Companies To Watch Moving Toward 2009

As we go toward the end of 2008 and into 2009 and on to the end of the first decade of the 21st century what are the upcoming changes we will be looking at? For example will everyone be posting to wikis? If we use SharePoint for something other than file storage this could well be a possibility. Will wikis become the team collaboration tool of the future – collaborate from anywhere. It really should be (beats email) however we just might have to find a new breed of IT people to expand it (and management as well). Everyone will need more training in how to implement and use (use being a keyword) tools like SharePoint and wikis.

Change is a good thing. As for communication -

How about IN FLIGHT INTERNET? According  to INFORWORLD that could be a reality provided by Aircell. Currently they are already providing the service in Delta, Air Canada, AmericanAirlines and a number of private charter’s. Those long flights can become private time in your private office.

In September 2008 we saw Salesforce.com replace Freddie Mac on the S&P 500, I would think that this does lend some credibility to Cloud Computing – at least Marc Benioff, CEO, thinks so and I agree (being the astute non-investor that I am).

And will Google clean up Chrome to make it a viable alternative? Who knows (IE8 looks good) but I think some of these things will be fun to watch. Let’s add more to the list as we go ahead toward the next decade. Let’s really look at what lies ahead and put together some great prognostications for the next year and the next decade. I need some help (yes, I know there are those that would say I need a lot of help). Have a GREAT WEEK!

Oracle, Intel To Accelerate Cloud Computing -- Cloud Computing -- InformationWeek

My bet still holds – Cloud Computing is on the way. Check out the following article in InformationWeek. Too much money is being bet on this by people that have the ability to make it work.

 

Oracle, Intel To Accelerate Cloud Computing -- Cloud Computing -- InformationWeek

A PowerPoint Competitor In The Cloud

In my reading of Webware tonight I discover a new service on the web called SlideRocket. It is a “new” presentation tool and while it is still in Beta one can sign up and give it a try. I did however because of the publicity that it received I was informed that it would take 15 to 20 minutes to process my request. Not a problem, I’m not going anywhere since walking is not one of those big things that I am doing these days. I grok waiting.

If you go to the web site, www.sliderocket.com, and check it out you will find a neat demo that only takes a few minutes to preview and then you can sign up for the Beta version if you would like.

One other link from Webware is an article that discusses Microsoft’s new FolderShare which is part of the Windows Live Freeware. There is a good write up on it at the Webware blog on FolderShare.

As for Microsoft’s folder share it the closest thing I have seen to a Cloud SharePoint with it’s ability to share files across many computers. This would be a great small business tool. The way we are progressing is that small business can have the same tools that big business does and be able to work on many platforms at the same time. Sharing files, thoughts, and idea’s are what can make a business go.

FolderShare as well as Office Live both of which have sharing features as well as Microsoft’s Mesh. One of these will hit and will work. I am reading more and more about people using Mesh and that is a good thing – IMHO

Google Chrome The New OS?

I have been playing with Google Chrome however I still think that IE8 is faster. I know there is a great deal being said on both sides of this issue. This morning I have been reading that a PC World writer, Steve Bass, is thinking this will lead to the next Operating System and that it will be one from Google. Here is the article; Steve Bass’s Tips & Tweaks. Who would have thought that? I heard the same thing on last weeks Cranky Geek’s with John C. Dvorak.

I find this a fascinating thought. Google is supposed to be making some kind of announcement at TechCrunch50 today around 2:45 EST – we shall see.

 

What will come from Apple’s announcement tomorrow? New iPod’s? New iPhone? I have heard a new subscription form for iTunes. Only time will tell.

Microsoft LIVE Online

I have been using (or maybe playing with) Microsoft’s Online  “LIVE” Workspace and I am finding it quite good. If you have followed things that I have written in the past about Google’s Sites then you will know that I keep trying to find the “Best In Show” for Cloud Computing for the individual as well as for that “Small Business” person.

