News to start the week, and a new font to boot:
- Antepo added an External Connector to its OPN System 4.0 system, for connecting IM servers from multiple vendors. OPN, the Antepo 'Open Presence Network' system, is a carrier-grade IM server, with standards compliance for XMPP (Jabber) and SIP/SIMPLE. Available immediately. Antepo
- Sun and Vignette announced plans to bring a customized collaboration solution to market, based on Sun's internal deployment of the Vignette (previously Intraspect) Business Workspaces solution, a project team-based collaboration offering that has delivered great efficiencies at Sun. Together, Sun and Vignette plan to jump-start similar successes for customers by bringing to market a packaged, pretested, integrated combination of products that leverage the Sun Java® Enterprise System, the Java® Desktop System and Vignette Business Workspaces collaboration solution. Comment: I have a very healthy respect for the work done at Intraspect (recently acquired by Vignette), so this announcement is no surprise. I'm delighted that Sun has found the product so helpful. But does this signal the end of Sun's own messaging and collaboration offerings? Vignette
- A newsgroup targeted at synchronization between Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Pocket PC and Smartphone devices has been launched, at microsoft.public.exchange.mobility. msmobiles.com
- Entopia announced an integration between its K-Bus software infrastructure and Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003, for simplified discovery of information from multiple sources and people with key points of expertise. Comment: The space that Entopia plays in, which I call Collaboration Auto-Discovery, is nascent and emerging. Expect some big things in this space going forward. Entopia
- Basex, an analyst company, released a report on Microsoft's new collaboration strategy, saying that it is "not a mere brand extension" and that it delivers "a coordinated set of tools for collaboration". Comment: So? Didn't Microsoft say that in its press releases? I'd give this report a wide pass .... Line56
- Ray Ozzie talks to CNET News about the business and work trends pushing design at Groove Networks. CNET News
- Novell released GroupWise 6.5 for Linux. Key services: email, calendaring, IM, contact management, document management and workflow. Available April 15, 2004. Novell
- CNET News has a decent--albeit not particularly unique--review of the integration of presence into applications other than IM clients. Microsoft is well-featured, with plans for much deeper integration of presence into the forthcoming (well, 2006 at the earliest) Longhorn OS. CNET News
- Groove's peer-to-peer collaboration tool for project teams, Groove Workspace, is being used by about 100 users at the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority. Future plans include rolling Groove out to an additional 900 people by 3Q2004. Government Computer News
- Chad Dickerson, CTO at InfoWorld, reviews "Peopleware" by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister. Chad cites the assertion that took my breath away when I read the book: "the best people will outperform the worst by about 10-to-1". Comment: that assertion reminds me of one of my favorite pieces in the Old Testament, when Daniel and his friends were trained in the languages and customs of Babylon for three years. At the conclusion of their training, they are questioned by the King, Nebuchadnezzar, and it says that "In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom" (Dan 1:20). Kewl ... but where are the training programmes today to put up-and-coming IT talent in that camp? InfoWorld
- The HP iPAQ 6300 PDA ... featuring 802.11 wireless access, an internal camera, 128 MB of RAM, and GSM phone capabilities ... is due for release in July 2004, based on a report from CeBIT Germany. BargainPDA mtekk.com.au
- BusinessWeek profiles two IT solutions targeted at the small business ... those with 5-25 users. Option 1 is Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 ("Microsoft has done an excellent job of making such chores as adding or deleting users simple, with no need to face the terrors of the regular Exchange or Windows Active Directory management software. But all the cleverness in the world cannot hide the complexity of the underlying software. It's only a matter of time before the designated -- but probably nonexpert -- administrator gets an e-mail alert from the server warning of a "critical error" that may require immediate attention or be of no importance at all."), and the EmergeCore IT in a Box (a Linux-based server offering Internet email, file sharing, network management, a firewall and wireless access). BusinessWeek
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