“Despite the popularity of enterprise portals, portal projects aren’t delivering the expected benefits.” So reports the column Analyst Watch: Portals Underperform in Information Week (5/3/04). More on this, and a Webinar that explores portals follows… 

The column cites a Forrester Research survey (fee-based) on portals. Among the problems identified are weak alignment with business goals and too many choices. Overall, the column tends to confirm my impression that portals are over-hyped. Law firms considering portals or that already own one should be sure they know what problem they are trying to solve.

To help identify problems and solutions, you may want to attend a Webinar that my client ii3, Inc. is hosting on June 2nd. This Webinar, which I helped plan, will focus on how portals help law firms solve practical problems, covering topics such as

  • Key factors and needs that drive law firms to buy and roll out portals.
  • Can portals address the perennial KM challenge?
  • Distinguishing between information and knowledge content for portals.
  • The importance of a “matter centric” approach – hype or reality?
  • The challenges of achieving adoption, especially given the ubiquity of Outlook.

    • The Webinar will be a moderated session with three panelists:
    1. Margaret Grottenthaler | Partner, Stikeman Elliott (Toronto, ON)
    2. Mark Zoeckler | Managing Director, Global Knowledge Management, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Los Angeles, CA)
    3. Jamie Booth | Director of Information Technology, Hunton & Williams (Richmond, VA)

    To register (no charge), click here and complete the registration on the ii3 web form.