In my recently completed series, SharePoint 2007: Friend or Foe, I outlined the impact Microsoft’s SharePoint offerings are having on the content and document management space in general - and strongly urged you and your company to consider how you cope with the $1 billion giant that is SharePoint.

Let’s look a little deeper at why SharePoint 2007 fails as a robust document management system by itself.

Remember, if you will, SharePoint has 2 offerings: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS 2007) and Windows SharePoint Services (WSS 3.0). Read more on what SharePoint is here.

DMS/CMS Primer:

To understand most traditional document and content management systems, there is a fundamental architecture most cling to in order to optimize performance and build for scalability. What is termed “metadata” is stored inside a database, and optimized for search, while the documents or content is typically housed on an external storage medium such as a file server, network attached storage (NAS), or storage area network (SAN).

Metadata can be just about anything you may want to use, but it is typically thought of as indexes, OCR text, and notes; that is any textual information you may use to find the document later.

By keeping a pointer within the database of metadata, rather than the content itself, searches can be performed much more quickly and even cached for routine searches. In this fashion the image, document, or content really just becomes a visually-friendly and legally-viable original.

The Disadvantages:

1. Document level options are not available: One of the key features most DMS/CMS systems offer are document level options like redaction and document mark-ups. While SharePoint has wonderful collaboration tools, DMS/CMS systems are geared around preserving the original state of a document - implementing markups as layers on top of the existing content. SharePoint does not provide this functionality as it relies on its Microsoft Office suite for document manipulation.
2. Documents housed within database: for the reasons discussed within the primer above, this is perhaps the greatest weakness of SharePoint to date. Look for this to be corrected in future releases.
3. Offering is broad but not deep: Microsoft’s SharePoint was meant to address many different aspects of document collaboration and data management. This has lead to an offering that can touch many different areas of a business, but has not been developed to be tightly integrated within the core just yet.
4. Need for heavy customization: The need for heavy customization is evident almost from the start. Unless you are well versed in MOSS or WSS architecture, or have access to a top-shelf developer, SharePoint will likely not meet 100% of your needs.

With these 4 disadvantages so close to the surface, many organizations, including my own, are opting for a coexistence strategy. This creates another wrinkle in things as there is often a requirement for duplicate copies of the documents to be housed: 1 within SharePoint and 1 in another location such as our DMS.

Take head, however, these vulnerabilities are well known. As Microsoft decides to close in on the market of content management, coupled with the pulling of CIO’s and CTO’s to bring SharePoint to bear on their organization’s information issues, these disadvantages are predicted to be addressed.

First, just what is social media? That’s a pretty broad term. In general, it has come to signify a collective offering of Web 2.0 companies like Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, and Facebook which allow groups of like-minded individuals to form loose-knit communities for the purpose of broadcasting information to large groups of people who comprise a well-targeted demographic.

Business translation? You get your intended message out to a well-tuned market who will listen your message.

Most traditional businesses aren’t even aware these services exist, well with the exception of sites like Facebook or MySpace. But aren’t those for my teenager?

The Chicken or the Egg?

Ah, now you’ve asked an interesting question. This actually shows you are not dumb at all - I’m proud of you for thinking like that. You at least know they exist.

Here’s a quick fact for all of you, Facebook recently reached 100,000,000 subscribers. A free service dedicated to helping people connect with one another now has more competitive information housed within its database than your CRM/SFA application.

Do you think you might be able to do just a little research on a prospect before heading over if they were subscribed to a service like Facebook, or LinkedIn (a popular professional network)?

You may ask, “My prospect couldn’t be using any of that stuff - could they?”

The Tipping Point is Now

Social media is at a tipping point, some might argue it is well past - but I would contend only now are avant garde companies utilizing social media outlets to capitalize on untapped markets and interact with their customers. The mainstream businesses are still grappling with search engine marketing, and the Web has been around for almost two decades, while social media is really only in its infancy.

Companies like Comcast and Dell are putting their proverbial ear to the ground in order to help foresee potential press before it hits the mainstream media outlets like MSNBC or CNN. While these examples are technology companies, it is important to note this is both an intelligence and social tool; these two companies are opting to lead the pack to both “listen to the chatter on the wire” as well as connect with their customers in a meaningful way.

Be Authentic

While you would love to have access to this wealth of raw marketing data, there is a cost. It does not necessarily come in subscription fees or maintenance agreements. There have been no proven “get rich quick schemes” here.

It takes authenticity and empathy; a genuine interest and interaction in the communities you traffic. In this manner are you given the keys to the kingdom.

