For Those In Need, An Online Heping Hand : NPR

For Those In Need, An Online Heping Hand : NPR

In Thailand, Insulting the King Can Mean 15 Years in Jail - WSJ.com

In Thailand, Insulting the King Can Mean 15 Years in Jail - WSJ.com: "BANGKOK -- The crime of insulting a monarch, a throwback to a bygone era of absolute sovereign power, is making an unlikely comeback in Thailand.

Thais deeply revere their 80-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Some see him as almost divine and carry his image in talismans or on car dashboards to bring good luck."

Rising Star: James Jones

Rising Star: James Jones: "James Jones has a rare combination of skills: He knows how to see a project through to completion, and he is not afraid to change course or take on new tasks at the last minute.

Jones, who holds a Chief Information Officer Certification from GSA University and a master’s degree in technology management from George Mason University, has been an information technology capital planner for the Interior Department’s capital planning and investment control process for two years."

Computing In The Cloud: Who Owns Your Files? : NPR

Computing In The Cloud: Who Owns Your Files? : NPR: "Do you have a Yahoo e-mail account? Maybe a Gmail account? Do you put up pictures on Flickr? Perhaps you've started keeping your schedule online. If so, then you are using cloud computing — that's what tech companies call it when people work and store information on the Internet."

Tools Help Patients Interface With Doctors - WSJ.com

Tools Help Patients Interface With Doctors - WSJ.com: "When Tajel Shah sought laser surgery to correct her shortsightedness, the surgeon said she would need to use eye-wetting drops every hour and take a medication for three weeks to ready her eyes for the procedure -- a tough regimen for the working mother of two to follow.

'I thought there's no way I am going to be able to do this unless I have some sort of physical reminder,' said the 38-year-old from San Francisco.

Then a friend told her about the Zuri, an iPod-sized device that sends patients reminders to take their medications and records their compliance, which users and, if they choose, their doctors can track through a companion Web page."

Retailers 'Sell' to Young Virtually - WSJ.com

Retailers 'Sell' to Young Virtually - WSJ.com: "Retailer Kohl's Corp. this month launched a new line of apparel, but the plaid skirts and printed T-shirts won't be sold in its 957 stores. Instead, it's selling them on Stardoll.com, a virtual community for teens and tweens where kids can fork over 'Stardollars' -- purchased online at a nominal sum -- to buy apparel for their online characters."

Will 'virtual' computers shut door on Windows?

Washington Times - Will 'virtual' computers shut door on Windows?: "I often tell people that my experience with every version of Microsoft Windows - going back to 1.0, which I purchased at the very first Staples store in Cambridge, Mass. - resembles my pre-marriage dating life."

Sony and Roku Try To Join TV to Web, But No Merger Yet

Personal Technology - WSJ.com: "Perhaps the biggest disconnect in the digital landscape today is between the Internet and the TV set. Consumers have been buying big, new high-definition TVs in large numbers and, separately, are watching more and more video from online sources like YouTube, Hulu and iTunes. But the two trends have yet to merge. Despite the efforts of big names like Microsoft, Apple and TiVo, relatively few people are watching Internet video on their shiny new sets."

India Faces a Homegrown Staffing Issue: Not Enough Talent - WSJ.com

India Faces a Homegrown Staffing Issue: Not Enough Talent - WSJ.com: "NEW DELHI -- India's flagship technology and outsourcing sector is expected to add about 300,000 employees this year, bringing the industry's professional work force to some 2.3 million."

To do: Dress, flowers, webcam

Washington Times - To do: Dress, flowers, webcam: "Mr. Roehsler and his bride, the former Neperthey Velasco, used a webcast to enable friends and family from roughly 10 states and a dozen countries to view their wedding ceremony live. It's a service offered for weddings and funerals to enable far-flung family and friends to take part."

Coupons Make A Comeback Online : NPR

Coupons Make A Comeback Online : NPR: "All Things Considered, July 8, 2008 · Once considered a prime candidate for paper obsolescence, the coupon has a new lease on life. Omar Gallaga, who covers technology culture for the Austin American-Statesman, says social-networking sites and online coupon programs are responsible"

Unloading Information Overload

Information Age - WSJ.com: "Warning: On average, knowledge workers change activities every three minutes, usually because they're distracted by email or a phone call. It then takes almost half an hour to get back to the task once attention is lost. So if you're trying to read this column at the office or within range of your mobile device, what should be a few minutes can take much longer. Consider the rest of this article an 800-word test of your ability to maintain attention."

