IOD 2010 – collecting some todos and ideas

I am happily back from the Rome IBM Information on Demand EMEA conference and now collecting the things I want and need to investigate more, now that the fun is over:

– Hadoop and IBM big sheets technology
– IBM’s open source contact points and interests like Apache Lucene (is OYE out?)
– The Internet of Things (that think)
– business intelligence metrics and methods apart from Big Data
– CMIS
– ilog, business rules, Business Rule Management Systems (BRMS), Websphere and ECM BPM
– databases aren’t probably as ungeeky as I thought (ok, haven’t checked there since long)
– the book I was kindly given by its authors (got me autographed copy) – “The Art of Enterprise Information Architecture – a systems-based approach for unlocking business insight”

Some of things I need to put some time thinking about include:
– why, where and what for to integrate Cognos and SPSS into Lotus (where does it fit in best? Quickr? Connections?)
– social media analytics vs. social media monitoring (business roles and processes? can we identify best practices? how to integrate and complement human insight with number crunching beasts? …)
– business ecosystem dynamics (partnering & competing & complementing) – covers areas from Sharepoint to Lotus to XYZ, but also overall the consulting landscape. Are there things to learn from these big, hairy projects that can be applied to the sole, geek consultant business as well? More of a business model innovation thing I guess.
– what does it mean if we want to go from “sense and respond” to “anticipate, shape and transform”? What to integrate into enterprise collaboration consulting from the “information on demand” learnings?
– and finally – why I am not seeing more GNU/Linux desktops here – everybody and their dog are using XP et al. – not to speaking of the Office users everywhere. Yuck.

And there’s also a lot to check out that’s coming in via the Google I/O in San Francisco. More cool stuff to geek around with when having not yet a z/OS machine to play around with …

IOD 2010 – day 2 learnings so far

Well, sort of a disclaimer – the wifi down here is spotty (pretty much binary, ie. switches from 0 to 1 to 0 ad infinitum), thus I am hastily posting some notes on the learnings of day 2 morning. I will add more notes on day 1 and its executive meetings and interviews tomorrow when I’m back on a high speed internet access. Then I can also check out the video footage of both days’ keynotes, so I might embed and highlight the interesting stuff.

These minor hassles aside the conference prooves to be interesting and inspiring – and while this event focuses on big data, big customers, big machines, big accounts et al. (you get the idea …), cute research and ideas aren’t absent, the social web and the Lotus ballpark are present too, so there’s enough in it for me. And it’s interesting to meet and talk to people from the EMEA region during the socializing parts (informally talked to customers, partners and IBMers from as exotic places as the Netherlands and Jordania ;). Officially, ie. organized and scheduled I had the opportunity to talk with people like Jeff Schick (yes, collaboration issues, Lotus, Project Vulcan et al.) and a round of other executives. Caught some notes in a mindmap which may get turned into a blogpost.

For now I share some of my combined notes from this mornings main event and a subsequent blogger’s meeting with IBMers (SPSS and Consulting). Aspirations, plans and business muscles were shown, my takes on things:

– I think that it’s showing that IBM is trying very hard to leverage it’s power and widespread expertise and labs

– Mike Rhodin focussed on the frameworks IBM has and is developing for catering for a range of industries (I think these are ranging from stories and “rationales” to blueprints to implementation patterns to out-of-the-box cookie-cutter standard approach and solutions)

– sounds more like strategy consulting – the seek patterns, understand patterns and adapt to those patterns cycle that Gartners Casonato talked is yet an image to simple (adaptiveness and agility are hard to sustain in light of information overload). But yes, making sense of the avalanche and being able to move still is the art that IBM is pushing to be better at (and aims to help customers with)

– I perfectly understand why Cognos and SPSS got acquired – good fit with both Global Business Services and the industry specific teams, a lot of overlapping space with ilog (business rules), Lotus (yesyesyes) – yep, even with Websphere et al.

– Cognos and Business Intelligence are not only for finding a needle in a haystack but also for fundamentals like “How are we doing? Why? and What should we be doing?”

– SPSS and its predictive analysis stuff is aimed at all industry lines, 80/20 rules apply here as does the rationale that innovative ideas can be imported from “foreign” and separated industries. Generic stuff and expertise gets integrated into the Software Group

– Software Group is “vice-presidenting” not only products but also solutions
– Partners got a place in building a solution portfolio, may even be a big slice of the cake. But it depends on what IBM can do inhouse first. Not sure if the priorities are right. Partners I’ve talked to outside and off-protocol were telling stories.