Sound familiar? Isn’t it very much like how we say we sell - by building relationships? The payoff is measured in meaningful gains - at first not quantitative, but qualitative. Then, as your sphere of influence grows so to does your return: You find increased responsiveness to your brand, increased goodwill, and increased customer retention.

What you put in is what you get out, and that’s why you would use social media for your business. Not because it is a scheme, but because it is another way to build relationships with your community of customers.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

I am proud to announce we have launched our new corporate website for Team Kearns, a more web-friendly version than before resting on an open source content management system (CMS), Drupal. I have been working with Corey at Dealer Marketing Systems since early this year (the brains behind MasterTheBusiness.com & CopierCatalog.com - which I highly recommend as a great reads).

He has been both a great mentor on SEO and friend; so I decided to trust him enough to put together my new company website. The press release is posted a press release over at OfficeProductNews.net.

Here is an except.

Kearns Business Solutions is proud to announce the launch of their new website, www.TeamKearns.com.

Several months ago, the company launched the Team Kearns initiative, geared towards communicating the value a team approach brings to outlining and executing their clients’ strategies. This website is another step towards helping Kearns not only communicate their message to clients, but ultimately providing valuable resources to augment their clients’ document strategies.

Read the rest of the press release at OfficeProductNews.net (another one of Corey’s little projects).

I would recommend Corey’s team to anyone. I am exacting in my standards, and Corey’s team was able to thoroughly take this site from concept to reality.

If it weren’t for the fact that everyone loves seeing my happy and smiling face at work I think I could really get into telecommuting - well except for the fact that my daughter seems to think the world lives to give her attention…

That aside, where else can you work in PJ’s, wear bedroom slippers, and sip on a latte while relaxing from your arm chair? I don’t have bedroom slippers, so I suppose I would have to expense those. But other than that - I got this gig down:

I have remote software on all of the servers, remote software to access any desktop or notebook I need, a VoIP handset to talk, e-mail for managing the tasks, instant messenger (IM) to chat, and a BlackBerry for errands. I’m all set.

Seeing is Believing:

People don’t see me, and what most people don’t see they don’t believe. Sure, many of us ‘technologists’ get it. We are mobile professionals on the road - and we judge performance based upon the results - right!?

Do the Benefits Outweigh the Perception?

Many organizations, including government, has turned to telecommuting as a cost-friendly way to maintain increasing demand for results. The benefits of telecommuting are wonderful:

1. Higher productivity: More relaxed attitude and less office distractions.
2. Lower overhead: lower expenses related to facilities costs.
3. Other perks: lower fuel costs for the employees can equate to a raise for a creative manager.
4. The list goes on…

The perception, however, can be a much different thing.

Perception is Reality:

I would venture a guess that most of you reading this blog are technologically - well, shall we say - progressive. You thirst for knowledge, to connect, to create… Sadly, you make up a smaller percentage of the workforce.

Thus toots the train of thought many executives travel upon.

“It is not the spoon that bends …

… but you that bends around the spoon,” as the quote goes. In essence, you have to see your way around the wall that is common misperception regarding telecommuters: that is they are hard to manage, hard to communicate with, and can be lazy.

I like to think of myself as a progressive leader, and make no mistake, that is what it takes to buy into a modern day vision of the mobile worker. However, I was recently bitten by a telecommuter for a SharePoint project I am working on that had the makings of a nightmare.

At the outset of the project, I had spent over a week trying to connect, but due to schedules it took us quite some time. Then there was the business of setting access and signing contracts. After these items were settled in, it took us another few days to connect - and to my dismay we only connected via IM - well after business hours?

Well, we discussed this and that, and this developer had a seemingly wonderful grasp upon some of the nuances of SharePoint development. I was promised a statement/estimate of work, and thus we were off.

Then a week came and went - no statement of work - no visible results. Then another week began to pass, and I initiated contact only to find no response, no work, nothing.

So it is that I, the progressively-minded leader, was bitten. I should’ve heard the alarm-bells, no the sirens, of project mismanagement missteps across the board - but I allowed myself to deviate from my standard management practices - all in the name of telecommuting.

So, there is a lesson somewhere inside, or else I will just feel miserable having wasted 4 weeks of my project portfolio’s time.

Telecommuting; the Brutal Truth:

What was my mistake? Not remembering that telecommuting is no different than comparing wired to wireless networks. Both have their places, but telecommuting is simply a medium of transport. Have some faith in the fact that belief does not have to be determined by sight alone.

