When FlightGlobal released its A&D News iPhone app a few months ago, I downloaded it in the first couple of days. They were the first A&D media company venturing on the platform and they were rushing to get it ready in time for the Singapore Air Show. Last week, AINOnline released their own iPhone app which they have been working on for a few months. Both apps are free and they offer very different features, but which one should you be using? Let’s take a look.
Before jumping into the details, it is important to note that these apps are pioneering a new platform for our industry. Both Michael Targett (FlightGlobal) and Chad Trautveter (AINOnline), the respective Online Editors, insist that this is just “version 1” and that they have many improvements in the work for future versions. So it is important to judge the application in their current state rather than in regards to the “could be” state.
The FlightGlobal iPhone app (Search for “FlightGobal” in AppStore) strives to be very complete and uses many different features. At a high level, it offers 5 sections: news, blogs, twitter feed, videos, and jobs. The interface is configurable to arrange and display your favorite sections at the bottom of the screen. The app is designed mainly as a “jump point” to other apps. The News section only contains the headlines, and links to the main website in the Safari app for the whole article. The Video section links to the YouTube app. The Jobs section has more information, but still requires jumping to the Safari browser for proper formatting and interaction. The Twitter section lists the tweets from the entire FlightGlobal team, however, it requires that you jump and login to the Twitter website on the Safari app for interaction such as retweeting or opening the embedded links. The Twitter section also seems to lag behind the current timeline by as much as several days. The Blog section has the most content (with full blog posts and pictures) although some of them simply embed the main website page. The Search section only returns hits from the photo gallery, so it is not very useful to parse the news and blog items available. This is a big setback to find the news you want as the app does not allow the categorization of news between Airline, Business, MRO, Defense, etc… Most pages have the ability to email someone a link to the story, using the iPhone email app. The app does not work offline and it reloads all data every time it opens. It also has no resiliency so every time you come back from another app, it takes you back to the home page rather than the page and/or item you were reading.
The AINOnline iPhone app (Search for “AINOnline” in AppStore) takes the very pragmatic approach to delivering basic content to mobile users. The app is organized in three main sections: Headlines, Categorized News, and Calendar. The Categorized section provides grouping of news items in no less than 15 different topics ranging from Airlines, to Avionics, to Defense, and Rotorcraft. The main menu at the bottom of the screen is configurable to allow your favorite categories to be accessible quickly. The rest are reached through the “More” button. Each section contains at least a couple of week’s worth of news articles. The display provides a chronological list of headlines and synopsis. Each item can be read in its entirety by clicking on it. When reading a specific item, you can send a link via email or post it on Twitter. There are also links to the full web version in Safari to access the pictures and other features. The calendar provides links to each event’s website as well as a useable phone number (click to call). All th eexternal apps are imbedded in the viewer so you do not have to leave the application when jumping off. There is also an omnipresent search feature that scans the entire content, however it cannot be restricted to a single category. The most attractive part of this application is that it can be used off-line. Because the app only contains text, updates when connected are extremely fast. You can do a quick refresh over WiFi or 3G before boarding the flight and have hours of reading available while off-line. The app also resiliency, so if you close it, you get back to the last screen you were on.
As I said before, this will be an evolving medium. Perhaps that is why AviationWeek is late to the table with no iPhone app development underway only “considerations“. Greg Hamilton, their Online Publisher, argues that their mobile website works well on iPhone and that it serves the needs of their audience. It doesn’t work off-line, but using WiFi it is fast and offers many of the features I like in the AINOnline app. It is a valid alternative approach that also has the advantage of covering all platforms, not just the iPhone. But when it comes to leveraging the unique features of each Smartphone system (like customization or integration), AviationWeek offers only the “lowest common denominator” approach. It is interesting to note that neither FlightGlobal nor AINOnline offer a mobile version of their site, arguing that the Smartphones display their regular site well enough. I am not convinced that it is a good argument. The AviationWeek mobile site is definitely the best way to get A&D News on the other Smartphones. And aren’t there more BlackBerrys than iPhones in use in the A&D industry anyway?
But if you are an iPhone user, the AINOnline app is much more useable than the FlightGlobal app or the AviationWeek mobile site. It works “off-line”, has all the content you need organized in easy-to-use categories, allows customization, and avoids unnecessary bells-and-whistles. So until new versions come out, I would say definitely download the AINOnline app.
For future versions, I’d like the apps providers to consider a few additional features:
The offline mode is extremely important so I can read the news anywhere and at anytime. This will be even more important for the iPad version! The app should therefore allow for quick text download with the option to download larger items such as pictures on demand (either as a setting or via a button in the item)
Provide resiliency to allow me to return to the last place I was in the app after I come back.
An indicator of what items I have already read with the ability to “Mark all Read” and selectively sort and display on this criteria would optimize reading over multiple sessions. (“Where was I again?”).
Full reposting of the stories via email, Twitter, Facebook, and Digg using APIs rather than application call-out. This is the best way to generate traffic back to the main website.
Customizable search with the option the save my favorite queries. This way, if I am interested in “Airbus” I can re-run the search every time I open the app. I should also be able to limit the query to a specific category.
