I happened upon this randomly. The Consumerist linked to a comic about e-mail marketing and I found this while browsing the archives. It's a comic created by Brad Colbow for Think Vitamin:
How to Understand Your Users with Personas
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Week 3: Web Standards
It is very important to have standards. We have standards of weights and measures. There's agreement on how long a foot is and how much a pound weights. There are industry standards. You don't have to worry about electronic devices only working with one kind of wall outlet (at least not until you go overseas). There's even standards for the weight of yarn.
So why not use standards for the web?
There are already plenty of articles explaining why web standards are good and necessary. The main reasons are:
Maintenance and Production: It is easier and faster, and therefore cheaper, to create a web site that uses standards than to create a site specifically for one browser using proprietary code (or worse, a different site for each browser).
Accessibility: You can make your site more accessible by coding to standards. This is usually stated in reference to disabled users but will also help those hampered by older technology or slow/limited Internet access.
Search Engine Optimization: Other things being equal, a site with valid code is ranked higher by Google than a site with invalid code.
Professionalism and Quality: If you're a web developer writing standard code shows that you know what you're doing. You want to be seen as someone who is current on industry standards, technologies, and best practices. If you own the site then you don't want your site to flat out break in other modern browsers even if it isn't the one most of your target audience.
There are more of course: page weight, re-usability of the code, etc. but these are the reasons I see given the most often. They're also the reasons that both the developer and site owner will care about.
So are there any arguments against using web standards? I didn't really find any articles railing against standards but here are two reasons I've heard not to bother with them.
Tables are easier than using CSS
If browsers would support the multi-column layout module I would just say that this statement is false and move on. But since this is not the case then it may be true in production depending on your comfort level with CSS. But once the site is in maintenance you're in trouble and here's why: the client can't see the table, they only see space.
I can GUARANTEE that eventually the client is going to ask for content to be added someplace that is going to break the template because there is space there. They can't see that putting a wider banner in that cell is going to throw off the spacing for the entire table. They can't see that the change they're requesting is going to require adjusting all of the colspans and rowspans in the table. They only know that they are being quoted/charged an awful lot of money for what looks like a very simple change.
The site has to look exactly the same in every browser so it's OK to make the developer write hacky code.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
No.
And also no.
I'm going to quote/paraphrase John Allsopp here and say that a site does not have to look exactly the same in multiple browsers because most people don't use different browsers on a regular basis. At worst, for the average non-web designing user, they might be using IE6 at work because they have to and a different browser when they use a mobile device. But no one expects sites to look exactly the same on a mobile device as they do on a computer and since IE6 is not a modern browser there can't be a reasonable expectation for things to even work in it, much less look the same as they would in IE8 or FF 3.x.
Yes, I did say earlier that you don't want your site completely broken browsers other than the one used by the majority of your users but there's a difference between the template being broken and something being 5 pixels farther to the left in IE than it is in FF.
Side Note:
OK, how ridiculous is this? Apple has an HTML5 showcase but blocks you if you try to view the demos in anything other than Safari. *facepalm*
Found via an article in InfoQ.
So why not use standards for the web?
There are already plenty of articles explaining why web standards are good and necessary. The main reasons are:
Maintenance and Production: It is easier and faster, and therefore cheaper, to create a web site that uses standards than to create a site specifically for one browser using proprietary code (or worse, a different site for each browser).
Accessibility: You can make your site more accessible by coding to standards. This is usually stated in reference to disabled users but will also help those hampered by older technology or slow/limited Internet access.
Search Engine Optimization: Other things being equal, a site with valid code is ranked higher by Google than a site with invalid code.
Professionalism and Quality: If you're a web developer writing standard code shows that you know what you're doing. You want to be seen as someone who is current on industry standards, technologies, and best practices. If you own the site then you don't want your site to flat out break in other modern browsers even if it isn't the one most of your target audience.
There are more of course: page weight, re-usability of the code, etc. but these are the reasons I see given the most often. They're also the reasons that both the developer and site owner will care about.
So are there any arguments against using web standards? I didn't really find any articles railing against standards but here are two reasons I've heard not to bother with them.
Tables are easier than using CSS
If browsers would support the multi-column layout module I would just say that this statement is false and move on. But since this is not the case then it may be true in production depending on your comfort level with CSS. But once the site is in maintenance you're in trouble and here's why: the client can't see the table, they only see space.
I can GUARANTEE that eventually the client is going to ask for content to be added someplace that is going to break the template because there is space there. They can't see that putting a wider banner in that cell is going to throw off the spacing for the entire table. They can't see that the change they're requesting is going to require adjusting all of the colspans and rowspans in the table. They only know that they are being quoted/charged an awful lot of money for what looks like a very simple change.
