Last month, we hosted a free webinar titled "e-Books for the Association Industry." Led by our CEO, it focused on the advancement of e-Book technology and provided real-life examples of associations using e-books to deliver content to their meeting participants and association members. This webinar also offered strategies for associations on how to integrate e-books into their next meeting.
You can click the following link to watch a clip of the webinar:
If you'd like to view the full version, complete our sign-up form and we will send it to you shortly: http://cttoasis.wufoo.com/forms/webinar-signup-form/
This webinar is the first in our OASIS Technology Leadership Series. We'll be posting information about our upcoming free webinar on Wednesday, June 23rd, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Pages Without Pages
It's a funny thing when you stop and realize how much something has changed that you took for granted. Recently I was at the ACC 59th Annual Scientific Sessions event in Atlanta. As I walked through the amazingly large conference halls, I kept noticing bins upon bins of printed program books, abstract books, and all kinds of handouts. Keep in mind that it was the last day of the conference, towards the end of the session events, and most of the bins I saw were very full. I picked up one of each book to see the quality of the production--ACC did a wonderful job of putting together a format that reads well and is very professionally done. Yet surplus in the bulky-print-book department must certainly be costing the organization some undue expense.
ACC is an association clever enough to consider alternatives to physical, printed media. In fact, they partnered with us this year for the 59th annual event to offer their program and abstract book in Kindle, iPhone, Nook, Reader, and other digital formats (http://cttoasis.wufoo.com/forms/acc10-i210/). The uptake of these formats, especially the iPhone version of their content, signifies a real shift in preference for how attendees want to access content. It's impossible to know (without quantitative testing) whether it is the cost/environmental concern or the simple convenience and portability of this type of content that is the primary motivator for "trying it", but it's clear that digital content consumption is on the rise for good reason. Fortunately, we're going to survey all willing participants in the digital content download group to see how to better cater to this progressive segment in the future! Data rules, and we want to hear the voice of our customer and their attendees loud and clear!
At OASIS, we've experienced a surge in demand for digital content offerings. PCMA's Convene approached us to do an article about our partnership with AHA and SfN with regard to e-Book creation. You can read it here http://bit.ly/bUAJI1 in the great article "Pages Without Pages". (Contrary to the one contextual error in the article, we're sure you know by now that OASIS is one of the original abstract management solutions with a history of over 15-years. Our Content Discovery Suite e-Book offering is what is new--the article references e-Books and OASIS interchangeably). We are optimistic that many associations realize the benefits of this important trend. It is a part of our core offering and we'll keep pushing ahead to create more opportunities in the digital content space.
ACC is an association clever enough to consider alternatives to physical, printed media. In fact, they partnered with us this year for the 59th annual event to offer their program and abstract book in Kindle, iPhone, Nook, Reader, and other digital formats (http://cttoasis.wufoo.com/forms/acc10-i210/). The uptake of these formats, especially the iPhone version of their content, signifies a real shift in preference for how attendees want to access content. It's impossible to know (without quantitative testing) whether it is the cost/environmental concern or the simple convenience and portability of this type of content that is the primary motivator for "trying it", but it's clear that digital content consumption is on the rise for good reason. Fortunately, we're going to survey all willing participants in the digital content download group to see how to better cater to this progressive segment in the future! Data rules, and we want to hear the voice of our customer and their attendees loud and clear!
At OASIS, we've experienced a surge in demand for digital content offerings. PCMA's Convene approached us to do an article about our partnership with AHA and SfN with regard to e-Book creation. You can read it here http://bit.ly/bUAJI1 in the great article "Pages Without Pages". (Contrary to the one contextual error in the article, we're sure you know by now that OASIS is one of the original abstract management solutions with a history of over 15-years. Our Content Discovery Suite e-Book offering is what is new--the article references e-Books and OASIS interchangeably). We are optimistic that many associations realize the benefits of this important trend. It is a part of our core offering and we'll keep pushing ahead to create more opportunities in the digital content space.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The OASIS Advisor... Almost There!
