FT.com / Columnists / John Gapper - Google’s view into the lives of others
Google’s view into the lives of others
By John Gapper
Published: July 22 2007 18:58 | Last updated: July 22 2007 18:58
Google shows no signs of relenting in its effort to take over the world – sorry, to “organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Last week, it promised to bid $4.6bn (€3.3bn, £2.2bn) or more to run a mobile phone service in the US if the auction is conducted in the way that it wants. It also missed analysts’ expectations for its second-quarter earnings because it was in so much of a rush to employ people that it hired more than it intended.
Eric Schmidt, its chief executive, made clear at Allen and Company’s Sun Valley conference for media and technology executives 10 days ago that resistance to Google is useless. He dismissed the refusal of social networks such as Facebook to let search engines scan their content as a “transient” phase. He also took a potshot at Viacom, which sued Google over its YouTube video-hosting site, suggesting that the media group is simply an outfit run by lawyers.
Comments such as these make me worry that Mr Schmidt, who used to be a mild-mannered and open-minded soul, is becoming too big for his boots. The thing that unites these two remarks is the disdain they imply for anyone wanting to hide details of their private lives, or protect their intellectual property, from Google’s algorithms. They suggest that Google will eventually be able to publish all the data it wants and be justified in so doing. Neither claim is true.
Taking privacy first, young people are more comfortable than previous generations about giving out personal details to all-comers by posting gossip and photos on blogs and social networking sites. That may mark a sea change in social attitudes but it could equally be, pace Mr Schmidt, transient. It will only take a few job rejections or disciplinary actions by employers and universities (Oxford is already trawling for miscreants on Facebook) for privacy to regain its former cachet.
While it is useful for such organisations, and for the nosy, to have the lives of others searchable, it is not always useful for those whose lives are searched. One of Facebook’s appeals is that the site has privacy controls that allow users to share information only among their friends or chosen networks. If everyone’s entry were made “universally accessible” and showed up on Google searches, Facebook would soon lose its appeal to adult users.
Google’s fight with Viacom over breach of copyright on YouTube is analogous: YouTube wants to exploit something to which Viacom holds rights – video clips of programmes such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report – for its own benefit. It hopes to strike deals with companies such as Viacom to display such clips and share the resulting advertising revenue, just as it has already made deals with music companies including Warner and Universal.
Until then, YouTube plays cat and mouse with Viacom over the illegal posting of video clips on YouTube. It warns its users not to upload other people’s copyrighted content but has not put in place a filtering mechanism to identify and block pirated clips, as it has done with music owned by companies with which it has struck deals. Instead, it asks television and film companies to monitor the site and point out copyright-infringing clips, at which point it is willing to take these clips down.
This state of affairs suits YouTube (and, since Google acquired YouTube for $1.65bn last year, Mr Schmidt). Viacom has to take the time and the trouble to monitor YouTube; illegal clips stay up on YouTube until Viacom serves it with a take-down notice. It is impossible to identify how many video clips on YouTube are amateur and how many are professional but its 60 per cent of the US video-sharing market clearly owes much to copyright foot-dragging.
YouTube’s defence, which will be familiar to those with teenagers, is that it can’t do much about copyright infringement and, anyway, it doesn’t have to. It says that automatic filtering of videos is very hard to do; it is now testing a system with companies including Walt Disney but does not know when it will be ready to launch. Meanwhile, it insists that it is not required by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the US, or by European law, to block every breach of copyright.
I doubt whether Google is on such safe legal ground as Mr Schmidt asserts. Congress passed the relevant clauses of the DMCA to protect internet service providers and others from being held liable for breach of copyright by their users. But YouTube is not a neutral party to copyright infringement in the way that ISPs are: its business model is not merely to provide bandwidth but to encourage users to upload and share videos, many of which it knows quite well belong to other people.
As far as ethics go, it is definitely on shaky ground. If you were having a party in your house and, when your neighbour came around to complain about the noise, you said “sorry” and turned down the volume, only to allow a guest to raise it again five minutes later, you would obviously be in the wrong. The fact that you might have done enough to escape prosecution would not mean that you were behaving fairly.
Google’s motto is “Don’t be evil”, but it should meet higher standards. Mr Schmidt can muse about the digital future and ridicule Viacom for being run by lawyers all that he likes. The fact remains that he wants to profit from the private lives and intellectual property of others without obtaining their permission first. Never mind about not being evil, Mr Schmidt; don’t be anti-social.
john.gapper@ft.com
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
FT.com / Technology - Where do we go from here?
FT.com / Technology - Where do we go from here?
Where do we go from here?
Alan Cane
Published: July 11 2007 09:40 | Last updated: July 11 2007 09:40
It is easy these days to be overtaken by the future. Take e-mail, for example, the mainstay of modern business communication: “Younger people see e-mail as something older people do,” grimaces Don Rippert, chief technology officer for Accenture, the world’s largest consultancy.
“I thought it was a novel, next generation technology, but to young people it’s: ‘You should post to my site on MySpace [a social networking website], you should text message me, you should instant message me, why would you want to e-mail me? I don’t even check my inbox any more’.”
Indeed, the Gartner Group predicts that by 2011, instant messaging will be the de facto tool for voice, video and text communications in business. By then, of course, the young will have moved on to something else – refinements of the imaginary worlds of Second Life and other “virtual worlds”, or metaverses, perhaps.
Sometimes our technological future and our traditional present even collide, with risible results. “I will pay with my phone,” Tero Ojampera, Nokia’s chief technology officer, declared as he ordered coffee in a branch of McDonald’s, the fast food chain, expecting to be able to wave his handset over a wireless card reader. His waitress was unimpressed: “We don’t accept phones as payment,” she sniffed dismissively.
Such misunderstandings aside, near field communications (NFC), a short range (hand’s width) wireless technology, looks set to turn mobile handsets into electronic wallets and could revolutionise the way we pay for goods and services within the foreseeable future. Prototypes already exist and trials are under way, underlining a truism about forecasting technological futures: what we can reliably predict already exists, at least in the laboratory.
Beyond that, according to Andy Mulholland, chief technology officer at Capgemini, Europe’s largest computing services group, other factors cloud the issue: “I have a formula about where technology takes us. For a year ahead, you can be confident about where it is going because betas [prototypes in test] and alphas [finished designs] for the products which are going to come out already exist.
“For three years to five years ahead you have people collecting requirements definitions for the releases beyond that. Beyond five to 10 years, you might have an idea of what could come out of the laboratories. But from 10 to 20 years ahead, your only guidance is demographics: what people have grown up with and what they see as normal.”
So for this article, we will stick with the foreseeable and practical rather than the blue yonder. Inevitably, an expert’s view of the future is coloured by his or her area of expertise – Mr Ojampera looks forward to mobile handsets fabricated in new materials that would enable them to be bent or stretched, while Mr Mulholland anticipates technologies based on communications and interaction rather than today’s transaction-based approach.
But overall, this straw poll of some of the IT industry’s leading experts reflects a thoughtful, rather downbeat view of the future rather than the technocratic, gung-ho self-assurance of earlier years.
Many were concerned about personal privacy and security in a world where miniature video cameras would be ubiquitous and failure to safeguard sensitive data could open individuals and companies to legal action. “E-mail, voicemail and text messages used to be ethereal,” says Mike Lynch, chief executive of the UK company, Autonomy. “But no longer. Now you can see them being brought up in court.”
Crispin O’Brien, chairman of the technology group at consultancy KPMG, while questioning whether fixed line telephones have a future, worried about the mobile alternative: “There are huge, huge risks in mobile working,” he says. “If you leave a laptop on the back seat of a car, you could be in breach of all sorts of confidentiality issues.”
He argued that business was remiss to “just hunker down behind the firewall” – the defensive barrier at the perimeter of the business – rather than working out how to guard BlackBerrys – devices offering mobile e-mail and more – from eavesdroppers. “Mobile working and devices such as the BlackBerry require a new approach to security,” he says. The French security service’s recent decision to ban BlackBerrys from the president and prime minister’s offices underlines the point.
Mobility is clearly a challenge and opportunity. Mr Ojampera of Nokia thought the principal underlying trend would be the merging of mobility and Web 2.0 – shorthand for the latest iteration of the World Wide Web that emphasises interactivity and shared experiences: “Communities of people sharing experiences combined with a very intelligent mobile device which ‘knows’ your location will bring a completely new type of interactivity.”
He predicted in three or four years the emergence of mobile devices with visual recognition technology linked to intelligent databases. A tourist in London for example, could point their mobile phone at the Houses of Parliament. The phone would recognise the image and provide a commentary – perhaps spelling the beginning of the end for the tour guide?
Mr Ojampera also argued the next iteration of the internet would be created around mobile rather than the fixed computers. Each individual’s mobile device would become a web server in its own right with other internet users given specific rights to access the content.
According to Mike Lynch of Autonomy, the emergence of the first elements of Web 2.0 such as YouTube and MySpace and other social networking sites represents the biggest change in the IT industry since its formation.
Instead of simplifying the material world so that it can be handled by computers, people now expect computers to be able to cope with human-friendly information: “Rather than us being slaves to what the computer needs, the computer will have to follow what we like.”
The cause, of course, is the explosion of unstructured information and Mr Lynch, as head of a company that specialises in the management and retrieval of such information, is in no doubt about the complexity of dealing with it: “No one is going to be able to tag every piece of information and knowledge, even if they agreed on how the tags are defined. It’s a case of the hype getting ahead of the reality.”
Important information will, however, be tagged with metadata and made easily accessible. Andrew Herbert, head of Microsoft’s Cambridge laboratories, argues that computers will increasingly become a prothesis for civilisation’s overburdened memories: “The computers will know who you work with and show you things before you need them.
“So if you usually interact with certain documents while you have the monthly accounts open, then the computer might go ahead and get those documents ready for you in case you need them. It will be a sort of intelligent pre-search function – in search, we’re moving on from searching on key words to searching for concepts and the technology behind this is machine learning.”
There is broad agreement that there will be fundamental changes to ways of working. Don Rippert of Accenture points to an increase in the use of contractors – people employed for specific projects – and ways of substituting for today’s centralised workforces: “Having people drive through traffic for an hour to get to work will become unacceptable.”
“Increasingly, we will have to find ways for a distributed workforce to collaborate across time and distance,” he says, arguing that the latest, highly realistic videoconferencing systems would play a part, as would elements of Web 2.0: “Look at how teenagers use computers and the internet. They seem to be able to collaborate with each other with no effort whatsoever.”
He argues that derivatives of consumer products such as MySpace could be used in an enterprise setting. It was already happening in an informal way: “If you put SOA into a keyword search in YouTube [a video-sharing website] you will get video after video about service oriented architecture” – hardly regarded as a popular topic on teenage-orientated websites.
Crispin O’Brien of KPMG agrees that the elements of Web 2.0 – something he called Enterprise 2.0, or social networking in a business context – would be significant: “The more you can network people in an informal way, the more value a company can create,” he says.
He also argues that computers have to behave more like humans and that the next phase of workplace IT could be as influenced by social anthropology as by writers of computer code.
John Gage, chief researcher for Sun Microsystems, combines the sinister and social potential of technological progress in pointing out that, in his view, the big issue is the conjunction of the identity of people, objects, programs and data with location.
“Couple Google’s plans to map the surface of the Earth to an accuracy of 20cm with global positioning systems – which means the position of the 2bn-3bn existing mobile devices could be located to within a metre – with IPV6 [the latest internet protocol that allows for a virtually unlimited number of internet addresses and therefore objects connected to the internet] and we have the makings of a police state as well as incredible logistical power. We would know the location of every package, truck, container vehicle and traffic jam.”
In fact, with the latest storage and processing technologies, the capability is almost here to record every incident in an individual’s life. But is that something to which we should aspire, the experts ask?
Some corners of every life are best left dark. Indeed, bloggers are already being warned that their words ay come back to haunt them in later life in applying for jobs or promotion.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Where do we go from here?
Alan Cane
Published: July 11 2007 09:40 | Last updated: July 11 2007 09:40
It is easy these days to be overtaken by the future. Take e-mail, for example, the mainstay of modern business communication: “Younger people see e-mail as something older people do,” grimaces Don Rippert, chief technology officer for Accenture, the world’s largest consultancy.
“I thought it was a novel, next generation technology, but to young people it’s: ‘You should post to my site on MySpace [a social networking website], you should text message me, you should instant message me, why would you want to e-mail me? I don’t even check my inbox any more’.”
Indeed, the Gartner Group predicts that by 2011, instant messaging will be the de facto tool for voice, video and text communications in business. By then, of course, the young will have moved on to something else – refinements of the imaginary worlds of Second Life and other “virtual worlds”, or metaverses, perhaps.
Sometimes our technological future and our traditional present even collide, with risible results. “I will pay with my phone,” Tero Ojampera, Nokia’s chief technology officer, declared as he ordered coffee in a branch of McDonald’s, the fast food chain, expecting to be able to wave his handset over a wireless card reader. His waitress was unimpressed: “We don’t accept phones as payment,” she sniffed dismissively.
Such misunderstandings aside, near field communications (NFC), a short range (hand’s width) wireless technology, looks set to turn mobile handsets into electronic wallets and could revolutionise the way we pay for goods and services within the foreseeable future. Prototypes already exist and trials are under way, underlining a truism about forecasting technological futures: what we can reliably predict already exists, at least in the laboratory.
Beyond that, according to Andy Mulholland, chief technology officer at Capgemini, Europe’s largest computing services group, other factors cloud the issue: “I have a formula about where technology takes us. For a year ahead, you can be confident about where it is going because betas [prototypes in test] and alphas [finished designs] for the products which are going to come out already exist.
“For three years to five years ahead you have people collecting requirements definitions for the releases beyond that. Beyond five to 10 years, you might have an idea of what could come out of the laboratories. But from 10 to 20 years ahead, your only guidance is demographics: what people have grown up with and what they see as normal.”
So for this article, we will stick with the foreseeable and practical rather than the blue yonder. Inevitably, an expert’s view of the future is coloured by his or her area of expertise – Mr Ojampera looks forward to mobile handsets fabricated in new materials that would enable them to be bent or stretched, while Mr Mulholland anticipates technologies based on communications and interaction rather than today’s transaction-based approach.
But overall, this straw poll of some of the IT industry’s leading experts reflects a thoughtful, rather downbeat view of the future rather than the technocratic, gung-ho self-assurance of earlier years.
Many were concerned about personal privacy and security in a world where miniature video cameras would be ubiquitous and failure to safeguard sensitive data could open individuals and companies to legal action. “E-mail, voicemail and text messages used to be ethereal,” says Mike Lynch, chief executive of the UK company, Autonomy. “But no longer. Now you can see them being brought up in court.”
Crispin O’Brien, chairman of the technology group at consultancy KPMG, while questioning whether fixed line telephones have a future, worried about the mobile alternative: “There are huge, huge risks in mobile working,” he says. “If you leave a laptop on the back seat of a car, you could be in breach of all sorts of confidentiality issues.”
He argued that business was remiss to “just hunker down behind the firewall” – the defensive barrier at the perimeter of the business – rather than working out how to guard BlackBerrys – devices offering mobile e-mail and more – from eavesdroppers. “Mobile working and devices such as the BlackBerry require a new approach to security,” he says. The French security service’s recent decision to ban BlackBerrys from the president and prime minister’s offices underlines the point.
Mobility is clearly a challenge and opportunity. Mr Ojampera of Nokia thought the principal underlying trend would be the merging of mobility and Web 2.0 – shorthand for the latest iteration of the World Wide Web that emphasises interactivity and shared experiences: “Communities of people sharing experiences combined with a very intelligent mobile device which ‘knows’ your location will bring a completely new type of interactivity.”
He predicted in three or four years the emergence of mobile devices with visual recognition technology linked to intelligent databases. A tourist in London for example, could point their mobile phone at the Houses of Parliament. The phone would recognise the image and provide a commentary – perhaps spelling the beginning of the end for the tour guide?
Mr Ojampera also argued the next iteration of the internet would be created around mobile rather than the fixed computers. Each individual’s mobile device would become a web server in its own right with other internet users given specific rights to access the content.
According to Mike Lynch of Autonomy, the emergence of the first elements of Web 2.0 such as YouTube and MySpace and other social networking sites represents the biggest change in the IT industry since its formation.
Instead of simplifying the material world so that it can be handled by computers, people now expect computers to be able to cope with human-friendly information: “Rather than us being slaves to what the computer needs, the computer will have to follow what we like.”
The cause, of course, is the explosion of unstructured information and Mr Lynch, as head of a company that specialises in the management and retrieval of such information, is in no doubt about the complexity of dealing with it: “No one is going to be able to tag every piece of information and knowledge, even if they agreed on how the tags are defined. It’s a case of the hype getting ahead of the reality.”
