Shared Spaces ... the Collaboration Advisor

Shared Spaces Briefing, Sep 22

Today's highlights: IBM Workplace for Business Strategy Execution; Microsoft to Reorganize;

• In October, IBM will release Workplace for Business Strategy Execution, which produces and maintains a visual dashboard of the link between business processes and the wider strategic objectives of the organization. Computer Business Review


• Microsoft consolidated six divisions into three, each with its own president. The biggest change is that MSN joins the Windows and Servers & Tools division, indicating a larger role in the future. BusinessWeek, InfoWorld

This Briefing was written by Michael Sampson, of Shared Spaces Research & Consulting Ltd. Email or IM Michael to discuss any of these items further.

Conversations on the Web, Sep 22

Interesting conversations going on around the place:

• Cliff's Collaboration Manifesto. Cliff Reeves, ex-IBM now at Microsoft, has pulled together a three pronged collaboration manifesto. Components: (a) contextual collaboration, (b) OS or platform services, and (c) increased demand for cross-organizational collaboration. He discusses the implications of his manifesto for IT departments, and mentions the current direction of Microsoft's collaboration strategy. Most of the time

Thoughts on MindManager for Collaborative Action, Sep 21

Mindjet released Version 6 of its mind mapping software today. Shipping in two editions (Basic and Professional), MindManager 6 enables the creation of visual maps for brainstorming, meeting planning, and information sharing. Others have and will (c'mon Eric!) do a great job of describing the neat things about MindManager, and although I'm not going to do an overall review, I do want to give huge kudos to Mindjet for the on-demand training videos it has included with MindManager. I've mentioned this idea to numerous software vendors, and it is neat to see one doing it so well. Given my professional focus on enhancing team productivity, in this posting I want to focus on how to use MindManager for collaborative action within a team.

Collaborative Capabilities of Today
MindManager is largely a productivity tool for individuals. Mindjet offers two collaboration-oriented features in MindManager:

• Review Mode. MindManager 6 users can send a map to another person by email for review. When the map is in Review Mode, topic and notes added to the map are shown in different colors (depending on the user), can be prefixed with text (eg, "Michael:"), and/or can be visually flagged with an icon. This is similar to the idea behind "Track Changes" in Microsoft Word, enabling a map owner to get input from others and then to quickly see what has changed.


• Free Windows and Browser Viewers. Maps can be shared with anyone, regardless of whether they are a MindManager user or not. A free Windows viewer is available (and has been for some time), as is a recently released browser plug-in for Internet Explorer. Users of these viewers can read the map, but can not make changes to it.

Ideas for Extending the Collaborative Capabilities of MindManager
I think Mindjet has some good opportunities to seriously ramp up the collaborative capabilities of MindManager. (You'll need the MindManager Browser Plug-In to view the map)

Here's my top six:

1. Real-Time Joint Editing and Review. The process of mind mapping benefits from joint input. For people working out of the same office, the ability to share a map in real-time with another person is standard fare with a paper-based map. Both can view it at the same time, and both can add new topics or sub-topics. This interaction dynamic is not replicated with MindManager, and I think it should be. Mindjet used to offer out-of-the-box conferencing capabilities, but de-emphasized these in the last few releases, because (a) it wasn't their core business, and (b) others were providing a more extensible platform for conferencing. I'd like to see Mindjet link MindManager with today's leading Web conferencing platforms, so that through a single button ("Share Map") a user could initiate a joint editing and review session. Given its emphasis on integrating with Microsoft's client and server offerings, Microsoft Live Meeting 2005 would be a natural integration target, but the ideal is for conferencing platform agnosticism.


2. MindManager Server. Teams putting maps onto a file server for joint access suffer from rules around single user access. In other words, multiple people can't open the map at the same time. Mindjet could resolve this by adding a clear distinction between "Edit Mode" and "Read Mode", with visual notification of who has the document in Edit mode at any point in time. Alternatively, it could develop a server-level capability to permit multiple people to have the same map open for editing at the same time, with branch and sub-branch locking via the standard check-in/check-out paradigm. For large teams coordinating action around a single map, such a capability would be a life saver.


