliffe of ZD Net, “the recurrence of issues such as the challenges that bureaucracy poses to progress including HR, policy, reward systems, and management motivations,” are reoccurring concerns for government officials. Although officials remain cautious, there is a growing sense of optimism, and proponents of Web 2.0 integration into the public sector, like Phillips, remain hopeful.

The robust Web 2.0 campaign coming from the White House, including the launch of WhiteHouse.gov, is an extreme example of the adoption of social media in government. However, Web 2.0 tools can be effective in varying degrees and at all levels of government, including the local level.  For local and state agencies, Web 2.0 tools can offer a unique, proactive approach to issues management and citizen involvement, increasing customer service and building deeper relationships with citizens.

Agencies that are prepared to engage with the public via social media outlets, such as blogs or discussion forums, display a sense of readiness and awareness that can build trust and provide transparency into government processes. For example, in Sandy Springs, Georgia, the local government is engaging the community by utilizing a Facebook page and a Twitter account to announce community events, keep citizens informed about City Council proceedings, broadcast weather alerts, provide up-to-date information on road closings, and make morning and evening commutes less of a headache with real-time traffic reports.

As I have stated in past posts, companies must be strategic in implementing social media tools. The same is true for the public sector. Finding the right combination of tools is one of the first steps to creating an effective Web 2.0 campaign. Like all aspects of strategic marketing, there is no ‘one size fits all’ blueprint for selecting the appropriate mix. Creating a Facebook page may not be right for every government agency, but the growing adoption of online communities across the nation speaks to the effectiveness and promise of the opportunity for enhancing citizen service.

Steve is President of Wunderkind Public Relations. He regularly comments on public relations strategy, social media and trends impacting the communications industry. You can follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Even the largest of companies have not yet fully taken to social media, despite the heavy presence of consumers engaging in social networking and reading blogs. According to the Society for New Communications Research, only 16% of companies in the Fortune 500 maintain a corporate blog that is public facing.

At its heart, social media is an effective way to communicate with stakeholders, customers and prospects, so it is logical that companies are turning to PR agencies for help in navigating the social media waters. For the partnership between PR agencies and their clients to be successful in social media endeavors, companies must trust their agencies and seek their open input, agencies must recognize that social media programs must be tailored for individual clients, and both agencies and clients must work together to develop metrics for analysis that work for all parties.

As with all public relations, social media outreach should fuel a greater business strategy. Companies that have generated the greatest success in their communications are those that have fully integrated all public facing departments: public relations, analyst relations, marketing, sales, and advertising. Social media is part of this equation now, and should be positioned within the organization so that oversight comes in unison with those other areas.

Social media requires a plan. Companies and their agencies need to develop a strategy before diving into social media tactics. Conversations and discussions that take place in online forums or through social networking flow freely and evolve, but simply participating from the corporate side is not enough. Companies and agencies should first identify targets, voices, and a plan of action before launching into social media. For instance, postings through Twitter are permanent and searchable through Google and other search engines, so a cohesive and coordinated strategy will ensure that over time the voice of the company is consistent and never contradictory. Diving right into social media without a clear vision puts the company’s brand, products and reputation at risk.

All of these elements require an agency-client relationship based on trust that fosters open communication and sharing of ideas, information and feedback. The companies that gain the most from their PR spends are those that view their agency as an extension of the communications team, not just as an outside vendor. Complete insight into strengths and positioning and full disclosure regarding competitive weaknesses means the agency can bring its best strategic counseling to bear on social media execution.  When creative minds from PR agencies are brought to the table to exchange ideas with corporate marketing and communications teams, the outcome is a stronger organization with a clear vision and a passionate team to deliver strategic results. Aligning all members of communications on the same page enables them to truly leverage the power of social media to ensure that consistent and engaging content is delivered by the company to its customers and prospects.

