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Tuesday, August 30

Kiosk access for non-desk workers

by Toby Ward on Tue 30 Aug 2005 08:51 PM PDT

Intranet access continues to be a major, major intranet challenge for most organizations with manufacturing or remote employees. Remote, manufacturing and retail employees very rarely have access to a computer. Therefore in some organizations a huge chunk of employees do not have access to the intranet.

If a large chunk of your potential audience cannot access the intranet, the intranet’s value to your company is severely limited.

For those in this position, there are three principal options:

1-    Virtual Private Networks (VPN) – can be expensive

2-    Internet-based portal – inexpensive but security often a concern

3-    Central kiosks – moderately expensive, moderate security concern

I really don’t want to spend too much time on VPNs as this is my least favorite of the options – though it serves its purpose well – and there’s tons available for reading on VPN by just doing a simple search. Besides, it’s more of the “executive” solution most often related to senior management or senior sales staff who are afforded a laptop when away from the office.

Internet-based access via a .com site that requires a user id and password is becoming more and more de rigeur.

In most western countries, access to the Internet is available to a majority of the population. Some like Canada, the U.S., Japan, Korea and Scandanavian countries enjoy penetration rates in the 70^th percentile. So why not just put your intranet on the Internet?

Alaska Airlines have put their intranet on the public Internet – that’s right, a .com website. Knowing that most of their employees work ‘on the road’ they got smart and put it on the public Internet (of course, secure areas are password protected and reside behind their firewall). Employees have ubiquitous access from any connected computer and it also shows the world, “We have nothing to hide! Come check us out.” (Visit the Alaska Airlines intranet at www.AlaskasWorld.com.

The U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps also have followed suit with similar .com intranet portals – and so too have many others.

Kiosks have also become highly effective tools for remote access users where the intranet has become an essential business tool.

“Organizations are continuing to do away with hard copies in favor of a digital medium, porting company and employee information onto their intranet,” says Paul Chin, a writer and former intranet manager at a prominent aerospace manufacturer. “But this leaves employees without a PC in the dark. It's unfair to deny them access to these resources simply because of circumstance. This creates a gap between the digital haves and have-nots."

In writing “Providing Equal Access: Implementing Information Kiosks” Chin argues that there are a lot of choices when buying a kiosk and you don’t necessarily have to break the bank:

“You have a lot of choices when it comes to kiosks. But it's not necessary to buy and install high-end, freestanding kiosks such as those found in public settings like retail stores, tourism offices, self-service government offices, where presentation plays an important role. For internal corporate use, the most cost effective way to offer PC-less employees basic access to the Internet, e-mail, and intranet, is by using inexpensive network appliances (sometimes referred to as network PCs) with little-to-no local processing power and storage, or a secured desktop computer. Shared printers can also be provided within proximity of the kiosk stations.

In order to set up a truly dedicated kiosk, you should consider the installation of third-party kiosk security and configuration software such as SiteKioskor NetStop Pro. They will enable you to configure browser behavior, mange what users will have access to, and specify the actions they're allowed to perform on the kiosk stations.”

In establishing in-house kiosks Chin recommends eight key priorities:

1. Network Membership – integrate with existing corporate network (firewall, proxy servers, etc.)

2. Browser Access – lock down kiosk browser options

3. Preventing Software Installations – lock down any software downloads or plug-in installations

4. Access to Kiosk Hardware – decide whether or not you want to allow use of CD-Roms, USB ports, etc.

5. Protecting the Underlying Operating System –NEVER allow access the underlying O/S.

6. Implement a Timeout – configured to automatically log users off after a pre-determined period of inactivity (e.g. 20 minutes)

7. Number of Kiosks – how many do you need? (e.g. one per 50 – 100 employees)

8. Location of the Kiosks – never place in high traffic areas, near heavy machinery, or in overly noisy areas

One other thing: this is the intranet and anonymity is not an option.

What percentage of your employees have access? What are you doing to increase it?

World’s Biggest Intranet

Home Intranet Access

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$152 million U.S. Army Intranet Contract (back issue)

by Toby Ward on Tue 30 Aug 2005 07:46 PM PDT

Already outmaneuvered by the massive US$9 billion U.S. Navy-Marine Corp Intranet project (read my most recent blog on the NMCI) the U.S. Army has announced a more austere intranet contract of $152 million.

The aerospace giant Lockeeed Martin (they now call themselves a “technology systems integrator”) was awarded the contract the Army Knowledge Online enterprise Web portal (or AKO) and will subcontract to Computer Sciences Corp. and Science Applications International Corp.