Important information will, however, be tagged with metadata and made easily accessible. Andrew Herbert, head of Microsoft’s Cambridge laboratories, argues that computers will increasingly become a prothesis for civilisation’s overburdened memories: “The computers will know who you work with and show you things before you need them.
“So if you usually interact with certain documents while you have the monthly accounts open, then the computer might go ahead and get those documents ready for you in case you need them. It will be a sort of intelligent pre-search function – in search, we’re moving on from searching on key words to searching for concepts and the technology behind this is machine learning.”
There is broad agreement that there will be fundamental changes to ways of working. Don Rippert of Accenture points to an increase in the use of contractors – people employed for specific projects – and ways of substituting for today’s centralised workforces: “Having people drive through traffic for an hour to get to work will become unacceptable.”
“Increasingly, we will have to find ways for a distributed workforce to collaborate across time and distance,” he says, arguing that the latest, highly realistic videoconferencing systems would play a part, as would elements of Web 2.0: “Look at how teenagers use computers and the internet. They seem to be able to collaborate with each other with no effort whatsoever.”
He argues that derivatives of consumer products such as MySpace could be used in an enterprise setting. It was already happening in an informal way: “If you put SOA into a keyword search in YouTube [a video-sharing website] you will get video after video about service oriented architecture” – hardly regarded as a popular topic on teenage-orientated websites.
Crispin O’Brien of KPMG agrees that the elements of Web 2.0 – something he called Enterprise 2.0, or social networking in a business context – would be significant: “The more you can network people in an informal way, the more value a company can create,” he says.
He also argues that computers have to behave more like humans and that the next phase of workplace IT could be as influenced by social anthropology as by writers of computer code.
John Gage, chief researcher for Sun Microsystems, combines the sinister and social potential of technological progress in pointing out that, in his view, the big issue is the conjunction of the identity of people, objects, programs and data with location.
“Couple Google’s plans to map the surface of the Earth to an accuracy of 20cm with global positioning systems – which means the position of the 2bn-3bn existing mobile devices could be located to within a metre – with IPV6 [the latest internet protocol that allows for a virtually unlimited number of internet addresses and therefore objects connected to the internet] and we have the makings of a police state as well as incredible logistical power. We would know the location of every package, truck, container vehicle and traffic jam.”
In fact, with the latest storage and processing technologies, the capability is almost here to record every incident in an individual’s life. But is that something to which we should aspire, the experts ask?
Some corners of every life are best left dark. Indeed, bloggers are already being warned that their words ay come back to haunt them in later life in applying for jobs or promotion.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Google's Postini Buy Will Boost Gmail Corporate Appeal
Google's Postini Buy Will Boost Gmail Corporate Appeal
Google's planned acquisition of Postini shows a commitment to penetrate the enterprise e-mail market. The purchase will provide needed business features for Gmail, and thereby enhance its attractiveness for enterprises.
Google's planned acquisition of Postini shows a commitment to penetrate the enterprise e-mail market. The purchase will provide needed business features for Gmail, and thereby enhance its attractiveness for enterprises.
With Purchase, Google Targets Large Businesses - washingtonpost.com
With Purchase, Google Targets Large Businesses - washingtonpost.com
With Purchase, Google Targets Large Businesses
By Kendra Marr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 10, 2007; Page D01
Google delved deeper into the business software market yesterday with its announcement it would acquire Postini for $625 million in cash.
Postini, a closely held company with about 300 employees, sells software that protects e-mail, instant messaging and other Web-based communications from viruses and spam. The company said it hopes the acquisition would attract larger business clients seeking to comply with complex security regulations.
With Purchase, Google Targets Large Businesses
By Kendra Marr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 10, 2007; Page D01
Google delved deeper into the business software market yesterday with its announcement it would acquire Postini for $625 million in cash.
Postini, a closely held company with about 300 employees, sells software that protects e-mail, instant messaging and other Web-based communications from viruses and spam. The company said it hopes the acquisition would attract larger business clients seeking to comply with complex security regulations.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Autonomy bietet Suchtechnologie für Microsofts Sharepoint Server 2007
Autonomy bietet Suchtechnologie für Microsofts Sharepoint Server 2007
Autonomy, ein Unternehmen der Suchtechnologie für Großunternehmen, stellt den IDOL-Server jetzt für Kunden von Microsofts SharePoint Server 2007 zur Verfügung. Mit über 500 erweiterten Funktionen als SharePoint Web Parts bietet IDOL jetzt eine flexible Grundlage für die unternehmensweite Verarbeitung strukturierter und unstrukturierter Daten. Die Technologie von Autonomy verfügt über ein konzeptionelles und textuelles Verständnis für jegliche Art von elektronischen Daten und ermöglicht damit die Suche nach Informationen in Texten, E-Mails, Audio- oder Videodateien.
Autonomy, ein Unternehmen der Suchtechnologie für Großunternehmen, stellt den IDOL-Server jetzt für Kunden von Microsofts SharePoint Server 2007 zur Verfügung. Mit über 500 erweiterten Funktionen als SharePoint Web Parts bietet IDOL jetzt eine flexible Grundlage für die unternehmensweite Verarbeitung strukturierter und unstrukturierter Daten. Die Technologie von Autonomy verfügt über ein konzeptionelles und textuelles Verständnis für jegliche Art von elektronischen Daten und ermöglicht damit die Suche nach Informationen in Texten, E-Mails, Audio- oder Videodateien.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Autonomy Buys Zantaz To Beef Up Enterprise Archival Searching -- Autonomy Corp. -- InformationWeek
Autonomy Buys Zantaz To Beef Up Enterprise Archival Searching -- Autonomy Corp. -- InformationWeek
Autonomy is buying the e-mail archiving firm for $375 million.
Autonomy is buying the e-mail archiving firm for $375 million.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Small Firms Take on Big SaaS Integration Woes | The Intelligent Enterprise Blog
Small Firms Take on Big SaaS Integration Woes | The Intelligent Enterprise Blog
Small Firms Take on Big SaaS Integration Woes
Posted by David Linthicum
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
10:47 AM
As highlighted in this article by Computer Weekly, SMBs using SaaS face a complex integration challenge.
"According to research firm Saugatuck Technology, as more companies use SaaS, the need to integrate those applications with the rest of a company's systems grows. In fact, 17 percent of SMBs are using more than one application delivered via SaaS, according to the Westport, Conn.-based firm's findings."
Small Firms Take on Big SaaS Integration Woes
Posted by David Linthicum
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
10:47 AM
As highlighted in this article by Computer Weekly, SMBs using SaaS face a complex integration challenge.
"According to research firm Saugatuck Technology, as more companies use SaaS, the need to integrate those applications with the rest of a company's systems grows. In fact, 17 percent of SMBs are using more than one application delivered via SaaS, according to the Westport, Conn.-based firm's findings."
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
InterRed eröffnet mit integriertem Online-CRM 1:1 Marketing in einer neuen Dimension
InterRed eröffnet mit integriertem Online-CRM 1:1 Marketing in einer neuen Dimension
Auch dieses Jahr war die InterRed GmbH auf den vom InterRed Kunden IM-Marketing Forum veranstalteten Mailingtagen in Nürnberg vertreten. Die im Rahmen des Messefokus präsentierten InterRed Online Spezialitäten wie Communityfunktionen und Online-CRM sowie die Weiterentwicklungen in der Katalogproduktion fesselten die
Interessierten an den Stand.
Katalogproduktion, die keine Wünsche offen lässt
Die an crossmedialer Katalogproduktion interessierten Messebesucher waren besonders von der Fähigkeit InterReds angetan, dass das auch professionellen Verlagsanforderungen genügende, sehr ausgefeilte Workflowmanagement dennoch komfortabel und Komplexität reduzierend auf alle Bedürfnisse der automatisierten Katalogproduktion anzupassen ist. Dass dieselben medienneutral gehaltenen Daten auch für andere
Ausgabekanäle wie Online oder CD/DVD-Produktion zur Verfügung stehen, ist mittlerweile als InterRed-Standard bekannt.
1:1 Marketing mit InterRed
Erstmalig auf den Mailingtagen wurden den Interessenten zudem Einblicke in die neuen, zusätzlichen Marketing-Möglichkeiten des
InterRed Online Systems ermöglicht. Teilweise mit Verblüffung
reagierten die Standbesucher bei der Aussicht, die für eine Community notwendige Nutzerprofilierung für gezielte bzw. äußerst gezielte Werbeplatzierungen nutzbar zu machen. Das Ziel, dieses Potential den relevanten Entscheidern bekannt zu machen, war ein zentrales Anliegen der InterRed GmbH.
Fazit: Erfolgreicher Messeauftritt auf den 8. Nürnberger
Mailingtagen
Die InterRed GmbH kann zufrieden auf fruchtbare und zielführende Gespräche sowie eine rundum gelungene Veranstaltung zurückblicken. So bleibt nur, den aktuellen und zukünftigen Ausrichtern viel Erfolg bei der Organisation und Gestaltung der nächsten Messe zu wünschen.
20.06.2007, Bertram Wagner
Auch dieses Jahr war die InterRed GmbH auf den vom InterRed Kunden IM-Marketing Forum veranstalteten Mailingtagen in Nürnberg vertreten. Die im Rahmen des Messefokus präsentierten InterRed Online Spezialitäten wie Communityfunktionen und Online-CRM sowie die Weiterentwicklungen in der Katalogproduktion fesselten die
Interessierten an den Stand.
Katalogproduktion, die keine Wünsche offen lässt
Die an crossmedialer Katalogproduktion interessierten Messebesucher waren besonders von der Fähigkeit InterReds angetan, dass das auch professionellen Verlagsanforderungen genügende, sehr ausgefeilte Workflowmanagement dennoch komfortabel und Komplexität reduzierend auf alle Bedürfnisse der automatisierten Katalogproduktion anzupassen ist. Dass dieselben medienneutral gehaltenen Daten auch für andere
Ausgabekanäle wie Online oder CD/DVD-Produktion zur Verfügung stehen, ist mittlerweile als InterRed-Standard bekannt.
1:1 Marketing mit InterRed
Erstmalig auf den Mailingtagen wurden den Interessenten zudem Einblicke in die neuen, zusätzlichen Marketing-Möglichkeiten des
InterRed Online Systems ermöglicht. Teilweise mit Verblüffung
reagierten die Standbesucher bei der Aussicht, die für eine Community notwendige Nutzerprofilierung für gezielte bzw. äußerst gezielte Werbeplatzierungen nutzbar zu machen. Das Ziel, dieses Potential den relevanten Entscheidern bekannt zu machen, war ein zentrales Anliegen der InterRed GmbH.
Fazit: Erfolgreicher Messeauftritt auf den 8. Nürnberger
Mailingtagen
Die InterRed GmbH kann zufrieden auf fruchtbare und zielführende Gespräche sowie eine rundum gelungene Veranstaltung zurückblicken. So bleibt nur, den aktuellen und zukünftigen Ausrichtern viel Erfolg bei der Organisation und Gestaltung der nächsten Messe zu wünschen.
20.06.2007, Bertram Wagner
Monday, June 18, 2007
e-Spirit-Forum informiert zum Thema SAP Portal und CMS
e-Spirit-Forum informiert zum Thema SAP Portal und CMS
In Fachvorträgen und Anwendererfahrungen können Interessenten sich über den Einsatz des Content-Management- Systems FIRSTspirit im SAP NetWeaver Portal informieren
Die e-Spirit GmbH, Hersteller des Content-Management- Systems FIRSTspirit, veranstaltet am 24. Juli 2007 im Mercedes-Benz Center in München ein Forum zum Thema SAP und CMS. "FIRSTspirit im SAP NetWeaver Portal" bietet Fachvorträge und Erfahrungsberichte von Vertretern der SAP Deutschland GmbH, der EADS Group und der Knorr-Bremse AG sowie eine FIRSTspirit Live-Demonstration.
Die halbtägige Veranstaltung gliedert sich in drei Teile: Am Vormittag berichten Vertreter der EADS Group und der Knorr-Bremse AG von ihren Praxiserfahrungen bei der Integration des CMS FIRSTspirit in das SAP NetWeaver Portal in ihrem jeweiligen Unternehmen. Ab Mittag folgen Fachvorträge des SAP-Produktmanagements zu den Grundfunktionalitäten der SAP-Lösung Web-Page Composer (WPC) sowie eines SAP-Beraters zu strategischen Lösungsansätzen.
Im Anschluss bekommen die Teilnehmer bei einer Live-Demonstration durch einen Vertreter der e-Spirit GmbH Einblicke in die praktische Umsetzung.
Ein gemeinsames Business-Lunch im Anschluss gibt die Gelegenheit, sich über die Inhalte des Forums auszutauschen und die Veranstaltung ausklingen zu lassen.
18.06.2007, Christiane Capps
In Fachvorträgen und Anwendererfahrungen können Interessenten sich über den Einsatz des Content-Management- Systems FIRSTspirit im SAP NetWeaver Portal informieren
Die e-Spirit GmbH, Hersteller des Content-Management- Systems FIRSTspirit, veranstaltet am 24. Juli 2007 im Mercedes-Benz Center in München ein Forum zum Thema SAP und CMS. "FIRSTspirit im SAP NetWeaver Portal" bietet Fachvorträge und Erfahrungsberichte von Vertretern der SAP Deutschland GmbH, der EADS Group und der Knorr-Bremse AG sowie eine FIRSTspirit Live-Demonstration.
Die halbtägige Veranstaltung gliedert sich in drei Teile: Am Vormittag berichten Vertreter der EADS Group und der Knorr-Bremse AG von ihren Praxiserfahrungen bei der Integration des CMS FIRSTspirit in das SAP NetWeaver Portal in ihrem jeweiligen Unternehmen. Ab Mittag folgen Fachvorträge des SAP-Produktmanagements zu den Grundfunktionalitäten der SAP-Lösung Web-Page Composer (WPC) sowie eines SAP-Beraters zu strategischen Lösungsansätzen.
Im Anschluss bekommen die Teilnehmer bei einer Live-Demonstration durch einen Vertreter der e-Spirit GmbH Einblicke in die praktische Umsetzung.
Ein gemeinsames Business-Lunch im Anschluss gibt die Gelegenheit, sich über die Inhalte des Forums auszutauschen und die Veranstaltung ausklingen zu lassen.
18.06.2007, Christiane Capps
Thursday, June 14, 2007
e-Spirit expandiert in die Schweiz
e-Spirit expandiert in die Schweiz
Hersteller des CMS FIRSTspirit will aktiv neue Märkte erschließen
Das Dortmunder Softwarehaus e-Spirit hat seit diesem Monat auch einen Standort in der Schweiz. e-Spirit ist der Hersteller von FIRSTspirit, dem Content Management System für internationale Konzerne und den gehobenen Mittelstand.
Um sich mit seinem Produkt dem Schweizer Markt vorzustellen, nutzte das Unternehmen die ITC-Fachmesse Orbit-iEX, die dieses Jahr vom 22.-25. Mai in Zürich stattfand.
Jörn Bodemann, Geschäftsführer von e-Spirit, erklärt die Gründe für den Schritt ins Nachbarland: "Schon in der Vergangenheit konnten wir viele Kunden mit Sitz in der Schweiz gewinnen, darunter Schweizer Industriegesellschaft SIG und Würth Phoenix Schweiz. Jetzt wollen wir den Markt aktiv angehen und unser Kunden-Portfolio gezielt weiter ausbauen."
Verantwortlich vor Ort ist der neue Country Manager Markus Hümbeli. Der Betriebsökonom FH war bisher unter anderem als Key Account Manager für IBM Schweiz und als Regional Sales Manager für die Mercury Schweiz tätig. Er wird nun das FIRSTspirit-Lizenzgeschäft und Professional Services von e-Spirit von den neuen Züricher Geschäftsräumen aus koordinieren.
11.06.2007, Christiane Capps
Hersteller des CMS FIRSTspirit will aktiv neue Märkte erschließen
Das Dortmunder Softwarehaus e-Spirit hat seit diesem Monat auch einen Standort in der Schweiz. e-Spirit ist der Hersteller von FIRSTspirit, dem Content Management System für internationale Konzerne und den gehobenen Mittelstand.
Um sich mit seinem Produkt dem Schweizer Markt vorzustellen, nutzte das Unternehmen die ITC-Fachmesse Orbit-iEX, die dieses Jahr vom 22.-25. Mai in Zürich stattfand.
