Software strategies and more…

1. Apps! (really, hands down lots of these! Although I have not set up the Android player on the PB yet just the breadth and variety of the Apps shows how developers have and continue to innovate on this platform)
2. Stand alone email. The iPad allowed me to sync my three most often used accounts and manage my email effectively. While this was markedly improved in the PB 2.0 release midway thru my trip, I really liked the way Apple manages the email and content.
3. Easy access to email folders (in general it has a better mail app (although PB got a lot better with v2)
4. Style (it is a sexy piece of hardware and software)
5. Location of power plug – This might seem nit picky, but using a flip cover for the PB try to watch a movie while charging and having ear phones plugged in at the same time. With the iPad, you can set the device on its side (landscape mode) while charging
6. Intuitive (damn it just makes sense on how to get to what you need nearly 95% of the time)
7. Consuming ‘rich’ content (why isn’t there a flipboard app for Playbook!)
8. Variety of accessories
9. iTunes integration (I don’t use iCloud but I do want to sync my music)
10. Facetime (PB has a camera but no Skype or other cross platform sol’n – second to the power plug issue I have with the PB is the lack of RIM to get Skype on board)

1. Screen size for reading books, its just right and easier to hold with one hand.
2. Screen size for handheld typing – much more comfortable to do this when I was not using the BT keyboard.
3. Multitasking and ability to ‘spin’ thru apps and close easily (Apple not as intuitive here)
4. Much better camera for photos and video, its size makes it a bit easier to use in this mode as well. (Although iPad3 will tip this in Apple’s favour I am sure.)
5. Support from non-iTunes media (AVI, MP4)
6. Micro USB – industry std and thus easy to find that cord to charge/sync
7. Integration of bezel with touch features (I found myself trying to do this over and over again on the iPad)
8. Handling of Adobe’s stuff (don’t need a lot but a significant number of our internal systems need this)
9. One click access (tool bar) to access important features/settings
10. Price (much better, but they have to be don’t they….)
11. Email more secure and accessible in concert with my Blackberry. I like the bridge, I think RIM did a crap job with the value prop to business for the security and admin here.
12. Email server integration better (mark and deleted on Exchange, Hotmail, etc. and it reproduces more accurately on accounts across devices)
13. Less likely to get stolen (it looks like a moleskin in my case, a iPad looks like an iPad)
14. I can fit it in my jacket pocket

After 11 months as a consultant, I took a job as a global analyst and consultant dealing with leading technology vendors in the business cloud space. In my job, I cover emerging technologies and trends in the business applications space that include financial applications, customer relationship management, business intelligence, collaboration software, and more.

As all companies do, I was issued a laptop computer as part of my job. I put it on my desk fired up a cranky old version of Windows (XP), put the laptop lock in place, and left it there. I use it once a day to sort my emails into folders, and access the few intercompany resources I cannot connect to from the web.

Instead, I use my personal laptop. I prefer it, much like the way I prefer my phone. It fits me, it allows me to get my job done, and its has what I need in terms of software, horsepower and tools needed to help my customers.

Here are the reasons I will not use my perfectly good work device.

1. My official work computer, and its locked software environment, lacks the context I need to my job effectively.
2. The laptops work policies prevent me from supporting and troubleshooting problems or tools I need when on the road.
3. The lack of ability to collaborate with my customers – dropbox, skype, Adobe ROME and more apps that are not supported by my IT dept. so not allowed on the “official” laptop.
4. I hate old software, seriously Windows XP? Office 2003? and other crapware the company ‘approves’?
5. Battery, form factor, etc. give me my 9-cell battery, backlit screen (so I can read outside), access to movies for the many flights, and i7 processor so I spend less time waiting and more time doing…

Sorry IT department, I’ll stick with my own kit. But thanks for the paperweight.

<Addition March 2011 on BYOD and IT Security>

Reflecting on this blog post and a recent meeting I had with Paul Muller VP Strategic Marketing @ HP, I realize that my choice is far from unique.

With the increase trend by companies and professionals with regards to the cosumerization of IT there is a growing acceptance (or invasion) of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Often this device is the personal mobile phone – commonly an Apple iPhone or a Droid phone versus or in addition to the companies standard issue Blackberry or Nokia.

These devices are quickly being joined by tablets and laptops brought in by users (like me) and connected to company networks via ‘gray’ wifi zones. These may not be directly connected to core network, but are connected to web-based services. Increasingly with the adoption of Apple’s iPad companies are using third party stores to validate applications but then deliver data directly for use by employees. This will undoubtedly continue to give IT departments fits until Apple (and others) start offering some type of enterprise store that enterprises can use to bring in-house and begin serving up many of the custom apps they have developed.

