IBM and Its Study of Management: Creative or Clever?
May 20, 2010
Those expensive service calls and pricey consulting jobs generate cash to do blue chip consulting studies. In the good old days, these expensive data collection efforts were multi client projects. Today, most firms are not too keen on funding research that must be shared. Take that, collaborative workspace lovers. IBM ponied up the dough to conduct a five month study. The sample was Porsche and Bimmer dealers dream team: 1,541 CEOs, general managers, and senior public sector leaders who represent different sizes of organizations in 60 countries and 33 industries.
You can get a darned good summary in the write up “IBM 2010 Global CEO Study: Creativity Selected as Most Crucial Factor for Future Success.” The summary has its fair share of buzz words. There are some interesting findings. Let me highlight three that I found interesting:
First, here’s a key passage:
CEOs are confronted with massive shifts – new government regulations, changes in global economic power centers, accelerated industry transformation, growing volumes of data, rapidly evolving customer preferences – that, according to the study, can be overcome by instilling “creativity” throughout an organization.
I think Bernie Madoff was creative—and clever. The clever part does leave donut of ambiguity in my opinion.
Second, this segment:
the biggest challenge facing enterprises from here on will be the accelerating complexity and the velocity of a world that is operating as a massively interconnected system.
Yep, sort of like the US financial crisis, the excitement in Greece, and the squeeze in the UK. Interconnected, complex, and, in my opinion, unmanageable. Someone has to work making things. Dealing derivatives is not “work” in my goose pond.
Third, this finding about technology:
Over the last four studies, the expected impact of technology on organizations has risen from 6th to 2nd place in importance, revealing that CEOs understand that technology and the interconnection of the world’s infrastructures is contributing to the complexity they face, and also reveals that they need more technology-based answers to succeed in a world that is massively interconnected.
Example? Capping an oil gusher 5,000 feet under water or maybe getting a customer support engineer to answer the phone. Hmmm. Which is more difficult in our complex world?
For more findings, presented with great seriousness, read the full article. Oh, don’t try to search for it on the IBM Web site. The write up is not there.
Stephen E Arnold, May 20, 2010
A freebie.
Germany and Google, a Collision Course
May 20, 2010
Somewhere in the Arnold family tree was a German person. I recall some pretty rigid guidelines painted for me. Lawyers call these “bright, white lines.” Google’s Math Club approach sees some “bright white lines” as general indicators. My German relatives probably saw “bright, white lines” as indicators of exactly what one should and should not do.
What happens when the view of “bright, white lines” differ? I have one possible answer, which I found in “Google Faces Criminal Probe in Hamburg on Wi-Fi Data”. This is a serious matter and not one where levity will do much to add some buoyancy to subsequent discussions. The key passage in the write up is easy to spot in my print out. I put a big yellow circle around:
The Hamburg Prosecutors’ Office is investigating people at the company on suspicion of criminal data capture, prosecutor spokesman Wilhelm Moellers said in an interview today. The office acted after receiving a complaint from a citizen, he said. No suspects have been named.
Gee. I wonder which company will be the employer of the suspects or a suspect. In the US, a company is considered almost a “person”. What’s good for the goose might be good for the gander.
Why’s this a big deal?
First, the Germany government is looking for a story that will ameliorate the angry buzz about the Greece bail out and Germany’s role in that deal. What better political issue to use that Google, privacy, and a “criminal data capture”? Incendiary is gentle a word to describe the feelings this positioning could engender. The number one brand in the world is a political opportunity that will probably be seized by a number of constituencies.
Second, there is talk that when the authorities took a close look at the vehicle involved in the alleged incident, it was empty. Yikes. Stuff there and then stuff not there. Someone told me today that the gizmos were shipped back to Mountain View. You don’t have to be a 15 year veteran of the police to give this situation, if it is true, some additional attention. Cute behavior? Probably not. Unfortunate indeed if the police were not able to inspect any gear germane to the investigation. No. Really unfortunate.
Third, Google is already in the spotlight in Europe. Piling on was fun in grade school and it is fun when the school kids grow up, become lawyers, and act with the force of law. Google has managed to become in the span of six months a company that looks little like the fun loving crowd from the 1998 roll out era.
