🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <BOB.92Aug7143143@volitans.MorningStar.Com> bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield) writes:
>What will Columbus' new status as a United Nations-sanctioned
>Info-Port do for Ohio's information infrastructure?  
>

Bob and Tony Scott asked great questions (although Tony's posting
seems to have disappeared on magnus already). I'm afraid the Dispatch
article was just sketchy enough to leave us intrigued, but without
answers.

My hope is that the "info-port" will (1) give Columbus more
national/international recognition as an information center and thus
attract companies; and (2) create the atmosphere that everyone is
information/telecommunications conscious and thus looking for ways to
use these in their work/education and to create new enterprises.  I
think the economic development potential is really large.  I think the
latter (growing our own businesses) is potentially much larger than
the former (attracting existing businesses from elsewhere).

My fear is that this will be a centrally managed bureaucratic
nightmare focussed narrowly on existing types of EDI and not an
outwardly reaching enabling organization looking toward innovations.

I was talking recently with Phyllis Sokol, who is with Ordernet, a
division of Sterling Software here in Columbus.  This company has been
a leader in EDI (particularly in the pharmaceutical industry).
Phyllis has always been full of good ideas -- looking forward to
innovation -- and she didin't disappoint me this time.  She described
(from memory, my notes are in the office, I'm at home) her increasing
belief that EDI is just the first step, with later steps leading to
more connections and communications between companies.  In my
language, she is talking about strategic alliances between companies
based on telecommunications (see John Badaracco, The Knowledge Link,
for example).

Well, anyway, I will certainly be interested to watch how this develops.
I'm glad it is generating excitement already.

Jane