What makes a library social

Is it in its content? Its managers? Its users? It's in all of these.

Today we're picking up our Social Libraries 101 series where we left off last week, here now to explain what exactly makes a library "social."

A social library accesses and leverages user knowledge. All library "patrons" are members of a community where they can retrieve information from collections, and also add value to the content and share ideas.

We call this a Social Online Public Access Catalog (SOPAC), which creates two-way information exchanges mediated by the librarian. SOPACs can also be thought of as social knowledge networks for special libraries. Thus, SOPAC + special library = social library.

Have a look at this diagram to see the difference between traditional OPACs and SOPACs. (Click image to enlarge.)


SOPAC workflow is similar to that of an OPAC. However, it adds a feedback loop for patrons to contribute information, and provides a mechanism for the librarian to moderate the process. Original content is enhanced through social interaction and the wisdom of the community.

Across social libraries, workflow is similar. I'll draw you an example. Let's take a SOPAC behind the firewall of a pharmaceutical company’s research and development library.

1. An update to a medical journal is available.
2. The librarian logs the entry; and vets, categorizes, posts, and distributes this new information.
3. A scientist or researcher in R&D accesses the updated journal and reads a relevant article.
4. The scientist then rates it and adds comments and enhances the value of the article by noting other relevant internal research to augment and substantiate the findings.
5. The repository now contains the original information, and social information that enhances its relevance and adds value.

With this new paradigm, the role of the librarian changes, as you might expect. We've covered this trends in many of the podcasts we've done. I'll also explore that idea more in next week's post.

Free pass to SLA's INFO-EXPO for Inmagic customers

Just another perk of being an Inmagic customer: We have your free pass to the INFO-EXPO hall at this year's SLA Conference! The INFO-EXPO hall is where all of the exhibitors will be displaying their wares, doing their demos, and showing off whatever else they might have up their sleeves. (We're taking that literally.)

All Inmagic customers are invited to attend the INFO-EXPO for free during one day of the show. To get your pass, just register on SLA's Web site. If you have any trouble registering, feel free to contact us. You can also try reaching out to SLA's customer service at 1-866-229-3691 or SLA091.attendee@experient-inc.com.

More details on INFO-EXPO hours and agendas can be found on SLA's site. By the way, countdown to SLA is just 16 days!

Webinar poll 3: Nearly all companies agree SKNs would increase productivity

Wrapping up our poll results from our Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository webinar is question No. 3: Where would social knowledge networks (SKNs) provide the most value to your organization? (Click image to enlarge.)

Nearly everyone (90 percent) reports that SKNs would increase collaboration and productivity. This is a topic we've talked extensively about on the blog, most recently with our How to Cost Justify Your Social Knowledge Network Needs series. Revisit the series to refresh yourself on the stats we present for how SKNs can cost effectively boost productivity among employees and the organization as a whole.

Another major value-add companies see in SKNs is knowledge capital retention (67 percent). Following this are enhancing ROI/content value (37 percent); addressing critical business challenges (35 percent); and increasing revenue and reducing expenses (26 percent).

It's clear that companies see real value in social knowledge networks, and that SKNs have the ability to help them address common business challenges. What do you make of the results? Where do see the most value in social knowledge networks? And equally important, where do you see weaknesses?

Webinar poll 2: Social technology under evaluation in most companies

Check the results of our second poll question from our Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository webinar. Here we asked, What role do social technologies play in your organization's KM strategy? The majority of webinar attendees (58 percent) responded saying they're evaluating or exploring social tech's role in their knowledge management strategy. (Click the image to enlarge.)

And as you can see in the graph, 13 percent report it's an integral part; 11 percent say it's used, however separately from their KM strategy; and 16 percent say it's not used at all.

It looks like social technology is certainly on companies' radars, with many organizations in the evaluation stage. Where does your company sit? Why? Where do you think you'll be at the end of the year? We'd love you hear your feedback.

And if you think you have several interesting things to talk about, we could get together for a podcast and share it on the blog for all our readers to listen to. Let us know in the comments!

