Ideal Use of Web 2.0 for the Enterprise

Web 2.0 is about the liberation of ideas. It is about establishing a democracy of ideas where the best concepts rise to the top. It is about unleashing the powers of decentralization within highly regimented and centralized organizations. It permits for the free flow of ideas and innovation within an organization without limits imposed by heirarchy and departmental structure.

When properly implemented a Web 2.0 strategy for the enterprise can be an enormous benefit as a means of building entreprise-wide collaboration and information exchange. Therefore, any ideal implementation of Web 2.0 within the enterprise must keep all this in mind.

For enterprise Web 2.0 strategies and development, contact R-Squared Computing.

Bottom Line Green

Everyone is talking about "green" these days. Businesses are being chastised by the media and their customers for failing to adopt green strategies. Con artists have made uncounted millions by selling "carbon offsets" to people who feel guilty for having purchased an SUV. CIO's are being tasked with creating green IT plans because apparently they don't have enough work to do. Even T. Boone Pickens has jumped on the bandwagon to promote a greener America.

Frankly, I am of the opinion that the only "green" that means anything is in my bank account. But apparently after Al Gore invented the Internet, he also invented global warming so we must all be good stewards of our planet. Granted $4 per gallon of gas might have something to do with it too.

Unfortunately, too many of the pundits that are offering their opinions have got it all wrong. They are all promoting (i.e. selling) their own solutions that don't examine your actual business needs. Remember, environmental green is nice, but green money is why you're in business!

Any good "green" plan for business must be Bottom Line Green, meaning it makes sense as a business investment. That means eliminating waste and reducing energy consumption, both of which translate into real profits. This means adopting strategies that cut down on consumption within the business. This is as simple as asking people to stop printing their emails or as direct as installing solar power collectors.

Whatever strategy you choose to implement, be sure you are working with a partner that understands your business and can help you find the best options. Not just whatever he happens to be selling.

Click here to learn more about R-Squared's Green Initiatives.

Hassle-free CRM Software Implementations

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a centralized system for managing and tracking all your business information relating to your customers. Like all technology, a good CRM system must be well thought out and planned before integration into your infrastructure.

Pre-Implementation
Aside from the hardware and CRM software, a properly planned CRM integration begins in the Pre-Implementation Phase. Most projects fail because of poor pre-planning. You must understand and quantify all the requirements, costs and stakeholder support. Below is a sample checklist of pre-implementation issues to address prior to any CRM integration project:

1. Create a realistic timeline
2. Specify practical hardware requirements the CRM software, factoring in intermediate term growth in storage and processing needs
3. Win key stakeholder buy-in by including them in the design/decision process
4. Examine the relevant processes against industry best practices; determine which processes require changing and make plans to accomodate those changes
5. Calculate a budget with some padding
6. Set your final implementation goals
7. Develop your integration strategy

CRM System Options
Any good in-house CRM system is driven by a mainstream database that’s widely supported. This type of CRM software requires a client/server infrastructure and a good technical support team. Your IT staff may require additional training and support, and you may need to expand your infrastructure. In-house systems are ideal if you are dealing with sensitive client information and you want to manage your own security arrangements

The other option is a hosted CRM software. In this case, the CRM database resides outside your organization in a secure environment eliminating the need for hardware investments. An internet browser and high-speed internet connection are the required elements. With a hosted CRM solution your business will still need to be networked, and a good IT team is crucial for user training, buy-in, and support.

End of IT Projects

The brilliant Paul Coby, CIO of British Airways led a session at Forrester's IT Forum EMEA in Lisbon. This event caters to over 600 CIOs, enterprise architects, application developers, infrastructure and operations professionals to share best practices.

The most notable quote from the session:
"There are no such things as IT projects -- there are only business projects."

If technology is going to make a real impact on business, then we must stop thinking of it solely from the IT perspective. The best CIO's will understand that IT is a function of the entire business and will operate accordingly.

Get your head out of the sand! Understand the real business case for the project and then get to work.

Preparing for $200 Oil

Regardless of when oil hits the $200 per barrel figure, it is time to start preparing for the realities of the energy crunch. As such, information technology departments must start preparing to support remote workers.

