Social networks dedicated to niche groups focused around a common industry, interest or cause have been spreading like wildfire. Creating your own social network is now extremely easy using freely available tools such as Ning.  

1. Pick Your Purpose & Sign-up

Decide what your social network’s focus is going to be.  Is this a community for your customers to interact with you and each other or possibly an industry related group to bring together new ideas.

Now it’s time to sign-up on the ning.com site.  You’ll need your community name, tagline and description and you’re good to go.

2. Pick Your Style

Ning has a number of built in style choices that include background graphics (some definitely more MySpace crowd focused that others). You have full control over the colors for all text in the site which makes it very easy to get started.  For the more adventurous you can do lots of raw html customization which probably isn’t needed in most cases.

3. Load Up the Features

Ning has most of the typical social network features such as friend lists, member management and blogs. It also includes media capabilities for music, video and pictures — allowing members to rate these items as well.

4. Pay for Upgrades?

Ning communities include advertising space (they need to make their money somehow) by default.  You can pay a bit extra to kill the ads, use your own domain name (so instead of mynewgroup.ning.com you could set up mynewgroup.com) or even remove all references to Ning itself so your users don’t know that’s the platform you’re using.

5. Invite the Crew

Finally, you can either keep the community open to the public for member sign-ups or more likely if you’re creating something more targeted, send out the invitations to your email list.  You can also send out an invite link by copying it and putting it elsewhere — such as sending it to your LinkedIn connections or through an existing email newsletter or targeted publication.

6. And You’re Live

While it may not have the complete customization capabilities of rolling your own using open source or off-the-shelf packages, using Ning also gets rid of 99% of the start-up headaches so you can get rolling in minutes. Now you can focus on interacting with that community instead of wrestling with tech issues.

Apple’s iPhone has radically changed the mobile applications landscape by opening up mobile application development to any web development firm using Web 2.0 standard technology.  No longer is a specialized team who know the intricacies of proprietary cell phone software development necessary.  This allows much faster development of mobile apps and also removes the dependency on a mobile carrier to approve software on their wireless network. And with the 3G iPhone coming soon, web apps will be even faster than the current versions.

What is Web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is the term commonly used to describe a new generation of web technologies and their focus on interactivity and data collaboration.  The core technology is typically AJAX (javascript in a web browser which talks back to the web server), which provides the snazzy functionality in sites like Google maps.  This new level of interactivity in a web page also usually includes providing the user access to different types of data at the same time (merging functionality from different web sites together in a single place).

Any Web Developer Can Do It…

Using web technologies to build connected apps has proven to be more efficient than using traditional mobile technologies. Mobile applications today are typically developed in J2ME (Java for phones), Brew or .Net, depending on what the target phone(s) support.  These technologies provide a standard but often require phone specific tweaks as not all phones behave the same way.  Usually this meant that a development team built up a special library over time that handled the quirks and work arounds for various phones.

Using Web 2.0 technologies means that nearly any capable web developer with any technology skill set (Java, Open Source, Microsoft, etc.) can now create mobile applications. It also means that existing applications can have new ‘skins’ applied to them to allow already developed functionality to be rolled out in a mobile environment.

All this boils down to it being much faster to build a connected app using web technologies than with traditional mobile technologies.

For example, during a recent Lextech training session, a small team developed a web app that pulled news headlines from the Tribune, created an audio file with the converted text to speech and sent it to the iPhone. With only about 4 hours of development work, the iPhone read news headlines aloud to the user.

Power to the People

With the mobile Web 2.0 revolution, wireless carriers are no longer the gate keepers controlling what applications users can access.  The mobile user merely points their web browser to the correct place and away they go.  This also simplifies the often nightmarish aspects of rolling out and updating applications that live inside of cell phones.  Now an update to the main server updates the mobile application for everyone.

Companies Already on Board

Many leading online firms are already creating iPhone specific versions of their applications to better serve existing customers and tap into the growing market of mobile app demanding consumers. Google, Facebook and LinkedIn have already rolled out versions of their applications dedicated to iPhone users. 

The Future…

The iPhone is merely the first in what will be a wave of Web 2.0 standards capable mobile devices in the market.  This mobile revolution will rapidly accelerate new kinds of applications we’ve never seen before and allow deeper interactivity while we’re physically anywhere.

Web based systems typically require an investment in hardware, hosting and management to get them off the ground once they’re beyond a prototype. That is starting to change with things like Google’s App Engine being released.

