Mesh Collaboration -
Creating Business Value in the network of everything (Andy
Mulholland & Nick Earle)
"Creating business value in the network of everything", so the
claim of the book, seems like a daunting task, for sure.
Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, coined the term of a
"globally integrated enterprise" in 2006 , referring to a
company built on seamless global coverage and vertical integration
with its suppliers. By that time, it had already become clear that
not only would this herald a new mode of operation, but also enable
new business models. Technology has enabled a reduction in
transaction cost that may be able to shake the balance of power in
the marketplace.
The mesh of technological and social innovation collectively
referred to as "Web
2.0" has accelerated that transformation, if anything. In this
context, "Mesh collaboration" is describing the challenges
companies are facing by new technology and business
opportunities.
The book is in two parts. Part one is the narrative of fictional
manufacturing company "Vorpal" (read "Warp-all") and its CEO, Jane
Moneymaker (the many telling names are somewhat of a comic relief).
Part two contains a deeper analysis. The book covers a broad set of
topics, such as integration of the value chain, security and
financial challenges, and doesn't forget to cover the human aspects
of change. It is something of a sequel to "Mashup Corporations, the
End of Business as Usual" by one of the authors.
The authors themselves are two senior business executives, Andy
Mulholland of Cap Gemini and Nick Earle of Cisco, which does a lot
towards establishing credibility. After all, what the book promotes
is not much short of a revolution and, as in any other instance,
one is well advised to pick one's leaders carefully in such a
case.
The fictional "Vorpal" has embarked on a somewhat slippery slope
with number of Web 2.0 initiatives and is learning the hard way
that it is about to lose control not only of the way its employees
are working but also losing money in the process. Naturally for a
business book, the situation is viewed as an opportunity, and in
the end Vorpal has not only worked through its challenges, but
successfully leveraged Web 2.0 and learned how to scale its
business model. Promotions all around!
The book is a stimulating read. It comes in a vivid narrative
style that keeps the reader focused. It develops a broader vision
on how a collaborative web can help traditional enterprises. There
are numerous good examples, and much of what it says will sound
very familiar to any enterprise that has been in touch with Web 2.0
even marginally.
The book goes into quite some depth with some of the challenges
and solutions it addresses. For instance, for the subject of
security (where the key challenge would be de-perimeterization in
the widest possible sense) the
"commandments"
of the Jericho Forum are quoted extensively.
The book's writing style is mostly inductive, reasoning by
analogies and examples, less often deductive. It sometimes falls
back into traditional thinking (touting DRM and surveillance as
business solutions seems a bit behind the curve) but usually
doesn't fail to balance that with a counterpoint. Given the
authors' perspective it is perhaps not surprising that it leaves
out some of the social challenges of the business models that it
establishes, such as the potential for vertical monopolies.
Oh, and the jargon! "These smart services will allow us to
proactively maintain equipment consult on how these assets are
configured and a whole host of other professional services to help
a user optimise and improve their use of this equipment." Is this
the language of Web 2.0?
However, these are minor drawbacks. For someone who wants to
acquaint him- or herself with the potential and pitfalls of Web 2.0
in the enterprise, this is a good and captivating read.
Peter Berlich is the founder of Swiss IT Security and Risk
Management Consulting Firm
Birchtree Consulting, LLC
and a member of the (ISC)² Board of Directors.