Posted by Ron Yeager on Tue, Jul 13, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (July 13, 2010) – Ethan Yarbrough, president and co-founder of Kirkland-based Allyis and Ken Efta, co-founder and principal consultant will present at an event Allyis is hosting for human resource and information technology professionals July 20 on the topic of “Leveraging SharePoint 2010 for HR”.
Yarbrough and Efta will discuss the following topics:
• Digitizing Employee Onboarding
• Employee Training
• Connecting External Data to Pull Employee Information When & Where Needed
• Self Reviews Using Surveys & Polls
• Leveraging SharePoint's Social Features
Event Details
What: SharePoint: Connecting HR People, Information and Processes
When: July 20 – 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Allyis - 10210 NE Points Drive, Suite 100 Kirkland, WA 98033
Cost: Free
Register: http://events.allyis.com/SharePoint-HR-Seattle-Event
About Ethan Yarbrough
Ethan is president and co-founder of Kirkland, Wash. based Allyis, a technology consulting and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in the areas of Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business Intelligence and project management. As president, Ethan provides strategic oversight to the organization and his firm is at the forefront of the broader Enterprise 2.0 conversation. Ethan regularly shares his thinking and opinions via the Allyis blog as well as at speaking engagements throughout the country. Ethan is dedicated to helping enterprises effectively leverage collaboration and social computing technologies within the firewall to improve business agility, performance, employee morale and knowledge sharing. You can follow Ethan on Twitter @ethany.
About Ken Efta
Ken Efta is cofounder and principal consultant of Allyis, Inc., a consultancy focused on the development and adoption of 2.0 technologies and practices within the Enterprise. Ken has spent over a decade conceptualizing, designing and building enterprise solutions for clients. His expertise in Web content management, data quality and business intelligence, and social software and collaboration tools is renowned in the technology industry. Ken has experience applying social solutions in health services and leads Allyis’ technology innovation efforts. Ken was recognized by Western Washington University, along with Allyis co-founders Richard Law and Ethan Yarbrough, as its inaugural “Young Alumnus of the Year” in 2007. Ken holds an M.A. from Western Washington University.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit www.allyis.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Tue, Jul 06, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (July 6, 2010) – According to a recent survey report by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM), implementations of Microsoft SharePoint generally move forward without a formal business plan, and with confusion about where and how it is to be used. The survey indicates that less than 50 percent of SharePoint implementations were subject to a formal business case, and only half of those required a financial justification. As a result, most implementations did not have a management plan as to which of SharePoint’s many features were to be used, and where. Meanwhile, SharePoint deployment is proceeding rapidly, with 22 percent of respondents reporting it to be in use by 100 percent of staff. This adoption rate is set to double by this time next year.
Half of the smaller businesses implementing SharePoint are addressing the issues of information management for the first time. Even in the largest organizations, a quarter of the businesses have no previous experience with Enterprise Content Management (ECM) or Document Management (DM) systems. As a result, only 22 percent provide any guidance to staff on the use of content types and classification. In addition, just 15 percent have retention policies and legal discovery procedures - risking content chaos within SharePoint as well as outside of it, according to the AIIM report.
Even for organizations that do have existing ECM and DM systems, nearly a third have yet to define how SharePoint fits with their existing ECM and DM systems. The most popular option is to use SharePoint for collaboration and intranet publishing while relying on existing systems for document and records management. In many cases, SharePoint will be used as a portal or front-end to those existing systems. Only 8 percent of survey respondents are planning to phase out their existing ECM suite in favor of SharePoint, while 7 percent plan to invest in a new ECM or records management suite to go with their SharePoint system.
According to Doug Miles, Director of Market Intelligence for AIIM, “We see that organizations are pushing forward with enterprise-wide rollouts of SharePoint for collaboration and intranet, and are using this universal access to provide single-sign on portals into existing document and records repositories, thereby opening them up for better knowledge sharing.”
The AIIM report also shows that among those who are using SharePoint for traditional ECM applications, there is strong growth in the use of add-on packages to strengthen and supplement standard functionality, particularly in BPM, security, records management, search, Enterprise 2.0 and archive.
Based on over 600 responses, the AIIM Industry Watch research report is entitled “SharePoint- strategies and experiences” and is free to download.
