Microsofts trends and thoughts for the market in 2012

Listening to many Microsoft Executives and Kevin Turner doing his anually speach from stage, I wanted to share some of my obeservations with you. 

First of all, lets look into the amount Microsoft is investing in R&D. Nothing less than 9 billion dollars will be spend on R&D in this fiscal year. The priortizations will be fueled by these thoughts on trends:

1. We have reached an inflection point in moores law. Today a motherboard is smaller than a phone. This will enable a new generation of devices, smaller, faster and everywhere that we have not seen. Also much more intelligence on the devices.  All together enabling us to deliver data where you want it, how you want it and when you want it.
2. Cloud will define the scenarios.  The cloud is a next step for our industry.  The cloud is enabling new scenarios on how to change the world, that our industry never have been able to deliver before.
3. Consumeration of IT is the fastest force of adoption in technology ever. The digital generation is expecting and inventing using IT in ways we have never seen happen in our industry earlier.
4. We will have unified eco-system with PC-Phones-TV. In 2012 it will be sold 1 billion smart computers in one of these 3 groups, versus 400 million in 2010. Microsoft will support this with a coherant and consistant strategy with iE 9 as the same browser for all 3 devices.

Based on this how do you move with a global R&D agenda and with some of the best people in our industry?  Well you make bets, the bets are as follows:

1.      Develop and deliver the best Cloud services

2.      Keep a sharp eye on the end user/consumer, and let their opinion shape the R&D investment

3.      Keep on moving with Search and have the best solutions for display advertising on any devices across any platforms including game-consols.

4.      Grow your market share on the Phone

5.      Redesign Windows with version 8 som will run on arm and the system on a chip.

Exciting and challenging.  The presence Microsoft has in different segments give them an opportunity to deliver the best solutions powered by ICT-technology when we want it, how we want it and where we want it.

Microsoft Partner Network, the largest Open Innovation Case winnig together every day around the world

On an annual basis I have the privilege to attend the Microsoft World Partner Conference.  This event is for partners only and are on premises (also digital www.wpc11.com)  beeing a meetingplace for partners and employees in Microsoft around the world.  This week we have been more than 14.000 people working together on the mission of how winning together will change the world.

Bullshit, you might think. This is just comercial and marketing, and yes you are right. But the more I work with exciting solutions I am getting a keen beliver in doing good business is good business, and that trusting somebody with your idea you can change the world.  And let me give you some insight into my experiences this week.

1. First by picking the theme for the conference Winning together, Microsoft is saying it all. They do not belive in going alone (like many of their so hyped competitors in fact do), they truly believe in togetherness. This not only mean doing business, but investing together in great initiatives like Haiti NetHope Academy, giving young people access to demanded technology skills giving them a profession and also a job slowly redesigning their own country
2. Second believing in partnership and openess takes comitment.  Microsoft Comitment comes in many shapes and colours, but hosting open innovation is their Partner Network.  On a platform free for all partners (you just have to say you want to be a partner and you are in). In this hosted network (free of cost ) for all partners to join and search for other parnters or post their solution and idea.  Today this network has more than 6.000 partners using it. To be honest I do not know about any other open innovation platform with that many users.
3. Thirdly believing in openess takes available business funding to work on a solution changing the world and bringing value to all inn.  Like all the present theory on Open Innovation, this part is a continusly negotioans as the business case moves along and mature.  But upfront Microsoft is trusting you with available funding programs to help you develop.  Yes, in some sense comparable to the Apple appstore, but then again not, because Microsoft will not charge you forever, they will have a need to share but in a much modest manner, but also requiring you to co-invest with them.

I do every day believe I am priviliged to work with technology. Considering myself contributing to a better world by beeing a change maker, I can not think of anything more powerful than technology doing this.  But beeing here at Microsoft World Partner Event, I feel  even more priviliged.  Because I am a truly believer in open innovation and by trusting somebody you will gain more than you loose.  Microsoft is visualizing for me a network of 640000 partners, with more than 15000000 employees changing the world in small and large projects using Open Innovation to win together. 

... and Bill Gates who obviously has been a thoughtleader on this model, is now taking it to a even better mission in the foundation also here utilizing the power of Open Innovation.

Innovation need research as an investment capability

Attending the Digital Assembley in Europe and listening, learning and discussing how to solve and get competetive advantages in a global economy. Europe has an unique public funded research model, but we are getting a dimminshing numbers of innovations based in Europe out of it.  So, how could we start a change program on this topic.  Here are a couple of my thoughts:

1. Europe is launching an innovation union, we should launch a nordic innovation union.  This union should take into fact the diversity in the innovation cultures in each country.  My ease picture of the best nordic comapnay is as follows:  The R&D department is operated by the norwegian. We do research very competitive with small means and in a widely network model. Then the product management should be led by a finn, she would scale it and get everybody on board. The swede should be responsible for setting up the operations and finally the sales director is danish.  This model could be incorporated into policies and requirement following the money.
2. Utilize the competetive advantage we have by a growing representation of women leadership position and designing the model by gender mainstreaming.
3. Extending the topic on innovation to include innovation in public service. The Nordic Region could take a lead in eGovernment, and by doing it in a nordic model, we would also solve the challenges of a single market, which is a great market opportunity for the Nordic businesses spinning off from an innovation program like this.

