Insight Community

The usual economic indicators suggest things aren't getting worse as fast as before, and the more cautious forecasters are offering some less-than-optimistic predictions of a long road ahead for recovery. Several analysts (in reports from McKinsey Quarterly, Harvard Business Review and the like) point out that business has fundamentally changed and that the current downturn is not simply part of a regular business cycle. On the upside, though, the preceding decades have developed an incredible collection of enabling technologies that businesses may have only scratched the surface of -- which have laid the foundations for future long-term economic growth.

In this environment, employees look for real leadership and direction from their corporate executives. So this case sponsor, HP, is looking to inspire forward-looking discussions with essays aimed at executive level managers. We're looking for insightful articles that may help guide executives towards success during uncertain times. What does an executive need to do or need to know to be more effective nowadays? What does the future of business look like? How can an organization thrive under pressure? What innovative technologies or services will help companies stay competitive? What techniques can be used to motivate and promote innovation? How can workflows be optimized to be smarter, more efficient and productive? These are just some example starting topics to give you a general sense of what we're looking for -- we're not expecting point-by-point answers. We encourage unique (and even entertaining) submissions on related topics.

The best insights will be used as posts on an HP website that will be announced later. Please submit essays that are at least 500 words in length.

UPDATE: The sponsor is more accurately "HP Enterprise" -- so the target audience is specifically executives and decision makers (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, etc) at large companies.

Sun and Intel are interested in holding a webinar around the topic of Enterprise Knowledge Management for their site, MidMarket Innovators.  They are looking for experts to be featured in this online webinar, so this case is a little different in that sense. 

We are looking for you to submit proposals that would describe a webinar topic that you would be willing to discuss.  If your topic is chosen, then you will then need to be available to participate in the 1-hour online webinar, hosted by Techdirt's Mike Masnick.  You can see the previous webinars here to get a sense of what has been done before.

The potential topics that they are interested in are:

1. What does “enterprise knowledge management” mean to you?
2. How is this strategy/approach evolving?  10 years ago?  10 years from now?
   • How have advances in technology over the last 3-5 years made it easier for organizations to implement Knowledge Management?
3. How does technology supplement the business strategy?  How does IT support/contribute?  What is the role of technology?
4. How are the solutions that Sun & Intel are bringing to market contribute to “enterprise knowledge management”?
   • New Sun Servers based on Xeon 5500?  Performance, Energy Efficiency & Virtualization Capabilities.  These new servers allow IT to replace 9 old single core x86 servers with one new Sun/Xeon 5500 server.  IT can see a payback in less than one year.
   • Software – How does software & software usage models factor into these solutions?  For Sun Software – Sun & Intel have been working together to optimize Java, MySQL & Solaris for Intel processors.
5. What are the metrics and business benefits that organizations should expect from Knowledge Management?

Your proposal does not have to deal with all of these topics, these are merely suggestions.

In your proposal, please include:

• The headline of your proposed webinar.
• A description for the webinar that you would run.

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

The business of print has always been a risky one. While the printing press made it much cheaper to print, there were still significant fixed costs involved. In order to make it economically feasible to print something, you had to make sure there were enough buyers, which involved significant forecasting. There were also significant costs associated with setting up each print run, such that it wasn't economically reasonable to do really custom work. Thankfully, in the past few decades advances in various technologies have made it cheaper and cheaper -- even as the rise of the internet has led many to write off the opportunities for print publishing, and even suggest that paper was dying.

Yet, what if that same trends, of ever decreasing technology costs combined with increasing quality and internet connectivity, enable a new era of print? These trends have the ability to enable things that simply couldn't be done before. We're seeing the beginnings of this with print-on-demand and self-publishing services, but where does it go from here? How far will these technology trends take us in creating totally new opportunities for print? When it's easy and cost effective to not just self-publish, but *micro-publish* suddenly the entire stream of possibilities becomes different. A photographer can publish a special magazine for every attendee at a wedding (even with the attendee's photo customized to be on the front). Or a novelist can let fans buy each chapter to be delivered fresh each month (or week!) as she finishes it. A textbook maker can create a totally customizable textbook, listing out a series of chapters online, allowing professors/teachers/students to create their own combination based on what works best for them.

