There are three areas that I would like to bring to your attention:

 1. Agile Software Development: A development framework based on collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams using iterative and incremental development methods.  Agile methodology sits in direct contrast to “waterfall” development where projects are worked in a serial manner based on a complete set of requirements with testing on a completed application.  As the cross functional teams associated with agile development include the business stakeholders, the deployment of agile methods could not only exponentially speed up the development process but also better integrate the interests of IT and their business partners. This has far-reaching implications beyond 2013 because it sets a new paradigm that should change the nature of application deployment for users.

 2. Philanthropic Engineering: The current focus on “big data” has brought with it a series of questions in the commercial space centered on its productive use.  The answers and business growth insights that massive databases were to provide have proved elusive.  Alternatively, however, big data can be used in a human engineering context.  The mission statement of Palantir Technologies, a software development firm based in Palo Alto, CA, nicely describes this concept.  They state, “We build software that allows organizations to make sense of massive amounts of disparate data.  We solve the technical problems so they can solve the human ones.  Combating terrorism. Prosecuting crimes.  Fighting fraud.  Eliminating waste. From Silicon Valley to your doorstep, we deploy our data fusion platforms against the hardest problems we can find wherever we are needed most.”  The long-term use of advanced technology to address human and environmental needs is a critically important trend.

3. Social Media 2.0: The major social media platforms have achieved an almost unbelievable amount of scale in terms of users and utilization.  With that comes a great opportunity to enhance the democratization of information and connections.  For example, Twitter, on the surface, is the epitome of the sound bite.  But it is, in fact, an effective way through links and attachments, to blend the short and long conversation forms to provide the basis for extended dialogue regarding substantive issues among random and disparate groups of people.  In addition, I believe that new platforms will emerge that will enhance that model further, through closed conversation salons and streamlined publishing platforms. These developments will allow the exploration of issues to go even deeper.  I am very bullish on this trend.

While this is just a quick survey of a few trends, there is much more to be excited about in the areas associated with IT and computing.

What are some of the trends you see reaching beyond the New Year to reshape how we communicate and connect both in and outside of the business?

As user experience (UX) engineering and design takes front and center stage, technology providers, and network providers in particular, will be making great strides in the coming years to simplify their customer touch points and functional processes. Doing so will create a more effortless customer experience.

Predictions For The Customer Experience Of The Future

As we move forward, technology and network providers will hone their services and offerings in the following ways:

• Carriers will necessarily build better, simpler, highly-integrated Web portals to enable users to manage their suite of network services and apps in a comprehensive and intuitive way.

• Online support content will be organized in a cognitively logical manner, along a continuum of “Learn-Buy-Get-Use-Pay-Support” attributes.

• Content will remain king, but straight forward online navigation and user journeys will continue to gain critical importance as customers expect more and more of their carrier interaction to be self-managed and controlled.

• Customer adoption of online tools will increase in proportion to the usability and experience they provide to the user rather than the depth and density of the applications. Functionality will continue to evolve but be streamlined as the supported service mix simplifies.

As important as the technology and network are to the customer support function, human capital is the conduit that carries unity and satisfaction to the customer support experience.  In the world of enhanced online UX design, the role of the support representative can add tremendous value as their role evolves from basic processing of corrective measures to a value-added, useful resource that can help solve more complex customer challenges.  Taken in combination with a more effective, intuitive online experience, the deployment of human resources to solve problems provides customers with an environment that allows them to focus on their core challenges and support the needs of their business.

The next generation of customer support models holds great promise for the future of the customer experience.  As we move to the next level, the utilization of technology will begin to fulfill its original promise – to simplify the lives of the people who comprise the heart and soul of any business enterprise.

How do you see customer support evolving? What is your business doing today to stay ahead of these trends?

Cloud computing, for example, is an obvious game-changer that is a catalyst for moving to the new paradigm of IT, bringing with it a new dialogue for IT professionals to have with their users. The new focus for IT is on application delivery and the continual optimization of operating expenses instead of  on network performance and the management of robust, home-built networksand the associated capital expense. Tihis is an entirely different view.

