The Bumble Bee

Any port in a swarm: Teams take cover as bees delay Baseball game

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:50:28 +0000

The Chicago Sun-Times just reported a 52-minute delay in the Houston Astros versus San Diego Padres baseball game when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at Petco Park - it took a beekeeper to sort it all out.

Online collaborative whiteboard (OWB) review

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:38:15 +0000

Online WhiteBoards (OWB) aka collaborative whiteboards are a new class of web tool, which let remote users interact over the web in real-time using a shared virtual whiteboard. I have reviewed 5 of them and believe, that whilst they are not yet fully mature, OWBs could become valuable support tools for virtual brainstorming or open innovation activities.

Swarms 101: Introduction to swarming by computer and phone

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:14:27 +0000

Swarms 101 is a short interactive web-based presentation which introduces the basic concept of a Swarm, the key Swarm characteristics (Open v Closed, Star v Peer...) and how Swarms can be combined into powerful "Swarm Communities" through the ability to exist in mulltiple swarms (as Swarm Owner and/or Swarm Users). Includes examples of Swarm Communities in Music, Brands and Public Health.

Web-based Virtual Enterprise Network Simulation

Sun, 31 May 2009 17:12:48 +0000

A few years back I developed a simulation to expose key dilemmas in the incubation stage of Virtual Enterprise Networks. I used a powerful simulation-building tool called ithink from Isee, the newest version of which now allows deployment of simulations over the web. So I just republished the VEN simulation for free on www.bioteams.com.

Swarmteams V2.0 coming soon

Thu, 28 May 2009 13:43:28 +0000

Swarmteams is about to launch a major new software version offering a 1-stop shop for anyone who needs to engage and empower key networks of customers, consumers, fans or supporters - over any and all channels.

The Networked Enterprise: Collaborate for New Business VIDEO

Wed, 20 May 2009 17:49:02 +0000

NEWLY RELEASED 15-minute video of me (Ken Thompson) introducing the concepts of The Networked Enterprise (TNE) and Virtual Enterprise Network (VEN) at an event "Connecting Innovation" in Brighton (UK) organized by Use8 (The User Experience Society).

NASA, Bioteams and The Networked Enterprise

Sat, 02 May 2009 12:32:44 +0000

I recently had the privilege of being invited to speak to a NASA audience at their Research Centre in Langley (Virginia) on the topics of Bioteams and The Networked Enterprise. My talk was very nicely reported for NASA News by Jim Hodges.

Animal Leadership: Dictatorship Rules in Baboon Societies

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:09:40 +0000

About 18 months ago I listened to Andrew King give a fascinating lecture in London about his unpublished research into Baboon societies. Andrew explained how in the harsh environment of the Namib Desert dictatorship sometimes works better than democracy. Andrew's ground-breaking work has now been widely published and he kindly sent me some excellent links. There are many parallels with human teams, groups and communities!

Virtual Business Networks: Free Introductory Guide

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:39:05 +0000

Bizeazia have pulled together a number of my articles on Virtual Business Networks from www.bioteams.com into a neat 10-page guide within their Online Business Library of 700 articles. You can download it free here.

Bioteams featured on Whatis.com

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:43:18 +0000

A bioteam is an organizational structure in which peers share power and responsibility and each member of the team is a both a leader and a follower. The structure is modeled after a fluid leadership structure found in nature....... read the full article from Whatis?com the IT encyclopedia and learning center.

Swarmteams Investment Opportunity

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:36:17 +0000

Swarmteams (www.swarmteams.com), the Bioteams-based multi-channel group messaging system, is now ready to raise its first external investment. The Swarmteams executive team are looking for strategic investment partners (individuals and enterprises) who can add real value to the mission of turning crowds into communities.

The Networked Enterprise and Connecting Innovation

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:32:56 +0000

I (Ken Thompson) spoke on the theme of The Networked Enterprise at an event "Connecting Innovation" organized by the University of Brighton and Use8 in Hove (UK) on 26 March. My full slide set is available here for download.

Unique Bioteams Reference Card

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:18:40 +0000

A unique reference card for printing on 2-sided A4 (Landscape) which folds into 6 sections - what a "bioteam" is, how to decide if a group needs bioteaming, the 5 bioteams zones with their beliefs/rules, 7 main bioteams techniques, 3 checklists, links to 2 free bioteams tools and links to key foundational material.
A must-have for all bioteams practitioners!

The Networked Enterprise and Bioteams in China

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:12:37 +0000

Alex Lin (CEO of ChinaValue Business New Media) has just conducted a major interview with me (Ken Thompson) where we explore in detail the concept of The Networked Enterprise for Chinavalue.net. Here are the full interviews in both English and Chinese.

Bioteams: Turning Audiences into Communities

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:39:40 +0000

I was delighted to speak on "Bioteams: Turning Audiences into Communities" to a lively audience in Brighton (UK) at an event "New Frontiers in Social Media" organised by Use8 - The User Experience Society. You can get a copy of my slides here.