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Recession-proof website # Tip 5 Cliché Control  
Mon, Dec 1st 2008 3:52a Collaboration 2.0
The jazz trumpeter Chet Baker never played a cliché. I'm an average guitarist and play them all the time. What characterises a cliche is its trite connotation. It's when you know how a musical phrase or sentence ends - this is a typical one from a supplier site "... develop long-term relationships with clients, to become a trusted partner and work as an extension of their organisation". Jumble the words and you can get thousands of hits for this meaningless statement.
Like stock shots, if your [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Iberia Customer Service: Oxymoron
Sun, Nov 30th 2008 9:59a Collaboration 2.0
I have travelled with Spain's flag carrier on a number of journey's recently and I have to say I am not impressed. Yes I am out the 'back' but paying a 'Y' class full fare is not cheap. Practically everything you wish to consume is charged for, I felt that if the toilet could be converted to pay as you go then I would have to spend a few Euro's to spend a penny. On Wednesday at the Heathrow Gulag (terminal 2) I was give a harsh 'no' when I asked to fly on an earlier (and emptyish) flight to Madr [read] Keywords: collaboration
office
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Recession-proof website # Tip 4 Damage Control
Fri, Nov 28th 2008 4:59a Collaboration 2.0
It's time to do some damage control. Ensure you have a recession web marketing strategy that meets short-term objectives and portrays life as it now is and doesn't communicate hocum about good times around the corner.
It's amazing how many websites now give off the wrong message. Many web images paint a picture that can be easily taken in the wrong way given what we now know. For example, this picture, from a good-times website now looks to me like an employee in an empty office on the phone to [read] Keywords: collaboration
office
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Recession-proof website # Tip 3 Assess External Factors
Thu, Nov 27th 2008 5:42a Collaboration 2.0
Does your business sector lead or lag a recession cycle? For example, I.T. is usually hit early as it's an easy budget to cut by stopping projects. If your firm was around in past recessions, how deeply was it affected compared to other industries and your competitors so, historically, what is your sector's reliance on technology?
Critically, how are your customers buying decisions going to change. Will they postpone purchases, negotiate discounts or seek cheaper suppliers? Understand how they [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Who is Ray Ozzie?
Wed, Nov 26th 2008 6:59a Collaboration 2.0
As I travel around Europe extolling the value and benefits of collaboration, I find occasionally that the importance of Ray Ozzie in the Microsoft mx is not well understood. Today, as I pass (once more) through Heathrow I am going to have to buy myself a copy of Wired. The latest edition has a profile of Ray, progenitor of Lotus Notes, Microsoft Office Groove and now Microsoft Mesh for the doubting Thomas's to read 'on demand'. Ray has been a great influence on my life (I have told him) and [read] Keywords: collaboration
lotus
notes
ray ozzie
apple
microsoft
office
profile
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Recession-proof website # Tip 2 Assess Internal Factors
Tue, Nov 25th 2008 6:02p Collaboration 2.0
To recession proof your company's website you need internal information from management, marketing, finance/accounting, operations and R&D etc. to update it effectively. Use it to identify your firm's core strengths and promote these on the web to minimise the impact of a recession on your business.
You must assertain what image is to be projected to protect your organisations reputation amongst existing customers and competitors. Your web site may have been seen internally as brochureware [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Recession-proof website # Tip 1 Determine Strategy
Tue, Nov 25th 2008 4:40a Collaboration 2.0
If you are responsible for your web site's recession marketing, you need to decide if your going to take an offensive or defensive stance -- i.e. take advantage of competitors' weaknesses or just try to survive?
If you're on the offensive where does the opportunity lie, for example building market share, innovating or promoting your reputation for quality. If you're on the defensive which option, like price cutting to maintain volume or cost cutting to maintain margins, best suits your survival [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Empty promises and broken dreams
Mon, Nov 24th 2008 4:19a Collaboration 2.0
Websites, like rust, never sleep, so how oxidised are the page impressions you offer-up to your visitors? Did you put up your site in the good times? Does it now reflect the changed commercial environment? If not, your corporate image may look as tarnished as an old rust bucket.
While you don't have any control of the recession, you can optimise what you do control by building a recession-proof Web site. Firstly, get someone independent to take a look and make an assessment. Secondly, take soun [read] Keywords: collaboration
blogging
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Second Life
Fri, Nov 21st 2008 6:40p Collaboration 2.0
Does anyone know if a recesssion and/or credit crunch is going on in Second Life? [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Avoid thinking unilaterally, collaborate with stangers
Wed, Nov 19th 2008 7:49a Collaboration 2.0
Hard times demand action. To make tough decisions, you need input. If you seek it from people you know, you only gather ideas from those with the same point of view, resulting in everyone seeking the problem from the same perspective. To avoid this trap, go out of your way to seek alternate approaches -- from maverick thinkers to those you don't know well and are able to voice opinions contrary to your prevailing thoughts. It's all about leadership. [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Easy Government savings
Tue, Nov 18th 2008 11:32a Collaboration 2.0
The BBC said it has removed 780 licences, costing £150 each, from staff using its SAP electronic purchasing system, after it faced criticism from the National Audit Office for spending money on unused licences. One suspects that the 2012 Olympic Games would already be subject to similar comment.
