Web 3.0 – Where Are We?

It has been a while since I wrote my first post on Web 3.0. In fact, the date on Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS) is February 14, 2007. I later wrote Web 3.0 and the Semantic Web, and a whole set of analysis pieces examining various companies/sectors and their Web 3.0 strategy, gaps, and readiness.

Last October, I also took stock of a few “verticalized” companies in Web 3.0: Not Yet over at Forbes.

Now, I’d like to hear from readers on where you think we are in the evolution of the web. What direction is the web taking? Was my verticalization thesis an accurate prediction of the trend? And what is your prognosis on Web 3.0?

Towards Paperless Contracts: EchoSign CEO Jason Lemkin (Part 7)

SM: Small companies do not have enough bandwidth to do anything themselves. That is why hosted solutions are so good for them.

JL: They also don’t do AdWord searches for solutions. We get our SMBs virally. We convert them at a higher rate than an enterprise because they immediately see the value. >>>

Deal Radar 2009: Adayana

One of the recent aims of Deal Radar 2009 is to feature entrepreneurs who, undeterred by job losses, a consumption slowdown and a faltering global economy, are bravely moving forward with plans to start their own companies. Adayana, which develops interactive training programs delivered through web sites and software as well as classroom-based courses, was founded at what many considered an inopportune time at best, shows that entrepreneurship thrives in any market.

Adayana was born when a group of former Learning Byte (LBI) executives looked at what could be done differently based on their vantage point after LBI’s sale to DigitalThink. Co-founders Rajiv Tandon, Michael A. Jackson, and Steve Shambolett had to ensure that the new venture was substantially different from LBI to steer clear of non-compete provisions. The team committed their gains from the sale of LBI to the new venture, which was formed on September 11, 2001. >>>

Towards Paperless Contracts: EchoSign CEO Jason Lemkin (Part 6)

SM: What was your solution to finally get more customers?

JL: I knew we just had to get out there. AdWords did not work great, but it worked a little. SEO did not workgreat, but it worked a little bit, so we did more of that. >>>

Deal Radar 2009: Talend

Talend provides open source data integration software with data quality solutions that complement the data integration. Through the open source model, the company aims to make data integration available to all types of organizations regardless their size, level of expertise or budget, using the company’s flagship product, Talend Open Studio. >>>

Towards Paperless Contracts: EchoSign CEO Jason Lemkin (Part 5)

SM: Would you synthesize what EchoSign is for us?

JL: EchoSign is the simplest way for any business to get contracts signed, tracked and filed. We want to take all the pain out of paperwork and contracting, and make closing a deal on the web as simple as it is to work on WebEx or track in Salesforce. >>>

Designs of the Week: Kitchen Design

By guest authors Charles W. Bush and Kathy Hwang of 3Strand Innovation, a brand, design and business consultancy.

What are the necessities of your kitchen? Now that our eating habits have gone from picking fresh vegetables outside the window to making sure our freezers are filled with microwavable meals, we were curious how today’s modern kitchen has been adapting. As we were researching, we found two clear trends emerging from the kitchen industry: things are getting greener, and more compact. As more people adopt urban lifestyles, space and utility are becoming serious considerations for most modern kitchen manufacturers. >>>

Anneke Seley on Sales 2.0 (Part 4)

From chapter 4 of Sales 2.0: Improve Business Results Using Innovative Sales Practices and Technology by guest authors Anneke Seley and Brent Holloway.

SALES 2.0 RESULTS AND REWARDS 

SALES 2.0 COMPANIES SEE BETTER RESULTS
There is a compelling reason to plan a transformation from Sales 1.0 to Sales 2.0 now: Sales 2.0 companies produce superior business results. The CSO Insights sales performance optimization report includes a Sales Relationship/Process (SRP) MatrixTM, which shows that the best performing sales organizations—as measured by key metrics such as the percentage of reps making quota, the percentage of overall company plan achieved, and the percentage of forecast deals won—are those with the best customer and prospect relationships and the most advanced use of consistent, yet flexible sales processes to maintain these trusted relationships. In Sales 2.0 terms, the best performers define and follow Sales 2.0 practices.  >>>