Knowledge portals next step in connecting people and information

Enterprise knowledge portals (EKPs) are the next step towards connecting people and information, according to a new IDC report.

In Sourcebook for Knowledge Superconductivity, the first in a series of KM reports, IDC claims that enterprise knowledge portals will combine the effectiveness of current portals for information, collaboration and expertise.

"The development of EKPs provides an important corollary to the idea that the network is the computer, and that corollary is the portal is the desktop," said Gerry Murray, IDC's Director of Knowledge Management Technologies.

As a result, KM is predicted to have a fundamental impact on the way customers spend their money on hardware, software and services.

The IDC report profiles, explains and differentiates the knowledge management products and services of more than 40 companies and consultants.

Predictably, IDC says that a vast number of companies are staking some claim to KM. Also, rabid consolidation is in the future due to the complex relationship between technology and customization, according to Marianne Hedin, Program Manager of IDC's Consulting Services research.

"Management consultancies have been the strongest advocates of KM to date, and while their offerings are comprehensive, they are largely undifferentiated," she said.

"Technology vendors, on the other hand, are highly differentiated but lack the resources to effectively penetrate the market.