For example, when users complained that they didn't want to log on separately to legacy training portals that predated NKO, Appian developed an auto login that signs users on to all systems. The next revision of Appian's portal software, version 3.0, will incorporate several Navy-inspired functions, including grouping users based on more specific attributes for better personalization and creating private, invitation-only communities.
Such partnerships are becoming commonplace among collaboration-software vendors, particularly those focused on expertise location, such as AskMe Corp. and Tacit Knowledge Systems, O'Dell says. In return for low prices and personal attention, the vendors gain experience in how people use their products.
Indeed, in the end even the vendor choice came down not to technology but to the responsiveness of its people. "Ninety percent of the complaints I get, if Appian can fix it, they're all over it," says Preissler, who heads NKO's "IT community" of 400 personnel. "It's like they have a group of folks sitting there, waiting for us to give them something to do. I'll say, I wish NKO could do this, and a few weeks later, boom, it works."
Preissler, who trolls NKO at least four hours per day and always has it running in the background, has seen heated discussions on his boards, with Navy IT personnel pointing out that there are better collaboration tools out there. They may be right, Preissler says, but they miss the point. "My objective isn't to find the best tool. It's to reach out to the communities," he says. "If we were to chase the best technology all the time, we would be constantly changing tools."
Long term, the vision for NKO is grander than training. The goal is to get the right information to the right sailor at the right time. As early as next year, a technician tasked with repairing a wing on a fighter jet will be able to call up the precise portion of the 12-inch-thick repair manual that he needs and view detailed multimedia tutorials on how to make the repair, complete with video streaming. It could even be delivered to a wearable computer so the technician's hands remain free.
The presentation will combine information from the wing manufacturer as well as tacit knowledge from Navy experts who have made the same repair before, says Rear Admiral Moran. Accuracy of data is vital: One wrong move and that plane falls out of the sky.
Discover the benefits of scalable backbone and network services for application and cloud providers.
Network automation is gaining momentum. Here's how you can drive this powerful technology to its full potential.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