Correspondingly, the deployment of VPNs has offered telecom managers a platform for more precise, Class-of-Service-level optimization of network traffic. Management portals and tools are available to offer continual visibility of network performance.  Although VPN technology has changed the game of network management, it is still inherently a centrally-managed network architecture combined with the traditional model of command and control.

Taken in combination with cloud, the model changes exponentially.  Cloud is, by definition, a user-based technology–with business units making the utilization decisions based on the velocity of their business needs, the rapid deployment of their applications, and the cost-effectiveness offered by operational expenditures (OPEX).

With users in control, the IT manager must now work to understand user needs and offer much greater consultative support.  Relationship building is front and center as IT must solidify its role as a business partner. IT’s new role is to confer with users on how to take advantage of the network technologies available to them and how to make decisions that match their business requirements.  Good IT managers do that today – but I am suggesting that it become the new normal.  With this model, IT professionals can turn their attention to a new value proposition based on new technologies and an understanding that the cloud offers a new and exciting paradigm of creativity.  VPNs and cloud – these are the best of an evolving world.

Is your IT approach to new technologies like Cloud and VPN going in a consultative direction? What ramifications does this have for IT and the business overall?

Assuming that you buy into the fact that we must continue to learn to stay relevant, the question that arises has to do with the content of our continuing education.  Should it be training oriented, or should it be designed to give us a solid grounding in the world around us and the accompanying world of ideas? While skills training has direct value as people exercise professional flexibility in today’s depressed job market,  more generalized, liberal studies should not be dismissed as a superfluous luxury with no impact on our ability to maintain relevance.

Enhancing our general educational foundation improves the basis for a more informed and more textured world view.  And that world view allows us to bring a richer sense of context to the specific subject matter that we embark upon as IT professionals. Many continuing, non-matriculating liberal arts courses are available, but one of the most convenient sets is offered by Yale University.  You can view this interesting set of courses online free of charge.

There is also of subset of non-degree learning opportunities that lie between basic studies and specific skills training.  These are programs that deal with a particular discipline but approach it with courses that surround the topic and deal with different aspects of the subject – a college major in miniature.  These types of programs (e.g. in Management, Finance, Communications, Digital Media, etc.) can be extremely valuable as they deal with a particular environment that is important. They also build a portfolio of skills-based competency.   Again, these types of Continuing Education programs are readily available, but a particularly good set of offerings comes from Georgetown University, where I am participating.

As we all know, the world has changed significantly in recent years.  The importance of staying personally competitive is critical in today’s economy,  the looming future of European implosion, and declining investment yields.  The cliché of “It’s never too late to learn” has been changed to “It is imperative to learn at any age.”  Let us embrace the opportunity as we individually apply ourselves to the new world and collectively reinforce our competitiveness in the global economy and workforce.

Today, two watchwords that permeate the new paradigm of commerce and corporate life are innovation and scalability.  Are those terms compatible? Does innovation have any concrete meaning to you, given the personality of your company? Are you encouraged to think freely? (Sounds Orwellian I know – but a real phenomenon)  Or does the requirement of scalability and the risk imposed by the expectation of size limit the innovative activity of workers?  Can we add creativity and ideas to our normal and daily routines?

Part of the mystery lies in the source.  We know that innovation requires inspiration.  Do we derive the innovative spirit from our co-workers or our leadership? In many cases, we must search for our own sources of inspiration – and that requires work in and of itself.

And do they always have to be big ideas?  Unequivocally no!  Big ideas almost always evolve from small ones -ones that we as individuals can conceive and execute.  Prototypical ideas are crucially important as they can provide the basis for continued, constructive modification as others catch hold and embark on the road to scalability.

