Web-Tones

Mashing Up

Do a Google search on "mashup" and you get a lot of interesting results, mostly about mashups that are happening in the music space, but what I want to talk about is mashups in the software space. Take a look at what is happening at www.salesforce.com with their AppExchange offering and you will be getting a preview of things to come, essentially using the Internet as a software development platform, with tech savvy end users in the drivers seat and leading the collaboration (for the most part). Sure, vendors have been touting the death of programming (and programmers) for thirty years now so don't hold you breadth on that score, but more and more power is being placed in the hands of users, and that is going to have a huge impact, as we begin to close the loop (for users) between what I want and what I know how to do.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Mashup

Year of Open Source?

Wow Sun is thinking about an open source version of Solaris! There seems to be more and more momentum building in the ABM (Anything But Microsoft) crowd toward finally coming up with an answer to Windows and MS Office. There is very little doubt that Google is going to do an Office Suite, probably based on OpenOffice from Sun, and that they will attempt to leverage this into a free, robust and scalable software development platform, perhaps combining it with a Google Desktop and you have the makings of a very interesting value proposition, both for Google and for the open source community. Why? Because Google is probably the only company on the planet that could actually pull it off! They currently have a virtual monopoly on search (for now) and this advantage might be just enough to sustain them through the onslaught that is sure to be coming from the Gorilla in Redmond. As Geoff Moore is fond of saying, "let the games begin." No matter who ultimately prevails in this clash of the titans, the consumer (and the open source community) is likely to benefit in a big way from the fierce competition.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Solaris, Open Source, Google, Sun

Transactions versus Interactions

Geoff Moore moderating a heavyweight panel discussion in Davos (The World Economic Forum) that included Bill Gates, Eric Schmidt, John Chambers and Niklas Zeenstrom (of Skype ) discuss (in part) how the new IT will be focused on interactions as opposed to transactions. What they are getting at is the "markets as conversations" meme and implying that IT will be more focused on providing enabling technologies that facilitate interactions/conversations with customers. And while that might be true, the enabling of interactions will be driven mostly by enlightened business executives that are tech savvy enough to know how to leverage this brave new world in ways that drive competitive advantage (the because of factor). This is going to be a user driven revolution and IT will have a seat at the table but its ability to contribute will depend heavily on changing its mindset from back office apps to those apps that change the rules of the game within the company's niche or industry.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Because of, Davos

The Buzz

Chris Anderson rants about the new boom here, and the good doctor and Rick Segal continue the rant about re-inventing the VC business here, and you start to get the feeling that something is happening again in the technology space because the buzz is audible. But the real buzz has to do with the "Because of" factor. Companies that change the rules of the game not because they invent the technologies but because they find new and innovative ways to "use" the technologies. Get ready for the "user centric" revolution. The democratization of powerful enabling technology is poised to allow "smart little guys" (OK they need some capital too, BUT not as much as they use to) to begin transforming niches in industry after industry, and since the "little guys" create most of the new jobs, this activity should have a positive effect on the economy as a whole. Watch out India and China, American ingenuity is "fixin" to kick butt again!

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Because of

Future Lawyer, The Gadget King

My friend Rick Georges is the attorney gadget king. He has a fascination for gadgets and a passion for the law, and has combined both to dramatically improve the productivity of his law practice! Got a demo today at lunch where Rick logged on to his server via his Treo and had instant access to his case management system (via remote control ala Citrix). Needless to say that I was impressed,  not only was connectivity seamless, but the Windows desktop and apps were actually usable!

Rick also displayed a pdf file the was readable despite the small type and access to email that was quite functional. While the phone will not displace his laptop anytime soon, it does make computing accessible and convenient in nearly all environments, clearly the ability to tap into his business computing platform from anywhere is a boost to his productivity, and points to the possibilities that are evolving in Law 2.0

Tags: Law 2.0, Web 2.0, Web2.0

Pixar Rules

Wow! I gotta believe that with Jobs/Pixar now part of Disney it will once again be a powerhouse to be reckoned with for some time to come. With Disney's distribution muscle and Pixar's creative talent, we may see an entirely different Disney emerge, way beyond just what they might be doing in the animation space!

The market apparently likes the deal, and what is there not to like about it? This deal just "feels" right because Pixar (apparently) "owns" Disney animation lock, stock, and Nemo.

Tags: Disney, Pixar, Jobs

Health, Specialized Search?

OK so I am on a health kick (sort of) and I encountered this new search engine  specialized for health related info. Looks like a well put together site and was plugged by all things Web 2.0 Mike Arrington. I have not had time to register and dig into some of their other "amenities" and explore additional health specific content provided, but it looks interesting. Did get more focused hits on my "hypotension and exercise" search and that was promising.

What puzzles me however is why Google just wouldn't jump in and own this market?. They are already the kings of search, how much more would they have to do to own "specialized search engines" of many flavors: health, law, etc. I suppose if Healthline does it right they could be hoping for a payday by selling to the big boys (a likely scenario).

Tags: Health, Health 2.0, Web 2.0, Web2.0

Health & Information

How often do you use the Internet to search for health related issues? Chances are that your use has grown incrementally over time and that often the search has to do with self diagnosis.

I recently noticed a kind of "malaise" the day after a hard (for me) workout. It is not necessarily that my muscles were aching but more of a kind "lethargy". Since this pattern was recurring, I did not work workout as often because of the "next day" effect. Turns out that "hypotension (low blood pressure)" is a possible explanation. I found useful information within about 15 minutes time, and some reasonable steps that might help. This problem was no where serious enough for me to see a doctor but sufficiently troublesome enough to impact my "quality of life".

What's the so what? The better quality and authoritative information that we have readily available, the more literate health consumers we become, the more we can practice "preventive health-care", as opposed to fix me I'm broke" health-care. Tom Peter's rants about it here in part one of his talk from Dubai, ripping into the medical community for the pathetic state of the status quo, however, while I agree with Tom that change is required, consumers have to step up to the plate and accept some responsibility. We need to be better informed! Leveraging the "Internets" is a big step in the right direction.

Tags: Health, Health 2.0

It's the Platform Stupid, Revisited

Open Source Radioware is the latest Doc Searls rant on the Linux Journal about what an emerging platform that allows small to medium size radio stations (is there such a thing?) to do what their hardware/software budgets might not otherwise allow.

I have yet to find an open source legal platform that would allow the same thing, but if it is not currently "out there", it most assuredly is coming soon to a theater near you. These offerings have the potential of changing the rules of the game for small to medium size law firms. A low cost, high impact, legal computing platform could be quite disruptive, allowing smaller players to fish in ponds that they were previously excluded from. Given that traditionally, the larger the organization, the slower it adapts, significant "first mover" advantages might be there for the taking. Already competitively priced commercial offerings that rely heavily on open source technologies are starting to point the way in the knowledge management space.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Law 2.0, KM

Google This?

Whether Google is trying to protect trade secrets or its users, by taking a stand it reminds us just how important privacy concerns are, and how readily they could be abused. Although Washington might think that the public is willing to "lay down" when it comes to complex constitutional issues, I believe a number of constituencies are starting to gather strength in numbers and will fight potential abuses if the government attempts to overplay its hand. After all, "eternal vigilance" is not just a cliche, it is a reminder of what is required to maintain a democracy, and a united citizenry, of all political persuasions, can send a powerful message.

Tags: Google