Change is under way at ThinkBalm
by Erica Driver and Sam Driver.
At ThinkBalm we’ve had a couple of great years as industry analysts dedicated to covering work-related use of immersive technologies—an early-stage, emerging technology market. We have worked with some terrific people at great client organizations like Altadyn, BP, Chevron, Forterra Systems (now part of SAIC), Linden Lab, Moondus, ProtonMedia, Teleplace, and Tandem Learning. We’ve published nine comprehensive reports spanning market overview, business value, technology selection, barriers to adoption, and best practices—and made this research freely available via our Web site. We launched the ThinkBalm Innovation Community, grew it to more than 470 members, and hosted more than 35 facilitated work sessions, training sessions, and networking events. More than half of our research reports arose directly out of ThinkBalm Innovation Community activities.
We believe that mainstream adoption of immersive technologies in the workplace—virtual worlds, immersive learning environments, and virtual event platforms—is a matter of when, not if. But these technologies are still a new concept to most organizations and overall the barriers to adoption are quite high. In April, we modified our earlier prediction that we expected to reach the early majority adoption phase in 2013, to say we think it will take longer than this. (See the blog post, “Immersive tech for meetings/conferences must be scalable and easy to use.”) One thing is clear: this emerging market does not yet need full-time, dedicated industry analysts to cover it.
In early July, Erica will be joining the marketing team at QlikView, a business intelligence software vendor. Sam will stay on with ThinkBalm for some time to work on client consulting engagements. We won’t be publishing any more general research, and plan to disband the ThinkBalm Innovation Community.
Erica: “My ride is here”
For the past fourteen years, I’ve been a software industry analyst. I’ve researched, written about, and delivered consulting to clients on a wide range of topics. Emerging technologies have always been near and dear to my heart. You’ll find my name not only on ThinkBalm reports about work-related use of the Immersive Internet but on Forrester Research reports about enterprise collaboration platforms, virtual worlds, information workplace platforms, message archiving, and other topics.
One thing I haven’t done yet in my career is influence a software market from the inside. Here’s my chance! It is with great enthusiasm that I have accepted a position as Sr. Director, Global Product Partner Marketing at QlikView. QlikView is an innovative software company with a great product and culture and I can hardly wait to dig into my new role.
One of the greatest gifts of the past two years is the people I’ve met. The people who are working on Immersive Internet initiatives are innovators and free thinkers—truly a special breed. Thank you to all of you who have participated in ThinkBalm Innovation Community events and activities, and in ThinkBalm’s research. I hope you’ll stay in touch.
Sam: “Building businesses”
As a late entrant to the analyst role, the past two years at ThinkBalm have been a tremendous learning experience for me. I had always favored the experimentation and excitement of entrepreneurship and the act of doing things, so I’ll keep working on client solutions as we wind down the analyst business, and will continue to look at individual projects moving forward.
Perhaps the most exciting part of ThinkBalm for me was the exposure to so many innovative thinkers and problem solvers all concentrated in one area. The energy associated with startup businesses, be they tiny shops or a project team inside a larger organization, is what has brought everyone together and made our all-volunteer innovation community such a great resource for us all. I hope to see this spirit continue as the market matures. The connections I’ve been able to make within the community already serve up a wide variety of interesting business ideas directly or peripherally related to immersive technology, and I am looking forward to the future.
© 2010 ThinkBalm. All rights reserved.
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Why not OpenSource the community you’ve created instead of disbanding it?
Common Sense: We’re open to the idea of open sourcing the ThinkBalm Innovation Community instead of disbanding it. How would you recommend we go about that?
“One thing is clear: this emerging market does not yet need full-time, dedicated industry analysts to cover it.”
Can you elaborate please? Sam and yourself were easily the most visionary in the field. Was the cause of your disbanding due to the imploding of SL, or some more insidious situation you can see looming. Should we all be bailing out too? When will this emerging market need dedicated analysts to guide the rest of us as well as you have done?
The virtual world community will truly and deeply miss you two. ThinkBalm has been an early and influential part of the maturing of this area. I feel very sad that you could not develop a viable business model, which does not reflect negatively upon you in any way. You gave it a hell of a try!
You guys are risk takers, and my hat’s off to for that!
Erica and Sam – thank you for all you did to shape this emerging market for 3D virtual worlds in the enterprise. While there are fewer than expected vendors to make it to the next phase of market development (i.e. who knew that Linden Labs would never produce a viable enterprise solution!), it will still be very exciting…especially with the new venture funded companies coming in, and expanded 3D initiatives coming from Fortune 500 companies on both the buy and sell side.
One need look no further than the 2D companies to realize that, when the timing was right, the companies that met enterprise requirements were able to create a multi-billion dollar market…WebEx/Cisco, GoToMeeting/Citrix and PlaceWare/Microsoft.
Erica — I wish you the best at QlikView – it’s a hot company, and one of the very, very few enterprise software companies that will have an IPO in 2010. They are very lucky to have you.
Just wanted to say thank you for all you guys have done to help advance the field and wish you both the best in new endeavors! Hopefully, you will still maintain some contact with immersive technolgoies and we’ll see more of you again when the time is right.
