Why Linked-Globe?
An Introduction
After many years abroad, I recently returned to Sweden, my
home country. Sweden generally has a good reputation for a high level of maturity
in the information technology field. I expected that companies here were probably
already using computer technology in advanced and productive ways.
This
was true
for larger companies but it was not correct for small and medium sized organizations. Of course they used computers. Basically every company was using
word processing, spreadsheets and accounting packages. Many also had Internet
access and used the net for various purposes.
All this is well
and good, but today, this level of computer use can be compared to a basic physical infrastructure. Something like having
electricity and water on
tap....
IT for Your Core Business
In my
opinion, Information technology does not really starts to justify itself until
it is being used to
develop the core business of an organization.
Large corporations has realized this long ago. Can one
imagine a bank that does not use computers to keep track of the customer
accounts, or a car manufacturer that does not use information technology to
control its production process?
Small and medium companies normally use computers for
standard administrative processes. A few years ago, there were good reasons for
not developing further. Standard software packages were cost effective and suitable
for those issues that were common for most companies, like accounting,
calculations and correspondence. It was generally too expensive to develop
special solutions to address the core business functions. Although we all we all
have to address administrative issues , it is the unique concepts and ideas in our
businesses that justifies our existence as companies.
In the last couple of years many
of these conditions have changed. Powerful and effective development tools allow a high degree of
customized functionality for relatively small
investments in time and money. Many standard software packages, like Microsoft
Office, already as standard contain powerful development tools. These
tools can access the standard functionality of the software package and
consequently it is possible to use a minimal amount of custom code to "glue
together" existing functionality in new and creative ways. This is much like
kit building. Sometimes, not even this is needed. Most modern Software packages contain a vast amount of functionality that the regular user is not
aware of. A tailor made training can often unravel the unknown solutions to
existing issues. The keyword here is tailor made. A standard training must fit a
wide range of users satisfactorily, but it will never fit anyone perfectly.
Internet, a Must
The Internet has developed from being a meeting place for
insiders to become a fundamental part of our infrastructure. This development
continues rapidly. Lately there has been a sobering up, but the fact remains: The
Internet is a fundamental pillar of a functional modern society, privately and commercially.
It is possible to run a
business without being present on the Internet, but as time passes it is
becoming more and more of a handicap. Already today, it is almost mandatory to have access to
email
but other areas have not developed that far. Still there are relatively few organizations
who use messaging systems fully, as a complete tool for
external and internal communications for things like booking of meetings and
automatic market research. New powerful tools has made it possible to quickly
and simply create attractive and functional web sites with advanced functionality.
even more specialized functions such as internal order entry
systems for field sales staff are relatively simple to create.
How can a "Not so large" company
handle all this?
As always, there
is a catch. To develop and maintain a complete IT infrastructure competence and
abilities in a wide range of fields are required. Some examples are: Networking,
system and application development, Web development, security, hardware,
training and user psychology.
When all these talents are to be combined in a project, the
individual efficiency tends to be reduced and costs skyrocket. Often, more time
is spent on coordinating and managing the project than on actually getting the
job done.
This is where Linked-Globe enters the picture.
Our philosophy is to only use people who cover a wide range of
knowledge in development and project management. This means that we can perform with
a much higher level of cost performance than a
group normally can. It also means that communication with our clients is quick
and efficient and that answers and solutions to problems can be given quickly.
In those cases where a project demands more resources than we have available,
we assemble a project group from our linked global network. Through the
communication features of the Internet, we can easily cooperate with each other
using web-cameras, IP telephony and various other group cooperation
software. This allows us to work together in much the same way as if we were
sitting in the same room. Approaching the issue like this is very cost
effective, as resources can be assembled from wherever they provide the maximum
value for money.
The Daily Routine
Business
life is not only glorious projects. Of course we also help with all everyday IT chores such
as
network and server configurations, software installations, trouble shooting,
supplier negotiations and various analyses. Customized training is another specialty.
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