Jörn Bodemann, Geschäftsführer von e-Spirit, erklärt die Gründe für den Schritt ins Nachbarland: "Schon in der Vergangenheit konnten wir viele Kunden mit Sitz in der Schweiz gewinnen, darunter Schweizer Industriegesellschaft SIG und Würth Phoenix Schweiz. Jetzt wollen wir den Markt aktiv angehen und unser Kunden-Portfolio gezielt weiter ausbauen."
Verantwortlich vor Ort ist der neue Country Manager Markus Hümbeli. Der Betriebsökonom FH war bisher unter anderem als Key Account Manager für IBM Schweiz und als Regional Sales Manager für die Mercury Schweiz tätig. Er wird nun das FIRSTspirit-Lizenzgeschäft und Professional Services von e-Spirit von den neuen Züricher Geschäftsräumen aus koordinieren.
11.06.2007, Christiane Capps
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
FT.com / Home UK / UK - Understanding Business Technology Introduction
FT.com / Home UK / UK - Introduction
Understanding Business Technology Introduction
By Alan Cane, Senior Technology Correspondent
Published: March 17 2007 07:57 | Last updated: March 17 2007 07:57
There has never been a more important time to understand business technology. Let me re-phrase that somewhat bombastic claim: there has never been a more important time to understand the way technology is reshaping the way business is conducted and the implications for management of the spread of technology throughout a company’s operations.
Nobody is expecting executives to become technicians or to learn computer programming. But technology is changing swiftly and without a sound appreciation of the principles involved, executives will struggle to make the most of its potential and are likely to fall victim to its pitfalls – of which there can be many.
These changes are a consequence of the way the personal computer, broadband internet and the collapse in the real cost of computing have begun to do away with the barriers which once separated the data processing department, essentially an organisation within an organisation, from the rest of the company.
Those barriers often resulted in a schism between information technology and the business, a separation marked by mutual distrust where neither side spoke the same language or espoused the same business objectives. While things are changing rapidly with the growth of high capacity intranets and the internet and high powered small computers, many of these attitudes remain – to the extent that a new kind of executive, the business liaison officer, who is well-versed in both technology and business is emerging in a number of companies to act as interpreter between the two sides.
Conventional data processing will not go away any day soon – too many companies have too much invested in legacy systems responsible for processing orders and keeping track of inventory – but existing technologies and processes are evolving at the same time as new technologies are being developed which present both IT staff and business executives with new challenges. One such challenge is Service Oriented Architecture or SOA which, on the one hand, opens a company to a number of innovative relationships with its customers but on the other allows “outsiders” unprecedented access to its data systems.
It follows that business executives must themselves become au fait with the elements of business technology for a number of reasons. First, because of the need to be a “good customer” when specifying and managing new IT projects. The most common cause of the failure of a computer project to come in on cost and budget and to meet user objectives is a lack of empathy between the commissioner – the business – and the supplier – the IT department. Few large projects are completed without changes along the way and change management is crucial to controlling costs and handling risk. Business executives should have a good working knowledge of what is possible and what is not if disasters are to be avoided.
Second, cost. The data processing department has traditionally been seen as a cost on the business rather than a profit centre. It remains one of the most expensive elements of the average company’s budget even if IT spend is expected to be flat or only slightly positive for the next few years.
What is not immediately obvious, however, is that the lion’s share of that budget – perhaps 60 per cent or more – is swallowed up in simply “keeping the lights on”: running the company’s existing systems and carrying out routine maintenance. This means that comparatively small sums, as little as 20 per cent of the overall budget in many cases, may be left over to finance new work. In the worst cases, only 2 per cent of budget may be available for innovation. Hence, the interest in technologies such as grid computing and virtualisation which are designed to cut costs and allow companies to make better use of their existing equipment.
The problem for many companies stems from the fact that IT grows in an unco-ordinated manner. Every time a new project is started, new hardware and software is purchased leading to a surfeit of computers and, more seriously, a surfeit of software licences which have to be renewed annually at a significant cost – a phenomenon known as “overlicencing”.
Grid computing is an approach to cutting costs through which all or many of the company’s computers are linked in a network so that all the available computer power can be utilised by sharing processing between the several machines. Virtualisation allows a single machine to run several operating systems at the same time: the result is less power consumption, more efficiency, a smaller physical “footprint”, flexibility and lower costs.
Storage is another big issue. In the past, companies simply created a hierarchy of storage media, moving information from high speed disks, to lower capacity systems and finally to low-cost tape. But no longer. Changes in the law means that corporate information in many forms including e-mails must be easy to retrieve at all times.
Storage also represents a new and significant risk for companies as the growing capacity of devices such as USB memories, iPods, mobile cameras and digital assistants make it possible for employees to walk out of a company with much of the company’s intellectual assets in their pockets. This is a very real problem which can only be solved by vigilance and by using software which refuses to allow foreign devices access to corporate systems. Furthermore, for most companies the law demands that the security of its information be guaranteed.
The law, in fact, casts a long shadow over IT operations these days. Software piracy is still rife even in developed economies and the threat of jail hangs over managers who knowingly allow pirated or counterfeit software to be used in their companies. So, it’s important to know that your software comes from a reputable source. Surveys in the UK, however, suggest that very little counterfeit software is in circulation. By far the greatest problem is software with a dodgy licence. This could include software imported illegally from abroad, educational licences being used in non-educational establishments and software upgrades purchased without the underlying licence in place. As software typically comprises the second largest component in a company’s IT spend, it is important to have disciplined procurement and management procedures in place. And that is a management responsibility.
Project management, cost, legality: all these stem from ideas of best practice in IT management. The most important reason for executives to understand business technology today, however, is the new options it opens up for business innovation. It is no longer enough, for example, simply to operate a website through which customers can obtain news and information. The latest internet development, “Web 2.0”, essentially describes a range of technologies which allow the customer to interact with the website in a variety of ways. Among the most futuristic is “Second Life”, one of a series of “metaverses” or imaginary universes in cyberspace where business is conducted between “avatars” or electronic representations of real people. It is, however, no more than a somewhat unusual alternative interface to the internet, an all-singing, all-dancing browser.
Second Life is a suitably exotic example with which to conclude this brief introduction to modern business technologies. Over the next few weeks, down-to-earth topics including customer relationship management, human capital management, supply chain management and financial management will be explored and explained,including discussion of how to maximise their business benefits. Don’t forget, however, the potential of SOA and Web 2.0 to transform the mainstream to the leading edge.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Understanding Business Technology Introduction
By Alan Cane, Senior Technology Correspondent
Published: March 17 2007 07:57 | Last updated: March 17 2007 07:57
There has never been a more important time to understand business technology. Let me re-phrase that somewhat bombastic claim: there has never been a more important time to understand the way technology is reshaping the way business is conducted and the implications for management of the spread of technology throughout a company’s operations.
Nobody is expecting executives to become technicians or to learn computer programming. But technology is changing swiftly and without a sound appreciation of the principles involved, executives will struggle to make the most of its potential and are likely to fall victim to its pitfalls – of which there can be many.
These changes are a consequence of the way the personal computer, broadband internet and the collapse in the real cost of computing have begun to do away with the barriers which once separated the data processing department, essentially an organisation within an organisation, from the rest of the company.
Those barriers often resulted in a schism between information technology and the business, a separation marked by mutual distrust where neither side spoke the same language or espoused the same business objectives. While things are changing rapidly with the growth of high capacity intranets and the internet and high powered small computers, many of these attitudes remain – to the extent that a new kind of executive, the business liaison officer, who is well-versed in both technology and business is emerging in a number of companies to act as interpreter between the two sides.
Conventional data processing will not go away any day soon – too many companies have too much invested in legacy systems responsible for processing orders and keeping track of inventory – but existing technologies and processes are evolving at the same time as new technologies are being developed which present both IT staff and business executives with new challenges. One such challenge is Service Oriented Architecture or SOA which, on the one hand, opens a company to a number of innovative relationships with its customers but on the other allows “outsiders” unprecedented access to its data systems.
It follows that business executives must themselves become au fait with the elements of business technology for a number of reasons. First, because of the need to be a “good customer” when specifying and managing new IT projects. The most common cause of the failure of a computer project to come in on cost and budget and to meet user objectives is a lack of empathy between the commissioner – the business – and the supplier – the IT department. Few large projects are completed without changes along the way and change management is crucial to controlling costs and handling risk. Business executives should have a good working knowledge of what is possible and what is not if disasters are to be avoided.
Second, cost. The data processing department has traditionally been seen as a cost on the business rather than a profit centre. It remains one of the most expensive elements of the average company’s budget even if IT spend is expected to be flat or only slightly positive for the next few years.
What is not immediately obvious, however, is that the lion’s share of that budget – perhaps 60 per cent or more – is swallowed up in simply “keeping the lights on”: running the company’s existing systems and carrying out routine maintenance. This means that comparatively small sums, as little as 20 per cent of the overall budget in many cases, may be left over to finance new work. In the worst cases, only 2 per cent of budget may be available for innovation. Hence, the interest in technologies such as grid computing and virtualisation which are designed to cut costs and allow companies to make better use of their existing equipment.
The problem for many companies stems from the fact that IT grows in an unco-ordinated manner. Every time a new project is started, new hardware and software is purchased leading to a surfeit of computers and, more seriously, a surfeit of software licences which have to be renewed annually at a significant cost – a phenomenon known as “overlicencing”.
Grid computing is an approach to cutting costs through which all or many of the company’s computers are linked in a network so that all the available computer power can be utilised by sharing processing between the several machines. Virtualisation allows a single machine to run several operating systems at the same time: the result is less power consumption, more efficiency, a smaller physical “footprint”, flexibility and lower costs.
Storage is another big issue. In the past, companies simply created a hierarchy of storage media, moving information from high speed disks, to lower capacity systems and finally to low-cost tape. But no longer. Changes in the law means that corporate information in many forms including e-mails must be easy to retrieve at all times.
Storage also represents a new and significant risk for companies as the growing capacity of devices such as USB memories, iPods, mobile cameras and digital assistants make it possible for employees to walk out of a company with much of the company’s intellectual assets in their pockets. This is a very real problem which can only be solved by vigilance and by using software which refuses to allow foreign devices access to corporate systems. Furthermore, for most companies the law demands that the security of its information be guaranteed.
The law, in fact, casts a long shadow over IT operations these days. Software piracy is still rife even in developed economies and the threat of jail hangs over managers who knowingly allow pirated or counterfeit software to be used in their companies. So, it’s important to know that your software comes from a reputable source. Surveys in the UK, however, suggest that very little counterfeit software is in circulation. By far the greatest problem is software with a dodgy licence. This could include software imported illegally from abroad, educational licences being used in non-educational establishments and software upgrades purchased without the underlying licence in place. As software typically comprises the second largest component in a company’s IT spend, it is important to have disciplined procurement and management procedures in place. And that is a management responsibility.
Project management, cost, legality: all these stem from ideas of best practice in IT management. The most important reason for executives to understand business technology today, however, is the new options it opens up for business innovation. It is no longer enough, for example, simply to operate a website through which customers can obtain news and information. The latest internet development, “Web 2.0”, essentially describes a range of technologies which allow the customer to interact with the website in a variety of ways. Among the most futuristic is “Second Life”, one of a series of “metaverses” or imaginary universes in cyberspace where business is conducted between “avatars” or electronic representations of real people. It is, however, no more than a somewhat unusual alternative interface to the internet, an all-singing, all-dancing browser.
Second Life is a suitably exotic example with which to conclude this brief introduction to modern business technologies. Over the next few weeks, down-to-earth topics including customer relationship management, human capital management, supply chain management and financial management will be explored and explained,including discussion of how to maximise their business benefits. Don’t forget, however, the potential of SOA and Web 2.0 to transform the mainstream to the leading edge.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
Company: webMethods
Company
webMethods provides business process integration to the world's largest corporations and government agencies. webMethods' flagship product suite, webMethods Fabric, is the only integrated platform to deliver both SOA and BPM, delivering rapid ROI to our 1,500 customers around the globe. With webMethods, customers can take a process-centric approach to their business problems, allowing them to leverage their existing IT assets, dramatically improve business process productivity and ROI, and rapidly create competitive advantage by making their business processes work harder for their company.
webMethods provides business process integration to the world's largest corporations and government agencies. webMethods' flagship product suite, webMethods Fabric, is the only integrated platform to deliver both SOA and BPM, delivering rapid ROI to our 1,500 customers around the globe. With webMethods, customers can take a process-centric approach to their business problems, allowing them to leverage their existing IT assets, dramatically improve business process productivity and ROI, and rapidly create competitive advantage by making their business processes work harder for their company.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
FT.com / In depth - Google extends its advertising reach
FT.com / In depth - Google extends its advertising reach
Google extends its advertising reach
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: June 2 2007 02:30 | Last updated: June 2 2007 02:30
Google on Friday extended its advertising reach with the acquisition of Feedburner, the news feed service.
The deal, rumoured to be worth $100m, is far smaller than its intended $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick, the online advertising company, but it opens up a growing area of advertising for the Silicon Valley company.
Google extends its advertising reach
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: June 2 2007 02:30 | Last updated: June 2 2007 02:30
Google on Friday extended its advertising reach with the acquisition of Feedburner, the news feed service.
The deal, rumoured to be worth $100m, is far smaller than its intended $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick, the online advertising company, but it opens up a growing area of advertising for the Silicon Valley company.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Highlights From the TCS Analyst Briefing | AMR Research
Highlights From the TCS Analyst Briefing | AMR Research
A few weeks ago, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) brought nearly all of its executive team to Boston for its annual, two-day analyst briefing. Before the formal session began, we were fortunate to have an hour alone with S. Ramadorai, the company’s CEO and managing director. Under his stewardship, TCS’s revenue has doubled every 2 to 2.5 years. When the company’s fiscal year ended last March 30, TCS was the first Indian services firm to crack the $4B annual revenue mark, closing FY07 at $4.29B. It was also the first to reach $3B, too, reaching that milestone in the same year.
Skills shortages are real: may be short 150,000 people
For the last few months, we have written about the looming skills shortages presented by the continued adoption of SOA and related technologies. For its part, TCS has trained 40,000 of its consultants—about half of its workforce. About 4,000 have engagement experience, with 75% to 80% described as billable. To broaden and complement its internal training, TCS is joining forces with other vendors. For example, the company is an active member of SAP’s Enterprise Services Community and several of SAP’s Industry Value Networks.
A few weeks ago, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) brought nearly all of its executive team to Boston for its annual, two-day analyst briefing. Before the formal session began, we were fortunate to have an hour alone with S. Ramadorai, the company’s CEO and managing director. Under his stewardship, TCS’s revenue has doubled every 2 to 2.5 years. When the company’s fiscal year ended last March 30, TCS was the first Indian services firm to crack the $4B annual revenue mark, closing FY07 at $4.29B. It was also the first to reach $3B, too, reaching that milestone in the same year.
Skills shortages are real: may be short 150,000 people
For the last few months, we have written about the looming skills shortages presented by the continued adoption of SOA and related technologies. For its part, TCS has trained 40,000 of its consultants—about half of its workforce. About 4,000 have engagement experience, with 75% to 80% described as billable. To broaden and complement its internal training, TCS is joining forces with other vendors. For example, the company is an active member of SAP’s Enterprise Services Community and several of SAP’s Industry Value Networks.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
FT.com / Technology - Words – the final frontier
FT.com / Technology - Words – the final frontier
Words – the final frontier
By Ade McCormack
Published: May 30 2007 10:25 | Last updated: May 30 2007 10:25
It is well known within scientific circles that Star Trek was in fact a series of promotional videos for future technologies. As the following quotation suggests, Star Trek displayed great prescience in predicting how the language of new technologies was likely to evolve:
“The core elements are based on FTL nanoprocessor units arranged into 25 bilateral kelilactirals with 20 of those units being slaved to the central heisenfram terminal. Now this is the isopalavial interface, which controls the main firomactal drive unit . . . The ramistat kiloquad capacity is a function of the square root of the intermix ratio times the sum of the plasma injector quotient.”
It may also explain why senior executives have been known to mumble: “Beam me up Scottie,” when exposed to people that display all the characteristics of a Monte Carlo random buzzword generator.
This is a problem, given the important role IT has to play in business today. Poor communication across the business-IT department boundary is the most pernicious form of IT value-damping.
My view is based on more than two decades of experience, both as a technologist and as an IT value advisor. Until technology becomes sufficiently pervasive to obviate the need for humans in both the creation of new IT systems and the support of existing systems, humans will continue to be a major cause of IT related problems.
First, let us dwell on the underlying issues:
●Geek chic: The IT industry has its roots in science and, on day one, those in IT were indistinguishable from scientists. Subsequent advances in technology have in effect dumbed-down the skills needed to be a technologist.
