Dead end: Social media for your afterlife

Social Meteor/Troy Janisch: When you lead a digital life, it’s only a matter of time until death makes its way online. The Lien Foundation, an organization seeking to improve care for the dying, allows people to ’befriend’ Death on Facebook and ‘die-logue’ with him. The Foundation’s Life Before Death initiative also offers tools for the living that can improve their ‘quality of death.’

UW-Madison students well-connected, with smaller devices

The old Mac-versus-PC and laptop-versus-desktop debates have given way to cell phone versus smart phone for University of Wisconsin-Madison students. Just under half of UW-Madison students own a smart phone (handheld Internet device) — almost double the number in 2009. More importantly, these students are expecting their UW course, records and collaboration tools to be seamlessly accessible on these devices.

How CIOs present choice makes all the difference in the world.

CIO Executive Edge/Mark McDonald: CIOs and their IT teams can unnecessarily limit their influence and options in ways that seem small, but have major consequences. Take for example how you present options. IT is as much about decision making as it is about cost effective operations or innovative solutions which makes shaping and presenting options a critical management activity because options shape expectations.

Real leadership: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen

Carlini's Comments/James Carlini: Last week, I attended the Executive Club of Chicago's Executive Breakfast series because I wanted to hear what the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, had to say. When Admiral Mullen announced he would take any question directly from the floor instead of the usual procedure of pre-written questions on index cards that can be filtered through an aide, I found myself impressed with his leadership.

More broadband growth needed to meet EMR goals

To reach the State of Wisconsin’s goal of expanded use of electronic health records by health care providers across the state, a significant increase in the availability of high-speed, broadband Internet access is needed. The Wisconsin Relay for Electronic Data for Health (WIRED for Health) submitted a plan to the federal Department of Health and Human Services last week to secure stimulus funding designed to promote information sharing amongst health care providers in the state.

Leinenkugel, Burrill to form angel investment group in Vilas County

The Vilas County Economic Development Corp. (VCEDC) will form an angel network in Vilas County. The goals of the Vilas County Angel Network are to be a champion for select entrepreneurs who want to establish high-growth businesses in the county, to assist in growing the regional economy, and to give investors an opportunity for a “substantial return” on their early stage equity investments.

Press releases and other news

• How not to lose your investor during your pitch
  Source: ReadWriteWeb
• What to do when the CFO always says no
  Source: InfoWorld
• Heart transplant patients reminded to take meds via text
  Source: Healthcare IT News

Latest roadblock to embryonic stem cell research hurts everyone - even its opponents

Inside Wisconsin/Tom Still: Erik Forsberg, the executive director of Wisconsin's WiCell Research Institute, may soon be running the scientific equivalent of a homeless shelter. If a recent court ruling forces some of Wisconsin's stem-cell researchers to abandon their federally funded laboratories and equipment, those researchers may find temporary quarters in WiCell's research center near the UW-Madison campus. Because the WiCell lab isn't backed by federal dollars, it could serve as a safe harbor for researchers whose labs run short on money.

Smart strategy challenges conventional thinking

Business Model Innovation/Kay Plantes: Read any business magazine and you’ll discover a multitude of examples of companies that secured profitable, growing market positions because their visionary leaders challenged the conventional rules of how an industry works. The leaders’ fresh perspectives resulted in winning business model innovations in industry after industry. All too often leaders of established businesses act like horses pulling carriages in New York City’s Central Park, wearing blinders to avoid distractions. Which brings me, a political independent, to the narrow thinking of Wisconsin’s Republican Gubernatorial candidates on high-speed rail transit connecting Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and, eventually, Minneapolis, St. Paul.

Press releases and other news

• Bothersome online friends spawn blocking apps
  Source: Washington Post
• Salesforce completes the puzzle with Jigsaw for CRM
  Source: TechCrunch

Closing the cybersecurity gap in government

Across the federal government, agencies are grappling with a shortage of cybersecurity pros who have the skills to protect their computers and networks from relentless, and increasingly dangerous, forms of attack. The Department of Homeland Security and the Air Force received authority to expedite the hiring of almost 1,700 cybersecurity pros over the next two years, but fast-track hiring is a stopgap solution. The long-term answer requires new training programs and better ways of attracting and retaining employees with the sought-after skills.

Press releases and other news

• Salesforce.com's Chatter asks about work
  Source: San Francisco Chronicle
• Software war pits Oracle vs. Google
  Source: New York Times

Intuition advances business model strategy

Business Model Innovation/Kay Plantes: A National Public Radio story this week concerned Ludo Lefebvre, a successful Los Angeles chef who got cold feet after leaving established restaurants to create his own. With two Mobil 5-star ratings on his resume, $2 million in investor support and a weariness from working for bosses, why did Lefebvre change his plans? His gut told him to do something very different, something that has turned out to be a huge winner in the highly competitive LA restaurant scene.

Cloud computing: A perfect fit for midsized companies

Midsized companies will find cloud computing suits their focus, operational requirements, and investment capablities, says CIO.com's Bernard Golden. Here's why midmarket may be a cloud sweet spot. Is it mostly being used by SMB companies or as others assert that cloud computing will really pick up when really large companies make the move. He dissents from both of those perspectives believing that over the next couple of years it will be midsize companies that really leverage IaaS cloud computing.

Press releases and other news

• Stem cell ruling could be a boost for Barrett, Dems
  Source: Wisconsin State Journal
• Quincy Bioscience, maker of anti-aging supplement, raises $250,000
  Source: Journal Sentinel

Using the iPad as my only computer.

CIO Executive Edge/Mark McDonald: Recently I decided to go on vacation with just my iPad to understand the degree that the iPad could replace the laptop. The answer is more than you would expect and not quite as much as you would like. This comparison is based on an iPad with the iWork software installed that was connected to the WIFI service provided in a hotel. I also bit the bullet and purchased a bluetooth keyboard.

End video clutter: Add links to make online videos more effective, manageable and social

Social Meteor/Troy Janisch: Video content is an important aspect of every company’s digital marketing strategy. It’s popular, social and effective. According to a recent study, the average internet user watches 186 online videos per month. Video is popular. The most recent comScore study indicates that 183 million U.S. Internet users watched an all-time record 33.9 billion online videos in May, 2010.

Press releases and other news

• Obama administration targeting ineffective contracts in an effort to trim costs
  Source: Washington Post