Delivering Human Capital Management solutions under a SaaS model to the SMB market, we’ve recently stepped up our mobile strategy as a result of the competitive landscape. One interesting aspect to the mobile strategy challenge is the software industry is lumping “mobile” into one bucket, but from our perspective there are really two distinct buckets – the smart phone and the tablet. Given the inherent differences in screen real estate, decisions around the volume of data and number and complexity of functions allowed can greatly impact development efforts.

Equally challenging, is the decision to go browser-based or leverage a fat client architecture where code resides on the device itself. In the case of Android, we understand it’s easier to load apps directly to the app store as a result of a more limited verification process, so a fat client architecture might be preferred. In the case of iOS, frequent update cycles appear to be more difficult because in some cases we’ve heard it could take months to get the latest version of an app approved. Additionally, from an architectural perspective, we believe Apple restricts dynamic communication between the server and the device itself, in that some core functions which are better off residing on the server side may very well need to be coded on the fat client. These limitations can add complexity to an organization’s mobile strategy and may create a tug-of-war between whether fat client or browser-based is a better longer-term direction.

For many organizations, including ours, these are just some of the device/platform challenges which can potentially impact app compatibility and acceptance within the marketplace. With the goal of minimizing our internal R&D investment, events like All About Mobile help assist in identifying the appropriate subset of core functionality to deploy, when, and to what device and/or platform.

Highlights:

• In this sample – people felt less stress about managing family obligations (such as taking children to doctors appointments) during work hours. However, when work cut into family time perceived stress increased.
• Participants with greater work flexibility were less stressed, and participants with little work flexibility experienced more stress.
• Participants that worked long hours were generally more stressed than those that worked fewer hours a week, but those who worked long hours from home had lower perceived stress.

Read these highlights and more in the complete wave 1 results.

Finding Success in SaaS
August 17, 2010, 1pm EDT

Adapting at Cloud Speed
September 9, 2010, 1pm EDT

Cloudy with a Chance of Insight
October 7, 2010, 1pm EDT

Lucrative Pricing and Packaging Strategies for the Cloud
November 4, 2010, 1pm EDT

Making the Transition: Your Journey into the Cloud Defined
December 13, 2010, 1pm EDT

For more details and to register, visit: http://www.safenet-inc.com/NavigateTheCloud

All registered attendees also gain access to the CODiE Awards reception and dinner on January 25. Content CODiE Awards winners will be announced during this lively and festive event.  Be there to congratulate colleagues and friends, or perhaps bring home an award for your company.

 We hope to see you in January! Continue to check back for updates on speakers and sessions.

First, the obvious differences: The former conference is our first major component of SIIA’s new initiative on Personalized Learning and is being held in collaboration with ASCD and CCSSO. Two-thirds of the invited attendees represent leadership within the K-12 education sector – school districts, state agencies, professional associations, the federal government and education foundations. Attendees will focus on the policies, practices and technologies needed to enable the redesign of our education system from an industrial-age structure to one that is student-centered to meet each student’s personalized learning needs.

The Ed Tech Business Forum will be 10th annual and has become part of “Education Week” in New York, taking place each year the first week after Thanksgiving. Attendees are primarily from the industry, and represent ed tech platform companies, publishers, and financial firms. They’re there to learn and share information about the shifts they see in their business models.

The similarities: Some of SIIA members will be attending both conferences. While the purpose of the Symposium is to look at system re-design, the Forum will be looking to re-design their business. There’s a cause and effect, and hopefully, they’ll happen in tandem with each other. Our members do react to customer needs … and Personalized Learning is a major one right now. By working with industry colleagues at the Forum, they will gain major insights to Re-Inventing their business models.

Posted by Karen Billings, Vice President, SIIA Education Division

Member Press Releases

• Access Innovations, Inc. and American Institute of Physics “Unravel” New Thesaurus for Online Scholarly Publications | Access Innovations

• Berkery Noyes Releases First Half 2010 Education Industry Merger & Acquisition Trends – Hitting the PE Books | Berkery Noyes

• Berkery Noyes Releases First Half 2010 Pharma and Healthcare  Information and Technology Merger & Acquisition Trends – A Healthy Pattern of Growth | Berkery Noyes

• Berkery Noyes Releases First Half 2010 Private Equity Information Industry Merger & Acquisition Trends – Steady As PE Goes | Berkery Noyes

• Berkery Noyes’ 1st Half Media Industry M&A Trends Report | Berkery Noyes

• Blackboard and McGraw-Hill Partner to Integrate McGraw-Hill Digital Content & Tools into Blackboard’s Learning Management Systems | Blackboard

• New Online Training Courses Show Employers How to Improve Employee Wellness | BLR

• Copyright Clearance Center Launches ReadyImages® for Academic Institutions | CCC

• D+P Manages BN Media, LLC’s Acquisition of Beliefnet from News Corporation | DeSilva+Phillips

• Scottrade Selects Dow Jones Adviser to Improve Registered Investment Advisors’ Market Awareness and Communication | Dow Jones

• Dow  Jones Economic Sentiment Indicator Signals Progress in U.S. Economy | Dow Jones

• U.S. Venture Investment Nears Pre-Recession Levels | Dow Jones

• Venture Capital M&A Quarterly Report | Dow Jones

• U.S. Private Equity Fund-Raising Falls as Focus Turns to Smaller Funds |
Dow Jones & Company

• Greenhill & Co. Reports Second Quarter Earnings Per Share of $0.57 |
Greenhill

• Contractors Speed-Dating To Find NGEN Teaming Partners | INPUT

• Uncovering Funding For State and Local 9-1-1 Initiatives | INPUT

• Gain Insight Into New York’s $360  Billion Tech Budget | INPUT

• J.J. Keller Announces Management Promotions | J.J. Keller &
Associates

• New legislation would require changes for high-risk facilities to prevent
terrorist attacks | J.J. Keller & Associates