Small Business to me can be that one person with a product or service that they are promoting as well as a business that may have a number of 1 or 2 people offices in a number of cities. These businesses also need the tools to help them with their day-to-day work the same as anyone at P&G or Kroger’s. At Google you can use Google Doc’s and use their storage facilities to work with your documentation for the business however if you already have Microsoft Office products you may desire something else that just may be a little more powerful and useful for your team.

That something else can be Workspace.OfficeLive.Com. It is FREE (a key word for us) and you have up to 500 MB of space to store documents. Per Microsoft that could be about 1000 Word documents. You can upload documents from your computer and you can set up Workspaces and share them with other’s. You can have collaboration tools similar to Windows SharePoint Services and it will connect to your Microsoft Office products in much the same way. Not everything is there however there is enough to make your job a great deal easier.

You do get the ability to create contact lists and event lists that will connect with your Outlook software or just create lists that you want, store them online and/or share them with others. If you install the Microsoft Office Add-In then you can create documents in your office product (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and save them to your Workspace as easy as if you were saving them on your computer. Once there you will be able to access them from anywhere, work, home or on the road. You just need an Internet connection.

Two notes: It is worth looking into and remember the key work FREE (at least for the time being). This is not the same as Microsoft’s Office Live Small Business. That would be something else to review.

Vista – Love it or hate it

I find great irony in the fact that there are so many people who ‘know’ that Vista is an evil, vile operating system that should be burned at the stake at the first chance that we get. Those same people that claim that they will only give up XP when it is pried from their cold dead hand.

I know that Vista takes a little getting used to, it has more security than any other Microsoft OS (just what people screamed about), the ‘eye-candy’ interface uses up more resources than it probably needs to (those features can be turned off or don’t even exist on some versions of Vista), and there are still driver and compatibility issues that can lead to some instability (these are being reduced greatly as vendors update their software to work with the features of the new operating system).

All in all I have grown to like the features that Vista brings. I admit that I am spoiled with the version of Vista Ultimate that I have, but even so, in the business world there are a number of features that make Vista a more attractive operating system. The foremost of these is the security that I mentioned above.

So before end this sermon, let me remind all what it was like when XP was released; in an article written in 2005 entitled ‘Windows XP Adoption Rates Slow’, Ed Oswald points out that “many are eagerly awaiting Microsoft’s next version of Windows, known as Longhorn”, mainly because of how many people hated the new features of XP. So before you condemn Vista to the same level of hell reserved for 98ME, give it a try yourself and make your own decision.

Robert Scoble on Google Chrome

Here is Robert’s take on the new browser. If you do not know Robert Scoble is the prior Microsoft Evangelist blogger and is now with Fast Company and reports for them both in the magazine and in his online blog. His blog is worth reading  however he does ramble a bit but he is open and tells it like he see’s it, something that is missing today in new’s reporting. Check it out at http://scobleizer.com/2008/09/02/first-hour-with-googles-new-browser/ – note this is hosted at http:;//scobleizer.com and this is something that anyone can do.

You can ask for more information on blogging by just asking via comments.

Let The Browser War’s Begin

OK so now we have Google Chrome which can be downloaded for FREE (as any other browser) and you can search the web. I have done so tonight and I am impressed however not quite ready to give up the IE8 beta.

I have been very happy with IE8 beta and believe that it is faster in downloading pages which is what I do mostly. I find Chrome interesting in that Google has had this under wraps for 2 years  and that is “Jobsian” in nature (ref: Steve Jobs and Apples “no sneak preview”). I think I like that; “Jobsian” and will use it in the future when companies snooker us by sneaking something in without forewarning via leaking to the press 7 months before. Google is learning from the master.

The browser is worth taking a look as it does change a few things. I did note that after installing it I had some issues with IE8 and had to reboot but that is not new with any new  software.

Steve pay attention, this could be the start of something big and you heard it here first, “Jobsian" in nature.