Your chance to attend Nexus 2010

I had the pleasure of attending the Nexus ‘09 ECM event and I have already decided I am going to attend the 2010 conference. You might want to consider attending too. Nexus is an event put together by a local Olympia, WA based company by the name of ImageSource. I have known the ImageSource management team for years and have worked with them to create a special Nexus 2010 early bird discount for people that read this blog post.

Nexus 2010 will be held on Nov 4-5 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA. Click here to secure the $195 rate and to secure your seat for Nexus 2010. Use the code SHUEY10

Why you should attend Nexus?

• First and foremost to learn what's happening in the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) space and how a well designed ECM solution can help your company increase profitability, reduce costs, and maintain compliance efforts.
• Second, to see how a local company with a focus on the Document Capture segment of the ECM industry has helped businesses improve operational efficiencies often by extending the technologies and solutions that they already own.
• Third, to see how ImageSource continues to evolve their team and their offerings to adapt to emerging segments of the market. Specifically, the emergence of Microsoft SharePoint solutions and SharePoint’s Next Billion Dollars

See you at Nexus ‘10

If you think you may be able to improve your utilization of what you already own and by automating (perhaps improving) your existing processes - ImageSource is a great place to start. Give them a call and think about taking advantage of this special offer to attend the Nexus 2010 event.

If you have any questions about Nexus 2010 or ImageSource in general contact Geetha French via e-mail or phone (+1 360 943 9273). Also, keep up with ImageSource on their blog New and Good in ECM.

You might be wondering why I took the time the write this blog post. The simple answer is that I continue to be impressed by the ImageSource team and what they have accomplished over the past 10+ years. I met Terry Sutherland and Shad White when I worked for Kofax and continued to keep in touch with them when I worked for Microsoft and K2.

I like the way ImageSource has built their business. They are doing it the right way by doing the right thing for customers, partners, and employees. For this I applaud the ImageSource management and I felt this post was a nice way to say it publicly.

About The Author:
I have spent the better part of the last 16 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and most recently Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). 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.

** I am available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. My areas of emphasis are business development and alliance management where Social Media and Enterprise Content Management intersect.

You’re Invited to Jeff Shuey’s Birthday Party Blood Drive

On Wednesday, Dec 2nd I’d like to ask for your help. In honor of my 46th Birthday the Puget Sound Blood Center is helping to coordinate a Blood & Food Drive.

Our Goal --- at least 46 blood donors.

Will you help? All of the details are below. I hope to see you in Bellevue on Dec 2nd. If you need more information do not hesitate to contact me or Sean Debutts.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009
• Times: 11am-8pm (noon-3pm is currently reserved for my party donors)
• Goal: 46+ Donors
• Address: Bellevue Donor Center, 1021 112^th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Schedule Donation Appointments

Schedule yourself and others at the Bellevue Center by one of these:

• Visiting https://www.psbc.org/ssl/appointment/index.htm
• Calling 1-800-398-7888

Appointments start two or three people at a time, every 15 minutes. To register, have each donor’s full name and date of birth. Post a comment on this blog once you’re scheduled

In addition to the usual cookies and juice we will have cake, party food and decorations. If you are not sure if you can donate take a look at the Eligibility Facts.

Take 60 seconds and watch this video.

Give a Pint, Give a Quart – Give Both!

This is a blood drive first and foremost. However, it’s also a food drive. If you can’t give blood this time --- no problem. Give a gift of food for the Renewal Food Bank – this is the partner organization to the Puget Sound Blood Center.  The Bellevue Donation Center will be accepting non-perishable food donations.

Why do this?

If you have watched my Give a Pint – Save a Life video you already know that blood donation has been a part of my life for some time and has had a direct impact on my family.

A Little Competition

We are competing with other donation teams to bring in the most donors for the two-week blood and food drive competition.  In particular, we’re trying to exceed Julie Burrell of Vancouver, WA. She got 63 donations for her 50^th Birthday.  I know the Seattle Community can rally together. Maybe we can even break 100 donations.  Are you in?

What if you can’t make it?