When one looks at the public sector as a whole, the picture is the same. With government apparatchik computers around the country loaded with suites of 'personal productivity' software, I suspect massi [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
microsoft
office
sap
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Rock, hardplace, rising tide and shifting sands
Tue, Nov 18th 2008 8:19a Collaboration 2.0
The conundrum many big organisation's face is what they will do if an upturn comes and find their business partners (suppliers) have gone to the wall while budgets were frozen. The rule that keeping a customer is easier than finding a new one, works the otherway. Having spoken to a number of IT suppliers (Msoft, IBM, SAP partners etc.) with lucrative but frozen pipelines, many are finding that the major vendors, whose products they integrate, [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
sap
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TechEd Wrap-up: From Barcelona with Groove
Tue, Nov 18th 2008 5:39a Collaboration 2.0
Barcelona is a fabulous city, the broad avenues of the modern town serving as a stark contrast to the ancient, narrow and complex Gothic quarter. My first event as a Microsoft employee feels much like the city comparison. My previous life as a Business Partner was necessarily narrow, with a close focus on the here and how, whereas working for a large corporate enterprise means that I have to take a bigger and longer term view. The TechEd high points for me were the questions that people asked. [read] Keywords: collaboration
applications
enterprise
microsoft
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Like Grolsch, these things take time!
Mon, Nov 17th 2008 9:29a Collaboration 2.0
In a recent article in HBR it states winners take the time to keep honing skills and testing ideas in preparation for change while losers lurch from tactic to tactic without any long-term direction.
While losers lack discipline, do not always rely on facts before chasing fads, and panic under pressure, those with winning streaks remain calm and professional.
Winners develop three traits: First is accountability. They have faced facts and taken responsibility for their actions. Second is collab [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Reviewing your CV?
Mon, Nov 17th 2008 6:09a Collaboration 2.0
The most common falsehoods told on CV, according to a survey done by CareerBuilder.com: 38 percent of those surveyed indicated they had embellished their job responsibilities 18 percent admitted to lying about their skill set 12 percent indicated they had been dishonest about their start and end dates of employment 10 percent confessed to lying about an academic degree 7 percent said they had lied about the companies they had worked for 5 percent disclosed that they had been untruthf [read] Keywords: collaboration
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The Whittington Tax Repayment Scheme
Sat, Nov 15th 2008 8:09a Collaboration 2.0
A cod economist popped in this morning. His latest gambit to solve the fiscal uncertainty would through a double whammy - as it gets to the root core of the problem - solve household indebtedness and get the economy moving.
The theory is that as HMG has taken our money (tax) and wasted it through poor return on investment in education, health and quangos etc, they should give back the last ten years money we've paid. On average this would be £20k per household.
With the rider that you have to [read] Keywords: collaboration
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A licence to print money
Fri, Nov 14th 2008 6:49a Collaboration 2.0
If you're working more at home it means managing costs. Printing expenses are a problem you never have to face up to in an office. At home, it's different. You just bought an expensive ink cartridge for your SOHO printer, you use it for a while, and then sooner than seems reasonable you're low or out of ink. Following lab testing to find out how much ink is left in dead cartridges the results show OEM and aftermarket vendor cartridges leave a startling amount of ink unused when read empty. In [read] Keywords: collaboration
nd
office
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You can rent this space for 30 days. Interested?
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TechEd Developers - Day 4 - Disaster Zones
Thu, Nov 13th 2008 12:09p Collaboration 2.0
Today's first disaster surrounded my consumption last night of cheap red wine on an empty stomach. This combination led to a very restless night and a self-promise 'never to do it again'.
On a more positive front Jim Moffat's blog led me to some important content regarding the recent 'Eagle One' disaster simulation exercise in the Netherlands. The ability to deploy rapidly has proved one key aspect of MS Groove's versatility, this was most widely recognized in the benefits it offered in the [read] Keywords: collaboration
application
microsoft
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Getting Your People Moving
Thu, Nov 13th 2008 6:09a Collaboration 2.0
In times of uncertainty there's a risk of getting stuck. Your team may be sitting on their hands waiting for more news or information. How do you get them moving? Don't let your own feelings of loss of control and your inability to predict the future dominate. Instead, absorb your team's uncertainty. One way is to make some assumptions they can work with on the understanding that these may change as the situation develops. At an ERP, CRM and collaboration specialist with some orders stalled i [read] Keywords: collaboration
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TechEd Developers - Day 3 - Lets pick-up the pieces
Wed, Nov 12th 2008 11:49a Collaboration 2.0
I am defrinately going a bit exhibition gaga. This is manifesting itself as an irrational desire to pull the plug on the DJ who has been mixing an unbridled diet of Moby-style music for the last 9 days and at a pretty loud volume.