So, does the primary responsibility for innovation lie with the corporate environment, or is it ultimately the responsibility of all of us as individuals?   I believe it is the latter and here I’d like to make three points:

1. The basis for innovation is awareness.  Continual awareness of our surroundings and the events and combinations around us can often provide inspiration for a work-related idea. Do not be afraid to make a large leap of logic when thinking metaphorically.
2. Re-create those circumstances that have triggered your creativity in the past. Re-read books and papers, revisit certain music or paintings or play games and puzzles.  As we do so, we should contemplate their structure and artistry – be inspired by the author, the composer, the artist, the designer.  We should use whatever icons we possess to put us in a state of mind that is relaxed, but with heightened awareness.
3. Don’t be afraid to let a sense of beauty inform our ideas.  Elegant logical extensions – and what is innovation but an extension of logic – can be realized from re-configurations of existing structures or can organically present themselves fully formed.  Most importantly, I think that which is beautiful in business can ultimately be scaled and implemented for economic good.

Innovation, I believe, is a trait inherent in all of us.  All it takes is a quiet mind and a growing awareness that small can be beautiful – and that which is beautiful can be made to be big.

How do you get innovative ideas?  Can these be scalable?  Do you see any conflict between innovation and scalability?  We look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Despite all of the criticism, Napoleon was, obviously, one of the greatest military geniuses and leaders  in history.  While his great victories ( e.g. Spain and Austerlitz) were ultimately overshadowed by his great defeats in Russia and ultimately at Waterloo, Napoleon had a record of conquest rivaled only by Alexander. Like Alexander, he maintained the loyalty of his troops until the end.   There are many quotations attributed to Napoleon, but I’d like to point out 3 here for their insight regarding the nature of leadership and their continued relevance over 200 years later.

1. “Take time to deliberate but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.”

Obvious, yes- but so very true nonetheless. Leaders need to evaluate all of their options, get input from trusted advisors and calculate the most cost-effective means of obtaining their goals. But once the decision is made, it is critical not to second-guess.  Shift focus to the excellent execution of the decided plan and spend no time on reservations or a less than forthright approach to getting the job done.

2. “Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them.”

Learn to be comfortable in the knowledge that while the leader gets the credit for team success, it is the team, not the leader, who do the necessary blocking and tackling that achieves victory. One must put aside one’s ego and recognize those who get the work done for what they are— dedicated team members who have put their own egos for the greater good.  Recognition is the best incentive for loyalty.

3. “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.”

Encourgage your team; don’t let them be dissuaded by the obstacles that fall in front of all of us.  Incent them to search for new and untried solutions.  Unleash their ingenuity and let them make a mistake now and then as they pursue a new stream of logic on the way to a victorious result.

While they may seem obvious, take a moment to think about these reflections from the Emperor.  Do you act accordingly when dealing with your own teams?  Are you decisive? Do you recognize others and give them freedom to find new paths and solutions?

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!  What traits do you see common with great leaders?  What attributes from those in history are still relevant for us today?  And what do you really think of Napoleon Bonaparte?  Seriously.  We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave your comments below.

Network modernization and the rise of communication environments is an apt microcosm of that paradigm.  I would like to examine those modernization trends with you and discuss the evolution of carrier portals as a critical vehicle to achieve the benefits associated with applied communication technologies.

Significant among those changes has been the technological migration from basic private line and packet networks (Frame Relay/ATM) to MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) – based Virtual Private Networks (VPN).  VPNs offer customers an inherent benefit of optimization precision through Class of Service (CoS) designations.

In addition, carriers such as AT&T and Verizon now offer customers a wider range of adjacent services designed to add value as well as build sustainable customer relationships and competitive firewalls.  Managed Hosting, Internet Access, Security Services, Platform as a Service (PaaS) Machine to Machine ( M2M) and Virtualization are good examples of carrier offerings that have gain IT wallet share and have expanded the management scope of corporate telecom staffs.  As with VPNs, usage visibility is critical and fundamental to the effective management of these services and, as such, carriers must provide it to their customers.

While emerging services such as those noted above represent significant change, it is important to note that there is still a very large base of packet and private line networks in place.  The management of those networks, however, is functional in nature – reliant on basic fault, ordering and provisioning management.

