I share some of the excitement and interest surrounding the new converging Microsoft collaboration strategy. I have some healthy skepticism of course - moving large enterprises likely to benefit deeply from such toolsets and the number of moving parts they entail is a long path (but Microsoft may still have time and pocket to wait out the market again).
And like Bob, I think this is only part of the solution. But my goal today is more whimsical than his.
At my workplace, we have a real time collaboration system, blending several architectures and generations of products, which pushes millions of messages a day through the pipe. But for me one of the most important messages in the morning is:
C?
which means it's time to make the quick coffee run amongst the respondents. I'd like this to become presence extension - be it SIP/SIMPLE or XMPP - to reflect this. I'd like to see it automated, perhaps via a weight-sensor extended mug warmer. You put your empty mug on indicating readiness.
There's prior art here, of course, in MrCozy's sandwich server which saved many a lunchtime back in the day, and EK's stated goal of a seat sensor for presence. So it isn't patentable - it's just useful.
Technorati Tags: collaboration, Onit, presence, coffee
Posted by esinclai at July 04, 2006 09:53 PM |
Ooh, the mug warmer presence system is brilliant, because not only is the process streamlined but the coffee stays, well, warmer. Plus, think of the opportunity for branding, hardware-service contracts...
Posted by: Ian on July 4, 2006 10:08 PMOn the lunch tip, I wonder if there are any remaining docs available. Would be a nice (if small) piece of history to retain.
Posted by: Eric Sinclair on July 5, 2006 06:23 AMThe sandwich system was luckly to survive as long as it did. One fateful morning, it was obliterated in a single "rm *" while demonstrating something for jfrankov, and reborn hours later in Phoenix-like fashion. I suspect that version went the way of Habanero V1.
That said, I'll grep -r for lunch-p. Don't get your hopes up. However, I'm certain some DC notes remain.
Posted by: MrCozy on July 6, 2006 12:05 AMI fear I missed my golden opportunity to chime in on the virtues and wonders of Microsoft's Unified Communications (collaboration was so 2004) vision, but I can still sneak in under any comment-locking wire to say that the additions to the management console which are coming out will be the best darned additions you ever did see. Look for the multi-select dialogs and be amazed!
Posted by: Voltage on August 23, 2006 12:58 AM