The benefits of a trusted agency-client relationship extend beyond social media to all aspects of communication. When agencies are included as part of the overall corporate team, they are comfortable bringing new, challenging and exciting ideas to the table. According to recent data, when agencies feel excluded they are fearful to challenge the status quo or provide negative feedback for fear the relationship will end.  This scenario benefits neither the agency nor the client’s business. Generating social media ROI is not a simple task; it requires a truly creative approach, and the more minds that contribute to the brainstorm, the better the odds of striking the right formula. Companies hire PR firms for their strategic counsel, but those that give the agency a place at the table are the ones that get the full benefits of that counsel and of their PR spend.

The ARRA provides large amounts of money to state and local governments to fund a variety of projects, and in doing so, requires those governments to remain transparent and keep citizens informed of which projects are moving forward and how the money is spent. When considering how many projects will be part of this recovery, providing visibility on such a large scale is no small undertaking and will require significant IT investment. In addition, the ARRA has very strict rules about when projects must be green-lit or money will revert back to the Federal government. This is a potential gold mine for technology companies to demonstrate their value to helping state and local governments.

The ARRA also allocates several billion dollars to environmentally retrofit government buildings and improve the eco-friendliness of the Nation’s infrastructure. Green tech providers now finally have several doors opened to them to demonstrate to local and state governments how they can help them meet and exceed the standards set forth by the government. Companies should pay especially close attention to projects that are in their area, because those governments may wish to use nearby vendors to further stimulate the local economy.

Tech companies that will benefit from the ARRA are not limited to those that provide green or enable government transparency; however, those not in these areas will need to do some legwork to ensure their bottom line gets a boost as well. The act provides billions and billions of dollars for infrastructure improvements like roads, schools, etc. and the contactors that complete those projects are potential customers with a surge in cash-flow.

There’s a reason the ARRA is referred to as the “stimulus package.” Though not all agree with its terms, the intended goal is to “stimulate” economic spending. With a little homework, tech companies can get a slice of the nearly $800 billion for themselves and generate some revenue in what has proven to be a slow time for IT spending. Thankfully, the government is increasing its transparency requirements, which will make doing that homework a lot easier!

Despite the tactical challenges of broadcasting a live event, the kickoff was a complete success. Employees, not just those located near the company’s headquarters on the outskirts of Atlanta, were a part of the same event. Enabling all employees to come together with their colleagues and participate in the live kickoff truly initiated a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, a feeling that Schaper continued with his introduction.

Live broadcasting of the kickoff was no small undertaking, and the event team had three back-up plans in place should unforeseen technical problems arise at the last minute. Minutes before curtain up, I learned one of the virtual locations was victim of a virus that had the potential to degrade bandwidth to the degree that employees in attendance may not have been able to see the streaming video. The backup plan was to run a pre-taped DVD of the entire kick-off, but thankfully that wasn’t necessary and the audience was able to see the live feed.

By opening the event to everyone, Schaper sent the message that, regardless of role, each employee is an integral part of the company’s overall success. Schaper knows that a unified organization, where everyone takes personal ownership over their responsibilities and shares in the excitement of the company’s achievements, is one that is poised to be the most successful. He engaged each employee on every level through his talk, and set Infor on a path to a great 2010.

Schaper also opened up and had an honest and somewhat frank discussion about the past year and the future direction of the company. Like almost every company, the previous year has been a tough one on Infor. The company initiated many cost cutting measures, including reduction of travel budgets, and many of the staff had felt the pinch. Schaper was able to reassure his extended team that the tough decisions Infor made over the past twelve months was calculated, strategic planning to ensure the company’s future position. Schaper successfully conveyed this message and got a rousing round of applause when he told attendees, “We actually retooled the company to exit the downturn stronger and better positioned than we entered it.”

Schaper truly believes this, and judging by the reaction of people in the room and around the world to his talk, they’re all on board.

Your customers are writing blogs, networking on LinkedIn, “tweeting” on Twitter, and commenting in forums and discussion groups. They are also talking about your company, rating your products and services, and influencing the reputation that you have worked hard to maintain. So, where does your company fit into the social media phenomenon?