Provide a “favorite” button and section to save stories of particular interest.
Provide a “like” button to create trending and create a “most watched” section based on it.
Provide YouTube integration via an imbedded mobile interface (in HTML5) rather than jumping out to the external app.
Create a separate “Major Events” app to handle Farnborough, Paris, and NBAA to allow special features and content, rather than trying to cramp everything in the main app.
What do you think of the apps? How do use them? What would you want in future versions? The best way to make the apps better is to discuss them and suggest new ideas. But first, pass the word and have as any people as possible download the apps so publisher can measure the interest.
Yesterday was a really exciting day for the Aerospace industry with the fantastic first flight of the Boeing 787. After more than two years of delays, the beautiful bird finally took off and she was majestic. The event was covered worldwide in the main press and television, but many of us were simply riveted to our computer screen and iPhones for play-by-play of the action at Everett.
After the first flight of the Airbus A400M last week, this was the second such event where Twitter was a great source of up-to-the-minute information. FlightGlobal’s @flightblogger started posting the night before and delighted us with stories, pictures and even video of the event. Reading him made you feel like you were almost there. We got weather updates, a look behind the scenes, and even a detailed flight plan! Right before the flight, many of the folks lining both sides of the runway were posting updates and pictures. In total, the #787 and #787FF hashtags recorded over 2500 posts on Twitter in a span of 24 hours. Although CNN and FoxNews had live video streams (with ATC!!), their journalists were not well versed in the matters surrounding the event. Boeing also had a live webcast featuring seven different cameras but most of what was reported there had already been posted of Twitter earlier.
When the moment arrived, I had the CNN and Boeing videos side by side on my screen, as well as the twitter feed at the bottom. My very own news desk! I could feel the excitement build in my stomach as I saw the plane started to taxi (from two different angles) and could hear the cheers from the crowd. The Twitter posts were coming fast and furious from all corners of the world, in many different languages! This was an historical event and everyone in this great industry was overjoyed. @VictoriaOnAir posted what many felt: “So, did the eyes water as she took off :O) we cried like babies, here.”
As the flight continued, we could follow the aircraft’s every heading, altitude, and speed change live on Flightaware.com, and when ZA001 headed back to Boeing Field early because of weather, we were all ready to see the landing live online! In the evening, Randy Tinseth, Vice President, Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes posted a nice entry on his blog with great photos and informative links. All in all it was a remarkable and unforgettable day. And yet, I cannot stop wondering if Boeing missed a HUGE opportunity.
In the age of social media and instant communication, why didn’t Boeing take charge of online coverage and capitalize on this event (and the rest of the flight test program) to upgrade its imagine as well as inspire future travelers and young generations of Aerospace engineers? The industry always talks about attracting new talent, so what better image than this revolutionary aircraft taking off to foster new dreams?
Here are four things Boeing could have done to take advantage of this milestone:
1. Take charge of Twitter. Set up the hashtag early and start sharing information directly from the “horses’ mouth”. Select a few key personnel to share their behind-the-scenes adventure: ramp engineer, flight planner, program engineer, etc… They could each send one or two posts a day with a couple of exclusive pictures to create early buzz. Then on the day, they can take 30 seconds to send an update: “787_Ramp_Bob: ZA001 pushing back!” Set up a Twitter List of all the partners on the program and encourage them to share their views from a supplier and customer point of view. Finally, taking a page out of NASA’s strategy (see @Astro_Mike), even have a couple of posts from the pilots during the flight (i.e. relay them by radio! No distractions in the cockpit, please). Continue the stream of information throughout the test program. I guarantee many will follow.
2. Reach out to the fans. Set up a 787 FaceBook fan page and select 10 Boeing employees aged 30 or less to run it and share their adventures. Give them Flip cams and have them post videos and notes as well as answer questions. Young people want to “hang” with other young people. Show them Boeing is a hip and cool place to work. Run a video contest on YouTube for a 30 second clip about “Why I can’t wait to fly on the 787!” First prize: two seats on the first delivery flight! Again, take a page out of NASA and invite 50 non-professional bloggers to cover the event. NASA did that for the launch of STS-129 and it was a resounding success. Word of mouth is the best publicity one can get!
3. Use the technology. The Victoria Secret fashion show had its own iPhone App for a two-hour television show. Why wouldn’t the nine months 787 Test Flight Program have one as well? News, photos, videos, merchandise, job postings, contests can all be part of it. Again, coming across as a “modern” company is crucial to attract new generations. Finally, don’t try to do it all yourself. Boeing should partner with Flightaware.com to continue to show test flights. Partner with local tourism bureau to make it easy for people to witness the planes by providing tips, hotel and restaurant info, and up to date take-off/landing info.
4. Educate the students. Over the next nine months, multiple test aircrafts will take part in a grueling flight program with almost daily developments. Why not partner with educational publishers or local universities to develop high school lesson plans around the program. Think about the subjects that can be covered: math, physics, geography, environment, history, and information systems. Students want to see that what they learn is relevant to the real world. This airplane is very relevant and it may well inspire them to join the Aerospace industry.
