Our History

fter decades of working in the IT industry and seeing that in spite of best efforts, tools and techniques; business, institutions and organizations large and small were in crisis; failing their people, customers and in many cases causing horrendous environmental problems, Balam Abello began several years of self-directed research into these issues.

A number of years later, he came to the realization that Collective Intelligence was indeed a new paradigm shift coming onto the scene which had the potential to help solve some of these problems. In 2009, Balam set out to create a small start-up IT Management Consultancy firm which focuses on Collective Intelligence to help organizations deal with these issues; creatively, effectively and efficiently.

Overview

hank you for visiting BALAM.ORG. Please read this privacy policy before using the site or submitting any personal information. Your privacy is very important to us. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate, disclose and make use of personal information. The following outlines our privacy policy.

Contacting us

If you have any questions, issues or comments regarding this “Privacy Statement,” please Contact us via e-mail.

General

By using the site, you are accepting the practices described in this privacy policy. These practices may be changed, but any changes will be posted and changes will only apply to activities and information on a going forward, not retroactive basis. You are encouraged to review the privacy policy whenever you visit the site to make sure that you understand how any personal information you provide will be used.

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

Note: The privacy practices set forth in this privacy policy are for this web site only. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted at those sites.

Collection of Information

We collect personally identifiable information, like names, postal addresses, email addresses, etc., when voluntarily submitted by our visitors. The information you provide is used to fulfill your specific request. This information is only used to fulfill your specific request, unless you give us permission to use it in another manner, for example to add you to one of our mailing lists. The following list covers these guidelines in more detail:

• Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.

• We will collect and use personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.

• We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.

• We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.

• Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.

• We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.

• We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

Cookie/Tracking Technology

The Site may use cookie and tracking technology depending on the features offered. Cookie and tracking technology are useful for gathering information such as browser type and operating system, tracking the number of visitors to the Site, and understanding how visitors use the Site.

Cookies can also help customize the Site for visitors. Personal information cannot be collected via cookies and other tracking technology. However, if you previously provided personally identifiable information, cookies may be tied to such information. Aggregate cookie and tracking information may be shared with third parties.

Distribution of Information

We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when: (1) permitted or required by law; or, (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; or, (3) investigating fraud which has already taken place. The information is not provided to these companies for marketing purposes.

Commitment to Data Security

Your personally identifiable information is kept secure. Only authorized employees, agents and contractors (who have agreed to keep information secure and confidential) have access to this information. All emails and newsletters from this site allow you to opt out of further mailings.

Privacy Statement Modifications

We reserve the right to make changes to this policy. Any changes to this policy will be posted. We reserve the right to refuse service/sales of products and/or discounts to anyone with no further explanation required.

Our Vision

t BALAM.ORG we realize that we do not have all the answers or even the best answers. In fact, we cannot even promise you that a given solution will be the magic-bullet-do-it-all that will solve all your business problems. This may come as shock to most people who are accustomed to the fast-talking-and-slick-snake-oil-sales-pitch. In other words, we take great pains not to patronize or insult your intelligence. After all and without a doubt, you and all the people that work with you are the true business experts of your enterprise.

We believe that as human knowledge about our universe increases, so does the realization that it is an utterly complex one. Although one might crave for simple answers to our increasingly complex problems, our experience tells us otherwise. We also realize that a methodical, in-depth and high levels of sustained efforts will give us a better fighting chance to solve, what at times might seem like, an intractable problem.

In addition, we believe that some of the old-true-and-tried-19th-century management style methods are simply not enough. The rigid over-specialized and compartmentalized hierarchical methods of command-and-control, although at times quite effective, especially under the duress of catastrophic emergencies, might be too wasteful because of its intrinsic element trial-and-error. Therefore, we tend to favor the exponential power of network solutions; whenever possible.

Lastly, overall we generally favor:

• STRATEGIC OVER TACTICAL
• INTELLIGENCE OVER SMARTS
• WISDOM OVER INTELLIGENCE
• EFFECTIVENESS OVER EFFICIENCY
• QUALITY OVER EXPEDIENCY
• NETWORK OVER HIERARCHY
• COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION

Our Mission

To seek out, form partnerships based on trust, work and contribute with clients whose business demonstrate a great sense of personal and social responsibility; always striving towards the betterment of their people, their customers and the common good.

Our Work Style

We come in and with your help and that of the people that work with you, learn your business needs. Make recommendations and put together a seasoned multidisciplinary self-starter team of experts that fit your unique business needs and put them to work for you. In turn, this team will work diligently to search and harness the creative energies of your organization which might very well bring positive and profound disruptive change to your enterprise.

Build a Powerful Enterprise Wiki

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ikis have been around for over a decade. During this time they have proven to be an extremely useful tool for many organizations and the internet at large. Wikipedia.org is one of the top ten websites and the poster child of what a successful wiki should be. It is no accident that an immense number of websites reference Wikipedia via hyperlinks; including this one. Nevertheless, creating a vibrant and successful wiki within a larger organization is not a trivial task. We will describe many of issues to consider while engaging such project.

Read more...

http://balam.org/contact-us/call {jcomments off} {jumi [custom/php/current_est.php]}

Call us now

Google Voice If you have a US or Canadian telephone number, please enter the number and a call will be placed immediately to your phone.

Skype If you have a SKYPE account you can call using your account.

]]> balam@bellsouth.net (System Administrator) Tue, 04 May 2010 22:10:57 GMT http://balam.org/contact-us/call

http://balam.org/blog/70-defending-the-borg {jcomments on}

In Defense of the Borg

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ho are the Borg anyway? According to Wikipedia “The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe.” They were cleverly designed to be an extremely powerful and evil race to fight against Star Trek's “virtuous” Federation of Planets. Could it be that the powers-that-be have created a Boogeyman in order to place all the attention upon him, whilst avoiding any of it upon themselves?

Read more...

]]> balam@bellsouth.net (System Administrator) Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:30:34 GMT http://balam.org/blog/70-defending-the-borg http://balam.org/about/website/design-criteria {jcomments off}

Website design criteria

While building this web site, we followed a simple design criteria:

• • Simplify navigation using top-menus only
• • Group functionality based on similarities
• • Reduce the amount of visual noise
• • Create a customized theme across applications
• • Rely entirely on Free Open Source Software (FOSS)
• • Make the site aesthetically pleasing, informative and fun!

]]> balam@bellsouth.net (System Administrator) Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:32:51 GMT http://balam.org/about/website/design-criteria http://balam.org/services/in-a-nutshell {jcomments off}

In a nutshell

Let's get started

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

WHAT SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE?

IT Management Consulting Services

• We bring Collective Intelligence (CI) methods to the enterprise
• We help organizations become more efficient and adaptable
• We help organizations respond quickly to complex environmental changes

WHAT BENEFITS DO WE PROVIDE TO OUR CUSTOMERS?

• We help them transition from hierarchical models to network models
• We help organizatns adapt to externalities
• We help them deploy internet collaboration management tools
• We help them tap into their organization's CI

• To discover new products and services
• To make accurate decisions by pushing decision making to the collective
• To bring product and services to market quicker while reducing costs

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THESE CI TOOLS?

• Unbounded synergy by aggregating the ideas of all members of the organization
• Allow new emergent properties to flourish in self-organizing ways
• Support effective decision making in a complex and changing world

]]> balam@bellsouth.net (System Administrator) Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:48:19 GMT http://balam.org/services/in-a-nutshell