Blogs - April 2008
Below are the blog entries for April 2008
2008 Cascade Server User's Conference Dates & Location
By Sam Beresford
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 3:18pm
Just wanted to let everyone know that we've finalized the location of the 2008 Cascade Server User's Conference. Hannon Hill will host this annual event at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta, GA on Monday, September 22nd and Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008. Registration is now open!
The 2007 Cascade Server User's Conference was a huge success, and this year's will be even better. We're offering more user-driven sessions, more hands-on demos, more basic-user intro sessions, and case studies. We'd love to hear from you as well -- the Call for Speakers for this year’s conference is now open, and all presenters will receive free conference admission!
Please don’t forget to register for this year’s Cascade Server User’s Conference. Space and accommodations are limited and the deadline to sign-up is July 15, 2008!
Category
- Events
Presenting the new Cascade Server Knowledge Base...
By Sam Beresford
Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 4:00pm
So here it is folks, the long awaited, highly anticipated, soon to be imitated but never duplicated, far from antiquated....Cascade Server Knowledge Base!!! Sorry, I got kind of carried away there for a second, but here at Hannon Hill, we really are excited about today’s release of the all new Knowledge Base. With the help and expertise of people from every department, we’ve worked hard over the last few months to produce a Knowledge Base that’s informative, logical, and most of all…easy to use! Here are some highlights:
- The Knowledge Base itself has been completely overhauled, and all topics are now presented in three sections -- Digest, for an introductory version; Concept, for a more advanced explanation; and Technical, for in-depth information, steps, processes, and resources.
- We have loads of great new videos that not only demonstrate some of Cascade Server’s features, but also how to navigate around the Knowledge Base itself. Start out with this one for a great introduction to the new KB.
- We’re hoping that users can get all the answers they need from the Knowledge Base, but if not, or if they have suggestions as to how we can make it even better, we’ve streamlined and clearly defined the methods with which you can provide us with feedback or ask for help. You can easily and instantaneously send us comments, suggestions, or questions by clicking the ‘Beta Feedback’ link at the bottom of every page in the Knowledge Base. If you’re one of your organizations two primary support contacts, you can reach us though JIRA. Additionally, the Cascade Server User’s Forum continues to be a tremendous resource for users of all levels.
- The addition of Google Custom Search functionality, and a brand new, comprehensive glossary and site index, will enable users to easily and quickly find the information and resources that they’re looking for.
- We’ve also updated the vast majority of our screenshots, graphics, and most importantly, documentation to accurately reflect the most recent versions of Cascade Server.
- You can bookmark this link, and we’ve also added a ‘New Knowledge Base (BETA)’ link to the bottom of every page on hannonhill.com for even more easy access.
We’re extremely proud of the new Cascade Server Knowledge Base, and we can’t wait for all of you to use it. So give it a spin and let us know what you think!
Category
- News
Separate, but Equally Important: the Sales and Marketing Relationship
By Morgan Griffith
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 11:40am
In a general sense, Marketing refers to any activity that increases awareness about a good or service, and moves those goods or services from the supplier to the consumer. However, dependent upon the good or service your company offers, the methods you use to accomplish “marketing” that good or service must be anything but ambiguous. Key factors such as your product lifecycle, product costs, and the commitment a consumer or business must make to purchase your good or service should all be considered when deciding what Marketing endeavors to pursue. These factors must also be considered when analyzing where Marketing ends and Sales begins.
As Marketing Director at Hannon Hill, I often find myself and our department having to take anything but the typical approach when it comes to selecting Marketing activities to pursue, and subsequently, when passing the torch to the Sales team. At Hannon Hill, our primary product, Cascade Server, is an enterprise web content management solution. Providing a CMS system that can be locally installed for many users has its perks. At the same time, this makes investing in Cascade Server a more significant buying commitment than something like choosing which new office printer to get. Selecting a CMS is a process, and because no work is done in a vacuum, there are different teams of people and resources contributing to both the product and the buying decision throughout the marketing “lifecycle.”