With the prevalence of the mobile phone market domestically and abroad, I think it is safe to say we are a media hungry world. With MP3’s for ring tones, e-mail and text messaging blitzing in and out of your phone, and real-time video streaming to and from that little gadget in your hand - mobile media (media accessible through handheld devices) is now the rule, not the exception.

At what point do we see the commercial space cross over into the realm of enterprise? In decades past, it has been the enterprise that has paved the way for mass consumption of many things electronic - even the lucrative commercial offerings mobile phone providers now tout had their origins in Corporate America. Maybe it is time the commercial / retail space gave a little back.

Mobile media’s place in the enterprise is under discussion in many offices across the U.S. Arguably, there are key areas in the company which may be dramatically impacted through mobile media, but many executives still contend this medium of delivery as largely youth driven.

While mobile-media isn’t a favorite topic of those in the corner office, mobile media has really caught the eye of corporate IT, whose key responsibilities are generally keeping the network operational and ensuring overall security. Quite frankly, mobile media potentially threatens both.

With corporations overly-crowded ‘tubes’, companies are pushing more bandwidth down their pipes than ever. Sure server space and network speeds are to be had at a cheaper rate, but toss in the CFO’s command to control costs, and now you have a genuine recipe for a witch-hunt on your hands -with IT hold the pitch-forks and torches.

From personal experience in managing a mid-sized, privately held company’s infrastructure, it is a tough road to walk. Well, if you are in IT - you may think it very cut and dry, but how to you reconcile the bleeding-effect occurring between knowledge workers’ work and personal life?

Many times, today’s workers’ are working towards and being measured on results, not hours worked. These workers seek a streamlined life as well as consistent and constant access to data. In other words, they want always on connections that synchronize amongst themselves - digital on-ramps and off-ramps, and a key one of these being a handheld device.

Richer user experiences will continue to be a demand touted by skilled workers, and employers will have to find a way to deal with the expectations of fringe benefits such as a corporate handheld device that also doubles as a personal MP3 player - as in the case of the illustrious iPhone. If you think this is a fad, I would suggest not; it is a trend that appears to be increasing in frequency.

1. What challenges have you and your company run into with regards to mobile media?
2. Do you allow your mobile workforce to blur the lines between work and personal content?

Photo credit: Sanja Gjenero

With all of this talk about location services with the iPhone, and the pending “me too” launch of RIM’s Thunder/Storm product - I thought it prudent that RIM invest in some similar services, and even partner with leaders in other industries to co-brand a wonderful set of tools.

Think about combining location services, like GPS, with the raw e-mail potential BlackBerry is so good at.

And so, the top 5 BlackBerry signature services were born:

• 5. DriveBerry: A factory-installed, directional system optional with 2010 GM Hummers where you can control the movements of the vehicle directly from your BlackBerry handheld. *only available on the AT&T network and in major markets. Subject to terms and conditions.
• 4. QWERTY-FISH: Click Here to receive a text message translating what I just typed in this e-mail: A service provided in conjunction with Yahoo! BABEL FISH.
• 3. SpeedBump: I’ve hit ‘X’ number of pedestrians while trying to find the exclamation point: A new service in partnership with Rockstar Games: Makers of Grand Theft Auto IV
• 2. CrackTrap: Current speed while typing this e-mail is ‘X’ mph: A service provided by your friendly California Highway Patrol (CHP) Traffic and Safety Division.

… and the number 1 BlackBerry Signature Service is:

• Crack-cident: Now going on X days without an accident: A free signature service provide by your friendly insurance company.

Do you have more? Send me your best RIM Signatures.

We round out our discussion focusing upon Microsoft’s SharePoint offerings. Here are 6 takeaways from this series to date:

1. Microsoft has sold over $1 billion dollars in SharePoint 2007 (MOSS) licensing to date. This figure is not inclusive of 3rd party add-on solutions.
2. Microsoft creates a huge wake of awareness for all players. The choice of what to do with the awareness is up to you.
3. What Microsoft lacks in depth, it makes up for in breadth of offerings. Additionally, the SharePoint solution is really a platform to enable collaboration.
4. Review how SharePoint aligns with your current offerings. Seek clarification from your partners on how they intend to work with SharePoint’s presence.
5. If you have not yet begun seeding in various business-problem-solving solutions into your bag of tricks, this should serve as a wake-up call to do something - even if its retire early.
6. There are options, and if you are already seeding in solutions - choose your course carefully so that you do not disrupt your ’success engine’.

These 6 observations may or may not sway your judgment towards the raw potential this one technology has created. It is not fully baked nor mature, and it should not be thought of to solve every business problem. It has its own problems for sure.