Webinar poll 1: Two-thirds of organizations use SharePoint for KM

We have some interesting data to share with you from our recent webinar, Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository. If you attended, you know we asked three polling questions during the presentation, and talked briefly about the results at that time.

But we wanted to share the results far and wide, and also give attendees the chance to review them again, because I think we have some insightful information here on the state of the industry.

I'm no research expert, but we did seem to have a good polling sample. We had 400-some-odd attendees from around the country, working in some type of KM/CM/IT role. They answered these three questions:

• What technologies are currently used in your organization to address KM challenges?
  
  
• What role do social technologies play in your organization's KM strategy?
  
  
• Where would social knowledge networks provide the most value to your organization?

Results of the first poll can be seen in the graph above. (Click it to enlarge.) SharePoint is clearly way ahead of the other technologies, with 67 percent of organizations using it. Following SharePoint is library, archiving, and cataloging systems at 43 percent; ECM systems at 38 percent; enterprise search at 32 percent; and digital asset management systems at 12 percent. And then of course, there is the omnipresent "other" category at 19 percent.

I'd be interested to learn more about the other tools you're using, in fact. What's your organization using that we're not mentioning? Also, in general, what are your thoughts on these results? Seem accurate? What conclusions would you draw?

We'll post the two remaining poll results shortly!

SLA 2009: things to know before you go

If you're planning on attending SLA 2009, it can be helpful to plan your calendar ahead of time to make sure you don't miss the presentations and exhibits you want to see. Even if you're an SLA veteran, every conference holds different tracks, so it's worthwhile to spend a bit of time reviewing what's in store and planning your conference.

SLA is making it is easy to do this with several resources it lays out on its blog. A good start is to use SLA's online Conference Personal Planner. It has the latest conference information, and the scheduler feature lets you create and save your own calendar for the conference to include both conference sessions and personal appointments.

SLA has also put together a conference preview, which includes conference hightlights, INFO-EXPO activities, career connection activities, day-by-day schedule of events, as well as pertinent forms like hotel accommodations, conference registration, SLA membership, and more.

If you want to learn more about exhibitors, you can search SLA's exhibitors listing to find information on the companies, their products/services, and contacts. As you probably know, Inmagic will be at SLA, booth #1151. More details on our SLA ramp-up will continue to be rolled out right here on the blog.

And since we're on the subject, I'll let you in on a little secret: We'll be announcing some news at SLA that I think many organizations with ECM initiatives will be interested in. That's all I can say for now, but SLA is just two and a half weeks away, so you'll get the download soon!

Also, for twitterers out there, SLA will be tweeting from @SLA2009, and SLA conversations will be happening at #sla2009. If you have info to share about the show, just add #sla2009 to your tweet.

Keep our tag for SLA Conference 2009 bookmarked, as well as the link for the SLA Conference 09 Connections blog for more updates as the conference grows near.

Archive of Socializing Your Knowledge Repository webinar available

If you missed our last webinar with KMWorld and The Gilbane Group, the archive version is now available on KMWorld's Web site for download. It's also handy for a refresher on any points you might want to review.

Bill Ives shares Presto review on Portals and KM

We told you about Bill Ives' recent review of Presto 3.0 on The AppGap. Bill has also posted his review on his blog, Portals and KM. Thanks for sharing your impressions again, Bill! And readers, you can check out Bill's review and more on his observations and thoughts on KM on Portals and KM.

MHT spreads word of Ron's arrival

Mass High Tech (MHT) covered the arrival of our new CEO, Ron Matros. Thanks for featuring us!

Andornot to exhibit at CALL and CHLA conferences

Our partner Andornot is exhibiting at two conferences this month that we wanted to get on your radar if you're interesting in attending. These conferences precede the two user group meetings we already told you about.

First off, we have the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) Annual General Meeting 2009. It takes place May 24 to 27 at Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia. More details on the show can be found on CALL's Web site.

Following CALL is the Canadian Health Libraries Association (CHLA) conference 2009. And that one takes place May 30 to June 3 at the Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba. You can also find more details on speakers and events on CHLA's Web site.

What Presto has to do with Pink Panther insulation

You're probably familiar with the home insulation with the Pink Panther on it. You might have it up in your attic right now. It's made by Owens Corning, a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology. As a $5.8 billion innovator, much research and development goes into its product line of building materials and glass fiber reinforcements.

