The grade-II listed pavilion is also the scene of some of the most elite corporate entertaining

The grade-II listed pavilion is also the scene of some of the most elite corporate entertaining. Phyllis Court rents out grandstand boxes to companies that are among the biggest in the FTSE 100, and is the self-confessed scene of "gentle client wooing". Demonstrating any kind of rowing knowledge is a good, if risky, way to impress here. A better method might be to point out that the emblem of the club is a red rose – the old word for which was "fillets", and was what the place was called before becoming "Phyllis" It is also useful to know the names of the two banks. Phyllis is on the west bank, or the "Bucks Station", while the other side is the "Berks Station".For the ultimate exercise in oneupmanship, the best spot is in the Henley members' enclosure, which is perched on the finishing line. The only way in is by being a member (no chance) or by being the guest of one. As its location suggests, the rowing is fairly important to this lot, but it does not prevent revellers "drowning in champagne and strawberries", as one Henley historian put it.There are plenty of other opportunities for being a snob.

Hospitality tents (known as "hostility tents" to the po-faced oarsmen) line the banks of the river, and will tend to be crammed to bursting on all five days. Few insist on a dress code, which means that most guests take the opportunity to dress up extravagantly and do not look at all out of place.Strolling down the towpath offers further opportunities to network. About half-way between the start and the end of the race are a variety of other clubs, of which the Remenham and Upper Thames are certainly worth stopping at. These are the spots most likely to have City types carousing on the balcony, ready to invite old pals in for another Pimm's.If the rowing is of any interest, this does promise to be a good year. A record 500 crews from clubs, universities and schools are competing, and the races will include appearances by Matthew Pinsent and a host of other Olympic winners.. Text messaging is one of the biggest money-spinning "accidents" in business history.

Text messaging is one of the biggest money-spinning "accidents" in business history. Supposedly developed by telecom engineers as a way to use up extra capacity, the technology has spawned a new form of communication, with a vocabulary spelt out in lexicons and shortened text forms. New research by technology consultancy Spectrum Strategy reveals that the market for "value-added text messaging" will generate some £2.4bn a year in EU member states by 2006.In the UK, one billion text messages are sent a week – a market that has been driven by teenagers. But the pace is slowing, and companies are looking to the next wave of text services. "Instead of being a one-to-one service, text messaging is evolving into a one-to-many service," says Janice Hughes, managing director of Spectrum.In Japan, the growth of 2.5G telecoms, the forerunner to high-speed third-generation (3G) services, gives an insight into how the market could develop in the UK. When Japanese mobile network NTT DoCoMo launched its iMode internet service, the company deliberately opened it up to independent content and software developers.