I invite you to go to www.meritalk.com, a new Web 2.0 site for government IT. This is a great way for leaders in government and some past government people share ideas about the priorities and important topics that need to be addressed in the current government environment.

I am also a contributor to this site. You can find my most recent articles at http://www.meritalk.com/articles.asp?m=TYRH36GGAERFGTTY.

I encourage you to get involved and look forward to your feedback. Thanks for your time. Have a good day and a better weekend!

Jimmy Jones (Class of 2005)
US Department of Interior
Office of the Chief Information Officer
IT Portfolio Management Division

: We Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For

Business Technology : Workers: We Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For: "Do you have a better chance of finding one of your company’s documents through a Google Web search than by combing through corporate files? You’re not alone: More workers say that finding information on the Web is easier than finding information on their companies’ internal sites."

Summer 2008 issue of Techman Times

Software Lets Senders Assign Value to E-Mails : NPR

Software Lets Senders Assign Value to E-Mails : NPR: "Seriosity, a Silicon Valley startup, thinks economics will help people learn which of their e-mails have value. The company has created software that lets a sender attach value to an e-mail to denote how important it is. The idea is to get people to send messages that are truly important."

TIFI-Signs

TIFI: "SO I’m in an MBA program - and an MS program in Information Systems. I think I’ve mentioned that here.

So why am I doing this - going to school 2 nights and 6 hours a week for more or less 3 years, all the while holding down a job with increasing technical *and* leadership demands? Oh yeah, and having a couple infants to boot! Why such insanity?"

Sharing text gets easier

The Washington Times Mark Kellner: Sharing text gets easier: "Most collaborative efforts have been limited by connectivity to a local-area network, or via a sharing tool such as Novell's Groupware or Lotus Notes. Such solutions required some level of interconnection and a common hardware/software platform."

Is This a Can of Sardines, Or a Motorized Rickshaw? - WSJ.com

Is This a Can of Sardines, Or a Motorized Rickshaw? - WSJ.com: "YDERABAD, India -- Mohammed Usman used to cram as many people as possible into his motorized rickshaw -- up to eight adults, twice the legal limit.

But not anymore. 'If I put more than one extra person, I know I'll get a ticket,' he says. 'The risk is too high.'

Tiny, tinny three-wheel taxis, known as autorickshaws, are ubiquitous in South Asia. They are nimble, cheap and popular: A ride costs just pennies."

Google Helps Organize Medical Records - WSJ.com

Google Helps Organize Medical Records - WSJ.com: "Google Inc. unveiled its health service, which allows consumers to manage their medical records and receive health advice online.

The new service lets users create an electronic health profile by pulling together medical records imported from organizations such as pharmacies and lab testing companies. Users also can enter some information themselves. They can then elect to share that information with their doctors and other providers and use a range of online tools to do things such as track the risk of a heart attack or connect to a specialist for a second opinion."

CAPSTONE 2008

From Wikinomics to Government 2.0

Information Age - WSJ.com: "You don't need to have a Facebook account, or to have edited a Wikipedia entry, to understand that the Web is in another highly disruptive period. Online tools under the rubric Web 2.0 are changing how information flows, with social networks letting people communicate directly with one another. This is reversing the top-down, one-way approach to communications that began with Gutenberg, challenging everything from how bosses try to manage to how consumers make or break products with instant mass feedback"

Open Source ERP Grows Up - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

Open Source ERP Grows Up - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership: "April 22, 2008 — CIO — Can open source software find a home in mission critical systems? Based on momentum in the open source ERP market, it's starting to look that way, particularly for IT leaders at midmarket and smaller enterprises."

Enterprise Wikis Seen As a Way to End 'Reply-All' E-Mail Threads - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

Enterprise Wikis Seen As a Way to End 'Reply-All' E-Mail Threads - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership: "March 14, 2008 — CIO — Back in 2002, Ross Mayfield co-founded Socialtext, a company that sells enterprise wikis to companies looking to collaborate on key projects, improve products and customer service."