The Google App Engine allows developers to create applications using Google’s framework, test them locally and then upload the applications into the Google virtual computing cloud (the same cloud infrastructure powering Google’s own applications). It provides integration capabilities with Google’s applications, build in online storage and a variety of other features to speed up launching an application.

While this sounds like the silver bullet of web apps, there are a number of reasons some companies won’t be using it.

First off, building a SaaS (software as a service) system that you’d like to make money with may not be possible (Google user account management is included but the capability to charge users and restrict access is not yet). Second applications are limited to specific technologies (they must be written in Python). This will make repurposing existing applications much more difficult and Python may not be the language of choice for most developers.

Google’s App Engine is a great first step into making systems scalability a simple infrastructure issue that developers can ignore but it will need to evolve to be deeply useful to most organizations.

Fiona from College@Home pointed us to an article they have up covering innovative ways to use the iPhone in a research or library setting. It presents some great ideas that can be applied in most businesses too.

“Whether you love or loathe technology the reality is that it’s going to play a big role in the future of libraries and educational facilities all over the world. Mobile technology has been at the center of a lot of discussion lately in research and library facilities, with schools like ACU choosing to distribute iPhones to new students for educational purposes. …  Here are a few ideas and tips to get you started on using the iPhone for more than just calls.”

Read more at 50 Useful iPhone Tips for Librarians and Researchers

With the impending launch of the 2.0 OS for the iPhone allowing third parties to build iPhone applications, now is the ideal time to be rolling out an extension of your existing web system for iPhone users. I’m not talking about a different web version but a truly native app that links to your web system.

There is a huge amount of market hype already and many information hungry users and enthusiasts looking for that new ‘mobile’ application. It may have existed on the web for years, but putting a dedicated version in a user’s pocket takes things to a new level.

Depending on your business model you may be able to publish the application for free but then charge users a monthly usage fee similar to your current web users. This opens up your base of potential users installing the app directly from the Apple App Store.

And since the development platform allows pretty ready access to standard URL based services, you should be able to create that native effort without the huge labor it might take to reskin your whole site for a mobile device. If  you use intelligent caching, the user will never have to care if they’re on the EDGE network, WiFi or 300 feet underground — it’ll just work.

And of course if you’re doing it right, the other advantage is that it’ll force you to identify the top 10% of the features in your web system to build into the app.  iPhone users demand simple and elegant interfaces. This simplifies your development, provides a better user experience and may even help you refocus your web development efforts on important areas too.

The following profile was compiled from an interview with Ara Surenian, founder and President of Cadent Resources, Inc. Read on to learn how he is using technology to generate revenue.

Get some valuable advice and the recipe to this business’ Secret Sauce!

The Business

Cadent Resources, Inc. drives speed and profit at manufacturing and distribution companies by optimizing supply and demand. Our LeanFacility Supply Management Solution eliminates operating waste to increase the speed production and fulfillment. Our DemandCaster Demand Management Solution assures the right amount of inventory and capacity is available at the right time.

The Tools

We have added a new service called DemandCaster. It is an outsourced demand management service built as a SwaS* (Software with a Service) application with a dedicated virtual demand analyst assigned to the client to perform analysis and drive improvement. My hope is that this will become our primary revenue stream and will supplant the traditional consulting services we provide.

The Users

The users are typically operations type personnel such as materials, production, and operations managers and their reports.

The Challenge

The biggest challenge is the extraction of the data from the clients ERP system. It is this data that the system uses to do its analysis. We have not found a magic bullet but have learned that the best way to get data is to use the IT person or company the client company already works with. Typically these individuals are trusted and provide the client custom reports and other system related services and can extract the data we need quickly and reliably. They can also help us automate the extraction to assure we are able to get data when needed. They may also become a partner in identifying new prospects that can benefit from the service we provide.

The Future

The future business will be a technology driven company and the services we provide must be reliable and must achieve results simply yet robustly. The trick will be to find the balance between being technology driven and efficient and not losing the human touch and intelligence. This is critical in order to prevent our service from being commoditized which is an issue in wholly technology driven solutions.

The Advice

Talk to and work with people that know technology and can provide advice and services that will help you move forward at a cost you can afford. You can do quite a bit with not a lot of dollars so don’t be afraid to take the plunge for fear of making mistakes. The fact is mistakes will be made but the beauty of technology is that the cost to fix errors is not prohibitive and often mistakes will yield a better result. Also, don’t be afraid to start testing before the solution is perfect. It will never be perfect. Just be careful that an initial launch be performed in a controlled environment so if there are problems only the control group is affected.