We moved to anonomised jazz-funk this afternoon and I could stand it no more. I marched over to the desk and pleaded for a tune with some soul - Average White Band was quickly agreed and at least for one track a musical smile was brought back to my face.
It did not c [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Pick up the phone
Wed, Nov 12th 2008 8:19a Collaboration 2.0
There are some winners in the downturn - supporting the adage that there's always opportunity in hard times. The model is simplicity, i.e. getting back to basics. From food - turnip farmers are doing well, to drink - home brewing is on the up. In business it's audio conferencing. Audio is straightforward. It avoids the complexity of video (camera lights action etc) and is a simple way of getting geographically separated people into one manageable conference. The trick is in delivering a reliabl [read] Keywords: collaboration
email
linking
mobile
php
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TechEd Developers - Day 2 - My nose is well and truly grounded
Wed, Nov 12th 2008 4:59a Collaboration 2.0
The first full day at Tech-Ed (part 2) consisted of a stream of visits to our stand from people with questions I am not yet qualified to answer. Its a bit frustrating but Rome was not built in a day, however I sure am learning fast.
The spirit of this event is not that different than last weeks ITPro event, those who have made it to Barcelona are upbeat with plenty of activity going on in their Enterprises. I have been amazed by the number of Dutch who are on-site. Goeden Dag allemal.
On [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
consulting
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TechEd Developers - Day 1 - IBM subversives on the horizon
Mon, Nov 10th 2008 7:10p Collaboration 2.0
I needed to travel up the Av.Diagonal today to attend a couple of meetings in a Hotel at the other end of town. It was more than a little amusing to run into an IBM Websphere Technical conference which is also being held locally at the same hotel as my rendezvous. During my visit it struck me that for the masochist developer a shuttle running backwards and forwards along one of Barcelona's most famous boulevards would enable technical overload of the most horrendos kind. I will have to keep m [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
microsoft
websphere
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Cleaning up your act
Mon, Nov 10th 2008 7:10a Collaboration 2.0
Reputation is your brand and a most important asset. With a generation having enjoyed the faux-pas' of youth in the pubescent and public gaze of Facebook et al, a set of protocols are developing in the footsteps of excess. Here are a few on social networking that are worth passing around.
I'm still trying to track down one photograph I know exists from over 30 years ago -- at least it was taken below the 30 parallel where an Englishman is excused his actions. [read] Keywords: collaboration
facebook
networking
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Premiership Porn Show - My gob was smacked
Sun, Nov 9th 2008 11:59a Collaboration 2.0
We were having a lateish evening at the Bar of the 5* Hilton here in Barcelona. Our ladies had just popped out to do the things that ladies do and my colleague was engaging me in earnest discussion regarding the objectives for our second week here. Over his right shoulder and about 6 inches from my eye-line I could see the highlights of a Saturday Premiership game playing on the big screen. Flicker... break for advert and then... full on 'action' in every sense of the word between ladies and [read] Keywords: collaboration
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TechEd ITPro - Day 4/5 - Grasping my goodies
Sun, Nov 9th 2008 6:59a Collaboration 2.0
The last two days of a long (first) week have been topped off by my appearance on the Tech-Ed TV website. Playing 'Paxman' to Mark Ryan's 'Minister' we blew away some of the myths surrounding Groove. You can see our efforts here, Try not to laugh to much. Day 4 was a gruelling stand-day, our 'chuchkies' turned up so we had to fend of the hoards of memory stick collectors who undoubtedly can smell a give away from 200 yards. It really hacks me off when they don't say please before grasping th [read] Keywords: collaboration
microsoft
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TechEd ITPro - Day 3 - Heavy duty Opium
Thu, Nov 6th 2008 6:06a Collaboration 2.0
I have not started mainliing, the Opium in question was Barcleona's cinema / night club of the same name which provided the location for the UK Tech-Ed reception. It was good to chill-out and meet a few colleagues and customers as the wifi in the hotel is amazingly flaky.
To me yesterday's highlight came from outside the conference. In particular the BBC's story anouncing the demise of Windows 3.1! 'On 1 November Microsoft stopped issuing licences for the software that made its debut in May 19 [read] Keywords: collaboration
microsoft
wifi
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What happens when you go?
Thu, Nov 6th 2008 2:59a Collaboration 2.0
I had the job once of going through the desk of a suicide at the office. He had laid out in detail the reason for his decision. - In simple terms he had an illness that would show up in his next life insurance medical - he was thus worth more dead than alive until then. Amongst his effects were passwords to various email and on-line accounts he had set up.
