Global giant extends grip on knowledge

User stories from the knowledge front

Motorola is expanding its use of the collaboration and knowledge management software that is the foundation for its global intranet called Compass.

Brad Bosley, manager of content management and collaboration systems for Motorola, explains, "Compass gives us a way to bring people and information together under one system. It's the primary location where people share information and collaborate. Improved communication and access to information are helping project teams work together more effectively and that, ultimately, has a positive effect on the way we serve our customers."

The new project involves expanding Motorola's use of Livelink technology from Open Text, which functions as its central knowledge repository and collaboration platform. Motorola first implemented Livelink in 1997, and the expansion involves consolidating file servers and moving more information into the system. It also entails creating an extranet and extending the system to customers, vendors and partners.

The move to consolidate file servers and place more information in Compass is expected to reduce costs and improve access to corporate knowledge scattered across many systems companywide. Bosley says Compass already contains more than 4.6 million documents and is growing by 40 gigabytes per week, a rate that is likely to increase with the file server consolidation.

Since Motorola began using Livelink, the company has appointed a team of 250 "knowledge champions" in its business units across the company, who educate users on features in Compass and help manage the library structure. Knowledge champions help users optimize the use of Compass, which encourages knowledge sharing and collaboration, according to a recent news release.