Despite that, they have retained the “scientist” mindset and so display many of the associated traits. Communicating effectively with lesser intellects (ie users) unfortunately is not one of them. To the outside world the IT department can seem like an exclusive club, where users are not welcome.
The feral nature of some technologists can also lead to pack behaviour, which results in younger techies mimicking the behaviour of the “alpha technologist”. So the ability to confuse users is passed down from generation to generation.
●Tensions: Tensions between the IT department and users underpin the evolution of the IT industry. In essence there is an ongoing dispute over who controls the IT assets. Much like a restaurant where the customers (users) are constantly vying to bring in their own food and cooking utilities, and the staff (IT department) are insistent that all the cooking is done in the kitchen using restaurant produce.
This leads to mutual suspicion and ultimately a breakdown in trust. Some technologists will use jargon as a form of verbal chaff to confuse and disorient the users; a technique that gives the technologists a sense of power over their “adversaries”.
●Emotional Intelligence: Traditionally, IT people generally have high IQs. Anyone who has ever argued with a techie will have felt the full brunt of their logic.
But sometimes it is not smart to be right. Business people generally recognise the wisdom in not alerting the boss to the fact that he is an idiot – or one’s partner that they should lose some weight. Many technologists fail to understand this perspective.
As well as being a little too direct at times, the problem manifests itself through a lack of empathy or emotional intelligence. Such technologists happily talk to users as if they are also technologists and so make no allowance for the fact that they do not understand technical jargon. The lack of an empathy gene leads to jargon-rich communications from the IT department.
●Technology vendors: The battles raging in the IT industry are often literally a war of words. If one technology company can be seen to be associated with a given buzzword then this makes subsequent marketing easier.
Hence the marketing departments of many technology vendors spew out new terminology in the hope that some of it will stick to the market. This often results in technologists confusing each other, sometimes by accident and sometimes to assert the techno-pack pecking order.
An overall lack of standards in the IT industry in respect of terminology has led to many synonyms and homonyms. This has a lubricating effect on miscommunication both within and across the IT department sand bags. Perhaps this is where industry regulatory efforts should be focused?
The business implications of obfuscating terminology are profound. The resultant sub-optimal use of IT leads to poor cost management across the business, reduced competitive advantage, poor business decision making and in the extreme, prison for board members.
Support industries such as IT recruitment and training are similarly left in a state of confusion. Their buzzword bewilderment leads to poor talent acquisition and inappropriate development, which in turn leads to poor IT value realisation.
So what can be done to reverse the IT industry’s “speaking in tongues” condition? Here are a few suggestions:
Ensure the CIO is user-centric in mindset and so at least acknowledges this problem. Ideally the CIO’s remuneration needs to be index-linked to user-happiness. Consequently, smart and financially motivated CIOs will address this issue as a priority.
Recruit only business-literate IT staff. The propeller-head nerdie geeks need to be fast-tracked to extinction. Where such people are critical to your organisation, ensure that they are kept away from users. The HR director needs to be aware of their role in this.
Challenge IT staff on their use of IT jargon. Highlight that if they have any interest in building systems that actually help the business, they must use language that is rich in user terminology and light on technology jargon.
By the time a technologist reaches maturity, the technobabble condition is irreversible. We need to address this problem while our future technologists are at school and university. The teachers and professors have a critical role to play in this respect.
Many organisations get around the issue by using business/systems analysts to patrol the demilitarised zone that sits between the user and IT communities. Organisations that have happy users and a very low analyst to technologist headcount are ahead of the curve. In my view, analysts are a workaround and in an efficient business-IT ecosystem they would have no place.
Technobabble is at best a symptom of technology staff indifference to the plight of users and at worst a political tool for keeping the users in check.
Either way it is unacceptable. Technobabble reflects poorly on the IT industry and diminishes the value that the sector might deliver to both business and society. Nothing less than genetic reprogramming will address this and so a cultural overhaul is required.
As we have seen, Star Trek recognised the problem, and as the extract below highlights, it recognised that some technologists are beyond recovery:
Captain Kirk: “You’d make a splendid computer.”
Mr Spock: “That is very kind of you, Captain!”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Words – the final frontier
By Ade McCormack
Published: May 30 2007 10:25 | Last updated: May 30 2007 10:25
It is well known within scientific circles that Star Trek was in fact a series of promotional videos for future technologies. As the following quotation suggests, Star Trek displayed great prescience in predicting how the language of new technologies was likely to evolve:
“The core elements are based on FTL nanoprocessor units arranged into 25 bilateral kelilactirals with 20 of those units being slaved to the central heisenfram terminal. Now this is the isopalavial interface, which controls the main firomactal drive unit . . . The ramistat kiloquad capacity is a function of the square root of the intermix ratio times the sum of the plasma injector quotient.”
It may also explain why senior executives have been known to mumble: “Beam me up Scottie,” when exposed to people that display all the characteristics of a Monte Carlo random buzzword generator.
This is a problem, given the important role IT has to play in business today. Poor communication across the business-IT department boundary is the most pernicious form of IT value-damping.
My view is based on more than two decades of experience, both as a technologist and as an IT value advisor. Until technology becomes sufficiently pervasive to obviate the need for humans in both the creation of new IT systems and the support of existing systems, humans will continue to be a major cause of IT related problems.
First, let us dwell on the underlying issues:
●Geek chic: The IT industry has its roots in science and, on day one, those in IT were indistinguishable from scientists. Subsequent advances in technology have in effect dumbed-down the skills needed to be a technologist.
Despite that, they have retained the “scientist” mindset and so display many of the associated traits. Communicating effectively with lesser intellects (ie users) unfortunately is not one of them. To the outside world the IT department can seem like an exclusive club, where users are not welcome.
The feral nature of some technologists can also lead to pack behaviour, which results in younger techies mimicking the behaviour of the “alpha technologist”. So the ability to confuse users is passed down from generation to generation.
●Tensions: Tensions between the IT department and users underpin the evolution of the IT industry. In essence there is an ongoing dispute over who controls the IT assets. Much like a restaurant where the customers (users) are constantly vying to bring in their own food and cooking utilities, and the staff (IT department) are insistent that all the cooking is done in the kitchen using restaurant produce.
This leads to mutual suspicion and ultimately a breakdown in trust. Some technologists will use jargon as a form of verbal chaff to confuse and disorient the users; a technique that gives the technologists a sense of power over their “adversaries”.
●Emotional Intelligence: Traditionally, IT people generally have high IQs. Anyone who has ever argued with a techie will have felt the full brunt of their logic.
But sometimes it is not smart to be right. Business people generally recognise the wisdom in not alerting the boss to the fact that he is an idiot – or one’s partner that they should lose some weight. Many technologists fail to understand this perspective.
As well as being a little too direct at times, the problem manifests itself through a lack of empathy or emotional intelligence. Such technologists happily talk to users as if they are also technologists and so make no allowance for the fact that they do not understand technical jargon. The lack of an empathy gene leads to jargon-rich communications from the IT department.
●Technology vendors: The battles raging in the IT industry are often literally a war of words. If one technology company can be seen to be associated with a given buzzword then this makes subsequent marketing easier.
Hence the marketing departments of many technology vendors spew out new terminology in the hope that some of it will stick to the market. This often results in technologists confusing each other, sometimes by accident and sometimes to assert the techno-pack pecking order.
An overall lack of standards in the IT industry in respect of terminology has led to many synonyms and homonyms. This has a lubricating effect on miscommunication both within and across the IT department sand bags. Perhaps this is where industry regulatory efforts should be focused?
The business implications of obfuscating terminology are profound. The resultant sub-optimal use of IT leads to poor cost management across the business, reduced competitive advantage, poor business decision making and in the extreme, prison for board members.
Support industries such as IT recruitment and training are similarly left in a state of confusion. Their buzzword bewilderment leads to poor talent acquisition and inappropriate development, which in turn leads to poor IT value realisation.
So what can be done to reverse the IT industry’s “speaking in tongues” condition? Here are a few suggestions:
Ensure the CIO is user-centric in mindset and so at least acknowledges this problem. Ideally the CIO’s remuneration needs to be index-linked to user-happiness. Consequently, smart and financially motivated CIOs will address this issue as a priority.
Recruit only business-literate IT staff. The propeller-head nerdie geeks need to be fast-tracked to extinction. Where such people are critical to your organisation, ensure that they are kept away from users. The HR director needs to be aware of their role in this.
Challenge IT staff on their use of IT jargon. Highlight that if they have any interest in building systems that actually help the business, they must use language that is rich in user terminology and light on technology jargon.
By the time a technologist reaches maturity, the technobabble condition is irreversible. We need to address this problem while our future technologists are at school and university. The teachers and professors have a critical role to play in this respect.
Many organisations get around the issue by using business/systems analysts to patrol the demilitarised zone that sits between the user and IT communities. Organisations that have happy users and a very low analyst to technologist headcount are ahead of the curve. In my view, analysts are a workaround and in an efficient business-IT ecosystem they would have no place.
Technobabble is at best a symptom of technology staff indifference to the plight of users and at worst a political tool for keeping the users in check.
Either way it is unacceptable. Technobabble reflects poorly on the IT industry and diminishes the value that the sector might deliver to both business and society. Nothing less than genetic reprogramming will address this and so a cultural overhaul is required.
As we have seen, Star Trek recognised the problem, and as the extract below highlights, it recognised that some technologists are beyond recovery:
Captain Kirk: “You’d make a splendid computer.”
Mr Spock: “That is very kind of you, Captain!”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
With Popfly, Microsoft Enters 'Mashup' Tool Market
With Popfly, Microsoft Enters 'Mashup' Tool Market
With the alpha version of Popfly, Microsoft joins its competition in creating tools that will help move "mashup" technology from a "cool" Web developer hobby to a business value enabler.
With the alpha version of Popfly, Microsoft joins its competition in creating tools that will help move "mashup" technology from a "cool" Web developer hobby to a business value enabler.
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
It emerged earlier this month that Microsoft had made a tentative takeover approach for Yahoo.
But on Friday, Microsoft agreed to pay $6bn incash for Aquantive – more than four times the size of its previous largest acquisition.
Mr Mehdi hinted that Microsoft would makemuch smaller bolt-on acquisitions in future to fill inany gaps in its internet offerings.
“There are other small pieces that we’re in the process of getting to as well, organically or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the Aquantive deal put Microsoft in a strong position to serve display advertisements on websites targeted to users’ interests and behaviour.
He said this kind of advertising was growing faster than the text-based kind that appears with search results on services such as Google’s.
Google has agreed to pay $3.1bn for DoubleClick, whose technology serves display advertisements.
Microsoft is objecting to the deal on antitrust grounds, arguing that it would give Google 80 per cent of the market.
A merger or partnership with Yahoo could have given Microsoft access to the Silicon Valley company’s own advertising technologyas well as its extensive content from a network of websites.
But Microsoft’s sites, including the MSN network, already boast the largest internet audience withhalf a billion visitors a month and with the Aquantive acquisition it will offer advertising services to sites outside its network. This is something it has not yet attempted, apart from a relationship with the Facebook social networking site.
A combined Microsoft and Yahoo would still trail Google significantly in search.
Google had 55 per cent of all search queries in the US in April, according to Nielsen NetRatings, compared with 22 per cent for Yahoo and 9 per cent for MSN/Windows Live.
Mr Mehdi said Microsoft was planning new features for its search service that would give Google a “run for their money”.
He said it was necessary to “do something big and bold and different” to try to displace the market leader.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
It emerged earlier this month that Microsoft had made a tentative takeover approach for Yahoo.
But on Friday, Microsoft agreed to pay $6bn incash for Aquantive – more than four times the size of its previous largest acquisition.
Mr Mehdi hinted that Microsoft would makemuch smaller bolt-on acquisitions in future to fill inany gaps in its internet offerings.
“There are other small pieces that we’re in the process of getting to as well, organically or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the Aquantive deal put Microsoft in a strong position to serve display advertisements on websites targeted to users’ interests and behaviour.
He said this kind of advertising was growing faster than the text-based kind that appears with search results on services such as Google’s.
Google has agreed to pay $3.1bn for DoubleClick, whose technology serves display advertisements.
Microsoft is objecting to the deal on antitrust grounds, arguing that it would give Google 80 per cent of the market.
A merger or partnership with Yahoo could have given Microsoft access to the Silicon Valley company’s own advertising technologyas well as its extensive content from a network of websites.
But Microsoft’s sites, including the MSN network, already boast the largest internet audience withhalf a billion visitors a month and with the Aquantive acquisition it will offer advertising services to sites outside its network. This is something it has not yet attempted, apart from a relationship with the Facebook social networking site.
A combined Microsoft and Yahoo would still trail Google significantly in search.
Google had 55 per cent of all search queries in the US in April, according to Nielsen NetRatings, compared with 22 per cent for Yahoo and 9 per cent for MSN/Windows Live.
Mr Mehdi said Microsoft was planning new features for its search service that would give Google a “run for their money”.
He said it was necessary to “do something big and bold and different” to try to displace the market leader.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
destinationCRM.com: Enterprise Content Management Is Growing
destinationCRM.com: Enterprise Content Management Is Growing
The market is expected to grow as enterprises seek to consolidate the vast amounts of unstructured data in word processing, spreadsheets, and other formats, according to a report
The market is expected to grow as enterprises seek to consolidate the vast amounts of unstructured data in word processing, spreadsheets, and other formats, according to a report
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Enterprise Content Management mit Open Source – Praktische Ansätze für Alfresco
Enterprise Content Management mit Open Source – Praktische Ansätze für Alfresco
Die Dokumenten-Management-Lösung Alfresco schickt sich dank offener Architektur und leistungsfähiger Schnittstellen an, kommerziellen Systemen in vielerlei Hinsicht das Wasser zu reichen. Ein Beitrag von Heiko Robert, Director ECM dmc digital media center GmbH, mit freundlicher Unterstützung des T3N Magazin.
Die Dokumenten-Management-Lösung Alfresco schickt sich dank offener Architektur und leistungsfähiger Schnittstellen an, kommerziellen Systemen in vielerlei Hinsicht das Wasser zu reichen. Ein Beitrag von Heiko Robert, Director ECM dmc digital media center GmbH, mit freundlicher Unterstützung des T3N Magazin.
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Web-Duo bekämpft Microsoft
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Web-Duo bekämpft Microsoft
Eine Allianz mit dem Mietsoftwarepionier Salesforce soll Google den Einstieg in das Geschäft mit Software als Webservice erleichtern. Im Visier haben die beiden kalifornischen Konzerne den Erzrivalen Microsoft.
Eine Allianz mit dem Mietsoftwarepionier Salesforce soll Google den Einstieg in das Geschäft mit Software als Webservice erleichtern. Im Visier haben die beiden kalifornischen Konzerne den Erzrivalen Microsoft.
FT.com / Companies / Media & internet - Google’s goal: to organise your daily life
FT.com / Companies / Media & internet - Google’s goal: to organise your daily life
Google’s goal: to organise your daily life
By Caroline Daniel and Maija Palmer
Published: May 22 2007 21:08 | Last updated: May 22 2007 21:08
Google’s ambition to maximise the personal information it holds on users is so great that the search engine envisages a day when it can tell people what jobs to take and how they might spend their days off.
Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said gathering more personal data was a key way for Google to expand and the company believes that is the logical extension of its stated mission to organise the world’s information.
Asked how Google might look in five years’ time, Mr Schmidt said: “We are very early in the total information we have within Google. The algorithms will get better and we will get better at personalisation.
“The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’ ”
The race to accumulate the most comprehensive database of individual information has become the new battleground for search engines as it will allow the industry to offer far more personalised advertisements. These are the holy grail for the search industry, as such advertising would command higher rates.
Mr Schmidt told journalists in London: “We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion.”
He said Google’s newly relaunched iGoogle service, which allows users to personalise their own Google search page and publish their own content, would be a key feature.
Another service, Google personalised search, launched two years ago, allows users to give Google permission to store their web-surfing history, what they have searched and clicked on, and use this to create more personalised search results for them. Another service under development is Google Recommendations – where the search suggests products and services the user might like, based on their already established preferences. Google does not sell advertising against these services yet, but could in time use them to display more targeted ads to people.
Yahoo unveiled a new search technology this year dubbed Project Panama – which monitors what internet users do on its portal, and use that information to build a profile of their interests. The profiles are then used to display ads to the people most likely to be interested in them.
Autonomy, the UK-based search company is also developing technology for “transaction hijacking”, which monitors when internet surfers are about to make a purchase online, and can suggest cheaper alternatives. Although such monitoring could raise privacy issues, Google stresses that the iGoogle and personalisation services are optional.
The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK said it was not concerned about the personalisation developments.