While financial assets are frozen when you die what happens to the digital one that you may have? For example, pictures, documents, intellec [read] Keywords: collaboration
email
microsoft
office
password
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TechEd ITPro - Day 2 - Come and get it, its all free!
Wed, Nov 5th 2008 5:59a Collaboration 2.0
Well maybe not quite all of it, but if you are reading this in Barcelona then send a email to grvte08@microsoft.com and this Friday you can have a full day of free Groove training. At the end of this blog is the announcement with all the information. Day 2 was tremendous, building out my MS network, learning more about how the team works and appearing on TechEd TV playing 'Jeremy Paxman' to my colleague Mark Ryan's 'Prime Minister'. The output from the encounter will be online in a couple of w [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
email
microsoft
mobile
network
office
sap
security
server
sharepoint
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Under the cover of darkness
Wed, Nov 5th 2008 2:39a Collaboration 2.0
The downturn/recession may provide a useful cover for companies to make cuts they wouldn't be able to get away with at other times - i.e. pull the christmas party, withdraw sponsorship, stop personal development training, cancel projects etc.
So check out what your company sacrifical lambs might be and offer up one of your own that you don't mind loosing in order to protect the ones you value. [read] Keywords: collaboration
development
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TechEd ITPro - Day 1 - Meeting, eating and greeting
Tue, Nov 4th 2008 6:00a Collaboration 2.0
I suspect welcome receptions are the same the world over. A chance to catch up with old friends, chase after some dubious morsels from a finger buffet and the first chance to extend the various personal networks that help the world go round. I found this first 'official' Microsoft event where I represented the company quite strange, not because the event is any different from any other but because I did not know anybody. That is a first for me. The food bits obviously comes from a secret organ [read] Keywords: collaboration
microsoft
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IT carbon footprint
Tue, Nov 4th 2008 3:09a Collaboration 2.0
It is estimated that by 2020, the IT and Telecommunications industries will account for about 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions, or 1.54 metric gigatons, equivalent to twice what the UK produces today. On the upside, these technologies could help reduce emissions in other industries by enabling smarter systems in manufacturing, power transmission, transportation, and other sectors. The combined impact could amount to 7.8 metric gigatons, about 15% of the world's current GHG emissions -- far o [read] Keywords: collaboration
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TechEd ITPro - Day 1 - Barcelona is a 'dry' town
Mon, Nov 3rd 2008 6:29a Collaboration 2.0
Dry, but not in the alcoholic or drought context, we just have had no running water in the hotel this morning. The queue for the Gym shower resembled a scene from the 'Great Escape'. Stiff upper lips chaps
I have not yet registered for my conference gear - so my feel for the event itself will come in later posts but with an attendance of over 10000 during the next two weeks I suspect I am going to be busy.
More later [read] Keywords: collaboration
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GIS - the next generation
Sun, Nov 2nd 2008 6:29p Collaboration 2.0
The ESRI user conference last week brought together the brightest and best in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and geospatial collaboration. I went to see what was happening. Geographic information is getting 1] Richer (improved meta data) 2] More detailed spatial data (20 sq cm resolution) 3] Multi-dimensional (3D without glasses) 4] Centralised (pay as you go data sets for mash-ups).
There were a broad range of applications from local authorities fixing problems - FixMyStreet, to a much [read] Keywords: collaboration
applications
linking
soa
web 2.0
wiki
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The Microsoft sugar rush
Thu, Oct 30th 2008 6:00a Collaboration 2.0
pdc_ozzieAs the new dude in town, and with a cold wind whipping in from the economic prairies, this year's PDC and its associated announcements have given me more than simply a software sugar rush. Yes there have been lots of visual sweets (candy) to savour. But more than that I liked what MS has brought to the fore at a more fundamental level. Announcements ranging from the deeply technical to strategic directions illuminate the vision that Ray Ozzie has developed for data and device [read] Keywords: collaboration
ray ozzie
apple
microsoft
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Y'all have a nice day, now
Wed, Oct 29th 2008 6:00a Collaboration 2.0
Cisco CEO John Chambers was interviewed at the 2008 Gartner Symposium. This Southern gentleman made a compelling case for rich unified collaboration - a trend across the whole industry.
Techrepublic has posted a brief excerpt from his Q&A and unlike many it is quite enlightening and is worth 4 minutes of your life. On top of that to my ears he has a tremendous southern drawl. Fabulous.