Tesco Finds Customers Want Mobile Ads

Women more responsive to cell phone ads
Banner ads on cell phones generated increased click-through rates to marketers' dedicated campaign WAP sites, the mobile division of British-based retailer Tesco reports. The most avid users of the service are thirtysomething women who handle their households' budgets, according to Tesco. (04/10) Tesco Finds Customers Want Mobile Ads

The Smart Money Watches You Watch Videos - washingtonpost.com

The Smart Money Watches You Watch Videos - washingtonpost.com: "Last summer, a video clip featuring comedian Sarah Silverman went up on YouTube to promote CleanMyRide.org, an online campaign for cleaner fuel.

Then, two months ago, the video saw a sudden spike in traffic. But the video's producer, political-marketing firm MSHC Partners in the District, could not figure out what prompted the delayed jump"

SugarSync Offers The Best Method Yet For Replicating FilesSugarSync Offers The Best Method Yet For Replicating Files

Personal Technology - WSJ.com: "It's a real problem keeping all the files you need available and up-to-date on multiple computers in multiple locations, whether they are key business documents or just favorite photos or songs. Adding to the problem is the increasingly common use of smart phones as little laptops, and the growing mixed use of Windows machines and Apple Macintoshes, which use different programs."

ITAA: Percent of federal CIOs on the job less than two years nearly doubled in 2007, survey says

ITAA :: Newsroom :: Press Release: "Washington, February 27, 2008 - Information security remains the greatest challenge facing federal Chief Information Officers (CIOs) according the 18th Annual CIO Survey, released today by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and Grant Thornton LLP. Standardization and consolidation of the federal IT infrastructure also is high on the list of to dos for 2008, according to survey respondents."

Techman 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration

ttttttttttttttttttttt Techman 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration Saturday Evening, May 10th You and your guest are invited to join your fellow Technology Management alumni and SOM faculty for a festive evening of dinner, dancing and reminiscing... Waterford at Fair Oaks 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway Fairfax,Virginia Cocktail reception 6:30 p.m. Dinner and dancing 7:30 p.m. $75.00 per person (Includes open bar and choice of salmon fillet, champagne pork tenderloins, or vegetarian entree.) Cocktail attire Click here to R.S.V.P. All Techman alumni are also invited to join us during the day on Saturday for the Class of 2008 Capstone presentations. Come and see how the Capstone and the campus have evolved. The Techman Alumni Hospitality Suite will be open in Mason Hall (D3) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hotel offer: The Marriott at Fair Oaks --just across the parking lot from the Waterford-- has reserved a block of rooms for Techman guests at the special rate of $74( plus tax). Call 800-228-9290 before April 19 and request the Techman 10th Anniversary room block. Event Gold Sponsors include: tttttttttttttttttttttt

Announcement for B2B Marketing Excellence Professional Development Courses

[from Clodagh]: I'm excited to tell you about a new business venture by two of our own GMU Techman adjunct professors, Marybeth Fraser and Dana Theus, who teach the TM 740 Marketing in the High Tech Age. They are taking their teaching skills on the road and offering professional education courses for B2B and B2G marketers through a new company, B2B Marketing Excellence.:

"Early next month, ministers in Britain are expected to give the final go-ahead for two new £4bn ($7.9bn) aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. The 65,000 tonne ships will be the most powerful ever to sail in the navy but there is growing concern that delays to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme in the US mean they will be setting out to sea without their intended aircraft."

The new company is responding to employers' growing need for business marketers who have more highly specialized skills than can be "learned on the job." With lively training courses and a topical blog, B2B Marketing Excellence will provide business marketers direct and ongoing support in adapting tried-and-true techniques to new market challenges such as Web 2.0 and the need for stronger brands in the government space. The company’s professional development courses will address subjects covered in their GMU marketing course, but go into greater depth on Branding, Product Management, Marketing Communications and Sales Enablement. The first course, Corporate Brand Strategy: Accelerating Company Growth, will be held May 8, 2008 in Arlington, VA.

