Interesting Reading: 11/12
MindManager 8
http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindmanager/default.aspx
mind mapping services. Their newest version has just been announced. You
can see a strong trend towards making MindManager a project management
tool with the integration of JVC Gantt Pro and new enhanced Automated Task
Management. Another big improvement is the Mindjet Player - you now have
the ability to share maps easily in PDF or SWF files for distribution to
folks who do not have the application. -------- Google Maps Now Availalble For Blackberry Enterprise Server Distribution
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2008/11/11/11readwriteweb-google_maps_now_availalble_for_bes.html The iPhone may have outsold RIM's Blackberry devices here in the U.S., but
Google knows that getting their software in the hands of business execs
still means building Blackberry apps. The company's recent offering in
this arena is a new, deployable package of Google Maps for Mobile which IT
admins can distribute using Blackberry Enterprise Server. Now, BES admins can deploy Google Maps for Mobile to those millions of
users with ease, thanks to Google's new packages designed specifically for
this server technology . ------ Why Project, Portfolio Management Matter More in a Recession
http://www.nytimes.com/external/idg/2008/11/10/10idg-Why-Project-Po.html IT departments are scrapping projects in response to tightening budgets
and the ever-deteriorating economy. But this is no time to cut back on
project management or portfolio management, experts say. "High project failure means you're wasting money, and there's even less
tolerance for that in a down economy," says Margo Visitacion, a vice
president with Forrester Research who covers project portfolio management
and quality assurance. Portfolio management can help you zero in on the projects that are most
worth their effort and scant budget dollars, while project management can
help you execute those projects most efficiently, IT managers and project
management experts say. David Muntz, CIO of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System (which warned
patients last week of a potential breach of their personal data), agrees
that an economic downturn increases the need for project management
software. "Good project management tools enhance the three Cs:
communication, coordination and collaboration," he says. "With fewer
people [on staff], you can't afford missteps." ------ In Crisis, Remote Access
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11NET.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin RUI LOPES'S first impression of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004
tsunami was chaos. Bone-jarringly rough roads led to a hastily assembled
field office, where Mr. Lopes, the senior technical director of Save the
Children, learned that the communications infrastructure, along with just
about everything else, had been destroyed. Aside from a few satellite phones and even fewer working cellphones, the
area was isolated as relief workers scrambled to assess the security
situation and address the vast humanitarian needs. On the ground, Mr. Lopes unpacked a contraption made of circuits, chips
and wires, pointed it at the sky and rolled out a solar mat, which turns
sunlight into energy, to power it up. Aid workers plugged their laptops
into the device, which offered the first stable Internet connection since
the disaster had hit a week earlier. Assessment reports and supply requests streamed out. Photographs went to
news outlets to help spread awareness of the situation. Plans to
coordinate agencies came in from abroad. This device, called a Network Relief Kit, weighs less than four pounds and
"is a grand slam invention," Mr. Lopes said. "It's portable, light and
brings the outside world to the most remote, disconnected places." -------- Lessons from innovation's front lines: An interview with IDEO's CEO
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Strategy/Innovation/Lessons_from_innovations_front_lines_An_interview_with_IDEOs_CEO_2185 Many companies claim to be innovative, but few can claim innovation as
their raison d'être. One such innovation machine is IDEO'a designer of
products, services, and experiences ranging from Apple's first mass-market
computer mouse to aspects of Prada's store in New York City to the
patient-care delivery model at SSM DePaul Health Center, in St. Louis,
Missouri. IDEO's single-minded focus makes it an intriguing port of call for
executives seeking insights on innovation. The company's deep experience
collaborating with other businesses and with nonprofits and government
agencies gives it valuable perspectives on what distinguishes winning from
losing innovation efforts. Yet as CEO Tim Brown is quick to point out,
what works at IDEO won't work everywhere. Brown has worked at IDEO since its formation, in 1991, when three
established design firms came together. He became CEO in 2000, after
stints heading IDEO Europe and the company's San Francisco office. Over
the years, Brown has stood for the development of ideas through
action "observing customers, prototyping, testing, refining" rather than
abstract thought.
In this interview with McKinsey's Lenny Mendonca and Stanford professor
Hayagreeva Rao at IDEO's offices in Palo Alto, California, Brown provides
his perspective on innovation at IDEO and at other ...
http://visualthinkmap.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-wireless-map.html The GSM Association and coveragemaps.com are proud to announce the
availability of the updated GSM World Coverage map for 2008. This
publication is available in printed form at all GSM Association events and
can also be downloaded in PDF using the links below. Unfortunately we are
unable to post copies of the map. This maps is updated from time-to-time
and new versions can be identified by a change in the colour used for
coverage.
