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
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