__________

About Ara Surenian

Ara Surenian, the founder and President of Cadent Resources Inc., has more than 20 years of experience in management, operations, and engineering. His specialty is designing and implementing business processes that blend lean manufacturing, supply chain management, and business intelligence to significantly improve a company’s cash flow and profit.

Ara is an advisor to business owners and is a seasoned and storied presenter at professional associations, executive roundtables, and seminars. He is a member of APICS, The Association for Operations Management, the Institute of Business Forecasting, the Institute of Management Consultants, and a Trusted Advisor member of Vistage an international organization for CEO’s. Ara has an MBA with a specialization in Strategic and Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Illinois, and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.

* Please note: This entry originally referred to the DemandCaster as a SaaS application, but has been corrected to “SwaS” to reflect the true nature of the software.

The reason this is important is because SaaS solutions are typically hosted subscription based solutions that are available to users to use as if it was software loaded on their servers or desktop. The distinction with DemandCaster is that it benefits from all that traditional SaaS applications provide but acts as an enabler to allow the deployment of an actual service offering that is provided by a dedicated expert. This differs from another software category called Software plus Services which is a wholly software-centric solution.  SwaS does not apply to a business that uses software to simply supplement their core business such as banks, brokers, on-line retailers, and credit card companies.  A SwaS provider works in the business to business realm and uses the hosted software as an enabler to facilitate communication, analysis, and delivery to address a specific need of a client company.

Security researchers have uncovered a massive database of web site FTP logins and passwords to web sites around the world, including many well known sites. The scary twist is that the crooks behind the database have put in place a trading and payment interface to allow less talented thieves to purchase access to these compromised sites and even automatically upload tools to help them attack site visitors.

Even the bad guys are getting into the software as a service model.

It would come as no surprise to me if entrepreneurs collectively named confidence as both their most dangerous and valuable personality trait. This trait can provide the drive necessary to achieve unimaginable goals, but it can also cause the bearer to promise results they aren’t 100% sure they can deliver.

Marc Schreiber (owner of DIVD Corporation and serial entrepreneur) often does just that. Is he setting himself up for failure? Nope. Why not you ask? He has a secret weapon that helps him remain calm in moments that would probably cause others to panic. His weapon is Lextech.

Recently, Marc’s company DIVD Corporation struck up a deal with AT&T to create and deliver 500 interactive kiosks (aka emerging media stations or EMS) according to a very aggressive timeline. The deadline was unrealistic, but he signed on the dotted line anyway because he had faith Lextech would help him keep his word.

What did Lextech do?

Lextech engineers worked around the clock to complete the EMS architecture and clone 500 kiosks to be distributed to AT&T stores nationwide. Lextech provided DIVD with a dependable system before they reached their AT&T deadline. The system not only met their immediate needs, it also has the capability to grow and change along with their future marketing goals. Our systems support team is now responsible for ongoing Tier 1 and Tier 2 support, as well as content updates and testing.

What is the big deal?

For AT&T this translates into faster kiosk updates and seamless transitions between content pushes. For DIVD, this means focusing on the core business while Lextech sweats the technological details.

For Marc, this means he can dream big and know that Lextech has his back.

Lextech will provide technology expertise for the 2008 Whiteboard Challenge held on June 17th. This event gives local applicants an opportunity to present their innovative ideas to members of the Chicago entrepreneurial community and a chance win a $5,000 prize courtesy of Bell, Boyd & Lloyd.

Presenters have 5 minutes to describe their innovative idea, business concept or solution to a known problem to a panel of experts using an interactive whiteboard system. Lextech will provide the interactive systems and act as a technology resource. Recording devices will be set up on the whiteboards to capture and display each presenterʼs notes and drawings on additional screens.

“As an active member of the Chicagoland entrepreneurial community, Lextech understands the need to encourage new innovations and novel ideas that can be the catalyst for future growth,” says Program Leader of Early Market Partners, Inc. David Smith, “We are delighted to have their involvement in the 2008 Whiteboard Challenge as a demonstration of their commitment to the vitality of our local technology community.”

Submit your innovation or learn more about the event at http://www.mitefchicago.org. Applications are due by May 18, 2008. Final presenters will be selected by a team of experienced entrepreneurs by June 2, 2008.

Office Express President, Bill Raspe’s e-commerce website experienced 3 to 4 days of downtime per month. Maintaining, updating, and adding new features to the website was incredibly difficult and often impossible because the vendor gave Bill limited access to the back end of his system.

