Newsletter for 2004, Vol. 05 - May

 

WHAT’S NEW WITH HANNON HILL?

Check out the newest additions to Hannon Hill’s award winning Cascade Server knowledge management system.

Index blocks can now sort the resulting XML document alphabetically, by last modified date, and created date in addition to the standard folder order

Tools->System Summary displays an aggregate overview of the everything in the database

New template tag available: <system-page-meta-date/> for SEO

Search results screen tells what search term was used

New Target output type of RTF for MS Word documents

Select All and Deselect All added to the folder access screen

The icon for a region of a page doesn't show if the user doesn't have access

Group access at the folder for a single group (as opposed to setting all groups)

A workflow definition can be created from the XML of a system page

Publish a page and return to layout view instead of the publish screen

[system-show:internal] and [system-show:external] to control content for include files

Local Technology Stars of Tomorrow Visit Hannon Hill for a Candid Look Inside the Company

Last Thursday, the staff at Hannon Hill welcomed the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Web Team from Chapel Hill High School in Douglas County, Georgia for an inside look into the day-to-day of the business. Over doughnuts and soft drinks, the students had an in-depth discussion with CEO/Founder David Cummings about their organization’s web projects, from programming languages used to practical design fundamentals, and collectively critiqued the team’s work.

All the members of the Hannon Hill staff gave a brief presentation of their programming, sales and public relations roles in the company and how they effectively mesh together to ensure the company’s success. The students, which consisted of a mixture of sophomores, juniors and seniors, discussed their passions for pursuing careers in technology, what colleges and universities they are planning to attend, and the obstacles they sometimes face when their extreme technological knowledge and talents meet the typical high school environment.

The Web Team just competed in the WebChallenge and is now headed to FBLA Nationals in Colorado.

INDUSTRY NEWS

New Web Regulations Could Spell “a Lot of Work” for Government Agencies
Excerpt from “Group issues Web content draft,” by Sara Michael, Federal Computer Week, April 19, 2004

Agency officials should include certain information on every federal Web site to ensure that users can find what they are looking for and know they are accessing a government site, according to recommendations released last week by the Interagency Committee on Government Information's Web Content Standards Working Group…
Furthermore, that information should be organized for citizens rather than organizations. Agencies should assess customers' needs and find the best way to present the content, such as by topic or geographic location, the draft recommendations state. This could mean a lot of work for agency officials, said Tony Byrne, founder of CMSWatch, an information service of content management consulting firm CMSWorks Inc…
Another challenge for agency officials could be keeping information current, Byrne said. Pages should be time-stamped, which may be tough for large departments with millions of pages. Officials will need an inventory of their pages, and many agencies may resort to automated content management systems, he said…

Forrester Research: “CIOs Extremely Interested in Web-Service Technology”
Excerpt from “CIOs Focus on Internet, Web Services,” by Lisa Valentine, CIO Today, April 19, 2004

CIOs are extremely interested in Web-service technology. 85 percent of the respondents to a recent Forrester Research survey said they intended to implement Web services in the near future. But there is a glitch. "We are not quite where we need to be with regards to having a complete stack of Web-service standards," Forrester Research vice president Uttam Narsu told NewsFactor's CIO Today. "I think we are going to be looking into 2005 before we will see a relatively stable set of specifications," he said.
Participants in a recent Yankee Group survey indicated that Web services integration was their No. 1 priority.

Five Steps to E-Learning Strategy Success
Excerpt from “E-Learning Strategies for Success,” by Gili Gordon, Chief Learning Officer, May 2004

Step 1: Tie Training to a Specific Business Need
It is imperative that training initiatives are tightly linked with business needs and viewed as pivotal stepping-stones to achieve business goals.
Step 2: Define Success Metrics
Success metrics are a necessary component of any training solution, as they both indicate the progress (organizational and employee-specific) of learning endeavors and are proof to the management team of a program’s success.
Step 3: Treat Departments as Clients
As we all know, more than ever before, training managers are in the service business. They must satisfy the needs of numerous “clients”—executives, department heads and employees (end users).
Step 4: Put Your Money Where Your Needs Are
The onus is squarely on the training department to determine the best way to utilize its budget for maximum effectiveness, but the influence on the way that money is spent is shifting. The best way to determine the right priorities is by focusing your investment dollars directly on your clients’ pain points.
Step 5: Go to Market with Business Requirements in Hand
By airing your business requirements up front and in detail, you significantly cut down the time needed for your vendor selection process by making it clear that you will only advance discussions with vendors that have your desired capabilities and can visibly demonstrate that fact.

QUOTABLE NOTABLES

“Focus on solving business problems and supporting your organization’s business objectives; make what is being ‘pushed’ by vendors on any given day a much lower priority.”
-- From “E-Learning Strategies for Success,” by Gili Gordon, Chief Learning Officer, May 2004

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