And those are just a few starter ideas. HP is sponsoring this conversation (with more info at futureofprint.com) about how these trends will enable all sorts of new possibilities and business models. What new opportunities will be enabled thanks to ever cheaper print-on-demand offerings that combine customization, high quality and the connectivity of the internet? What new businesses may spring out of this convergence? What new hobbies, side projects, cultural artifacts? We're looking for creative thinking on where these trends will take us and what they'll enable.

Intel and IBM would like to get the Insight Community's thoughts on what virtualization (in the IT context) means to you.  

They will be hosting the best thoughts on this subject on their new site, Virtualization Conversation.

Pick ONE of the following topics and expand on it to discuss your views on the subject in approximately 750 to 1,500 words.

• Maximizing the business value of data centers
• Virtualization benchmarks
• The benefits of virtualization
• Improving efficiencies in the work environment

We're looking for views from folks in the IT world, giving some insight into their real world experiences on these topics. Eight Three responses will be chosen and placed on the Virtualization Conversation site.

Update: Intel and IBM were so pleased with the quality of responses, that they have increased the number of insights that they would like to use from three to eight.  Thanks everyone for your excellent insights!

From both the digital nomad's perspective and the perspective of anyone who manages digital nomads, one of the biggest challenges is in maintaining productivity on the go. For some, the freedom of being a digital nomad allows them to be more productive, by letting them work at the best time and the most convenient places. However, for others, the lack of structure makes productivity difficult. For those of you who are digital nomads, what strategies do you employ to make sure you remain motivated and productive on the go. For those of you who manage digital nomads, what strategies are there to employ to keep your workforce motivated, even if they're not under the same level of supervision and communication as in-house employees?

Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject, representing the world's first "crowdsourced whitepaper." While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office." People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads."  We're hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

One of the biggest challenges a digital nomad faces is keeping in touch with coworkers, team members or partners, when the group is not in the same physical space most of the time.  These days, many rely on tools like instant messaging, wikis, collaborative workspaces, email and other tools to keep everyone on the same page.  What are some tips and tricks that you've found for keeping a group of digital nomads working together well?  What were some of the downsides and challenges?  How were those overcome or minimized?

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office." People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

We all know that more employees are becoming Digital Nomads, but from a business and IT perspective, how do you determine if this is a net benefit or a net loss?  Do you do anything to measure the specific ROI of having a dispersed workforce?  If so, how are you measuring it?  What have you found?  What would make it easier to determine the ROI of having a distributed workforce?  Basically, we're looking for any discussion that can speak to the ROI (good or bad) of having a workforce made up of Digital Nomads.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Many years ago, mobile phones were seen as gadgets that could come in handy for emergencies. Obviously, now that mobile phones are ubiquitous, mobile communication is seen more as a convenience. Emergencies that call for the use of a mobile phone now include letting someone know that there's no more milk in the fridge. But mobile phones are still extremely useful in emergency situations, so before we forget about that, what are some best practices for using mobile phones for safety purposes? What phone features or services are useful for parents to keep track of their children? How can GPS functions on mobile phones make users safer? Besides not driving while talking on the phone, what other activities should people avoid doing with their phones? Can you dispel any 'dangerous' myths about using mobile phones? How can mobile phones be used to keep everyone safer?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

If you've used a mobile banking interface, we're looking for reviews on how well it performs. Which kinds of banking-by-phone interfaces are the most useful? Is the traditional automated menu system (eg. "press 1 to transfer funds") still your favorite? What kinds of mobile banking or payment services are becoming more popular? Do you think 4-digit PINs are secure enough for mobile banking -- or can you imagine more secure authentication methods for banking-by-phone? How else can mobile phones help you to manage your spending or financial affairs?