No problem. If you cannot make it on Dec 2nd of don’t live in the Seattle area we still can use your help. If you donate blood or drop off food wherever you live just drop me a note or comment on this blog post. Every Drop Counts!

Not Convinced?

If you need one last thing to get you to sign up keep this in mind:

It’s my Birthday!  This will be your gift to me and many, many others.  I hope to see you in Bellevue on December 2nd or see a note from you that you donated in your home town and gave to your local food bank too.

THANK YOU! 
Thank you in Advance for your time and effort.

Imagine Saving A Life!

Questions, Comments, Concerns

Contact me directly or contact Sean Debutts (SeanD@psbc.org) at the Puget Sound Blood Center. 

Image Credit: Puget Sound Blood Center

The PR Value in Green ECM Technololgy

Something that's become apparent more recently is that many Americans are concerned about the environment and thinking about ways they can improve our planet. People are becoming aware of the amount of waste they produce that can't be recycled, their recycling habits, how they can be more efficient with energy, their carbon emissions, as well as other things. With the current state of the economy, organizations are looking at ways they can cut costs, while still generating revenue.

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) allows organizations to have two kinds of Green: Green for the environment and Green in their wallets.

So maybe you are thinking or saying to yourself, "Why should I care if my organization is green?" You should care because your customers care. Customers want information fast, they want that information to be accurate, and they want your business processes to be efficient. On top of all that, they want to do business with companies who care about our planet. People don't want to have to download a document, print and fill it out, physically drive to your organization, take a number, stand in line and then wait for weeks or months of processing.

You should also care because you want customers, potential customers and stakeholders to have a positive view of your organization, and ultimately, people want Green.

When you implement ECM technology and switch from a manual to an automated process, you will see the following:

• Improved Efficiencies
• Reduction in Paper and Supplies
• Improved Accuracy for your Customers and Constituents
• Environmentally-friendly Organization

Green technology is better for customers and constituents because they demand quick information. They want information to be web-based, such as forms and filings. They want access to government information like agenda meeting information, laws and meeting minutes.

Your organization will be able to better document policies and decisions, while allowing stakeholders to see the outcomes of those decisions. You will be able to protect your company in a lawsuit. Even if you think you will never get sued, if that day comes and you don't have electronic records, it will be too late. Along those lines, your company will be able to meet legislative and regulatory requirements if necessary. Additionally, you can protect corporate interest and the rights of employees, clients and other stakeholders.

However, possibly one of the most important reasons for implementing ECM technology is for continuity of operations, especially in the event of a disaster.

Some organizations feel like they have to do a total ECM makeover to see any benefits; this is not true. Even implementing a piece will allow you to see improved efficiencies and faster processing. Some of the practices you can implement are:

• Electronic Forms
• Automated Workflows
• Electronic Storage
• Remote Support

With these processes, your organization will see a reduction in the amount of paper and supplies being used, the amount of time being saved and utilized more efficiently, you will be able to cut costs and see a significant ROI, and you will be able to cut back on resources and move employees to departments that need extra help.

So to recap, ECM technology is Green in two ways: Green for the environment and Green for your bottom line. It allows organizations to drive down costs, improve their efficiencies and ultimately, be better for the planet.

Kristina Parma is the Corporate Communications Manager for ImageSource, Inc. She contributes to various marketing collateral, including press releases, case studies, web content and company brochures. She also helps cordinate ImageSource's annual ECM Solutions Conference, Nexus. You can find Kristina on LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter @KristinaParma. To check out ImageSource's eight ECM blogs, visit their home page at www.imagesourceinc.com.

Google Wave – First Impressions

After finally getting a chance to test out some of the features in Google Wave with @Taylor_Tweets and @LianaWS I have a few observations. The main thing I noticed is that it’s fun to use and has a lot of potential to redefine the way we communicate by adding a real-time element.

I’ll admit I have not read some of the manuals that have been produced. This is by design and perhaps by my penchant for not reading manuals. To me --- An app needs to be simple to figure out if it is ever to gain widespread adoption.

One thing I did learn (thanks to Taylor’s suggestion) was that Google’s Chrome browser unlocks some of the power of Google Wave. For example, drag and drop for pictures works really well with Chrome and not at all with Firefox.