When I think of Lockheed Martin I don’t necessarily think ‘intranet consultants’. What leaps to mind are visions of missiles, fighters and covert sales teams in dark trench coats and metal briefcases (LM’s most recent press release:

U.S. NAVY AWARDS LOCKHEED MARTIN-LED TEAM MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT TO DEMONSTRATE KEY TECHNOLOGIES FOR BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM).

The three amigos will provide “systems operations and maintenance, network communications, hardware and software integration, and around-the-clock help desk support for both the Non-Classified IP Router Network and the Secret IP Router Network,” according to GCN.com (“Army intranet portal to be managed by Lockheed Martin”).

On the surface it seems like a relatively small project compared to the gushing billions spent on NMCI (how many of us are working with small $152 million intranet budgets?! Most of us, right?!?). However, $152 million is for only ONE YEAR. There is an option for six additional years.... now we’re talking!

This is a big intranet. U.S. army ‘employees’ login to the intranet approximately 500,000 times per day.

Interestingly enough, this contract is labeled as a performance-based contract.

"Combining the great things that AKO has done in the past with the net-centric future that Army modularity will provide — this is a great opportunity for the Army," says Kevin Carroll, the Army's program executive officer for enterprise information systems, in an Army news release.

According to the army, AKO the project will see the integration of hundreds of applications and services “across a common enterprise portal.”

"AKO prides itself in service to soldiers supporting Army operations around the world. Through the hard work of countless IT pioneers, AKO has steadily grown to a world-class intranet service in a few short years, and our team looks forward to the continued evolution of technological advances to meet the needs of the Army—active duty, Guard, Reserve, civilians, retirees, family members and other users," said Greg Fritz, acting director of AKO, in a statement.

Want to see the U.S. Army intranet? Okay...

Actually, you can get to the main home page yourself as it is on the Internet at: http://www.army.mil/ako/.

World’s Biggest Intranet

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Monday, August 29

Converging the intranet, extranet and Internet (back issue)

by Toby Ward on Mon 29 Aug 2005 09:35 PM PDT

Six years ago I wrote an article for Virtual Business Magazine where I espoused the need and likely convergence of the intranet, extranet and Internet. Now, an Internet lifetime later, more and more companies are deploying a single platform to manage the corporate, intranet, extranet and Internet Websites.

Single platform deployment for multiple audiences is not just for large corporations. More and more medium-size and even small size companies are using a single platform to run multiple sites for multiple audiences.
The San Diego Blood Bank is a case in point. It just announced it is deploying a single web content management platform from OpenText to manage its various internal and external websites.

“The solution will provide a central Web content management platform for the organization's website, and will also manage a planned intranet/extranet that will serve the more than 50 area hospitals that depend on the San Diego Blood Bank,” says the press release from OpenText (supplier of the platform). “The intranet/extranet will give hospitals information on blood supplies and automate blood orders, utilizing workflows and document management capabilities.”

”A key requirement for the San Diego Blood Bank is having one content repository to help ensure accurate information and timely updates to Web content, whether it's published to the website or the intranet/extranet. This is critical to meeting regulations on issues such as providing current information on blood donor requirements.”

See the Full Release

"The challenge in the next decade will be to leverage the Internet and existing IT investments to move beyond the isolated intranet, surrounded by its moat-like firewall," says Hewlett-Packard's William Murphy in Don Tapscott's best-selling book Blueprint for the Digital Economy.

"In this new era of e-business on the Internet, an isolated, centrally managed intranet is not sufficient. The same decentralized business models that have enabled the rapid adoption of intranet technology must be inter-networked beyond the firewall through the use of secure authorized access by authenticated individuals."

In other words, intrusive barriers such as firewalls will be altered or torn down in order to facilitate enhanced collaboration between internal and external groups while allowing for more seamless navigation between an organization's intranet, extranet and Internet sites.While a consensus is building for better integration of e-business technology, people and expertise across Internet, extranet and intranet platforms, there is no convergence blueprint forthcoming. Corporate demand for efficiency, savings and scales of economy will encourage further integration of traditionally separate platforms, but complete integration will continue to face barriers from those that emphasize security and usability.

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The best government intranet designs

by Toby Ward on Mon 29 Aug 2005 04:39 AM PDT

Nielsen Norman Group has launched another intranet report ranking what it says are the “10 best government intranet designs.”

Of course, the intranets featured are not the top 10 global government intranets. In fact, not even close.