Let’s say for example, you’re interested in purchasing a new condominium; multiple people and ideas will likely be involved in your buying decision. You’ll need to think about which areas of town hold their value, your current budget, whether it’s in a good school-district, etc. But let me ask you something: despite the fancy fliers and internet ads, ultimately if you don’t trust the guy or gal taking you on a tour of your “dream-condo,” will you buy? To borrow a line from one of my favorite childhood toys, the Magic 8-Ball, my guess is “Outlook Not So Good.”
Both Marketing and Sales teams run into this same problem. Buyers don’t like to feel like they’re being ‘schmoozed.’ Proof of this lies in the recent trend towards social media tools; buyers trust other buyers. They trust people that have nothing to sell them, gain nothing from “marketing” their experiences, and are simply helping others help themselves.
Failure to realize that your Marketing and Sales teams can accomplish this same task is the fundamental shortcoming I most often see and read about. Although every organization’s marketing strategy and overall marketing lifecycle is unique, several factors remain constant:
- It is Marketing’s job to choose the right message. Your marketing department has experience and insight into what makes your company and product special. Let them develop the creative aspect. Let your team decide how to best approach its target audience.
- No matter what message you choose, make sure it’s consistent. I often find myself watching commercials and seeing essentially the same product, same visual, and same message, tweaked ever so slightly, and being called “Niche” marketing. Identify the true benefit of what you offer. Although the needs your product meets and your message will change based on your audience, your product should essentially perform the same basic functions for all niches.
- Your Sales team should be responsible for the ‘trust’-factor. This is especially important for organizations selling a product or service that requires a substantial financial and/or time commitment.
This boils down to three main responsibilities for your Marketing team: identifying what makes your organization unique (do you use a differentiation approach?), tailoring the marketing message to accurately convey your company's ‘special sauce,’ and bringing in qualified and highly-interested prospects for your sales team to build a relationship with. Throughout the prospect-nurturing process, it is the job of your Sales team to stay committed to the message Marketing is conveying, foster a consistently open line of communication with prospects/clients, and to follow-up, regularly and personally.
Despite how easy it is to send a mass email, why not take the extra 5 minutes and follow-up with a prospect on a personal-level? While you may argue that there isn’t enough time in the day to give each prospect the full attention he or she deserves, I would beg to differ. Try putting a little extra time and energy towards a personalized experience and nurture your prospects through their decision-making process. The extra 5 minutes now will pay off in added sales dollars, trust and credibility later, in addition to the knowledge that your customers are happy with their buying-decision -- something that many Marketing and Sales teams can't truly say very often.
Category
- Commentary
Join us for the 2008 Cascade User's Conference!
By Morgan Griffith
Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 11:30am
Registration is now open for our annual Cascade Server User’s Conference! The 2008 conference will take place in Atlanta, GA on Monday, September 22nd and Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008. Conference planning is underway, and you can expect to find more detailed information about conference scheduling, sessions topics, our Open House, and the like in the coming months.
The 2007 Cascade Server User's Conference was a huge success and we're already working on making this year's conference even better. Based on feedback from last year's conference and conference survey, we are putting together our best conference line-up thus far.
We are going to offer more user-driven sessions, more hands-on relevant demos relating to specific functionality, more basic-user intro sessions, and case studies. We are also considering doing an “instance check-up”, in which members of our team would take a look at your instance of Cascade and make suggestions for improvement.
In order for us to provide the best information sessions possible, we need your help! The Call for Speakers for this year’s conference is now open. Speakers will receive not only the undying appreciation of our staff, but also, recognition from their peers and free conference admission!
Please don’t forget to register for this year’s Cascade Server User’s Conference! Space and accommodations are limited and the deadline to sign-up is July 15, 2008.
We look forward to seeing all of you who attended last year's conference, and many new faces as well!
Category
- Events
Meet the Team - Brett Goodwin
By Morgan Griffith
Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 4:00pm
MORGAN GRIFFITH: Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Hannon Hill’s ‘Meet The Team.’ Today we’re getting to know Brett Goodwin, who has been a member of Hannon Hill’s professional services department for over two years.