• J.J. Keller Website Allows E-Filing of Form 2290 | J.J. Keller & Associates

• JEGI’s July 2010 Client Briefing – Debt Providers Bullish on M&A Market |
JEGI

• JEGI 1H 2010 M&A Report – Strong Uptick in Deal Activity and Value |
JEGI

• TSO Partners with MarkLogic as part of Open Data Initiative | MarkLogic

• MarkLogic to Discuss the Perfect Prescription for State Governments Looking to Improve Access to Healthcare Information | MarkLogic

• Marlin & Associates’ Partner Maxworthy Recognized as one of the Leading
Young M&A, Financing and Turnaround Professionals Under 40 | Marlin & Associates

• NEO Newsletter | Mendelsohn Consulting

• The NASDAQ OMX Group Builds Subscriber Loyalty With New Analytics Services from Outsell, Inc. | Outsell, Inc.

• Peer39 Adds Digital Advertising Executive Alex White as VP Product and Account Managemet | Peer39

• ProQuest’s GradShare™ Introduces Blogs | ProQuest

• New Study Sees Rise in Cloud Services Adoption Among Small and Medium
Businesses in First Half of 2010 | Spiceworks

• Spiceworks Delivers Automated Network Configuration Management Features in Latest Version of Free IT Management Software | Spiceworks

Member White Papers

• Blackboard Institute Releases New Report on Dual Enrollment | Blackboard

• Wellness Programs | J.J. Keller & Associates

Member Job Postings

• Account Manager and Inside Sales – Part Time, could go to full | Free Pint

Member Blogs

• Alacra Pulse Data in the Long Room | Alacra

• SLA 2010 – Hot and Cold | Alacra

• Jailbreak: Library of Congress Opens Up Phones and Ebook Readers | Content Blogger

• Three New News Trends: Picks and Pans From the Reinvention of News |
Content Blogger

• Newsonomics | ContentEd

• Amazon e-Books Outselling Hardcovers: What is the Impact? | Content Matters

• What a Long, Strange Marketing Trip It’s Been | Content Matters

• EMC Acquires Data Warehouse Vendor Greenplum; Creates New “Data Computing” Product Division | Kellblog

• MarkLogic: NoSQL Before NoSQL Was Cool | KellBlog

• YouTube =Increases Upload Limit to 15 Minutes | Newstex

• BP Caught Altering Oil Spill Photos by John Aravosis of AMERICAblog | Newstex

• Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead – Not Just for Deadheads | Newstex

• Online Video SEO Tips | Newstex

• Companies Slash Print Advertising Budgets | Newstex

• Global Professionals Share Similar Concerns | SLA

• SLA 2010 Conference Photos Now Available | SLA

• SLA 2010 Attendees Help New Orleans and Haiti with Haiti Reads Book Drive| SLA

• Anyone for M&A? | VIP

• Two new reports on Generation Y | VIP

• Expert profiling: connecting the experts | VIP

• Millennials and social networking | VIP

• Time to rethink legal information training? | VIP

Upcoming Events

• 09/04 – Building the Right Message from First Contact to Close | NetProspex

• 09/16 – Brown Bag Lunch: Making Money with Analytics | SIIA

• 09/22 – Executive FaceTime Interview | SIIA

All current registrants can submit Mobile Best Practices by email to Nate Philip.

Mobile Best Practices for ISVs
*Define in one sentence a specific issue/problem affecting ISVs as they transition to Mobile.
*In one paragraph, outline steps to overcome the issue based on your experiences. Please note, this should in no way be a product endorsement but instead an industry best practice.

But as is usually the case, there’s a large gulf between concept and implementation. For start- ups and companies looking to add software to their product portfolios, launching a successful cloud delivery model requires a solid business plan that includes development, production, and go-to-market approaches. For well-established ISVs, the challenge is no less daunting. They may find that adopting the new delivery model requires far more time, money, and research than anticipated – and that it can disrupt business processes far beyond the development. Yet, the risk of taking no action is as great as the risk of taking the wrong action. How, then, can ISVs successfully integrate the Cloud into their businesses?

In this paper, Stratecast examines the fragmented and still evolving cloud-based Software as a Service market. We look at the pitfalls and benefits to ISVs, along with considerations to guide the decision to enter the cloud. Finally, we look at the IBM SaaS Specialty Program as a high-value option for helping ISVs build and execute a SaaS strategy.

Nominations are now open for the 4 categories outlined below. For more information on nominating, visit:
http://www.siia.net/codies/2011/nominate.asp

SIIA CODiE Awards – Mobile Software Categories

1. Best Mobile Information Management Solution
Recognizes the best business application designed for use on mobile devices to organize, access and manage content, data, documents, or records.
Products nominated here are eligible for the Best Information Management Solution and Best Mobile Solution supercategories.

2. Best Mobile IT/Network Management Application
Recognizes the best business application designed for use on mobile devices to manage IT operations.
Products nominated here are eligible for the Best IT/Network Management Solution and Best Mobile Solution supercategories.

3. Best Mobile On-Demand Application
Recognizes the best business application designed for use on mobile devices to either manage or access cloud-based or software-as-a-service solutions.
Products nominated here are eligible for the Best Mobile Solution and Best On-Demand Solution supercategories.

4. Best Mobile Operations Management Solution
Recognizes the best business application designed for use on mobile devices to manage any or various enterprise operations, including financial, human capital, sales, marketing, project management, data management, supply chain management, etc.
Products nominated here are eligible for the Best Mobile Solution and Best Operations Management Solution supercategories.