Identity Management Success

Hello Everyone!

This post is addressed to all the current and soon-to-be members of our Identity Management Success mailing list. We are making some minor changes which will allow us to serve you better.

What are the changes?

1. Starting Saturday, 19 January 2008, all current list members will be migrated to our new list management system at Aweber. Our new list management system requires a re-confirmation of your existing list subscription. This re-confirmation ensures that mails strictly conform to privacy laws while keeping our lists current, accurate, and manageable.
2. Every so often, you will see a pop-over membership form on our website, asking if you would like to join the Identity Management Success membership list. This form will replace our current “Subscribe” button. If you have already re-confirmed your subscription from “iam-success ‘at’ aweber.com” then you can safely close this box. Just click the “X” in the upper right-hand corner.

Why are we making the changes?

Thanks to the phenomenal growth of our email list, we have outgrown our current management tools. This new change will allow us to better serve the needs of you the reader, while improving our response and management capabilities. As more products are added to the Links Business Group Portfolio, having world-class management tools will allow us to deliver the best value on the market.

Are there any changes to Links Business Group LLC privacy policy?

Absolutely none. The list migration simply allows us greater flexibility and management options to serve what has now become a very large list. For all of you who have made a commitment to us in return for the content we provide, a hearty “thank you!!”

Will we now receive more email?

Yes, we will be sending more emails this year. There are a lot of exciting developments, including the release of our new book and other new membership opportunities. Overall list communication is expected to double or triple this year.

How do these changes affect list members and website visitors?

1. If you are not yet a list member, there will only be one change. When visiting our website, from time to time you will see a “flyover” form appearing on your screen. This form will ask if you wish to join our exclusive members-only list and receive all of its many benefits. If you choose not to join, or have already joined (thank you!), then just click the “X” in the upper right-hand corner of the form and continue enjoying our site.
2. If you are already a list member, you will still see the subscription form pop over the site. Just click the “X” as per above and continue with your visit.
3. The previous “Subscribe” form and button from the right-hand corner of our site will be changed to provide news and information. Links to the email subscription form will be strategically located throughout other parts of the site.
4. If you are currently subscribed to Identity Management Success, please expect a mail from “iam-success@aweber.com; on behalf of; Links Business Group LLC [info@linksbusinessgroup.com]” This message is a re-confirmation of your existing account. Please check your junk/spam/UCE folders for any messages from iam-success and click the membership confirmation link within the email message. NOTE: To remain on the Identity Management Success List you must confirm this message.
5. Future list mails will be sent from “iam-success ‘at’ aweber.com” on behalf of “info ‘at’ linksbusinessgroup.com” . Any changes to this policy will be communicated via email and the “Announcements” RSS feed.

Thank you for your time. If you have any questions regarding the Identity Management Success List, or its many membership benefits, please email “info@linksbusinessgroup.com” or fill out an inquiry form at http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com/contact.html.

Until next time: All the Best, of Identity Management Success.

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

©2003-2008 Links Business Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Dear Readers & Visitors:

Please note that site support for Internet Explorer 6.0 officially ends Monday, 14 Jaunary 2008. Some web pages may appear incorrectly for Internet Explorer 6.0 users. Previously, we had been redirecting IE6 requests to an older version of our website.

To fully enjoy all the features of http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com and http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com/blog, we recommend the following browsers:

• Mozilla Firefox 1.x or 2.x
• Opera 8.x through 10.x
• Safari 2.x or 3.x
• Flock 1.x
• Konqueror 3.x
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.x

Thank you for your patience and support. We regret any inconvenience this may cause to anyone still using Internet Explorer 6.0 or earlier.
Site Administrator,
Links Business Group LLC

Hello everyone, and a Happy 2008!

Thank you all for helping to make 2007 a phenomenal year, and here is a virtual toast to the promise of an exciting 2008.

To kick things off, here is a brief preview of coming attractions & company updates:

1. The opportunity to join our Identity Management Success List as a no-cost membership is almost closed. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to join, I encourage you to do so before February 15, 2008. To join, just visit our website at http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com and enter your email address in the “subscribe” box. Membership benefits include:
   1. Subscription to our exclusive newsletter
   2. Members-only podcasts
   3. Discount coupons for Links Business Group LLC books, training materials, speaking engagements, and select consulting packagesNOTE: Membership requirements and features will change in February 2008. We will post more on this in early February.
2. My public speaking calendar is already starting to fill. (Thank you!) If you would like to book my services as guest speaker for your business, organization, tradeshow, or seminar, please call us today at +1 877 769 8938, or complete a project request form at http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com/contact.html.
3. Links Business Group LLC is releasing a series of books, based on its Identity Management Success focus. The first book will be available for purchase by February 8, 2007 - though it may release slightly ahead of schedule. Identity Management Success list members will automatically be entitled to a 25% discount off the retail price.
4. New developments for 2008 include our “LBCircle ™” Identity & Access Management consulting service. This method, when followed exactly and as recommended, facilitates a complete and successful implementation of IAM-related technologies. “LBCircle ™” can potentially save you tens of thousands or even millions of dollars in reclaimed costs from failed IAM Programs, Security, or Auditing initiatives.
5. Our website has been completely updated, with new content being added all the time. We have received a lot of great feedback regarding the design, content, and usefulness of the site. As always, we listen to our visitors and accommodate in any way possible.
6. Our primary contact information changed in December 2007. Please visit our contact page for the latest updates. Also, we have opened new offices in Bellevue, Washington USA and posted the new address on our contact page. European offices will be posted soon.
7. Our public podcast series will resume late this month. The final topics are being ironed out, but you can expect the newest version to release by January 31st. List members will receive an exclusive podcast the prior week.
8. Our main website will be carrying a new series of IAM-related “briefs” and short topics. Please stay tuned for these.