So I wish we could have done this yesterday, but may be it is not too late. Many of these ideas can still be applied by Boeing and others (are you listening AIA?). I look forward to seeing what comes next and how the Aerospace will continue to venture online in 2010.
Based on the great success of the Social Media session at the recent NBAA annual event, I decided to further explore the topic with the business aviation audience through a very quick survey. The purpose was to quantify participation, catalog the interest, and collect (anonymous) demographics.
The survey was designed as a collaborative effort and then posted online for 5 business days. Participation was solicited mostly via Twitter, but also through posts in LinkedIn discussion boards. The complete result summary is available for download here (PDF). You can also contact me if you want the raw data in Excel. After reviewing the survey results, here are the 5 findings and 5 opportunities I discovered:
MY FINDINGS:
Contrary to many reports, 73% of respondents indicate that social media platform access is NOT blocked at work. However, companies that prevent access generally do it for all social media sites except for LinkedIn. Only 41% of companies have a Social Media policy.
LinkedIn is the premier e-Networking platform amongst business aviation professionals. Over 91% of respondents use it, but they indicated that looking for job postings was the least important use. They mostly use it to connect with colleagues and customers.
Social Media is used in the executive suite. 60% of respondents were at a Director level or above. 57% were 40 year old or over.
Twitter ranks highest amongst the platforms used by companies. Although it seems like all platforms are used fairly evenly.
Companies have added social media as an additional news/marketing channel. 67% of respondents indicate that publishing news is the most important use of social media platform, followed by marketing/promotion (44%). A full 48% indicate that recruiting is the least important use of Social Media.
Did you spot something else in the survey results? Do you have your own take? Please send me your feedback or post comments on this post and I’ll add it to this list.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Business Aviation is embracing social media at a good pace, probably faster than the rest of the A&D industry. Structuring the communications and properly combining websites, LinkedIn and Twitter will continue to be the trend. More can be done to use blogs as only 36% of respondents indicated their companies use them.
The best way to combat the perception that social media is for kids to play with their friends on FaceBook is to do two things. First, as John Keller (Chief editor, Military & Aerospace Electronics) discussed in a recent blog, start calling it e-Networking. When social media is used for business, e-Networking is really its purpose. Second, get your executives to start using e-Networking effectively.
I am a big believer in using e-Networking to enhance industry events and conferences. However, it seems like NBAA missed an opportunity, as most respondents indicated that the use of social media platforms made NO Difference in their experience of the event. There is much to be done in this area.
E-Networking is about interaction and conversation. Only 35% of respondent said that soliciting ideas was the most important use of social media for their company. I think that e-networking is about sharing and collaborating not lecturing or selling. For example, companies should move away from looking at Twitter as another channel by which to distribute press releases. It is much more than that.
I would like to thank the people that dialogued with me before and during the survey. Also, I would like to thank the tweeples that helped soliciting survey answers: @AWyss, @AvWeekBenet, @nonnyjorris, @NBAA, @CDHeisermann, @CutterAviation, @AeroPR, @ShowalterFlying, @GretemanGroup, @HeisteComm, @kevinmerritt, @FlightGlobal, @AviationWeek. What started as an experiment actually provided very interesting results. I would have liked more responses, but I wanted to run this survey as a Social Media platform experiment to validate its use as an interactive medium for our industry.
I would love to hear your feedback on this survey or on other surveys you think would be interesting. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
When Northrop Grumman announced their new website and solicited feedback on Twitter, I immediately checked out how they had used social media in their new design. Although there was a lot of progress from their previous version, I decided to analyze how they ranked against the websites of the other top Aerospace & Defense companies. Here are the companies and websites I analyzed:
Even though most of the companies have a main twitter account, there are some notable exceptions. GE is the most prolific with a number of accounts covering every aspect of their large business. They even have a really nice blog site (http://www.gereports.com – What’s happening at GE) that makes full use of social media. Boeing, EADS, UTC, and General Dynamics are the only ones that do not have a main twitter account although some of their subsidiaries do. (Note: @boeing does exist but is not owned by the company). Most puzzling is that Northrop Grumman is the ONLY ONE listing their twitter account on their home page. Why aren’t the other companies doing this? It makes no sense! Pratt&Whitney is listing their twitter account at the bottom of their contact page. Lockheed and Raytheon are referencing their accounts in some press releases and trade show pages (e.g. Paris Air Show). However, Raytheon has a special Twitter account for recruiting prominently featured in that part of their site. They also leverages FaceBook in their recruitment, the only company to publically do so from their main website.
(You can now follow the 10 companies’ Twitter streams from this Twitter List)
SHARING FORWARD
One of the important uses of social media is to be able to share news and information about a company or its products in other environments. Although all companies except for General Dynamics offer various RSS Feeds from their site, only three offer the ability to share information on other social media networks. Lockheed, Northrop and Raytheon provide the full social media “share” icon allowing users to broadcast a link to news and other information on Twitter, FaceBook, Digg, etc… The advantage of this method is that it allows companies to track where the news is posted and to subsequently follow the conversation. This is a major loss opportunity for the others.