This functional management, while remaining critical to network reliability and performance, lends itself to an optimal approach through the use of carrier portals and electronic bonding connections. What effect do these dynamics have on the IT ( and more specifically telecom) workforce?

The transition of work associated with the management of legacy networks from manual to online portals actually can be fairly seamless and offer customers multiple efficiencies.  In a manual environment, for example, customers generally must contact their carrier representative or call an 800 number to open a trouble ticket or place an order.  In this world, potential problems loom.

First, there is an inherent time delay due to call backs from representatives or call center queues. The timetables for alarm resolution or order provisioning are delayed as the requests work their way through carrier operational processes. In addition, billing errors can occur downstream causing customer payables reworks and receivables issues for carriers.

By contrast, online portals allow customers to enjoy access to carrier maintenance and ordering systems and processes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Back-end flow-though portal functionality allows customer input to be imported directly to carrier systems -minimizing errors and transposition. On-line billing and analysis functionality provide customers with detailed efficiency in reconciliation, trending, variance identification and dispute management.

When considering the management of the evolving service environment discussed earlier, however, the equation changes significantly.

For example, VPN transport allows customers to deliver voice, data and video traffic in an optimized manner and, as such, require the IT manager to be in closer touch with his or her business partners to ensure that the network design supports the core and departmental competencies of the firm.

Here I’d like to emphasize two points:

1. Each of these management opportunities require visibility into the environments which are being managed.  Carrier self-service portals can perform this role as they move beyond functional capabilities and offer customers robust performance reporting and network monitoring.
2. Portal applications should provide users with functional integration.  For example, as network engineers identify optimization opportunities, those opportunities need to be turned into order requests that can be quickly (near real-time) provisioned, monitored, and tracked for billing integrity.

When considering these trends, incorporating self-service carrier portals into IT processes and organizations is both useful and necessary as an integration enabler and driver of efficiencies.  The challenges that remain, however, are decidedly human ones. Technology drives us, as always, to the difficult conclusion that while we may need fewer workers, the ones that we will need will require a different, informational kind of mind.

However, as budgets begin to be distributed across departmental units, IT managers must build larger and better business liaison functions within their organizations to ensure the interoperability of departmental and enterprise applications and networks.  And the continual evolution of network, hosting and Software as a Service (SaaS) environments will require sophisticated project management skills and capabilities.

Taken together with the utilization of online carrier portals, these changes offer enterprise IT departments and workers great opportunity when the elements are combined in a cost-effective, optimized manner.

What do you think?  What opportunities do you see in today’s marketplace for IT managers?  Do you see technology eliminating jobs?  What is the best approach to take regarding that?  We look forward to hearing your opinion.

Currently, Bill’s assignment is to help customers use AT&T online tools to streamline their business processes.  He helps them to achieve savings in their business by automating tasks that were tedious and time-consuming before.  He uses a variety of tools to help achieve those business results spanning both wireless and wireline services.

While he holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marietta College in Ohio, with a major in history, Bill has a number of wide ranging interests.  These include music, painting, mathematics, codes, Gothic literature and….golf.  He also holds a  fascination with several historical periods such as the Napoleonic era.  He sees a lot of good examples which leaders in business today can learn from Napoleon and other great leaders of the past.  He related to me how Napoleon was able to master minute details and executed his battles leveraging a sound knowledge of mathematical principles.  Bill sees a lot of application of those types of principles for business leaders today.

Bill regularly uses Twitter (@Bill_d1) and LinkedIn to stay in touch with the world.  These tools help him to keep a handle on what is happening with people in his circle of influence.  He also has seen YouTube being used more and more in business for posting training videos and how-to examples to help customers with some AT&T portals.

Based on his wide ranging interests, and his love of the principles from leaders of yesteryear, we’ll look forward to a lot of good posts from Bill Danskin on the Networking Exchange Blog.  Welcome aboard, Bill.  Glad to have you with us.