Today, all businesses are using email as the primary form of (formal and informal) communication between employees, and to its customers, vendors and other stakeholders. As our world is becoming more mobile, free tools like Gmail allow people to access their email from any computer or mobile device, no longer tied to a particular location.
Email usually includes a calendaring tool to permit coordination of events and let everybody involved know what's coming up. Google's calendar allows you to see several calendars simultaneously. Using this tool eases the task of publishing up-to-the-minute schedules viewable by small and large audiences.
Google docs has not only reduced the worlds' dependence on Microsoft Office, it's also free, and allows individuals and businesses to access their most basic (and collaborative) documents and presentations from any computer or mobile device.
Nearly every business has an internet presence through a company website. Most large organizations, especially those with more than one location, also have a company intranet. Both platforms seem adequate for ordering systems, like purchasing products and services, or document procurement, or even for researching an organization's archives. But the trend in business is away from static sites and towards instant, real-time communication and collaboration.
Business is becoming more and more global in nature and must adapt to our rapidly changing world economy. Along with this trend is the understanding that knowledge and innovation are becoming an important resources. To stay competitive, organizations need to contain costs and find ways to make it easy for everybody to join the conversation and make a contribution. Here is where tools like wikis, blogs, social networks and instant chatting are gaining in popularity. In addition to facilitating collaboration and creating business value, these tools also allow businesses to start small (and for free) and then scale up as required.
As collaboration increases so does the need to refine, categorize and manage content. Professional (and industrial) taxonomies once created by a select group of individuals within a profession, industry or organization, are rapidly becoming outdated. A wiki can create and manage content using the knowledge and contributions of all the individuals in the group.
For businesses to remain viable, relevant and competitive they must find and use technologies and tools that are not only cost-effective but that also help to empower the individual, enrich interaction, keep everyone informed, generate valuable intellectual capital, and manage vast amounts of information. All of the tools discussed in this post are designed to help businesses to do just that. Moreover, Google has spearheaded an open standard initiative that is enabling users--individuals and organizations--to share applications in real-time.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
My Favorite Furniture Manufacturer
Knoll is recognized by the architectural and design community as one of the top furniture manufacturers. In addition, Knoll produces high-end office systems, commercial grade textiles, lighting fixtures and office accessories. Knoll Studio, a division of Knoll, is a collection of sophisticated, classic, and sometimes playful, modern furniture that is very well designed and durable. Many of the pieces have won Museum of Modern Art Awards. Some of my favorite pieces include these designed by architects: the Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman; Mies van der Rohe's Flat Bar Brno Chair and his Barcelona Chair; and my most favorite of all, the Robert Venturi Sofa (now a museum piece). I really like Venturi's sense of humor and classicism. Knoll says it this way, "Venturi has been a major influence on architectural thinking and design due to both his buildings and writings. His work style has been called a “freer idiosyncratic late modernism.” He has an attraction to complexity and richness and places stress upon symbolism and decoration because he feels it allows a designer to produce variety in his work." I'd really love to show you the furniture pieces but I have to learn how to save the images for upload. Maybe next post.
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