KM VENDORS (a representative list of companies that are developing KM software)

Grapevine - Offers products compatible with either Lotus Notes or Netscape Compass Server.  Provides tools to set up Yahoo!-style categories for automated classification of incoming information.   Employees can set up personal interest profiles, be notified when new information is available, and share opinions and rankings of material with other users that are interested.

Open Text - Flagship product Livelink Intranet covers the three main thrusts of KM: search and retrieval, document / information management, and collaboration / knowledge sharing.  Seems most appropriate for organizations whose work is project-based.

KnowledgeX - KnowledgeX Analyst facilitates the acquiring, discovering, publishing and distributing of knowledge throughout the organization.  Its intelligent technology graphically depicts relationships between pieces of information from various sources.

Fulcrum - Fulcrum Knowledge Network, easily integrated with Lotus or Microsoft technologies, is targeted at knowledge-intensive organizations that need to provide employees and customers with information from various sources in various forms.

Verity - Verity provides components that can be added to enhance the search and retrieval capabilities of Information Server.  Agent Server, for example, scans information sources and delivers personalized information to individuals according to their preferences.

Excalibur Technologies - Excalibur RetrievalWare uses "fuzzy" search technology, allowing users to find the relevant information via concept as well as key word.  It also helps negate poor inputting of information (e.g. spelling mistakes).  RetrievalWare FileRoom allows scanning of paper documents into the system for indexing.

Dataware Technologies, Inc. - The Dataware II Knowledge Management suite is marketed as "the only complete software solution for capturing, managing and sharing corporate knowledge assets". 

Autonomy - Offer products that automate the organization, presentation, and delivery of information to the people who need it.  Customizable to a company's unique requirements.

Inmagic - Especially attractive to those of you who use their products already for your collections, mix and match Inmagic tools to build a customized KM solution.

Plumtree Software - Provide your employees with personalized access to widely distributed information with Plumtree Server, a tool which creates an intranet card catalogue.

Intraspect Software - Intraspect Knowledge Server emphasizes a team-based solution.  One nice option: group members can subscribe to a particular folder or document and will be notified whenever it is updated.

ARTICLES (Some readings to assist in IT-related decision making)

"Two Schools of Knowledge: Lotus & Microsoft...."   Jeetu Patel.  Information Week, August 17, 1998. - While a KM solution does not have to be Intranet-based and, if it is, it need not be developed on one of these platforms, they are the most popular and widely-used at this time.  Information Week Labs and Doculabs combine to review the different KM strategies followed by these two KM heavyweights.

"Knowledge Management: Great Concept...But What Is It?"   Jeff Angus, Jeetu Patel, and Jennifer Harty.  Information Week, March 16, 1998. - Information Week Labs and Doculabs examine 5 products that are marketed as KM systems.

"Team Knowledge Management: A computer-Mediated Approach."  Dr. John Gundry and Dr. George Metes.  A Working by Wire Paper.

"An Immature Knowledge Industry Tries to Overcome Content Chaos."  Dana Gardner.  Info World, April 6, 1998.

"Knowledge Sharing within Management Consulting firms: Report on how U.S.-Based Management Consultants Deploy Technology, Use Groupware and Facilitate Collaboration."   Byron Reimus, Kennedy Information, 1997.

"Knowledge Management Systems - Editorial."  Richard Stover, 1998. - A cynical, but perhaps appropriate "don't put the cart before the horse" sermon.  Stover suggests that we currently define KM by the functionality of the so-called KM systems, rather than deciding what is necessary for a KM solution and proceeding from there.

"Knowledge Management and Collaboration Technologies."  A Lotus white paper, this is nonetheless a good treatment of one of the key facets of a KM solution.

"Keeping the Motor Humming with Data."  Esther Shein.   PC Week, February 9, 1998. - A study of how power equipment maker Echo uses KM software.

"Getting the Most from Data."  Christy Walker and Jim Kerstetter.  PC Week, February 23, 1998. - A brief discussion of a few of the vendor offerings on the KM market.

"Info Mgm't Comes of Age."  John Fontana.  InternetWeek, April 20, 1998. - A discussion of the technology available for Knowledge Management.

"Lotus Takes Integration Route to Knowledge Management."   Lee Copeland.  Computer Reseller News. August 17, 1998.  - Explains Lotus' strategy entering the KM market.

"New Ways to Make Data Pay: Knowledge Management Technology Improves Analysis and Decision-Making."  Christy Walker.  PC Week, August 24, 1998.

"Art of Knowledge Management: Experts Caution that Consultants' Methodologies Vary Widely."  Blaise Zerega.  Info World, July 27, 1998.