The situation is no laughing matter in my opinion. Countries are not user groups. Countries are not stupid. Countries are not without means to make life really unpleasant for entities that threaten its perceived mores. A country is involved, and Germany has often found “bright, white lines” helpful in guiding its actions. The fun and festivities at Google I/O won’t help the Germans get over this privacy thing. In fact, the specter of broader Google data actions are likely to exacerbate the situation.
My hunch is that Google’s new Prediction API will not amuse the German authorities.
Stephen E Arnold, May 20, 2010
Freebie.
Google Loads the Say We Are Sorry Loop
May 20, 2010
I read “Google Apologizes for Google Wave Confusion” and remembered a comment from a psychology class 40 plus years ago. The professor, who was a bit of a behaviorist character, made the point that some folks just run a “tape” without thinking. Today the tape is an MP3 file or the new WebM video format. The effect, in my opinion, is the same. The “tape” runs and plays an old, familiar tune. “We’re Sorry, So Sorry” or a variant thereof. I recall the profuse apology in A Fish Called Wanda: “I’m sorry. So very, very sorry.” Worked in the movies. Will it work in real life? Here is the key passage in my opinion:
Google executives offered a mea culpa of sorts for Google Wave on Wednesday, noting that the company did a poor job of explaining Wave’s purpose. Going forward, the evolution of Wave will probably look a lot like Gmail, they said.
Apologies tape. Play it again, Sam.
Stephen E Arnold, May 20, 2010
Freebie.
Google, GIPS, and a Possible Squeeze Play
May 19, 2010
Now the Global IP Solutions deal is important.
The GIPS was founded in July 1999 in Sweden to develop and market technology designed to mitigate make VoIP more stable. In December 1999 GIPS raised cash from private investors and the shares became quoted on the Norwegian Securities Dealers Association’s OTC-List.
In the short term, I don’t think GIPS will do much to help the Google in the consumer video play that Amazon, Apple, and dozens of other companies are pursuing. But The deal to buy Global IP Solutions will give the Google a thumb screw that is already attached to Microsoft’s paw and, come to think about it, to IBM’s, WebEx Cisco’s, and Samsung’s paws as well. Yahoo could be hurting, but its pain will be ameliorated by whatever Microsoft does to cope with the specter of Googzilla in the media processing for Internet protocol business.
GIPS has deals with some interesting companies.
That GIPS VideoEngine is going to be tough to rip and replace quickly. The deal could be a BP oil spill event for the companies dependent on the Global IP Solutions. Yep, it’s that big. Android video calling and conferencing are on the way. If Google fails to pull off its other video centric acquisitions, GIPS can be repurposed for other types of video programming. Not fun or easy, but doable. And, Google is Google with those many talented engineers.
Some items I found in my Overflight file:
Company Description from 2007
Global IP Solutions offers multimedia technologies for real-time communications over packet networks and enable companies to deliver IP applications that offer the highest quality user experience, as well as revenue-enhancing opportunities across a multitude of devices and services. Global IP Solutions provides best-in-class voice and video quality and fidelity in end-to-end IP communications with robustness against packet loss. Global IP Solutions’ world-renowned media processing and IP telephony experts deliver these solutions to service providers, enterprises, applications developers, network equipment, and gateway and chip manufacturers. Companies using Global IP Solutions products include Nortel, Skype, WebEx, Yahoo!, AOL, EarthLink, BlueCross/BlueShield and other key players in the VoIP market. Global IP Solutions is a member of the Intel(R) PCA Developer Network, the Motorola Design Alliance and Symbian Platinum Partners. Global IP Solutions has headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Santa Barbara, Stockholm, Hong Kong and Boston. Source.
You can get more color about this company’s technology and its core vision from its 2007 FAQ document, which was still available at this link as of 10 am, May 18, 2010.
Beyond Search Comment: The hardware angle is important in light of the integration announcements rumored to be on tap at the Google I/O conference.
Google Sees Big Money
A white paper (commissioned report) for GIPS presented the size of the video conferencing market in 2008. With the present volcanic excitement and the financial pressure front, these numbers are likely to be even more azure tinted. Source.
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- The global market for videoconferencing endpoints was $1.1 billion in 2007, and will grow to $3.9 billion in 2014, according to Frost & Sullivan.
- The Unified Communications markets’ global revenues are estimated to grow from $22.6 billion in 2007 to $48.7 billion in 2012, according to Data from In-Stat and Wainhouse Research.