– Talking to “line of business persons” about “technology enabled business model innovation” is much easier when numbers are available, there seems to be a hunger for predictive analysis and derived insight. People seem to be aware that gut-based decision making is coming to an end in times of profound change

That’s it for now, see disclaimer above …

Upcoming: IOD Information on Demand 2010, Rome

I am about to hop into the car, to quickly catch a plane to get to Rome for the IBM Information on Demand EMEA conference – an event focusing on information management and analytics (including a heavy leaning towards Enterprise Content Management and Enterprise 2.0, yes, too).

The agenda is clear: Detailing information strategies that bring or sustain competitive advantage.

Yes, providing just the right information timely and accurately (well, I expect to hear about business intelligence, reporting, decision support systems, management information systems et al.) to provide business insight and wisdom (how do we get from data to information to knowledge to “I know and know how to act and decide”). Collaboration is essential here – it’s got a place in adding meaning, insight, experience and eventually connected, shared understanding to information. While this “socially intermediated knowledge” may be more tacit and fuzzy (mustn’t be a bad thing) it’s also potentially quite trustable (a whole bunch of interesting questions are popping up here, ie. how do we tell which source of infomation is trustworthy? how do we evaluate, tag and classify our social sources? does social proximity mean more than perceived level of expertise? on and on …)

I am really happy to be able to participate in this event*, and the opportunity to hear keynote speaker Magnus Lindkvist:

[who] will address the challenge of having too much information, suggest new filters to extract useful information, and explore new lenses with which to see the world that, in turn, can be used to go above and beyond market expectations.

Hmm, new lenses sounds interesting – I assume this will mean a combination of principles, methods and tools, of which the tools are probably the most easy to grasp (not to say that the Cognos Business Intelligence cloud doesn’t sound impressive)? Applications and processes are another perspective to check out, and I think that’s where the conference is kicking in, ie. exploring “independent foundational information tools”, “enterprise information plans and roadmaps”, how to leverage “industry specific expertise and assets for rapid time to value” (sic!), “centralizing best practices by establishing competency centers” and all in all “getting [us all] started on [our] information-led transformation journey”. All “quotes” were snipped from the information agenda obviously:

What is the information agenda?
IBM’s Information Agenda approach has a proven track record of helping companies in your size and industry respond and adapt quickly to unpredictable, up-to-the-minute changes in information, whether it’s on a global level, or the next cube over.
Utilizing IBM’s best-in-class software and consulting services, this approach is designed to help your business develop a customized implementation roadmap in a matter of weeks. What’s more, our solutions can also help you reduce IT spending by leveraging existing investments.

And there’s also a part on social media, I guess here we’ll explore the relations between internal social media, konowledge and innovation management and the tweaking of business models (by leveraging cute technologies). And that’s exactly my cup of tea, so I am looking forward to joining the discussions:

Social media are platforms for interaction and relationships, and have the potential and power to affect everyone in your business – sales, marketing and technical employees – as well as your customers, investors, analysts and the press. Meet some of the social media experts from IBM at IOD EMEA 2010 who can help you better understand social media, decide whether or not it’s appropriate to use in your business model, and if so, how to get started using key tools to grow your business.

So follow the official blogger blog, search for the hashtag #iod2010,  watch the livestream of general sessions and keynote speakers and if you’re there don’t hesitate to stop and say hello. I am not sure what and when I can share stuff, obviously the wifi needs some kind words.

* Disclaimer and disclosure – 1. IBM invited me to the event and covers T&E 2. I know and like both geeks and suits at IBM – trust me, I will disclose if it’s important for you to know …

Upcoming: re:publica

Noch etwas mehr als 34 Stunden – dann ist es soweit: re:publica 2010 und ich bin now there. Wie immer in der Kalkscheune, wieder im Friedrichsstadtpalast und zum ersten Mal im Quatsch Comedy Club (sic!). Und wie immer mit ganz viel Internet, seiner Zukunft und Gegenwart und seinen Gestaltern. Ja, Menschen machen Konferenzen aus – und damit meine ich auch die Veranstalter hinter der re:publica – newthinking communications und Spreeblick, die zusammen mit den Partnern, Sponsoren und Unterstützern ein Riesenprogramm auf die Beine gestellt haben.

Nun ja, auch der beste Multitasker verzweifelt angesichts rund 150 h Programm, hofft stattdessen auf gutes Wetter und ruhige, persönliche Gespräche in der Frühlingssonne und mit einem Tazpresso.