3. Presence Integration. Anytime a person is noted on a map, an automatic link to their presence and availability status should be made. For example, when using a map for planning a meeting, the presence and availability status of the attendees should be displayed. This provides a quick way for people working on the map to initiate communication by text or voice with that person. Presence should be displayed at two levels, covering both whether the person is currently online, and if the person is currently looking at the same map (place-based awareness). Ideally, they should have the option of capturing their interaction and saving it as a note on the map. Mindjet could integrate with Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005 or integrate more broadly through a technology partnership with IMlogic.


4. SharePoint Auto-Navigation. A map is an ideal candidate for giving a top-level picture of the relationship between a set of information. One could be used to give a visual sense of the relationship between lists and items in a SharePoint site, rather than using the default text-heavy interface. Perhaps Mindjet (or an existing partner) could extend MindManager to automatically generate a summary picture of items in a SharePoint site, for direct visual navigation.


5. Support for NextPage 2.0. I have written previously about the power of the NextPage Version History Map for making it clear as to who has the authoritative version of a document vs. other candidate editions. Since email is accepted as a natural way of sharing a map between multiple people, it would be helpful if the NextPage Version History Map displayed authoritative and candidate versions of a MindManager map. NextPage performs its magic by adding metadata to document files (the NextPage "Digital Thread") ... perhaps the same can be done for maps.


6. Action Point Delegation / Task Assignment. When creating a map to coordinate action between team members, action points are established and assigned to people. There isn't the option today of having those task assignments automatically display as a personalized dashboard for each individual. In other words, the person authoring the map can write or type a person's name as the delegated owner, but when that person reviews the map, they have to initiate further action to capture those action points into their action point tracking system, either through a link to Outlook (via a Map Part), or a Topic Alert. The most simple way I can think of to enable action point delegation with personalized dashboarding within MindManager is to enable Topic Alerts to be set on the behalf of another person, to have a status option on a Topic Alert (current or historical alert), and to display all current Topic Alerts across all MindManager maps to each individual in a dashboard.

What About You?
Do you have plans to use MindManager 6 for coordinating team action at your place? What collaborative action features most appeal to you, or which ones do you think Mindjet should add? Please leave a comment below, or drop me an email.

Shared Spaces Briefing, Sep 21

Today's highlights: Palm and Microsoft; Green Array; CourseForum and ProjectForum 4.6; Mindjet MindManager 6; RIM Adopts Mirapoint; Marratech Manager;

• BusinessWeek reports that Palm will soon announce a Treo powered by Windows Mobile 5, in order to make its wireless PDAs more attractive to the enterprise market. BusinessWeek


• Green Array announced its namesake product for portfolio and project management, business process and collaboration. Integrates project methodology, project management tools (resource planning, surveys, critical task management, document management), and browser-based dashboards to give an overall picture of the health of a portfolio of projects. Available in enterprise and hosted versions. Green Array (PDF)


• CourseForum released Version 4.6 of CourseForum and ProjectForum, its collaborative learning and workspace offerings. Adds evolutionary improvements. Available immediately. CourseForum


• Mindjet released Version 6 of MindManager, its visual mindmapping software for Windows PCs, as well as a new Web site. Mindjet


• Research In Motion has deployed Mirapoint Message Server appliances to power its BlackBerry Internet Service. Apparently RIM was attracted by the low TCO structure of the appliance approach. Mirapoint


• Marratech is demonstrating its virtual office solution at the Internet2 Fall Member Meeting in Philadelphia this week. Marratech Manager enables users to create and manage virtual meeting rooms, and provides recourse to tools such as voice, live video, messaging, application sharing, and whiteboarding. Works on Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. BusinessWire

This Briefing was written by Michael Sampson, of Shared Spaces Research & Consulting Ltd. Email or IM Michael to discuss any of these items further.

