How to manage Instant Disruption Softwares?

The other day, a colleague told me that yesterday he was overloaded with emails and today, even worst, he is getting mass of instant messages...
More and more devices, software are based on reaching someone at anytime and being reachable at any time! Of course, while it is very convenient, it is very disrupting as well!

My colleague found an interesting solution, he decided to launch his IM only when he needs to contact someone... in fact, this is a very egoist attitude, being able to use the others and hiding from them!

I believe, it is all about learning how to use those instant solutions for the best of everyone. Even, in real life, we can always make a bad face, close the door, wear black sun glaces to tell the others that you are not in the mood of communication or busy doing something else.

Of course, there is avatars, I can also set my online status, but I always forget to switch!!! I will love to have some device interface, next to my mouse, where I can easily push the Happy button, the Busy, the Sad or the Available one... it will be even greater, if it could realized when I moved away my desk and automatically set Jerome is away.

Anyone else interested to develop the concept?

Sharing knowledge and research?

What will refrain a company to post all its knowledge and research in progress in a blog or even on Wikipedia? Maybe the balance between the risk to be copied and the value of others starting to collaborate, comment, challenge and innovate with this company will fully balanced and even start to make this company much more innovative than others! Today innovation is all about speed and without others thoughts, nobody will be able to be fast enough...

http://www.wikipedia.org

Do we still need to own IT infrastructure?

Already couple of years ago, I found that Yahoo services were providing most, if not all services that a small company need to run their business.

Obviously, more and more companies are providing IT tools and services online on the Internet. Of course, most of them in messaging and collaboration services, but the trend is there and Enterprise services for Finance, Supply Chain, HR, etc might come in the future... it will be all about risks vs benefits...

I like particularly Web Office for the "intranet" solution, which incorporate collaboration, documents management, web meeting and email all in one service, quite impressive.

Take also in consideration Groove, the peer to peer solution, very nice instant collaboration. Groove had been founded by Ray Ozzie the inventor of Lotus Notes and had been acquired by Microsoft earlier this year. Knowing that Ray Ozzie will become Chief Software Architect after Bill Gates next year, we should definitively keep an eye on what he is doing!

http://www.weboffice.com/
http://www.groove.net
http://www.yahoo.com