Open Cloud Initiative Is Dead Long Live OCI
First let me make it clear that Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) is not dead and it is going to stay for a long time advocating openness. Also, I will fight all I can to keep it going. Having said that I am writing this post to re-emphasize something which I have been saying all along. [...]
Oracle Acquires Taleo (Resistance is Futile)
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, I am not sure, but this is what happens when I don’t have time to write:-) If you are in Enterprise Software, you know what’s coming at you … resistance is futile. Now, for the real news on Oracle’s acquisition of Taleo, I refer [...]
1990s Called And Wanted Their AOL Back
On Saturday, Robert Scoble made a blog post declaring the death of open web. In the post Robert argued that the open web as we know now is dying and no one can save it from the walled gardens of Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.. John, where were you? At least Dave has been consistently trying [...]
IBM’s Worklight Acquisition: Few Thoughts
Two days back IBM announced their plans to acquire Worklight, the Israel based mobile development platform, to beef up their enterprise mobile strategy. IBM realizes that in this era of BYOD/Consumerization of IT, they need to had a strong mobile strategy supporting various platforms. In fact, at the recent Lotusphere 2012 conference, IBM showcased their [...]
BREAKING: Google to Capitol Records–We’re Not Going to Let You Shut Down Cloud Computing
Can someone tell Capitol Records that the music has stopped? If you haven’t been following events, Capitol Records (EMI) has sued Boston-based Redigi (a used digital music marketplace) for what amounts to copyright infringement. Today, Google decided to enter the fray as a third party, and filed an amicus curiae brief (friend of the court) [...]
On the Utility of Thinking in Terms of Jobs-to-Be-Done
In a recent post examining the future of retail, I used the jobs-to-be-done approach to break down the industry. And I’ve been using it more in other ways. It’s quite useful as a basis for innovation. The premise of the jobs-to-be-done approach is that it provides a much better basis for innovation. The focus is [...]
Europe Sets Course for Cloud
There’s a perception that cloud computing has become a “mature” technology, a perception shared by few but anticipated by most everyone else with the exception of those trying to preserve their self-interests. I don’t blame them – each person inherently protects self-interests. They’re wrong though. Cloud is not mature. It is evolving. The paradox is [...]
Contempt for Customers
Thinly disguised contempt for the customer is an easy trap to fall into, after-all, without customers our jobs would be a lot easier. There is just one problem with this line of thinking… The first time I heard the term Thinly Disguised Contempt for the Customer was from the book In Search of Excellence. The example provided [...]
Collaboration is a Business Requirement
I find it interesting that when it comes to collaboration; oftentimes it still need to be sold as a line item. I mean, doesn’t that seem a bit ridiculous that a company needs to have someone explain why they need something that can connect their employees together? Some companies have some type of tool in [...]
5 Social Business Truths
Meritocracy trumps hierarchy: Companies don’t get a “pass” on Wall Street or the London Exchange becauswe they’re been around way before new companies. Political candidates aren’t immune from beingf being upended when they don’t perform. Why should work be any different? Companies that focus on the meritocracy are focused on growth. Those that pay too much attention [...]
Carrot Beats Stick
WooHoo: You’ve just unlocked the URL of Blogville Badge! With Hostess becoming as bankrupt as the nutritional information in a Ding Dong and Kodak redefining the Kodak moment of another kind of bankruptcy, I immediately thought of my childhood. Thankfully those cheerful marketing images that blanketed the store shelves were replaced by a different set [...]
How to Develop Your Fund Raising Strategy
Raising money is hard. And when you’re relatively new to the process it’s easy to be confused by the process. There is all sorts of advice on the Internet about how to raise capital. Of course much of it is conflicting. I’ve raised money as a “hot company” and I’ve raised capital when no one [...]
How Yammer Should Have Responded to the TechCrunch Ad Hominem
I can’t help but laugh at the TechCrunch gang’s corporate ad hominem last week. It seemed more of a personal attack than any real attempt to provide a product review. TechCrunch didn’t merely reproach their building mate, they reprimanded them. Stranger, most of the article really didn’t say anything at all, because they were not [...]
My Interview for Salesforce on Collaboration
Salesforce has been doing some interesting work around collaboration in the enterprise and towards the end of 2011 I was asked to participate in their expert series. I was asked all sorts of questions around collaboration some of which can be seen below, for the full interview which also includes visuals, visit Salesforce. How would you [...]
The myth of a data free trade policy
The border between the USA and Canada, in Washington State In my last post I looked at the USA PATRIOT Act, and at some of the ways in which it exemplifies differences in attitude and approach on either side of the Atlantic. In our increasingly connected world, these differences begin to pose quite serious challenges [...]



