Collaboration has been an IT buzzword (pardon the pun) for at least a decade. If, like me, you struggle with those mark-up features in Microsoft Word, you will love Buzzword.
It is a word processing environment which allows online, live document collaboration. Have a look at www.virtub.com/ and let me know what you think.
The brilliance of online tools like Buzzword, brings into focus the future of personal productivity applications. We used to call them desktop applications, but that doesn’t quite work anymore.
When the world was DOS PCs and Apple IIe’s, the applications were VisiCalc, WordPerfect, and Lotus 1-2-3. I think that Microsoft overtook these applications and took a dominant position based on 3 changes
1. the paradigm shift to Windows 3.1
2. Lotus and WordPerfect slow to move to Windows – continued development of DOS version, and development focus on IBM’s OS/2
3. the packaging of applications into Office suites offering much better value
Looking at Buzzword made me realise that we may be going through a similar set of changes
1. the paradigm shift to the Internet for application delivery
2. Microsoft focussed on Vista while the developers of Buzzword, Google and many others, create different options
3. the availability of open-source offerings (Open Office, Lotus Symphony)
I suggest we will see a large change of user base, but not necessarily a large change in revenue base. Corporate customers will continue to buy Microsoft Office, and many users who will switch to open source or online applications, where those not paying for Microsoft Office anyway. Plus, Microsoft will have a significant play in the online application market.
However, the big wildcard is Government and Education. Government is a big user and could make big savings moving to Open Office, and if they want “brand backing”, Lotus Symphony.
In a school or college environment, with some much great software around for learning, I would be very tempted to put my budget in that direction, and save by taking Open Office or online applications.
Time will tell.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Green IT? Not yet
IBM has just released the findings of a study “examining the practices and attitudes of large Australian enterprises towards Green IT”. IBM deserves credit for helping drive this agenda.
The findings are that 36% of respondents (IT managers and directors in large Australian enterprises) believe that the reduction of carbon emissions from their IT infrastructure is a high priority for their business.
While it would be great if this were higher, I wonder if the results would be different if the audience was management in manufacturing, logistics or finance? In other words, carbon emission is becoming a factor for business, but is not yet a high priority.
In IT I suggest we can take a lead in 3 ways:
- Specify lower power consumption and lower heat output in all devices, and make this an important buying criterion. This will drive vendors to constantly improve design in this area, which I sense is happening.
- Introduce back-end technology that reduces power consumption and heat output. One of the most high-profile technologies, which makes sense on multiple levels, not just carbon emissions is Server Virtualisation. Fewer servers, each working at higher capacity drives down cost of acquisition and cost of ownership, which includes power consumption from operation and cooling.
- Introduce technology that increases effective collaboration without the need to travel. The reduction of travel only works if the meetings can still be effective and in my experience, with technologies such as Adobe Connect and WebEx they can. These are great tools which are available on demand, to virtually bring people together which saves the carbon emissions from travel – both ground and air.
While the reduction of carbon emissions from their IT infrastructure may not be a high priority in all businesses today, it will become more important and IT can take a lead now and be ahead of the curve.
The worst that will happen is that IT will help the business save money!
The findings are that 36% of respondents (IT managers and directors in large Australian enterprises) believe that the reduction of carbon emissions from their IT infrastructure is a high priority for their business.
While it would be great if this were higher, I wonder if the results would be different if the audience was management in manufacturing, logistics or finance? In other words, carbon emission is becoming a factor for business, but is not yet a high priority.
In IT I suggest we can take a lead in 3 ways:
- Specify lower power consumption and lower heat output in all devices, and make this an important buying criterion. This will drive vendors to constantly improve design in this area, which I sense is happening.
- Introduce back-end technology that reduces power consumption and heat output. One of the most high-profile technologies, which makes sense on multiple levels, not just carbon emissions is Server Virtualisation. Fewer servers, each working at higher capacity drives down cost of acquisition and cost of ownership, which includes power consumption from operation and cooling.
- Introduce technology that increases effective collaboration without the need to travel. The reduction of travel only works if the meetings can still be effective and in my experience, with technologies such as Adobe Connect and WebEx they can. These are great tools which are available on demand, to virtually bring people together which saves the carbon emissions from travel – both ground and air.
While the reduction of carbon emissions from their IT infrastructure may not be a high priority in all businesses today, it will become more important and IT can take a lead now and be ahead of the curve.
The worst that will happen is that IT will help the business save money!
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