However, this offering should engage the gears in your head - to at least consider what stance you will take.

Any clearly defined strategy has a strong potential of success so long as you approach it with honesty, passion, and commitment. Do you have to have SharePoint to be successful? Surely not.
However, I would submit those dealers who embrace what this offering represents, educates themselves - openly and honestly - on the benefits and drawbacks of SharePoint technology, and creates a differentiation strategy will prevail.

There is no silver bullet to save the day, but there are silver linings to be had. Whether SharePoint is your friend or foe get out your umbrella because we are in for a storm.

Read this series here.

We continue to discuss Microsoft’s SharePoint in this 4 part series, and whether SharePoint 2007 is a friend or foe of the independent dealer. In our last post, we discussed some of what’s under the hood in SharePoint, briefly.

Let’s move on to discuss how SharePoint usually interacts with the channel’s traditional Document Management Systems (DMS) offerings, and offer a few potential business models to think about in the months to come as your company decides how to cope with SharePoint.

How SharePoint Interacts with Your DMS Offerings:

As the popularity and bench strength of Microsoft’s SharePoint offerings have grown over the years, DMS players have had to take notice and begin to consider strategies to either coexist or oust SharePoint. Earlier versions of Microsoft were largely considered departmental solutions, according to Jeetu Patel of Doculads. This, however, is not the case with SharePoint 2007 offerings.

In Russ Edelman’s AIIM E-DOC article, SharePoint In The Enterprise, he asserts there are 2 fundamental paths traveled by organizations - those of exclusive (no existing DMS infrastructure) and inclusive (merge with existing DMS infrastructure) strategies. Russ goes on to expand upon the advantages and disadvantages:

Exclusive - Path 1 SharePoint Only:

• Advantage: No existing DMS migrations are necessary
• Advantage: Lower maintenance costs
• Advantage: Consistent user interfaces
• Advantage: Common repositories and reduced duplication of data
• Disadvantage:SharePoint is limited in certain functionalities
• Disadvantage:SharePoint records management is version 1.0
• Disadvantage: Users may have limited knowledge of DMS benefits
• Disadvantage: Architecture may impose limitations in various applications

Inclusive - Path 2 Coexistence:

• Advantage: Users and implementers have familiarity with DMS concepts
• Advantage:DMS applications may be more suitable for specific applications
• Disadvantage: Additional maintenance cost
• Disadvantage: Confusion on which software to apply
• Disadvantage: Potential inconsistent  user interfaces
• Disadvantage: Duplicate data may need to be maintained

From personal experience with integrating WSS within my own organization, in coexistence with a current DMS application, it is interesting to see the key differences. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but the greatest weakness of SharePoint has to be its architecture in how it handles documents themselves.

Truly, SharePoint is far better than any other application to date with collaborating with Office documents, but architecturally, it cannot compete with a true DMS in handling large amounts of documents - in its current iteration.

However, one strategy to skirt around the coexistence issue is what is known as “surfacing”, or the ability to overlay SharePoint as the user interface to reach into the DMS repository itself.

Getting Down to the Business of Business Models:

As you build your strategy, you must decide whether Microsoft SharePoint will be part of your go-to-market strategy or part of your hit list. There is a case to be made for embracing SharePoint, and several viable business models that might make some sense:

1. Acquire a development or integration partner: Acquisition of talent would offer a quick upside to both talent and possibly an existing customer base; in essence, you can drive the car off the lot. Obviously the downside would be a generally large capital outlay and potential culture clash.
2. Build your own shop: The do-it-yourself approach is a lot like building the model using a kit versus buying the car off the lot; possible margins, blending with the existing culture, and overall control can be better controlled. However, many dealers wouldn’t know where to begin, so creating the synergy would be generally difficult leading to a longer ramp time for success.
3. Partner with another company: For the independent dealer, this has potentially the best outcome. While strong partner documentation must be in place, dealers can immediately ramp up by simply adding solutions to their portfolio. The caution here is to know whether your existing teams are already strong in solutions selling. If they are not, this solution could be a recipe for disastrous distraction from your core business. Be sure you can ante up before you ask for your cards.

Which business model works best in your environment?

In the last article in this series, we conclude our analysis of SharePoint and its place in the dealer channel.

Read this series here.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

We continue to discuss Microsoft’s SharePoint in this 4 part series, and whether SharePoint 2007 is a friend or foe of the independent dealer.

