Agilization

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Finding the next Facebook
2010-11-12 13:05:00
Social networking players in China If you wanted my best guess as to who we would see as the next generation of 'Apples, IBMs and Microsofts' - I would say it's likely to be one of the companies on this list. Bear in mind the size of the Chinese domestic market. If these products achieve the same levels of adoption as Facebook then they would create larger online communities than both Facebook and Google! Better get used to these names ;-)Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin

Business Websites - Still a Competitive Differentiator?
2010-11-09 17:50:00
There was a time when businesses could hope to differentiate themselves through their website design to bring a competitive advantage. Not anymore. A decade ago websites were seen to have the power to wow site visitors and bring them to your door. Promises made by website designers suggested that new online marketing, powered by search engines, would result in a train of new prospects and business opportunities. For most small businesses this promise has not materialized. They continue to generate more business through word-of-mouth contacts, partner referrals and direct marketing methods. Visitors of websites today want to see a predictable structure and format. This makes it easier to know where the information is they're trying to find. It's no fun crawling around websites to find out what a business does. In an ideal world, everything a site visitor wants to find out should be on the front page. And technologies like streaming video mean that persuasive arguments don...
More About: Business , Space , Web 2 , Websites

Cloud Security market to hit $1.5 billion by 2015
2010-10-28 20:18:00
It's always interesting to read analyst forecasts of market size and growth - but I actually think this one is pretty well grounded. Cloud security is going to be a hot topic in IT over the next few years. I think many people think cloud technology is less secure that traditional systems but actually that doesn't have to be the case. Cloud platforms can make corporate IT more secure by adopting an inclusive security model, federated identity management and providing the ability for users to serve themselves with robust IT solutions that serve the long-tail of applications rather than turning a blind eye to shadow systems developed on Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Perhaps the biggest issue though is enabling organizations to cascade duties of data security to departmental managers rather than IT and giving them the tools to do it. Departmental managers often know more about the risk of using data for new apps (and the context of use) compared to IT.Agilization is the blog on bu...
More About: Security , Market , Cloud Computing

Cloud 9. Nine Reasons Why the Cloud is Worth Taking Seriously
2010-10-23 12:09:00
For those business professionals who are keen to get a handle on what cloud computing is and why it might be relevant to their business I've put together a very crude list in this most basic of white papers produced for US Tech Solutions to help start the process of deciphering the business case for cloud computing. For technologists please don't read it because the oversimplification of arguments will drive you crazy;-). Ian.Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin
More About: Live , Reasons , Worth , Cloud

Delivering the most economically advantageous software apps
2010-09-18 10:12:00
At times when organizations need to find smarter ways of working to cut costs, they're often frustrated by the lack of effective software applications to support these new ways of working. The long-tail of demand for new applications created by middle-managers that are working hard to optimize their departments and core processes is not something that should be ignored. Without this innovation, sub-optimal processes continue to under perform and add unnecessary operating costs. Organizations going through change need adaptive IT solutions that can be shaped to support new processes. Of course, there are huge pressures to reduce IT expenditure too - so how do organizations source the new applications they need to create leaner processes? Current approaches to sourcing software applications fall into three main categories: 1. Purchasing ready-to-use software applications - This isn't a very cost effective way to source business applications because of the high cost of acquiri...
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Map Mashups without APIs: How Squork Maps Changes The Mapping World
2010-08-16 22:28:00
Believe it or not, Google Maps has only been around for a decade. It feels like it's always been around. When Google Maps arrived it changed the software world in a number of ways. Firstly, it made digital maps accessible to the masses. What it also did is trail blaze the idea of software applications as services that need no explanation or introduction. My kids can use Google Maps without a manual or any instructions. It's so intuitive they can work it out for themselves. Google Maps raised the question - 'Why can't all software applications be like this?' With Microsoft Bing Maps, Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps all providing similar services it's perhaps a little surprising that any other supplier would attempt to launch another mapping service - but in September there's going to be another - Squork Maps. So why would anyone think there's space for ANOTHER mapping service? Well the design team of Squork Maps take the view that until now, people have had access to maps and ...
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Generation Y and the workplace
2010-07-12 21:25:00
I'm busy writing a White Paper to explain to organizational change managers what a social office is and why it matters - so I was delighted to come across this research that's been published in May of this year that provides feedback on what matters most to Gen Y entering, or preparing to enter the workplace. Gen Y is important to employers because, with the baby boomer generation racing towards retirement, this is the community charged with taking over the reigns. But with so many employers seeking such a small supply of brain-power, inevitably the voice of Gen Y matters. And Gen Y has a whole new set of employment expectations; one of which is the work environment. This article does well to capture the workplace environmental expectations of Gen Y workers.Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin
More About: Workplace

