introspectiveH

There is an interesting battle going on between the Enterprise Irregulars vs. Robert Scoble and Nick Carr about the lack of sexiness in enterprise software. In Scoble's original post, he asks if anyone knows how to make business software sexy. Fellow Irregular, Michael Krigsman, responded in his blog:

Enterprise software is all about helping organizations conduct their basic business in a better, more cost-effective manner. In software jargon, it’s intended to “enable core business processes” with a high degree of reliability, security, scalability, and so on. These aren’t sexy, cool attributes, but are absolutely essential to the smooth running of businesses, organizations, and governments around the world.

Nick Carr then jumped in with his response:

I'm sorry, but I think Krigsman is the one who doesn't understand enterprise software - or at least doesn't understand what it could become. The distinction he draws between business and consumer applications is specious. Are we really to believe that making software engaging is somehow incompatible with making it reliable and secure? That's just baloney.

Besides the fact that I respect Krigsman and believe that he does indeed understand enterprise software very well, I actually agree with Mr. Carr on this one. Too many times people go down the dangerous path of the "Tyranny of the OR", which Jim Collins warns about in his book Built to Last. Just as Steve Jobs did with Apple, he didn't choose between form OR function or even form OVER function, he decided to embrace the "Genius of the AND" and strive to deliver both.

The enterprise question is not whether to choose between either process over people OR people over process. The answer is to be the genius that realizes that it can be both people AND process. Without this realization, you will see a change of heart in SAP's users of tomorrow that Dan talks about. If you leave people out of your priorities and omit them from your equation, they will find better tools to get their jobs done, even at the cost of your money saving, business process integration. If you want proof, go read my recent experiences with our new global procurement application or the pains of working with data in BI. This isn't a fantasy land, it's reality.

I actually believe some at SAP understand this and that's why you have initiatives like the SAP Developer's Network and SAP's Imagineering Group. You can also see this in new products such as Business by Design, where SAP is trying to make enterprise software accessible for small businesses. It's an internal struggle between the old school German engineering mentality vs. the new school Silicon Valley start up attitude. Only time will tell if they will find balance and harmony of both by embracing the "Genius of the AND".

Popularity: 16% [?]

So I'm at the gym tonight jogging on the treadmill.  I'm a big dude, so this is a miracle within itself.  At least I had my trusty Zune to get me through the workout, right?.  Well, not really.

For all you Apple fanboys, just chill out for a sec and listen; I bought the Zune at Christmas from Amazon for $90.  The first pain was that I couldn't listen to any of my previously purchased iTunes music on it unless I first burnt all the tracks to a CD then ripped it down and added it to the Zune library manually.  Why do I have to go through this laborious task for music I already purchased? 

Anyway, I opted to by the Zune Pass for $15/month which gives me unlimited listening to any song with any participating record company.  This has been a decent option for me because I have been able to sample a lot of different music that I wouldn't normally purchase.  Well, the catch is that all the music expires as soon as you cancel your monthly membership.  When your Zune is hooked up to the PC, it can connect online to renew your music licenses. 

Well, that brings me back to tonight.  As I'm jogging along with ease (yeah right), and I am about 5 minutes into my run, I get a message saying all my music was expired and I couldn't listen to any of it.  I have been traveling a lot in the last couple of weeks, so I haven't actually had it hooked up to my PC to allow it to renew the licenses.  Well, this sure is a rude way to interrupt my workout.  I was pissed and had to finish up with no music.

So, let me ask you.  Why in the heck do I have to go through all this DRM crap for music I have already purchased?  I can't listen to it except on the device that I purchased it on originally, and when I pay monthly, I have to worry about stupid expiring licenses. 

This is what brings me to this first chapter of Why I Love the Interwebs.  Today, Radiohead released their new album In Rainbows as a digital download from their site.  Freed from any record label contracts, they leave it up to you to put in a fair price. 

On October 8, Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, made this announcement on his website.

Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the
following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally
free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have
been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the
business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very
different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a
direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.
Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008.
Exciting times, indeed.

This is the power of the Internet.  Welcome to the cluetrain.  Without traditional barriers of connection and communication, the global conversation no longer needs a useless middle man.  Record labels and their desperate grasp of DRM is archaic and outdated.  Music companies are holding on to something that is destined to fail.  The Internet brings in a new world where there are direct conversations.  If you don't bring value, then get out of the game. 

To kickstart the revolution, it will take a few big names to stand up for what is right.  For this, I salute you Radiohead and NIN.  You are visionaries and you are my heroes.  Now excuse me, while I first go support these guys and then head over to lastfm and pandora. 

Popularity: 14% [?]

Let's face it, knowledge workers of today's new net generation are different than the cubicle junkies of the past.  The new NetGen is a burst economy rather than a busy economy.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, I highly recommend you read this classic blog entry by Anne Zelenka from Web Worker Daily on Busyness vs. Bursty.

The busyness economy works on face time, incremental improvement, strategic long-term planning, return on investment, and hierarchical control. The burst economy, enabled by the Web, works on innovation, flat knowledge networks, and discontinuous productivity.

The NetGen does not put their faith in traditional corporate hierarchies or authority from power that was bequeathed from ass kissing.   The NetGen does not find their fulfillment from things like job security, a paycheck, and useless titles.  Instead, they are motivated by creativity, innovation, and challenging work.  They do not need to be stuck in a cubicle to be able to concentrate, but instead thrive on open communication and collaboration.  This is essence of social networking.  Sure, social networking started out as a purely social thing, but it's quickly bleeding into work where the lines and separation of life and work will fade.  Below are two great presentations that everyone should watch if you want to understand where the new generation is coming from and where the new enterprise must go.

I Am Knowledge Worker 2.0 - Hear me roar

Liberate your control freaks

Popularity: 11% [?]