The Future of Capture --- Where your Content IS your Life

The future of information capture will go far beyond the traditional Enterprise Content Management (ECM) perspective of scanning paper and importing documents that were born digital.

The future of Capture will span every data stream you touch and  the every stream that touches you.

The Future of Capture will encapsulate the latest buzzword of Big Data and will span the Social, Local and Mobile (SoLoMo) worlds we all live in today.

This is the first in a series that will discuss the future of capture. In follow on post I will cover the SoLoMo aspects in more detail. I am also open to collaborating on posts. If you have something to say and want to work on it together. Let me know.

Smile … You’re on Candid (Surveillance) Camera

• Red Light Cameras
• Video Camera in Government Buildings
• Video Cameras in Private Buildings

These are just a few of the more obvious Points of Capture. There are numerous less obvious avenues to capture, process and manage the information about you. For the cameras above a few questions come to mind about the data they capture.

Questions like:

• Who owns the data these cameras capture?
• Who has a right to see this information?
• Can this data be posted to social media sites?
• Can this information be used against you?
• Homework for you … What question do you have?

It’s not all fear mongering and big brother. Surveillance cameras can serve community and social good efforts too. They can be used to monitor traffic, alert first responders to the specifics of a developing situation, and with the ever increasing improvements in imaging technology (there’s that old line ECM stuff coming up for air) they can be used to identify stolen cars, criminals and other (mis)deeds that may be occurring on public or private cameras.

Adapt, Acquire or Acquiesce

This first post is focused on the traditional old line ECM vendors. These firms have been around for a number of years and have been for the most part able to ride on the long tail of the ECM industry. That’s set to change. The firms supplying traditional ECM solutions today will need to either Adapt, Acquire or Acquiesce to the demands of the ever increasing data stream.

If you work for one of these old line firms I hope you are guiding them to be a part of the future trend. It’s not all doom and gloom for the old line ECM firms. I have seen some of the companies jumping in and taking a stand. Which I will be writing about a few of them in the next few posts.

My suggestion to you is … If one or more of these these “traditional ECM firms” are suppliers / vendors to your company you should be asking them how they are going to handle the data stream that is coming your way.

Will they be ready to capture, process, manage and archive the Big Data that you will be gathering from disparate sources?

If not, now is a good time to encourage them to Adapt, Acquire or Acquiesce to the The Future of Capture.

Image and Term Credit: John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins

About The Author:
I have spent the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Global Solutions. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Evangelism starts with a Vision

Evangelism can start as a dream or on the back of a cocktail napkin. Evangelism starts with one person and when done right is spread from one person to the next and so on and so on … until the masses have been touched.

But it doesn't end there.

In the end ... Evangelism needs to go somewhere, to do something, to create and share that Vision with others. It needs to be strong enough and compelling enough so that ACTION occurs. Evangelism without Action is just a pipedream.

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This is part of a new series of blog posts I am just starting called The Simple Series. Look for more from me and a collection of guest bloggers in the coming days. If you want to be a guest blogger drop a comment here or ping me at my other contact points –Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn or email.

Evolution is OK

Most things in this world get better by evolving. Through the process of evolution products and processes can and do get better. Contrary to popular opinion there is not always a need to have a revolution. Innovation can be found in iterations.

Bicycles are a good example. They have always been a mode of transportation. They have been adapted from purely functional capabilities to more fanciful and specialized capabilities to what may be a bicycle of the future with no spokes and a direct drive transmission.

Revolutionary Thinking is NOT Bad – It’s Just Hard

I have no problem with Revolutionary Thinking. However, it is the very rare case where a truly new thing that has never been seen or considered before comes to the forefront. Praise the days when it happens, but don’t discount the days where Evolutionary Thinking moves the business forward. Consider a few ideas from the product world below. Similar examples for processes also exist.

Think Products:

• iPod comes from Walkman
• DVR comes from VCR which comes from Betamax
• Facebook comes from MySpace which comes from CompuServe

Radical or Incremental Thinking

There are a few obvious differences between Radical Thinking and Incremental Thinking.