Earlier this year, however, Google bowed to concerns from privacy activists in the US and Europe, by agreeing to limit the amount of time it keeps information about the internet searches made by its users to two years.
Google has also faced concerns that its proposed $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick will lead to an erosion of online privacy.
Fears have been stoked by the potential for Google to build up a detailed picture of someone’s behaviour by combining its records of web searches with the information from DoubleClick’s “cookies”, the software it places on users’ machines to track which sites they visit.
Mr Schmidt said this year that the company was working on technology to reduce concerns.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Google’s goal: to organise your daily life
By Caroline Daniel and Maija Palmer
Published: May 22 2007 21:08 | Last updated: May 22 2007 21:08
Google’s ambition to maximise the personal information it holds on users is so great that the search engine envisages a day when it can tell people what jobs to take and how they might spend their days off.
Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said gathering more personal data was a key way for Google to expand and the company believes that is the logical extension of its stated mission to organise the world’s information.
Asked how Google might look in five years’ time, Mr Schmidt said: “We are very early in the total information we have within Google. The algorithms will get better and we will get better at personalisation.
“The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’ ”
The race to accumulate the most comprehensive database of individual information has become the new battleground for search engines as it will allow the industry to offer far more personalised advertisements. These are the holy grail for the search industry, as such advertising would command higher rates.
Mr Schmidt told journalists in London: “We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion.”
He said Google’s newly relaunched iGoogle service, which allows users to personalise their own Google search page and publish their own content, would be a key feature.
Another service, Google personalised search, launched two years ago, allows users to give Google permission to store their web-surfing history, what they have searched and clicked on, and use this to create more personalised search results for them. Another service under development is Google Recommendations – where the search suggests products and services the user might like, based on their already established preferences. Google does not sell advertising against these services yet, but could in time use them to display more targeted ads to people.
Yahoo unveiled a new search technology this year dubbed Project Panama – which monitors what internet users do on its portal, and use that information to build a profile of their interests. The profiles are then used to display ads to the people most likely to be interested in them.
Autonomy, the UK-based search company is also developing technology for “transaction hijacking”, which monitors when internet surfers are about to make a purchase online, and can suggest cheaper alternatives. Although such monitoring could raise privacy issues, Google stresses that the iGoogle and personalisation services are optional.
The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK said it was not concerned about the personalisation developments.
Earlier this year, however, Google bowed to concerns from privacy activists in the US and Europe, by agreeing to limit the amount of time it keeps information about the internet searches made by its users to two years.
Google has also faced concerns that its proposed $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick will lead to an erosion of online privacy.
Fears have been stoked by the potential for Google to build up a detailed picture of someone’s behaviour by combining its records of web searches with the information from DoubleClick’s “cookies”, the software it places on users’ machines to track which sites they visit.
Mr Schmidt said this year that the company was working on technology to reduce concerns.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
FT.com / Companies / US & Canada - Microsoft ready for a strategic upgrade
FT.com / Companies / US & Canada - Microsoft ready for a strategic upgrade
Microsoft ready for a strategic upgrade
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 21 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 21 2007 03:00
Consolation prize or prize capture? Microsoft's $6bn acquisition of online advertising company Aquantive on Friday was a secondary target, but may prove to be a source of primary growth in the future.
The software giant turned its attention to Aquantive after it lost out to Google in a bid for Aquantive's rival, DoubleClick. Google will pay $3.1bn in that deal, almost half as much as Microsoft is paying.
This is the parsimonious Redmond company's biggest ever buy - costing more than four times its previous record, the $1.45bn paid for Danish software company Navision in 2002.
But cash-rich Microsoft can easily afford the 85 per cent premium it has paid and the acquisition had become a strategic imperative - the online ad business is expected to be worth $40bn in 2007 and is growing at 20 per cent a year, a rate that makes its core software business seem becalmed.
"We have walked away from some transactions over the last few years because we have considered they haven't been strategically important enough to pay a premium for," said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer, on Friday.
The Seattle company is key in that it provides a complete advertising solution for Microsoft's ambitions to sell and profit from advertising beyond its own network of websites. It also enables it to stay in touch with market leader Google.
"Google has significantly more advantages than Microsoft," says Shahid Khan, a partner at Interactive Broadband Consulting.
"If you go back, it started selling, using its own ad-serving technology, then it built a sales force and started selling on other people's websites, and then expanded to print and radio. Now DoubleClick gives it even more technology, better integration with ad agencies and publishers and the best platform overall."
Microsoft has been way behind, admitting as much in making anti-trust complaints that Google combined with DoubleClick will have 80 per cent market share for serving online ads.
It only recently developed its own ad-serving technology and, apart from a partnership with the Facebook social networking site, has confined its business to its own network of sites such as MSN and Windows Live.
"We are new in the advertising business but we have made a lot of investment," says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's chief advertising strategist. "We have the biggest audience for an ad network - half a billion users visiting our properties every month. To this point, we have really not run advertising for other companies except Facebook . . . now we will."
Mr Mehdi says Aquantive has bigger revenues and profits than DoubleClick and offers the best ad tools.
Tim Vanderhook, chief executive of the SpecificMedia online ad network, agrees Aquantive's Atlas tool for advertisers is a superior product offering. "Microsoft has paid up to catch up. I was really surprised that DoubleClick was the initial prime target, it's only an ad-serving technology, it doesn't have a division that buys or sells online media [like Aquantive]," he says.
In seeking a more complete solution through Aquantive, Microsoft is following Google in trying to build a broad platform that can serve as a one-stop shop for advertisers trying to reach specific audiences across a range of media.
Shahid Khan cites Microsoft's earlier acquisition of Massive, which serves in-game advertising, and Google's moves to sell TV advertising. He believes mobile advertising networks will be the next acquisition targets as the big players spread their offerings to advertising on cellphones.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft ready for a strategic upgrade
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 21 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 21 2007 03:00
Consolation prize or prize capture? Microsoft's $6bn acquisition of online advertising company Aquantive on Friday was a secondary target, but may prove to be a source of primary growth in the future.
The software giant turned its attention to Aquantive after it lost out to Google in a bid for Aquantive's rival, DoubleClick. Google will pay $3.1bn in that deal, almost half as much as Microsoft is paying.
This is the parsimonious Redmond company's biggest ever buy - costing more than four times its previous record, the $1.45bn paid for Danish software company Navision in 2002.
But cash-rich Microsoft can easily afford the 85 per cent premium it has paid and the acquisition had become a strategic imperative - the online ad business is expected to be worth $40bn in 2007 and is growing at 20 per cent a year, a rate that makes its core software business seem becalmed.
"We have walked away from some transactions over the last few years because we have considered they haven't been strategically important enough to pay a premium for," said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer, on Friday.
The Seattle company is key in that it provides a complete advertising solution for Microsoft's ambitions to sell and profit from advertising beyond its own network of websites. It also enables it to stay in touch with market leader Google.
"Google has significantly more advantages than Microsoft," says Shahid Khan, a partner at Interactive Broadband Consulting.
"If you go back, it started selling, using its own ad-serving technology, then it built a sales force and started selling on other people's websites, and then expanded to print and radio. Now DoubleClick gives it even more technology, better integration with ad agencies and publishers and the best platform overall."
Microsoft has been way behind, admitting as much in making anti-trust complaints that Google combined with DoubleClick will have 80 per cent market share for serving online ads.
It only recently developed its own ad-serving technology and, apart from a partnership with the Facebook social networking site, has confined its business to its own network of sites such as MSN and Windows Live.
"We are new in the advertising business but we have made a lot of investment," says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's chief advertising strategist. "We have the biggest audience for an ad network - half a billion users visiting our properties every month. To this point, we have really not run advertising for other companies except Facebook . . . now we will."
Mr Mehdi says Aquantive has bigger revenues and profits than DoubleClick and offers the best ad tools.
Tim Vanderhook, chief executive of the SpecificMedia online ad network, agrees Aquantive's Atlas tool for advertisers is a superior product offering. "Microsoft has paid up to catch up. I was really surprised that DoubleClick was the initial prime target, it's only an ad-serving technology, it doesn't have a division that buys or sells online media [like Aquantive]," he says.
In seeking a more complete solution through Aquantive, Microsoft is following Google in trying to build a broad platform that can serve as a one-stop shop for advertisers trying to reach specific audiences across a range of media.
Shahid Khan cites Microsoft's earlier acquisition of Massive, which serves in-game advertising, and Google's moves to sell TV advertising. He believes mobile advertising networks will be the next acquisition targets as the big players spread their offerings to advertising on cellphones.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Microsoft startet teure Verfolgungsjagd
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Microsoft startet teure Verfolgungsjagd
Die Übernahme kommt einem Geständnis gleich: Mit dem 6 Mrd. $ teuren Kauf der Online-Werbefirma Aquantive gibt der weltgrößte Softwarekonzern Microsoft zu, dass seine eigene Technologie nicht ausreicht, um im Online-Werbemarkt zu Google aufzuschließen.
Die Übernahme kommt einem Geständnis gleich: Mit dem 6 Mrd. $ teuren Kauf der Online-Werbefirma Aquantive gibt der weltgrößte Softwarekonzern Microsoft zu, dass seine eigene Technologie nicht ausreicht, um im Online-Werbemarkt zu Google aufzuschließen.
Gartner Says Worldwide Enterprise Content Management Software Market Will Reach $4.2 Billon in 2010
Gartner Says Worldwide Enterprise Content Management Software Market Will Reach $4.2 Billon in 2010
Gartner Says Worldwide Enterprise Content Management Software Market Will Reach $4.2 Billon in 2010
STAMFORD, Conn., May 21, 2007 —
Due to the increasing need for companies to manage content at the enterprise level, the worldwide enterprise content management (ECM) software market is expected to grow more than 12 percent per year through 2010, from $2.6 billion in 2006 to more than $4.2 billion in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. In 2007, worldwide ECM revenue is projected to total $2.9 billion, a 12.8 percent increase from 2006 (see Table 1).
The vast majority of the information a company has is unstructured data residing in word processing documents, presentations, rich media files, spreadsheets and other file formats. Companies must make this content available to workers, business partner’s customers, and applications across the organization to automate business processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs and repetitiveness, make employees more effective and gain competitive advantages.
“For many organizations, unstructured content is fundamentally out of control,” said Tom Eid, research vice president for Gartner. “Employees are creating all types of content for internal and external use with delivery through both formal and informal channels (such as wikis and blogs). While some of this business-specific content is now being managed through insurance claims processing, loan origination, case management and Web content management, the vast majority of this content is not being managed as an enterprise asset.”
Table 1
EnterpriseContent Management Software, Worldwide, 2006-2010 (Millions of Dollars)
2006 2,614.4
2007 2,949.3
2008 3,316.8
2009 3,755.2
2010 4,248.3
Total Software Revenue
Source: Gartner (May 2007)
Gartner analysts said many factors will shape the ECM market over the next several years. Vendors and the individual technology markets from which they come will continue to consolidate. The quality, performance and ease of use of software products will improve. ECM offerings will split into two tiers: broad, platform-based solutions will tackle heavy-duty chores, such as focusing on process-centric and mission-critical documents, such as compliance efforts, while streamlined basic content services (BCS) offerings will appeal to companies that need only entry-level functions, such as document security and library services.
“In many instances, it is appropriate to have BCS and ECM technologies being used together,” Mr. Eid said. “BCS will increase the adoption of ECM technologies. As more content is created, more content will need to be managed. As the content becomes more valued, it will become more of a corporate asset that is managed in a more comprehensive manner through ECM offerings.”
Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Forecast: Enterprise Content Management Software, Worldwide, 2006-2011, Update,” This report examines the state of the worldwide enterprise content management software market and looks at what trends are developing, and includes a full forecast for the market. The report is available on Gartner's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=505618&subref=simplesearch.
Gartner Says Worldwide Enterprise Content Management Software Market Will Reach $4.2 Billon in 2010
STAMFORD, Conn., May 21, 2007 —
Due to the increasing need for companies to manage content at the enterprise level, the worldwide enterprise content management (ECM) software market is expected to grow more than 12 percent per year through 2010, from $2.6 billion in 2006 to more than $4.2 billion in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. In 2007, worldwide ECM revenue is projected to total $2.9 billion, a 12.8 percent increase from 2006 (see Table 1).
The vast majority of the information a company has is unstructured data residing in word processing documents, presentations, rich media files, spreadsheets and other file formats. Companies must make this content available to workers, business partner’s customers, and applications across the organization to automate business processes, increase efficiency, reduce costs and repetitiveness, make employees more effective and gain competitive advantages.
“For many organizations, unstructured content is fundamentally out of control,” said Tom Eid, research vice president for Gartner. “Employees are creating all types of content for internal and external use with delivery through both formal and informal channels (such as wikis and blogs). While some of this business-specific content is now being managed through insurance claims processing, loan origination, case management and Web content management, the vast majority of this content is not being managed as an enterprise asset.”
Table 1
EnterpriseContent Management Software, Worldwide, 2006-2010 (Millions of Dollars)
2006 2,614.4
2007 2,949.3
2008 3,316.8
2009 3,755.2
2010 4,248.3
Total Software Revenue
Source: Gartner (May 2007)
Gartner analysts said many factors will shape the ECM market over the next several years. Vendors and the individual technology markets from which they come will continue to consolidate. The quality, performance and ease of use of software products will improve. ECM offerings will split into two tiers: broad, platform-based solutions will tackle heavy-duty chores, such as focusing on process-centric and mission-critical documents, such as compliance efforts, while streamlined basic content services (BCS) offerings will appeal to companies that need only entry-level functions, such as document security and library services.
“In many instances, it is appropriate to have BCS and ECM technologies being used together,” Mr. Eid said. “BCS will increase the adoption of ECM technologies. As more content is created, more content will need to be managed. As the content becomes more valued, it will become more of a corporate asset that is managed in a more comprehensive manner through ECM offerings.”
Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Forecast: Enterprise Content Management Software, Worldwide, 2006-2011, Update,” This report examines the state of the worldwide enterprise content management software market and looks at what trends are developing, and includes a full forecast for the market. The report is available on Gartner's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=505618&subref=simplesearch.
Friday, May 18, 2007
FT.com / Companies / Media & internet - Microsoft makes $6bn ‘bet’ on Aquantive
FT.com / Companies / Media & internet - Microsoft makes $6bn ‘bet’ on Aquantive
Microsoft makes $6bn ‘bet’ on Aquantive
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 18 2007 13:54 | Last updated: May 18 2007 23:15
Microsoft on Friday announced the biggest acquisition in the software company’s history, buying online advertising company Aquantive for $6bn and making what it described as a “big bet” on its own long-term growth.
The move – the largest deal in the advertising industry – continued the frenzy of interest in online advertising, coming a day after WPP bought 24/7 Real Media in a deal that valued the group at $649m. It also follows Google’s deal to buy DoubleClick for $3.1bn and Yahoo buying the RightMedia advertising exchange outright for $680m.
Microsoft has traditionally focused on small deals to acquire new technologies. The most it had paid previously was $1.45bn for the Danish software company Navision five years ago.
But Microsoft has been desperate to match Google’s advertising muscle and reportedly failed in an earlier multi-billion dollar bid for DoubleClick. It offered $66.50 a share for Aquantive, an 85 per cent premium to its closing price on Thursday.
Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s platform and services division, said: “It is a big bet on advertising monetisation for the long-term growth of the company and this is a significant step forward.” He said the online advertising market would be worth $40bn this year and was growing at 20 per cent a year.
The acquisition means Microsoft will market its services to the wider internet.
Aquantive includes Avenue A Razorfish, one of the largest interactive advertising agencies. Tim Vanderhook, chief of the Specific Media online advertising network, said: “I think this will be sold off; it doesn’t really fit with Microsoft’s strategy and they can get a huge chunk back of the $6bn they paid.”
Microsoft has raised antitrust objections to Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, which gives the search giant a strong grip on the growing online display advertising market. But Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said Aquantive was complementary to Microsoft’s business and should not face any such objections, as it would promote competition.
Mr Johnson said the Aquantive deal would help Microsoft seize a significant opportunity in delivering services to a range of devices such as PCs, phones, game consoles and emerging media such as internet television.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft makes $6bn ‘bet’ on Aquantive
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 18 2007 13:54 | Last updated: May 18 2007 23:15
Microsoft on Friday announced the biggest acquisition in the software company’s history, buying online advertising company Aquantive for $6bn and making what it described as a “big bet” on its own long-term growth.
The move – the largest deal in the advertising industry – continued the frenzy of interest in online advertising, coming a day after WPP bought 24/7 Real Media in a deal that valued the group at $649m. It also follows Google’s deal to buy DoubleClick for $3.1bn and Yahoo buying the RightMedia advertising exchange outright for $680m.