We are using a new email campaign management service this quarter for the delivery of our quarterly email newsletter. Campaign Monitor has rave reviews for many e-publishers, so we figured we should see how their deliverability fares. We are excited to arrive in your inbox in the near future, and we've created an enhanced look & feel to coincide with the change in delivery services.
As always, the next issue of the newsletter will include eBook versions and links to our blog (well, you're here, so that's not news!) and our Twitter feed. Stay in touch, sign-up, and receive our latest posts. The goal of using these social media tools is to keep you aware of the latest offerings that OASIS has, as well as a glimpse into our outlook on meeting content management and related technology. It's an exciting place to be.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about our newsletter, we're just a click away. Should you wish to sign-up for the newsletter, you can feel free to visit our website at http://home.abstractsonline.com/news/the-oasis-advisor-2010-q1/.
In short, we are excited to keep improving the way we reach our customers. Thanks for reading.
As always, the next issue of the newsletter will include eBook versions and links to our blog (well, you're here, so that's not news!) and our Twitter feed. Stay in touch, sign-up, and receive our latest posts. The goal of using these social media tools is to keep you aware of the latest offerings that OASIS has, as well as a glimpse into our outlook on meeting content management and related technology. It's an exciting place to be.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about our newsletter, we're just a click away. Should you wish to sign-up for the newsletter, you can feel free to visit our website at http://home.abstractsonline.com/news/the-oasis-advisor-2010-q1/.
In short, we are excited to keep improving the way we reach our customers. Thanks for reading.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Got Mobile?!
The demand for digital content accessibility has never been greater. When you think about catering to the many high tech professionals that your association serves in the STM space, it's imperative that you allow your attendees to access their entire meeting itinerary on any mobile device they’re already comfortable with—online or offline. iCalendar support enables direct-to-personal calendar imports for itinerary access from anywhere. iCalendar is a fascinating concept because it is not new. It was actually a specification developed several years ago that sets the standard for how to make many items of calendar-based content accessible as a single, portable file. Why don't more systems leverage this concept?! It seems like a no-brainer, so we ensured it got onto our roadmap here at OASIS.
It makes sense to let each user keep track of their own personal itinerary on the device or software that works best for them. Attendees with iPhones? No problem. Some find Google Calendar easier? Simple. OASIS iCalendar capability enables entire itineraries—not single sessions—to be imported directly into a user’s calendar device or application at once.
If this sounds as exciting to you as it does to us, please check out our newly released information sheet at http://home.abstractsonline.com/_transfer/OASIS_MobileItinerary.pdf
It makes sense to let each user keep track of their own personal itinerary on the device or software that works best for them. Attendees with iPhones? No problem. Some find Google Calendar easier? Simple. OASIS iCalendar capability enables entire itineraries—not single sessions—to be imported directly into a user’s calendar device or application at once.
If this sounds as exciting to you as it does to us, please check out our newly released information sheet at http://home.abstractsonline.com/_transfer/OASIS_MobileItinerary.pdf
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Second Meeting?
Can you imagine a time when you might save the cost of plane tickets, travel time, and a real life, in-person experience, to attend a meeting entirely on your computer? As a software veteran who assisted with the creation of virtual tradeshows in the mid-1990's, I can assure you that thoughts of any viable virtual reality for association conferences have been far from my mind in recent years. However, as Moore's Law predicts (and Kurzweil's accelerating change concepts further embellish), technology only continues to get better, faster, and cheaper. Maybe a virtual meeting in the near future isn't so far-fetched.
Most people have heard of the game "Second Life" by now. It is a simulated, digital world accessible through your computer, where it's not unusual to see characters (also called avatars) created by people, reflecting anything from a whimsical, cartoonish portrayal of themselves, to a vision of what they perhaps wish they looked like (and, in most of those cases, I doubt few actually do). During the odd time or two when I've been curious enough to try the game, I was shocked at the complexity of behavior I saw online.