Now business analysts can design portal stylesheets in less than 10-minutes
2010-06-24 16:02:00
I've just seen something you don't see everyday. It was a demo by one of my colleagues of the new Encanvas Template Design er. What it does is to enable a business analyst to design the user interface of a 'live' portal application or website without requiring scripting or coding skills - in a matter of minutes. I was a little skeptical of the claim so, as evidence, I asked my enthusiastic colleague to go to the website of my retail bank and replicate the stylesheet of the home page using Encanvas (so that all of the canvases published would inherit the style-sheet of my bank). I asked, 'How long would it take to reproduce the website look and feel in Encanvas?' The answer came back 'less than 10-minutes'. I had 10-minutes to kill so I said, 'Go on then, let's see it!' I saw a few flashes of Photoshop and Encanvas Web Server Managers' appearance settings page. Then, in less than 5-minutes, the replica portal space was there for me to click around in its ASP.NET por...
More About: Business , Portal

Encanvas Vendor Agnostic Platform-As-A-Service and Azure
2010-06-14 18:42:00
Platform-As-A-Service (PaaS) is a term that's beginning to gain currency and understanding within the large enterprise CIO community. Why? Well probably because CIOs know that there has to be a technology layer that sits between Software-As-A-Service and the Infrastructure of the cloud (now being called Infrastructure-As-A-Service). This technology layer must provide the ability to design, deploy and operate applications on the cloud. Funny, because that?s exactly what Encanvas Secure&Live has been marketed as since its launch in early 2010. Encanvas Secure&Live is a Rich Internet Portal platform that supports the design, deployment and operation of secure and live workspaces that extend networks and processes beyond the traditional boundary of the enterprise. It could be argued that it provides organizations with a white label PaaS solution, Encanvas distinguishes itself today by being the only software platform to remove the need for coding or scripting skills from IT ? causing ...
More About: Agnostic , Cloud Computing

Taking your first step onto the cloud
2010-05-06 15:54:00
Why situational applications are the obvious first step into cloud computing for public sector organisations Faced with depressing predictions of looming budget cuts cloud computing has come to the fore of discussions to uncover relatively short-term economies in IT functions within the public sector. But how much of the cloud story is hype? How different are cloud architectures to the web-server farms that organisations have had the means to access for well over a decade? And how realistic is it that core business systems will move out of the data centre into the cloudspace? Most of the CIOs I speak to are sceptical of the real-world practicality of large-scale porting of business critical apps to the cloud. They site concerns over data security, business continuity, administration and the realistic challenges of running a relationship with a vendor that will need to provide robust administrative tools to manage day-to-day support activities. Even those CIOs who brush through al...
More About: Cloud , Cloud Computing

Encanvas Enterprise Mashups on Azure changes the role of Business Analyst
2010-04-02 12:22:00
The announcement that Encanvas will be on Microsoft Azure later this month is likely to forever change the role of business analysts. At one time business analysts were almost seen as the triage people for IT development teams. They were the people that could understand business and make sense of processes; people with one foot in the business and the other in IT able to bridge across the impermeable divide that exists in the enterprise between business and IT. They were also the ?owners of the problem? that developers were charged to fix with their software developments. So in many organizations, business analysts became the well paid ?good communicating? bag carriers of the slightly higher paid software developers who could sit in their back rooms and ?just code?. This narrowly scoped role of the business analyst is not likely to sustain. In an agile business era there is no room for the heavy price of ?discovery and learning? in software development. Everyone knows that any lea...
More About: Business , Role , Cloud Computing

Why Enterprise Mashups and Social Media will make India successful
2010-03-24 22:19:00
It was a great joy for myself and the Encanvas team to launch our 'Squork' secure and live business social networking technology in Lucknow, India this month with our partners US Tech. We were cheerfully surprised by the enthusiasm that exists in India for new technology - even when it's technology that changes the paradigm of business computing and asks people to consider new ways of working. (A big thanks to the IIM-L team for making us so welcome!). Through a series of meetings with leaders of academia and business around the purpose and opportunities offered by Squork business social networking, surfaced the fundamental reason why I believe India will be the powerhouse of world markets in the next decade. You see, here's my point: In Europe and the USA, I see IT leaders playing a game of 'got, not got' over the building blocks of IT technology in support of their enterprise computing stacks that always reminds me of the game we used to play as kids swapping football pla...
More About: Social , Media , Make

