Archive for category Technology

Technology, Faith and Human Shortcomings

On a recent flight from Chicago to Houston I decided to take in a podcast published by Ted from the great preacher and pastor Billy Graham. The podcast was from a 1998 TED conference held in Southern California with the theme of technology. Rev Graham in his address notes that technology and innovation is nothing new. He clearly and effectively draws parallels of today’s advances in the micro-chip to that of the introduction of the Iron Age invented by the Hittites during the reign of King David in 1010 BC.

The Iron age revolutionized the way society functioned through productivity gains by way of better tools, agriculture methods and weaponry. Like the iron age the information age is advancing productivity improvements, enhancing interaction and changing the way our society wage’s war. Yet, just like in King David’s time the Iron Age never did solve all of human’s problems. Technology will never solve:

1. Human Evil
2. Human Suffering
3. Human Mortality

I encourage you to watch this video or download the podcast and reflect. Consider Thomas Edison who once said “When you see everything that is happening in the world of science and in the working of the universe, you cannot deny that their is a captain on the bridge”

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Defining IT Project Failures

It has been almost a year that my good friend Paul Hart and I started the Waggware Strategy Lab Video Blog. Things have been quiet at Waggware on the V-log front but I thought I would re-publish one of our more popular video segments.

In my current role as Director of Sales & Marketing, I serve as a principle in the various projects that we run and am ultimately responsible if the project succeeds or fails. From my vantage point the biggest reasons for failure is lack of communication which leads to missing the mark on meeting customer expectations.

Managing all of the stakeholder’s expectations is critical and great care should be used in communicating often. This includes listening, asking for feedback and constantly asking each and every stakeholder what their overall goal’s of the software project are so that those expectations are met. The following video is a discussion on what defines an IT failure, perhaps it will give you some ideas on what to do to avoid an IT project failure.

#IT Fail – Defining IT Project Failure from Waggware on Vimeo.

What do you do to avoid IT Project Failures?

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How to Buy Enterprise Software

At Waggware (IT Services Firm) where I am responsible for all Marketing and Sales activities I have the opportunity to offer highly flexible, customizable and outside of the box solutions aimed at improving my customers business processes. The great thing about being in the consulting/services business is your not tied down to selling just one boxed solution but rather package together best of breed solutions that achieve results. However you need a plan and an approach to pull the best solution into play.

I’ve developed a 9 stage framework that I assist my customers with when looking to implement enterprise software.  Depending on the size of the engagement or software investment I often scale up or down on the level of activity I conduct during the selection phase.  I’ve embedded my presentation below for your use and review.

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Information Technology in the 13th Century

Often when we think of the history of Information Technology we consider the Gutenberg Printing Press. It was in fact the first time that content could be reproduced at a rapid pace.

13rh Century Clock - Photo care of RockN on Flickr

But what about Clocks?  As both a lover of history and technology I found myself pondering if the invention of the clock in 13th Century Europe is an example of an early Information Technology development.  The clock has allowed us to use information and accurately record and monitor what we do.

Here is a brief list of other benefits of the clock:

  • Accurately tell time and depend less on the sun and moon
  • Provide the possibility to order our day
  • Measure the cost of labor more effectively
  • Track the number of hours that go into a specific project

The clock gave us information that allowed us to make time a measurable value and it altered history forever.

What other older taken for granted Information technologies can you think of?

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Silicon Halton Interview

I was interviewed by Silicon Halton recently talking about why Waggware does business in Burlington, Ontario and why it is important to get involved with your local community business groups.

For the full post click here

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Augmented Reality

Nan Palmero over at http://www.nanpalmero.com reminded me how much the world is changing with the power of technology.  Perhaps you are touring around Toronto and want more information on the CN Tower.  Take a picture of it and let wikitude download data from Wikipedia and learn the date it was built, why it was built and how it was built.

Did you just attend an interesting lecture and want more information on the speaker?  Take a picture of him/her and use face.com to learn more about him/her from his social networks.

Be blown away and check out Nan’s post over here. Join the conversation on his blog on whether this technology is fun or will push the end to our sense of privacy?

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Oracle Open World Photos

I have been neglecting my poor blog lately because I’ve been adapting to a newborn in the house, hard at work building a technology business and traveling across the country meeting with clients, customers and partners. My travels took me to the impressive Oracle Open World event in San Francisco and then to the desert heat of Las Vegas to attend an Energy Marketers meeting. After all of that it’s good to be back in the Greater Toronto Area where the air is a little cooler and the fall colors are at it’s peak.

It’s back to the regular grind for me!

Here are a few shots of the Oracle Open World event taken with my Blackberry (it’s not the best camera, but you get the idea)

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Enterprise Optimization Links

Haven’t written in a while as I have been hard at work on my professional blog – The Strategy Lab.  In addition I did a video with my partner in crime Paul Hart.  Check out the links and let me know what you think.

A Simple How To Guide for Gathering Business Requirements

Is the recession over and are you investing in Enterprise Software?

Reasons for implementing enterprise software

Here’s the Strategy Lab Video

Reasons to implement and Upgrade Software from Scott Van Dam on Vimeo.

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Was served up some delicious brain food (Breakfast with the “Woz”)

:en:Steve Wozniak poses for a photograph at hi...
Image via Wikipedia

Having breakfast with over 700 “nerds” and “technology executives” is not only nourishing for the stomach but also for the brain. When Steven Wozniak appeared at the keynote at this mornings Tech-working breakfast in Waterloo you can be assured that everyone left feeling full of delicious advice.

Mr Wozniak (aka “The Woz”) offered up a buffet of advice on design,  and technology. Here’s  a summary of a few tips that I picked up.

  • Build products that behave and interact in a way that is intuitive by the way we move, touch and feel.
  • Try not to fit technology into a product because it exists – instead focus on making the experience intuitive (make it great)
  • Where do you get the best design ideas from?  Parachute into a project and try to re-engineer it.  Try to put yourself in the shoes of a person that has been parachuted into how computers work today with out having any prior knowledge or experience to the technology.  Are the way things are done really that efficient?
  • Don’t assume the way you’ve done it before is the best
  • Be an engineer that is also an artist – just make it beautiful!
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Breakfast with the Woz

I’m heading for Breakfast with Steven Wozniak on Monday.  Interesting guy who co-founded Apple Computer.  Here’s a little more about the Woz – an Interview with George Stroumboulopoulos

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