The opening session of the Office 2.0 conference featured CNET/ZDnet editor Dan Farber interviewing industry pundit Esther Dyson. We first met her in the UK when she was a keen advocate for groupware in the mid-80's.
Dyson seemed a good choice for a keynote on "Office 2.0". But, when she confessed to being at about "Office 0.8" herself, one wondered if she was such a good choice after all.
In fact, she had a refreshingly global view of the subject, based on her extensive foreign travels. For a start, ubiquitous access to Office 2.0 applications is restricted to those with continuous and reliable access to power and internet access. How many global companies can even claim that?
Some of the later demonstrations proved her point when access was so slow, the presenters mumbled about "the Regis St Francis Hotel wifi network" and quickly changed the demonstration focus. I've never seen so many rotating "waiting" icons.
She predicts "a long long time" before mass adoption. She also pointed out that the focus of the successful applications would be different to today's: they will focus on tasks and collaboration, not just documents. She said, "I want an activity manager not a data manager."
She advocated a "spreadsheet version of workflow", which must have been music to the ears of exhibitor itensil which is currently beta-testing its combined wiki and very-easy-to-use workflow application with companies like McDonald's in Canada.
She believes that synchronisation of tasks will be the real benefit of 2.0. "Where is it, who has it, where's it to go?"
One of her best quotes, and one that should strike fear into Microsoft detractors, was ""the biggest anti-Microsoft force is inside Microsoft - Ray Ozzie." The very man that started the groupware revolution.
I asked her if she would be evangelising Office 2.0 as she once evangelised groupware.
Her answer? "No."
Timely and cogent summary. I will share this link with colleagues, David. Good meeting you at the show.
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