Tag: technology

Finally I get to try out an iPad

by  on  in Reinventing the enterprise, Technology trends

Although I love using new technologies I usually don’t get a chance for much hands on. Since I need to watch where the money goes (just like everyone else), by the time I get a chance to buy something others have already been using them for some time.

Since Christmas I’ve been evaluating an iPad 3G for use at my work. Right now it is running wild and is not connected to our internal or guest wireless network. It doesn’t have access to my work email, so my first impressions are not as an enterprise user but as a regular Joe. Once I get access to our work environment there will be a new set of evaluation criteria.

Overall

I have to agree with just about everyone’s thoughts, the iPad is pure joy and a game changer in almost all areas. Let’s leave it at that!

Pros

  • good size and weight for daily use
  • excellent battery life after living through 20 years of laptop life
  • great screen
  • easy access to applications

So So

  • 3G wireless performance
  • internal microphone

Cons

  • no Flash support (and websites aren’t providing an alternative)
  • slow charging when not in sleep mode
  • typing anything longer than a quick email using the virtual keyboard is gruelling

Later this month I should be getting the iPad connected up to our enterprise email and intranet. That will provide whole lot of new experiences to share.

Charlene Li on Enterprise 2.0

by  on  in Reinventing the enterprise, Social media, Technology trends

Are you pounding your head against a brick wall when it comes trying to move your Enterprise 2.0 plans forward. You’re not alone.

In this video Stowe Boyd interviews Charlene Li (co-author of Groundswell). Use it to re-energize your Enterprise 2.0 plans. Some of the enlightening quotes are:

  • “it won’t go very far without an executive champion”
  • “when you put social technologies in place it starts tearing down the way that power is shared”
  • “when you give the power to people to post into a wiki or write a blog, […] and if you let them do it freely, that diminishes the gate-keeper role. […] and if you think about the way that organizations are laid out, its usually a bunch of silos, and social technologies puts a big stick of dynamite in that”
  • wondered why we are finding blogs so little used. “I think its because people don’t like blogging. It’s hard to find time to sit down and compose your thoughts. […] It asks people to communicate in a very different way. […] I suggest to executives that they not blog, but they sure talk a lot, so I suggest they video themselves.”

Charlene thinks that enterprise Twitter-like tools will displace a lot of email. “It supplements the natural communication already going on, like IM, which many enterprises have already adopted.”

Posted on the Enterprise 2.0 Conference Blog.

Leading change

by  on  in Reinventing the enterprise, Technology trends

I came across a great presentation by Ron Williams, Chairman and CEO of Aetna on innovation and leadership. He made a turnaround at Aetna with new focus on employees and customers and using information technology and fact-based decisions. He spoke at MIT Sloan School of Management. This is a really great session, don’t miss it.

If you only have a few minutes, the first 2/3 of the video is what you should watch. Some key points:

  • making the case for change
  • transformation through technology in a very short period of time
  • 92% of employees take the employee survey (45 minutes)
  • key question – is my manager / supervisor practicing the Aetna way (at 83%)
  • they had a situation where staff did not admit they worked for Aetna
  • employee engagement moved from 48% to 78%
  • the are focusing on a high performance organization (expectation, not fear based)
  • their performance management system is based on results AND leadership (can’t get results while not developing and leading staff  – if you achieve good results but have poor leadership = no reward!

Source: MIT World

5 Things Every Practice Should Know About Web 2.0

by  on  in Reinventing the enterprise, Technology trends

There are countless presentations that give an overview of Web 2.0. Slideshare.net is an excellent site for finding reusable presentation material on Web 2.0 and almost any other topic. I ran across this one from Lee Bryant presented at LegalTech09. The reason was that generally a law practice or legal department in an enterprise often has higher levels of security around information. I wanted to see what they had to say.

Althought this was for a legal conference, just view the slides and remove the (few) references to firm and practice. It applies to any large organization. Lots of good information. Slides 9 & 10 has a good list of the types of Web 2.0 tools.

LegalTech09: 5 Things Every Practice Should Know About Web 2.0

Just click on the slides to advance. Click on the FULL icon in the Slideshare frame to in full screen.