The “best intranet designs” is in fact a voluntary contest that encourages government agencies to volunteer screenshots and some background information on their intranet. NNGroup then receives some several dozen submissions and then chooses which intranets become the “Ten Best Government and Public Sector Intranet Designs.”However, the report provides some decent insight. If your organization is paying, then it’s worth the single report cost of US$179 (Purchase Ten Best Government and Public Sector Intranet Designs).

So while this report is worthwhile, it’s important to stress that this is about intranet “design” (i.e. mostly look-and-feel and layout). The authors and judges do not have access to use or view the intranet, they’ve had no experience with the intranet and no way to measure the intranet’s value versus corporate goals and objectives they can only judge based on screenshots and voluntary information. And only from a very small segment of volunteer organizations. And they have to take the submitters application at face value which likely only paints a partial, ‘rosy’ picture.

The winners include:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (U.S.)

Department for Transport (U.K.)

Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (U.S.)

Department for Victorian Communities (Australia)

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (U.S.)

Government Offices of Sweden

London Underground

National Research Council of Canada, Industrial Research Assistance Program

Senate Republican Conference (U.S.)

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (Canada)

There’s no doubt that these winners have done a solid job with their respective intranets. And the report does go beyond simple look-and-feel and covers “some of the key areas for which best practices are presented in the report...:

Workflow support

Ensuring fresh content

Driving unified design through the organization

Consistent navigation

Integration of intranet with real-time mobile notification

Development process for intranet redesigns

Coordinating agency-level and government-level design

Ensuring accessibility for employees with disabilities, beyond simple compliance with Section 508 (U.S.) or the Disability Discrimination Act (U.K.)

Clearly however what is hinted at but not explicitly stated is that a successful intranet requires more than just a good design. My problem with contests such as this one is that once again, the emphasis is on design when in fact ‘design’ is the least important ingredient of a successful intranet.

Truth of the matter, based on my years of experience working with several dozen organizations, is that usability and design take a back seat to content and planning. In fact, Prescient Digital Media has a methodology for evaluating and scoring the value of an intranet and usability and design each account for about 13% of an intranet’s value while content and planning & resources (including governance, process, people, and funding) account for 50% of a site’s value.

Nonetheless, an intranet’s design should support and enhance the organization’s brand and culture while ensuring that employees are able to get the information they want, when they want, as quick as possible.

So while contest reports that have great case studies and feature some nice screenshots are cool and worthwhile your intranet energies are better served by focusing on content and process.

Other related items:

Intranet Design Wars

A Love For Intranet Screenshots

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Thursday, August 25

Google Talk disappoints

by Toby Ward on Thu 25 Aug 2005 11:48 AM PDT

Google finally unveiled its much hyped communications tool. However, Google Talk is not a lot different than Skype, Yahoo! or Microsoft’s tools – in fact, for some, its inferior.

Here’s what Wired magazine has to say about the new Google Talk tool:

Google's Latest Is All Talk

Wired, August 25, 2005

After several months of feverish speculation about a mysterious new service under development, Google unveiled its latest tool Wednesday: Google Talk, a text-chat and voice-communication program that looks nice, but has no obvious advantage over competitors. The moment you fire it up, the sparse white design and primary-color logo make it obvious that this is a Google application. When not in use, Google Talk shrinks down to a "speech bubble" icon on the Windows taskbar (for the time being, it's available for Windows only). Clicking on this opens the main pane, with a searchable list of your contacts, or "friends" as Google optimistically calls them. – Google's Latest Is All Talk

ZDnet also rings in with a less than flattering review:

What's exciting about Google Talk?

ZDNet – August 25, 2005

I'm a bit underwhelmed with the launch of Google Talk, which is a bit of a surprise, since Google has a history of coming up with decent services. I use Google Search dozens of times every day, and check Google News every hour or so when I'm at the computer. (More if I'm procrastinating… thanks Google…) Gmail is the only Webmail service I can stand using for actual mail (as opposed to catching spam. Any Webmail account will do nicely for that) and I've even taken a shine to the Google Toolbar for Firefox. What's exciting about Google Talk?

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Tuesday, August 23

Google wants your desktop

by Toby Ward on Tue 23 Aug 2005 09:45 PM PDT

The powerful tentacles of Google continue to extend deeper and deeper into your computer.

Google has unveiled a computer and search tool using “self-updating navigation” and “personal information software” that extends beyond pure search to access and manage your e-mail, instant messages, news, etc.

This new tool called the Google Sidebar is the company’s most direct challenge to Microsoft’s dominance of your desktop. The Sidebar encourages you to completely bypass your Windows desktop and that little green  menu option in the bottom left hand corner of your screen.

The Sidebar Quickfind feature allows you to directly return to recently used applications or sites without extra clicks.

