Connections 7 is coming and it’s taking us off the island!

Femke Goedhart # #

So for those not knowing yet, HCL is shortly before launching it’s newest release of HCL Connections version 7 and it is looking promising! The main keys of this release are to create a better collaborative experience in Communities, connect the platform to the Microsoft eco-system so you’re no longer working in disparate systems that act as islands but can integrate all the collaborative work you do. Whether it’s in Connections or Teams. And lastly to export content in an easy and comprehensive way to take with you, archive or print.

So lets go through a few of these new features:

Community/ Tailored experience:

Tailored Experience: When creating a new community you now get a step by step wizard that leads you through all the steps needed to set up a new community

Community templates: Part of this new community wizard is that you can now also select a community template to base that new community on! Each organization can set up their own preferred communities templates. These templates don’t only work in regards to allowing you to copy over the activated apps and config of a community but also can include content like pre-populated files, wiki pages, community image, blogs etc.

Community homepage/Highlights improvements: the old ‘overview’ page will be replaced by the highlights page. For that purpose, Highlights has received a redesign and has been extended, allowing it to be much more intuitive to set up and use.

Microsoft eco system integration:

Outlook integration: Redesign of the whole integration means that it is now easier to add files, link to content and generally work more efficient from within Outlook.

SharePoint integration: Allows you to use a SharePoint repository within your community and even replace your community files app with that if your organization prefers using SharePoint for files.

Teams integration: A exiting feature that forms a good basis for the further integration of Connections with the Microsoft world that allows you to show Connections content (Blogs, Files, Forums, Highlights or Recent Updates) in your Teams channel tabs, share content to your community directly from your Team (and vice versa!) and start a chat with a user directly from your profile. E.g. a two way integration option that really allows you to work across both platforms.

Print & Export

Last but not least and one I’m stupidly excited about… It is now standard part of Connections that you can Export activity, blog, wiki, or forum content to PDF. Per entry or per selection (for instance all forum posts after a certain date…).

Print of a 3-page community wiki. It allows you to select the pages and the content (comments, author info, etc) to be included. Making it very customizable as to how you want your output to look

Seeing it for yourself

This presentation from Let’s Connect’s recent online conference goes through the main features and shows screen captures of the main features to give you an idea.

However, if that isn’t enough, you can actually see it live already! HCL has provided an online preview version of Connections 7.0 which allows you to test and see all that is new. Including the Microsoft Teams integration. To request an account go here: HCL 7 Preview

And if that isn’t enough, sign up for HCL’s Digital Week event and get the latest ad greatest directly from the guys themselves.

Categories: Social BusinessLeave a comment

Engage 2020 – The event you should attend

Femke Goedhart # # # #

In less than a month a large group of HCL Domino and HCL Connections experts and enthusiasts will be descending on Arnhem in The Netherlands for the annual Benelux Usergroup event: Engage.

Traditionally this is one, if not THE largest, most popular usergroups in the World and for a good reason. Theo Heselmans and his wife Hilde do a terrific job organizing the event. Making sure that the organization is seamless, the location is excellent (and always surprising!) , the food and entertainment are outstanding but most importantly: The speakers and sessions are the best. And that of course is why you should attend.

Sure, having a conference in the middle of an active Zoo is an experience but being able to learn from the best out there is what these conferences are all about. And Theo & Hilde make sure that that is well covered. With over a 100 speakers as well as attendees from all over the world there is an agenda that will appeal to nearly all. From business management to admins and developers.

So why is it that this local Benelux usergroup stands out so much? Well apart from the excellent organization as mentioned above, it is also unique because it is all in English. Normally a user group in a small country like The Netherlands or Belgium would not get this much attention as Dutch/Flemish is not exactly a widely spoken language. But therein also lays the problem as even within the Benelux not all speak Dutch/Flemish. So to truly make it a Benelux usergroup a communal language had to be chosen and naturally that became English. Opening it up not just for the Benelux participants but also to anyone else. Combine that with Theo’s organizing skills and you have a recipe for success.

In past years people as far as Russia, Australia and the Middle East attended, together with many from the USA and all across Europe. The perfect place therefor to not just learn from the great speakers but also to meet other attendees and exchange ideas and information.

So are you stil in doubt if you should come? Hesitate no more! This is THE event you should attend if you want to learn or know more about HCL collaboration products!