Microsoft has traditionally focused on small deals to acquire new technologies. The most it had paid previously was $1.45bn for the Danish software company Navision five years ago.
But Microsoft has been desperate to match Google’s advertising muscle and reportedly failed in an earlier multi-billion dollar bid for DoubleClick. It offered $66.50 a share for Aquantive, an 85 per cent premium to its closing price on Thursday.
Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s platform and services division, said: “It is a big bet on advertising monetisation for the long-term growth of the company and this is a significant step forward.” He said the online advertising market would be worth $40bn this year and was growing at 20 per cent a year.
The acquisition means Microsoft will market its services to the wider internet.
Aquantive includes Avenue A Razorfish, one of the largest interactive advertising agencies. Tim Vanderhook, chief of the Specific Media online advertising network, said: “I think this will be sold off; it doesn’t really fit with Microsoft’s strategy and they can get a huge chunk back of the $6bn they paid.”
Microsoft has raised antitrust objections to Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, which gives the search giant a strong grip on the growing online display advertising market. But Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said Aquantive was complementary to Microsoft’s business and should not face any such objections, as it would promote competition.
Mr Johnson said the Aquantive deal would help Microsoft seize a significant opportunity in delivering services to a range of devices such as PCs, phones, game consoles and emerging media such as internet television.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
FT.com / Companies / IT - Blink, and there's another million
FT.com / Companies / IT - Blink, and there's another million
Blink, and there's another million
By Emiliya (edited by) Mychasuk
Published: May 17 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 17 2007 03:00
Joining the ranks of the newest young paper millionaires in the media sector is the 29-year-old running the video search portal called Blinkx, Sri-Lankan born Suranga Chandratillake.
The £114m listing of Blinkx on Aim will deliver him a paper worth of about £2.7m, based on his holding of 4.5m options.
Mr Chandratillake started at the age of eight when his father, a professor of nuclear chemistry, brought home a second-hand BBC computer to play with.
"The BBC computers at the time had no games on them, so the only way I got anything out of it was to write bits of code myself," Mr Chandratillake says.
He went on to study computer science at Cambridge and, while still at university, wrote risk- balancing algorithms for Morgan Stanley and founded a technology company, Anondesign, with friends.
At the age of 23 he joined Autonomy, the search software company, and by the time of his 25th birthday had become the US chief technology officer.
After three years at Autonomy, in 2004 he founded Blinkx. The company used Autonomy's search technology in exchange for giving Autonomy an option.
Mike Lynch, founder and chief executive of Autonomy, says Blinkx reminds him of the early days when he founded Autonomy in 1996, when he was only a few years younger than Mr Chandratillake. Mr Lynch went on to become theUK's first internet billionnaire.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Blink, and there's another million
By Emiliya (edited by) Mychasuk
Published: May 17 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 17 2007 03:00
Joining the ranks of the newest young paper millionaires in the media sector is the 29-year-old running the video search portal called Blinkx, Sri-Lankan born Suranga Chandratillake.
The £114m listing of Blinkx on Aim will deliver him a paper worth of about £2.7m, based on his holding of 4.5m options.
Mr Chandratillake started at the age of eight when his father, a professor of nuclear chemistry, brought home a second-hand BBC computer to play with.
"The BBC computers at the time had no games on them, so the only way I got anything out of it was to write bits of code myself," Mr Chandratillake says.
He went on to study computer science at Cambridge and, while still at university, wrote risk- balancing algorithms for Morgan Stanley and founded a technology company, Anondesign, with friends.
At the age of 23 he joined Autonomy, the search software company, and by the time of his 25th birthday had become the US chief technology officer.
After three years at Autonomy, in 2004 he founded Blinkx. The company used Autonomy's search technology in exchange for giving Autonomy an option.
Mike Lynch, founder and chief executive of Autonomy, says Blinkx reminds him of the early days when he founded Autonomy in 1996, when he was only a few years younger than Mr Chandratillake. Mr Lynch went on to become theUK's first internet billionnaire.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft Patent Claims Pose No Immediate Risk for Users
Microsoft Patent Claims Pose No Immediate Risk for Users
Microsoft claims that a variety of open-source software projects violate its software patents. A general trend toward more aggressive patent licensing tactics is on the horizon.
Microsoft claims that a variety of open-source software projects violate its software patents. A general trend toward more aggressive patent licensing tactics is on the horizon.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Microsoft geht gegen Google vor
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Microsoft geht gegen Google vor
Google hat seine Konkurrenten durch den milliardenschweren Zukauf des Online-Werbevermarkters DoubleClick gehörig aufgeschreckt. Mehrere Unternehmen forderten die US-Kartellbehörden zum Eingreifen auf - Wortführer ist ausgerechnet Microsoft.
Google hat seine Konkurrenten durch den milliardenschweren Zukauf des Online-Werbevermarkters DoubleClick gehörig aufgeschreckt. Mehrere Unternehmen forderten die US-Kartellbehörden zum Eingreifen auf - Wortführer ist ausgerechnet Microsoft.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to fund growth with £70m share placement
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to fund growth with £70m share placement
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, is planning to raise an estimated £70m from a share placement.
It indicated that the money from the placement of 9.5m new shares would not be earmarked for acquisitions but used to fund growth and for "general corporate purposes".
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, is planning to raise an estimated £70m from a share placement.
It indicated that the money from the placement of 9.5m new shares would not be earmarked for acquisitions but used to fund growth and for "general corporate purposes".
Google geeft toe dat het wil concurreren met Microsoft - Personal Computer Magazine
Google geeft toe dat het wil concurreren met Microsoft - Personal Computer Magazine
Google heeft eindelijk officieel toegegeven dat het met Microsoft wil concurereren in de softwaremarkt. Het was al langere tijd duidelijk, maar Google wilde het voorheen niet expliciet zeggen.
Google heeft eindelijk officieel toegegeven dat het met Microsoft wil concurereren in de softwaremarkt. Het was al langere tijd duidelijk, maar Google wilde het voorheen niet expliciet zeggen.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Forrester Research: Can Salesforce.com Reinvent Content Management?
Forrester Research: Can Salesforce.com Reinvent Content Management?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The enterprise content management market is in tremendous flux with IBM's acquisition of FileNet, the introduction of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Oracle's acquisition of Stellent. Clearly, the industry's biggest vendors see a huge opportunity. Now salesforce.com has entered the fray with the acquisition of Koral and looks to redefine content management software as a service (SaaS) in the same way it redefined customer relationship management (CRM). The new offering, Salesforce Content, will be initially offered as a standalone collaborative document management system and will be optionally bundled with salesforce.com's CRM solutions. It is only the second application offered by the SaaS leader and will test the vendor's ability to move beyond its CRM roots and become a true infrastructure provider.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The enterprise content management market is in tremendous flux with IBM's acquisition of FileNet, the introduction of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Oracle's acquisition of Stellent. Clearly, the industry's biggest vendors see a huge opportunity. Now salesforce.com has entered the fray with the acquisition of Koral and looks to redefine content management software as a service (SaaS) in the same way it redefined customer relationship management (CRM). The new offering, Salesforce Content, will be initially offered as a standalone collaborative document management system and will be optionally bundled with salesforce.com's CRM solutions. It is only the second application offered by the SaaS leader and will test the vendor's ability to move beyond its CRM roots and become a true infrastructure provider.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Microsoft - Week of 05/10/2007 (Northern Light)
Microsoft - Week of 05/10/2007
When Microsoft reported its earnings last month it drew some surprises; Vista, the company's new operating system, is selling well. Until the announcement, most of the news about Vista, and Microsoft in general, reported its problems and predicted its negative impact. It seems that in this Microsoft has had the last laugh. But as with any empire, there is a dark side. Microsoft trails its online rivals Google and Yahoo! and is well aware that it needs to make some headway in this area. Its need to do so was evidenced by recent talks between Microsoft and Yahoo! Talks were over quickly, but the fact remains that while Microsoft may keep moving ahead, its work is cut out.
If earnings reports are indicative of a company's strength Microsoft appears to be doing well; on April 26 the company posted a 65 percent rise in quarterly profit. While the projections of the company for 2008 are only at the midpoint of analyst projections, the rise was enough to send shares of the company up five percent. "The strength of Vista is really driving this," Kim Caughey, an analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, told Reuters. This piece of news was a surprise to many, and not just those in the press and analyst communities. According to Reuters, Chris Liddel, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer, said consumer sales of Vista surpassed even the company's own expectations by $300 million to $400 million. Apart from the standard Microsoft bashing Chief Executive Steve Ballmer's February statement that some analyst estimates for Vista sales were "overly aggressive," had led to concerns.
According to BusinessWeek, "while some corporate customers still opt for the predecessor Windows XP when they buy new computers, for software compatibility reasons, a remarkably large number are taking the new operating system." That 'remarkably large number' amounts to 85 percent of its current operating system's sales. Given all the negative hype that is likely a surprise, but even more so when it is pointed out that Vista is selling more robustly than XP did at the same time in its life cycle. Contrary to popular expectation, Vista appears to be paying off; the Client Division which consists mainly of Windows sales for PCs reached $5.3 billion. This of course is good news to Microsoft, Windows and Office account for more than half of Microsoft's total revenue and a majority of its profits. Benjamin J. Romano of the Seattle Times put it well, "The report served to quiet some grumbling about the new operating system's performance and acceptance, and it seemed to assure investors that the cash cows are safely in the pasture."
Though the new operating system and Office suite may represent cash cows, Microsoft's online search presence may be best referred to as a dog. Microsoft comes in a distant third, behind Google and Yahoo! Vista sales make Microsoft happy; its search performance does not. According to BusinessWeek, "At the end of January Chief Financial Officer Christopher Liddell expressed dissatisfaction with the company's search engine growth. 'We lost market share' . . . We are clearly not happy with that.'" The dissatisfaction expressed by Liddell was over a few numbers: As of March 1, growth on Microsoft's search site was up 2.5 percent; Yahoo!'s 29 percent and Google's 40.6 according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. Also while Google boasts 53 percent of searches, and Yahoo! follows with 23 percent, Microsoft stalls at 9 percent.
In early March Christopher Payne, the corporate vice-president in charge of Windows Live Search left the company and it is still being kept quiet as to why. BusinessWeek states that at that time, "Concerns over leadership of the division resurfaced," and that, "his replacement faces a tall order." As they look for a replacement Microsoft will also be looking for a solution. Knight Ridder reports that, "Beyond having enormous resources to spend on battling Google and Yahoo, Microsoft has a valuable roster of popular Web services and sites that can direct search traffic to the Live Search site." Microsoft will attempt to leverage this roster and encourage users to execute more searches; it will embed search into its instant messenger client as well as on its online sites. "If we got all of these people to do one search a day, that would be a big bump for us," says Whitney Burk, Microsoft's public relations manager for competitive strategy. In an unusual approach Microsoft will also try to woo users via financial incentives. According to Network World, "In an apparent attempt to boost its disappointing Web-search market share, Microsoft is giving financial incentives to large corporate customers whose employees use Microsoft's Live Search engine . . . In exchange for their employees' Live Search usage, Microsoft is providing 'service or training credits' to these customers." Justin Osmer, senior project manager for Microsoft's Live Search group, says, "We know it's an uphill battle, but we're in it for the long haul." That long haul has also directed Microsoft to look for some shortcuts.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Recent talks between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. over how to band together betray increasing unrest at Microsoft over how to compete with Google Inc. and get in step with the booming online-advertising market." When word of discussions between the two companies broke last Friday various sources tossed about numerous scenarios; however those might best be discussed at a later time, when the two companies are still talking. (Word of the talks ending arrived on the heels of word that they had begun.) Still, the scenario surrounding the talks is noteworthy. The Wall Street Journal stated that "Microsoft's online division could be heading for a shake-up, say people familiar with the situation. Failure by the Redmond, Wash., company to make better headway against Google in Internet search, combined with Microsoft losing a deal to Google last month to buy online-advertising specialist DoubleClick, has spurred Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to consider new action, these people say." The Financial Times has similar thoughts, "The talks have been prompted by an acceleration in the shift of audience and advertisers online, and Microsoft’s failure to build effective search engine and online advertising arms of its own, say analysts and industry executives." And while the point is moot, now that talks are over, it is interesting to note the view that even Yahoo! couldn't help Microsoft. On this Forbes notes, "Microsoft's money-losing online business posted sales growth of just 10.9 percent last quarter. Yahoo! does make money, but last quarter its sales rose a mere 9 percent, excluding traffic acquisition costs."
A company as big a Microsoft with fingers in as many pots will have both victories and its defeats; both can come hand in hand.
When Microsoft reported its earnings last month it drew some surprises; Vista, the company's new operating system, is selling well. Until the announcement, most of the news about Vista, and Microsoft in general, reported its problems and predicted its negative impact. It seems that in this Microsoft has had the last laugh. But as with any empire, there is a dark side. Microsoft trails its online rivals Google and Yahoo! and is well aware that it needs to make some headway in this area. Its need to do so was evidenced by recent talks between Microsoft and Yahoo! Talks were over quickly, but the fact remains that while Microsoft may keep moving ahead, its work is cut out.
If earnings reports are indicative of a company's strength Microsoft appears to be doing well; on April 26 the company posted a 65 percent rise in quarterly profit. While the projections of the company for 2008 are only at the midpoint of analyst projections, the rise was enough to send shares of the company up five percent. "The strength of Vista is really driving this," Kim Caughey, an analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, told Reuters. This piece of news was a surprise to many, and not just those in the press and analyst communities. According to Reuters, Chris Liddel, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer, said consumer sales of Vista surpassed even the company's own expectations by $300 million to $400 million. Apart from the standard Microsoft bashing Chief Executive Steve Ballmer's February statement that some analyst estimates for Vista sales were "overly aggressive," had led to concerns.
According to BusinessWeek, "while some corporate customers still opt for the predecessor Windows XP when they buy new computers, for software compatibility reasons, a remarkably large number are taking the new operating system." That 'remarkably large number' amounts to 85 percent of its current operating system's sales. Given all the negative hype that is likely a surprise, but even more so when it is pointed out that Vista is selling more robustly than XP did at the same time in its life cycle. Contrary to popular expectation, Vista appears to be paying off; the Client Division which consists mainly of Windows sales for PCs reached $5.3 billion. This of course is good news to Microsoft, Windows and Office account for more than half of Microsoft's total revenue and a majority of its profits. Benjamin J. Romano of the Seattle Times put it well, "The report served to quiet some grumbling about the new operating system's performance and acceptance, and it seemed to assure investors that the cash cows are safely in the pasture."
Though the new operating system and Office suite may represent cash cows, Microsoft's online search presence may be best referred to as a dog. Microsoft comes in a distant third, behind Google and Yahoo! Vista sales make Microsoft happy; its search performance does not. According to BusinessWeek, "At the end of January Chief Financial Officer Christopher Liddell expressed dissatisfaction with the company's search engine growth. 'We lost market share' . . . We are clearly not happy with that.'" The dissatisfaction expressed by Liddell was over a few numbers: As of March 1, growth on Microsoft's search site was up 2.5 percent; Yahoo!'s 29 percent and Google's 40.6 according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. Also while Google boasts 53 percent of searches, and Yahoo! follows with 23 percent, Microsoft stalls at 9 percent.
In early March Christopher Payne, the corporate vice-president in charge of Windows Live Search left the company and it is still being kept quiet as to why. BusinessWeek states that at that time, "Concerns over leadership of the division resurfaced," and that, "his replacement faces a tall order." As they look for a replacement Microsoft will also be looking for a solution. Knight Ridder reports that, "Beyond having enormous resources to spend on battling Google and Yahoo, Microsoft has a valuable roster of popular Web services and sites that can direct search traffic to the Live Search site." Microsoft will attempt to leverage this roster and encourage users to execute more searches; it will embed search into its instant messenger client as well as on its online sites. "If we got all of these people to do one search a day, that would be a big bump for us," says Whitney Burk, Microsoft's public relations manager for competitive strategy. In an unusual approach Microsoft will also try to woo users via financial incentives. According to Network World, "In an apparent attempt to boost its disappointing Web-search market share, Microsoft is giving financial incentives to large corporate customers whose employees use Microsoft's Live Search engine . . . In exchange for their employees' Live Search usage, Microsoft is providing 'service or training credits' to these customers." Justin Osmer, senior project manager for Microsoft's Live Search group, says, "We know it's an uphill battle, but we're in it for the long haul." That long haul has also directed Microsoft to look for some shortcuts.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Recent talks between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. over how to band together betray increasing unrest at Microsoft over how to compete with Google Inc. and get in step with the booming online-advertising market." When word of discussions between the two companies broke last Friday various sources tossed about numerous scenarios; however those might best be discussed at a later time, when the two companies are still talking. (Word of the talks ending arrived on the heels of word that they had begun.) Still, the scenario surrounding the talks is noteworthy. The Wall Street Journal stated that "Microsoft's online division could be heading for a shake-up, say people familiar with the situation. Failure by the Redmond, Wash., company to make better headway against Google in Internet search, combined with Microsoft losing a deal to Google last month to buy online-advertising specialist DoubleClick, has spurred Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to consider new action, these people say." The Financial Times has similar thoughts, "The talks have been prompted by an acceleration in the shift of audience and advertisers online, and Microsoft’s failure to build effective search engine and online advertising arms of its own, say analysts and industry executives." And while the point is moot, now that talks are over, it is interesting to note the view that even Yahoo! couldn't help Microsoft. On this Forbes notes, "Microsoft's money-losing online business posted sales growth of just 10.9 percent last quarter. Yahoo! does make money, but last quarter its sales rose a mere 9 percent, excluding traffic acquisition costs."
