Iknow - Portals

One of Iknow's core strengths is portal design and development. Web portals, corporate portals, enterprise portals, Internet portals, intranet portals, and other types of business function and business process portals provide a single point of entry and access, for individuals within a common organization or having specific interests, to content that is directly relevant to that organization or interest. Portals typically contain a content management system, access to commonly used applications and tools, and links to related information sources.

Portals provide numerous sources of business value. Their primary purpose is to provide convenient, 24/7 access to information. However, their value increases substantially when core business applications are integrated with the portal. Companies realize significant reductions in process cycle times, higher levels of quality, lower costs, and better decisions when geographically separate groups and teams collaborate within a portal framework.

Iknow has deep expertise in managing all phases of portal projects, from initial requirements gathering through system deployment. We have worked on projects of various sizes and scopes--from relatively small informational portals for project teams or business functions to the design, development, and implementation of sizable process-based portals involving numerous applications, features, and functionality (e.g., workflow automation and complex review and approval steps, streaming content for market research and competitive intelligence, project and portfolio management, and content management). A few examples of the work we do for our clients include:

Foundation Elements

ROI and business case
Common standards, platforms, and environments
Portal leading practices
Security
End user transparency
Personalization
Use of component, composite, and virtual applications
Web-services architecture
Process-based integration
Next generation portal solutions

Content Categorization

Best practices using taxonomies
Use of XML
Semantic normalization
Multiple language support
Integrating multiple portals

Content Search

Search and retrieval
Multiple language search and retrieval
Context-sensitive search
Knowledge sharing

Content Presentation

Usability
Ergonomics
Visualization

Portal Governance and Administration (Creating the processes and organizational enablers for managing and continually improving the portal’s content)

Portal Measurement

Detailed assessment and review of end users’ comments and feedback
Performance improvement recommendations

Product Vendor Assessment

Product evaluation criteria based on business and technical requirements
Key vendor strategies
Portal product selection

Technologies

Iknow's client assignments typically involve the selection, deployment, and customization of one or more software products as well as data and application integration. Iknow works with and understands many of the leading portal software products, including:

BEA Systems (http://www.bea.com) BEA WebLogic Portal
Broadvision (http://www.broadvision.com) BroadVision Portal
IBM Corporation (http://www.ibm.com) Websphere
Intrafinity (http://www.intrafinity.com) Click Portal Server
Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com) SharePoint Portal Server
Open Text Corporation (http://www.opentext.com) Coreport Portal
Oracle Corporation (http://www.oracle.com) Oracle 9iAS Portal
PeopleSoft (http://www.peoplesoft.com) PeopleSoft Enterprise Portal
Percussion Software (http://www.percussion.com) Rhythmyx Express Portal
Plumtree Software (http://www.plumtree.com) Plumtree Corporate Portal
SAP (http://www.sap.com) SAP Enterprise Portal
Sun Microsystems (http://www.sun.com) Sun Java System Portal Server
Sybase (http://www.sybase.com) Sybase Enterprise Portal
TIBCO Software Inc. (http://www.tibco.com) TIBCO PortalBuilder; PortalPacks
Viador Inc. (http://www.viador.com) Viador BI-Portal Suite; E-Portal Express
Vignette Corporation (http://www.vignette.com) Vignette Application Portal (VAP)

Our consulting recommendations are always unbiased and independent, and we work jointly with our clients to reach and agree on the best technical direction for moving forward. Iknow is not a distributor or reseller of software or hardware products, so our technology recommendations will never be influenced by sales commissions or other incentives from software or hardware vendors.

Why do companies rely on Iknow's consulting advice?

Companies choose Iknow to help them with their portal challenges because Iknow has:

Deep expertise in portal software and systems, as well as a solid understanding of the entire spectrum of KM, collaboration, and related information management software and technologies;
Exceptional business management consulting skills, including strong analytical, process design, and organizational change management capabilities;
Knowledge of most industry verticals, business processes, and business functions; and
An extensive project portfolio demonstrating experience in delivering complete end-to-end KM solutions.

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