As a part of their close association with GMU, Marybeth and Dana are offering our students and alumni a special offer which you can use for yourself and pass on to staff, colleagues and friends. Please use the special price code GM11 worth $100 to sign up for a course and/or forward it to your network of business and government marketing contacts. This discount code expires on August 1, 2008 and can be used with the early registration fee for a total of $200 off. Early registration for Corporate Brand Strategy closes April 10, 2008, so act now!

We want to wish Marybeth and Dana the best of luck in their new business venture

Overseeing More Employees With Fewer Managers - WSJ.com

Overseeing More Employees With Fewer Managers - WSJ.com: "Since the 1930s, business researchers have maintained that bosses optimally should manage about seven to 10 people. But many companies have boosted that average substantially -- and scholars and consultants are reconsidering their views of maximum team size."

Executives Find Ways To Keep Moving Ahead Despite Economic Fears

"The collapse of financial titan Bear Stearns last week heightened concerns among executives across industries that the U.S. economy is in a recession. The mess on Wall Street has made it difficult for companies to get financing to do deals; slowed sales of cars, clothing, other consumer goods; and prompted managers to scuttle hiring plans and consider layoffs.
The worst thing business leaders can do, however, is panic, especially because the length and severity of a slowdown is impossible to predict. Here are some management lessons gleaned from recent events to help executives navigate successfully in coming months.
Seize opportunities while you can. That is what J.P. Morgan Chase Chief Executive James Dimon did when he and his senior investment bankers reached an agreement -- in just two days -- to acquire Bear Stearns for a mere $2 a share."

A WiMax Breakthrough in India

A WiMax Breakthrough in India: "Tata Communications unveils an ambitious plan to become global leader in wireless broadband by launching the world's largest commercial network"

Executive Educational Series: “On the Leading Edge”

EXECUTIVE CERTIFICATE in Spatial Business Intelligence (SBI)

A Series of Executive Seminars

April – May, 2008

Introduction
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology offers innovative, ground-breaking customer intelligence solutions that lead to better governmental and business decisions.
Leveraging the availability of vast geospatial digital data, power of GIS technology and IT tools, Executive Educational Programs at the School of Management (SOM) in George Mason University tailored to meet the scheduling demands and career advancement needs of experienced executives and professionals, is launching a NEW Executive Certificate in “Spatial Business Intelligence” (SBI)
SOM Executive Programs through a Certificate in SBI provide executives and working professionals the opportunity to earn world-class business education coupled with GIS Technology - without the career interruption associated with traditional academic programs.
Certificate Outline
There will be five seminars in a Certificate Executive Program offered on Fridays once a week in 2008 academic year.

1. Application of Spatial Intelligence to Enhance My Decision Making in Business & Government.
2. GIS in Marketing application for Decision Making
3. Executive GIS Decision Support System: Advanced Spatial and 3D Analysis for Better Decisions and Visual Interpretation
4. Design and implementation of GIS Enterprise. Value of investing in GIS.
5. Competitor Analysis and Business Strategy through DSS & Computer Simulations

The seminars are designed so that they can be taken in a sequence or as a single class to better fit the participant’s needs and skill level.
Participants can get a Certificate for attending any three of the five one-day seminars.

No prerequisites are required to register and attend the seminars

Who Should Attend
o Government Executives, Department Heads, Directors, Managers of any rank;
o GIS professionals, anyone involved directly or indirectly in Geospatial Technology;
o Those, who want to learn more how the currently accumulated digital geospatial information and available GIS resources (based on ArcGIS software with extensions as: Business, Spatial, Network and 3-D Analysts) can help the governmental managers and executives to leverage GIS tools and data to make more informative administrative decisions to improve and enhance government operation;
o Academic educators and students are welcome. Discount student passes are available.

Why to Attend
Such a Certificate through five seminars equips with innovative GIS solutions applicable to many aspects of Executive Decision Making in business and government operations. After completing the courses a participant will learn to integrate and save valuable resources, visualize organization's assets, streamline workflow processes, minimize risk and enhance business and government decision-making.

By incorporating GIS technology with accumulated digital data and tools into business and government operations a Manager, Director and/or Executive can productively and innovatively utilize an information base to share departmental resources, reduce data redundancy, increase decision accuracy, perform in-depth project analysis, provide multi-level decision support, analyze and simulate competitors and operational business strategy to increase efficiency, automate and visualize tasks, workflow, obtained results, and finally, save time and money.

