Alistair Rennie, General Manager of Lotus Software & WebSphere Portal of the IBM Software Group
Tweeting, real-time virtual meetings…our means of communication are expanding and society is demanding better products at a rapidly increasing pace. ‘Companies can satisfy this demand if they work together and obtain the relevant information in time,’ says Alistair Rennie, General Manager of Lotus Software & WebSphere Portal of the IBM Software Group. ‘The key to success is having smart social software to regulate the data flow.’
The prompt production of better products requires innovation and investment in research. ‘Research staff need a place where they can find background information, exchange experiences and find inspiration for the invention of new applications,’ says Rennie, who’s been General Manager since January 2010. ‘Social networks are becoming increasingly important. You can compare them with virtual coffee machines where people get together to exchange knowledge, initiate a new partnership and garner support and expertise from people across the globe.’
Indispensable link
The social software that makes this communication possible has in recent years evolved from an experiment to an indispensable link in our daily lives. Rennie: ‘We’ve developed a number of tools, applications and plug-ins to connect with people all over the world, to converse with them, to become acquainted with different corporate cultures and to cooperate with colleagues, partners and customers in a fast, easier and more efficient manner.’
Sensory overload
Technological developments have resulted in our becoming bombarded with information at increasing speeds and quantities. How can we protect our senses from sensory overload? ‘The same technology does it for us,’ explains Rennie. ‘It is true that an employee usually receives more e-mails per day than he can process. It creates the need for software that will collect all the information in an effective manner. Software that not only ensures that you can make use of all sorts of communication resources such as the internet, e-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other online connections, but intelligent programs with which you can simultaneously structure your own internet environment with personalized applications. So you choose what you want to receive. Because the software is intelligent, you receive only relevant newsletters, your mobile phone only displays news updates that are of interest to you and you only allow alerts from a group of contacts selected by you.’
The right attention
All information from business applications such as financial details or reports, e-mails and social software come together on the user’s homepage. Its strength is contained in the fact that the user can perform tasks and respond to e-mails or other content directly from the information on his homepage. ‘It’s all about giving the right attention to the right person at the right moment.’ Rennie gives an example: ‘I receive an e-mail from a stranger. What tone should I take? When should I respond? Should I respond at all? I do a search and find his photo, his profile and his current physical location. I see he’s French. I type a reply in English on my mobile phone and an instant translating tool sends him the message in French. I can also send this e-mail to a forum straight away. Or, I can opt for a text chat, a voice chat or a video chat.’
Living documents
‘Communication is a rapidly evolving phenomenon. It requires constant adapting of your way of working and how you think about projects,’ explains Rennie. ‘My children, who are barely in their teens, find it insane that people would still create documents that contain only text and static images. They say it shows you haven’t progressed much since the invention of the typewriter. They find it quite normal to create documents in which they incorporate text, illustrations, audio and video fragments and chats. Moreover, people from all corners of the earth can work on these documents at the same time. They become living documents. You can of course apply this principle when organizing a videoconference where the financial results of the various continents are compared and discussed in a live setting.’
Cloud Computing
The way in which we consume information technology is also changing, according to Rennie. ‘More and more companies are moving away from investing in their own server park, hardware and software and the relevant expertise. Instead, employees download the applications they need from the internet and only pay for the services that they actually use. This prevents inefficient use of computers as well as wasted energy and storage or cooling capacity. It saves costs and spares the environment.’
Close ties between IBM and Imtech
Imtech aims to fulfill a technological, strategic role in Europe in the heart of the primary and secondary processes of its customers. That is why Imtech has been in partnership with IBM for many years. Imtech collaborates with IBM to develop innovative solutions in the field of social software, web portals and integration. The two organizations both firmly believe that complementary competencies produce appealing total solutions. In April of this year, Imtech ICT Integrated Solutions joined forces with IBM to organize the annual LotuSphere Comes To You road show, where Alistair Rennie presented his keynote. ‘Cooperation is a precondition for growth,’ according to Rennie. ‘And Lotus is the number one platform for cooperation within and between organizations.’
Note: this exclusive interview is published in the ‘Imtechnology magazine’ for 10.000 Imtech customers and relations in co-operation with Alistair and his team.
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