Google also plan to unveil this week a "communications tool" that is thought to be a new instant messaging service. Further demonstrating the company’s drive to break Microsoft’s dominance of the computer user’s desktop.

Of course, this long reach for you desktop also extends to the intranet. As I blogged last week, many organizations are starting to use the Google search engine on their own websites AND on their corporate intranets...

Big Brother Google

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Intranet Business Case (back issue)

by Toby Ward on Tue 23 Aug 2005 09:41 PM PDT

This week one of our client deliverables included an intranet business case for a major electrical utility. The bottom line: the intranet needs to prove its value before more money is spent. However, a business case is more than just dollars, cents and return on investment (ROI).

Building a business case involves taking stock of the current state, defining an ultimate business goal, and putting in place mechanisms to measure the success and benefit of achieving the organization’s goals.

To measure dollar value and ROI, initial baseline measurements are taken for defined criteria, which then allows for comparisons and gauging success at a future point (6-12 months out is standard).

Prescient has in fact identified more than 140 specific line item benefits for measuring intranet ROI (more on intranet ROI). Some of these benefits include:

Software distribution – self-service downloads that save the IT department time and cost

Newsletters & print materials – online publishing reducing costly print & distribution

Contact information & directories – online publishing replacing print & spreadsheet distribution

HR forms – online self-service replacing very costly, traditional administration

Time tracking – online time card submission replacing traditional methods

Email usage – migration of traditional email communications to the intranet saving server space, management and maintenance

Content management – database-driven intranet publishing reducing the complexity and time required (and reliance on IT or Communications) for online publishing

And while companies like Cisco, IBM and Oracle triumphantly state many millions of dollars saved (and in some cases, dollars earned) as a result of their intranet, you don’t have to be a big fish to garner measurable ROI. We recently worked with an investment firm of only 750 employees and found more than an estimated $1.5 million in annual value derived from the intranet (both hard and soft benefits).

Despite the potential reward, more of our clients are asking about ROI, but a Prescient Digital Media studyshowed that fewer than 6% of more than 240 companies surveyed actually measure specific dollar and cent benefits derived from the intranet.

Have you built the business case for your intranet?

To measure and increase the value of your intranet, please dowload the free white paper, Finding ROI.

Digg this         Post to del.icio.us       Post to Slashdot

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Sunday, August 21

Government continues to shame us

by Toby Ward on Sun 21 Aug 2005 08:51 PM PDT

It’s not often that we hear the word ‘government’ and ‘leader’ in the same phrase. However, there are governments that are real intranet leaders and putting to shame their more cocky corporate brethren.

The Federal Government in the United Kingdom and the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and U.S. Army are pouring billions of dollars into their intranets.

Why? Because they get it.

Like Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Cisco and a few other intranet leaders, these governments (or armed forces) understand the value and the return on investment of the intranet.

I regularly talk with companies that can’t raise $5,000 to help improve the intranet. Sadly, those same companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating corporate bathrooms or updating the campus landscaping. Absolutely retarded. The leaders who make these decisions deserve to be shamed.

Moreover, organizations like the Navy-Marine Corps continue to invest and innovate.

The Navy has just deployed a new broadband remote network that will allow Navy and Marine Corps personnel to access the join Navy-Marine Corps intranet (NMCI) remotely from their laptops in the field – 60,000 laptops in all.

NMCI is a 7-year, $9-billion dollar project that consolidates voice, video and data via a single integrated portal linking some 360,000 sailors and Marines at 300 sites.

Well yeah, but you can’t beat a really, really nice bathroom, right? Uh-huh.

Related News:

UK Government Intranet Serves 350k

$9 Billion Bugs for U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Intranet – June 22, 2005

$152 million U.S. Army Intranet Contract (includes screens)

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Blogging the intranet (back issue)

by Toby Ward on Sun 21 Aug 2005 07:49 PM AKDT

Are you reading the hype? Blogs are hot on the Internet, and inside on the intranet.

While there’s a lot of good reading out there, there’s also a lot of.... ummm, what’s a word to describe the opposite of good?

While the good stuff is being read, the opposite is inspiring t-shirts like the following produced by T-ShirtHumor.com:

"She wanted to stop reading it - but she had nothing better to do! Produced by average people who seem to think their lives are interesting. Filmed in thrilling HTML-O-Scope with exciting new fonts!"

(T-Shirt Humor: The Funny T-Shirt Store)



At least its 100% cotton....

While booming on the Internet, blogging on the corporate intranet is only in its infancy. But corporations are taking note.