Nonetheless, people like me will be an increasing demographic that the IT department will have to deal with. For the IT departments seeking insight into securing their environment with the growing number of BYODs out there, I encourage them to look at a recent presentation given at a session I attended.

You can access the presentation on BYOC trends and how IT departments can address new treats surrounding cyber security here.

I continue to be impressed with what I can do with my new phone, a Nokia E71. I purchased the phone about a month ago when the screen died on my HTC Touch Pro. I worked at Microsoft when it was issued to me and I was at the time impressed with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. Boy was I ever wrong.

I moved to the Nokia for two main reasons after researching Blackberry, Android and iPhone. the first was my need to stay on my Bell Canada contract and so cost was an issue and the second was phone call quality. I’d always enjoyed how the Nokia sounded when I had one years ago.

I have been both surprised and happy with this phone as both a smart phone and regular phone. the features’ build quality and availability of applications has been great. Miles ahead of Windows Mobile and for my needs up there with the iPhone.

In fact, I just wrote this blog on the phone using Nokia’s WordPress app. so if you are in the market I highly recommend this phone to anyone and everyone.

Today I attended Jive Software’s Get Social tour stop in Toronto and left impressed not only with the company’s software and strategy, but with the quality of attendance at the event. The event featured a hour and a bit of keynotes including a look at how Canada’s RIM has used Jive’s SBS to deploy mybackberry.com. What impressed me the most was the level of interest and activity from Canada’s largest companies. In the breakout I attended there was representation from 4 of the 6 largest banks, well known national law firms, ad agencies and professional services companies.

Personally, my interest in attending came from discovering significant interest in the integration of social software tools within business processes. In fact I have touched on this in several blogs already (here, here and here) and have found myself spending an increasing amount of time fielding questions from financial professionals on the topic of how their investments in tools like SAP or Microsoft Dynamics along with SharePoint can be further leveraged to move people from communal watering holes of information (ala SharePoint, Stellent (now part of Oracle), OpenText, etc.) to proactive, automated community distribution networks. All the while business execs these social services/tools to be part of existing business processes and applications from ERP to CRM to BI – and not to have to rip and replace investments they’ve already made.

To address this need Jive has developed its Social Business Software platform. This platform is based on a addressing a need to leverage existing technology investments – both on-premise and software as a service – made by organizations and intertwine social tools which are quickly maturing from the consumer technology world (Facebook, twitter, DIGG, etc.) into the business arena.

The Jive SBS solution should be very interesting to companies who’ve found themselves sinking in email, departmental collaboration websites, individual shared drives with unique folder structures, client-based office productivity tools, or aging client server business applications with little web extensibility. Their idea is to offer software solutions to organizations seeking to bring current consumer focused social features into the context of a secure, robust business processes and integrate these into the existing information and presentation layers used by their employees. Think ‘facebook’ that allows individual users to create ‘friends’ of co-workers, partners, suppliers and also applications – ERP, data repositories, content management systems, etc.

An interesting quote from the Jive Software presenter was that one of their goals is “…to enable the solutions from being ‘place-centric’ (e.g. a data or content repository) to ‘you-centric’.” The promise of this approach is to enable content relevance to the job you and/or your employees are doing – further amplifying the time to value that the business or community can benefit from. This can be achieved by using technology to enable systems to constantly seek information based on your criteria and deliver internal and external content in a timely fashion to the end-user.

I’ll be writing more on this topic, but for now my advice (based on what I have seen so far) for organizations  looking at social technology solutions that can fit into existing business processes is to:

• Plan – Look at (audit) how your employees are communicating in the office versus outside the office. Determine how this may or may not fit into different aspects of your business process and technologies.
• Promote – Promote activities which promote collaboration that benefits the organization, team and individual. Begin to recognize good ideas from individuals and identify who might be a super user by department and even age group (e.g. don’t have a 20 something trying to sell social tools to a 50 something CEO)
• Execute – Pick a part of the business that demand business process rigor, but also has an affinity for new technologies. Obtain the buy-in and support from the executive in charge and pilot a solution that brings together social technologies with financial, customer and partner data. Observe its usage, recognize individual contribution and learn from the effects this has on average and advanced users.
• Deliver – Realize this is a game changer. IT must be involved, but the business user will in some cases control the success of the project based on how they adopt and use the technology in conjunction with their specific needs. Don’t bury the data in a common format you make them adhere to – rather encourage them to rank and promote what they find valuable. Deliver an experience rather than a product.
• Hand over control – The hive of users will self organize around value and efficiencies. This is seen in nature and technology and is paramount to successful social software. In your planning you should have covered the governance and controls needed that are required by your business and ensured these are documented for your users. Now let them drive the interest and improvements of the software going forward.

The last part (IMHO) is the innovation aspect that is key to socializing your business.