A company as big a Microsoft with fingers in as many pots will have both victories and its defeats; both can come hand in hand.
FTD.de - Management - Business Wissen - E-Mail-Archivierung: Gesetzliche Anforderungen erfüllt?
FTD.de - Management - Business Wissen - E-Mail-Archivierung: Gesetzliche Anforderungen erfüllt?
E-Mails sind schnell versendet und empfangen. Für sie gelten aber dieselben gesetzlichen Anforderungen wie für alle Geschäfts- und Handelsbriefe. Doch in vielen Unternehmen fehlen die organisatorischen Regelungen und technischen Voraussetzungen für die richtige Archivierung.
Was sind Geschäftsbriefe oder Handelsbriefe?
Im ersten Schritt gilt es zu klären, was die Geschäfts- oder Handelsbriefe sind, für die gesetzliche Aufbewahrungspflichten gelten. Das ist im Handelsgesetzbuch geregelt: Alle, die ein Geschäft vorbereiten, abwickeln, rückgängig machen oder abschließen. Beispielsweise:
- Angebote,
- Auftragsbestätigungen,
- Lieferscheine,
- Korrespondenz zur Projektabwicklung,
- Rechnungen,
- Rückgängigmachung oder Kündigungen.
Uninteressant sind Werbesendungen, Prospekte und Angebote, die zu keinem Geschäftsabschluss geführt haben.
Alle ausgehende Post muss aufbewahrt werden
E-Mails sind schnell versendet und empfangen. Für sie gelten aber dieselben gesetzlichen Anforderungen wie für alle Geschäfts- und Handelsbriefe. Doch in vielen Unternehmen fehlen die organisatorischen Regelungen und technischen Voraussetzungen für die richtige Archivierung.
Was sind Geschäftsbriefe oder Handelsbriefe?
Im ersten Schritt gilt es zu klären, was die Geschäfts- oder Handelsbriefe sind, für die gesetzliche Aufbewahrungspflichten gelten. Das ist im Handelsgesetzbuch geregelt: Alle, die ein Geschäft vorbereiten, abwickeln, rückgängig machen oder abschließen. Beispielsweise:
- Angebote,
- Auftragsbestätigungen,
- Lieferscheine,
- Korrespondenz zur Projektabwicklung,
- Rechnungen,
- Rückgängigmachung oder Kündigungen.
Uninteressant sind Werbesendungen, Prospekte und Angebote, die zu keinem Geschäftsabschluss geführt haben.
Alle ausgehende Post muss aufbewahrt werden
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
MIX07 Conference Marks a Turning Point for Microsoft
MIX07 Conference Marks a Turning Point for Microsoft
Microsoft's announcements at MIX07 about its Silverlight cross-platform plug-in, the Windows Live platform and other aspects of its Web strategy indicate that the company is getting serious about the Web in the Web 2.0 era.
Microsoft's announcements at MIX07 about its Silverlight cross-platform plug-in, the Windows Live platform and other aspects of its Web strategy indicate that the company is getting serious about the Web in the Web 2.0 era.
Monday, May 07, 2007
FT.com / Companies / US & Canada - Evolution of the internet opens doors for Microsoft
FT.com / Companies / US & Canada - Evolution of the internet opens doors for Microsoft
Evolution of the internet opens doors for Microsoft
By Richard Waters
Published: May 7 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 7 2007 03:00
A coming shift in the dynamics of the internet advertising business, as the momentum starts to shift away from the keyword-based systems used by search engines, is one of the biggest factors behind Microsoft's takeover approach to Yahoo, according to industry executives and analysts.
Microsoft has shown few signs yet that it is even starting to win back any ground lost to Google in search, despite heavy investments over the past three years to build its own search engine and keyword advertising system.
Evolution of the internet opens doors for Microsoft
By Richard Waters
Published: May 7 2007 03:00 | Last updated: May 7 2007 03:00
A coming shift in the dynamics of the internet advertising business, as the momentum starts to shift away from the keyword-based systems used by search engines, is one of the biggest factors behind Microsoft's takeover approach to Yahoo, according to industry executives and analysts.
Microsoft has shown few signs yet that it is even starting to win back any ground lost to Google in search, despite heavy investments over the past three years to build its own search engine and keyword advertising system.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Friday, May 04, 2007
FT.com / Comment & analysis / Editorial comment - The case for an independent media
FT.com / Comment & analysis / Editorial comment - The case for an independent media
The case for an independent media
Published: May 4 2007 22:46 | Last updated: May 4 2007 22:46
“You are in the field to defend the public interest, the financial truth for investors and the funds that should support the widow and the orphan,” said Clarence Barron, proprietor of The Wall Street Journal from 1902 until 1928. The founders of many media companies left trusts and special voting powers to protect such journalism, but with profits hurt by a shift to digital media, those structures are under siege.
Reuters, a financial information provider and the world’s largest news agency, has received an approach. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has bid for Dow Jones, owner of the Journal. Rebel investors, meanwhile, are demanding change at the New York Times Company.
The case for an independent media
Published: May 4 2007 22:46 | Last updated: May 4 2007 22:46
“You are in the field to defend the public interest, the financial truth for investors and the funds that should support the widow and the orphan,” said Clarence Barron, proprietor of The Wall Street Journal from 1902 until 1928. The founders of many media companies left trusts and special voting powers to protect such journalism, but with profits hurt by a shift to digital media, those structures are under siege.
Reuters, a financial information provider and the world’s largest news agency, has received an approach. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has bid for Dow Jones, owner of the Journal. Rebel investors, meanwhile, are demanding change at the New York Times Company.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Business Research Engine: Document Information
Business Research Engine: Document Information
Microsoft has been beating the Live.com software-as-services drum for 18 months now, and has now delivered some of the most significant products and services under that banner to date. Silverlight, Microsoft's answer to Adobe's Flash player, is getting backing from .NET, the company's application development platform.
Microsoft has been beating the Live.com software-as-services drum for 18 months now, and has now delivered some of the most significant products and services under that banner to date. Silverlight, Microsoft's answer to Adobe's Flash player, is getting backing from .NET, the company's application development platform.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Autonomy says 1st-quarter profit more than doubled - International Herald Tribune
Autonomy says 1st-quarter profit more than doubled - International Herald Tribune
LONDON: Britain's Autonomy Corp., a maker of software to track computer data, said Wednesday that first-quarter profit more than doubled after the company won new business.
Net income rose to US$11 million (€8.1 million) in the three months through March 31, from US$4.8 million in the same period a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Sales gained 17 percent to US$65.5 million (€48.2 million).
"The combination of strong organic revenue growth and operational gearing ... resulted in continued growth in operating margins and bottom line profitability," Chief Executive Mike Lynch said.
Autonomy's customers include BAE Systems PLC, Ford Motor Co. and Nestle SA.
Shares in the company surged 9.2 percent to 763 pence (US$15.26; €12.34) on the London Stock Exchange.
The Associated Press Published: April 25, 2007
LONDON: Britain's Autonomy Corp., a maker of software to track computer data, said Wednesday that first-quarter profit more than doubled after the company won new business.
Net income rose to US$11 million (€8.1 million) in the three months through March 31, from US$4.8 million in the same period a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Sales gained 17 percent to US$65.5 million (€48.2 million).
"The combination of strong organic revenue growth and operational gearing ... resulted in continued growth in operating margins and bottom line profitability," Chief Executive Mike Lynch said.
Autonomy's customers include BAE Systems PLC, Ford Motor Co. and Nestle SA.
Shares in the company surged 9.2 percent to 763 pence (US$15.26; €12.34) on the London Stock Exchange.
The Associated Press Published: April 25, 2007
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
FT.com / Companies / IT - Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
By Maija Palmer, IT Correspondent
Published: April 25 2007 08:20 | Last updated: April 25 2007 08:20
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, on Wednesday announced plans to demerge and float its consumer division, with allows people to search internet TV and video clips.
The consumer division will be renamed Blinkx, and listed on London’s AIM exchange for growth stocks in May. Autonomy will retain around 10 per cent of the shares following the float.
The company is considering issuing new shares at the time of the float to provide funding for the new business, which is expected to be initially lossmaking.
Blinkx is looking to create an advertising-funded business, along the lines of the Google business model.
Autonomy creates software that can search unstructured information, such as emails and pictures. It is used by a hundreds of large companies to track and organise corporate data.
Autonomy has struggled to enter the consumer market, however. It launched a consumer internet search technology in 2000 but was dwarfed by rival search engines such as Yahoo and Google, and quietly withdrew the product.
In 2005 the company re-entered the consumer sector, when it began a joint venture with China Netcom, the telecommunications operator, called OpenV, to provide a internet video search for Chinese consumers.
Mike Lynch, chief executive, has always maintained that Autonomy’s search technology is ideally suited to help consumers search internet television, video clips and other online entertainment, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
Unlike Google and Yahoo’s search engines, Autonomy’s technology does not rely on text and keywords, but uses mathematical formulae to detect patterns in any type of information, including pictures and sounds. The technology is used by the BBC, for example, to search and organise its archives.
The demerger of the consumer business is a complex transaction, in which Autonomy will first take ownership of Blinkx, a separate company founded by Autonomy’s former US chief technology officer, Suranga Chandratillake, which already uses Autonomy’s consumer search technology. In exchange Blinkx will be given exclusive rights to the technology, everywhere outside China. Then the Blinkx business will be demerged again and floated.
Autonomy shareholders will be given shares in Blinkx in lieu of a dividend, which the company has do date never paid.
The Chinese OpenV joint venture will not be part of the Blinkx group, and will maintain exclusive rights to the technology in China.
The news of the demerger came as Autonomy announced record first quarter results, which saw adjusted pre-tax profits nearly doubled to $19.5m from$10.3m in the same period last year.
Revenues for the first quarter rose 17 per cent from $56.1m to $65.5m, thanks to new corporate customer wins, including SFR and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and increasing adoption of the software by technology partners such as IBM, Oracle and Symantec, who are integrating it into their own products and services.
Earnings per share increased to 7 cents from 4 cents last time.
Shares in Autonomy, which have increased 37 per cent in value since the start of the year, rose nearly 9 per cent to 760p in early trade.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Autonomy to spin off consumer arm
By Maija Palmer, IT Correspondent
Published: April 25 2007 08:20 | Last updated: April 25 2007 08:20
Autonomy, the Cambridge-based search software company, on Wednesday announced plans to demerge and float its consumer division, with allows people to search internet TV and video clips.
The consumer division will be renamed Blinkx, and listed on London’s AIM exchange for growth stocks in May. Autonomy will retain around 10 per cent of the shares following the float.
The company is considering issuing new shares at the time of the float to provide funding for the new business, which is expected to be initially lossmaking.
Blinkx is looking to create an advertising-funded business, along the lines of the Google business model.
Autonomy creates software that can search unstructured information, such as emails and pictures. It is used by a hundreds of large companies to track and organise corporate data.
Autonomy has struggled to enter the consumer market, however. It launched a consumer internet search technology in 2000 but was dwarfed by rival search engines such as Yahoo and Google, and quietly withdrew the product.
In 2005 the company re-entered the consumer sector, when it began a joint venture with China Netcom, the telecommunications operator, called OpenV, to provide a internet video search for Chinese consumers.
Mike Lynch, chief executive, has always maintained that Autonomy’s search technology is ideally suited to help consumers search internet television, video clips and other online entertainment, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
Unlike Google and Yahoo’s search engines, Autonomy’s technology does not rely on text and keywords, but uses mathematical formulae to detect patterns in any type of information, including pictures and sounds. The technology is used by the BBC, for example, to search and organise its archives.
The demerger of the consumer business is a complex transaction, in which Autonomy will first take ownership of Blinkx, a separate company founded by Autonomy’s former US chief technology officer, Suranga Chandratillake, which already uses Autonomy’s consumer search technology. In exchange Blinkx will be given exclusive rights to the technology, everywhere outside China. Then the Blinkx business will be demerged again and floated.
Autonomy shareholders will be given shares in Blinkx in lieu of a dividend, which the company has do date never paid.
The Chinese OpenV joint venture will not be part of the Blinkx group, and will maintain exclusive rights to the technology in China.
The news of the demerger came as Autonomy announced record first quarter results, which saw adjusted pre-tax profits nearly doubled to $19.5m from$10.3m in the same period last year.
Revenues for the first quarter rose 17 per cent from $56.1m to $65.5m, thanks to new corporate customer wins, including SFR and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and increasing adoption of the software by technology partners such as IBM, Oracle and Symantec, who are integrating it into their own products and services.
Earnings per share increased to 7 cents from 4 cents last time.
Shares in Autonomy, which have increased 37 per cent in value since the start of the year, rose nearly 9 per cent to 760p in early trade.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Google's Expanded Workplace Products Won't Usurp Office Yet
Google's Expanded Workplace Products Won't Usurp Office Yet
With the Tonic Systems acquisition, Google continues to widen its offerings into a full collaboration suite. Adding presentation features takes it closer to competing with Microsoft Office.
With the Tonic Systems acquisition, Google continues to widen its offerings into a full collaboration suite. Adding presentation features takes it closer to competing with Microsoft Office.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Enterprise Content Management Marketplace: Opportunities and Risks -- CMS Watch
Enterprise Content Management Marketplace: Opportunities and Risks -- CMS Watch
Enterprise Content Management Marketplace: Opportunities and Risks
by Alan Pelz-Sharpe
23-Apr-2007
Enteprise Content Management (ECM) technologies can have a huge impact on your business. So naturally, buyers will do well to carefully assess both ECM products and the vendors that sell them.
It is all too easy to select vendors for your short list based on their supposed “leadership” status in the market – status given either by analyst firms or by the vendors themselves. As our ECM Suites Report amply describes, ECM represents a very wide range of technologies to solve an equally wide range of business problems. Your challenge becomes making the right “fit” for your specific needs.
Once you have identified toolsets that meet your requirements, you also need to consider the vendors. Again “leadership” status in a top right quadrant on an analyst chart does little more than tell you who has the biggest revenues in the sector, along with the widest array of technology to offer. It does not tell you whether the vendor’s corporate status is in state of flux, or whether the product set is currently undergoing an overhaul, or whether both are in the process of becoming somewhat irrelevant in the marketplace due to a lack of innovation and investment.
Major ECM vendors will gladly dazzle, and wine and dine your team, but though they may appear to be a safe and conservative choice, in fact today many are ironically higher-risk partners.
All of these factors involve risk to you, the buyer. So we'd like to provide you with some key indicators to recognize and weigh those risks. Interestingly, you'll see that major brands that would appear a safe and conservative choice actually, in some circumstances, represent higher-risk choices.
To gain maximum value from this analysis you need to consider two key factors: Your enterprise and the ECM marketplace. Each buying organization is different. What represents a high risk to one may represent a chance for innovation and a competitive advantage to another. What represents a staid, uninspiring, and somewhat slow-moving product set to one enterprise may represent a solid area of comfort and low risk to another. And of course, vendors and products are in constant flux.
Charting Risks
The chart below represents four key dimensions that we believe should supplement a functional, cost/value analysis in any major procurement decision. Use this tool in addition to the specific product research that looks in more detail at the detailed functional and technical capabilities of the technology sets.
There is no “right” or “magic” or “leader” location this chart. Buyers with strong internal IT processes and a predilection for “early adoption” may favor a vendor undertaking fundamental change, on the grounds that they can influence roadmaps and new technology and “leapfrog” competitors stuck with older tools and approaches. Other customers will prefer an ECM supplier evolving at a more moderate pace; while still other buyers will prefer a more conservative approach. It is for you to decide where your preferences sit.