Auf der anderen Seite wäre es schade wenn die Perlen übersehen und verpasst würden, entsprechend ist eine subjektive Programmauswahl aus dem vollen Programm sinnvoll und notwendig (offensichtliche Standards und Pflichtprogramm sind nicht berücksichtigt):

Mittwoch 14. April

11:00 QCC – Google Buzz for the rest of us
12:00 KS_GS – Session: La Résistance – Was Kollaboration und Coworking mit selbstbestimmem Leben zu tun haben
12:30 KS_GS – Session: Slow Design. – Oder: Wie Designthinking (vielleicht) die Welt retten kann
13:00 DSP – Session: Per Anhalter durch das Enterprise 2.0 – Kafka trifft Douglas Adams trifft organisatorische Wirklichkeiten (hier wird das Lotus JamCamp eröffnet, mehr dazu weiter unten)
14:00 QCC – Lotus JamCamp Smarter Work – Vorstellung des Jams zur Arbeitswelt von heute und morgen, gemeinsame Entwicklung und Diskussion der Themen – läuft mit wechselnden Themen und Schwerpunkten bis 17:00
15:30 FSP – What’s Next: Wie die Netzwerke Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft revolutionieren (Peter Kruse)

Donnerstag 15. April

10:00 LJC-Lounge – Session: Linux als Desktopalternative in modernen Büroumgebungen, den Wechsel wagen – ist klar, oder?
14:00 LJC-Lounge – Session: Wie muß eine moderne, kollaborative Webseite aussehen? – Open Innovation und Crowdsourcing von Ideen, Konzepten und Designs für das neue Kompetenzzentrum Kollaboration an der Uni Koblenz (das geht dann in den Online Idea Jam über bzw. bereitet die Prototypentwicklung während der Lotus JamCamp Bustour vor …)
16:00 KS_KS – Find your space: Smarte Tools für die mobile Arbeitswelt – iPhone Augmented Reality App für den mobilen Wissensarbeiter

Freitag 16. April

11:00 QCC – Session: Google-Werkzeuge für Wissensarbeiter: – nach der buzz Session von Mittwoch hier nun eine Google Apps Live Demo Sesssion.
16:00 QCC – Session: warum das internet scheisse ist – ja, eigentlich auch ein (wirrer?) Pflichttermin
besonders aber 10:00 – open end LJC-Lounge – den ganzen Tag ist die Lounge ein Anlauf- und Treffpunkt für das Thema „Arbeitsplatz der Zukunft“ und Smarter Work. Darin findet sich eine interessante Vielfalt an Themen, u.a. plane ich selbst zusammen mit Arnd Layer von IBM eine interaktive Workshop-Runde zu gestalten bei der wir im Spannungsfeld von organisatorischen Wirklichkeiten und Enterprise 2.0 Möglichkeiten spannende Ideen sammeln und entwickeln wollen. Wer Interesse hat – Kontakt aufnehmen oder um 15:00 in die Lounge kommen … oder die Fortsetzung dann online im Idea Jam mitgestalten.

10 Gründe für das Lotus JamCamp – Enterprise 2.0

Warum ist es für Enterprise 2.0-Interessierte sinnvoll sich für das Lotus JamCamp in Ehningen anzumelden?

10 Gründe für Personaler hat Stefan Pfeiffer notiert, 10 Gründe für Digital Natives hat Anika aufgeschrieben, ich notiere 10 gute Gründe für Enterprise 2.0 Fans …

OK, manche der Gründe sind offensichtlich:

  • IBM ist selbst ein Beispiel (manche sagen eine Best Practice) für den Einsatz von Social Web Instrumenten im Unternehmen …
  • … und bietet mit Lotus eine Enterprise Grade Collaboration Lösung
  • … und mit LotusLive bzw. Foundations sind auch für kleinere Unternehmen vernünftige Optionen dabei.

Andere gute Gründe sind generischer, dabei aber auch für das – sich ja weiterhin dynamisch weiterentwickelnde – Enterprise 2.0 und seine Protagonisten interessant:

  • Impulse und Inspiration – neue Ideen, neue Gesprächspartner mit den verschiedensten Hintergründen – vom Wissenschaftler zum Schüler, vom Anwender zum Entwickler, vom SilverSurfer zum Digital Native. Quasi Multi-Stakeholder-Experiences, die u.a. bei der Unterstützung und Förderung der Akzeptanz von Enterprise 2.0 Anregungen liefern …
  • Vernetzen – mit anderen Teilnehmern und den IBMern – auf Basis der Gespräche beim JamCamp, in Fortführung der Ideen, die bereits beim OnlineJam entwickelt wurden oder als Ergebnis von fruchtbaren Diskussionen rund um den eigenen Beitrag zum JamCamp (klar, man muss keine eigene Session anbieten, aber das engagierte Mitdiskutieren erhöht den erfahrenen Wert)
  • Trendforschung – erfahren was aktuell bewegt und beschäftigt. Welche Fragen stellen sich die anderen? Haben Sie evtl. bereits interessante Antworten gefunden und wenn ja, sind diese für mich und mein Unternehmen relevant?
  • dazu “Zukunftsforschung” im weitesten Sinn – eingebunden in eine offene und lebendige Lernumgebung können eigene Ideen und Visionen auf den Prüfstand gestellt werden.
  • Informationen aus erster Hand und direkt von der Schnittstelle von IT und Business. Eine interdisziplinäre Gemeinschaft, die sowohl Digital Natives wie auch (IT-)Profis aus Unternehmen umfasst und die locker und hierarchiefrei diskutiert kann vielfältige Einblicke in Anforderungen und Ideen liefern, ich denke dass es genau diese Mischung ausmacht …
  • beim Lotus JamCamp kann aus der üblichen Arbeitsroutine ausgebrochen werden und neues erfahren und gelernt werden – der Termin am Freitag und Samstag ist dabei ein Kompromiss der auch der Life-Work-Balance gerecht werden soll (ein Tag leidet der Chef, ein Tag der/die Lebenspartnerin). Aber klar, es ist durchaus möglich nur einen der beiden Tage wahrzunehmen, oder bspw. am Samstag später zu kommen – es ist ein BarCamp und keine klassische Konferenz …
  • nette Arbeitsumgebung – wer schon immer auf den neuen IBM Campus in Ehningen (und seine Architektur) gespannt war hat hier die Gelegenheit reinzuschnuppern – zwar noch kein “Tag des offenen Campus”, aber immerhin …
  • und zuletzt: die Teilnahme ist kostenlos. Zwar wird um eine Anmeldung gebeten, aber diese ist – BarCamp-typisch – ohne Kosten (im Gegenteil, für die Versorgung der JamCamper beim Schaffen wird gesorgt)

Jetzt sind es doch elf gute Gründe geworden – aber es sind sicher nicht die einzigen. Wer mehr Gründe hat, ab in die Kommentare damit, ja?

Upcoming: re:publica 2010 and Lotus JamCamp

Now, there are even more upcoming notes in the drafts – and they’re connected on many accounts. But this one’s special – it’s about the largest and most outstanding german social-web conference that is scheduled April 14-16 in Berlin, re:publica. They’re expecting up to 2500 participants this year, I will be one of them …

re:publica is a conference concerning blogs, social media and the digital society which will be taking place for the fourth time from 14 – 16 April and will be organised and hosted by newthinking communications and Spreeblick.

The program is beginning to materialize, as is one of the inter-connections I want to promote: the Lotus JamCamp which is basically kicked off at the re:publica, followed by a (geek) bus tour through Germany with parallel Online Idea Jamming and the on-site event in Stuttgart-Ehningen on April 23-24. IBM is partnering with re:publica and disclosure: I am helping IBM in organizing this, see other blog posts on the LJC.

Upcoming: SOMESSO / Headshift Social Business Summit March 18, 2010

Lee Bryant invited me to the SOMESSO / Headshift Social Business Summit March 18, 2010 and I was happy to join. Neat goal this event has (“Moving beyond the adoption of social tools to consider business impact and implications for organisational design”).

The agenda is promising a lot of interactive work and conversation, I am eager to learn how others see the current state of the industry, and the actual results and status-quo of social tools in business. But it’s also allowing for some future-guessing, ie. we will think about how the “Socially-calibrated Business of the Future might operate”.

On March 18, SOMESSO and Headshift/Dachis Group will host Europe’s first Social Business Summit; an invitation-only event in the city of London, which is aimed at business and technology thought leaders interested in the future of social business design. […].

Socially-calibrated? To my experience this is still asking for much, yet it’s one of the more viable approaches to understand, design and operate businesses. And it’s much more than stakeholder-management, it’s more than better tailored marketing, it’s more than allowing for spotty customer integration into organizational processes. Yes, open innovation and crowdsourcing come in varying flavors and intensities, we’ll see what the “Futures Trading” and the “postcards from the future of Social Business” will bring. Three working groups are scheduled, covering internal and external use cases, and then market / (business) ecosystem use cases. Plus, later on we’ll develop and identify “necessary changes and actions to move towards the future scenarios, as well as challenges we might face, in terms of people, culture and technology”.

Now, being in London on the 18th makes me miss out on another event I actually had hoped for to visit – the Enterprise 2.0 Forum in Paris that Bertrand Duperrin is organizing together with Kongressmedia. But as Björn and Thomas are going there it’s probably a sound decision to “spread the eggs over the various baskets …”