You can probably imagine what it would take to manage all of those research documents, and keep them organized, searchable, and referenceable. If you're imaging it's Presto, you're right. Owens Corning uses Presto to manage its knowledge repository and share research data with scientists around the globe.

The full story of Owens Corning's Presto implementation is covered in this case study we put together. Read on to learn more about what Owens Corning was looking for in a KM solution, why it chose Presto, and where it's taken them today -- besides your attic!

Warm welcome to our new President and CEO, Ron Matros

Our president and CEO position here at Inmagic has changed hands, and we'd like to introduce you our new company head, Ron Matros. We issued a press release today to announce his hiring, which you can read below for details on his background and experience, and what he'll be doing at Inmagic. Welcome, Ron!

************************************************************************************
Inmagic Appoints Ron Matros as President and Chief Executive Officer

Former CEO of MetaCarta, iConverse, and OpenMarket tapped to generate growth and expansion in core knowledge management and special library markets

WOBURN, Mass.--May 21, 2009--Inmagic today announced Ron Matros has joined the company as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, Matros will lead all key facets of the business, including engineering, services, finance, sales, marketing, and new business development. He also joins Inmagic's Board of Directors.

"I am honored and excited to be joining the Inmagic team at one of the most historic times in the company's history," said Ron Matros, President and CEO of Inmagic. "The company has an outstanding reputation in the industry, with a diverse and loyal customer base. The market reaction to Social Knowledge Networks has been unprecedented, and I'm looking forward to working with Inmagic's employees, customers, and partners to drive growth and value throughout the Inmagic network."

Matros joins Inmagic from MetaCarta, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., where he was President and CEO. There, he successfully raised two rounds of venture capital funding, which were used primarily for operations and market expansion, resulting in significant sales growth during his tenure.

Before that, Matros served as the President and CEO of iConverse, Inc., Waltham, Mass., where he was responsible for building the U.S. sales and marketing organization, and raising capital. The company successfully raised funding during unfavorable market conditions, and was eventually acquired by a complementary partner, InfoClarus. Earlier, Matros served as President of OpenMarket, Inc. and FutureTense, Inc., where he successfully managed each company individually, as well as the role of CEO after the companies merged.

"The market response to Inmagic's Social Knowledge Management strategy has been exceptional with rapid adoption among customers and the market at large," said Michael Balmuth, General Partner at Edison Venture Fund and member of the Inmagic Board of Directors. "Ron Matros brings the expertise required to lead the company through its next phase of rapid growth and development. Ron has an impressive track record in building successful companies and a solid base of operating experience critical to the company's long-term success. In welcoming Ron, I'd also like to thank Paul Puzzanghera, whose outstanding leadership has positioned the company well for continued growth and market expansion."

Matros replaces former President and CEO Paul Puzzanghera, who led the company since 2006. Matros holds a master's degree in business administration from Northeastern University.

ABOUT INMAGIC, INC.

Inmagic, Inc. has been the industry leader in knowledge management and library automation applications for over 25 years. Today, Inmagic is at the forefront of the move to new generation knowledge management, creating Social Knowledge Networks that combine top-down, vetted information with bottom-up, social "wisdom of the community" to address critical research and business objectives. Over 5,000 companies in 100 countries use Inmagic solutions, including Inmagic© Presto, Inmagic© Presto for Social Libraries, and the DB/Text product family, to gain unprecedented insight into customers, markets, competitors, research, intellectual properties, and more. Find out how much your organization really knows. Visit Inmagic at www.Inmagic.com.

###

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, press only:

Kate Ritchie, Gregory FCA, 610-642-8253, kater@gregoryfca.com

Or

Carolyn MacNeill, Inmagic, Inc., 781-287-6277, cmacneill@inmagic.com

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contacts: Kate Ritchie, kater@gregoryfca.com, Carolyn MacNeill, cmacneill@inmagic.com

Inmagic press room: http://www.inmagic.com/news/press_room.html

RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/inmagic

Inmagic blog: http://blog.inmagic.com

Company fact sheet: http://www.inmagic.com/company/Inmagic-At-A-Glance.pdf

The social library, defined

Welcome class, Social Libraries 101 is now in session! We'll be covering social library basics over the coming weeks, including what social libraries are, how they change the role of the librarian, and how to use them in your organization.

