1. Optimize what your users already have and do
2. Optimize what your users already have and do
3. Optimize what your users already have and do

OK, a little tongue in cheek but it's TRUE.... Have you ever looked at a real user lately in your company? Really looked at their desktop and what they do with it? Please, stop what you are doing and go and look. This is really the only place you can see with your own eyes the results of your organizations labors for SOA, Integration, BPM, BAM, Mash-ups, Web 2.0 and what ever other technology you've been working on for the last 5 years! Your users are your consumers!

What do you think you your users will be looking at or doing on their desktops? I am not a mind reader but I'd be surprised if it isn't at least 4 of the 5 below;

1. Viewing more than 5 applications daily, possibly 10 or more. This will include completely different UI models such as Windows GUI apps, Web Apps, Java Apps, Mainframe apps and maybe even some DOS apps.
2. Entering common keystrokes 1000's of times a day to integrate the above applications which will include ALT-C, ALT-TAB, ALT-V and mouse clicks, Focus, double-click, right click, copy, Focus, right click, paste. Also typing in the same text twice (SSN, Phone etc.,)
3. Executing laborious repetitive workflows, like looking up in two or more systems to see if the customer exists in two or more of the systems, copying data out of spreadsheets to do a trade and moving the data back to another system
4. Logging in with user name and passwords repetitively to at least one of the applications, maybe all of them, even SAAS applications or ones you wrote a few years ago
5. Writing text on a notepad or post-it-note to be used later (to enter data back into a spreadsheet or notes log).

I could go on, but you get the point. Enterprise has spent a fortune on the server integration technologies but rarely do they focus on what business is demanding. That is, the optimization of what our users already have and do. If you deliver your users yet another application, make sure it doesn't just sit there and add to the desktop conundrum of too many un-integrated applications. It kills desktop productivity and adds to your enterprise costs. Fact.

Optimizing the desktop allows enterprises to save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating even the simplest of workflows on their user's desktops. Think of the time wasted daily by your users and what you would save through automation. I have seen desktop automation be implemented in less than 4 weeks that saves over $500k a year by automating the tasks of less than 20 users. I've also seen companies save over $20m a year by pushing out just one small automation across 20,000 users.

The time has come. There are products out there today that can be rapidly implemented to integrate, automate and ultimately optimize all of the applications your users have on their desktops. IT can be trained in days and massive savings to the bottom line can be seen in weeks!

With automation and desktop productivity improvements comes better monitoring, compliance, less errors and elimination of duplication. 2009 - will be the year of desktop integration and dramatic productivity increases. Remember, I said it here first.

My company, OpenSpan has one such product and I encourage you to look at a demonstration that you can view on line. Do your own math? What would just 2% increase in user productivity mean to your CFO in 2009?