However, to my surpirse, I've heard of many recent examples of these virtual worlds being used for far more than play. In fact, the U.S. Federal Government has used Second Life to train soldiers on how to operate a bomb disposal robot. That certainly holds more credibility than witnessing Second Life being used as an artificial dating site or an outlet for repressed behavior. I guess things are advancing.
In recent market research I have conducted with associations and the leaders who run their meetings and educational programs, statistics of interest in the virtualization of meetings are growing (46% of leaders believe their attendees "would rather have increased options to attend meetings and conferences virtually..."), but still not overwhelmingly. And when it comes to networking, leaders clearly state that technology will never replace in-person dialogue (only 17% of leaders "believe their attendees would rather network with technology than in real life"). So there is a dichotomy in response: the desire to attend virtually exists, but the primary benefit of in-person networking remains a physical world reality. What jumps out as intriguing to me is that based on what I have observed, Second Life is probably more beneficial for virtual interaction ("networking") than anything else I've seen it used for!
One of the facts about any shift in using technology to replace a former physical activity is that education, awareness, and proof are needed, before the support and the desire to transition to something new becomes evident. The proof remains to be seen. Simply by exploring a few of the virtual tradeshow experiences that are out there right now leads me to believe that effective virtual interaction is indeed getting closer.
http://www.goexhibit.com/demo/
http://vshow.on24.com/vshow/on24
As we consider remote content access options at OASIS in the future, it's helpful to keep an eye on this type of development and its uptake in the market. Cool stuff, indeed.
Most people have heard of the game "Second Life" by now. It is a simulated, digital world accessible through your computer, where it's not unusual to see characters (also called avatars) created by people, reflecting anything from a whimsical, cartoonish portrayal of themselves, to a vision of what they perhaps wish they looked like (and, in most of those cases, I doubt few actually do). During the odd time or two when I've been curious enough to try the game, I was shocked at the complexity of behavior I saw online.
However, to my surpirse, I've heard of many recent examples of these virtual worlds being used for far more than play. In fact, the U.S. Federal Government has used Second Life to train soldiers on how to operate a bomb disposal robot. That certainly holds more credibility than witnessing Second Life being used as an artificial dating site or an outlet for repressed behavior. I guess things are advancing.
In recent market research I have conducted with associations and the leaders who run their meetings and educational programs, statistics of interest in the virtualization of meetings are growing (46% of leaders believe their attendees "would rather have increased options to attend meetings and conferences virtually..."), but still not overwhelmingly. And when it comes to networking, leaders clearly state that technology will never replace in-person dialogue (only 17% of leaders "believe their attendees would rather network with technology than in real life"). So there is a dichotomy in response: the desire to attend virtually exists, but the primary benefit of in-person networking remains a physical world reality. What jumps out as intriguing to me is that based on what I have observed, Second Life is probably more beneficial for virtual interaction ("networking") than anything else I've seen it used for!
One of the facts about any shift in using technology to replace a former physical activity is that education, awareness, and proof are needed, before the support and the desire to transition to something new becomes evident. The proof remains to be seen. Simply by exploring a few of the virtual tradeshow experiences that are out there right now leads me to believe that effective virtual interaction is indeed getting closer.
http://www.goexhibit.com/demo/
http://vshow.on24.com/vshow/on24
As we consider remote content access options at OASIS in the future, it's helpful to keep an eye on this type of development and its uptake in the market. Cool stuff, indeed.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
OASIS Product Management Mantras, Fin
In closing....
