We define the network computer in broad terms for the purpose of this discussion, based on a merging of the various opinions presented on the topic throughout the course. The network PC is any device which can be used to access a central repository of data which allows local processing of the data through the use of JAVA-enabled applets. The device may or may not have local storage, may be fat or thin, but must connect easily to the network. In the wireless context, it is a cheap, light, multimedia-capable terminal that does not consume high amounts of power. An example of this is the Berkeley Infopad, shown below.
Given our belief that there is a market for collaborative technologies
even without ubiquitous adoption of the tools, however, we assumed
that the broad network infrastructure required to support the
grandest dreams of NC supporters was not a prerequisite for the
successful integration of NCs as the computing device of choice
for collaborative technologies. In other word, the NC concept
could be applied within an organization to support collaborative
strategies even if wider adoption and development of the network
infrastructure did not occur. This statement does not suggest
that such a network would be bad, clearly the greater the adoption
of NCs the better, but only that it is not required. Even today,
variants of the network computer are being used successfully without
such a network.
Network computers can help speed the adoption of collaborative
technologies only if they meet the promises of their promoters.
Specifically, an NC must:
If these promises are met, collaborative technologies may be more widely adopted by organizations because of the reduced start-up costs required to equip people with NCs instead of PCs. The reduction in startup costs reduces the hurdle rate a company must clear in order to justify its investment, thus increasing the possibility that a collaborative implementation can be cost-justified.
In addition, the realized promise of mobility and nomadicity of the NC in a more ubiquitous networked environment would clearly increase the number of possible applications of collaborative technologies. The possibilities range from medical emergency teams equipped with these cheap terminals collaborating with expert doctors off-site, to numerous military applications, to applications on various factory floors around the world where manufacturing processes can be streamlined better.
Such an infrastructure, we project, would be developed through private, commercial channels. We believe that there is sufficient economic incentives in this area that government intervention is not required and in fact would be detrimental. Unlike the telecommunication industry in its beginnings, the advent of wireless communications and the continued penetration of cable operators has created a highly competitive environment.
However, even if the NC movement does not live up to its projected promise of deleivering cheap terminals that can replace the current PCs, we believe that the trends towards increasing collaborative technology in various environments will continue. While it may be slowed by the absence of an inexpensive alternative to multimedia PC investments, the existing value proposition is still great enough to support growth in the industry.
Collaborative Planning: The Heineken Experience
In each of the three case studies we presented,
an organization was utilizing collaborative technologies to improve the
quality and coordination of internal activities. We began with these
cases because we believe they represent the best chance collaborative
technologies have of getting into organizations. We believe
organizations may embrace these tools as a way to improve internal
collaboration, coordination, and training, but more must be done before
they can consider them as tools for collaboration with customers and
business partners.
There are three primary reasons for this:
Into this scenario steps Heineken. One of a handful of pioneering
companies that are entering the brave, new world of inter-company
collaboration, Heineken implemented a system called HOPS (Heineken
Operational Planning System) to collaborate with its distributors.
The system allows them to coordinate placing orders and generating
demand forecasts through real-time interaction with their distributors
The tools used are a computer, an intranet, an extranet (the Internet),
a standard web browser, and American Software Inc.'s Supply Chain
Planning collaborative forecasting and replenishment software
suite.
While Heineken would not release the dollar amount spent on this
effort, they claim that they will realize a positive return on
their investment in less than a year. Through this effort Heineken
was able to dramatically reduce inventory and procurement costs,
reduce order lead times from 12 weeks down to 4 - 6 weeks, and
as a result improve the quality and freshness of their product.
The bottom line: Heineken was able to better serve both their customers
and their distributors and realize significant bottom-line improvement
in the process.
As more and more companies recognize the tremendous benefits that
can be leveraged through collaboration with vendors, suppliers,
and customers, we expect a continued move towards this model of
inter-organizational design. Of course, this shift will take time
in light of the issues raised earlier and will not necessarily
carry all collaborative technologies forward with it. Heineken,
for example, does not currently use video as part of their real-time
collaboration because of the poor quality and, perhaps more importantly,
because they do not feel it ads value to the process they are
performing.
Each company, at least during these early days, will need to evaluate their unique situation against the issues raised here and the opportunities presented them. In addition, they will have to work through the cultural changes and training that goes with a dramatic paradigm shift such as the shift to collaboration. But companies like Heineken clearly demonstrate that there is value to be gained in this area, and as long as there is value generating a need, companies will work to address their organizational issues and technology hardware and software companies will continue developing products to meet those needs.
With Heineken setting a good example of industrial organizations adopting collaborative technology for planning activities, we now turn our attention to how this technology might revolutionize the way people interact world-wide. People have quickly developed their interest in hanging out on the Internet through the World Wide Web, email, and Internet relay chat. Real-time collaborative technology can take this further by creating a shared virtual world, or more technically, through distributed virtual environments (DVE). Shared virtual worlds have the potential to inaugurate a new era of social computing by radically altering the way we work, learn, play, and interact with each other, by focusing on the previously ignored social aspects of computing.
In our vision, a shared virtual world contains many highly graphical, computer-generated environments ("worlds") populated by many geographically disperse people. These environments allow users to interact with other people or with artificial intelligent agents in real time. Each interaction group can accommodate thousands of users, making it possible to create crowded events such as a concert. Unlike current video conferencing system, DVE users can create and change the three-dimensional environment they are immersed in. In addition, users can move around and participate in different environments, constantly contributing new objects and structures to their shared world. Since this world is virtual, it can go beyond the imitation of reality to permit things that cannot exist in actuality. An example of what a shared virtual world tour screen may look like, click here.
While the enabling technologies for virtual shared world have advanced over years of research, there are still impediments that keep them from widespread acceptance. We now discuss these impediments and how they might be overcome:
A key technological issue is the bandwidth limitation of today's wide-area networks. Compared to earlier applications, DVEs place more demand on the network to support a much larger number of people all over the world. This impediment will be slowly overcome as the network continues to be upgraded and expanded to support higher-incentive applications such as telecommuting and distance learning, and possibly Internet-based multi-player games.
To bring DVE closer to reality, we must be able to combine the efforts of both communities, leveraging the networking expertise of one and the graphics and user-interface expertise of the other. The DIS developers are trying to move beyond the military training realm into the commercial area. In the process, they must collaborate with the Internet developers to integrate the ability to scale up users with the ability to share contents on different systems.