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Microsoft Surface: A User Experience Designed For People

Posted by Erica Driver on June 21, 2007

  • 216 Recommendations

by Erica Driver

At the end of May, Microsoft announced a project called Microsoft Surface. Microsoft Surface is a new, game-changing computing interface: a 30-inch display table that individuals or small groups can gather around and use collaboratively. Ms_sc_collab_photo_app The user interacts with Surface using natural hand gestures, touch, and physical objects placed on the surface. Here's a photo courtesy of Microsoft, but photos don't do Surface justice so check out the demo on Microsoft's Web site.

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Use Real Metrics To Assess Value Of Collaboration

Posted by Erica Driver on June 20, 2007

  • 233 Recommendations

by Erica Driver

When trying to establish metrics for the success of your collaboration strategy or software implementation, use measures of real business value, not false indicators.

False Indicators

  • Number of items in a discussion thread
  • Number of community members
  • Megabytes of unstructured content in a site
  • How many times you get in front of decision makers to present -- and the responses you receive
  • Number of ideas entered into an idea tracking system
  • Repeat users on a site (e.g., team workspace, wiki, blog, community)
  • Number of site visits

Problems With False Indicators

  • Can be manipulated for positive results
  • Not valued by business stakeholders
  • Ideas don't automatically translate into business value
  • Use of a software tool does not mean it is producing results -- it could be nothing more than a productivity sinkhole
  • Time a user spends on a site may indicate an affinity but does not mean the content on the site is influencing the reader to create higher value

Measures Of True Business Value

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Collaboration Platforms And Information Workplace Platforms

Posted by Erica Driver on June 11, 2007

by Erica Driver.

We’ve had clients ask us recently — in fact we sometimes ask ourselves — “What’s the difference between a collaboration platform and an Information Workplace platform? Here goes:

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