Watch is here:blogs.techrepublic.com [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Ray Ozzie talks! - to the Beeb
Tue, Oct 28th 2008 7:29p Collaboration 2.0
I watched the live stream from the PDC keynotes for both days 1&2. From my reading of the Twitosphere, many felt that Ozzie's pitch too much like marketing flim-flam. To me it seemed that he was spelling out - clearly - a vision of Microsoft's direction. And as behoves his role letting others fill in the detail. Based on comments I read following the keynote yesterday the sentiment could be characterised as one of an Israelite buttonholing Moses after coming from Sinai saying, 'Hey Moshe, [read] Keywords: collaboration
ray ozzie
microsoft
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Who needs Friends?
Tue, Oct 28th 2008 8:29a Collaboration 2.0
A friend at Friends of the Earth tells me that while they are thrilled that the economic downturn will take pressure off the planet climate wise, the downside is that it makes fundraising difficult.
It's that old conundrum - Once a job is done why do you need to exist? Procreating man has been having to deal with that problem since the 80's [read] Keywords: collaboration
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High Hopes
Tue, Oct 28th 2008 3:59a Collaboration 2.0
One of the key areas for industrial grade collaboration is Compliance and by now you would have thought most European companies will have worked that out for themselves. But no, according to a recent article in Computer Weekly:
'Almost 46% of European companies do not comply with Sarbanes-Oxley according to thesurvey of over 500 IT directors sponsored by IT management software company, CA.
The survey, which included over 200 responses from European companies, also found that over a third o [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
microsoft
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IBM has WAS, Microsoft now has WAZ and its blue
Mon, Oct 27th 2008 1:50p Collaboration 2.0
From to 'Red Dog' code-name to the announcement of Microsoft Windows Azure (very blue), Ray Ozzie with his friends delivered a deft 2 hours presentation that opened the kimono to Microsoft's Web-tier operating system. Frankly much of the content washed over me, I am not a developer and the significance of some of it was hard for me to fully appreciate. Although not a developer the theme that came across to me throughout the pitch was controlled scalability: from the desk, to the serv [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
ray ozzie
development
enterprise
microsoft
server
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IBM launches Hosted Notes
Mon, Oct 27th 2008 11:30a Collaboration 2.0
IBM has launched a hosted version of its Lotus Notes messaging software, allowing companies with 1,000 to 10,000 employees to use the messaging platform without the need to purchase and install software. The company said that the Lotus Notes Hosted Messaging service will cost under $10 (£6.13) per user per month.
The service is IBM's effort to remodel the Lotus Notes communication suite as a web-based service. Previous moves have included the launch of email clients for the iPhone based on the [read] Keywords: collaboration
domino
ibm
inotes
lotus
notes
email
iphone
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Buddy, can you take some change?
Mon, Oct 27th 2008 8:59a Collaboration 2.0
While Barak Obama is pressing for change, many organisations are being forced into it; so how can you shorten the odds that any change program will bring about the intended results -- without destroying workforce morale. Be tough & empathetic. Make difficult, bottom-line decisions that serve the needs of your organisation but be sensitive to their impact on others. Show optimism & realism. See the upside of any challenge and be optimistic but don't shy away from the difficulties and [read] Keywords: collaboration
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TechEd EMEA 2008
Mon, Oct 27th 2008 6:02a Collaboration 2.0
I've have never attended a big Microsoft conference before, after many years of attending Lotusphere it will be quite an experience for me to attend the European TechEd in seven days time. Barcelona will give me a chance to compare the spirit of the MS community with my buddies from the Notes space and report on the difference - if any. Back in the late 90's IBM held three Lotuspheres in Europe but for its own reasons lost the desire to engage with its EMEA supporters and customers in such [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
lotusphere
notes
community
microsoft
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Dogs are a cat's best friend
Sun, Oct 26th 2008 4:02p Collaboration 2.0
Just a great little story I found on the the BBC website. 'A dog has risked its life to protect four kittens trapped in a house fire in Melbourne, Australia.' Check out the full story and video here [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
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Ray Ozzie an enigma wrapped up in conundrum
Sun, Oct 26th 2008 1:32p Collaboration 2.0
I have known (to a small extent) Ray Ozzie since around 1995. Ray is clearly a man of huge vision with an intellect to match. On rare occasions at big events he has shown the ability to enthuse a crowd. At IBM's Lotusphere in 1997 the shy man really thrilled the crowd with the launch of the 'Domino' server line and at the same event in 2005 he gave, to an adoring audience, what turned out to be a valedictory address as a few month later he and Groove was acquired by Microsoft. it is now three [read] Keywords: collaboration
domino
ibm
lotusphere
ray ozzie
apple
microsoft
server
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Write the future now
Fri, Oct 24th 2008 8:19a Collaboration 2.0
With the world in flux, the basis of power is moving from organisations to networks that have the ability to mobilise quickly, accomplish their goal, and then disperse. How do we respond in a world where funding is going down, money is tight but the social need is going to go up? How are these needs to be met? Our contribution can be by empowering more social networks and not clunky, bureaucratic organisations.