There is nothing wrong with either one, but to me Incremental thinking (i.e. Evolution) can be adopted and adapted my more organizations. Incremental Thinking is also easier to understand by the people doing it and being affected by it. Like I mentioned above. Revolutionary thinking is not bad … it’s just hard.

• Radical Thinking involves wide sweeping changes. With the goal of Giant Leaps Forward which typically involves time and a sizable risk.
• Incremental Thinking is, just as it sounds, comprised of a series of small steps. In theory these steps will be faster to implement and quicker to gauge the effectiveness.

nani gigantum humeris insidentes

Loosely means Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Evolution and Evolutionary Thinking is NOT Evil (or perhaps to coin a term Evilution). Using the iterative process to achieve success should be encouraged to help people and organizations grow.

Evolution is OK

For organizations seeking continued growth I recommend taking the idea of Evolutionary Thinking at face value. Where Innovation can be found in Iterations. They should allow their people to Stand on the Shoulders of Giants. Perhaps there will be a few epiphanies where this Incremental Thinking leads to great breakthroughs.

What do you think?

• Can organizations succeed on Evolutionary Thinking alone?
• Can Evolutionary Thinking and Revolutionary Thinking co-exist?
• What examples have you seen as Great Evolutionary Thinking?

Drop a comment below or connect with me via the social channels below – Twitter,LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+

About The Author:
I have spent the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Global Solutions. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

 

Social SharePoint --- An Oxymoron?

Social SharePoint is coming to a desktop and a mobile device near you … and soon. Today SharePoint is ubiquitous in the enterprise. With over 125 million SharePoint users and a goal to reach 500 million with the next release of Office (aka Wave 15)

From Jared Spataro’s keynote at SharePoint TechCon in San Francisco a few weeks ago

The goal is to get 500 million people to the point where they can "get work done, together"

Jared also said they want to leverage the 1 billion Microsoft Office users. Which makes perfect sense.

Is Social SharePoint an Oxymoron?

This week an article was posted on Forbes with the title of:

FINALLY, Microsoft Embraces Social -- And It's Going to be Big

The article was written by Mark Fidelman and pointed out a few things that I think a lot of people have known for a while. The obvious point is that Microsoft is late to Social. However, there were a few points made by Jared Spataro of Microsoft and by Jeff Willinger of RightPoint and Mark Miller of FPweb.net that show the true power and scope of Microsoft. Hint: Partners are the Secret Sauce.

Microsoft is “… helping companies define what a social business is and where it belongs in the world of the information worker.” Jeff Willinger, Director of Social Computing and SharePoint at Rightpoint

“You can’t address the social business challenges organizations face today without a bold vision … partners and 3rd party Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) will fulfill that vision.”
Mark Miller Director at Fpweb.net SharePoint Community influencer

I was glad to see this. I wrote a post in 2009 asking --- Is Microsoft late to the game? The answer then was yes. However, over the last few years the market has matured and Microsoft has watched and learned. They have taken the long standing Microsoft mantra of Any Place, Any Device and Any Time and have applied some SharePoint salve to it.

As the Forbes article states ... Microsoft is in a prime position to make it happen. The next wave of the Office products ... combined with Windows 8 and the Metro interface could be just what the market needs to Super Size the Social space.

Getting Social is Hard

As the recent blog post from a former Google employee stated. Just because you have the money and the impetus does not guarantee success.

Google was the rich kid who, after having discovered he wasn’t invited to the party, built his own party in retaliation.

Now he’s at Microsoft … and perhaps working on Social Computing

So, Is Social SharePoint an Oxymoron?

I think the answer is no. However, there is work to do, there are products to ship and there will be (as always) a need for partners to fill in the gaps.

A key point for partners --- Gaps are Opportunities.

Customers have needs that the SharePoint (and Office Wave 15 platform) cannot deliver. Smart partners will identify these gaps and deliver … as always.