The balance of power has shifted to the customer. More than ever, your customers are looking to their peers for recommendations when making decisions. Concurrently, companies no longer have control of their own brand reputation. Customers gather and connect online to obtain the information they want from each other. It is no longer a question of whether or not to join the social media movement. It’s about choosing the best strategy for combining social media with more traditional communications tactics to strengthen your company’s brand.

To develop and execute a successful plan, manufacturers first need to understand there are different communities for different goals – customer service, new product announcements, listening/gathering, market feedback, competitive intelligence monitoring, building site traffic, SEO, education, targeting potential customers, and so on. The keys to a targeted approach are knowing why you are doing it, ensuring you have the right metrics in place, and having the resources to handle it.

Below are five essential steps for manufacturers seeking to implement a successful social media strategy:

• Listen. People trust and depend on their peers more than ever. The comments, activities and conversations that are happening online can be valuable and influential. The good news is that social media tools provide a direct line to your customers. The other news? Enthusiasts, critics and influencers are already talking candidly about your brand or rating your products and services online. It is best to accept the bad with the good and use negative comments to turn a discussion around. But be careful. You want to provide value to the conversation that facilitates sales but does not sell directly. The key is to engage customers. Become a valuable part of the conversation. Talk about industry news and current events, not just about your new product. You may find that your brand already has strong advocates – connect with them. Build deeper relationships with your customers and your community to increase the credibility of your brand.

• Be Transparent. Social media promotes unique authenticity. People join groups focused on similar interests to share ideas and opinions, and to write honest reviews for products and services. Customers want to hear from CEOs and regular employees at manufacturers who have a unique point-of-view, not from the “brand” itself.  They want to talk about the good, bad and ugly things that go on behind the scenes. Think about it: Behind every blog, Twitter account or LinkedIn profile is a human being.  When institutions join the social media conversation as a “brand,” they fail to gain any level of trust. As the leader of a brand, you must implore your social media team to engage, respond to and steer conversation about your brand  – all while allowing for individual personalities. People trust people – Come out from behind your brand to engage with your customers.

• Dedicate to Relate. Social media may have started with a few college students, but its widespread influence today is not to be taken lightly. The influence that your company can have using social media tools should be given as much dedication and as many resources as any company priority. Your company’s reputation is on the line, so why wouldn’t you prioritize your strategy for social media? Not only do companies need to dedicate time, talent and funds to get started, they must align those resources and plan a unified approach. Before jumping into the ocean of social media, be sure you know your audience. Who are your customers? Have you researched their online participation? Are they more likely to read a blog or upload a video? Once this research is complete and your company kicks off its perfect social media program, give it time. Building relationships offline doesn’t happen overnight, so you shouldn’t expect that online either.

• Be Flexible. Social media is hard to define. It’s a moving target. No plan or strategy can guarantee your success in the world of social media. To be successful, don’t just dive head-first into tactics. Develop a plan, then obtain executive buy-in, because you will need more advocates for social media than for any other segment of your business. Establish measurements up front and share metrics with the entire organization to assess your program’s success, evaluate its business value and make adjustments accordingly. Ensure that you have the best communicators on your team to keep both your employees and your customers abreast of the latest social media developments. The rules and patterns of social media are ever changing, so manufacturers that have long been conservative in strategy must become open to the new ideas and the rapid change that is social media.

• Get Started! Taking the first step is the hardest part. Avoid being left behind by allowing your competitors to connect with your community before you do. In 2009, planning a social media strategy is a necessary risk. Learn how to make social media work for your brand.

Do not let your company’s reputation be ruled by customer commentary alone. Social media is about connecting. Connecting customers, brands, groups, media, and analysts. Connecting your brand with your reputation with your logo, advertising, representatives, employees, and executives. Even in the current economy, some companies are using social media tools to develop stronger ties to their current customers and become leaders in their industries. Educate yourself, take control and get ready for the rollercoaster ride that is social media.