INTERACTION
Soliciting feedback from the masses seems to still be foreign to the top A&D companies. Although a majority provides “private portals” were registered suppliers and customers can probably interact to a great extent (Note: I was not able to test this), NONE try to engage the website visitors in meaningful interaction. GE Reports has a “Submit your ideas” portal, but it is not specific to Aerospace. Raytheon has a “Connect with us” link at the top of the site, but it requires login. Sikorsky has a “Feedback” button at the bottom of most pages, but it is a generic email contact page. This is the one area where the Northrop Grumman site really disappointed me. Boeing recently launched http://www.unitedstatestanker.com that is a modern, interactive, social site with all the bell and whistles! (More on that here) Why wouldn’t they do that for their other offerings? I understand that our industry requires controlled and confidential discussions and collaboration, but is there no value is soliciting input from unknown suppliers and customers? Not all feedback needs to be public, but wouldn’t these companies want to know what other ideas or comments are out there? All the other industries seem think so, so why not us?
REPORT CARD
Based on all my observations above, I compiled this report card for each company:
Visibility
Sharing
Interaction
Overall
Northrop Grumman
A
A
F
B
Great other than sharing
Raytheon
C
A
C
C+
Extra points for social recruiting section
Lockheed
C
A
F
C
Good sharing, references to Twitter
GE Aviation
D
D
D
D
Extra points for gereports.com
Boeing
D
D
D
D
Encouragement points for unitedstatestanker.com
United Technologies
D
F
F
D-
Extra points for Pratt and Sikorsky efforts
EADS
F
F
F
F
BAE SYSTEMS
F
F
F
F
General Dynamics
F
F
F
F
Thales
F
F
F
F
Overall:
D
C
F
D
Having the newest website, Northrop Grumman takes the lead unsurprisingly. Boeing would be top if it expanded its tanker approach to the rest of the site. And GE could take a page of its GE Reports site and apply it to its aviation business unit. I also note that the three European companies rate at the bottom of list when it comes to Social Media. Many suspect this approach is not yet as popular in Europe as it is in the USA.
CALL TO ACTION
Based on my observations, all these companies could and should do much more if they want to stay in sync with their younger employees, evolving customers, and high tech suppliers. I suggest all of them take the following three simple steps as a good start:
Put a twitter badge on the home page and start publicizing and leveraging their account. This is an easy step and it will start the conversation. As discussed previously, get the executives involved in the process.
Put a Social Media “share” icon at the bottom of every press release, white paper, and product page of the website. Help people promote the information and track the conversations that ensues.
Create a “submit your idea” page and promote it in context throughout the site. Copy the mechanism and structure of http://www.defensesolutions.gov/ which has already sorted out the confidentiality and IP challenges this kind of page could generate.
I feel there is a definite first mover advantage for the A&D companies that will leverage social media in the near future. Integrating various communication methods and shifting from pulpit shouting to trusted conversation are the two most important steps these 10 companies can take to improve.
Several people have recently asked me how to combine multiple internet communication channels most effectively. Most companies have an official website but find it difficult to integrate blogs and micro-blogs (Twitter) effectively with it. Although “old” websites should be updated as I suggested in a previous blog, I will assume here that we start from a “classic” and established internet presence.
The way I see it, the three channels represent an information pyramid with Twitter at the top, blogs in the middle and websites at the bottom. Here is how each element fits:
Website: This is your reference library. This is the “big bucket” of information about your business. It contains practical information (contact, eServices login, support, events) which will be the most accessed. It also contains reference information (solutions description, customer testimonials, press releases, documentation, white papers) that can be voluminous. Even though it will hopefully have a basic navigation and search feature, the website will still be too massive and intertwined to be useable by your curious prospects. For example, think about how many clicks it would take from www.Raytheon.com to find a specific niche product or service (Answer: 5 to get the Interdaptor® product sheet if you even know that is what you need). In these days of information overload, chances that someone will land on your website and start sifting to the many reference pages is very slim. Prospects will need a reason to get there and have a pre-existing interest. That is why well tagged reference pages will get visitors from Google and Bing search engines. Someone typed a query and then jumped into the middle of your website. But competing for attention based on Search Engine Optimization is more an art than a science so blogs are another way to bring people in.
Blogs: These brief “discussions” are no more than one or two pages (a dozen paragraphs) and provide highlight of ideas or news events that are easy and fast to consume. To be successful, blogs should be educational and thought provoking rather than commercial. They should definitely contain links to reference information on your website, so if someone is interested they can “dig deeper” to, for example, a white paper or a customer testimonial. Entries should discuss all relevant subjects of interest in hope of positioning the company in the role of a trusted source of information and expertise. This means the blog should also discuss news that may not translate directly into a product sale, but rather in reader education. There should be plenty of external references and links to other sites to encourage “exploration”.