A Few Things I’d like to See (or learn how to do):

• Finding People – For widespread success I think there needs to be a way to find & add people quickly. The search across my Google Contacts is not enough. Mainly because most of my Google contacts don’t seem to be on Google Wave. I’m guessing this will be remedied when G-Wave goes out to the world.
• Removing People – There needs to be a better way to remove someone from a wave. If I accidentally drag or click the wrong contact there seems to be no way to remove them. Note: there is an option labeled “Remove<username>” but it is grayed out.
• Public Wave – I’ve heard about this, but cannot figure out how to do it. I want to start a Wave that anyone can join to add comments, pictures, to be social. Is this possible?
• Color Coding Text – I like the way you can see what everyone is typing in real time (even though my typing is atrocious), but I don’t like that everyone’s text is the same color. It would be easier to follow --- especially if going back to review a blip to see what I typed vs. what others have typed in different colors. Or at least make this an option.
• Notification – This is biggest factor right now. It would be nice to know when there is a new Wave, Wavelet, or Blip that requires my attention. Or at least provide an option for an audible and/or visible signal. Think Google IM or e-mail with an audible notification and/or toast that pops up.

So there it is. Maybe it’s more of a wish list or a list for the Google Wave product management team.

What do you think about Google Wave:

• What have you seen?
• What would you like to see?
• What would you change?

Let’s Wave at Each Other

I’m looking to do more testing. If you are interested in showing & telling & learning more about Google Wave please add me to your Wave Contacts. I am Jeff.Shuey@GoogleWave.com

If you need a wave invite let me know. I still have a few to give. You can find me on Twitter (@jshuey) or use the contact info below.

About The Author:
I have spent the last 17 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and most recently Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). 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.

** I am available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. My areas of emphasis are business development and alliance management where Social Media and Enterprise Content Management intersect.

A lot has changed in One Year

What were your last 365 days like? 

For me I left a company after spending 4 years building a business with a great group of colleagues. Telling my friend and mentor that it was time to move on to my next challenge was difficult.

A New Beginning

In June 2008 I was recruited to help build a new business unit at Captaris. A few months later --- exactly one year ago today (Nov 3rd 2008) – Open Text completed their acquisition of Captaris. Contrary to what was expected --- Open Text bought and shot about 150 people on Day 1. While this was not a highlight of my year it has turned out to be a good thing.

A Lot to be Grateful For

Father of Three in Double Digits

I could not be more proud of the young adults our kids have become. They never cease to amaze me with their kindness and compassion. Combined with an incredible wife of almost 20 years and our extended friends and family I truly have a lot to be grateful for.

Ellie

Our family had talked about a dog for a long time. In October 2008 we decided it was time. We named her Ellie and we found that it is true -- the best gifts come wrapped in fur.

Social Media Club - Seattle

I have met some great friends and mentors along the way within the Social Media Club - Seattle chapter, and re-met people in the Microsoft partner ecosystem.

You Matter

Today I am reflecting back to a blog post by Seth Godin entitled "You Matter" and I'd like to think many of these apply to me. I’m working to insure my legacy lasts for hours, days or a even a lifetime.

I’m looking forward to the next 365 days.

What were your last 365 days like? 

Would you want to do them again?

SharePoint’s Next Billion Dollars

SharePoint had over $1B in sales in 2008. And is on track to add another Billion (or more) in '09.  I submit that SharePoint can add another $1 Billion dollars to this by focusing on Pillar One of the ECM market alone.

Pillar One is the Document Capture section of the ECM market. Which includes scanning, faxing, and otherwise importing paper based documents. Once captured the documents might have additional image processing steps applied to them which includes everything from de-speckling and de-skewing the image to advanced form processing steps like OCR, ICR, and other data extraction and recognition functions.

It’s a Wide Open Field

In the SharePoint world this is a wide open market. There are a few players in this space today and they have done well. However, there is a huge market waiting to be tapped. My estimate is that this is another billion dollar market for Microsoft’s SharePoint and the partner ecosystem.

Increase Productivity & Help the Environment

Next week the Nexus 09 conference will be held at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA . This event will highlight some of the key players in the Document Capture market.