From the Forbes article. Jared is channeling Bill Gates from 20+ years ago with the Any Place, Any Device, Any Time mantra.

“Our vision is to extend beyond the desktop and have the environment you work in be intelligent enough to get your job done.  We want to give people the right information, at the right time, in the right place and in the right context.” Jared Spataro, Senior Director, SharePoint Product Management Microsoft

Shipping Matters

I think Microsoft is on the right path here and that we will be wowed by both the next release of Microsoft Office and from what partners will come up with. The key points to remember are that Microsoft will deliver a platform that enables customers and partners to extend their businesses in the ways they want to work … Any Place, Any Device, Any Time.

If Microsoft delivers as expected it will put Microsoft right back into the drivers seat. Why? Because as the author of the Forbes article, Mark Fidelman, said … This is something no other company can replicate.

What do you think?

• Is Social SharePoint an Oxymoron?
• Can Microsoft deliver a Social Platform?
• Will Partners want to fill in the gaps?
• What Gaps do you see in the Microsoft plans?

Drop a comment below or connect with me via the social channels below – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+

About The Author:
I have spent the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Global Solutions. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Stick to your Knitting

There is nothing wrong with sticking with what you know.

Just make sure your stakeholders know what to expect. By stakeholders I mean shareholders in the literal sense and I mean employees, customers and partners too.

However, sticking with your knitting does not mean you have to do the same thing forever and ever. You can change and adapt. In fact, I’d say you MUST change and adapt … just do it at a pace that works for you. However, don’t do it so slowly that the competition creeps up and surrounds you. By then it may be too late.

If it’s too late that’s when you can throw in the Yarn Bomb.

Which brings up a question … Is it ever too late?
I think the answer is … It Depends.

Sort of like the old joke ---

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?

Answer: Only one, BUT the light bulb has to WANT to change.

It’s OK to Evolve

Sticking to your Knitting does not mean you cannot grow. It does not mean you cannot innovate. It does not mean you cannot evolve. In fact, if you don’t evolve you will fade away … perhaps slowly, but you (and your business) will fade away until there is nothing left.

Consider UPS and FedEx. They started out in the package delivery business and they have stuck to their knitting and evolved into gigantic logistics operations. At the core of their business they still deliver packages.

Other examples include:

• Coffee – Starbucks focuses on creating a great experience to consume coffee, but they continue to sell coffee.
• Insurance – Geico makes funny commercials about a Gecko and says you can save 15%, but they still sell insurance.
• Saving Time – The ultimate pitchman, Ron Popeil, founder of Ronco keeps finding (inventing / innovating) devices, but they still sell the same thing … convenience and saving time.

How to Keep People Engaged

Tell them. Share your vision. Share your goals. Most important … let them share in your goals. If you don’t share your vision, your goals and your expectations people will have to make leaps of faith. They’ll have to make guesses and eventually they’ll stop trying and move on. Don’t let that happen.

If you stick to your knitting you just might find out that people want to help you and want what you are building.

Make it part of your DNA

What do you think?

• Is it ever too late?
• Can you teach an old dog new tricks?
• What tips do you have to Stick to your Knitting … WHILE innovating?

Drop a comment below or connect with me via the social channels below – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+

About The Author:
I have spent the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Global Solutions. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Image Credits: @AnSnagBreac (Thanks for giving me permission to use your super cool Yarn Bomb)

Cloud Computing is Simple – Just Three Things

There are just three things required to “do” cloud computing.

Authenticate – Store – Process

That’s it!

Are there other elements that make cloud computing more capable and fully functional? Sure. But these three are the basic elements required to “Do” cloud computing.

If you can login (and logout) securely – that is Authenticate yourself. If you can Store your stuff (whatever “Stuff” that is). And if you can Process your data. That’s all you need.

Arguably … that’s all you need for computing in general, but this is especially true for Cloud Computing given all the hype over the past few years.

See my post on Cloud Washing for more about this.

Reality Check 1: Much like an automobile ONLY needs wheels, an engine and brakes --- there have been countless innovations for safety, security and comfort over the past 100 years.

