Surely one of the coolest and most talked-about events at last week’s Enterprise 2.0 conference in San Francisco was the demo of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)’s new collaboration platform, Google Wave, during Wednesday morning’s plenary session.
But is this ingenious real-time collaboration environment too clever for its own good?
There’s no denying the wow-factor of Google Wave. It brings together the best elements of instant messaging, social networking, and digital whiteboarding to create an online conversation space for business. People can bring information, application data, and rich media content together seamlessly by dragging them into the Wave discussion panel.
This was especially impressive when Google demonstrated how it was possible to bring SAP business objects into the Wave environment as visual representations of processes. Participants in the Wave conversation could discuss and interact with the process diagram, adding to it or correcting the work of their colleagues, while defining a workflow for a common task -- for instance, a mortgage loan approval process.
The juxtaposition between SAP’s structured view of everything and Google’s radical, freewheeling approach to collaboration was a bit jarring, but the demo made its point. Underneath Wave’s pretty interface is a robust platform for integrating disparate application data in a true collaborative environment.
By the end of the presentation, it was clear Google had hit the sweet spot for this particular crowd of social computing gurus and early adopters. The functionality and contextual nature of Google Wave satisfied many of the concerns and requirements that analysts had been articulating around enterprise collaboration for more than a decade.
But to me, the real question about Google Wave is not its technical excellence, but its practical path forward in the enterprise. It reminded me of one of those rock bands tagged as a “critic’s favorite” that nevertheless never quite catches on with the general public.
That’s because Google Wave doesn’t simply augment and improve the way people work: It reinvents work processes fundamentally. To take advantage of all the cool capabilities of Wave’s real-time collaboration environment, you really have to live in Google’s mindspace. You have to embrace the idea of sharing and collaboration at the very center of the work process, and allow the values of organizational productivity to completely subsume the individual work product. How many people work like that?
Google says it’s been using Wave internally for months to great effect, and I don’t doubt it. Smart young innovative companies that thrive on disruption and have cultures that encourage an aggressive competition of new ideas will love, Love, LOVE Google Wave, in the same way that college radio stations love wry and jagged alternative music.
Will Wave break through to the “Top 40” world that most businesses inhabit? That depends largely on its fervent enthusiasts.
People gained familiarity with social computing tools and technologies on the consumer Web first, then brought those skills with them to work. As far as I know, there is no analog to Google Wave on the consumer side. No one will come to work knowing how it works or what to use it for.
Google Wave strikes me as posing a vexing training challenge: It’s too superficially simple and too profoundly complex. It has to spread through mimetic adoption, where someone sees a colleague doing something and figures out for themselves how to use that feature in their own work scenario. And because it’s collaborative, you need a critical mass of users before it’s really worth adopting.
So where do the early adopters come from? And how do they spread their knowledge? And how does that critical mass build? Unlike other big collaboration vendors, Google doesn’t already live in corporate data centers, and its productivity tools don’t live on many enterprise desktops. There’s no built-in constituency to leverage in the uphill battle toward adopting an unfamiliar and disruptive new tool.
Given the thought that went into the design of the product, maybe Google has cracked this nut as well. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve outsmarted the market.
But if Wave crashes, that won’t surprise me, either. It also wouldn’t be the first time the cleverest kids in school outsmarted themselves.
"I don't know who to attribute this to as I heard various renditions of it, "The day you stop learning is the day you die."
- I did some searching for this for a good 10 minutes and it seems everything that came up for attributing the quote was "Unknown". I fully agree with you, and of course that individual who originally came up with that quote.
Here's another one (more of a mantra) that I enjoy:
"Innovate or die"
Those of us online had better stay on top of new technologies by seemingly innovative companies, even if they seem futile or uninteresting. Otherwise you'll find yourself looking back, repeating the depressing mantra: "those were the days!". Sorry but the days are NOW.
I finally got more use out of Google Wave today. I added a group of people to a public, and then to a private conversation. Posted some pictures and played with the fonts. Nothing spectacular, but it was fun to see what else I can do on The Wave. ;-)
The first from Charles Darwin, "An organism when confronted by a change in its environment has three options: adapt, migrate or die."
I don't know who to attribute this to as I heard various renditions of it, "The day you stop learning is the day you die."
There are a lot of technologies that may not apply to us individually. Since I live in an area that has a lot of water, desalination technology doesn't apply to me. That doesn't make it a fad, or crazy science it's just not applicable to me. I get a lot of snow, snowblower technology means a lot to me. It wouldn't be applicable to someone in Mexico City.
Google Wave is a technology that will either apply to you or it won't. I've seen Twitter bashing on this board. I took a youth group on a 1000 mile journey this last summer, Twitter worked real well for us. One text message and every parent that cared to subscribe knew where we were.
If the tech doesn't apply to you don't bash it, just move on to the next thread.
"It's good to hear a positive opinion on the potential of Google Wave. As everything else, it takes a little time to adapt to changes and learn about something new. Isn't that what evolution is all about?"