I thought the best way to kick off the series is by defining a social library. Simply put, a social library is a library where content is two-directional. It provides a framework to manage and enhance library collections, augmenting top-down, vetted information with bottom-up social
information.

This concept should sound familiar if you're a regular Inmagic blog reader! A social library is also considered an instance of a social knowledge network. It lets users create a community around a specific domain of knowledge, and add contextual value through the wisdom of the community.

If we combine all these ideas, we see that a social library is the confluence of three components, which are illustrated in the diagram below:

1. Knowledge management and content publishing
2. Library workflow management
3. Socialization

Social libraries can be used in three primary applications. First, they can be located inside the firewall, designed to manage domain-specific library assets or collections, and the knowledge community. The object here would be to address a particular research, business, or functional need or problem.

Alternatively, social libraries can be published outside the firewall. In this case, they would be designed to address the unique needs of common interest groups and the information assets and collections assembled to educate and advance a particular body of knowledge.

And thirdly, social libraries can be used by organizations for mutual commercial interest. They could be published outside a firewall, but with a focus on building affinity and advancing an organization’s commercial interests with customers, supporters, or trading partners.

The common thread uniting these forms of social library applications is enhancing the value of information to improve productivity and organizational effectiveness, and to preserve and enhance knowledge assets.

When we define social libraries, we also must touch upon library 2.0. A social library characterizes library 2.0. It moves forward the traditional library by capitalizing on user participation, creating an interactive, content-rich user community.

Library 2.0 and the social library are relatively new concepts, but they represent many information professionals' vision for the future of the library. Just look at presentations at recent SLA conferences and the Five Weeks to a Social Library course. They signify it is time to extend traditional definitions of the library, rethink content and collection management, and evolve toward new levels of community knowledge and research support.

I'll unfold more of these ideas next week, when I talk about what makes a library social.

Strong turnout for yesterday's Socializing Your Knowledge Repository webinar

We had another great turnout for yesterday's webinar, Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository. Over 400 pairs of eyeballs were watching. I think it's a strong indicator of the industry's level of interest and engagement in social knowledge management. Folks are showing they want to learn how to go from just the idea of social knowledge management, to actually using it in their organization.

We sprinkled some insightful polling questions throughout the presentation too. We're pulling those questions and results together, and will be sharing them on the blog soon.

If you missed the webinar, it will be available in the next day or two for download on KMWorld's Web site. It'll be archived there for about 90 days.

Thank you to KMWorld and The Gilbane Group for joining us in creating and conducting the webinar, and thank you to all who attended!

Last minute reminder: Webinar today at 2 p.m. ET

In the midst of wrapping up final details for our webinar today, Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository ... I'm very happy to report the number of registrants is up to 970. Just don't forget to log on at 2 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. PT! All you have to do is click the link in the e-mail KMWorld sent you after you signed up. Thanks everyone for your interest, and see you soon!

P.S. -- There's still time to sign up if haven't done so. Register on KMWorld's site.

Spots still available for tomorrow's webinar: Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository

Over 400 people have registered so far for our Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository webinar. We still have room available if you haven't signed up yet. It will be an informative hour of your day, packed with Phil's strategy for using a social knowledge network to align social strategies with broader content and knowledge management initiatives.

Larry Hawes, Lead Analyst of Collaboration & Enterprise Social Media for The Gilbane Group will also cover the latest trends in knowledge management and social media.

In the webinar, you'll gain insight into the biggest SKN challenges on information managers minds, and learn solutions for handling them, including:

• How to kick-off your SKN strategy
• Do's and don'ts of implementing SKNs
• Hidden pitfalls and unrealized benefits of going social
• How SharePoint fits into the mix
• Crafting a success plan with ROI
• Real-world examples from organizations including NASA, Newsweek, and R.V. Anderson Associates Limited

The webinar takes place tomorrow, May 19 at 2 p.m. ET. To register, visit KMWorld's Web site.