He wanted to change vendors and upgrade the system, but because a large portion of an e-commerce company’s business is generated through internet searches, the old website URLs had to remain live to maintain search engine rankings once the new site went up. The success of his business hinged on a smooth upgrade.

What did Lextech do?

Lextech’s systems engineers started by converting the old Microsoft ASP website on a shared server to open source technologies on a dedicated (private and secure) server, which was more cost effective. Project engineers even trained Office Express personnel in the PHP programming language, so they could make changes and updates to the site whenever they wanted. Lextech engineers also followed a very structured plan to link the old website back to the new one and test each link in various search engines. The search engine rankings remained intact.

What is the big deal?

Limited access, excessive downtime, and costly licensing fees are unacceptable barriers to growth. Office Express said sayonara to their crappy vendor, and welcomed Lextech’s cooperative methodology. Since the upgrade, envelopesexpress.com’s conversion ratio has improved by 60%.

In the old days, big companies hired clipping services to keep track of mentions of their company, competitors and specific markets. Today, using tools like Google Alerts, it’s possible for anyone to have real time, targeted information delivered for free.

We tested a number of the web clipping services (from free to very expensive) and just didn’t find anything as easy to use or as effective as the free Google Alerts system. Once you have a Google account (typically meaning you have a gmail account) you just sign up for the alerts. You can enter in whatever search terms you want to cover. If you’re looking to overload your email box, just put in something broad like ‘iPhone’, but I’d recommend using extremely targeted searches for things like client company names, key members of their team or competitors. A great way to help get the right articles is to use the exact person or company name enclosed in double quotes in the search so you can be sure it is an exact match.

The intelligence provided by these alerts can give great insights into the challenges clients are facing, where they are headed and changes in their organization that you might not normally hear about. It will also tell you when they update their web site so you know when to take another look. It’s a great feeling being able to bring a positive article about a client to their attention.

Don’t forget to include a search for your own company and your name to see what press you’re getting or any web comments that may be referring to you too.

Applying the iPhone’s capabilities to existing real world systems is going to be a large new revenue source for companies in the next 12-24 months. Adding a mobile interface to systems that traditionally required a user to be sitting at their desk will open up many new opportunities. The new touch screen interface will also change how we interact with those systems, creating all new ways to use technology.

As an example, traditional surveillance systems use a joystick or mouse to control camera positioning. With the iPhone, the user has the potential of a much more intuitive interface to drag the camera around and zoom in on things by pinching the picture.

Here’s a little sample of one of the internal projects we’re working on right now showing off the capabilities of the iPhone.

Part 1 - iPhone controlling surveillance equipment

Part 2 - zoomed in view of iPhone

Update #2: We’ve put up a survey asking about the types of features you’d like to see in an iPhone/iPod based security & surveillance app.  

Update:  Based on the feedback we’ve received so far, we’d be happy to let you know more about the application as it gets closer to release.  If you’d like to receive an email when the app is ready, please enter your contact info below.

After years of business and technology strategizing with us, VR66 received the financial backing they needed to transform their video delivery pilot into a revenue generating product with international appeal.

VR66’s product is a video delivery platform that trickle downloads video messages to desktop PC’s outside the web browser, so users can view content on or off line. Think YouTube - plus better video quality, minus the effort it takes to visit the website. The current video content consists of movie trailers and commentary.

What did Lextech do?

Alex (our CEO) personally took on the role of VR66 technology advisor and part-time CTO, while Lextech engineers dove into the development process. They started by re-architecting the VR66 system to provide scalability, fault-tolerance and system redundancy.

The update took the system from 2 servers to 20 including implementation of web load balancers, live server fail-over and a database cluster to remove any single points of failure. The new infrastructure was then load tested to verify that it would handle 2+ million users and deliver terabytes of video data daily.

What’s the big deal?

The system upgrades allowed VR66 to launch their business, making significant progress on their path to profitability. In early January, they successfully launched the Trailer Room on Cinemas Online in the United Kingdom. May holds possible launch dates in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. Congrats VR66!!

I’m proud to say that through the hard work of a bunch of folks on our team, Lextech has a new online image. The web site does a much better job communicating our focus on building technology based revenue streams for clients and this blog will let us get lots of content out to the world much quicker.

With 6+ writers for the blog you’ll see all kinds of useful revenue generating ideas and technology tidbits appearing.