Thank you all for reading! Until next time, all the best, of Identity Management Success.

Corbin H. Links, President
Links Business Group LLC

©2003-2008 Links Business Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Dear Readers:

What is happening: The Links Business Group Website and Blog will be undergoing maintenance and feature updates.

Scheduled maintenance window: Saturday, 12/22/2007, 5am to 6pm PST

Sites affected: http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com and http://www.linksbusinessgroup.com/blog

What to expect: Content in both locations should remain available during the maintenance window, but may not appear correctly in your browser. (Regardless of browser type.)

Questions? Please mail “info ‘at’ linksbusinessgroup.com”

Site Administrator,
Links Business Group LLC

Hello Everyone!

Today I write the traditional “Year End” and “Coming Year” post. (Members of our Identity Management Success list will receive a separate mailing early next year.) This year I decided not to do a “predictions” post, and instead take a moment to share a few thoughts about our company, and Strategic IAM.

As a company, Links Business Group enjoyed a strong 2007 and looks forward to an even bigger 2008. The last 12 months have been a great and exciting time, and we want to give all of our readers, clients and partners a hearty “THANK YOU” for your continued help and support. As readers of our website and blog, you know that we are client and market driven, so we owe much of our success to the tips, suggestions, and feedback received. Please keep those suggestions coming!

What’s in store for the coming months?

• New website, and even more of the quality content you’ve come to expect from Links Business Group
• Announcement about our new offices (that will come separately)
• Expanded members-only exclusive offers and community features
• New services, and expansion of our existing services
• Increased channel presence and expanded partnerships
• Online store
• Increased expansion of our Business Consulting and Strategic IT Services business
• And a few nice surprises along the way….

But what about the future of IAM and Strategic IT?

Well, I did promise ‘no predictions.’ Part of the reason is that IAM, as with any Strategic Business endeavor, is a continuum. Life, the world, businesses, organizations - none exist within neat, fixed blocks of time. Certainly, the global market place does not exist in a vacuum or even recognize the same annual calendar. Thus, it seems more realistic to view things in an evolutionary way. Organizations simply exist in different stages along the IAM Continuum. Some are very early stage (”We need some security / auditing / reporting, what do we do?”), some are in the middle stages (”We have security awareness, processes, and systems, but need to do something more useful and business relevant with them”) and some are moving to more advanced stages (”We have strategies, security, frameworks, processes, and the right people and are actively using/re-using our information as a strategic asset to drive growth and customer satisfaction. We know where our users go and what they do, we know where our clients go and what they do, partners, suppliers, etc. We are able to leverage the collective knowledge of these connections and experiences into a strategic knowledge tool on which our organization depends.”) The stage beyond “advanced” is one in which multiple advanced stage organizations collaborate to drive untold innovation, change, and client/customer satisfaction. Where is your organization in this timeline? Where does it want to be? Answering those questions or better yet — helping you get to the next stage in real-word terms — is where we can help.

In respect to tools and technologies, the marketplace is incredibly rich. There are more tools than ever that can be used individually or collectively to grow and manage your organization. Of course, people and process must come first, but tools and frameworks can speed and refine the processes, or take them to new levels. We continue to keep our eyes trained on the technology market, and work to ensure that clients do not become vendor or “technology locked” into any given tool or platform. One thing I will say about the future, the technology market which has always moved very quickly, is approaching fever pitch. The largest vendors get larger, and the smaller ones jockey for position or acquisition. Consider calling us for a complimentary consultation.

Clarify “Vendor Neutrality” - Does this mean that Links Business Group does not partner?

We receive frequent questions about our neutrality stance, so I will attempt to clarify. ‘Vendor neutrality’ simply means that we do not force clients down any particular path or vendor toolset. Nor are we beholden to large vendors to provide us with leads or product-specific contract opportunities. However, that is not intended to imply that we will not recommend what we feel is the appropriate mix of solutions for our individual clients. Links Business Group’s ability to provide its clients with top-notch answers and solutions to real-world challenges and opportunities, requires a strong network of partners and affiliates. Our rolodex is filled (and growing) with quality service providers and vendors which share our passion for client advocacy. If you belong to an organization that believes in our code of ethics, please visit our partnership URL for more information regarding partnership opportunities.

Final note before January 2008

This is my last blog entry before early January, so let me take this opportunity to wish all of you a safe and prosperous 2008!! Thanks again for reading, and if you find the information useful, please consider linking to us.

Until next time, wishing you all the best, of Identity Management Success

Corbin H. Links, and the Links Business Group Team

©2003-2007 Links Business Group LLC. All rights reserved.