To increase exposure, blogs should be available as an RSS feed so they can be integrated into other sites from news organizations and industry associations. Links to blog entries should also be posted on other forums such as LinkedIn discussion groups, FaceBook pages, or community sites such as AeroLeaders2. Surprisingly, blogs can have a fairly long shelf live, especially when they are linked back from future entries. Keeping old blog posts up to date is a good practice. Most importantly, they should be created to solicit feedback and “engagement” with prospects. Comments and poll answers from potential prospects are excellent audience barometers.
Twitter: Think of this as the “Headlines News” channel to your company and blog. Unlike blogs and websites, Twitter entries will only have a very brief life. People that follow you or a particular subject (like #aerospace), will rarely read an entry that is more than 36 to 48 hours old. This should be used as an “alert” system for your community that there is something they should pay attention to. It could be a new relevant blog post (from you or someone else), a new document on your website, or some related breaking news. Because of this, quality is much more important than quality. Unless you are at an important event where many things are happening (e.g. ParisAirShow), companies do not need to post every day. I would say that a minimum of once a week is a good measure. As with the blogs, don’t just post news about your company. Posting other relevant information such as partner or customer news is as important. Re-Tweeting other posts can also be an effective way to stay “interesting”. The bottom line is to stay in the forefront of your prospect’s mind with little gems of interest without become boring, irrelevant or, worst, annoying!
How do you combine these three elements? What has worked well for you? What has not worked? Please leave your comments and suggestions here for further discussion.
When it comes to conservatism, control and prudence, very few beat the Aerospace industry. Unfortunately, these virtues indispensable in the field of defying gravity often permeate in business support practices where they quickly become impediments to progress and efficiency. As the business world dramatically changes the way it communicates and collaborates with the advances in Internet bandwidth, technology and tools, the Aerospace industry seems to be on the trailing edge of those innovations. This is particularly noticeable in its public websites (and general Internet presence) as well as those of its associations.
But there are some signs of an awakening. The Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance recently requested feedback about its website via their twitter account (@OKAero) in an attempt to “make it effective for aero pros and the public to get excited about aerospace.” Even though I could have written this review about many websites, I thought they provided a good case study applicable to many others. Simply put, this website is a fantastic example of Web1.0 technology. Unfortunately, the world has evolved to Web2.0.
Here are the three changes that must be implemented to keep up with innovation:
Provide members with the ability to relentlessly interact. The main difference between the old and new way of constructing a website is that the basis for Web2.0 is two-way communication. This should now be the guiding principle for any association: solicit feedback at all times. Every area of the site, from overall design to specific small content, should promote the ability for the readers to “answer back”, provide suggestions, and share with others. The website should also include forums and direct messaging to promote member-to-member interaction. Feedback should be viewable, summarized and influential. However, the association remains in charge. This is not management by committee; it is instead the unabated search for good ideas for the common good of the association’s members. Often there is a fear that public comments would be inappropriate or negative. Knowledge in the 21st century results from a debate of ideas rather than the opinion of a single trusted source. An association can increase its usefulness by providing a platform for such exchange of ideas (positive and negative) while moderating the extremes. However, all comments should always be attributable, focusing the embarrassment and consequences of inappropriateness on the contributor.
Choose the right tools for the right context. Today communication through short videos (2 minutes max) is the most efficient and effective way to share important information. However, there is no need to create a video library on the site. Instead the website should create and link to a YouTube channel. Why recreate the wheel when other sites already have the tools? Generally, services targeted at the general consumer or public are better served by tools like FaceBook (e.g. community involvement, sponsorship). Similarly, employment and business career/advice services can take advantage of LinkedIn. The site should have “cousin” areas in these other networks and provide links back and forth between them. Individual members registering on the site should be encouraged to enter links to other networking site they belong to. The boundaries of the association need not be the limits of the information contained on its own website. As such, the association should provide its own RSS feed for others to aggregate into their own context.
Members will look to the association for advice on the tools and techniques to use to communicate, engage and collaborate with their customers and suppliers. The association must be a shepherd in this field providing information, case studies, training and brainstorming sessions. In some cases, like secure information sharing or indirect procurement, association-hosted tools could even be provided directly to the members.
Transform the association website into a platform. The association website should be a “mash-up” of content and tools provided by and for the members. The association should be acting as a content cheerleader/care-taker and moderator rather than a content generator. Turning the website into a platform where members can post their own news, events, blogs, WIKI entries or photos will make it the richest possible. The information can then be presented by topic, company, calendar, map, or any other aggregation technique. The idea is not necessarily to provide all the content in one place, but more to link to other content within the context of the association.
The “build it they will come” mistake should be avoided. The association should take advantage of tools like RSS, Twitter Search and Google Indexing to generate and index content automatically rather than force members to have to post in multiple places. For example, the member’s official website address and twitter account should be collected in their company listing. Then, an aggregated (and archived) Twitter “association stream” can be provided. Also, a capability search would pick up on keywords in the members’ own websites rather than in an always outdated directory.
For the website to be successful, it must be used regularly. And to be used, it must be active, customizable and innovative. The site should be public but membership must have its privileges. There should be three basic “profiles”: guest (read-only, generic), participant (read-only except for comments/suggestions/polls, customizable view, subscription email alerts), member (content provider, customizable view, dashboard, voting rights). There must also be exclusive content such as executive blogs, video interviews, and online training not found on other sites (but no necessarily generated by the association). All content should be very short and concise at the first level, providing links to deeper content if the reader is interested.