The cost of employees goes beyond the normal metrics tracked by the HR department. In addition to salary and benefits, the smart enterprise will also begin to track the energy consumption of their workers. Every time someone enters and leaves your offices, they are impacting energy costs. The figures skyrocket when you also include the electrical impact of computers, desktop calculators, personal digital devices, light fixtures, coffee machines, refrigerators, water heaters, electric staplers, printers and all other electronics.

So, the smart enterprise will encourage their workers to telecommute. Your employees will be happy because they will save money on gasoline, tolls and wear on their automobiles. They will also be spared the stress of the daily commute. With computers, worker productivity is easy to measure so you don't need to worry about employees wasting time.

What all this means is that IT departments need to start preparing for telecommuting now. They need to adapt to the realities of the energy crunch. While many pundits are touting the advantages of "greening" your IT, by implementing a telecommuting strategy you will be reducing your total business impact on the environment and saving money too.

5 Techs Every Law Firm Needs

1. High data availability & control
At the end of the day, a lawyer's work revolves around the access, creation and storage of documents. Once these documents were produced and stored by hand leading to enormous filing cabinets overflowing with paper. Now, most documents are stored electronically (though there still seems to be reams of paper everywhere!). Any computer system you install must allow you and your associates the ability to access files without interruptions or difficulty. You should also be able to secure documents so that only those who need something have access. As an attorney you understand that some information must be kept in the strictest confidence. If your computer systems do not permit easy control of your information, then you must find something better.

2. Professional document creation
You must always put your best foot forward. With the advent of desktop publishing, every computer with minimal software is capable of producing high quality professional documents. If you wanted it to look like it came out of a type writer, you wouldn't have spent the money on a computer. Your desktop software allows you to easily create incredible publications with impressive graphics and charts. With the right equipment you can even print posters and other large displays. Your staff most likely has the tools to create impressive documents; chances are they only need some additional training. If your staff only creates regular, uninspired documents, then you need something better.

3. Swift communication
You must all be able to communicate with one another quickly. When moments count, you need to be able to get through! More than just email, you need a quick and easy means of communicating with anyone in your office. Whether this happens via a telephone or via internet chat, you need multiple available streams of communications between your staff. But beware! These communications must also be secure! You must not ever allow your private chats to be intercepted. You cannot betray your client's trust. If your communications are not swift and secure, then you need something better.

4. Easy to use time keeping
You must track the amount of time you work for your clients. You should be able to account for every moment you have dedicated to a client. You need to know what was done and who did it. You want accurate, up to the minute reporting that tells you how much precious time your practice has dedicated to any one issue. This will allow you to better distribute your available staff members to support important clients. It gives you the information you need to best allocate resources. If you cannot track every minute, then you need something better.

5. Accurate accounting
You work hard. You should know how much that work has earned you. You need accounting systems that are friendly and easy to operate yet also intelligent enough to catch errors. You need reliable accounting data to help you plan the expansion of your firm. You need flexible reporting that shows you how your money is spent. And above all, it must be accurate to the penny. Your accounting system should be a seamless aspect to your company, not a painful and terrible ordeal. It needs to merge and grow with your firm. If your accounting cannot handle these requirements, then you need something better.


Your law practice technology systems are vital to your success. By relying on outdated and old systems you risk losing your vital business edge to the competition. By offering advanced technological services you can provide additional value to your clients, in addition to your brilliant counsel. And your client's will be happy knowing you have the tools to get the job done.

VoIP Basics

Voice over Internet Protocol, known as VoIP, is technology that routes telephone calls over an Internet connection. Your voice is converted and transmitted as data packets via Internet Protocol (IP). Modern systems allow you to communicate with any local, long distance, cellular, or international telephone number. In addition, calls can be routed anywhere you are, as long as you are connected to your network--even if you are out of your office. The features you know from traditional phone service are also available, such as call forwarding, three-way calling, caller ID, and redial.


VoIP for the Mid-Tier
Implementing VoIP in your business is a smart decision. You will no longer need traditional telephone service since your broadband Internet connection does the work. Because VoIP has penetrated the large enterprise market in recent years, it is becoming cost effective for the medium-sized market.

If your current phone service uses a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system, chances are you can upgrade your existing system to use VoIP. These business phone services are available in a multiple formats and are increasingly accessible to the mid-tier business. Most existing PBX systems can be retrofitted with VoIP thereby saving your existing infrastructure.

It's time to consider VoIP as a viable cost saving platform that will transform your business communications.