I’ll be there both days. I’m looking forward to seeing, hearing, and participating in the sessions. If you will be in Seattle and have an interest in learning more about the next billion dollar market for SharePoint you can still register. There are a few slots available. Register today. Look for me at the event or track me down via  contact info below.

It’s a Wide Open Field

SharePoint 2010 will open up a whole new world of opportunity for customers and partners. If you missed the SharePoint Conference last week in Las Vegas take a look at my wrap up here and also search the #SPC09 hashtag.

Thanks to John Mancini (@jmancini77) – President of AIIM for permission to re-use content from one of his many “8 Things” series.

About The Author:
I have spent the better part of the last 16 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and most recently Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). 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.

** I am available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. My areas of emphasis are business development and alliance management where Social Media and Enterprise Content Management intersect.

Look who won big at the SharePoint Conference

This week I attended the Microsoft SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas. If you were watching the trending topics on Twitter you may have noticed that #SPC09 was a trending topic for a few days. This event was a huge success. From the Steve Ballmer keynote which included Tom Rizzo & Jeff Teper to the partner pavilions and the speaking sessions. Partners are excited, customers are thinking about the possibilities.

The History of SharePoint From Tahoe to 2010	If you don’t know the history of SharePoint take a look at this post from Jeff Teper and my blog post about when Tahoe was announced.

What is there to get excited about?

There are a lot of new features making their debut with SharePoint 2010. Below I highlight a few of the features that caught my eye and a few of the partners too. These are just a subset of the features coming in SharePoint 2010. As Steve Ballmer said during his keynote “SharePoint is becoming its own platform” and there are areas for ISV’s, SI’s, Corporate IT departments, training organizations, and others to Connect, Build, and Extend SharePoint 2010.

A few things I liked:

1. Sandbox (see Composites) – This will allow IT departments some breathing room. IT can empower users to create solutions in a protected environment where solutions can be refined before making them widely available.
2. Document Sets (see Content) – This is an especially significant feature for front end document capture providers. This might be the hidden gem that helps SharePoint make more inroads to areas where the legacy of the The Big Three ECM vendors looms large.
3. BDC becomes BCS (see Composites) – A wizard helps users connect to SQL Server and LOB databases without writing a single line of code. Allowing real-time access and editing in commonly used applications (e.g. Office and Outlook).

Connect Extend Build

This was a theme in Owen Allen’s session on Thursday. The idea is that partners can start simply by Connecting their solutions to SharePoint. As their business and expertise grows they can Extend their offerings to include more features and functions. As they continue to create solutions to exactly meet customer needs they will find they are Building these offerings on top of SharePoint as a platform. (You can follow Owen on Twitter too)

What are Partners Saying?

In addition to a lot of excitement about SharePoint 2010 I heard the same thing from numerous partners --- they had their best 3rd quarter ever and Q4 is looking to be even better. This is great to hear and I hope it’s an indication that the market is improving.

What did I see?

I was happy to see Atalasoft and Blue Thread making an impact. Also, talking with partners like Colligo and how they will continue to thrive in parallel with SharePoint Workspace (formerly Groove). It’s great to see a renewed interest in front end document capture by vendors like Kodak, KnowledgeLake, and even industry stalwart Kofax.

It’s impressive to see the partner ecosystem continue to grow. Evidence of this was the fact that there were over 150 vendors talking about their solutions and how they Connect Extend & Build on the SharePoint platform.

Who won big at the SharePoint Conference?

Partners – first and foremost. Customers are also big winners. Of course, Microsoft will win big too --- especially if they keep helping the partner ecosystem to build solutions that exactly meet the needs of the market.

What did you see?

• What really caught your eye?
• Was there a product or service that stole the show?
• How quickly will your company be moving to SharePoint 2010?

Share your thoughts here in the comments or directly via e-mail, twitter, facebook, or linkedin.

Image Credits: Microsoft Corporation

About The Author:
I have spent the better part of the last 16 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and most recently Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). 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.

** I am available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. My areas of emphasis are business development and alliance management where Social Media and Enterprise Content Management intersect.