Profound understanding of the capability of GIS technology at the Executive and Managerial level to manage, correlate, predict, model, and share business and government project-related geospatial information boosts up the ability to use GIS as an innovative essential analytical decision making tool to manage the business operations efficiently and accurately allowing your business to succeed and thrive.

Executive Certificate Logistics and Fees
o Participants will get a GMU Certificate in Spatial Business Intelligence for attending any THREE of the FIVE seminars.
o Seminars are held at the George Mason University Executive Programs state-of-the-art facilities located at the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) Building near the Dulles airport: CIT Building, suite 406; 2214 Rock Hill Rd. Herndon, VA.
o All seminars are accompanied by hands-on exercises with the top-notch GIS software, ArcGIS 9.2, with extensions as: Business Analyst, Spatial Analyst, 3-D Analyst, and Network Analyst to reveal SBI concepts and demonstrate the power of spatially integrated analysis and visualization tools to enhance decision-making and risk management.

The seminar begins at 9:00 and ends at 4:00 on Friday.

The seminar fee includes tuition, breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, NEW ESRI Book: “GIS Tutorial for 9.2”, 2d edition with ArcGIS Tutorial-exercises CD, and 6 months ArcGIS software CD. The fee is subject to change and payable in advance to confirm registration.

If an agency registers 3 persons, the 4-th person is registered for FREE!
A one-time corporate fee for an Agency could be also determined.

For More Information

Sergei Andronikov, PhD, MBA Roy Hinton, PhD, MBA
Executive Programs, SBI Certificate Associate Dean of Executive Programs
School of Management, GMU School of Management, GMU
703-993-9801 703-993-1662
sandroni@gmu.edu rhinton1@gmu.edu

Lynda Carmichael
Executive Programs Coordinator
School of Management, GMU
703-993-4457, fax: 703-733-2809
lcarmic1@gmu.edu

REGISTER TODAY!

Registration Form

2008 Executive Series “On the Leading Edge”

EXECUTIVE CERTIFICATE:
Spatial Business Intelligence

Seminar 1: Application of Spatial Intelligence to Enhance My Decision Making in Business & Government
Preliminary Date: April 11

Seminar 2: GIS in Marketing Application for Decision Making
Preliminary Date: April 18

Seminar 3: Executive GIS Decision Support System: Advanced Spatial and 3D Analysis for Better Decision and Visual Interpretation
Preliminary Date: April 25

Seminar 4: Design and implementation of GIS Enterprise. Value of investing in GIS
Preliminary Date: May 2

Seminar 5: Competitor Analysis and Business Strategy through Decision Support Systems and Business Computer Simulations
Preliminary Date: May 9
TIME: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
LOCATION: CIT Building, Room 406; 2214 Rock Hill Rd. Herndon VA
Name and Title:
Company:
Address:
Telephone(Fax):
Email:
Additional Name/Title:

Payment Amount*
Single Seminar $ 445 person**
Three Seminars $ 1195 person
Four Seminars $ 1575 person
All Five Seminars $ 1945 person
* Includes tuition, breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, NEW ESRI Book: “GIS Tutorial for 9.2”, 2d edition with ArcGIS Tutorial-exercises CD, and 6 months ArcGIS software CD

** When prepaid
Register 3 persons and get the 4-th person FREE!

Participants can get a Certificate for attending any THREE of the FIVE one-day seminars.



Method of payment: [ ] Credit Card [ ] Check
(Make Check Payable to Executive Series, School of Management, GMU)

Credit Card Information: [ ] Visa [ ] Master Card

Card Number_______________________________ Expiration Date ___/__/___

Card Member Signature ____________________________ Date ___/__/___

Remit Registration and Payment to:

Executive Programs
School of Management,
GMU,
4400 University Drive,
Fairfax, Virginia 2203

Refund Policy: 100% refund if cancelled one week before the seminar

============================================================
Executive Series are also providing in–house deliveries of these seminars

to complete GMU Certificate in SBI at your agency

How to Tap IT's Hidden Potential - WSJ.com

Tip of the hat to Pradeep (Class of 2009) for pointing out this article...
How to Tap IT's Hidden Potential - WSJ.com: "Some of the biggest names in the business world have used information technology to their competitive advantage: Merrill Lynch, American Airlines, FedEx, Barclays, to name a few. Despite their example, such companies are still exceptions."