If you want to see a glimpse at excellence in this field, check out FlightGlobal.com. Although not technically an association, they provide mush of the information and online services association members are looking for. Under the enthusiastic leadership of Editor Michael Targett (@flightglobal), they have embraced all of the above principles and have seen a huge jump in on-line readership as a result. Perhaps they will become the Global Aerospace Association of the future?
There is an organization that, in the last 6 months, has embraced leading edge technology, open information exchange, collaboration amongst departments and with external partners, focus on customer service, speed of deployment, as well as experimentation with game-changing ideas. Is this organization some kind of Silicon Valley start-up driven by a few highly caffeinated Gen-Y associates full of big ideas? No! It is in fact our US Government!
At this week’s Open Government and Innovation conference in Washington, DC, over 700 attendees from every branch of the government shared (See Twitter Stats) and discussed the President’s deep commitment to open and transparent government. All of the subjects listed above were covered with enthusiasm and with a “can-do” attitude I have rarely witnessed before. Even more impressively, this conference was sponsored by the Department of Defense with great energy from its Deputy CIO, Dave Wennergren. In his opening remarks on both days, he emphasized the culture of change that is sweeping the government and the fundamental belief that “Relentless Sharing” of information and knowledge is the way of the future for society as a whole.
I could not possibly do justice to the inspiring keynotes that were presented and I encourage you to spend the time to listen to them online. They are available with sound and slides: Aneesh Chopra (US Chief Technology Officer), Vivek Kundra (US Chief Information Officer), Tim O’Reilly (Founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media – and father of Web 2.0), and David Weinberger (author of “Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder”).
What does it all mean? Because of the innovation imperative created by the advance of new technology in society, the government is shifting from a “command and control” model to a “communication and collaboration” model. Great ideas exist “out there” and new technology allows us to harvest and develop them. Taking full advantage of concepts such as Social Media, the government is becoming a convener of game-changing collaborative approaches rather than the initiator of rigid and lobby-driven policies. Transparency becomes the default position to establish trust and gain efficiency. In six months, the government has already accomplished huge progress on that front. Just to name two, check out http://www.data.gov for open information sharing, and the IT dashboard at http://www.usaspending.gov for a clear view of the government investment in IT.
So how does this impact the Aerospace & Defense industry? To put it simply, this is the end of “business as usual”. This shift in the government’s approach will create three profound changes for the industry:
Major overall of systems procurement: Do you want to see a glimpse of future procurement? Check out http://www.defensesolutions.gov. No longer will system procurement be driven from a set of requirements, it will be driven instead from capability requirements. Open standards, 21st century infrastructure, and information sharing mandate will throw the doors open to innovative ideas from all corners of the world. “Great ideas will get funding regardless of the rules”, Chopra was quoted as saying. There will now be spiral development focused on collaboration and on quick win systems that will embrace risk management rather than risk avoidance. Accountability will be enforced through transparency, and businesses will be measured based on value and innovation rather than only schedule and budget.
Shift to “mission focus” and “customer service”: the government will lead the way in demanding results in terms of service and mission support. They will ask “how can you solve my problem” rather than asking for a specific solution. They will demand collaboration, information sharing, continuous improvement and innovation. A major contractor may think that they can adapt to that change, but this will permeate throughout the rest of the business and consumer world where customers (and employees) will ask the same from any organization. Businesses will have to change the way they operate not just to adapt to the government but for all of their customers.
Young talent will not tolerate “old ways” of doing business: The next generation of bright minds and leaders coming out of our colleges and universities will gravitate toward organizations that promote a way of working that includes flexibility, communication, collaboration, and the removal of artificial or corporate boundaries. One of the most enlightening session at the conference was the Young Government Leaders panel that boldly and fearlessly described their eye-opening views of work and life. Social Media and Collaboration is natural for them and they will not function without it. Organizations will have to adapt quickly to be able to attract this new talent.
Critics point out that the number one issue with this transparency approach is the concern over information security. Wennergren describes it as a polarity management issue between opposite goals: information sharing and information security. He suggests that aspiring to secure information sharing is an achievable short term goal. Luckily for us, organizations like the TransGlobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP) are a long way down the road to solving this issue.
So, since the government is making major changes that will definitely affect Aerospace and Defense, why was Lockheed Martin the only representation from the industry at the event? According to the organizers, the industry does not believe this is happening, not realizing that this change is a result of pressure from the people not an initiative from leadership. “We have no choice”, said Kundra. One small consolation is that Lockheed Martin is set to release their secure collaboration platform as Open Source Software in the next 60 days. Tom Haser says: “We are totally on board, but I am not sure about our industry colleagues”. I for one think that their absence from the dialogue is very telling.
When I see companies like AP rushing to develop “adhoc” social media policies with disastrous results , I keep wondering why the more practical approach I use couldn’t work for businesses.