Hold your horses grads, Social Libraries 101 is now in session

It might be time for high school and college students to don their ceremonious robes, listen to Pomp and Circumstance, and (finally!) graduate, but here on the Inmagic blog, class is still very much in session.

So, please take your seats, as we begin our next series, Social Libraries 101. Over the coming weeks, we'll be rolling out posts covering the social library basics: from what a social library is and why they're important, to how they're impacting the library world and what librarians should know about implementing them.

Now sit up straight and pay attention!

Just kidding! Did I scare anyone? ;-) All you have to do is bookmark this link to get your social library 101 education. Our first post hits the blog next week.

Inside R.V. Anderson's Presto experience, part 2

We've shared the story of how Inmagic customer R.V. Anderson Associates Limited is using Presto to manage its knowledge repository and break down information silos across its departments. You might remember the white paper written by R.V. Anderson's Terri Zimmer, Supervisor, Information Management; and Kirsten Warren, Manager, Marketing and Business Development.

We also put together a case study detailing RVA's before situation, how they found Inmagic, why they went with Presto, and how they're using it today. Check it out to learn more about the increased productivity, improved collaboration, lower total cost of ownership, and other benefits they're now enjoying with Presto at the helm.

Phipps & Associates exhibits at Association of Canadian Archivists Conference

Inmagic partner Phipps & Associates is exhibiting at the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) Conference, which kicks off today in Calgary.

Sanjeev Arora, business information consultant for Phipps, will be on hand tomorrow and Saturday at the show to demo Inmagic products, answer user questions, and meet customers.

The theme for this year's conference is Rights, Responsibilities, Trust: Archives and Public Affairs. The ACA show is an opportunity for companies in the archival space to present their technologies and services, as it attracts archival professionals from around Canada, the U.S., and overseas.

The show runs May 15 to 17, with an opening reception tonight. It all shakes down at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary. More details on the show and registeration can be found on ACA's Web site.

Special round table podcast on social library trends and implementations

What's the social library market like in different regions around the continent? Which organizations are socializing their knowledge management strategies? What challenges and successes are they having?

These are some of the top questions on info pros' minds today, and we hosted a special round table podcast discussion last week to get the answers. We wanted to gain insight from a variety of perspectives, so joining us were Inmagic customers, partners, and employees.

The discussion covers the gamut of social technology, beginning with a conversation about the impact of consumer-centric social networking in the enterprise (think Facebook, blogs, wikis, etc.).

This taps into what we're seeing on the front lines every day. That is, many organizations understand the importance of social networking for collaboration, but they aren't clear on how the game changes when applying social strategies to content inside the firewall.

And that's exactly what we dive into in the discussion. Gathering 'round the fire were:

Jaye Lapachet, Manager of Library Services for Coblentz, Patch, Duffy and Bass LLP, San Francisco. Having worked in information management for law firms of all sizes, Jaye offers her perspective on where confusion lies when it comes to using social tools in the enterprise setting, and the biggest benefits to be gained from socializing your knowledge repository. She's currently using Inmagic products.

Peter Tyrrell, Director and CTO of Andornot. Peter is schooled in library and information science and skilled in programming and application design. He provides a technical viewpoint when we talk about adoption and inside-the-firewall implementation of social knowledge management solutions. Andornot is an Inmagic partner based in Vancouver, Canada.

Natalie Munn, Principal of Content Innovations. Natalie has spent 15 years working with information systems in corporate and academic libraries and museums. She gives us an overview of the IS market from her perch in San Francisco, and the challenges and successes she's seeing with customers. Content Innovations is also an Inmagic partner.

Phil Green, CTO of Inmagic. A man who needs no introduction if you're a loyal blog reader! Phil has led the technical development of Inmagic's products over the past two decades, and shares his observations of the social library market, the needs that customers are voicing to him, and how Presto is helping address them. Inmagic is based in Woburn, Mass.

So pull up a seat and lend us an ear to learn more about what's driving today's social library and knowledge management market, and how you can take advantage of technologies to make your organization more collaborative and productive.