About the research
The survey was taken by 624 individual members of the AIIM community between May 6 and June 5, 2010, using a Web-based tool. Invitations to take the survey were sent via e-mail to a selection of the AIIM worldwide community members.
About AIIM
AIIM (www.aiim.org) is the community that provides education, research, and best practices to help organizations find, control, and optimize their information. For over 60 years, AIIM has been the leading non-profit organization focused on helping users to understand the challenges associated with managing documents, content, records, and business processes. The AIIM community includes over 65,000 ECM users and professionals.
About AllyisAllyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit
www.allyis.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Thu, Jul 01, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (July 1, 2010)
- Ethan Yarbrough, president and co-founder of Kirkland-based Allyis, Inc. will keynote the Lake Washington Human Resource Association's (LWHRA) breakfast meeting July 13. The topic of the presentation is ‘Participate, Don't Police: How Companies Can Incorporate Social Media to Engage Employees, Promote Innovation and Increase Productivity'.
Workers today expect to share content and collaborate in the workplace in a very social and productive manner. Employees expect the infrastructure to be in place that allows them to do so. Learn how to put the tools in place so employees can share information in a safe, productive way without using their Blackberries and iPhones to get around the corporate firewall.
Event Details
What: Lake Washington Human Resource Association Breakfast Meeting
When: July 13 - 8:00 a.m.
Where: Master Builders Association- 335 116th Ave. SE - Bellevue, WA 98004
Cost: $33 for LWHRA members and $40 for non-members
Register: http://www.lwhra.org/cde.cfm?event=312919 (Registration deadline is July 8.)
About Ethan Yarbrough
Ethan is president and co-founder of Kirkland, Wash. based Allyis, a technology consulting and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in the areas of Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business Intelligence and project management. As president, Ethan provides strategic oversight to the organization and his firm is at the forefront of the broader Enterprise 2.0 conversation. Ethan regularly shares his thinking and opinions via the Allyis blog as well as at speaking engagements throughout the country. Ethan is dedicated to helping enterprises effectively leverage collaboration and social computing technologies within the firewall to improve business agility, performance, employee morale and knowledge sharing. You can follow Ethan on Twitter @ethany.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit www.allyis.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (June 23, 2010) - King County's Solid Waste Division has named Kirkland, Wash.-based Allyis to the 2010 Best Workplaces for Recycling & Waste Reduction list, a distinction the company has earned for the third year in a row. Allyis is one of 75 organizations to make the list. The companies are being recognized for exceptional recycling programs and for their commitment to reducing the amount of waste their company produces.
"Allyis is honored to receive this distinction for the third consecutive year" said Kristy Law, corporate citizenship director at Allyis. "Recycling and composting are second nature to most of our employees in their own homes so we make it easy for them to make those same choices at the office while reducing our company's waste significantly."
Last year, businesses in King County sent more than 200,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. Surprisingly, the commercial waste stream still contains 22 percent paper, what many consider the easiest item to recycle. At 27 percent, the largest percentage of material heading to the landfill from businesses is food scraps and food-soiled paper.
All businesses operating in King County outside the City of Seattle were eligible for the list. To secure their spot, businesses were required to meet the same five basic criteria, as well as 10 additional waste reduction and recycling criteria, such as using reusable or compostable dishware in kitchens, collecting batteries for recycling, or sending electronic invoices.
King County releases the Best Workplaces for Recycling and Waste Reduction list annually. This year's list of businesses has increased by 10 from 2009, and is more than triple the number of businesses on the list from four years ago. The county's goal in establishing the list was to recognize the top recyclers and waste reducers, and help motivate others in the local business community to improve recycling and waste reduction practices. To learn more about what businesses recognized on the 2009 list are doing to improve recycling programs and view the list of winners, visit http://www.metrokc.gov/recyclemore.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in
Microsoft SharePoint,
content management,
collaboration,
business intelligence and
project management. For more information, please visit
www.allyis.com.
Posted by Liz Molitor on Fri, Jun 18, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (June 18, 2010) -
Kirkland, Wash.-based technology consulting and professional staffing firm Allyis, Inc. was honored as the best company to work for in the mid-size category of
Seattle Business magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For awards. The award was presented June 17 at a banquet honoring the company's accomplishments in workplace excellence, corporate culture and leadership.
