Team Collaboration

• Collanos German Edition … Collanos Software released its peer-to-peer team collaboration software for its German customers. “Collanos Workplace allows teams to work together over the internet more efficiently, flexibly, and securely. They can access shared information such as contacts, discussions, documents, team calendars, tasks, and projects. Now, users can switch between English and German as Collanos takes the first step into localizing its global software.” Collanos
• TimeBridge Wants to Disappear … In a way, at least. “And while TimeBridge is not yet living in the realm of profound technology, we are trying to support a profoundly social activity of busy people finding a time to meet and a personal one of individuals making decisions about how to spend their time. We know that to do that we have to blend into the way people work. It must be predictable and trusted. It needs to be a natural process. Ok, bringing it full circle, in a way, it needs to disappear…ultimately. ” TimeBridge Blog

Mobility

• Security Requires Anytime, Anyplace … Perimeter-based security of corporate systems doesn’t work in a highly connected and highly mobile world. It’s the data that has to be secured … anytime, anywhere, on any device. ComputerWorld
• Windows Mobile 6 … Microsoft is going to unveil the next version of its operating system for small form-factor devices next week at 3GSM. “Among the highlights are a smart-search function that will allow you to type in just a few letters of whatever you’re searching for—song, contact, or even email subject—and get instantly displayed search results. HTML push email and Live Instant Messaging are also expected to be a hit with users, especially those who have Exchange 2007.” Devices are expected in the April or May 2007 timeframe. Mobile Magazine, the::unwired, ComputerWorld
• BlackJack Limited … RIM and Samsung have reached an agreement on Samsung’s use of the name “BlackJack”, a product name that RIM wasn’t too pleased about. “Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM said the parties have agreed to keep the terms of pact confidential, but it said the deal includes limitations on use of the BlackJack trademark and the withdrawal of the trademark application for BlackJack.” ComputerWorld

Productivity

• Beware Project Silence … A recent study of failed IT projects found that silence (breakdown of inter-personal communications) is the leading factor in 85% of failures. “The study showed that there is a definable set of project communication problems that are far more common than most senior leaders realize. An estimated 90% of project managers routinely encounter one or more of five critical problems in the course of a project, but the killer is the silence that follows. Initiatives are derailed when people are unwilling or unable to have conversations about the problems they see. When one or more of the five crucial conversations doesn’t happen, problems fester, work-arounds proliferate, politics prevail, and failure becomes almost inevitable.” Takeaway: What conversation should you have that you’re being silent about? ComputerWorld; see also ComputerWorld’s summary of the five conversations as well as the Silence Fails web site.

Other Stuff

• Microsoft NZ Technical Briefing … For those in New Zealand, Microsoft is hosting a three-city roadshow during March on its 2007 armada. There’s a $199 fee to attend, but you get either Vista Ultimate or Office Pro 2007 for attending and returning an eval form. Good deal … Microsoft
• Is Eric Next? … Windows-guy Scot Finnie tried a Mac for three months, and isn’t going back to Windows. “After living with the Mac for three months and comparing it to my Vista experiences, the choice is crystal clear. I’ve struggled to sort out my gut feeling about Windows Vista, but the value and advantage of the Mac and OS X are difficult to miss. While I continue to work with Windows XP and Vista on a number of other machines, I am now recommending the Macintosh for business and home users.” Wow, and for business! ComputerWorld. Hey Eric, my eProductivity consultant buddy, you should do this … as soon as you’ve finished that game-changing project you’re working on 😉