It happens to everyone. Visions. Personally, I mentally see multi-dimensional images of information, small blocks of information actually, connecting and assembling and aligning themselves in function of many many elements, including time (I can’t really describe it), to finally form a palpable idea. Of something, whatever it is.
You know that these visions are probably just your brain background-computing things you’ve read, discussed or thought about during a while and finally sending some output to your conciousness. My business being web/IT and business administration/management, and as I’m passionate about it as well, most of these visions (btw, if you know a better technical or medical term for these things, I’m interested… thank you, dear lazy web) are related to the subject.
Anyway, to the point: Status Quo it is!
Cap Gemini is going to distribute Google Apps (via Tecrunch and The Guardian). And I’m happy. I hate it, really, just read my previous post. But I can share this info and tell you to read my previous post, and for that, I’m happy.
Here go some questions that none of the linked articles answered as well as I’d like, and I’ll do my best to follow up on this subject. They’re in no particular order because it’s a bit like the chicken and the egg and because this is my blog.
- Who is Cap Gemini going to target?
From SMBs to niches inside the classic corporation (for example, special projects within big organizations, that often have innovative human organization and demand new types of IT tools to function), it’s all possible today. Small and medium businesses are not, reputedly, Cap Gemini’s and alike targets. Or were not, until a few years ago when IBM, Microsoft, SAP and alike weren’t that much SMB-friendly. So yes, even that is possible.
- What feature-set will they be putting forward?
Cost-efficiency? Collaboration? Mobility?
The thing has potential 360-degree compatibility, even though it’s not quite there yet: all operating systems that can run JS-compatible browsers (includes the 3 most popular desktops, and puts Linux vendors is in a good position to close more deals), all other popular Office applications, soon (probably) online/offline capacity through Gears and maybe even Gmail/Gmaps-like mobile versions…
- What about security, how’s it being handled, specifically?
- How will Cap Gemini’s clients actually perceive the Google brand in this configuration?
- Did Cap Gemini make this move based on client’s requests?
- Is it even gonna work?
Now it’s all gonna get messy. Google beats everyone on the web, overall. But this is a market of scary dinosaurs they’re getting in. It’s an old game. The rules must have been set by Mathusalem and his competitors at the time. Or something. So now, we’re back to those times.
I’m crossing my fingers, because corporate software is, more often than not, soulless, while web2.0, the read-write web, whatever you want to call it, is producing usages, applications and, I dear say, visions of the future that are all about the soul. Much the more as Dr. Eric Schmidt’s vision of web3.0 sounds soulless to me.
The best that could come out of this, for me, would be… nah, it’s too late, we’re all gonna die. Seriously, the best would be HR departments actually taking part in all this, ideally by their own will, otherwise because of good CEOs, CIOs or even Cap Gemini-like consultants.
Note : the Office 2.0 conference ended last friday.
I’m happy to have this blog today. To be continued as the Earth keeps on spinning.