I couldn't agree more! They will be adding new features and working out the bugs - people shouldn't be so quick to judge. Had Google not launched Wave as a beta some of the same people complaining about its lack of useability would be complaining that "Google is a terrible company for not launching this soon enough!". Some people simply cannot be pleased when they're stuck in their comfortable little community bubble called Facebook.
"Is this what you've seen? --> http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html#video"
Yup, it sure was!
"Everything depends on what you do with the Wave or what you want it for. It will serve to some people's purposes and it will be useless to others, probably."
- Agreed. I plan to use it mostly for testing out with friends and colleagues and for connecting with business customers... I have found little useful with Linkedin and my customers so perhaps this could be a positive opportunity.
"I am still waiting to have a Wave account, Nathan. I can tell more about the experience then. So far it's all based on theory, but I do like it and I am also confident in its potential."
- Susan, as soon as I get invitation privileges (if I remember) I will send you an invitation. :-)
After having read all the comments here I am wondering what we understand by evolution of the Internet.
The Internet is in constant evolution and lots of people are working to offer us the latest innovations and technologies. When something new, like Wave, comes out there is a variety of opinions but mainly a lot of blabbing before having even tested the product or not having given it enough time. Assuming and generalizing are two of the main and favorite activities among most of the people. Then there is the fear of facing changes, the laziness to learning something new and changing habits or ways of working and doing things. People blame the lack of time but saying "I don't have time" only means "I don't want to."
Wave is Google's new baby. As a baby, little by little it will be learning what serves the different types of users and what serves them not. As a baby, it needs support, understanding and mostly a space to grow, develop and show what it is able to give and do.
Wave can be a valuable tool for the innovative people, innovative business and the ones who can accept the challenge and see the potential in it. As dbergman said in his comment, "WAVE may not be the answer, but something like that , which is striving to reinvent typical business models might just allow some companies to get a leg up on their competition."
Evolution means changes, and changes means new things to learn. If we are not able to accept changes and learn on a daily basis there is no future, no evolution, no evolution of the Internet.
It's good to hear a positive opinion on the potential of Google Wave. As everything else, it takes a little time to adapt to changes and learn about something new. Isn't that what evolution is all about?
Is this what you've seen? --> http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html#video
Everything depends on what you do with the Wave or what you want it for. It will serve to some people's purposes and it will be useless to others, probably.
I am still waiting to have a Wave account, Nathan. I can tell more about the experience then. So far it's all based on theory, but I do like it and I am also confident in its potential.
I don't think Wave or any collaborative platform is as useful for people working in the same company, in the same building, in the same office as it can be for international projects. To pick up the phone or cross the corridor may work at local level. Nevertheless, when doing business or researching with international partners there is a need of a virtual office space and all what Wave seems to be promising it can do for collaborative projects where real time communication at a low cost is a must.
I see good potential for business and research collaboration and for any group which requires interactive, real time collaboration and communication. But then again, I always think at international level.
To have a more accurate opinion about Google Wave I have to try it first. Now, according to the presentation I have seen on YouTube, it looks smart and practical for any collaborative work. I am still waiting to get an invite.
Do people really collaborate or do people compartmentalize?Don’t get me wrong of course we send mail back and forth.But is this really collaboration?I think not.Don’t get me wrong I agree we are a message culture, just check your voice mail, there is nothing there.But messaging is not collaboration, well certainly not real-time.Do we need real-time?Questionable and I would say if you do then pick up the phone or walk across the room, messaging will not work.Every day we tons of things to do, but we typically manage our day by deciding what not to do and what is useful about this type of compartmentalization is you can reduce the noise, well it would be nice if you could.Our inbox is littered with all kinds of messages.Wouldn’t it be nice if you could only see the messages that were about only what you want to focus on?I think so and this is not collaboration.I would contest our real need is a quick way to find what we want and when we want it.
That said I do think those who love to watch each other type versus speak will love WAVE.Hey maybe this is a cool agile program tool?
To be honest, I think when it comes to this product, Google may have "Operators standing by to take your calls..."
I setup my account on Sept 29th, know 3 people who have Wave accounts and there is little if any info sharing going on. This isn't like other social networks where you can communicate with people that knwo people you know, or even like a CB Radio where other people communicate and you can respond... if you don't know others in the "Wave Rave", it kinda just sits there and does nothing.
So I'm stimmy7 if you want to 'wave' at me, and maybe if I bother going over there, I'll wave back... cuz y'know it signs you out prettty quick when nothing is going on!
'It’s too superficially simple and too profoundly complex. It has to spread through mimetic adoption, where someone sees a colleague doing something and figures out for themselves how to use that feature in their own work scenario. And because it’s collaborative, you need a critical mass of users before it’s really worth adopting.'
I've read the wave reviews, commentary, and even had someone ask me if I have a wave invite yet. I'm not interested, thank you.
If I were in a group setting where I absolutely needed to collaborate with lots of folks instantly, had a large group of workers who wanted to be on board wave, and had the time to learn the intricacies of yet another new tool, I might be persuaded to join the wave.
I suspect wave will find success where the boss says 'We're using it. Swim or sink." Otherwise, I'll let others climb on and I'll just dog paddle my way across the pool.
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