The four dimensions we plot are:
1. Size – Denotes the relative size and importance of the vendor in the broad technology marketplace.
2. Focus on ECM – Indicates how much of the firm’s efforts are focused on ECM. For some it is a side activity, for others it is the sole focus.
3. Vendor Evolution – Weighs the current pace of change at the vendor itself: Is it evolving as the marketplace changes? Has it just been acquired, or acquired another product?
4. Product Development – Weighs the current pace of change for the ECM solution. Is the product line about to undergo a major revision? Is the firm in the midst of trying to piece together many disparate modules. Or is little happening, with a mature product undergoing minimal change?
Each buyer will rate the importance of these dimensions differently and we encourage you to make use of this tool interactively. Our placement of the vendors denotes our assessments as of mid-2007; we will update it substantially every six months. To be sure, the vendor are in motion but here is our quick snapshot.
The Vendors
EMC|Documentum
EMC|Documentum is going through a period of major change in 2007: not only is D6 (a major upgrade to the product) due in September, 2007, but the firm lost recently lost its charismatic leader Dave DeWalt – a loss seemingly unexpected by EMC, and one that will have a major impact on the executive leadership, and by default corporate and product direction of the Documentum product set. Hence our placement of EMC Documentum firmly in the Refresh sector toward the Turbulence sector of the chart.
IBM / FileNet
When IBM bought FileNet in late 2006, they took on a product set in P8 that had recently undergone a major revision to Version 4. There is integration work to be done to make sense of the two parallel product sets (IBM CM and FileNet P8) but there is less turmoil than may have been expected. Likewise, as the entire executive team from FileNet replaced the previous IBM team, there will be a period of settling down, and certainly there will be change over time to manage; hence our placement of IBM across the Turbulence and Shifting sectors.
Oracle / Stellent
Oracle will apparently allow the Stellent UCM product set to continue in its current guise for some time to come, and instead is concentrating on integrating elements to run on top of its Content DB and BPEL process manager, so there is less turmoil here than we might have thought. Nevertheless this is a period of major change for Stellent, albeit one we expect to settle down sooner rather than later, in large part due to Oracle’s enormous resources and the relatively small size of this acquisition for Oracle. Hence placement across the Turbulence and Refresh sectors.
OpenText / Hummingbird
Corporately Open Text has a clear, applications-oriented strategy, yet there can be no underestimating the scale of the task they face in rationalizing not just the Hummingbird acquisition, but a myriad of prior purchases. Hence our placement in Shifting albeit bordering Restructuring.
Alfresco
The new kid on the block in the ECM world, Alfresco has made a mark quickly on the market, and yet despite being a new firm, they are surprisingly stable and well-funded. They are not undergoing any major corporate change, and the product is reaching a point of some maturity (as an ECM platform), but the company is still experimenting with licensing and governance models; hence our placement in Shifting, bordering Balance.
Interwoven
The WorkSite products have clearly done well for Interwoven, yet it remains unclear whether the company will commit to them to the same depth as its traditional WCM tools. Interwoven operates as a group of fiefdoms, this particular group is in comparison to others moving slowly both at the product and corporate level, hence we have placed them in Stasis, bordering on Maintenance. They are potentially a good match for a conservative buyer.
Vignette
Like Interwoven, Vignette’s original WCM products seem to get more attention than the company’s acquired ECM tools. As such little of import is happening with the product set. Some elements from the Tower acquisition appear to be languishing, and corporately addressing this does not appear to be high on their agenda. Hence our placement of Vignette in the Maintenance sector bordering Stasis.
Xerox
Xerox is a very large firm, but DocuShare is a tiny part of this mammoth company – albeit a small part that has done well. The product is mature, and we expect changes to be organic and incremental. The executive team responsible for DocuShare also remains stable, though the larger Xerox company continues to show little real interest in DocuShare – hence our placement and weighting of Xerox in Continuity.
Microsoft
Despite all the hype around SharePoint, ECM is not a major area of focus for Microsoft as a whole, even if it is getting more attention now than in the past. But the deeper story here is that SharePoint remains nowhere near complete or mature, even if it is progressing well. As such, we expect it to undergo some major revisions over the next year or so. Hence we have positioned Microsoft in Overhaul.
Hyland
Hyland is a stable company with a stable product set, developing its technology continuously, if conservatively. Hence our placement of them in the Balance sector.
[Editors note: this article was excerpted from the recently released ECM Suites Report, which contains detailed evaluations of each of these vendors.]
Enterprise Content Management Marketplace: Opportunities and Risks
by Alan Pelz-Sharpe
23-Apr-2007
Enteprise Content Management (ECM) technologies can have a huge impact on your business. So naturally, buyers will do well to carefully assess both ECM products and the vendors that sell them.
It is all too easy to select vendors for your short list based on their supposed “leadership” status in the market – status given either by analyst firms or by the vendors themselves. As our ECM Suites Report amply describes, ECM represents a very wide range of technologies to solve an equally wide range of business problems. Your challenge becomes making the right “fit” for your specific needs.
Once you have identified toolsets that meet your requirements, you also need to consider the vendors. Again “leadership” status in a top right quadrant on an analyst chart does little more than tell you who has the biggest revenues in the sector, along with the widest array of technology to offer. It does not tell you whether the vendor’s corporate status is in state of flux, or whether the product set is currently undergoing an overhaul, or whether both are in the process of becoming somewhat irrelevant in the marketplace due to a lack of innovation and investment.
Major ECM vendors will gladly dazzle, and wine and dine your team, but though they may appear to be a safe and conservative choice, in fact today many are ironically higher-risk partners.
All of these factors involve risk to you, the buyer. So we'd like to provide you with some key indicators to recognize and weigh those risks. Interestingly, you'll see that major brands that would appear a safe and conservative choice actually, in some circumstances, represent higher-risk choices.
To gain maximum value from this analysis you need to consider two key factors: Your enterprise and the ECM marketplace. Each buying organization is different. What represents a high risk to one may represent a chance for innovation and a competitive advantage to another. What represents a staid, uninspiring, and somewhat slow-moving product set to one enterprise may represent a solid area of comfort and low risk to another. And of course, vendors and products are in constant flux.
Charting Risks
The chart below represents four key dimensions that we believe should supplement a functional, cost/value analysis in any major procurement decision. Use this tool in addition to the specific product research that looks in more detail at the detailed functional and technical capabilities of the technology sets.
There is no “right” or “magic” or “leader” location this chart. Buyers with strong internal IT processes and a predilection for “early adoption” may favor a vendor undertaking fundamental change, on the grounds that they can influence roadmaps and new technology and “leapfrog” competitors stuck with older tools and approaches. Other customers will prefer an ECM supplier evolving at a more moderate pace; while still other buyers will prefer a more conservative approach. It is for you to decide where your preferences sit.
The four dimensions we plot are:
1. Size – Denotes the relative size and importance of the vendor in the broad technology marketplace.
2. Focus on ECM – Indicates how much of the firm’s efforts are focused on ECM. For some it is a side activity, for others it is the sole focus.
3. Vendor Evolution – Weighs the current pace of change at the vendor itself: Is it evolving as the marketplace changes? Has it just been acquired, or acquired another product?
4. Product Development – Weighs the current pace of change for the ECM solution. Is the product line about to undergo a major revision? Is the firm in the midst of trying to piece together many disparate modules. Or is little happening, with a mature product undergoing minimal change?
Each buyer will rate the importance of these dimensions differently and we encourage you to make use of this tool interactively. Our placement of the vendors denotes our assessments as of mid-2007; we will update it substantially every six months. To be sure, the vendor are in motion but here is our quick snapshot.
The Vendors
EMC|Documentum
EMC|Documentum is going through a period of major change in 2007: not only is D6 (a major upgrade to the product) due in September, 2007, but the firm lost recently lost its charismatic leader Dave DeWalt – a loss seemingly unexpected by EMC, and one that will have a major impact on the executive leadership, and by default corporate and product direction of the Documentum product set. Hence our placement of EMC Documentum firmly in the Refresh sector toward the Turbulence sector of the chart.
IBM / FileNet
When IBM bought FileNet in late 2006, they took on a product set in P8 that had recently undergone a major revision to Version 4. There is integration work to be done to make sense of the two parallel product sets (IBM CM and FileNet P8) but there is less turmoil than may have been expected. Likewise, as the entire executive team from FileNet replaced the previous IBM team, there will be a period of settling down, and certainly there will be change over time to manage; hence our placement of IBM across the Turbulence and Shifting sectors.
Oracle / Stellent
Oracle will apparently allow the Stellent UCM product set to continue in its current guise for some time to come, and instead is concentrating on integrating elements to run on top of its Content DB and BPEL process manager, so there is less turmoil here than we might have thought. Nevertheless this is a period of major change for Stellent, albeit one we expect to settle down sooner rather than later, in large part due to Oracle’s enormous resources and the relatively small size of this acquisition for Oracle. Hence placement across the Turbulence and Refresh sectors.
OpenText / Hummingbird
Corporately Open Text has a clear, applications-oriented strategy, yet there can be no underestimating the scale of the task they face in rationalizing not just the Hummingbird acquisition, but a myriad of prior purchases. Hence our placement in Shifting albeit bordering Restructuring.
Alfresco
The new kid on the block in the ECM world, Alfresco has made a mark quickly on the market, and yet despite being a new firm, they are surprisingly stable and well-funded. They are not undergoing any major corporate change, and the product is reaching a point of some maturity (as an ECM platform), but the company is still experimenting with licensing and governance models; hence our placement in Shifting, bordering Balance.
Interwoven
The WorkSite products have clearly done well for Interwoven, yet it remains unclear whether the company will commit to them to the same depth as its traditional WCM tools. Interwoven operates as a group of fiefdoms, this particular group is in comparison to others moving slowly both at the product and corporate level, hence we have placed them in Stasis, bordering on Maintenance. They are potentially a good match for a conservative buyer.
Vignette
Like Interwoven, Vignette’s original WCM products seem to get more attention than the company’s acquired ECM tools. As such little of import is happening with the product set. Some elements from the Tower acquisition appear to be languishing, and corporately addressing this does not appear to be high on their agenda. Hence our placement of Vignette in the Maintenance sector bordering Stasis.
Xerox
Xerox is a very large firm, but DocuShare is a tiny part of this mammoth company – albeit a small part that has done well. The product is mature, and we expect changes to be organic and incremental. The executive team responsible for DocuShare also remains stable, though the larger Xerox company continues to show little real interest in DocuShare – hence our placement and weighting of Xerox in Continuity.
Microsoft
Despite all the hype around SharePoint, ECM is not a major area of focus for Microsoft as a whole, even if it is getting more attention now than in the past. But the deeper story here is that SharePoint remains nowhere near complete or mature, even if it is progressing well. As such, we expect it to undergo some major revisions over the next year or so. Hence we have positioned Microsoft in Overhaul.
Hyland
Hyland is a stable company with a stable product set, developing its technology continuously, if conservatively. Hence our placement of them in the Balance sector.
[Editors note: this article was excerpted from the recently released ECM Suites Report, which contains detailed evaluations of each of these vendors.]
Friday, April 20, 2007
FT.com / Companies / Financial services - USFE seeks new friends on MySpace
FT.com / Companies / Financial services - USFE seeks new friends on MySpace
USFE seeks new friends on MySpace
By Doug Cameron in Chicago
Published: April 20 2007 19:24 | Last updated: April 20 2007 19:24
The US Futures Exchange is 99 years old and male, at least according to its new MySpace page in what market experts view as the first move by the derivatives sector into the world of social networking.
The details provided by the Chicago-based exchange which, like its peers, prides itself on the transparency of its markets, could just catch the eye of regulators. The USFE is in fact less than one year old, formed in late 2006 when Man Group took over the US exchange formed by Eurex, the derivatives platform controlled by Deutsche Börse. Its sex was previously undisclosed.
The appearance of the USFE on a site beloved of teenagers and musicians comes as it launched its inaugural contract on Friday, based on the outcome of the two-way battle for control of the Chicago Board of Trade.
The ”binary” contract is viewed as an opportunistic move ahead of the formal launch of the USFE, target retail investors with the exchange’s initial product offerings before widening to attract institutions and hedge funds.
Binary futures offer an all-or-nothing pay-out on a range of defined outcomes, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Intercontinental Exchange winning the CBOT bid battle or the acquisition of CBOT by a third party.
The USFE has been working on its Myspace page for a number of weeks and was first reported by John Lothian, a Chicago-based trader who publishes a widely-followed blog and newsletter. “For the longest time I had only one [MySpace] friend, said Mr Lothian who, like many in the sector, was previously unaware of the social networking site before signing up to view the USFE offering.
Mr Lothian is now joined by 13 other friends on the USFE page.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
USFE seeks new friends on MySpace
By Doug Cameron in Chicago
Published: April 20 2007 19:24 | Last updated: April 20 2007 19:24
The US Futures Exchange is 99 years old and male, at least according to its new MySpace page in what market experts view as the first move by the derivatives sector into the world of social networking.
The details provided by the Chicago-based exchange which, like its peers, prides itself on the transparency of its markets, could just catch the eye of regulators. The USFE is in fact less than one year old, formed in late 2006 when Man Group took over the US exchange formed by Eurex, the derivatives platform controlled by Deutsche Börse. Its sex was previously undisclosed.
The appearance of the USFE on a site beloved of teenagers and musicians comes as it launched its inaugural contract on Friday, based on the outcome of the two-way battle for control of the Chicago Board of Trade.
The ”binary” contract is viewed as an opportunistic move ahead of the formal launch of the USFE, target retail investors with the exchange’s initial product offerings before widening to attract institutions and hedge funds.
Binary futures offer an all-or-nothing pay-out on a range of defined outcomes, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Intercontinental Exchange winning the CBOT bid battle or the acquisition of CBOT by a third party.
The USFE has been working on its Myspace page for a number of weeks and was first reported by John Lothian, a Chicago-based trader who publishes a widely-followed blog and newsletter. “For the longest time I had only one [MySpace] friend, said Mr Lothian who, like many in the sector, was previously unaware of the social networking site before signing up to view the USFE offering.
Mr Lothian is now joined by 13 other friends on the USFE page.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
ECM-Strategie: Konsolidierung der Vielfalt im Unternehmen
ECM-Strategie: Konsolidierung der Vielfalt im Unternehmen
Anwender haben ein sehr unterschiedliches Verständnis von Dokumenten und Content Management. Die Spanne reicht von der einfachen MS Office-Dateiverwaltung auf dem Server mit Volltextsuche bis hin zur Prozessunterstützung in Content-zentrischen Prozessen, die in eine heterogene Anwendungslandschaft unter Einhaltung regulatorischer Anforderungen integriert werden können. Dementsprechend vielfältig und selten direkt miteinander vergleichbar sind auch die verschiedenen Angebote der Hersteller.
Anwender haben ein sehr unterschiedliches Verständnis von Dokumenten und Content Management. Die Spanne reicht von der einfachen MS Office-Dateiverwaltung auf dem Server mit Volltextsuche bis hin zur Prozessunterstützung in Content-zentrischen Prozessen, die in eine heterogene Anwendungslandschaft unter Einhaltung regulatorischer Anforderungen integriert werden können. Dementsprechend vielfältig und selten direkt miteinander vergleichbar sind auch die verschiedenen Angebote der Hersteller.
ASG Needs to Act Fast to Make the Most of Mobius Acquisition
ASG Needs to Act Fast to Make the Most of Mobius Acquisition
Buying Mobius will give Allen Systems Group more customers and a wider document archiving portfolio. But ASG must develop the business and exploit combined assets quickly to stave off rivals in this maturing market.
Buying Mobius will give Allen Systems Group more customers and a wider document archiving portfolio. But ASG must develop the business and exploit combined assets quickly to stave off rivals in this maturing market.
Google Extends Advertising Dominance With DoubleClick Deal
Google Extends Advertising Dominance With DoubleClick Deal
Google's purchase of DoubleClick will change the landscape of online advertising by enabling Google to offer both search-based and display advertising to its clients, ultimately boosting the vendor's competitive position.
Google's purchase of DoubleClick will change the landscape of online advertising by enabling Google to offer both search-based and display advertising to its clients, ultimately boosting the vendor's competitive position.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Adobe and Microsoft Face Off Over Rich Media Platforms
Adobe and Microsoft Face Off Over Rich Media Platforms
Announcements made at the same event by Microsoft and Adobe of a desktop video player and rich media browser extension, respectively, have given new prominence to the companies' previously hidden rivalry.
Announcements made at the same event by Microsoft and Adobe of a desktop video player and rich media browser extension, respectively, have given new prominence to the companies' previously hidden rivalry.
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