Web 2.0: Choice of the Next Generation

Web 2.0: Choice of the Next Generation: "What surprised Capgemini management is how employees used the flexible collaboration features and customization options to share information—sometimes in violation of corporate policies. Rather than clamping down and stifling this innovation, the company embraced it and found that it resulted in productivity and efficiency gains."

Defense Contracting: Additional Personal Conflict of Interest Safeguards Needed for Certain DOD Contractor Employees. GAO-08-169, March 7

Defense Contracting: Additional Personal Conflict of Interest Safeguards Needed for Certain DOD Contractor Employees. GAO-08-169, March 7
Full Report

Microsoft Expands Online Services - WSJ.com

Microsoft Expands Online Services - WSJ.com: "Microsoft Corp. today plans to begin new tests of business programs offered as online services, in the latest attempt by the software giant to adapt to the changes being wrought by the Internet on the traditional software business."

Business Technology : Technology 1, Common Sense 0

Business Technology : Technology 1, Common Sense 0: "One of the enduring lessons of business technology: Never place blind faith in a computer system. The latest reminder: A trucker in the U.K. trapped his vehicle on a farm road when he followed GPS directions in spite of visual evidence he was getting bad advice."

This Is the Modding World

Real Time - WSJ.com: "Once upon a time, the world worked like this: You wanted to do something, so you did some research (or not) and then bought a gadget that would do it. You brought it home, plugged it in, and lived with it until it no longer did the job. And that was about it."

SaaS Takes Flight: Web Apps to Take Over the Desktop

SaaS Takes Flight: Web Apps to Take Over the Desktop: "Someday, all software will run online and clunky desktop applications will be a distant memory. See why."

Personal Lives, Office Lives

Beautiful Country - WSJ.com: "A young Chinese banker confided to me recently that he felt rejected by his new colleagues at a famed Wall Street firm -- they rarely responded to his suggestions of after-work activities such as dinners and tennis matches. Instead, he said, 'they all rush home.'"

'Click Here to Save Darfur'

'Click Here to Save Darfur': "Generation Facebook is using the Net not only to pledge online support for causes, but to take action in the real world"

Wearable Tech

KRLA 870 AM Intelligent. Conservative. Talk Radio: "Electronics company, Philips, are designing clothing and body adornment which incorporate... 1/2008 Reuters"

Hands-free Computer Mouse

KRLA 870 AM Intelligent. Conservative. Talk Radio: "The future of surfing the web may move your mouse from your hand to your voice."

NPR: Some Businesses Benefit from Weak Dollar

WIPRO gets a mention!
NPR: Some Businesses Benefit from Weak Dollar: "Morning Edition, February 6, 2008 · The dollar's fall against the euro and other foreign currencies has hurt American tourists overseas and boosted the cost of imported goods. But the weaker greenback may not be all bad for U.S. businesses and the economy."

Doubling Up on Careers Suits More Workers - WSJ.com

Doubling Up on Careers Suits More Workers - WSJ.com: "Early in his career as an internist at a teaching hospital and later in private practice, Jeff Gold felt he needed to add another dimension to his job to gain satisfaction. While he enjoyed his clinical work, Dr. Gold also yearned to be intellectually challenged in the business world. 'Most people thought I was kind of strange,' he says of his transition 18 years ago to dual careers, geriatrics and medical marketing and advertising."

YouTube - Here Comes another Bubble

YouTube - Here Comes another Bubble

Making the Most of Your Intranet -- HotOffice -- SharePoint -- Mindbridge

Making the Most of Your Intranet -- HotOffice -- SharePoint -- Mindbridge: "Seven years ago, INK, Inc., a pay-for-placement media relations firm, needed a way for its staff to quickly share information about potential opportunities for clients. E-mail was too awkward and restrictive, especially where images or video materials were concerned. The answer was for INK to create its own intranet."

Techman's 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Dance

Hold the Date for Techman's 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Dance

On May 10, 2008

Details will follow.