Why Enterprise mashups are more than a 'nice to have' for business leaders
2010-03-03 09:50:00
Today I?m re-authoring the Action Framework system. It reminded me that in 2002, the Action Framework was the reason why I started on the journey to producing a better way of working with data that has since become known as enterprise mashups. Under any other description, an Action Framework is a performance management system but unlike traditional performance management systems that focus too much on strategies and plans and not enough on reality, the currency of an Action Framework are the actions that happen across an organization on a daily basis. When I started NDMC I was keen to find a better way of managing organizations because I?ve seen so many good and enthusiastic people find themselves in middle-management positions, not knowing why they?re doing what they?ve been asked to do. All too often, enthusiasm and effort does not translate into results and rewards because of poor instruction or poor alignment between the actions of these key people and the required outcomes of...
More About: Business , Nice

Why is Squork better than Google Wave? ..and other good questions
2010-02-26 13:52:00
YOUTUBE videos on Squork are getting some attention and the first few bits of feedback we?ve received ask some very pointy questions on what makes Squork better than Google Wave and free source software. Rather than answer the same questions a hundred times a day I thought it probably a good idea to answer them here;-). My thanks to Aravind for summarizing the key questions!QUESTION ? ?What is Squork??Squork is a secure and live business social operating system. It enables communities to develop and operate virtual social network operating spaces for their business or community of interest. QUESTION ? ?Where has Squork come from??ANSWER - Squork is a deployment of the Encanvas Secure&Live Integrated Software Platform (which itself can take some explaining). With Encanvas people can design, deploy and operate their business applications using a single integrated platform without needing programming or scripting skills. It obviates the need for traditional enterprise portal plat...
More About: Questions , Web 2 , Good , Cloud Computing

Google takes another step towards turning into Microsoft - Mail & Guardian
2010-02-16 22:28:00
Google takes another step towards turning into Microsoft - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news sourcehttp://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-02 -14-google-takes-another-step-towards-tur ning-into-microsoftThere are occasions when the true colors of corporate arrogance show themselves and it's not pretty. Google has done well to steer clear of being tarnished with the image as an uncaring 'corporate giant' that has hit so many other large corporations that only do things for money.That's why I found this article so interesting to read. Google isn't a charitable organization and its willingness to try to cut off smaller players at the ankles by using its market penetration shows what happens when youthful exuberance turns into a cruel corporate game. Fortunately, cloud computing is opening the doors to European and Asian innovators and it is in these far flung parts of the planet that innovation is taking hold.Perhaps we should all think a little more about the negative consequenc...
More About: Google

Enterprise mashups and de-risking software development projects
2010-02-06 08:41:00
One of the main uses of Encanvas and other enterprise mashup platforms is in custom software development. Traditionally, business software applications have been purchased as shrink-wrapped products that serve a specific process or functional business area. The fundamental problem of this approach is there are so many processes in a business.  Attempting to purchase a shrink-wrapped solution for every one of them is hugely expensive. Another problem is there's no guarantee that each of the shrink-wrapped packages is architected to use the same building block components of technology - so organizations have to contend with supporting a variety of different database engines, workflow engines and reporting tools (that all work differently). The alternative to buying read-made software solutions of course is to build your own. The problem in doing this is the high cost and risk of project failure. Developing bespoke software applications has traditionally been performed by progr...
More About: Software , Projects , Software Development , Development

Social Operating Systems: The rise of social oriented architecture
2010-01-18 20:55:00
As the term suggests, a social operating system is a computing platform that supports the formation, management and use of social relationship ties. In my opinion, social operating systems will have a fundamental impact on both society and business - but my interest is how they change the way people work and are empowered in their roles. My next business book is due out in October 2010 and studies the growing influence of social operating systems in computing and considers their impact on the business world. I'm hoping to add a few early examples of how early adopter organizations are going about developing their social operating systems, the challenges they're encountering and the benefits they're seeing. (So, to the big question!!!) Do you have a great example of an organization that has implemented (or is in the process of implementing) a social operating system. If you do, then I'd love to hear from you. The more I get involved in IT modernization, the more I see a close ...
More About: Social , Architecture , Operating Systems , Systems