Engage website: http://engage.ug

Info about the venue, hotels, and transportation can be found here. Dutch public transport is safe, fast and easy to navigate so take a train from Schiphol Airport and you’re there in 1:10 (English train planner).

Categories: Events

HCL Connections – Surveys & Rules

Femke Goedhart # # # # #

I’m often asked about how to best use the Survey tool in HCL Connections to set up questionnaires or polls. Rules often play an important role and often cause questions. So to document how I do this (for myself as well as others who might benefit), I will write down a few tips below.

  1. Where do you find Rules?
  2. How do you see which rule applies to which question?
  3. How do you set up to and show an additional text box when an ‘Other’ option is selected?
  4. How do you set up a rule to show a text when an answer is right and a different one on when an answer is wrong? (conditional showing)
Continue reading HCL Connections – Surveys & Rules
Categories: Social Business, Usability & Design

Social Connections Munich – People power your business HCL Connections powers your People!

Femke Goedhart # # # # # #

Back home for a few days now after a great Social Connections in Munich and still recovering from a very nasty cold (so my apologies for this one being a bit after the fact..).

This was the first real conference dedicated fully to HCL Connections since the takeover earlier this summer. Much anticipated by both customers as well as partners. So how was it?

Continue reading Social Connections Munich – People power your business HCL Connections powers your People!
Categories: Events, Social Business

Social Connections Munich: To Dirndl or not to Dirndl…

Femke Goedhart # # # #

Well not really of course, but lets face it, it’s an interesting way to start an article about a conference that will be held just short of German October Fest in the heart of Munich. Especially knowing that I might be Dutch but work for an Austrian/German company and just happen to have a dirndl (don’t ask, it was a dare)….

So what am I really talking about? I’m of course talking about Social Connections. The user group for users working with Connections (what was formerly known as IBM Connections). This event is organized roughly every 6 months somewhere around the globe and brings together customers, partners and HCL to talk about and present about the platform. Most importantly though this time is special as it will be the first major event completely focused on the Connections platform since the announcement of the sale of the platform to HCL. It’s also being touted by HCL itself as a flagship event and THE place where they will be talking about the plans they have for the future. Some of which has already been discussed at the Factory Tours and other events as well of course….

Continue reading Social Connections Munich: To Dirndl or not to Dirndl…
Categories: Events

Explaining My Drive & File Sync and how it affects versioning

Femke Goedhart # # #

My Drive was introduced to replace the previous sync options of IBM Connections. It offered some additional features like being able to sync not only files but also complete folders. Great! But working with My Drive also often causes a lot of confusion which might need some explaining….

Continue reading Explaining My Drive & File Sync and how it affects versioning
Categories: Social Business

IBM Connections is no more, long live Connections!

Femke Goedhart # # # # #

The below is my private opinion and in no way reflects the opinion of either my company or the customers I work with…

So anyone who has anything to do with IBM connections will have already heard this and must be fully aware but yes, the sale of the IBM Collaboration portfolio (including IBM Connections) was finalized by the first of this month. This means that from now on IBM Connections is…. Connections.

Continue reading IBM Connections is no more, long live Connections!
Categories: Social Business

How the [backspace] wiped out the role of typist…

Femke Goedhart #

Ok, not completely on its own but yes, the Backspace contributed heavily to why, nowadays, you’ll find very few positions for ‘typists’ in any organizations.

Step back thirty years ago and most offices employed several typists who would type out letters, official documents and contracts. They were trained professionals that honed their skills over years and were respected for their accuracy and speed. After all, making even a single mistake required that a whole page had to be redone.

So why don’t we have typist in our offices anymore?

Continue reading How the [backspace] wiped out the role of typist…
Categories: Opinions & Reflections, Social Business

Engage Usergroup 2019 presentation slides

Femke Goedhart

As every year, Theo Heselmans outdid himself again with organizing a great Engage event. 400+ attendees gathered in Autoworld Brussels for three full days of sessions and workshops.

Continue reading Engage Usergroup 2019 presentation slides
Categories: Publications & Presentations, Social Business2 Comments

On cats and usability….

Femke Goedhart # #

Yesterday someone posted this picture in a chat:

I laughed and then I posted this reply:

“That’s the whole problem with usability in a nutshell. What developers THINK is intuitive is not the same as what users perceive as intuitive. It’s not the developer that decides what is intuitive, it’s the user.“

What followed was a good humored banter between me (playing users advocate) and a bunch of hardcore developers. With replies like:

Continue reading On cats and usability….
Categories: Usability & Design