I have always taken pride in keeping my private and professional life separate so when I came across FaceBook and LinkedIn it was natural for me to use them to support of my good habits.
Professional LinkedIn
LinkedIn is naturally suited for my professional work. It already contains my work history, my references, and my professional network. Using LinkedIn, I can develop and maintain my personal brand by participating in professional groups and answering expert questions. I can participate in and conduct surveys, extend my network, and reach out to new contacts through very beneficial introductions.
Sure, my personal friends can be in my LinkedIn network, but they should only anticipate “shop talk” from me there. I will have links to my VisualCV to showcase some of my work, my status updates will be strictly professional, and I won’t recommend anyone unless I have actually worked with them. I keep my public profile open with a nice professional picture and relevant business information for anyone interesting in talking Aerospace eBusiness with me.
Personal FaceBook
On the other hand, I keep FaceBook strictly for personal use. If you look up my name in the public directory, you will find a fun picture and a link to send me a message or request to be my friend. That is it. You will not be able to see any additional info about me, access my wall, my photos or any other information. Now, this is not the default configuration and locking down your account can be a bit tedious, but it is worth the time.
Inside FaceBook, I keep three nested “circle of friends”. At the center are my family members (at least the ones I get along with), and other close friends. They have access to everything. The next layer contains my regular friends who have access to my wall, my posts and most of my pictures (they don’t need to see my grand father’s funeral). Finally, I have a last group that I would describe as acquaintances, and I restrict them to my status, basic wall posts and a few picture albums. I make sure to set the access rights for each photo album I create and application I join, but using friend groups, it is pretty easy.
If a business colleague sends me a friend request on FaceBook, I decline it and send them back a message telling them that I am reserving FaceBook for personal use and ask them to connect on LinkedIn. I regularly review my friends list and “purge” connections that do not contribute or that I find little interest in staying connected with. Remember that no one gets a note if you drop them (guilt free!).
By keeping my FaceBook private, it allows me to interact with people specifically in a “non-business” capacity. I can express my opinions independently and associate with people I enjoy outside of work. On LinkedIn, I then interact in a professional manner conducting myself with the rules and policies appropriate for such platform.
“Clean” Business Policy
If corporations used this model to guide and educate their employees it would make social media policies much simpler. They could encourage the use of LinkedIn for professional purposes (e.g. customer forums, working groups, etc…). Companies worried about compliance could go as far as having their employees declare their FaceBook account to verify that they have them locked down.
It would also help companies wanting to be active in the Social Media scene to choose the right platform. Consumer oriented companies would want to have FaceBook pages, while companies targeting employees and corporations would focus more on LinkedIn.
What about Twitter?
For Twitter, I would follow a similar model. Since they allow multiple accounts, you should have one account for professional updates and discussions, and a separate one for personal matters. Although you could “lock” your personal twitter account (limiting the followers), I think that would defeat the purpose of the tool. I would simply keep things separate and try not to embarrass myself (or my employer) on the personal account. Always remember that Riesling and Twitting don’t mix!
A fundamental attribute of Aerospace & Defense companies today is they must be dynamic. Enabling a net-centric data strategy – decoupling applications and data – combined with the emphasis on communities of interest and project areas, point towards a future enterprise model composed of socially networked dynamic groups, forming, disbanding and re-forming as opportunity needs dictate. The corporation’s information architecture in this environment must be responsive, extremely agile, and able to cope with the unanticipated to provide the business leaders and innovators the speed they need to succeed. Ensuring timely and trusted information is available where it is needed, when it is needed, and to those who need it, is at the heart of the future enterprise and an effective, federated, and dynamic approach to IT architecture is absolutely required.
As DoD transforms to become a Net-Centric force, information becomes one of its greatest sources of power to achieve an information advantage for its people and mission partners. As such, the DOD has lead the way in establishing standards, guidelines, and architecture interchange best practices to achieve information superiority. The DoDAF 2.0 (Department of Defense Architectural Framework) provides guidance on planning, developing, managing, maintaining, and governing architectures through a coherent semantic and structural metamodel. In addition, DOD is embracing commercial enterprise integration standards developed by the Object Management Group among others to be able to implement technology faster with its IT vendors as well as share information outside the enterprise (e.g. UPDM with the UK MoD).
DoD mission partners and A&D companies as a whole could learn a lot from the work undertaken by the DOD in this field. One place to get caught up will be the DOD Enterprise Architecture Conference to be held in St Louis, MO on June 1 to 4. This event is is sponsored by the Director of Architecture and Interoperability (a DoDAF 2.0 guru), Office of the Deputy CIO and hosted by the Association for Enterprise Integration (AFEI). Below is a quick highlight of some of the technical subjects that will be covered at the event from Walt Okon, a DOD Senior Enterprise Architect.
If you have simply dismissed the Twitter phenomenon to simply another “craze”, you might need to wake up and smell the money. This morning a rumor is spreading around the world: “Could Apple buy Twitter?” This $700M acquisition would accelerate the tsunami size change that is happening to the business world.