Gartner Hype Cycle for Collaboration and Communication, 2005: The Missing "So What?" Analysis, Sep 20

Shared Spaces announces the publication of an independent Strategic Viewpoint report that answers the "So What?" question for Gartner's recent Collaboration and Communication Hype Cycle report. Authored by Michael Sampson, the 16-page report, re-interprets items on the Hype Cycle within the context of an overarching prescriptive architecture for collaboration system use at enterprise organizations.

A Gartner subscriber, who is also a Shared Spaces client, handed me the report and said "So What?" "What does this mean for me?" "What are the implications of items on the hype cycle for my work and planning over the next 1-2 years?" This Strategic Viewpoint report, which is available solely to Gartner subscribers, answers the "So What?" question for enterprise collaboration and communication.

It is a very clear intention of this Strategic Viewpoint to build on and extend Gartner’s Hype Cycle, particularly with respect to the implications of the report. This Strategic Viewpoint does not duplicate Gartner’s report, but rather provides a level of analysis and interpretation missing from the original. Shared Spaces recognizes Gartner’s copyright with respect to the Hype Cycle report, and prepared this Strategic Viewpoint as non-fee service for one its clients. In service to the wider group of Gartner subscribers, this Strategic Viewpoint is made available on a complementary basis.

Table of Contens
Introduction
Executive Summary
* Statement of Research Independence
Critique of the Gartner Report
* A Collection of Loosely-Related and Overlapping Terms
* An Incomplete Collection of Collaboration and Communication Items
* Inclusion of Strange Items
So What? Translating the Hype Cycle into Enterprise Action
Items on the Hype Cycle are contextualized into 7 areas, with specific next actions given
* Pillar 1. Shared Access to Team Data
* Pillar 2. Location-Independent Access to Team Data, People and Applications
* Pillar 3. Real-Time Joint Editing and Review
* Pillar 4. Coordinate Schedules with Team Aware Scheduling Software
* Pillar 5. Build Social Engagement through Presence, Blogs and IM
* Pillar 6. Enterprise Action Management
* Pillar 7. Broaden the Network through Automatic Discovery Services
Conclusion

How to Buy
This report is not available for sale. It is available on a complementary (free) basis to current Gartner subscribers. To receive a copy, please send your name, work details, and confirmation that you are a Gartner subscriber to gartner.sowhat@shared-spaces.com.

Shared Spaces Briefing, Sep 20

Today's highlights: Cross-Platform Collaboration; Open Text Support for Office 12; NextPage 2.0;

• The Advisory Council comments on the best cross-platform groupware collaboration system, concluding that its Exchange Server 2003, due to (a) rich client support on Windows and Macintosh, (b) WebDAV support, and (c) asserted dwindling support of the Mac client from Novell, IBM and Oracle. Comment: Someone forgot to tell The Advisory Council that Microsoft is de-emphasizing WebDAV in Exchange 12 and beyond. InformationWeek


• Open Text announced that its Livelink ECM platform will support Office "12", extending content created in Office "12" into key business processes. Open Text


• NextPage released Version 2.0 of its namesake document management subscription service. Adds the NextPage Activity Center (a dashboard of current documents under development) to an already compelling offering. Available immediately. NextPage, with coverage at Line56

This Briefing was written by Michael Sampson, of Shared Spaces Research & Consulting Ltd. Email or IM Michael to discuss any of these items further.

Conversations on the Web, Sep 20

Interesting conversations going on around the place:

• Yahoo! Mail Beta. Yahoo! released a limited beta of its new Web-based mail product, that includes the technology acquired via Oddpost. Charlene shares her thoughts. Charlene Li


• Rethinking Email. Eric contemplates life without email. Eric Mack

Shared Spaces Briefing, Sep 15

Today's highlights: Meeting Maker on Calendar Consolidation; Mindjet MindManager Pro 6; Nokia Business Center; Digi-Link Revelation 1.61; Not So Good; TeamPoint Systems DayPoint Access;

• Meeting Maker announced a calendar consolidation offering (Pillar 4), for the automatic consolidation of events in its enterprise and Web-based calendaring offerings. Targeted at academic institutions, the solution enables students, faculty, staff and alumni to super-impose events from multiple calendars into a single consolidated view. Meeting Maker


