When it comes to delivering IBM Connections to the end user – the best approach can be quite confusing and a little daunting! Considerations for platform, support, security, mobility and content management all need to be considered and embedded into your delivery, rollout and adoption plans. In this discussion we will look at the most common ways users will interact with Connections, and ensure you are delivering the best tools and best support for those tools to make the user experience easy, functional and non-disruptive. From browser access inside and outside the firewall, to mobile devices and tablets, to Plug-In tools for your mail clients and desktop – let’s put the tools where are needed, and where they will be used every day!

1. Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
13
Open Your Connections Toolbox!
Jared Roberts, ISW
@jazzaroberts

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3. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
13
Agenda
• Why we’re here…
• What (actually) is Connections?
• Connections touchpoints
• Opening the toolbox…
• The role of I.T
• Adoption planning and the toolbox

4. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Why We’re Here…
• Share, learn, experience, debate!
(ahem…. discuss…!)
• Meet fabulous people
• Party like it’s 1999

5. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Who is this?
• Senior Software Engineer/Consultant
• Melbourne, Australia
• Admin/Consultant/Pre-Sales/Techie – most ICS areas
• IBM Champion
• Fan of the User
• Dad of 2
• Not great at sports
• Drummer for Desecrator
• Heavy Metal - Melbourne, Australia
• The best band you’ve never heard of
• We tour a lot (30000km in the last year)
• I wrote abstracts for this conference from a tour bus!
• Lifelong music nerd (play drums, guitar, bass, sing)
• …hence not great at sports

6. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
What (actually) is Connections?
We all know……. don’t we?
?

7. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
What (actually) is Connections?
it’s like Facebook but for business
its like LinkedIn but for business
social business platform
a thing to share files
it’s like sharepoint
an intranet
online corporate directory
• From a tech perspective… techies/consultants are able to explain it to each other…
• BUT – for the average user/employee/person:
One solution to: • Unite your employees. • Unlock knowledge & experience. • Work more closely with customers. • Reduce
duplication. • Save on travel. • Find the right people. • Bring augmented intelligence to your work.
• IBM’s explanation:
“IBM Connections brings social networking to the enterprise and helps you to communicate, collaborate, and build strong
relationships with others”

8. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
What (actually) is Connections?
• In short it explains, the concept of:
• a person-centric environment,
• that brings together people, one-on-one through profiles or in groups (communities)
• allowing them to share information & expand knowledge.
• But more importantly, it also visualizes the reasons behind the interface of IBM Connections. Allowing you to go through the various elements
and helping them understand the differences between the various screens and options.
• “Connections is a platform that enables people to work together, offering a box of tools that you can use to share information, tasks and
knowledge with others. It’s an environment where you’re connected through your profile to others by way of their profiles so that you can
share information and work together with them. Individually or in groups (Communities). The information can be shared through various
independent or community apps like Files, Activities and Blogs or through simply sharing status updates.“
www.femkegoedhart.com

9. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Connections Touchpoints

10. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Connections Touchpoints
• Browser
• Mobile & Tablet
• Windows Desktop
• MS Office
• IBM Notes
• Watson Workspace
• Others: Box, Custom Apps
BANK

11. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
The Connections Toolbox
• Available tools for IBM Connections that are:
• ”Out of the box”
• Easy to implement
• Not so easy to implement
• Free
• Not Free
• Can’t live without

12. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox - browser
• Homepage
• Activity stream
• Intranets/Portals
• OrientMe
• WorkplaceON
• ICEC

13. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox – mobile/tablet
• Mobile/Tablet

14. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox – Notes
• IBM Notes

15. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox – Desktop
• Windows Desktop
• Mac Finder plugin
• File Sync!

16. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox – MS Office
• MS Office
(Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

17. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox - Workspace
• Watson Workspace

18. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening The Toolbox - Apps
• Custom Apps

19. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Opening the Toolbox…
• Challenges in getting this stuff out there
• Hard factors
• security, legal, compliance, risk
• Discretionary factors
• Lack of management buy-in/sponsorship, IT constraints, no permission
to launch or market the tools
• Choosing the right stuff
• Choose Toolbox requirements as part of IT project to deploy
Connections
• Starting small (specific use cases)
• Release tools as part of releasing Connections capability.
(iterative approach)

20. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
The Role of I.T
• Part of a transformation team
• Users are your customers
• I.T are facilitators
• Don’t be blockers! *
• First answer by IT should not be NO! It should be WHY? And HOW CAN I
HELP?

21. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Adoption Planning and the Toolbox
• I.T planning to begin at the same time as user
adoption planning
• User training is ESSENTIAL
• Various ways to train & enable… even within
Connections!
• Adoption Strategy: Please attend Luis Suarez’s
workshop 9am tomorrow

22. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Adoption Planning and the Toolbox
• For Users...
• Touchpoint
• Kudos Badges/Thanks
• ICEC
• WorkplaceON
• Component Pack
(customizer/OrientMe)

23. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
Adoption Planning and the Toolbox
• For Admins/Community Managers/LOB Leaders... • Kudos Analytics
• ConnectionsExpert/iDNA
• Cognos
• CC Metrics,
• Watson Analytics

24. Social Connections 13 Philadelphia, April 26-27 2018
In Summary
• Marketing Connections is important
• Be clear on what Connections “is” - and what it does
• Recognise how your users work. What they need. What they
are missing. Where their skills may be improved
• HOW is equally important as WHY
• Build user training into adoption plan
• Put the tools where are NEEDED
• Desktop, Notes, Watson Workspace, MOBILE!!
• Measure, learn and adjust
• Analytics & adoption planning

25. Cheers ‘n’ Beers!
Stay In Touch!
Jared Roberts
Senior Software Engineer / Consultant - ISW
jroberts@isw.net.au
+61 417 215 700
@jazzaroberts
https://isw.com.au https://kudosapps.com

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