"Allyis' inclusion as a Best Company to Work For is evidence of the company's commitment to develop its human resources through improved communications, a cohesive culture and strong leadership, values that are core to developing a successful enterprise," says Leslie Helm, editor of Seattle Business magazine.
The 100 Best Companies to Work For award recognizes Washington state companies that are setting standards for leadership, benefits, work environment, innovative training programs and employee satisfaction, and are positively impacting the state of Washington through their employees.
"Allyis strives to provide the highest quality, innovative benefits possible for our employees and works diligently to maintain a meaningful and positive culture," said Mark Borys, director of human resources at Allyis. "We find that by putting our employees first, we create a culture where trust, innovation and collaboration thrive."
Allyis was selected from more than 400 nominated companies. The July issue of Seattle Business will feature the rankings in four categories; large, medium, small and non-profit/government.
"We're well aware that our employees trade a lot of their waking hours to share their time and talents with us daily, so we've always felt it was vitally important to properly honor and recognize everything they do to make Allyis who we are as a company and to provide the service they do to our clients, all the more so during these challenging economic times," said Richard Law, CEO and co-founder of Allyis.
Over 10,000 employees of Washington companies participated in the survey to determine award winners. Ipsos Research tabulated all surveys and supplied analysis. All results were reviewed by an independent team of judges who determined final rankings. A list of winners can be viewed at http://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit www.allyis.com.
About Seattle Business
Seattle Business is a monthly magazine that is read by more than 100,000 business executives across the state. Annual events tied to its editorial coverage include Leaders in Health, Washington Manufacturing Awards, Best Companies, Green Washington Awards, Top Innovators and Family Business Awards.
Seattle Business is owned by Minneapolis-based Tiger Oak Publications, which also publishes
Seattle,
Seattle Bride magazines as well as more than 20 other leading regional magazines. Visit
Seattle Business online at
www.seattlebusinessmag.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Fri, Jun 18, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (June 18, 2010) - Ken Efta and Ethan Yarbrough, co-founders of Kirkland-based Allyis, Inc. are presenting at the June 24 Puget Sound Chapter meeting for the Association of IT Professionals (AITP). The topic of the presentation is "How IT Can Partner with Leadership to Build and Implement a Safe, Mobile Solution for Remote Workers". Yarbrough and Efta will address a dilemma that many businesses currently face; executives are asking for mobile office options but IT is worried about security. At this event, attendees will learn how can IT partner with leadership and be seen as a strategic partner in this effort and not the adversary to mobile computing options.
Event Details
What: Association of IT Professionals' Puget Sound Chapter Monthly Meeting
When: June 24, 2010 - 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Where: Vince's Italian Restaurant - 8824 Renton Avenue South - Seattle, WA 98178
Cost: No registration fee, cost of individual dinner only
RSVP: Email Pete Schmitt
About Ethan Yarbrough
Ethan is president and co-founder of Kirkland, Wash. based Allyis, a technology consulting and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in the areas of Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business Intelligence and project management. As president, Ethan provides strategic oversight to the organization and his firm is at the forefront of the broader Enterprise 2.0 conversation. Ethan regularly shares his thinking and opinions via the Allyis blog as well as at speaking engagements throughout the country. Ethan is dedicated to helping enterprises effectively leverage collaboration and social computing technologies within the firewall to improve business agility, performance, employee morale and knowledge sharing. You can follow Ethan on Twitter @ethany.
About Ken Efta
Ken Efta is cofounder and principal consultant of Allyis, a consultancy focused on the development and adoption of 2.0 technologies and practices within the Enterprise. Ken has spent over a decade conceptualizing, designing and building enterprise solutions for clients. His expertise in Web content management, data quality and business intelligence, and social software and collaboration tools is renowned in the technology industry. Ken has experience applying social solutions in health services and leads Allyis' technology innovation efforts. Ken was recognized by Western Washington University, along with Allyis co-founders Richard Law and Ethan Yarbrough, as its inaugural "Young Alumnus of the Year" in 2007. Ken holds an M.A. from Western Washington University.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit www.allyis.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Mon, Jun 07, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (June 4, 2010) - Ethan Yarbrough, president and co-founder of Allyis, Inc. is a panelist at the 12th annual Realcomm Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, on June 9. The conference, which takes place June 8-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada, brings together more than 1,200 commercial and corporate real estate professionals yearly to explore the latest technology tools and innovations available to the industry. Yarbrough's panel will be a part of the technology track and the topic is "Social Media for Commercial Real Estate Executives (CRE) - Opportunity or Nightmare?"