Bill Ives gives Presto good marks on The AppGap

When we talked to Bill Ives in April for a podcast, he was also interested in seeing a demo of Presto. Of course, we happily obliged. Phil and I took Bill through the primary functions of Presto, and how the platform can be used to socialize knowledge management strategies.

Afterward, Bill put together a review of Presto on The AppGap, with some screen shots to help you get acquainted with the platform if you aren't already. Thanks for taking the demo and doing the review, Bill!

Turning tricks at SLA 2009

Call it a helping hand or a sleight of hand -- Magician Josh Norris will be on hand turning tricks at our booth, #1151, at SLA 2009. Josh will be our honorary Inmagic magician during the show, and he's developed a special act for entertaining SLA go-ers.

Last year at SLA, Steffan Soule joined us, and made a good showing in this video we captured of him. I still haven't figured out his trick! We'll be sure to capture Josh's performance on camera too.

Andornot to host user groups in May and June

Do you have a question about an Inmagic product that has been on your mind? Our user group meetings are a great way to get them answered and learn more about new features and tools we're offering. Our partner Andornot, based in Vancouver, Canada, will be hosting two in-person user groups this spring, one in May and one in June.

Both meetings will include discussions of the latest versions of all Inmagic products, plus a review of DB/Text Works v11, Web Publisher Pro, and Genie 3.3. Kathy Bryce and Denise Bonin from Andornot will demonstrate the new Undo feature in the Form Designer, Query Logging, and other enhancements that you can make to your Web or Genie interfaces. Light refreshments will be provided.

You'll be able to talk to Kathy and Denise, as well as other Inmagic users to bounce ideas off one another and come away with some new information that will help you get more out of your Inmagic tool. If there are any particular topics you would like Andornot to cover, just shoot them an e-mail in advance.

These meetings are open to all Inmagic users and anyone else interested in learning more about our products. So if you're in the Halifax or Winnipeg areas and would like to attend, here are the details you need to know:

Inmagic User Group Meeting -- Halifax

Date: Wednesday, May 27

Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: McInnes Cooper
Purdy's Wharf Tower II
1300-1969 Upper Water Street
Map

RSVP to: info@andornot.com by May 26

*******************************************

Inmagic User Group Meeting -- Winnipeg

Date: Tuesday, June 2

Time: 4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Location: Pitblado LLP
2500 - 360 Main Street
Map

RSVP to: info@andornot.com before June 1

Webinar reminder: How to socialize an enterprise knowledgebase

Have you noticed how social media is socializing ... well ... EVERYTHING? What about your enterprise database? For those wondering what social media technology means for their knowledge management initiatives, and how to fully take advantage of the plethora of tools and platforms that are available today, don't forget to tune in to our upcoming webinar: Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository. The official press release announcing the webinar hit the wires today, and you can read on below for more information.

*************************************************************************************

New Webcast: How to Socialize an Enterprise Knowledgebase

Free Webinar on how to socialize an enterprise knowledge repository in five steps, hosted by KMWorld, The Gilbane Group, and Inmagic

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Social media technology is rewriting the rules of knowledge management, and corporate information professionals hold the pen. But for any special librarian or information manager charged with understanding how these new technologies integrate with content and knowledge management initiatives, the challenge remains the same. Where do we begin? How do we execute? How do we achieve ROI?

Now, there’s a clear answer in five easy steps: Attend a free Webinar that will demonstrate how to kick-off a social knowledge management strategy inside the firewall. Presented by Inmagic, The Gilbane Group, and KMWorld Magazine, the Webinar will teach attendees about gaining buy-in, getting started, identifying and avoiding unexpected hazards, securing the knowledgebase, measuring and maximizing ROI, and more.

Free Webinar: Five Steps to Socializing Your Knowledge Repository
Register: Visit KMWorld’s Web site
Date: Tuesday, May 19
Time: 11 a.m. PDT / 2 p.m. EDT
Presenters: Phil Green, Chief Technology Officer of Inmagic, Larry Hawes, Lead Analyst of Collaboration & Enterprise Social Media for The Gilbane Group. Moderating the event will be Andy Moore, Publisher of KMWorld.

