Realizing the Promise of Corporate Portals

I've read one book after another about attaining a viable knowledge management solution using corporate portals, and was left wanting because the books either required great leaps of faith or were little more than marketing hype. This book closes all of the gaps between theory and practical application, and backs up assertions with a wealth of case studies that prove the connection between the goal (KM) and the means (portals).In the first part of the book the authors address knowledge management and portals at the conceptual level. The second part is comprised of case studies that fully support the concepts by showing how results were achieved in a large number of corporate settings. Each case is a study in specific goals and objectives unique to companies that embarked on KM initiatives, and are diverse enough to overlap with your own goals and objectives. The important material covers barriers, how they were overcame, results and how they improved business operations. The authors are subject matter experts who come across as credible and factual, and the content of this book is accurate and hype-free. I like the way they place KM and portals within the context of business objectives, and the way they impart their extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of KM and portals. It's obvious that they are writing from the trenches, and equally obvious that they maintain an objective view throughout the book. Another aspect of this book that I like is how carefully they chose and documented the case studies. Each goes to the essence of concepts in the first part of the book, and clearly show that KM can be effectively achieved through correctly designed and implemented corporate portals. It's worth noting that Appendix B, "Technical criteria to select a corporate portal platform", is an invaluable tool for readers who are seriously considering an implementation.If you only read one book about corporate portals this is the one I highly recommend.

I found this book to be a well researched and practical book for senior executives that want to clearly understand what an enterprise portal is, what the value is, and how to execute a portal strategy. I particularly found the lessons learned and best practices as very helpful insights. Highly recommend this book to be read by any one in senior management that needs the fundamentals, but also more experienced professionals implementing portal strategies.

This is the kind of book I actually hesitate to recommend because it is so good my greedy side wants to hoard the valuable knowledge it contains! I am in the "knowledge management" business and believe reading this book has given me a competitive advantage. I also believe that an organization seeking to deploy a knowledge portal of any kind should have this book beside them at all times. José Claudio Terra and Cindy Gordon get to the heart of what all the spending on "portals" is for: to drive value in your business. They also provide a roadmap for ensuring your efforts and spending don't go down as yet another misguided IT boondoggle. The 10 recent and originally researched case studies are like gold. This is a very good book. David Brett, CEO, Knexa.

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Cindy Gordon and Dr. Claudio Terra recently at the Knowledge Management Conference in New York, where I attended a workshop with them. Their depth of knowledge in this area is world-class, and the insights they shared in their new book demystified the realities of implementing enterprise corporate portals. Their business strategy accumen, and balanced practical experiences make them a refreshing change to consultants with no substance - as they are experts with strong proven credentialing. What prompted me to write this review was their humbleness in their workshop and openness to learn from us as attendees. Their appetite for learning from those around them was very refreshing and I am looking forward to their next book as well.

This book enabled me to "get" the business purpose of corp portals & knowledge mgmt. Before reading it, the area of CPs and KM seemed too squishy and non-mission critical ... this book is a good antidote ... it's fact-based, clearly written ... the authors seem to have a hands-on sense of the real technical/ operating/ ROI issues in designing/ implementing/ exploiting IT. The cases studies (almost 200 pgs by themselves) are really useful and avoid the "ra-ra" cheerleading [stuff] I've usually seen in such things. Definitely worth the time & $.