 

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office."  People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

The fact that workers are so mobile these days increases the challenges from a security perspective.  No longer do IT folks have full control over what's being done on a computer and what network they attach to.  Suddenly there are entirely new challenges for keeping corporate information secure.  On top of that, there are additional challenges from the threat of lost or stolen computer devices and data snooping on open WiFi networks.  So how are IT professionals taking on this challenge?  What tricks have you learned to keep a diverse workforce secure?  And from an individual standpoint, how much do you rely on your IT staff or how much responsibility do you take in keeping yourself secure?

In general, as a guideline, answers should be around 500 words. That's not a definitive guideline, but that's about what we're expecting. You don't have to answer all of the questions here, but can pick just the one or two you feel you have the most insight on. Or, if you feel you can answer multiple ones in detail, feel free to write up separate insights.

Entries chosen to go on the site will get a share of the pot.  The pot will be split depending on how many insights are chosen.

 

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office." People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

While a dispersed workforce has many advantages these days, it also creates some challenges: such as keeping workers on the same page and functioning as a team. There's no more watercooler to gather around, and a lot less informal chitchat over cubicle walls. What strategies have you taken to keep dispersed mobile teams on the same page and working productively as a team, rather than as a group of separate individuals? What strategies work best? Which sounded good but didn't live up to expectations? What other tools would make keeping a nomadic workforce even easier?

In general, as a guideline, answers should be around 500 words. That's not a definitive guideline, but that's about what we're expecting. You don't have to answer all of the questions here, but can pick just the one or two you feel you have the most insight on. Or, if you feel you can answer multiple ones in detail, feel free to write up separate insights.

Entries chosen to go on the site will get a share of the pot. The pot will be split depending on how many insights are chosen.

 

In April, we began a conversation around The Future of Storage with support from Dell.  Top insights in the community were posted to http://thefutureofstorage.com/ with some making it to Ars Technica and in ad promotions. We're looking to continue the conversation with good insight into any of the following topics: Virtualization, iSCSI, FCoE, deduplification, thin provisioning, encryption etc.  

The focus of this conversation is centered on the SAN market and its current and future directions, including the aforementioned areas.  To get an idea of the type of insights we're looking for, just look over http://thefutureofstorage.com/ to see some earlier posts. Please note that while that site is sponsored by Dell, the topic for discussion is not vendor specific.

In continuing this conversation, feel free to write about any topic in this space that you think would fit on the site, such as where you think the SAN market is heading. Alternatively, feel free to write thoughtful insights that address some of the points raised in earlier posts on The Future of Storage site.

For the purpose of encouraging discussion, here are a few topics that might be interesting to explore:

• What type of storage architectures (SAN, NAS, iSCSI, FC, DAS) work well for virtualized servers and why?
• What methods are best for accessing/provisioning storage with virtual systems (virtual group service, like VMWare? software function in the virutal system? raw device interface?)
• What backup methodologies make sense for virtual server environments?

If you have personal experience with any of these, or even just want to walk through your thought process in evaluating options, those tend to make for very interesting posts.

Also, as we look to continue this ongoing conversation, please let us know what other topics you think would be good to discuss in future months.

The insights selected to be on this site will each get a "share" of the bonus pool below. You can write multiple insights to get multiple shares.

PLEASE NOTE: We are looking for unique insights that delve into a single subject concerning this topic. Don't try to cover too many things in a single insight submission. Again, look over the existing Future of Storage site to get an idea of what's appropriate.

Like last time, please get your insights in early. We will be closing the case once we feel there are enough insights (somewhere between 10 and 20 insights).

Business analytics are playing an increasingly important role in helping companies gain the insight they need to make better decisions. How have you found this to be the case with your business? Please share your best examples with us of how analytics (CRM, dashboards, or other analytics capabilities) have improved the performance of your business. For an example, see this video clip by Malcolm Gladwell.

Responses for this case will be used in a whitepaper being created by Techdirt for TheCustomerCollective and included with the results of a survey we are hosting titled, "CRM Analytics."