“Most organizations using social technology today are using consumer-oriented tools, such as blogging, Google Docs, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr, and see these initiatives as separate from their content and knowledge management initiatives,” says Phil Green, Chief Technology Officer of Inmagic. “These tools were designed to facilitate the creation of communities, but adoption inside the enterprise has been slow because they operate as a silo unto themselves, detached from critical content and information assets. A socialized knowledge repository can securely consolidate information silos, improve content quality, and increase employee productivity—all in ways not possible through consumer-facing applications.”

Larry Hawes will cover the broader impact of Enterprise 2.0, and explain why most organizations are struggling to leverage existing content, while also integrating a social component. He will describe the growing need to merge content from all available sources—including social software applications—into a single user interface to improve knowledge worker productivity. Hawes is a nationally recognized expert on information management technologies, and consults with organizations on technology selection and deployment strategies.

Inmagic’s Green will walk attendees through each step of socializing their knowledge repository, explain the do's and don'ts of implementing KnowledgeNet portals, and discuss how Microsoft SharePoint can be used as a complementary technology. He will demonstrate how companies including NASA, Newsweek, and R.V. Anderson Associates Limited are using Social Knowledge Networks to securely build KnowledgeNet portals that collect, organize, manage, share, and socialize corporate information assets. Green has 30 years of experience in the development of information technology, special libraries, and knowledge management technology.

The Webinar will be held Tuesday, May 19 at 11 a.m. PDT / 2 p.m. EDT. To register, visit KMWorld’s Web site. Space is limited, so please reserve quickly.

ABOUT INMAGIC, INC.

Inmagic, Inc. has been the industry leader in knowledge management and library automation applications for over 25 years. Today, Inmagic is at the forefront of the move to new generation knowledge management, creating Social Knowledge Networks that combine top-down, vetted information with bottom-up, social “wisdom of the community” to address critical research and business objectives. Over 5,000 companies in 100 countries use Inmagic solutions, including Inmagic© Presto, Inmagic© Presto for Social Libraries, and the DB/Text product family, to gain unprecedented insight into customers, markets, competitors, research, intellectual properties, and more. Find out how much your organization really knows. Visit Inmagic at www.Inmagic.com.

ABOUT THE GILBANE GROUP

Gilbane Group Inc. is an analyst and consulting firm that has been writing and consulting about the strategic use of information technologies since 1987. We have helped organizations of all sizes from a wide variety of industries and governments. We work with the entire community of stakeholders including investors, enterprise buyers of IT, technology suppliers, and other consultant and analyst firms. We have organized over 50 educational conferences in North America and Europe. Information about our widely-read newsletter, reports, white papers, case studies and analyst blogs is available at http://gilbane.com.

ABOUT KMWORLD

KMWorld (www.kmworld.com) is the leading information provider serving the Knowledge Management systems market and covers the latest in Content, Document and Knowledge Management, informing more than 50,000 subscribers about the components and processes - and subsequent success stories - that together offer solutions for improving business performance. KMWorld is a publishing unit of Information Today, Inc.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contacts: Kate Ritchie, kater@gregoryfca.com, Mike Cassettari, mcassettari@inmagic.com

Inmagic press room: http://www.inmagic.com/news/press_room.html

RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/inmagic

Inmagic blog: http://blog.inmagic.com

Company fact sheet: http://www.inmagic.com/company/Inmagic-At-A-Glance.pdf

NASA discovers new way to manage knowledge with Presto

While NASA's astronauts are reaching for the stars, its technologists are reaching for Presto. As you might already know, NASA uses Presto to manage its 12 terabytes of launch, flight, and landing data -- including 5 million high-res digital photos, 10,000 videos, and 7,000 motion picture films. Those video clips and snapshots you see online, on TV, and in the paper? NASA stores, accesses, and manages them all using Presto.

We've touched briefly on this before, like when we interviewed Jeff Wolfe at SLA 2008. Jeff heads up the management of NASA's photos and videos.

But that's not all. We've also put together a case study that takes you through the story of why NASA needed a platform to manage its data, why it chose Presto, and how it uses Presto to manage its image and video data. Give it a read!