off the Hook

One of the concepts we discussed at the Lotus Leadership Alliance this week is the "Collaboration Maturity Model," which illustrates the different forms of collaboration and how organizations tend to implement them as organizational collaboration capabilities increase. While the specific content of LoLA is protected by an NDA, I figure the fact that I was able to find information on this model in the public domain via Google, I can safely talk about it.

I am not sure if or how this model relates to Forrester's version by the same name (because I'd apparently have to pay $349 to find out), but the general idea is that as you move up the scale, your collaborative capabilities mature. While this is a clear adaptation of the Capability Maturity Model used in a variety of process efficiency methodologies, it is certainly applicable to collaboration and a useful tool for assessing your collaborative capabilities versus the competition. Here is the general idea:

• Level 1: Baseline Communications - This includes telephone, email, and file sharing capabilities like what Notes and Foundations offer.
• Level 2: Real Time: Instant messaging, web & video conferencing, and web content such as Sametime and Quickr (and yes, Domino).
• Level 3: On-Demand Access - Unified communications, directory and profiling services, mobile access, and portal technology that aggregates information from multiple sources in a personalized manner, as offered by Sametime Advanced, Connections, Lotus Traveler, Websphere Portal (and, oh yeah, Domino).
• Level 4: Insight & Innovation - Embedded collaboration and communications integrated throughout the organization, social computing, and mashups, which Lotus is focused on delivering by enabling seamless integration across the portfolio and with other widgets that enable developers and even end users to build and share their own on-the-fly applications via Expeditor, Notes, Portal, and Mashups.

It is no mistake that this model aligns with the portfolio of Lotus solutions of course, but it nonetheless drives the point that most organizations can still extend upon their ability to communicate and collaborate, and it provides some general idea of how to do so in an evolutionary manner.

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