BRETT GOODWIN: Yes I have.
MORGAN: And how did you first come to work here?
BRETT: Well, I had been living in Atlanta for a year, and was not really happy with the job I had. I had gotten into the habit of browsing craigslist every day, and in fact that’s where I had found my apartment and my car. So I figured why not a job. So one day I decided I wanted a new job. I logged on, found a listing that sounded good, and sent in my first application. I had an interview the next day and was offered a job. The rest is history.
MORGAN: Hannon Hill has grown a lot since your first day working here. What kind of changes have you seen?
BRETT: It’s been pretty amazing watching and growing alongside this company. When I started as a software developer, the entire company was in one large office room, about one eighth the size of our current office. We’ve also managed some incredible improvements in our planning and project management processes in the services department. We’re able to do a lot more work much more quickly.
MORGAN: So, what's your role at Hannon Hill now?
BRETT: I am currently a systems analyst in the services department. I help our clients plan comprehensive solutions to their content management needs using Cascade Server, and then make sure that those plans get implemented successfully. It’s pretty cool to help a client turn an idea into a fully realized solution.
MORGAN: You’ve gotten to do a bit of traveling with Hannon Hill, haven’t you?
BRETT: Yes, last summer I was a trainer for a bit, and I got to visit clients to do on-site training. I got to travel to New York City; Scranton, PA; and Schenectady, NY among others.
MORGAN: Have you been to any other cool travel destinations?
BRETT: Yes, I also went to Las Vegas last summer in an attempt to get my professional poker career off the ground. Obviously that didn’t work out. I’ve also been to Berlin, Amsterdam, and went to San Diego last month.
MORGAN: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
BRETT: Well… let’s see. I like to snowboard, when I’m actually in a place where there’s snow. I still watch cartoons on Adult Swim on a pretty regular basis. My favorite food is sushi, and my current hobby is learning to play guitar.
MORGAN: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us!
BRETT: You’re welcome.
Category
- News
Cascade 5 Series - Hannon Hill Releases 5.2!
By Chris Armistead
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 2:45pm
Hannon Hill is proud to announce the release of Cascade Server 5.2 boasting even more new features aimed at enhancing the experience of users and administrators alike. The new features made available with the release of 5.2 are Drag N' Drop Folder Reordering and Publish Queue Reordering.
Drag N' Drop Folder Reordering gives users the ability to drag and drop assets in a folder rather than reordering assets with the up/down/top/bottom arrows. This new feature provides a quicker, more elegant way to reorder the contents of a folder. A custom cursor will appear over a row signifying that it is able to dragged. However, for those of you who still like the old way of reordering with the up/down/top/bottom arrows, Cascade Server 5.2 will continue to support this option.
Publish Queue reordering has been added in response to some enterprise Cascade deployments which often have independent business units that publish on their own schedules. Because this can lead to long wait times for time-critical publishes that are stacked behind whole site publishes, Managers and Administrators will now have the ability to reorder jobs in the publish queue in the drag and drop format. System preferences will allow administrators to configure which roles can reorder the publish queue - giving permissions to Administrators, Managers and above, or selecting the option to disable the ability to reorder the queue. In addition, all publish jobs in the publish queue will now be displayed for users who can access the publish status screen rather than being limited by Read permissions. This will help eliminate confusion about why a job at the top of the queue has not started. All jobs that have not yet started can now be moved with drag and drop ease to ensure that time-critical publishes can easily be given higher priority.
Finally, we added a WYSIWYG upgrade for FireFox 3 compatibility in anticipation of its release.
I'm excited about Cascade Server 5.2 and its new features designed to improve efficiency for several levels of users. These new features reflect Hannon Hill's commitment to making Cascade Server a product that meets the growing needs of all our customers. We hope you enjoy!
Don't forget to check back here for new Cascade Server 5 Series upgrades and features.
Category
- News