Why CRM Systems Drive Sales People Crazy
2010-01-14 10:26:00
When they first came on the scene with SIEBEL, Customer Relationship Management systems were supposed to grow your business 'one customer at a time'. Like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems they promised a rosy future for business people of being able to deliver a 'single view' of customers - so that all of the systems in an enterprise could work together to serve up a coherent appreciation of customer conversations, account history - and most importantly, what mattered most to them (to understand 'customer value'). After decades of CRM implementations, most sales and marketing people are left cold by the impact of CRM. It simply hasn't delivered on its promises. An agile enterprise can only achieve greater customer value - and therefore more potential to grow - if it understands what customers actually want. This insight can not be gathered OFFLINE by market research because it creates a false picture of the real-world. The only way to really understand customers ...
More About: People , Sales , Drive , Crazy , Systems

2010 Tech Forecasts
2010-01-07 15:49:00
2010 tech forecasts: What the accurate analysts predict ( - Telecommunication - Internet - Software - Hardware Systems - Security - Consumer Electronics - Virtualization ) I came across this blog that outlined the performance of IDC's predictions. Very interesting!. IanAgilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin
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SOA, Security and Enterprise Mashups
2010-01-05 19:07:00
I'd like to dispel a myth - that Enterprise Security is more likely to be compromised or weakened through the adoption of situational applications and enterprise data mashup technologies.  If IT leaders were to let users roam free on all of their data through a poorly thought through Enterprise Mashup Platform THEN MAYBE, but then, how likely is that to happen? The logic behind the argument that 'mashups are a security threat' is usually this: that mashups are about empowering information workers to consume web services (sourced from back office systems and via online public sites) and, if you all this to happen, then several new potential threat areas emerge: Poor security regimes mean that users usurp identity management and access control systems so either back-doors are created to data or administrative systems become more complicated with multiple user identity directories emerging that could create errors in monitoring user identities. Users (knowingly or unknowingly...
More About: Information Technology

What's in store for Enterprise Mashups in 2010?
2009-12-31 15:26:00
Enterprise Mashups are the big topic for 2010 as organizations seek to harness their SOA investments and get their apps on the cloud. A report by Business Insights suggests the Enterprise Mashups software market was worth around $161m in 2008, and is forecast to grow to $1.74bn by 2013. So what can we expect from Enterprise Mashup platforms in 2010? In 2009, Enterprise Mashup platforms designed for business started to make inroads into corporate IT thinking by providing a coherent way of bringing together web services, RSS, twitters, maps and other sources of data together in secure enterprise portals. they're quickly becoming the preferred consumption layer of information served from business applications in the form of web services and now there are more than enough case stories to show how scalable and robust the technology is. 'Enterprise mashups = software that's ideal for consuming web services. Great. So what's next?' you ask. Here I've summarized my top 6 list of the...
More About: Web 2 , Store

Gartner top 10 predictions for 2010
2009-12-31 14:31:00
So Gartner's top 10 predictions are out for 2010 and it's a very different picture to last year. Nevertheless, it's always interesting to see what the world's leading IT analysts think is going to happen next in the year to come. In this article I've plucked out the bits that have most to do with Services Oriented Architecture (SOA), Enterprise Mashups, Business Social Networking and other such technologies that are making businesses more agile. No surprise that Cloud Computing is number 1. The feeding frenzy around cloud computing has been growing for some time and now it's almost impossible for IT leaders not to consider cloud computing as a way forward for their future IT infrastructure. For many organizations however, cloud computing is just another form of commercial model for virtualization of servers; the result of a transformation is a gated environment for enterprise applications on a hosted web server instead of using in-house servers. This myopic view of cloud com...
More About: Predictions

ERP in a Services Oriented World
2009-11-29 13:04:00
I've just completed this White Paper in support of work that I'm currently doing in the Insurance sector to migrate organizations from traditional ERP systems to more agile platforms based on a blend of Master Data Management, SOA and Enterprise Mashup Portals. It's hard for CIOs to come to terms with the fact that business social networking and collaboration means that it's no longer possible to protect the enterprise by selectively cutting it off from the rest of the world behind Firewalls. This White Paper I've written for Encanvas describes how a blended strategy of ERP+MDM is a smarter move and encourages investments in 'IT growth innovation'. Hope you like it. Ian.Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin
More About: Services , World