The bottom line, which spans across every single one of the mantras previously mentioned, is that good product management decisions yield efficiency on all fronts. This includes efficiency across team interaction, feature output, software usability, and customer process. If efficiency is created, countless interrelated objectives also become possible. Some of the more visible pain points that we hear in our industry everyday—such as the desire to have greener processes, the objective to foster remote education, and the need to reduce operational cost—are natural beneficiaries of efficiency. It is our goal for OASIS to ensure that efficiency is created in our product, but most importantly, for our customer.
The bottom line, which spans across every single one of the mantras previously mentioned, is that good product management decisions yield efficiency on all fronts. This includes efficiency across team interaction, feature output, software usability, and customer process. If efficiency is created, countless interrelated objectives also become possible. Some of the more visible pain points that we hear in our industry everyday—such as the desire to have greener processes, the objective to foster remote education, and the need to reduce operational cost—are natural beneficiaries of efficiency. It is our goal for OASIS to ensure that efficiency is created in our product, but most importantly, for our customer.
OASIS Product Management Mantras, Chapter 10
Ensure that everyone (and everything) communicates openly … and remains open to change.
No process, person, or solution is ever perfect. Not even the best-designed product will survive without change and careful refinement over time. One challenge of software development is that foundational technologies advance so quickly, even though it is so easy to build a complex application on top of a particular platform or framework. Often, this development happens reactively, in response to immediate, perceived issues. Because of this, some of the smartest decisions that can be made include the use of best-of-breed design patterns that aren’t bound to a particular technology. Instead, well-selected design (and development) patterns ensure that an application’s distinctive competencies are transferrable, and may be considered to be portable for future technology decisions … with a predictable amount of work. Under the current OASIS design mantra, all decisions that are made related to the next-generation application are built upon best-practice agreements made across the product team early and often. This permits individual teams to run lean, as the former point suggests (since these agreements are known, documented, and communicated widely), but also ensures that architects and key decision makers have been involved with the foundational decisions from which all other concepts are derived. This empowers our teams to run effectively and autonomously, and ensures that decisions which get made today have consideration for the future. Change happens. The OASIS product team strives to be ready when it does.
Since not all change can be predicted, and even the best use of design patterns cannot avoid a certain amount of encapsulation in a particular technology, it is imperative to also acknowledge that the concept of open communication also applies to the software application itself. In a recent survey we conducted, a trend emerged early (and remained consistent) which confirms that “open, service oriented data accessibility” is a top-priority for modern software consumers. This includes concepts like web service availability and API-based access to the application. We will remain aware of these opportunities and ensure that open communication is a universal goal in all of our product management decisions.
No process, person, or solution is ever perfect. Not even the best-designed product will survive without change and careful refinement over time. One challenge of software development is that foundational technologies advance so quickly, even though it is so easy to build a complex application on top of a particular platform or framework. Often, this development happens reactively, in response to immediate, perceived issues. Because of this, some of the smartest decisions that can be made include the use of best-of-breed design patterns that aren’t bound to a particular technology. Instead, well-selected design (and development) patterns ensure that an application’s distinctive competencies are transferrable, and may be considered to be portable for future technology decisions … with a predictable amount of work. Under the current OASIS design mantra, all decisions that are made related to the next-generation application are built upon best-practice agreements made across the product team early and often. This permits individual teams to run lean, as the former point suggests (since these agreements are known, documented, and communicated widely), but also ensures that architects and key decision makers have been involved with the foundational decisions from which all other concepts are derived. This empowers our teams to run effectively and autonomously, and ensures that decisions which get made today have consideration for the future. Change happens. The OASIS product team strives to be ready when it does.
Since not all change can be predicted, and even the best use of design patterns cannot avoid a certain amount of encapsulation in a particular technology, it is imperative to also acknowledge that the concept of open communication also applies to the software application itself. In a recent survey we conducted, a trend emerged early (and remained consistent) which confirms that “open, service oriented data accessibility” is a top-priority for modern software consumers. This includes concepts like web service availability and API-based access to the application. We will remain aware of these opportunities and ensure that open communication is a universal goal in all of our product management decisions.
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