Many industries are woefully inefficient and siloed. Now it's time to change. There [read] Keywords: collaboration
workflow
email
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1969 A.D. - nice hair
Thu, Oct 23rd 2008 11:51a Collaboration 2.0
I subscribe to Techrepublic mainly as it supplies me with nice off the wall posts from time to time, a sort of chill-out zone for the stressed IT guy. I came across this post a couple of days ago and it really appealed to me. The author John Sheesley says: 'One of the most fun things about looking at how things used to be is to look at what people used to think "The Future" would look at. This video is a case in point. Here we have a vision of home computing from the time the original Star Trek [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
application
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Bowling Ball Conspiracy
Thu, Oct 23rd 2008 5:40a Collaboration 2.0
If you like good conspiracy theories try this one for size. The world economic collapse was brought about deliberately by the political force in the face of overwhelming concern about the environment. With the trend in climate change is much closer to the tipping point than previously admitted, that 'the powers that be' had to take a radical and dramatic step to stop consumerism from exacerbating the problem.
With the rich and powerful secure in their bubble and able to take advantage of any dow [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Bowling Ball Conspiracy
Thu, Oct 23rd 2008 5:40a Collaboration 2.0
If you like good conspiracy theories try this one for size. The world economic collapse was brought about deliberately by the political force in the face of overwhelming concern about the environment. With the trend in climate change is much closer to the tipping point than previously admitted, that 'the powers that be' had to take a radical and dramatic step to stop consumerism from exacerbating the problem.
With the rich and powerful secure in their bubble and able to take advantage of any dow [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Mary-Jo Foley, uber Blogger, Microsoft scourge and advocate
Wed, Oct 22nd 2008 6:49p Collaboration 2.0
One of our industry's most articulate voices is Mary-Jo Foley, her blog on ZDNET, All about Microsoft, is one of the most subscribed in the industry. I have been following Mary-Jo for quite some time but of course with renewed interest since I joined MS. It was a particularly nice co-incidence that during her book launch tour she hosted a Q&A at the UK Microsoft HQ and feeling a bit sheepish I sat at the back, listened and asked a couple of questions. What struck me during the hour lo [read] Keywords: collaboration
ibm
apple
blogger
blogging
google
linux
microsoft
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The emasculation of IT
Wed, Oct 22nd 2008 10:29a Collaboration 2.0
The consequences of the economic earthquake are now coming into sharp focus. Two clear trends from recent surveys and analyst reports (Networkworld Article here) agree that we are about to experience:
1. Budget Stretch 2. LOB IT independence Both of the above are likely to become apparent across businesses great and small.
Budget Stretch
It is most likely that budget in IT departments will be frozen or even trimmed over the next couple of years. This will force IT management to [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
application
applications
server
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How to escape death by a 1000 cuts
Tue, Oct 21st 2008 9:09a Collaboration 2.0
Many of the IT departments I've worked in or consulted to, do not have a communications or marketing program. In the history of business we're a young part of the mix. Our strategic value is vague and rarely articulated clearly. Many of us talk about things in technology and not in business terms.
If the belt is being tightened, having someone at the strategic planning table able to put forward cost saving or investment ideas that will help the organisation survive is critical. Start off by get [read] Keywords: collaboration
enterprise
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Man's best friend is not a conference call
Tue, Oct 21st 2008 4:59a Collaboration 2.0
It is interesting to join conference calls in any organisation, whether for product briefings, management updates or project co-ordination you nearly always end up more knowledgeable at then end of the call compared to the start. Regular users will recognise one aspect of this technology that many participants have failed to come to terms with: The mute function It is amazing how many conference calls are disrupted by attendees who fail either to understand the mute function of the applica [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
application
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The instrument of self-importance
Mon, Oct 20th 2008 8:09a Collaboration 2.0
I've previously blogged about the effect that spreadsheets had in creating the credit crunch. Will presentation software drive us further into the mire? From the number of 'Surviving the Downturn' presentations posted on the web by highly self-regarding professional firms it seems probable.
For example, the following apple-pie advice came from a major global consultancy. If you are facing a market in recession focus your teams' efforts on winning new business. Winning new business creates a feel [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Making love to an Elephant
Mon, Oct 20th 2008 5:00a Collaboration 2.0
It is now two weeks since I started working for Microsoft and I am really getting into it. I am doing my level best to consume the myriad's of offerings that this organisation has, technology, working environment and of course people. There is so much good stuff to be become au fait with. The sheer volume makes this a real task, it is a bit tiring and I am feeling the effort expended - but that is good. On the downside I feel like a mouse pleasuring an elephant. The mouse knows he is working [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Taking the mickey
Sun, Oct 19th 2008 7:19p Collaboration 2.0
I sat next to a global fund manager at lunch yesterday. Far from being gloomy he sees the UK banking sector coming out of the current crisis quite quickly. I pressed him on when and how. He gave me the why.