Integrating Twitter with the Apple platforms such as iTune and iPhone will create huge revenue dynamics for the hardware manufacturer. In addition, it could integrate a Twitter API into version 3.0 of the iPhone SDK, thus creating an explosion of new mobile applications. With the DoD speaking recently about the use of iPhones in the military, this news lands smack in the middle of our industry like a major “WAKE UP” grenade!
In the aerospace world, only media and airlines have jumped into the Twitter fray so far. Major Aerospace and Defense news outfits such as Aviation Week and Flight International and some of their best contributors (e.g. Benet Wilson) are very active. But as with many Internet based applications, the B2C world seems to be engaged first. Airlines are racing to help customersby creating new support models every day. Not surprisingly, JetBlue and SWA were engaged first, but now everyone is jumping on the social media universe (United joined last week).
However, the fundamental shift is much more profound. Traditional ways of communicating with customers, suppliers, partners, and recruits are completely changing. And it is changing fast! Today, people want to collaborate and discuss. They want to query and discover. They no longer want to be talked at, sold to, dictated, or instructed. They can filter a company attempts to use traditional methods of communication completely out. Traditional mail, fax, and even emails are now very ineffective in reaching people outside (and inside) your company.
The Aerospace Industry as a whole (and particularly in the USA) needs to SHIFT to a more engaged and interactive model if it wants to attract the next generation of employees to collaborate on all the innovative projects the customers are demanding. The same way that traditional companies have lost market share to new businesses embracing the Internet in Information Technology (Linux), News (Google), Music (iTunes), and Automotive (Swatch, Tata), I can see a day very soon when brand new Aerospace and Defense companies spring up from the collective ideas contributed globally to blogs and tweets out on the Internet.
The FlightGlobal iPhone app (Search for “FlightGobal” in AppStore) strives to be very complete and uses many different features. At a high level, it offers 5 sections: news, blogs, twitter feed, videos, and jobs. The interface is configurable to arrange and display your favorite sections at the bottom of the screen. The app is designed mainly as a “jump point” to other apps. The News section only contains the headlines, and links to the main website in the Safari app for the whole article. The Video section links to the YouTube app. The Jobs section has more information, but still requires jumping to the Safari browser for proper formatting and interaction. The Twitter section lists the tweets from the entire FlightGlobal team, however, it requires that you jump and login to the Twitter website on the Safari app for interaction such as retweeting or opening the embedded links. The Twitter section also seems to lag behind the current timeline by as much as several days. The Blog section has the most content (with full blog posts and pictures) although some of them simply embed the main website page. The Search section only returns hits from the photo gallery, so it is not very useful to parse the news and blog items available. This is a big setback to find the news you want as the app does not allow the categorization of news between Airline, Business, MRO, Defense, etc… Most pages have the ability to email someone a link to the story, using the iPhone email app. The app does not work offline and it reloads all data every time it opens. It also has no resiliency so every time you come back from another app, it takes you back to the home page rather than the page and/or item you were reading.
The AINOnline iPhone app (Search for “AINOnline” in AppStore) takes the very pragmatic approach to delivering basic content to mobile users. The app is organized in three main sections: Headlines, Categorized News, and Calendar. The Categorized section provides grouping of news items in no less than 15 different topics ranging from Airlines, to Avionics, to Defense, and Rotorcraft. The main menu at the bottom of the screen is configurable to allow your favorite categories to be accessible quickly. The rest are reached through the “More” button. Each section contains at least a couple of week’s worth of news articles. The display provides a chronological list of headlines and synopsis. Each item can be read in its entirety by clicking on it. When reading a specific item, you can send a link via email or post it on Twitter. There are also links to the full web version in Safari to access the pictures and other features. The calendar provides links to each event’s website as well as a useable phone number (click to call). All th eexternal apps are imbedded in the viewer so you do not have to leave the application when jumping off. There is also an omnipresent search feature that scans the entire content, however it cannot be restricted to a single category. The most attractive part of this application is that it can be used off-line. Because the app only contains text, updates when connected are extremely fast. You can do a quick refresh over WiFi or 3G before boarding the flight and have hours of reading available while off-line. The app also resiliency, so if you close it, you get back to the last screen you were on.
As I said before, this will be an evolving medium. Perhaps that is why AviationWeek is late to the table with no iPhone app development underway only “considerations“. Greg Hamilton, their Online Publisher, argues that their mobile website works well on iPhone and that it serves the needs of their audience. It doesn’t work off-line, but using WiFi it is fast and offers many of the features I like in the AINOnline app. It is a valid alternative approach that also has the advantage of covering all platforms, not just the iPhone. But when it comes to leveraging the unique features of each Smartphone system (like customization or integration), AviationWeek offers only the “lowest common denominator” approach. It is interesting to note that neither FlightGlobal nor AINOnline offer a mobile version of their site, arguing that the Smartphones display their regular site well enough. I am not convinced that it is a good argument. The AviationWeek mobile site is definitely the best way to get A&D News on the other Smartphones. And aren’t there more BlackBerrys than iPhones in use in the A&D industry anyway?
Ludo Van Vooren, a 15 years veteran of the industry, blogs about eBusiness, Social Media, Internet Marketing, and International Business Development.