Erica and Sam- I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you both over the last few years. Although I had also moved on to a new/exciting role, I have remained a member of your community and continued to absorb with interest your insights and predictions. I have been impressed by your depth of knowledge, analytic skills and commitment to driving innovation in the immersive internet space. I believe, as you do, that it is only a matter of when, not if. The market events of 2010 have saddened me in many ways, but they have not squashed my enthusiasm for the potential that this technology holds.
Erica- if you had to choose another “up and coming” area to set your sights on, Business Intelligence/Business Analytics would be the right one! Good luck in your new role, and I look forward to ‘following’ your success there! Oh, and welcome to the dark side…
Joe: Industry analysts play a special role in markets. They help the vendors with strategy, positioning, customer requirements, market sizing, etc. And they help buy-side decision makers uncover their requirements, understand the market landscape, choose technology, etc. A critical mass of adoption is required to support this function, and that critical mass has not yet accumulated in the enterprise immersive software market. It will happen, it’s just a matter of when.
Richard, Mark, and Kurt: Thank you for your kind words. We have truly enjoyed the ride, and will continue to follow what happens in the sector, with great interest.
Karen: the feeling is mutual. Thank you for all you did to educate me and Sam as analysts, and the membership of the ThinkBalm Innovation Community, about IBM’s Virtual Collaboration for Lotus Sametime. We had some great meetings in that environment. I do hope our paths cross again.
I am not in the least bit concerned about your future, your vision, or what you will accomplish. You are, predictably, way way ahead of your time. I only regret not having quality time with you. Lunch or dinner on me, anytime. I’m in Austin…
Oh, and lucky, smart QlikView! They will never want to let you go.
Erica and Sam –
I have to confess that it broke my heart when I got your email. I have enjoyed tremendously participating in your events and being given the opportunity to contribute to your research and analysis. And I have made many new friends through the ThinkBalm Innovation Community. You are innovative thinkers and leaders – you inspired so many of us who feel that the power of virtual worlds is obvious. I am confident that we will all look back from the (hopefully!) not too distant future and smile and shake our heads as we reminisce about the difficulties in early days of the immersive Internet. I fully expect to keep in touch and wish all the best to you both.
Erica and Sam, thanks for your visionary work, for your contributions to our Train for Success meetings, and your friendship. You’ll be remembered as much for your insightful analyses as for the wonderfully creative ways that you used virtual worlds to present your findings and for the great community you helped create. Let’s stay in touch, I’m sure we’ll see you back in the field soon enough!
Thank you for your great work, I have always admired your enthusiasm. Good luck with the new directions for both of you Sam and Erica!
- Maxping.org
Sam and Erica,
What you have provided to the market place of Immersive Environment, has reached both sides of the virtual fence. Potential clients and platform developers have both learnt so much, from you both. Exposing perspectives from both sides, allowing for a mutual event to take place.
I wish you both success is your futures, the pathway so far has been rewarding for many.
Thank you,
Andrew
You both have been such a positive influence on our industry. Without you many people would be lost in the dark when trying to choose an enterprise system and more importantly knowing the pro’s and con’s of the VW platforms. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for our industry. On behalf of Designing Digitally, Inc. we wish Erica and Sam a safe and happy journey.
Stay creative,
Andrew Hughes
Erica and Sam, you did a very professional work in this field and your vision was great. It was a pleasure for me to work with you. You certainly will leave the sector empty of an important component such as the dedicated analyst to cover it. All this means that the maturity of this market will be some years from now. Anyway I’m sure that you are loving this sector and will give an eye to new facts coming. Who knows for the future… maybe this experience can be very helpfull. Erica, I wish the best for you at QlikView, Sam the same for your future. Thanks again for what you did and hope to be in touch with you in the future.
Best regards.
Bruno Cerboni
Sam and I are very moved by your comments and kudos. Everyone: thank you!
A bit of good news: several organizations have stepped forward to see how they might contribute to moving the ThinkBalm Innovation Community forward. We hope to have an announcement next week. Stay tuned.
Here’s one more “me too” – one the one hand, saddened at the loss of your well-balanced analysis and enthusiastic and creative support of virtual spaces; on the other, delighted you’ve already found your “next step,” Erica, and that you, Sam, see opportunities too. I’m very much looking forward to hearing about plans for keeping the ThinkBalm Innovation Community together!
Best to you both,
Leslie (SL;Tara Yeats)
Erica and Sam,
Thanks for all the great work you have done in shaping and analyzing the world of 3D virtual environments for learning and collaboration. You’ve done ground breaking work. Your ideas and insights were a great contribution to “Learning in 3D”. Your excellent piece provided great insights, ideas and innovative thinking about 3D virtual worlds.
You two have built such a wonderful knowledge based of informed and engaged people within the industry…you have help to aggregate thinking about 3D and have pushed the field forward.For that the entire field thanks you. When the field has matured and is ready for you, please come rushing back in:)
Thanks again, take care,
Karl
Thanks to you both. I was never able to contribute as fully in the Think Balm community as I had hoped just due to various projects, but when I did participate I learned so much from both of you and the community at large. Best of luck in the new endeavors!