'Digital Diva' Helps the Famous and Their Fans Come Together over the Internet
Ruth McCartney's first true exposure to the needs of fans came while growing up around the McCartney clan. Stepsister of Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles, Ruth earned her pocket money as a child helping her mother sort through Paul's fan mail. That experience grew into the idea behind McCartney's business. She is the CEO and co-founder of McCartney Multimedia and iFanz.com, a company that helps clients track who and where their fans are, and what those fans want and need. McCartney recently spoke at the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

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Multitasking Millennials Work Well in the Web 2.0 World
The wild and wooly world of Web 2.0 development is a comfortable work environment for 20-something employees, says Harbrinder Kang, director of collaboration technologies for Cisco Systems, Inc. "This generation functions differently. They're able to multitask and bounce around," Kang told information technology managers gathered for the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

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Good Idea: Creating an Online Community of Innovators
A recent survey found that $20 billion is spent annually on market research, and yet 80 percent of new items fail, according to Bart Steiner, founder and CEO of Phoenix-based Bulbstorm.com. "Everyone has ideas, and everyone needs exposure and marketing feedback," Steiner said to a morning crowd at the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted recently by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business. But market surveys are expensive, so where can innovators go for this vital input?

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Hospitals and Doctors Work Together to Improve Patient Care and the Bottom Line
Banner Health System saved $5 million and saw misdiagnosis claims from patient lawsuits drop 58 percent in just a year thanks to an insightful collaboration between hospitals and doctors determined to change the status quo. Before the hugely successful collaboration began in 2004, the hospital and its physicians, even when sued jointly, fought patient allegations separately. Each party had its own insurance coverage, claims administration process and attorneys. It was an inefficient and even adversarial strategy, said Dale Schultz, system vice president of business health at Banner. Schultz' presentation was part of the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

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Stagecoach Island: Nexus of the Nexters
GMoney is young and loves to shop, but unlike most young women, she's already a homeowner with a low, low mortgage and a respectable savings account. GMoney is the avatar, or online image, of Gina Fung, who in real life is vice president of experiential marketing for Wells Fargo & Co. Online, Fung is the Pied Piper of Stagecoach Island, a virtual world designed to lure teens and young adults into becoming bank customers. Fung recently addressed a group of business managers gathered for the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

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The Move to Mashups: How the Millennials are Redefining Software Development
The Millennial generation -- usually defined as people currently under age 30 -- is demanding major changes throughout the wired workplace. In fact, the high-tech expectations of the Millennials are changing the way software applications are built, according to Michael Goul, a professor of information technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business. Goul moderated a panel discussion of the Millennial workforce as part of the "Achieving Innovation through Collaboration" symposium hosted by the Center for Advancing Business through Information Technology at the W. P. Carey School of Business.

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