Wake up JackBe, Encanvas v2 has arrived
2009-11-17 23:51:00
It's been a frustrating year watching Jack Be and Corizon running around the market while we sit on our hands and code ferociously to get Encanvas secure&live ready for market before Google Wave. I think of it as our 'wilderness year'!Thankfully it's now coming to an end and in 2010 we have the launch of Encanvas v2 and Squork to look forward to. Unfortunately, we're still busy patenting the unique technologies that have been added to the platform so you'll have to bear with us on going public until the end of January. At least there will be a sneaky peak next week!I'm delighted that we've been able to beat Google to the punch with what I believe is a more appropriate communications platform for web collaboration than Google Wave - which has had its doubters of late - but I'm sure, when the guys at Google overcome the short-comings of the beta,Google Wave will be a world class product.At the TECHNOLOGY WORLD event in Coventry next week we'll be meeting with the major electr...
More About: Web 2 , Wake , Wake up

Idiots Guide to Enterprise Mashups
2009-11-12 16:00:00
I keep getting asked for a simple overview on Enterprise Mashups. After looking around slideshare for a while it became apparent that descriptions of what Enterprise Mashups are about and what they're for tend to be really over complicated so I've penned a simple 10 slide overview.Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin
More About: Idiots , Guide

Cloud Coffee House
2009-09-11 15:43:00
Sorry I've not been online much this year - I've been busy writing my new book Cloud Coffee House that describes how the two worlds of cloud computing and social networking are likely to collide and create a cloudspace where people will in future enjoy both work and play. If you get the opportunity to read it I hope you'll tell me what you think!Agilization is the blog on business and technology by Ian Tomlin

Top 10 Enterprise Mashup Software Products and Why
2009-01-20 14:10:00
The growth in information working and the knowledge economy is placing new demands on information technology. Knowledge workers today expect the same level of access and ease of use from their business systems that they enjoy with their iPOD or favourite websites (such as Google). A challenge facing IT departments is how to keep up with the volume of requests from information workers to develop new applications in response to their rapidly changing information needs. In a 2008 survey conducted by IBM, a majority of CEOs rated their organisation's ability to manage change 22% lower than their expected need for change. Business mashups give people the tools needed to adapt to change, develop new insights, and act on new business opportunities.Enterprise mashups are an important new development in IT as they provide a new and accessible means of creating large numbers of business applications without requiring complex IT projects or large numbers of IT people with deep technical skil...
More About: Software , Products , Web 2 , Jack , Serena

The importance of lists
2009-01-10 11:58:00
Happy New Year? Not on FridaySo there I was driving back up the M1 motorway following a meeting in East London. I was so absorbed in my thinking that I completely missed two junctions and found myself at Junction 18 adding another half an hour to my journey. Poo.Anyway, what I was so self-abosrbed in was the subject of LISTS. What got me thinking about lists was the conversation I had just had with the sales director of an office equipment company. It reminded me of a problem that just keeps surfacing. When sales people use CRM systems they quite rightly complain about the time it takes to fill in all of the record data. Why? becuase the user doesn't always want to add (or see) all of the data that managers do. They just want to order their thinking and make sure they spend their time on the most important things rather than the 'can do' subjects that are sometimes easier to do but are less beneficial in achieving outcomes. The technology problem with this is that databases - par...
More About: Lists , Databases

Back in the saddle
2008-06-04 22:27:00
I confess, I've not had time to look at my blog page for a number of weeks due to the number of plates we're all currently keeping in the air at NDMC. It's been a busy time organising the new offices, keeping the consulting projects rolling in and helping to establish Encanvas SA. Glad to see Anthony and the guys are really finding their feet now with Encanvas and closing their first deals.Promise to spend a bit more time in July blogging and catching up with what's been going on with my family whilst I've been chained to the desk. Is that.. 'sky' outside? Has it been there all along?Agilization is the new book from Ian Tomlin, theoritician and business management consultant. Ian is a co-founder of NDMC Ltd (www.ndmc.uk.com).
More About: Blog , Back , Saddle

My Web 2.0 Trip
2008-03-25 18:05:00
I went to New York for the first time in my life last week to attend a conference on Web 2 .0 called AJAXWorld08. New York was probably as I expected it. In some parts you could smell the money, whilst in other areas it was obviously lacking. Amidst the very thoughtful layout of streets organized into a grid system (almost Milton Keynes like in its logic) one encountered examples of transport networks that appear to have evolved organically, untamed by man.I have to say the conference was well organized. There was a rich tapestry of Web 2.0 speakers and a great many brave young start-ups. But the focus of the conference was deeply technical and appeared very light on corporate interest. Where were all of the end-users? It points to the fact that the IT industry is very good at convincing itself about the next big thing but can leave the business world behind. This absence of ?business context? left me naturally feeling like the proverbial square pin surrounded by round holes....
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