Jake at CenterNetworks does a video review of Stikkit.  Its a highly intelligent web 2.0 application, and the way it handles dates, to-do’s and tags is quite remarkable.  It takes natural typing and interprets them.  For those of you who don’t know, Stikkit is a really cool way to keep track of everything, whether it be appointments, meetings, to-do lists, or people. Stikkit does it all, it was really cool to look at, and I highly recommend this app to get you on track with your life! Source: Stikkit Video Review – CenterNetworks – News, Reviews, Insights and Interviews It … Continue reading Stikkit Video Review

 This is a very cool Ajax application.  Cool because of the way the desktop elements work together.  We have seen a few Ajaxy things that are focussed on the technology, but this one actually provides some vision of how an Ajax desktop could work for a financial site.  These guys are good. Welcome to the SaneBull technology showcase implemented by ideAjax. SaneBull is a custom implementation of an Ajax solution with a Java powered back end. For more information please refer to the Technology tab. ideAjax provides custom solutions for your business. We have a wide range of experience with … Continue reading Web 2.0 – SaneBull Market Monitor

 For those following the strategies of Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, here is a pretty decent summary of Microsoft Windows Live strategy: Live consists of three distinct, yet interrelated, parts, Berkowitz said. Live platform (about which I’ll be blogging more later today); individual Live services (Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Expo, etc.); and Live experiences, or user interfaces. Berkowitz describes experiences as ways to enter the Internet – search, commerce, entertainment portals (such as MSN.com) and community. Source: » Once more (with feeling): What is Windows Live? | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com   Technorati tags: microsoft, windows+live Continue reading What is Windows Live? | ZDNet.com

 Great blog here studying disruptive technology.  This post is on to something we covered before, when I reviewed the use of Microsoft Office in Banks.  This review here covers three key elements to consider with Office products.  I would add a fourth – cost. Are collaboration and version control becoming more important to a rising group of workers?  Are twenty-something young professionals getting more experience and familiarity with Google apps early in their careers? Are most customers overshot with complexity and functionality in current office applications that they never use? Source: Michael Urlocker Examines Disruption and Disruptive Processes – Classic … Continue reading Classic Disruption: Microsoft Dismisses New Google Apps as Inferior

 Dare’s post comparing the Economist OpEd from Googles Schmidt (post earlier today), and the July analysts speech from Ozzie at Microsoft got me thinking more about the comparison.

First a revamped UI for Microsoft Office and now Google jumping into the Web Office game with both feet? 2007 is going to be an interesting year for Office productivity software.

Source:  Google Office: The Gloves are Off

I pasted Ozzie’s speech below.  Its easier to read in this format than the MS press release format.

The dramatic difference that leaps out to me is the corporate approaches.  Google sets a general environment that encourages creativity, and is allowing the results of that creativity to define the outcome.  Microsoft has decided the future and has created a top down directive to build towards that outcome.

Its not to say which will succeed, although I have my views.  But the approaches are very different.  This is also the dilemma that faces firms with an established revenue stream and business model, that is under threat.  Its easier (relatively) to decide on a new strategy, turn left, and all is well.  The problem is that the environment we find ourselves in is not yet defined, so how do we know left is the appropriate direction?

This is the perfect lead in, to the the book I finally picked up today, “The Starfish and the Spider”.  Reviews here and here.  From what I have seen so far, methinks Google is the starfish, and Microsoft is the spider.  (Hint … you don’t want to be the spider). 

Relevance to Bankwatch:

How should Banks organise to solve the business model puzzle for this new internet environment.  What is the right business model, the right technology strategy, the ones that will address revenue and expenses, and deliver the right productivity?

Continue reading “Google, Microsoft, and "The Starfish and the Spider"”

 The Economist provides an Op/ed piece from Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google.  It is remarkably simple in its obvious point – that most companys (and people) still try to place internet within existing paradigms, and that is a mistake.  The changes internet brings are little to do with technology.  They are social and behavioural. The internet is much more than a technology – it’s a completely different way of organising our lives. But its success is built on technological superiority: protocols and open standards that are ingenious in their simplicity. But what’s surprising is that so many companies are still … Continue reading The World In 2007 | Don’t bet against the internet

 One of the things I enjoy about internet, and blogs in particular is the continual surprise at the wealth of knowledge and opinion.  I actually lost the link for how I got here (apologies) but Jack, from Holland, writes a clear description of the circumstances to consider SOA vs EDA (Event Driven Architecture). This is highly applicable to Banks because they are (generally) either Command and Control or siloed and this helps to determine whether SOA or EDA is applicable as an architecture strategy.  May be useful next time the IT folks promote one way of doing things. If you are … Continue reading SOA and EDA: How EDA extends SOA and why it is important

Here is an extract from a U.K. National Audit Office report entitled “Delivering Successful IT-Enabled Business Change.” This is courtesy of Shane at ITbusiness.ca. He rightly points out that it represents a positive view of the right questions to ask, to ensure your IT performs to a level that the business expects. Is the board able to make informed judgements about the department’s capacity to manage change? Does the department have in place a decision making structure that will ensure strong and effective leadership of the IT-enabled business change? What incentives exist to drive performance? Does the department have the … Continue reading A U.K. report goes one step further than “best practices” with “best advice”

A very clear and simple explanation of SOA, and how it puts Banks on the precipice of some real advances in their channel development.  Customer-centric information about partners, products, assets, locations and accounts feeds the MDM information base, along with such corporate-centric information as customer account activity, customer correspondence, historical product performance/maintenance, product sales/manufacturing/inventory and support services corporate workflow. This information confluence creates an MDM that for the first time enables accurate real-time and marketing analytics. Source: Enterprise I.T. – SOA Evolves with Information Services The article speaks of the data that firms have gathered, that support this approach.  This … Continue reading Enterprise I.T. – SOA Evolves with Information Services