• Mindjet released Version 6 of its mind mapping software, MindManager Pro 6, for the graphical representation of the core communications of a business. New features: Excel integration, Visio export (for creating flow charts, for example), better PowerPoint integration, new topic alerts, and Ink-Enabled Notes, among others. Available September 20. For Windows. Mindjet


• Nokia announced the Nokia Business Center, a mobile push-based email offering for the corporate market. Two clients are offered: a standard client, which is licensed on an unlimited basis with each Nokia Business Center server, and a professional client for a higher fee (adds view sorting, full attachment support, and directory access). The server is available immediately to support Microsoft Exchange, with Notes and Domino support coming. Available 4Q2005. Nokia and Nokia, with coverage at eWeek


• Digi-Link released Version 1.61 of Revelation, its synchronization offering for SharePoint. Enables SharePoint document libraries to be synchronized for local and offline access, with two-way synchronization when a network connection is available. New options: synchronization of all sites or a subset, the ability to create new document libraries from within Revelation, and support for adding empty folders, among others. Available immediately. Digi-Link


• Good Technology cut 100 jobs, a fifth of its workforce. Good's explanation is that with a shift to an indirect sales model, through partners such as Cingular Wireless and Sprint, that it doesn't need such a large direct sales force. BusinessWeek


• TeamPoint Systems launched DayPoint Access, a hosted version of its team collaboration application DayPoint Enterprise. Includes discussion forums, personal and shared calendars, document management, project management, web-based email, and contact management, among others. Targeted at small- and mid-sized organizations. Available immediately. Carolina Newswire

This Briefing was written by Michael Sampson, of Shared Spaces Research & Consulting Ltd. Email or IM Michael to discuss any of these items further.

Conversations on the Web, Sep 15

Interesting conversations going on around the place:

• Jason on High Performers. Jason muses on what world class high performers don't do. He's got three ideas ... and asks for feedback on others. Jason Womack


• Google is the Next Microsoft. Volker reflects on Microsoft's midlife crisis, and makes the observation that Google is "the next Microsoft". Volker Weber


• Productivity from a Tablet. Warner links to a review of how Chris Paris is getting real-world productivity gains from using a Tablet PC. Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 2

Gartner Hype Cycle for Collaboration and Communication, 2005: The Missing "So What?" Analysis, Sep 14

One of Shared Spaces clients is also a client of Gartner. A couple of weeks back, this client handed me a copy of Gartner's July 2005 report entitled Hype Cycle for Collaboration and Communication, 2005 (Research ID# G00127667), and said "So What?" "What does this mean for me?" "What are the implications of items on the hype cycle for my work and planning over the next 1-2 years?" After reading the report, I have an answer.

In my view, the report:

• Puts a whole lot of loosely-related terms together, without any attempt to offer an overarching prescriptive architecture to Gartner clients on how to plan an enterprise collaboration and communication infrastructure.


• Suffers from the committee-oriented authorship approach taken by Gartner. The front page of the report lists 19 author names.


• Is likely to drive one of two responses from a client. Either (a) "this confuses me and therefore I'm doing nothing", or (b) "this confuses me and therefore I'm going to purchase some consulting time from Gartner to understand what to do next".

With a set of views and perspectives borne out of 11 years in the industry, plus the Shared Spaces 7 Pillars of IT-Enabled Team Productivity framework, I think I can answer the "So What?" question for my client. Therefore, as a service to other existing Gartner subscribers who are struggling with the same confusion and despair felt by my customer, Shared Spaces is offering a complimentary copy of our Strategic Viewpoint report entitled Gartner Hype Cycle for Collaboration and Communication, 2005: The Missing "So What?" Analysis to current Gartner subscribers. The report will be available for distribution shortly, so if you'd like to reserve an advance complimentary copy, please send your name, work details, and confirmation that you are a Gartner subscriber to gartner.sowhat@shared-spaces.com. As soon as the report is published, we'll send you a copy.

UPDATE (9/20) ... This report is now available. See So What? for complete details.