Clodagh

Susan St. Ledger Senior Vice President, Salesforce.com - WSJ.com

Susan St. Ledger Senior Vice President, Salesforce.com - WSJ.com: "Susan St. Ledger always thought she would go back and get her M.B.A. But too many, not-to-be-missed career opportunities got in the way. Ms. St. Ledger doesn't regret any of them. Whether it was working as the chief of staff for the president of Sun Microsystems or introducing Salesforce.com's Software-as-a-Service (SAS) platform to clients, Ms. St. Ledger found little time for hitting the books or sitting in a classroom. 'I think getting an M.B.A. is a great thing, but I think you really have to balance it with, 'What are the opportunities you're faced with at work?' ' Elizabeth Garone spoke with Ms. St. Ledger about those opportunities in her career. Edited excerpts follow."

Marketplace: The essential job of a leader

Marketplace: The essential job of a leader: "How do you learn to lead in the world of high-stakes corporate affairs? Author Warren Bennis says it all comes down to one thing: Good judgment. He talks with Kai Ryssdal about his new book."

Cheer Up, Ben: Your Economy Isn't As Bad as This One - WSJ.com

Cheer Up, Ben: Your Economy Isn't As Bad as This One - WSJ.com: "In the real world, banks are reeling from the subprime-mortgage mess. In the online game Second Life, a shutdown of the make-believe banking system is causing real-life havoc for thousands of people."

Independent Street : Brainstorming Online for Dollars

Independent Street : Brainstorming Online for Dollars: "At a packed room at Bello Restaurant in New York Monday night, Chris Elam, founder of a Brooklyn dance theater, got a check for $10,000 just for his business idea.
His pitch: a Web site for performing artists that offers live rehearsal streaming, instant messaging and virtual theaters where viewers can watch performances from different vantage points."

Bangkok journal | PRI's The World

Bangkok journal | PRI's The World: "Bangkok is at a unique juncture in its evolution and history right now, growing at a rate few human developments have ever seen. To put things in perspective, the institutions and infrastructure of Europe and America industrialized and modernized over the span of roughly two centuries. Bangkok is going through this shift in the blink of an eye. The city has been experiencing the industrial, technological, democratic, and sexual revolutions almost all at once."

Technology from Estonia

Technology | PRI's The World: "The Baltic nation of Estonia is trying to make a name for itself in the world of technology. So far, at least one of its high-tech innovations has gone global. Skype...the software that lets you make free phone calls over the internet is used by millions around the world. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Skype manager Sten Tamkivi."

TelecomWeb :: Cisco/BT Authors Walk The Sustainability Walk, Talk The Talk

TelecomWeb :: Cisco/BT Authors Walk The Sustainability Walk, Talk The Talk: "wanting to grow profitably in the future must focus their efforts to benefit shareholders, society and the environment simultaneously."

Wi-Fi Users, Beware: Hot Spots Are Weak Spots - WSJ.com

Wi-Fi Users, Beware: Hot Spots Are Weak Spots - WSJ.com: "Next time you are sitting in a hotel lobby checking email on your laptop, be careful: The 'businessman' in the next lounge chair may be tracking your every move."

Google Announces Plan To Destroy All Information It Can't Index | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Google Announces Plan To Destroy All Information It Can't Index | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—Executives at Google, the rapidly growing online-search company that promises to 'organize the world's information,' announced Monday the latest step in their expansion effort: a far-reaching plan to destroy all the information it is unable to index."

Demand Rises for Talent-Management Software - WSJ.com

Demand Rises for Talent-Management Software - WSJ.com: "Hoping to reduce turnover and increase worker satisfaction, companies are upgrading the way they manage, assess and share employee performance data. They are investing in Web-based software that tracks the progress of workers from the time they apply to work at a company until they leave."

Microsoft Comes to Grocery Aisle With MediaCart Console - WSJ.com

Microsoft Comes to Grocery Aisle With MediaCart Console - WSJ.com: "SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. is bringing digital advertising to the grocery cart.
The software maker spent four years working with Plano, Texas-based MediaCart Holdings Inc. on a grocery cart-mounted console that helps shoppers find products in the store, then scan and pay for their items without waiting in the checkout line. Microsoft's acquisition of online advertising company aQuantive last year for $6 billion shored up the company's capacity to serve video ads onto these grocery cart screens."