BtoB magazine Editor Ellis Booker hosted a roundtable discussion at the recent eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit in San Jose, Calif. During the conversation about the current role and use of Web metrics, B2B marketers expressed not only an uncertainty about measuring social media activities, but also a lack of experience in proactively engaging and driving a social media presence.

B2B companies should absolutely engage in social media as part of an overall communications strategy. Alone, each tactic mentioned below has little impact. But when used effectively and in combination with a solid PR strategy, social media can not only enhance your brand presence, it can affect your bottom line.

Reading through the discussion below, here are a few recommendations for cracking the B2B social media code:

(Roundtable participants included: Anne Commisso, Cisco.com marketing Web metrics team lead, Cisco Systems; Moe Rubenzahl, executive director-Internet marketing, Maxim Integrated Products; Michelle Rutan, Web program manager, business intelligence, National Instruments; and Jim Sterne, founding chairman of the Web Analytics Association and producer of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit.)

BtoB: The analytics discipline is getting better and better about locked-up things: Search engine optimization, keyword purchases and auctions, e-mail campaigns, click-through analysis. And then we have this tsunami of social media. What do you measure? How do you rank it? How do you score it? How do you magnify its presumably positive impact?

Commisso: Within our Web marketing team, we have a small team that’s devoted to the social networking space. They’re measuring responses back to Twitter, how many followers, how many mentions in the blog. They’re using third party tools like Second Opinion and others that measure the tonality of the blog posts. So we’re starting to see a lot more numbers with social media.

While Cisco Systems is ahead of the curve by monitoring their social media presence, Commisso doesn’t mention what the company is doing with the data that they collect. There is a big opportunity for Cisco Systems to use that data to strengthen their overall communications strategy and even to convert this data to sales.

Rubenzahl: We’re looking very hard at the social aspect, but over the years we’ve had small success in engaging our customers because engineers tend not to be social in the same way. So Twitter, discussion groups, Facebook … that’s a real push for us. We have a Twitter presence, [but] it’s not much. One of our competitors has a much stronger presence. … It also is not much. Where we do think there’s value is in China. And that’s a much harder nut to crack because of language issues, because we can’t just set up some social media in the U.S. and try to track Chinese engineers. We have to have some local presence.

Social Media, particularly with B2B audiences, must start with people. Maxim Integrated Products is seeking to connect with engineers, so why choose Twitter and Facebook as platforms to connect? The key is to know your audience first. What do engineers do online? What sites do they visit, and how can Maxim Integrated Products help them find what they need?

In this case, I recommend that they follow Forrester’s “POST” method for social media:

After doing some serious research to gain a better understanding of their audience, Maxim Integrated Products can re-evaluate what platforms may make more sense for engaging that audience. A blog that addresses engineering pain points and encourages commentary may be a better way to connect.

Sterne: Two parts: Part one is exactly the same as you measure everything else. Does it bring traffic to the Web site and is that traffic qualified, doing what we want when they show up? The second part of it, though, is the sentiment analysis. And there’s a whole new realm of tools that are out there measuring [whether] what’s being said about you is positive or negative.

Again, the analysis can go much deeper. When analyzing social media, why not add a sales component? What can companies do to reach out to those who have negative or positive feelings about them or their products and services, engaging with them to build stronger connections?

Rutan: In our top tier of metrics, social media hasn’t infiltrated yet. It’s more on the third tier. Last year we had a conference, [and] three or four people from the team were Twittering while there to get people to register. They wanted to be able to measure how many people had clicked through, and they did the tiny URL things to see people coming into their site. It was very exciting to their campaign. It was free.

As part of an overarching communications and marketing strategy, social media must be a “top tier” priority. Your customers will find ways to connect online, with or without your company’s input.

In a recent interview, Forrester’s B2B Marketing Analyst Laura Ramos said that “with social media, you can give customers a way to engage with other customers and like-minded individuals and talk about how to best use your products and services…In B2B, it’s about connecting with ‘people like me who have experience I trust’ – not strangers.”