With social media has becoming the rage of the culture, including businesses, the panel will discuss how all companies, including real estate firms can understand how social media can fit into their overall business strategies. Panelists will show how tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be used and what potential potholes to look out for. They will show how companies have successfully leveraged these technologies and the policies, procedures and guidelines they've put in place to manage them.
Panelists will address the following questions and more:
- What are the benefits and liabilities associated with social media in a business environment?
- Do you allow your employees to access Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites during the business day or do you have a formal policy in place to address these activities?
- What are the three most compelling examples of social media being used successfully in a commercial or corporate real estate environment?
Event Details
What: Realcomm
When: June 8-10, 2010
Where: Las Vegas Hilton - 3900 Paradise Road - Las Vegas, NV 89109
For more details and to register for the conference, please visit:
http://www.realcomm.com/lasvegas.htm
About Ethan Yarbrough
Ethan is president and cofounder of Kirkland, Wash. based Allyis, Inc., a technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business Intelligence and project management. As president, Ethan provides strategic oversight to the organization and his firm is at the forefront of the broader Enterprise 2.0 conversation. His dialogue can be viewed via the Allyis blog and heard at various speaking engagements. Ethan is dedicated to helping the enterprise use social media inside the firewall to improve employee morale and retention and enhance knowledge management, collaboration and innovation for the enterprise. You can follow Ethan on Twitter @ethany.
About Allyis
Allyis is a Seattle area technology consulting, development and professional staffing firm offering project, talent and managed team solutions in Microsoft SharePoint, content management, collaboration, business intelligence and project management. For more information, please visit www.allyis.com.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Wed, May 19, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 17, 2010) - Kirkland, Wash.-based technology and consulting firm Allyis, Inc. participated in the 28th Annual Nordstrom Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes event, a fundraiser for the Northwest Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with the mission of finding a cure for diabetes.
Team Allyis had 56 participants and raised more than $3,500 in donations. This year, Beat the Bridge had 11,000 participants and contributions are expected to exceed $1.3 million for diabetes research; raising more than $10 million since the race's inception in 1983.
A child of an Allyis employee has juvenile diabetes and Allyis employees participate in the event annually to support their colleague and the cause. "This race is a tangible way we can support one of our employees and really show that we care about finding a cure for juvenile diabetes," said Kristy Law, corporate citizenship director. "It's also a really fun experience that allows our employees to spend quality time together, outside of work, while benefiting a fantastic cause."
Proceeds from the Nordstrom Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes, including registration fees and pledges, benefit the Northwest chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Pledges for this year's event will be accepted through June 11 for prize eligibility. For more information, please visit http://www.beatthebridge.org/.
Allyis supports a variety of local charities throughout the year in addition to JDRF Northwest. To find out more about Allyis' corporate citizenship efforts, please visit http://www.allyis.com/about/Pages/CorporateCitizenship.aspx.
About Allyis
Allyis develops and supports technologies that help businesses operate, share information, and communicate more effectively. We specialize in building next generation solutions that drive collaboration, foster knowledge sharing, streamline processes, surface businesses insights and lead to more informed, agile decision making and business operations. Whether developing an employee intranet to connect a dispersed workforce, designing a knowledge management strategy to surface talent and expertise, or providing content management support, Allyis leverages people and technology to make business more efficient and effective. For more information, please visit http://www.allyis.com/.
About the Beat the Bridge
The Nordstrom Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes is a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with the mission of finding a cure for diabetes. The event consists of an 8k Run, 4-Mile Family Walk, One-Mile Fun Run and Diaper Derby for toddlers. The 8K Run has two challenges: to beat the University Bridge before it is raised, and to cross the finish line in Husky Stadium. The bridge is at the 2.0-Mile mark of the race.
Since the first Beat the Bridge race in 1983, Nordstrom has partnered with JDRF to find a cure for diabetes and its related complications through the support of research and research related education. Beat the Bridge draws people together in healthy activities for a worthy cause, raising money to help find a cure for diabetes. It's fun for families and builds camaraderie among company employees. Above all, it's an event you will feel good being a part of.