With the growing market for SharePoint, businesses will be forced to make a decision about whether to play with or against Microsoft SharePoint. Given over $1 Billion in licensing was sold within the last year, Microsoft has a potential slumbering giant quickly coming to its senses. What is perhaps most interesting to the independent dealer channel is the visibility SharePoint brings to the Document Management space.

Wait, just what is SharePoint?

If you haven’t been exposed to it, it’s a little tough to wrap your mind around. One of my friends described it as “network Play-Doh“. That’s interesting, but what does it do for me?

Microsoft SharePoint 2007 comes in 2 flavors: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) and Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). SMB’s will traditionally be able to rapidly deploy WSS, and not hassle with expensive licensing in MOSS. However, at certain levels, MOSS offers some higher level functionality that you just can’t beat.

SharePoint Technology is presented as a website. What is unique about SharePoint is that it allows for customization of the content on that web page by enabling drag-and-drop and point-and-click editing of the content.

The way this is accomplished is by use webparts. Think of webparts like bricks used in building a wall. Each brick has its purpose in the scheme, but imagine, if you will, you decide you would like some of your bricks to be purple, or green, or yellow. With modular webparts, you can define various content types within the SharePoint site.

Let’s say you want a picture gallery, or a small document library, or even a sales forecast tool. All of these are either built-in options, or quickly available through point-and-click interfaces. You don’t have to be a web programmer to manage your SharePoint site.

The real power of SharePoint comes with its tight integration with the Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Exchange Server (Microsoft’s own e-mail platform). Rather than e-mailing a copy of an Excel file around and getting lost in which version you are looking at, you can simply use a web browser, navigate to the document, and check it out - much like a library book. Now you know who has the document and can even view the document while it is in its “checked-out” state without deleting the other person’s changes.

With all of that power and flexibility under the hood, it sounds very complex to implement. Is it?

There is some truth in this statement, because it’s not yet just a point-and-click install. There are, indeed, several other components that will need to be operational first. However, most companies already have these things in place, and to get started there is no charge for the software. Compared to most software suites, WSS can be installed and lightly configured in hours and not days.

Microsoft SharePoint is truly network Play-Doh. It is a web-based platform that I can shape and mold into just about anything I want. For instance, here are a few things I’m using it for:

1. Corporate Intranet
2. Sales Forecast Dashboard
3. Document Library (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
4. Company News
5. Company Associate Forms
6. Customer Project Management
7. Document Collaboration
8. Departmental Workflow

SharePoint Technology can be bent to many different uses, and it is generally very easy for people to adopt basic use because they are already navigating the web.

less training needed = higher adoption curve

Now that you see how beneficial SharePoint Technology can be, the real question is, “where to start?”

Make no mistake, While SharePoint is fairly easy to install, it is like any other solution you propose. You, as your clients’ consultant, must draw upon the appropriate resources to determine if this solution is a good fit for your clients’ needs.

Does that sound hard? Doesn’t asking the correct questions equal uncovering the real problem to solve?

The point here is that SharePoint is flexible enough that it can solve many business problems and help you seed in growth opportunities within the account and secure your position as your clients’ valued partner.

Coming Up: In our next article we will look at how Microsoft SharePoint interacts with your Document Management strategies and offerings, as well as some thoughts on potential business plans.

Read this series here.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

In a recent post, IRS Wants to Tax Your Use of Corporate Mobile Plans, I was shocked to find out the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS’s) policy on taxation of corporate mobile plans. Per Kelly from TaxGirl.com, she recommended contacting my local senator. And so I did. This is Senator DeMint’s response:

Dear Mr. Stewart,

 

     Thank you for contacting me to express your support for S.2668, the Modernize Our Bookkeeping In the Law for Employee’s (MOBILE) Cell Phone Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and I share your support.

 

     You may be pleased to know that I am a co-sponsor and strong supporter of S.2668, which Senator John Ensign of Nevadaintroduced on February 26, 2008 and is now being considered by the Committee on Finance. This legislation would ease the IRS reporting requirements for tax deductions employers take for mobile phones they provide to their employees. Currently, cumbersome records of phone usage must be maintained, but this bill would streamline these requirements and allow employers to estimate usage.

 

     Like you, I believe that mobile devices are now a necessity for many employers and employees and should be treated as a normal business asset. By relaxing the documentation requirements for tax deductions, companies can focus on innovation and new products rather than maintenance of call logs for the IRS. Please rest assured this bill will have my support when it comes before the full Senate.

 

     Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about anything important to you or your family. It is an honor to serve you and the state of South Carolina.

 

 Sincerely,

Jim DeMint
United States Senator

It’s great to know that Senator DeMint has his finger on this issue, and is a welcome breath of fresh air.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.