- The North American web conferencing market revenues are estimated to increase from $632 million in 2007 to $1.5 billion in 2012, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Beyond Search Comment: If ad sales plateau, the Google wants to have a lever in the enterprise sector. Whoops. Google wants a SWAT door buster in any sector dependent on IP communications.
HD Voice = Android Advantage
When I learned about HD Voice, I thought marketing. However, the GIPS lads and lasses have crated an app development environment. More information appears in “GIPS Simplifies VoIP App Development for Android Mobiles”.
Not Even Apple Is Immune
Apple? Yep, Apple. Navigate to “GIPS Voice Technology Boosts iPhone’s Business Potential”. One question I asked myself, “Where did Google learn about the GIPS outfit?” Here’s the passage I found interesting:
GIPS uses ingenious technology, in the form of what it calls a “voice engine,” to improve the quality of IP phone calls. GIPS’ customers incorporate the voice engine in soft phones or other software to make the VoIP calls that they provide sound better. The customers’ software typically handles chores like call setup and the user interface, while the voice engine takes care of delivering high-quality audio. GIPS’ technology deals with problems like jitter and packet loss — that is, voice packets that arrive inconsistently or not at all…the announcement that GIPS has developed an iPhone version of its voice engine (the company already had desktop, Symbian and Windows Mobile versions) is an especially good indication of the device’s business-use potential.
Some IP (Remember, please, this blog is free)
At the end of 1999, GIPS filed its first patent. GIPS has more than a dozen patents and has others in pending status.
Stephen E Arnold, May 19, 2010
Freebie
SAP Taps InQuira
May 19, 2010
A few years ago, SAP’s investment arm pumped some money into Endeca, one of the Big Three in search and content processing. I learned in “InQuira Teams With SAP to Power the Knowledge-Driven Enterprise” that SAP has teamed with SAP for customer relationship management solutions. Search vendors are in hot pursuit of the customer support market. Companies spend lots and deliver lousy customer support. You know the fun you have when you hear, “This call may be recorded for quality purposes.” I just want to speak to a person at the end of an 800 number because a gizmo arrived dead on arrival. I don’t want to press numbers on a key pad. I don’t want to read a 12 digit serial number. I want to speak to a person.
Search and content processing companies assert that their solutions minimize the angst a person like me experiences when calling or emailing customer support.
According to the release which has a full charge of buzzwords:
InQuira… announced an agreement with SAP AG to develop the integration of InQuira knowledge and social capabilities with the SAP(R) Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) application, including capabilities such as interaction center support, Web channel, sales management and marketing automation. The integrated solutions will enable businesses to provide a consistent, intuitive customer experience across channels and business processes via a single knowledge platform.
Among the functions will be Web support, an “interaction center” for a call center worker, and social media hooks. SAP’s own search system TREX apparently does not deliver the needed functions. No word about SAP’s other search tie ups.
More information about InQuira is available at www.inquira.com.
Stephen E Arnold, May 19, 2010
Freebie.
Exalead Newsletter Sign Up
May 19, 2010
Short honk: I received an email question about the Exalead newsletter. Anyone can sign up for this newsletter. The link you need is http://www.exalead.com/software/news/newsletter. I get a copy and find it quite useful.
Stephen E Arnold, May 19, 2010
Freebie. However, I have been promised a KFC snack next time I am in Paris. Such a deal.
Could Xyggy Be the Future of Search?
May 19, 2010
The internet is so amazing… we can find information and answers to almost any query we can think of. Sure… it may take time, hits and misses and trial and error… and cause enough frustration to raise blood pressure, but we can do it. That’s why we know more about everything today than anyone else in the world has ever known before us. Doesn’t necessarily mean we use that information better… we just know it… or where to find it. That’s because search does its ‘gee-whiz thing.’ And we are hooked.
However, whether we know it or not, we are lacking. “Search is nowhere near a solved problem,” says Amit Singhal Google Research Fellow. “Although I’ve been at this for almost two decades now, I’d still guess that search isn’t quite out of its infancy yet. The science is probably just about at the point where we’re crawling. Soon we’ll walk. I hope that in my lifetime, I’ll see search enter its adolescence.”
That’s kind of a surprise because for us users, Google, Bing, Yahoo! and the like bring us hundreds of thousands of answers to many of our queries. Who could want for more?