The value of social media for B2B continues to grow. Perhaps it makes even more sense for B2B companies to use social media to gain their customers’ trust than it does for the B2C market. Cracking the social media code just takes a little more strategic thinking, a healthy dose of research and a lot of support from the B2B world.

Well, we are now deep into this recession and while some say we have reached, or are nearing, the bottom it is still pretty clear there is a long way to go before the economy fully corrects itself. Where does your PR budget stand during a transitionary period? Do you keep the status quo, cut back, or move forward? I think it is pretty obvious where I am going – push forward, full steam ahead!!!

In all seriousness, this is a time to start reinvesting. In speaking with many marketing directors, spending cuts are still in full swing. These guys are down, not quite out, but getting close. What’s more, they are leaving holes in the conversation all over the place. It’s time to take advantage of their silence and walk over them. Do you stop running your pattern because a defender fell down? No. You run, catch the football and try to score the winning touchdown. You wouldn’t even think of stopping, much less look back, so why are so many companies still in this wait-and-see mode? Wait too long and you’ll see your competition get up and go whizzing by.

Why is PR important now?
Opportunity: Your competition is likely not making near as much noise as they once did. This means there is a gap to fill. Go fill it. Speaking up when your competitors aren’t greatly increases your share of voice in your industry.

The Need for Content: Most conversations I have with reporters focus on the need for story ideas and content. The economy has been brutal on the media industry and they are being asked to take on the job roles of several people. Wearing so many different hats, they’re turning to their trusted sources for ideas and contributed pieces.

Information Hungry Customers: Buyers are scrutinizing every purchase decision, conducting as much research as possible, and PR helps disseminate information about your product or service, influences the influencers, and gets your brand noticed.

Secure Your Position: Timing is crucial in so many aspects of business. While it may not be the best time to launch an IPO, it is time to set the stage for thought leadership and industry awareness. When companies and consumers start buying again, do you want to be playing catch-up or already be in the limelight?

InformationWeek’s Mary Hayes Weier posted an article on this very subject yesterday, announcing plans by Verizon, Intuit and Boomi to offer on-demand IT services. According to the article, “the service rollouts demonstrate how vendors are trying to differentiate themselves with innovations intended to get them a bigger share of the emerging cloud computing market.”

Verizon on Wednesday introduced Verizon Computing as a Service, designed to be more flexible and accessible than traditional hosting services, as customers can rent shared or dedicated computing systems by the day. Customers that pay a $250 monthly retainer-type fee can instantly rent more servers and storage to handle a sudden boost in online sales, for example, and then stop using those systems a week later, only paying usage fees for those days.

Intuit, best known for its Quicken and TurboTax software, on Wednesday opened up its fledgling platform-as-a-service business to include all types of SaaS apps, transforming what’s been an infrastructure hosting service into more of an online application store. Small businesses will get access to these apps by signing on via the Intuit Workplace portal.

And Boomi, a startup that has traditionally provided SaaS integration services in the cloud, began offering Tuesday a service that lets SaaS users set up electronic data exchanges (EDI) with their supply chain partners in the cloud.

The growth of cloud computing won’t stop here. In addition to the vendors listed above, major Internet companies such as Google, IBM and Microsoft are plunging into clouds. IDC, an IT market research firm, estimates global spending on cloud computing services will jump threefold to $42 billion in 2012.

Gartner Inc., predicts the cloud services market will grow from $46.4 billion today to $150.1 billion in 2013, an annual compound growth rate of 26.5 percent. The boom, Gartner says, will be led by business processing (advertising, e-commerce and payments processing), software-as-a-service and systems infrastructure (storage and backup services).

Since cloud computing allows companies large and small to easily access enterprise-class technology for a low price, we expect many more applications to become available in the cloud this year. What services would benefit your company? What applications would you like to see available?