Applistructure

hm, a nice new buzzword...

But not so new after all. SAP was talking about "componentizing" R/3 many years ago.
First it was "modularization", then "componentization" and now SOA or "applistructure".

It has not happend yet.

I think web-based enterprise portals is indeed a step forward, because now we can "bind together" several applications that publish their UIs as "Webparts" / "Portlets" into the portal and let the portal manage the workflows across these applications.

While this may provide UI- and workflow integration across the different parts of the "applistructure", it does not provide data integration and you will end up with several non-integrated and non-consistent data silos.

Doing the data integration is complex and costly, and doesn't really fit with "on-demand".

So it depends finally on your business and the nature of your business processes. Can you live with data islands? Is flexibility more important than data integration and full automation? Then go for on-demand and "applistructure". If not, better stick with the big integrated system.

Microsoft Sharepoint Offline Access

http://www.digi-link.com/revelation.html
Just 25 € per User, supports offline modification and re-sync. Unfortunately currently only available for US and UK operating system versions!

http://www.iora.com/products/sharepoint.asp
€12000 € for 50 User (240 € / User), does not just sync: the user has the same Sharepoint Browser-based user interface when he's offline like when he's online. e.g. full-text search.

http://www.groove.net/
Groove Virtual Office does support Sharepoint Synchronization and starts at 179$ per Client.

WirtschaftsWoche - Viele Manager suchen im Glauben Rueckhalt

Pubcookie Home Page

Pubcookie: open-source software for intra-institutional web authentication

"Pubcookie consists of a standalone login server and modules for common web server platforms like Apache and Microsoft IIS. Together, these components can turn existing authentication services (like Kerberos, LDAP, or NIS) into a solution for single sign-on authentication to websites throughout an institution."

Google Suggest Beta

Very cool new feature from Google: a dropdown box with search term suggestions is populated while you type your search terms!

Enterprise Instant Messaging and Presence Information as "Trojan Horse" for Microsoft to enter (replace) the office PBX market ?

Microsoft Office Live Communication Server (LCS) provides enterprise instant messaging and presence information.

Once such a solution is deployed, it's not a too far step from there to integrate it with the existing PBX system via CTI. The typical scenario would be: I'm working on a problem and need advice from a collegue. I check out the presence information to see who's available. How I could either start a chat via the instant messaging (IM) functionality, or phone him. My IM client can find out the phone number of this collegue by retrieving it from Active Directory. Presence information for external contacts can be integrated with the corporate LCS via connectors. In that case the IM client receives the phone number information from the public IM system. Given that the IM client knows the phone number(s), by sending a simple CTI-Command to the exisiting PBX system the phone call could be established.

Once that is in place, turn the employee's PC into a VoIP endpoint by connecting a telephone receiver or headset to the soundcard, and add some software. Alternatively give him a dedicated VoIP phone connected to the LAN. Finally, add a VoIP gateway that routes VoIP calls between the corporate IM system on the LAN and a public VoIP gateway. This pretty much eliminates the need to have a conventional PBX, doesn't it? And Microsoft LCS, being this VoIP/SIP gateway, could play this replacement role.

Another interesting article: http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,783501,00.html