Ah, there’s the key. We couldn’t want for more… but we could be more satisfied with what we get. Who can use 60.3 million results in .18 seconds—the actual Google return for the term ‘search engine’? How about the top 20 results that are really what we want? How about a search tool that better fits smart phone capabilities? (See ATT offers a clue as to where search is going) For 40 years now, because of technology limitations, we have been limited to text-driven search. It has been great… but that won’t cut it for tomorrow.
So who has a better idea? Enter Xyggy (say Ziggy), a comparatively new player in the search field with something very different. Founded in June 2008 by Dinesh Vadhia, its originator and CEO, Xyggy’s tagline is: find anything… and, most simply stated, that’s exactly what it’s all about.
Vadhia explains: “In our everyday lives we search for and find things all the time where the things–or if you prefer, call them objects or items–can literally be anything. Xyggy brings item-search into our digital lives where the items can be documents, web pages, images, social profiles, ads, audio, articles, video, investments, patents, resumes, medical records… in fact, anything ranging from text to non-text.
Germany, WiFi, and Google
May 19, 2010
A happy quack to the reader who alerted me to a write up by Peter Schaar, whom I believe is the German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Information. You can read the original “Google erfasst „versehentlich“ Inhalte der WLAN-Kommunikation” at this link. If you prefer your German courtesy of the Google, Google Translate will happily oblige.
Amidst the festivities for Google I/O, the pesky bleatings of the Old Country are not likely to be heard by most of the Google fanatics. I listened, and I wanted to highlight three of the points made by Mr. Schaar, who does have his own fans in a region that befuddled some of the Roman emperors long ago.
First, he makes clear that Google is using a method of explanation that echoes what a parent says about an errant teen. Doesn’t work too well for the parent, and if I understand Mr. Schaar, the “shoot, it was a goof” doesn’t work to well in Germany.
Second, inspection revealed that some of the gizmos used to Hoover data during a Google drive around geospatial photo session were missing. Routine procedure. Coincidental? Some folks have lots of luck. Not the German’s day apparently.
Finally, what other surprises may yet be discovered if German authorities can get the information required to conduct an investigation.
Bottom line: I/O is a happy event. The shadow of a giant smiley face may not reach to Germany and Mr. Schaar. Just my opinion.
Stephen E Arnold, May 19, 2010
Freebie.
Amazon Winning in the Cloud
May 18, 2010
Amazon is an unusual company. I find its use of open source technology fascinating. At one time – and maybe still – the very core of Amazon ran on commercial products. “Amazon Stealing the Cloud” suggests that Amazon is moving in directions I have not fully appreciated. The write up presents some facts and assertions about Amazon’s presence in the cloud. The sources range from a survey of developers to the MBAs and their Excel spreadsheets at an investment bank. Since the excitement about certain financial activities, I have to be upfront and say, “I am not so sure about those bank estimates.” Your view of what’s in the burgoo may vary, and that’s healthy. You might have a pet azure chip consultant in your corner like a highly paid cut man at boxing match. As long as you pay, you get that effective medical care.
Among the points in the write up I noted were these:
- Recovery.gov runs on Amazon
- Amazon hosts 365,000 Web sites
- Amazon is in the commodity business.
Let’s assume these assertions are accurate. Amazon may be out Googling Google. Many of Amazon’s services have been referenced in Google’s technical papers or its frequently dismissed patent applications. What Amazon is able to do is execute. This says a lot about Amazon and perhaps even more about Google.
Stephen E Arnold, May 18, 2010
Freebie
New Data Harmony Release from Access Innovations
May 18, 2010
Loaded with new features and capabilities, Data Harmony 3.7 seeks to exceed users’ expectations.
The popular data management software suite from Access Innovations offers taxonomy management, automatic categorization, and metadata management tools. Many of the upgrades in this new release were in direct response to user-suggestions including the updated and fully revised user documentation. Because all modules of the new version of Data Harmony – Thesaurus Master, M.A.I. (Machine Aided Indexer*) and XIS (XML Intranet System) – are 100 percent Unicode UTF-8, they support all languages, all character sets, and integrated multi-lingual applications. In addition, they support scientific classification without a need for special coding or character identity. Attention to detail was taken in all the features and upgrades. For example, Data Harmony 3.7 offers better alphabetization through the treatment of dash and slash characters as spaces, so that terms containing them occur in a logical place in the alphabetical list view. This new release promises better user experiences and results. Good job in listening to the users and responding.
Melody K. Smith, May 18, 2010
Note: Post was not sponsored.
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