Getting the Most Out of Your Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools, including telephones and email to custom web portals (and everything in between), provide critical capabilities for improving communication, social network interaction, workflow, employee productivity and organization of critical business information.
But it looks as though certain types of collaboration tools are not getting used as well as they could be. For instance, according to a recent Forrester study, A Day In The Life Of A US Information Worker, just 11 per cent of handheld devices are used at work, indicating this technology is being used as more of an executive perk than an integrated collaboration tool. Less than 25 per cent were using instant messaging technologies like Sametime. Just 15 per cent of employees said they used social networks. Given that nearly a third of employees in the survey worked in teams with members in different locations, the lack of movement away from email and telephone to other collaboration tools seems (at first) somewhat surprising.
But one reason for the disconnect between the promise of higher productivity from newer collaboration tools and their relatively low usage could come down to usability. Are the users trained to a level where they feel comfortable using all of the capabilities of the technology? Even more fundamentally, is the technology really as useful as the IT department makes it out to be?
As an example, PCIS got a call recently from a school district in BC that already had an existing web portal. It included included IBM Lotus Sametime to facilitate online meetings, IBM Lotus Quickplace, an online collaboration environment to enable course delivery and parent-teacher communication, and a Domino server with customized applications for distance learning and email.
Unfortunately, the company that the district got to originally develop the portal was facing internal issues and was unable to provide support. Even before the internal issues cropped up, there were complaints that the web portal wasn't functioning as advertised. Long story short, 30,000 administrative staff, faculty and students could not use the web portal effectively or securely.
PCIS recommended a rework of the portal that took into account design, usability, information architecture and workflow. PCIS created an attractive and user-friendly interface for the portal that delivered useful information to district staff and allowed one-click access to the school district blog, Quickplaces, and links to other school district systems. As well, users could personalize their profiles.
Security for the web portal was improved with better authentication. Web portal access control was deployed, allowing administrators the ability to enforce security more easily.
With the improvements, the web portal became the number-one go-to site for information for the school district, with far heavier usage by students, parents and staff.
The point is that when people are not making the best use of the technology they have to enable better communication and productivity, don't blame the end-users. The technology has to be made to fit the users' needs, not the other way around.
To contact PCIS to learn more about collaboration tools such as web portals for your organization, email info@pcis.com or for more information, see Collaboration Tools and Technologies for Business
Look forward to news and opinions about the latest tech trends, online and network security, identity management and other important issues in the tech sector from the Pacific Coast Informer.
Case for Security Webinar: Web Application Security 101
What do hackers look for when attacking Websites? And how do you know when you've been hacked? As hacking expertise has become a lucrative endeavor, hackers rather stay silent instead of promoting their conquests to the world like they did 10 years ago.
So what are some easy ways to protect your brand and data from this subversive underworld?
With 400 new application vulnerabilities a month (and growing), you need to keep ahead of hackers by taking proactive approaches towards Web application security. We will walk you through a demonstration of what hackers look for in a Website as "easy prey" and ways they can break into security layers to steal personal information and other valuable data from your system.
He'll also show you fast, simple ways to fix such flaws and how to monitor future possible breaches.
Date and Time
Wednesday, October 14, 9-10 am
How to Register
1. Go to http://boonbox.webex.com/meet/boonbox
2. Click "Show All Meetings".
3. Click the "Register" link on the right in the Status column for "Web Application Security 101" and fill in the short registration form. You will be sent your registration confirmation information and instructions on how to participate.
Who Should Register
Business owners and IT professionals looking to improve their business operations through better use of IT solutions.
As an additional benefit of signing up for this Case for Security webinar, you will also receive a complimentary subscription to our newsletters, Cyber Security Informer and Pacific Coast Informer.
More event information for Web Application Security 101
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WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK Our purpose for providing this free service is to keep our clients and business contacts informed of technology developments. This information can help them resolve common problems and achieve their full potential by strengthening their business processes and infrastructure. Your input is important to us and we welcome your ideas for new features and how we can continue to improve our service to you. Send your comments and suggestions to informer@pcis.com or contact us directly at 604.844.7558
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