The Beat the Bridge is part of the The Walk to Cure Diabetes, an annual walkathon held in more than 200 locations in 13 countries to benefit JDRF. More than 750,000 men, women, and children will participate this year. The Walk to Cure Diabetes raised over $93 million last year for diabetes research. To find out more, check out
http://www.beatthebridge.org/ or
http://www.jdrfnorthwest.org/.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Mon, May 17, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 17, 2010) - The Association for Washington Business recognizes Kirkland, Wash.-based Allyis, Inc. for making volunteerism and community service a priority for their business and its employees. The 2010 AWB Community Service Awards recognize community service contributions by small, medium and large employers from across the state. Allyis won an award in the category of ‘Projects that Mobilize People' for its community service projects and high amount of employee involvement.
"Even during a deep recession, Washington businesses have found ways to give back to their communities and help those most in need," said AWB President Don Brunell. "For these employers and their employees, giving back is integral to who they are and what they do. It's part of how they do business," he said.
The AWB Community Service Awards are presented annually for projects that support education, youth organizations, community beautification projects, community organizations that help people in need or programs recognizing volunteerism. Special recognition is also awarded for projects that mobilize communities into action. Representatives from AWB member companies and organizations review all applications and select the final award winners. To view the full list of winners, please visit the AWB site.
Allyis has an extensive corporate citizenship program, with a priority on giving back to the local community. To find out more about Allyis' corporate citizenship efforts, please visit http://www.allyis.com/about/Pages/CorporateCitizenship.aspx.
About Allyis
Allyis develops and supports technologies that help businesses operate, share information, and communicate more effectively. We specialize in building next generation solutions that drive collaboration, foster knowledge sharing, streamline processes, surface businesses insights and lead to more informed, agile decision making and business operations. Whether developing an employee intranet to connect a dispersed workforce, designing a knowledge management strategy to surface talent and expertise, or providing content management support, Allyis leverages people and technology to make business more efficient and effective. For more information, please visit http://www.allyis.com/.
About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington's oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,000 members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state's chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB's members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, please visit http://www.awb.org/.
Posted by Ron Yeager on Fri, May 14, 2010
KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 14, 2010)
- Ken Efta, co-founder of and principal consultant of Kirkland, Wash.-based Allyis, Inc. is presenting at the Gilbane Content Management Conference in San Francisco May 20. He will participate in a panel that will discuss how to integrate social efforts to maximize business performance.
Some organizations have deployed enterprise social software to address both external and internal use cases, but few have created linkages between the two. Efta's session will use customer case studies to demonstrate the business value created by integrating external and internal social collaboration efforts and to highlight some of the related challenges.
►Video Introduction►
Integrating Internal Social Efforts to Maximize Business Performance
Moderator: Larry Hawes, Lead Analyst, Collaboration & Enterprise Social Software, Gilbane Group
Speakers:
Ken Efta, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, Allyis
David Rosenberg, Vice President & Development Lead of Internet Services, Edelman
Randy Ziegler, Director of the EMC Community Network, EMC
Event Details
For more details and to register for the conference, please visit:
http://gilbanesf.com/registration_information.html
About Ken Efta
Ken Efta is co-founder and principal consultant of Allyis Inc., a consultancy focused on the development and adoption of 2.0 technologies and practices within the Enterprise. Ken has spent over a decade conceptualizing, designing and building enterprise solutions for clients. His expertise in Web content management, data quality and business intelligence, and social software and collaboration tools is renowned in the technology industry. Ken has experience applying social solutions in health services and leads Allyis' technology innovation efforts. Ken was recognized by Western Washington University, along with Allyis co-founders Richard Law and Ethan Yarbrough, as its inaugural "Young Alumnus of the Year" in 2007. Ken holds an M.A. from Western Washington University.
About AllyisAllyis develops and supports technologies that help businesses operate, share information, and communicate more effectively. We specialize in building next generation solutions that drive collaboration, foster knowledge sharing, streamline processes, surface businesses insights and lead to more informed, agile decision making and business operations. Whether developing an employee intranet to connect a dispersed workforce, designing a knowledge management strategy to surface talent and expertise, or providing content management support, Allyis leverages people and technology to make business more efficient and effective. For more information, please visit
www.allyis.com.