Technology products and individual change

Ran across this book while perusing Amazon: "The Change Function", by Pip Coburn (former Global Technology Strategist for UBS, former columnist for Red Herring magazine). He says that the leading cause of failure in technology product introduction is that tech companies believe in "build it and they will come".

The author proposes that a better approach is the Total Perceived Pain of Adoption (including cost, level of change from established habit, etc.) must be significantly less than the level of pain caused by the Crisis (the problem the product is supposed to solve). He quotes Ted Leavitt, from the Harvard Business School, who said "People don't buy a quarter-inch drill. They buy a quarter-inch hole. You've got to study the hole, not the drill. The drill is just a solution for it."

Here's a link
for an interview with the author:

I thought the discussion of flat panel TV adoption (and HD TV) at Best Buy was interesting. They also discuss the effect of social networking and peer pressure in creating the Crisis as opposed to just functionality needs (my friends all have quarter-inch holes in their walls...).

Haven't read the book yet, but thought it seemed like one of those things that, once you think about it, you say "well, of course that's how it works", but apparently many tech companies don't 'get it'.

carl

Business Alliance China FastTrack Forum

David Bohigian, Asst. Secretary for Market Access and Compliance at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, currently on a trade mission regarding business opportunities for American companies in China, will share his perspective on these possibilities as the Closing Keynote speaker at the January 24th China FastTrack program. His remarks will immediately follow those of Jin Ju, Minister Counselor for Science & Technology at the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, ending a full day program featuring networking and presentations by other government officials, Chinese and local business leaders experienced in this market.

If you or your clients are contemplating China as a market or as another resource for business growth—or if you are seeking to educate yourself about the real possibilities and issues in this market, register now to attend the China FastTrack Forum.

Registration includes presentations in the morning regarding market opportunities, afternoon panels regarding risk management and getting started, and keynotes at breakfast, lunch and the networking reception. Attend the breakouts in which you are most interested or stay all day.

Business Alliance ChinaFastTrack Forum

YouTube - Keynote - Bill Gates' Last Day - January 6, 2008

YouTube - Keynote - Bill Gates' Last Day - January 6, 2008

Show It, Save It, Watch It Dance - WSJ.com

Show It, Save It, Watch It Dance - WSJ.com: "At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -- which continues through tomorrow -- there is no question which force is stronger right now. Amid a reasonably bright forecast for sales, the flood of new devices to handle digital content is surging."

NPR : 'Marketplace' Report: Wikipedia Search Goes Live

NPR : 'Marketplace' Report: Wikipedia Search Goes Live: "Day to Day, January 7, 2008 · Wikipedia launches Wikia Search, an online search engine to be run by volunteers. Users can rate how helpful results are. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer discusses how the nonprofit organization plans to transition into a revenue-generating business and whether Google should be scared."

Marketplace: New technology buzzes at CES

What's big at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas? CNet's Brian Cooley talks to Doug Krizner about new advances in GPS technology and whether Blu-Ray has won the high-def war with its new deal.Marketplace: New technology buzzes at CES

Netflix's future might be online

Marketplace from American Public Media: "Netflix is trying to embrace the future. The DVD-by-mail company has been offering its customers the chance to watch movies online at no extra charge. Now Netflix is starting a partnership with LG electronics to make it easier for people to watch online content directly on their TVs. A set-top box will do the bridge between the computer and the television. Netflix's CEO said yesterday that eventually, he wants to see 100 different devices out there capable of connecting to Netflix -- from video-game consoles to high-definition DVD players."

Technology | Online Ads Come of Age, or Maybe Not - washingtonpost.com

Technology | Online Ads Come of Age, or Maybe Not - washingtonpost.com: "The rise of social networks such as Facebook and wireless gadgets such as the iPhone has set off a small stampede of companies hoping to build on or replicate their success. Many are counting on advertising to pay the bills."

Contracting | Shifting From Tanks to Technology - washingtonpost.com

Contracting | Shifting From Tanks to Technology - washingtonpost.com: "For government contractors, 2007 wasn't pretty: They had to contend with tighter budgets and increased oversight from a new Democratic Congress, as well as polarizing controversies surrounding the conduct of contractors in Iraq."