Companies like InfoWorld and Disney are doing it and there are software companies that are selling blogging software specifically for the intranet including Technorati and Six Apart.

“Blogs ultimately will become a standard feature of many intranets,” says Shel Holtz, principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, who writes his own blog A Shel of My Former Self. “If you undertake blogs on your intranet, rest assured you’re not the first. You can pat yourself on the back for being an early adopter, but others have blazed this trail before you.”

In fact, the trend has caught the attention of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) – the largest trade association in the world for corporate communicators representing nearly 15,000 members worldwide. This year’s International Conference in Washington, DC (June 26 – 29, 2005) will not only feature keynote addresses by political dynamic duo James Carville and Mary Matalin but also feature a special session on corporate blogging. A triumvirate of pro bloggers will discuss “best practice applications for blogs featuring Debbie Weil as moderator and bloggers from...

·         Intuit

·         General Motors

·         Air Conditioning Contractors of America

Corporate intranet blogs represent one of the hottest communications opportunities in employee communications since the advent of the intranet itself.

“An increasing number of organizations are exploring the use of blogs to communicate project updates,” says James Robertson, managing director of Australia-based Step Two Designs, one of the continent’s leading intranet consultants. “The idea being to setup a blog right at the outset of a new project, and then have all the team members contribute as they work. This meets two needs: a simple repository for internal team reference, and an effective (and honest) communications channel to those in the organization who are most interested.”

Using a blog as an internal collaboration tool is a key part of Step Two’s own internal operations, with each of its small staff authoring their own blog to discuss clients, project updates, brainstorm and “general industry gossip.”

A company blog from the President or CEO could go along way to better connecting employees with the executive floor.

“The idea is to communicate "awareness" rather than information, so that team members know what's happening, and who to go to for in-depth details,” adds Robertson who also authors is own public-facing blog called Column Two. “This works tremendously well, and is easy to do. It means, for example, that if a consultant is traveling for a few days, they can easily catch up on what's been happening in their absence.”

While it goes without saying that blogging is not for everyone, and certainly not every employee, it is working for others. Particularly for a hands-on CEO who is seeking to improve the state of employee communications and job satisfaction.

A company blog from the President or CEO could go along way to better connect employees with the executive floor. The correlation between employee satisfaction and the health of an organization’s employee communications is undeniable: each depends on the health of the other. This of course is nothing new to company CEOs at Sears, Cisco, Raytheon and many others who have written an intranet column on a regular basis for years.

To ensure, however, that your blog is read instead of inspiring facetious, cheeky t-shirts, here are a couple of pointers:

Keep it conversational and light

Know your audience and write to them

Blogs are highly time-sensitive so currency is critical

Anecdotes are encouraged and expected

Use links to refer to relevant information

Be succinct and break-up the text - which encourages ‘scanning’

Sure, a blog does require a commitment of time, and those of you managing your corporate intranet (or some component thereof) can be tapped for time... but it just might be that extra ammunition you seek in your communications arsenal.

--

Toby Ward writes a daily intranet blog at www.IntranetBlog.com and is the President of Prescient Digital Media which specializes in Internet and intranet strategy, technology and total site management.

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Tuesday, August 16

No Silver Bullet for Knowledge Management

by Toby Ward on Tue 16 Aug 2005 09:58 AM CDT

Don’t believe the hype – there is no silver bullet for effective knowledge management.

Were you to believe the constant bombardment of sales brochures, pitches, presentations, articles and related ‘spin’ it would be easy to conclude that knowledge management (KM) is some form of technology – a combination of various hardware and software components. This is what the technology vendors would have corporate managers believe.

In truth, successful KM depends more on people and process than technology.

KM Defined

Based on common definitions that can vary slightly from one to the next, simply put, KM is how corporate knowledge – both tacit and explicit – is stored, retrieved and reused for achieving corporate objectives. Notice there is no direct reference to technology.

Effective knowledge management requires three key components:

Participatory individuals – employees who are willing, able and active sharers of tacit knowledge.
Process and rules – defined rules and standards (e.g. corporate taxonomy) for categorizing and storing information and knowledge.

Technology – physical infrastructure including software that enables the above and allows for effective knowledge retrieval.

“To many organizations, implementing a knowledge management strategy can initially appear to be a daunting and overwhelming task,” writes Antony Satyadas, in “Growing with Knowledge Management” for Line 56. “Many questions must be addressed before users feel comfortable investing in a KM solution, including: Where do I begin? What technology do I need? How do I ensure the process is managed correctly? How do I measure the effectiveness of my knowledge management solution?”

Planning