Web-Tones

The Next Frontier(s) of Search?

Link: Marissa Mayer Clarifies: Search Is Only 10% Done, Not 90%. I agree with Marissa's clarification. Search is just getting started, and so is the web (i.e. It is Still Early in Web Years). The future will continue to surprise, business models will emerge that leverage new and more powerful enabling technologies. The changes will transform both Wall Street and Main Street.

I wrote about this transformation in Search, KM & the Practice of Law. The full power of search has yet to be explored, in law, in healthcare and in any industry that you care to name.

New scripts will be written and the rules of the road will continue to change. The ship has indeed set sail, and the new explorers will likely have to face some turbulent waters, but as always, to the victors go the prize.

Happy sailing.

Self Powered Data Centers in the Ocean?

Link: Google makes waves and may have solved the data center conundrum | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com. OK so I have somewhat of a Google fixation but really, this is one of the most incredible ideas I have ever read about!

This is the kind of thinking that is literally "out of the box!" It is only arrived at if you allow yourself to think about a problem from a totally unfettered (well perhaps constrained by physics) perspective. This type of thinking is what makes Google a different kind of company.

I suspect that we will also, in the very near future, continue to see more and more experimentation with law firm business models as well. How do I make the leap from ocean based data centers to new law firm business models? Because I am convinced that enabling technologies will allow a rethinking of how legal professional services are packaged and delivered.

All it takes is for a small group to think about the problem from a totally new perspective, and have the multidisciplinary talent to execute on the idea. It is coming soon to a theater near you.

Google is God or Not?

Link: Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog: The Omnigoogle. I like this "complements" based economic analysis that Nick uses, it has a certain elegant appeal. But I do not believe it is the entire story, only the foundation for a much larger story.

Sure offering Google Apps for free, or the premier edition at a compelling price point, strengthens the  complements argument, but it also expands Google 's software DNA.  The expansion of this DNA can (and probably will) lead to profitable businesses in their own right, quite apart from the monetization of ads. This is the larger ambition.

It is the expansion of this DNA that makes me quite happy regarding hosting our legal practice entirely on Google Apps. The innovation and investment (of billions) in horizontal technologies (e.g. email, calendaring, wiki's, search, etc.) will allow our firm to ride a technological wave that is unprecedented.

We already have a 24/7 "always on" (mostly) practice and this story will only continue to get better.   

Don't Look to Academia!

Link: MediaShift . Embedded at NYU::Old Thinking Permeates Major Journalism School | PBS. This post presents a more general point that highlights why "to get the Internet you have to live online." Many academics simply do not understand just how transformational the Internet has become within certain sectors--certainly for media it is HUGE. But as I often write about here, media is the tip of the proverbial iceberg--almost all industries will be impacted, especially "knowledge based industries" (e.g. law, medicine, etc)--that said, name me an industry that is not "knowledge based?"

OK, all of the above is yesterday's news, but the lesson from the link is that "getting the Internet" is more like learning to swim. You don't do that by "reading about swimming," you do that by "jumping into the water," hopefully with a safety net nearby until you learn to tread water. Most academic courses (and programs) simply do not do an effective job of this, even in the old known universe, and they are simply (mostly) not even in the game when it comes to the Internet.

Chrome: the UI for the cloud!

Link: Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog: The cloud's Chrome lining. Google has decided to take matters into its own hands with its Chrome browser, and rightfully so. It needs to control its own destiny and transform the cloud from something interesting to geeks, to mainstream computing for the masses, AND for the enterprise.

Will it succeed? In a word, yes. Its future depends on it, but moreover, the cloud tsunami is already moving in that direction. Google is simply throwing resources at a wave that gets larger by the day. The fact that it is open source is also a critical success factor. This implies even more resources available to test/enhance Chrome, but also, arguably less reluctance on the part of both consumers and enterprises to adopt it.

Here Comes Everybody!

Link: Internet Traffic Begins to Bypass the U.S. - NYTimes.com. No this post is not about Clay Shirky's new book by the same title (which I have bought and is on my reading list) but rather about the growth of the Internet worldwide and the implications for American entrepreneurs.

On the one hand, the link above just points to another sign that Globalization is leading to a more level playing field, and that usually means more competitive pressure on American firms. There is no doubt we will continue to see this trend emerge, witness the recent layoffs at "Big Law." However with change comes opportunity. Forward looking American businesses ( some law firms certainly qualify) will turn this challenge on it head and not only survive, but in all likelihood thrive!