He'd just come back from a round-the-world trip. London, he said, was the only town where there wasn't an overpowering sense of gloom. Was this the British 'muddling through' spirit, I asked? The answer was revealing. In other towns no-one was prepared to make a joke of the current situation [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Opportunity Knocks
Fri, Oct 17th 2008 9:19a Collaboration 2.0
There's always opportunity in turbulent times. However, executives are often scared of placing bets on big projects in a fast-moving, chaotic economy. So now is the time to come up with a "portfolio of initiatives;" particularly ones that utilizes untapped skills and assets. Such IT projects, especially if they harvest some of the 'low hanging productivity fruit' that's always around any organisation, will let your execs see how you are helping while limiting any downside risk.
To start with, d [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Title Deflation
Thu, Oct 16th 2008 8:29a Collaboration 2.0
Job titles have seen a bubble of their own - has it burst too? The inflation of simple job descriptions by an exaggerated nomenclature may see a crash as people revamp their business cards to hide their responsibility for the recent debacle.
The trend started when the Accountant becoming Chief Financial Officer in the search of a seat on the Board, A trend that permeated every department - Personnel became Human Resources, lavatory attendants became Sanitization Officer. Who now, would want th [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Chatham House Rules - OK!
Thu, Oct 16th 2008 4:59a Collaboration 2.0
One of the secrets of a great discussion is openness. I was at an event last evening with the great and the good of the UK IT industry discussing trends, benefits, successes and failures of Outsourcing / Offshoring with a leading specialist from a top Global consultancy. Lots of people shared their experiences but none of the companies or individuals can be identified because the meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule. Wikipedia describes this as: "The Rule allows people to speak as ind [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Recovering Delusionist
Wed, Oct 15th 2008 2:40p Collaboration 2.0
As the dust settles from the current crisis and the adrenaline wears off an overwhelming weariness may overcome the affected -- which could be most of us. We may well be suffering from the exhaustion of delusion i.e. having to come to terms with having lived with the belief that the world is one thing only to find out it is another.
As recovering delusionists we will have to face up to some hard truths. However, IT professionals may be better prepared than most. After all we have been promisin [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Make Change Seem Urgent
Wed, Oct 15th 2008 11:30a Collaboration 2.0
The HBR's Management tip of the day suggests appealing to people's hearts, not just their minds in an effort to combat the complacency that can kill a key change initiative?
It recommends such tactics as bringing in emotionally compelling data, people, and images depicting what's going on in the industry, its markets, and the competition -- and showing that the company must alter course to survive.
It stresses demonstrating your own sense of urgency in every meeting, face-to-face exchanges, an [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Comcast starts to eat baby Plaxo
Wed, Oct 15th 2008 8:03a Collaboration 2.0
I have been very supportive towards Plaxo over a number of years - but that might now be cast into doubt. For those of you who don't know Plaxo it is described thus in Wikipedia: 'Plaxo provides automatic updating of contact information. Users and their contacts store their information on Plaxo's servers. When this information is edited by the user, the changes appear in the address books of all those who listed the account changer in their own books. Once contacts are stored in the central lo [read] Keywords: calendaring
collaboration
connections
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Collaboration Bubble Begins
Wed, Oct 15th 2008 6:03a Collaboration 2.0
With the rest of the West following Mr Brown's plan to save the banks (something The First Lord of the Treasury said he'd do in his conference speech) there seems to be a spirit of unity breaking out all over the place -- particularly in reference to the need for focussed Regulations to fit the new order.
As people in the near term will have to sing off the same regulatory song sheet in order to build confidence in the era of controlled capitalism the need to communicate transparently co [read] Keywords: collaboration
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One man's Collaboration is another man's SAP
Wed, Oct 15th 2008 4:50a Collaboration 2.0
I read this interesting article in Computer Weekly today, headlined SAP puts collaboration at heart of business strategy I was quite excited. Reading through the article I found the following: 'Apotheker said SAP would be focussing future development of its business suite of products and Netweaver integration middleware at meeting business needs to develop and maintain collaborative networks. "Business is becoming much more customer-centric, collaborative and relationship-driven, where ther [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Big Brother just got Bigger
Tue, Oct 14th 2008 7:29a Collaboration 2.0
Following the UK's near nationalisation of the banking industry, government now has greater access to our financial identities (an idea being picked up in other territories). With the astonishing cost to the taxpayer being spun to us as 'public ownership' how can we be sure the powers-that-be don't get access to our personal financial details.