Reality Check 2: Cloud Computing has a similar pattern of innovation. There has been and there will continue to be innovation to extend and enhance the user experience, the admin experience and the developer experience. Each need to work together in harmony to truly maximize the Cloud Experience.

Perhaps there is a parallel that can be drawn to the development of the automobile industry. One where the best and brightest work together, like Mercedes and Volvo do, to bring safety, security and usability to the masses.

So There It Is … Three Simple Things for Cloud Computing

A Slightly Deeper Description

Function	Description (simple)
Authentication	Login / Logout
Storage	Remote storage of Information
Processing	Remote Processing

 

The Function and Description table (above) is very simple because at the core of what is expected from Cloud Computing what it does is very simple … at least on the surface.

Contradiction #1 ---- Of course, the value added capabilities come from the countless vendors and developers that have created solutions to address a wide range of business and technical challenges.

 

Reality Check 3: Customers (meaning End Users) Don’t Care

For End Users (see my next post on the Consumerization of IT) they don’t know or care where the computing is happening. They just want what they want and they want it NOW!

 

End Users don’t care whether computing happens On Premise, In the Cloud or in a Hybrid environment.

 

This is where I contradict myself again

 

There are people within the organization that care very much about where the data resides. They care for all the same reasons they do in traditional On Premise environments. This post was written to focus on the core building blocks of Cloud Computing and I didn’t intend to go into detail about what IT Professionals need to do or how Developers work with and create for the Cloud.

 

Here is where I reaffirm myself

 

Reality Check 3 still holds true --- End Users REALLY don’t care (and they shouldn’t have to).

 

Bottom Line

 

If you can login (and logout) securely – i.e. Authenticate. If you can Store your stuff. And if you can Process your data. That’s all you need … at least from an end user perspective.

 

Full Disclosure: I wrote this post on Jan 20th 2011. I have been sitting on it and ruminating about it for a long time. I didn’t want it to come across as saying cloud computing is overly simple or easy. Yes, there are parts that are simpler and easier, but there is an Art & Science to properly designing, developing and deploying successful solutions --- whether they are “in the cloud” or On Premise or a Hybrid. I didn’t want to disparage all the hard work the community has done to get The Cloud to where it is today --- which is ubiquitous and almost pervasive. Viva La Cloud!

What do you think?

• Is the Cloud Really this Simple?
• Has Cloud Computing been over hyped?
• Will Cloud Computing become pervasive like electricity?

Drop a comment below or connect with me via the social channels below – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+

About The Author:
I have spent the last 20 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I am currently with Kodak as a Director of Global Solutions. In my past I have spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and at Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Transparency Saves the Day

trans·par·en·cy / transˈpe(ə)rənsē/

Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.

Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed.

Companies and People that exhibit transparency will be able to foster better relationships with customers, partners and others they work with daily and especially over a long term basis.

Transparency is closely aligned with Customer Centric Thinking and Accountability.

Examples of transparency in action:

• Johnson & Johnson with Tylenol
• Transparency and Open Government
• Corporate Authenticity & Your Data or Your Life

Why should companies be transparent?

If they aren’t Customers and Partners will:

• Make guesses and Assumptions
• Delay Decisions
• Actively seek alternatives

The Biggest Reason to be transparent:

To assure customers and partners that you are committed to their success.

People Never Care How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care.
~ John C. Maxwell

Transparency allows for the fostering of trust. Trust leads to long term relationships where mutual success can be achieved.

What Can You Do?

• Get your Customers into the Conversation
• Ask AND Listen
• Follow Up. Let Customers know what you will do AND what you did with their suggestions

This is part three is a series about Accountability, Customer Centricity and Transparency.

image credits: Hammacher Schlemmer Company

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This is part of a new series of blog posts I am just starting called The Simple Series. Look for more from me and a collection of guest bloggers in the coming days. If you want to be a guest blogger drop a comment here or ping me at my other contact points – Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn or email.