Is this the year for Software as a Service?

February 16, 2009

Lets face it, a bad economy is all about moving forward and spending less. In a good economy, the conditions are much more forgiving when you are gambling your investments. So where does cloud computing come in? It is the answer to many organizations trying to keep up with latest technology and not have a big up-front investment. The beauty of cloud computing is not just the savings but how fast the technology advances. Take a look at Facebook, it rocks, even the most unpopular dude in you high school class has 100 friends. Cloud computing is finding its way into organizations because it is cheap in comparison to installed software solutions and it evolves much faster. According to CNN.com "4 tech predictions for 2009," one of the four predictions is the advancement of cloud computing.

Organizations are now recognizing that the price of buying and maintaining software/hardware is just not cost-effective if there is a good alternative. The web is moving rapidly and our culture is changing. I just heard the slang term, "computer potato" and before long it will probably beat out couch potato in usage. Employees are now living their personal lives through social "freemiums" and organizations are looking for ways to tap into Web 2.0 technology to leverage that power.

Cloud computing represents an estimated $36 billion in the business market and 13% of global sales, and it is moving up, not down. This shift in thinking is a really big deal. We are facing extraordinary times and we may require a culture change on how we do business. Here at Innersync, we have been running a cloud for about 1 1/2 years and it is paying off. Our goal is to provide powerful, positive experiences to our customers, so we need to evolve our technology as easy and as quickly as possible. The cloud concept is the way we achieve this. One update, many users, one time.

As an example of this trend, recently San Francisco-based Genentech Inc. embraced Google Apps and is spending an estimated $800,000 annually (based on $50 per user) with Google compared to $70 million for a data center. And that did not include the rent-a-cops to watch the green protesters or the people to manage it. What does this mean? Technology is coming of age and people are weighing the options. I would think this is great concept even if I didn't make a living with this stuff. I am simple, give me a choice of affordable, evolving technology or a costly software/hardware implementation and I am going to base my decision on the end result with the best value.

Web 2.0 has taken on such a life of its own and it is so amazing how it has brought people together. When I think of the evolution of web technology, it is not the Microsoft model of installing software updates on a million computers. It is concepts like Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the others goodies we all love to use. I was talking to our friend Brock Brown who manages several technology companies, and he said "I do all my work in the cloud, so I can get by with less expensive software and hardware options. This cost savings is then passed on to my client base." So why would you think of any other way for your organization? When we think of schools that are struggling with budget cuts, we think they have cloud computing written all over them. Put a $200 laptop in every kids' hand and set them up with collaborative web publishing. Call your work done.

The moral of the story is that if you like great technology that brings people together, keeps CPU's running cool and lets you focus on the results vs. your investment, then maybe cloud computing is the answer for you.

Tags: Social media , education , cloud computing , web content management

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Blogs create powerful connections for students

January 27, 2009

The KIPP blogs were a buzz with comments from students, friends, parents and even grandparents!

Just recently, we were put to the task of helping our good friends at KIPP: LA with an exciting new idea. Twelve lucky kids had a rare opportunity to be part of history in the making by attending the 56th Presidential Inauguration ceremonies. KIPP: LA wanted to empower these students to stay connected with their teachers, friends and families by letting them blog their experience. So, they gave us a call and asked how it could be done. We're glad they did... because, as fate would have it, Innersync had just completed the new blog modules and was ready to put them through testing. With the click of a button, we set up 12 blogs on the KIPP: LA site, one for each student. The blogs were set up before the students left.

From parents and siblings to friends and teachers, the students quickly saw the role the blogs would play during their trip. It was amazing how the students embraced the technology. Clearly the blogs were easy to use and understand as evidenced by that fact there were entries from most kids by the time the plane landed in Washington D.C. Many students attached pictures they took from that day. Comments rolled in from friends, parents... and even grandparents! The quality of the posts we're inspiring, many from parents and grandparents suggesting they "take it all in" and "think about what this means for America," and even "you are a part of history in the making!"

Sure a post to the blog is faster and cheaper than a post card... and it's embracing the 2009 theme of "going green," but there's something more. Little did they realize, they were doing much more than just sending messages home. They were bringing people together by using the technology of the day in lieu of traditional methods to document and articulate their experiences at the inauguration. And the really cool part is how everyone used it, including grandma. The result... lot of smiles, tears of joy and *all* powerful connections like no other media. At Innersync, we call them "Simply powerful web experiences."

Students research on the internet just like they use a library and web 2.0 methodologies are being used for class assignments just like traditional book-work. Seeing this play out in front of our own eyes is really a beautiful thing. "I was talking to a client today about developing a site for farmers and she mentioned they use the heck out of the smart phones." I told her, "if there's a better way of doing something using technology, people will use it, and quickly embrace it.. even while out in the corn fields of the Midwest." The kids today are no different and expect the world to be at their finger tips via instant connections. What better way to help share ideas and collaborate than in a web 2.0 environment? We expect to see this in our higher education web sites... we love to see it in K-12 education.

Tags: blog , k-12 , education , Social media

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