With 'money laundering' legislation used more for tax avoidance reasons than terrorist or drug dealing prevention we should shake-in-our-boots at the tho [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Collaboration breaking out all over
Mon, Oct 13th 2008 9:29a Collaboration 2.0
With the UK PM doing his old job as Chancellor rather well (he'll have to return to PM'ing soon) it shows that if you've got a good idea and the means of disseminating it others will pick up and run with it. [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Wikipedia - Internet minnow
Mon, Oct 13th 2008 7:00a Collaboration 2.0
Last night 'English humorist, writer, wit, actor, novelist, filmmaker and television presenter', Stephen Fry presented 'Stephen Fry in America'. This is one of many BBC programmes currently focussed on the US in the final run up to the American election. Of all the montages that the first episode covered a short interview with legendary Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales caught my atention. During this segment he affirmed that the total number of Employees at Wikipedia is 10. If ever there w [read] Keywords: collaboration
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web 2.0
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Death by Spreadsheet
Mon, Oct 13th 2008 3:10a Collaboration 2.0
At lunch over the weekend a City head-hunter, postulated the idea that much of the appalling risk and debt management by financial institutions was due to the ubiquity of invalidated or non-compliant spreadsheet data. A logical step in a downturn is to cut and cut - be it staff and services - even abandoning operations. During such times there should be guidelines and options for austerity initiatives. Management by spreadsheet alone without regard for long term impact on customer habits and [read] Keywords: collaboration
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The US has run out of Zeroes
Thu, Oct 9th 2008 7:00a Collaboration 2.0
That's Zeroes not Heroes. Last year we stayed in a hotel very close to Times Sq, and I was taken by the famous debt clock - it keeps track of the enormous US national debt. Recent events have caused it a fairly major problem. The BBC reports: 'The digital counter marks the national debt level, but when that passed the $10 trillion point last month, the sign could not display the full amount.
The board was erected to highlight the $2.7 trillion level of debt in 1989.
The clock's owners sa [read] Keywords: collaboration
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There is a 50% chance your CIO does not care about your output!
Wed, Oct 8th 2008 6:39p Collaboration 2.0
A very interesting piece of research has come to light as reported by Computer Weekly. The report from Original Software and which cites IDC states: 'When asked how the importance of their software quality is perceived within the business, more than 40% of CIOs admitted "not at all" or "as a nice to have".
The Original Software study follows a recent IDC survey which revealed that more than 40% of all software applications are released with between one and ten critical defects, with the mana [read] Keywords: collaboration
apple
applications
profile
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Asbestos underclothes
Tue, Oct 7th 2008 6:40p Collaboration 2.0
I left home this morning contemplating the content of this post. It was going to be about how all our collaborative and web 2.0 technology could make the financial and economic crisis go away - but today's turmoil shows that they can't. The only solution is people. People at the top - People in the middle - People living at the bottom and their behaviour. In some respects the whole crisis and its causes looks like a business that has got out of control. I am sure we have all seen it - these ar [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Data centre savers
Tue, Oct 7th 2008 6:03a Collaboration 2.0
The market meltdown is no reason to take your eye off the energy crunch. However, it may have a fringe benefit. With all the 'consolidation' gong on in the banking sector and job losses in the 'City' there may be an easing of data centre restricions .
This time last year it was increasingly difficult to get extra rack space and additional power in key UK, European and US data centres. While integration and downsizing will take its time, speak to your centre manager and check out what might becom [read] Keywords: collaboration
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New Job - end of Day 1 and no sign of Darth Vader
Mon, Oct 6th 2008 6:43p Collaboration 2.0
Since announcing my employment at Microsoft I have had a couple of 'gone over to the dark side' comments. Well the only Vader like wheezing I heard today was from me (I am sort of asthmatic) - no death grips and no signs of Imperial Storm Troopers or Padawan learners! This sort of reaction comes from me joining a business that polarises peoples opinions in a similar manner to many other large corporates (for similar or different reasons) and there is nothing I can do about that. What I c [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Trust is the key to Collaboration
Mon, Oct 6th 2008 8:40a Collaboration 2.0
I've just been reading maturity level training material on managing projects. They're based on Prince2. One module looks at communication skills. A key area it focuses on is ensuring that the end-users of the project's outcome are as committed to its success as the client.
It is critically important when starting any collaboration project to make sure that, while people buy-in to a project, they actually have the time to support their intention. My experience in rolling-out collaborative applica [read] Keywords: collaboration
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Not to be outdone by Ed Brill, I too have a new job!
Mon, Oct 6th 2008 4:29a Collaboration 2.0
"It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life,
For me, And I'm feeling good"
So sings Michael Bublé and he could be singing about me.
Today I have changed my career and will be supporting the adoption of Groove into organizations across most of Western Europe (except UK, France and Germany).
Since 1988 I have been very privileged to have developed my passion for collaborative technology starting with cc:Mail and latterly with Notes and Domino and other Lotus products. But the [read] Keywords: collaboration
domino
lotus
notes
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