After almost four years, BI software as a service (SaaS) provider LucidEra is calling it quits. LucidEra, which was founded in 2005, offers a number of on-demand BI applications, including those for customer lead insight and pipeline and order analysis. Unable to secure a new round of funding in what can only be termed a very unfriendly lending climate, LucidEra has reached the point where company officers are looking for someone to buy its intellectual property. When discussing this unfortunate development with friends and colleagues over the past few days, I kept hearing the same question: "So what happens to the customers' data?"

The use of social networking sites by activists covering the recent Iranian election protests is a vivid example of how Web 2.0 can upset even the staunchest government's attempts to stifle dissent and the spread of "non-official" (i.e., uncensored) information. Twitter, in particular, has found extensive use by activists inside and outside of Iran, as well as by ordinary people who are worried or interested in what is happening inside the country. There has been so much of this activity, in fact, that the US Department of State asked Twitter management (which complied with the request) to hold off on carrying out scheduled systems maintenance in order to avoid any possibility of disrupting or limiting what has essentially become a key communications and organizational tool for Iranian postelection activism.

In this Executive Update, the sixth and final installment in this series, I examine survey results pertaining to how end-user organizations are using various Web 2.0 technologies -- including wikis, blogs, social networks, IM, RSS feeds, and online video -- to support their BI efforts.

Learning management systems (LMS) are fast becoming standard business applications, a strategic solution for planning, delivering, and managing all learning events within an organization, including online, virtual classroom, and instructor-led courses. Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS), which enable just-in-time content creation to meet the needs of individual learners or groups of learners are also quickly becoming a companion standard business app. Spend an hour with Lance Dublin and learn how your IT organization can ensure your enterprise truly maximizes the return on its LMS/LCMS investment.