Since 1914, senior executives of world-class organizations in both the public and private sectors have selected Booz-Allen & Hamilton to carry out their management and technology consulting assignments. Booz-Allen recently solved a problem for itself that it is often called upon to solve for its clients: how to bridge islands of information that are isolated due to geographical constraints, computing platforms, and different applications.

After eliminating groupware, document management, and homegrown systems as possible solutions, Booz-Allen decided on intranet technology. For its Knowledge On-Line (KOL) intranet, the firm chose Netscape Enterprise Server and Netscape News Server to support a variety of intranet applications, including:

• a database-driven expert skills directory,
• a firmwide knowledge repository able to retrieve information in multiple data types,
• employee directories, and
• newsgroups that facilitate global project collaboration.

• industry-leading Web-based server software;
• outstanding performance, reliability, security, and pricing; and
• interoperability, application portability, scalability, and systems network management.

USING BENCHMARKS TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

"Two years ago, we began charting a long-term strategy for using best-of-breed technology for building Knowledge On-Line," says Booz-Allen vice president Charlie Callahan. "We evaluated groupware, document management, and homegrown systems, but determined that using Web applications internally would be the best platform for accomplishing the current and future goals of the firm's overall knowledge program."

One of Booz-Allen's main priorities was providing easy and standard access to KOL, regardless of vendor product or operating systems used. In addition, the firm wanted to provide standard formats that could be exchanged and shared across multiple platforms as well as a collaborative environment for employees to share ideas.

To determine which Web technology would be most appropriate for KOL, Booz-Allen established the following critical benchmarks for evaluating vendor offerings:

• interoperability
• portability
• scalability
• reusabilty and modularity
• computing power
• APIs
• systems network management

Booz-Allen further refined its technology qualification process by establishing core acquisition and ongoing maintenance principles to which each vendor would have to adhere.

"An intranet is the ideal platform for KOL," explains Callahan, "because it allows us to provide Booz-Allen personnel with a unified mechanism by which we can all easily access and work with our best thinking firmwide--knowledge that is critical to our business."

HOW A NETSCAPE-BASED INTRANET SOLVES THE CHALLENGE

According to Callahan, Booz-Allen built KOL around Netscape client and server technology because Netscape was the only vendor "who could meet all of our criteria." Plus, he says, "Netscape's products offered the performance, reliability, security, and pricing essential for delivering KOL's worldwide capability."

For KOL's core components, Booz-Allen selected Netscape Enterprise Server and News Server running on a Sun SparcStation 1000. The company's global site license for using Netscape Navigator on Intel, Macintosh, Sun, DEC, HP, and IBM computing platforms will soon accommodate all 6700 of its employees. In addition, Enterprise Server accesses structured data housed in an Oracle database running on a DEC Alpha server.

"Netscape's client and server technology allowed us to turn a concept on paper into a functional system rapidly," says Callahan. "Netscape Navigator gives all of our consultants--from new hires to experts--a seamless window into vital corporate data, while the Enterprise and News servers offer secured access and the ability to collaborate over the intranet from anywhere in the world."

COLLECTING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE IN MULTIPLE DATA TYPES

One of the most valued applications supported by KOL is a knowledge repository whereby Booz-Allen can capture, classify, and quantify the firm's knowledge and expertise. "The idea behind the knowledge repository is to package knowledge within context," says Callahan. "Consultants can do a quick search for best practices, frameworks, business intelligence, competitive data, comparative analysis, business tools, and techniques to help them solve client problems as well as locate the leading experts on a topic."

Consultants using Netscape Navigator can dial into KOL through either a public network or Booz-Allen's own private network. Using a search engine, they can then retrieve a hit list of knowledge embodied in documents, graphics, video, audio, and other formats.

To simplify information searching, a group of ten Knowledge Managers develops an abstract for each piece of information submitted for intranet publication. "By using Knowledge Managers to filter the process and develop abstracts for initial review on query hit lists, our consultants can determine if something is the 'right' content before downloading an entire 200-page document or large multimedia file," says Callahan. "This also allows us to submit high-value content relevant to the work that we do."

MATCHING CONSULTANT EXPERTISE WITH CLIENT NEEDS

Booz-Allen's intranet houses an expert skills directory--a database application that helps match consultants' expertise with client needs. Booz-Allen uses a verification process to designate consultants as knowledgeable, experienced, or recognized experts on a particular topic.

To find a recognized expert to implement a brokerage trading system, for example, a consultant would fill in a Navigator-based form with a few requirement parameters such as desired location or position required. The database then dynamically retrieves detailed background and contact information for those personnel who meet the specified needs. "Our expert skills directory helps us pair the right knowledge with the appropriate client situation," says Callahan. "It's another example of how intranet technology helps us provide clients with the collective knowledge of Booz-Allen, not just the thinking of a single consultant."

CYBERSPACE COLLABORATION

Booz-Allen uses the secure Netscape News Server to let global teams of consultants discuss a variety of company- and noncompany-related topics via message threading and real-time discussion groups.

"Our consultants all over the world take great advantage of the communicative and collaborative capabilities inherent to KOL," says Callahan. "Using the news readers built into Netscape Navigator, consultants can engage in either private or public discourse within Booz, Allen. For more general communication across the entire firm, KOL provides public discussion folders accessible to all users."

EVOLVING KNOWLEDGE ONLINE WITH NEW APPLICATIONS

"The biggest benefit of basing Knowledge On-Line on Web technology is that it helps us bridge the islands of knowledge that reside within Booz-Allen," says Callahan. "We are able to provide an overarching framework where we can marry people, process, content, and knowledge in ways we were not able to before."

Booz-Allen plans a number of enhancements for KOL in the near future, including applications for an executive information system, product procurement, time reporting, and integrating to a digital library.

"In coming months, we will also site license Netscape Navigator 3.0 for all our employees," says Callahan. "And we plan to use Netscape Proxy Server to help better manage our intranet traffic. We are also considering extending our KOL infrastructure to our clients via secure access."

NETSCAPE PRODUCTS Enterprise Server , News Server, Proxy Server (planned), Netscape Navigator HARDWARE Server: Sun SPARCStation 1000, DEC Alpha 2100 Clients: Intel, Apple Macintosh, Sun, DEC, HP, IBM COMMUNICATIONS LINK 10Mb feed

OPERATING SYSTEM Unix OTHER SOFTWARE Oracle database, WOW gateway software DAILY HITS (AVERAGE) n/a

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