100 years, very impressive in this industry, Happy Birthday

In this industry, now overwhelmed by the numbers of people in social networks and number of smartphones, it is very impressive to turn 100 years.  In 1988 I had the opportunity to join IBM, and had a wonderful journey (although to short) with them.  The IBM I met, I believe are one of many reasons why they today are turning 100 years.  The first principle was trainiging.  Back then we had to train for a year before we where certified to work with clients full time.  Even though I guess this time has decreased substantially, I know the principle is still guiding IBM for all the employees.  Second principle was the respect for the client, but believing that the technology would solve the problem.  The SPIN-model,  (Situation - Problem - Implication -Need) has been guiding me since.  Third and maybe the principle giving this 100 years history, believing that great minds need to explore and develop great solution, and then you protect them by available rights like Patents.  IBM has for many years and are still holding the record of anually published patents. The respect the company holds for the mind, and given a substantially contribution to the technology as a change agent for a better world.  Based on this last principle, I am postive IBM will play a major role in solving the challenges ahead of us to make the world more sustainable and sharing among our still growing population.  Our industry needs companies like IBM, and all new commers like Facebook have a great role model to look up to.  Happy Birthday.

Why Open Innovation is important to drive change

Just finished a workshop with a team of leaders from public sector.  In my presentation material I had a picture of the wheels, building from the standard in powerpoint.  I went through the drivers in the innovation engine needed in public service, and was happy with my preperation and the dialouge in the room. Then I was pushed down from the mountain top of sucess, with a minor question.  Have you looked at the wheels ?  Yes. Well, can you tell me how that enigne will run, the wheels are wrong. This engine would crack up and not work.  And he was right. Take a look yourself, and start correcting your powerpoints, because this is borned out of standard figures.

How to get 15% ROI on investment in digitalization of public services- Look to Norway

The benefit realization report for the Altinn Program was published by Brønnøysund registrene in march 2011. The report has a developed methodology to investigate a potential benefit for a new public service. Then a number of new services are investigated, due to the fact they are in the pipeline to onboard the Altinn-engine.  Finally the numbers are aggregated to a national level. 

 

The Report documents that Norway will benefit more than € 1.5 billion in the period from 2010 to 2020 in an investment estimated to be € 0,5 billion. With a ROI more than 15% it is hard to find a better case on eGovernment anywhere else in the world.

 

For more information: http://www.altinn.no/

 

Hvor naiv kan en være som byråkrat/politiker og ødelegge for en bokbransje ?

Etter å ha jobbet med innovasjon drevet av teknologier i over 20 år, er det ekstra spennende de neste 5 årene. Vi er akkurat i begynnelsen av en digitaliseringsbølge av innholds-produksjon og ledelse, utdannelsessystemer og politikere med virkemiddel apparat trenger å raskt bli utfordret også med ny kunnskap.  Idag foregår denne kunnskapsinnhenting via forskning som en hovedkilde, jeg skulle ønske at også næringslivet som lever daglig i et tilpasnings paradigme ville i større grad bli lyttet til som kunnskapskilde.

Ta for eksempel dagens utspill fra finansdepartementet om moms på eBøker fra utenlandske eBok steder.
Hvor naive er norske politikere ? Tror de at lesere av elektroniske bøker vil oppgi når de laster ned fra utlandet?  De kan nok pålegge Amazon og andre å kreve moms av oss, men hva når vi kjøper det i utlandet ? Totalt sett må jo den offentlige kostnaden for å kreve inn dette overskride inntektene, og samtidig stenge for internasjonale konkurransekraft for alle de flotte norske forfatterne.

Men jeg forstår heller ikke forfatterne som lar forlagene bestemme at utviklingen skal gå så tregt, den norske nettskyen er jo også et forsøk på å stenge internasjonale aktører ute, men jeg mener det skader jo vel så mye forfatterne selv slik den er lagt opp.
Når jeg tidligere iår utfordret Erik Fosnes Hansen på dette ble jeg mildt sagt meget overrasket. Han sverget til relasjonen med den gode redaktøren og som en suksessfull forfatter mener jeg at selv er med å redusere endringskraften i egen bransje og ikke minst muligheten for talentfulle medforfattere som ikke har hatt tilsvarende suksess.  Dette er noe jeg mener er uhørt i sin rolle som medlem i offentlig utvalg.

Og mens bransjen og politikere diskuterer og orienterer seg, skjer det en rivende utvikling utenfor Norges grenser. Jeg skulle ønske at kreftene ble brukt på et mulighetsscenario og ikke et forsvar. Hele eBok bølgen som nå skylder inn over oss kan sees på som en fantastisk mulighet til å nå ut med all den fantastiske litteraturen som skrives i Norge men som idag ikke kommer ut pga langsomme mekanismer for produksjon, oversettelse og distribusjon som i stor grad er i genearasjon 1 av sin digitalisering.