The site has to look exactly the same in every browser so it's OK to make the developer write hacky code.
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
No.
And also no.
I'm going to quote/paraphrase John Allsopp here and say that a site does not have to look exactly the same in multiple browsers because most people don't use different browsers on a regular basis. At worst, for the average non-web designing user, they might be using IE6 at work because they have to and a different browser when they use a mobile device. But no one expects sites to look exactly the same on a mobile device as they do on a computer and since IE6 is not a modern browser there can't be a reasonable expectation for things to even work in it, much less look the same as they would in IE8 or FF 3.x.
Yes, I did say earlier that you don't want your site completely broken browsers other than the one used by the majority of your users but there's a difference between the template being broken and something being 5 pixels farther to the left in IE than it is in FF.
Side Note:
OK, how ridiculous is this? Apple has an HTML5 showcase but blocks you if you try to view the demos in anything other than Safari. *facepalm*
Found via an article in InfoQ.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Communication - Harder Than It Looks
Our professor showed this two minute clip on YouTube of a guy attempting to explain what an Information Architect is and does. It's a funny video. The woman keeps thinking that any other job he mentions in his explanation is what he does until he gives up and says, "Sure, why not?" to her last guess.
But let's be honest here there were problems on both sides of that conversation.
It starts out OK. She asks what he does and he says he's an Information Architect. Most people are after your job title when asking that question so no problem here. But once she asked if he was "like an architect, but" it was clear she had no clue what an IA does. At that point he should have given the simplest and most complete answer possible. Again, I like the one given by the The Information Architecture Institute since it doesn't use any jargon.
Instead, he only gives bits of information that don't really answer the question. She then starts guessing at what he does. When he does explain what an IA does he uses a bunch of terms she doesn't understand. So she guesses again and he gives up.
For her part, it makes absolutely no sense to guess that he does any other job he happens to mention. The "do you work in fashion" part came across like she was purposefully being difficult. However, I'm sure she felt the same about him when he said he isn't a designer and then described his job in terms of designing something.
I bring this up because one of the things that has been brought up multiple times in our classes is that IT communicates poorly with the rest of the business. I think that this works as an example even if he isn't actually in IT.
But let's be honest here there were problems on both sides of that conversation.
It starts out OK. She asks what he does and he says he's an Information Architect. Most people are after your job title when asking that question so no problem here. But once she asked if he was "like an architect, but" it was clear she had no clue what an IA does. At that point he should have given the simplest and most complete answer possible. Again, I like the one given by the The Information Architecture Institute since it doesn't use any jargon.
Instead, he only gives bits of information that don't really answer the question. She then starts guessing at what he does. When he does explain what an IA does he uses a bunch of terms she doesn't understand. So she guesses again and he gives up.
For her part, it makes absolutely no sense to guess that he does any other job he happens to mention. The "do you work in fashion" part came across like she was purposefully being difficult. However, I'm sure she felt the same about him when he said he isn't a designer and then described his job in terms of designing something.
I bring this up because one of the things that has been brought up multiple times in our classes is that IT communicates poorly with the rest of the business. I think that this works as an example even if he isn't actually in IT.
Week 2: Information Architecture
So, What is It?
The Information Architecture Institute has three definitions for information architecture. For this post this one is the most useful: The art and science of structuring and classifying web sites, intranets and all other organizational information repositories to help people find and manage information.
It's the job of an Information Architect to make sure that the information is arranged and labeled in a web site in a way that makes sense. This refers not just to information on individual pages but to where those pages are located in relation to each other. For example, a bank web site might put checking and savings information on separate pages but could have those pages grouped together under the heading of Deposit Information.
This job is important because if done poorly (or not at all) then visitors to the site won't be able to find what they're looking for. If you have a favorite website that you've never had to use the search engine on then thank the person who took on the role of Information Architect.
Persuasive Information Architecture
So I was looking for a site with some tips for IA. I expected to be writing about findability and/or usability but then I found this: Persuasion and Information Architecture: 5 tips
Even though IA is about organization, usability, and helping the user do what they want it can also help the business get the user to think and do what they want. What's key is that many of the rules for helping the user and helping the business overlap. While there are times where they will conflict, user and business goals are often the same. I want to buy a book from Amazon and Amazon wants me to buy a book.
Amazon prefers that I buy the Kindle and buy Kindle books instead of paperbacks which means that it shows up first in the left hand menu but the site doesn't prevent me from finding other kinds of books. The conflict does not have to be a deal breaker.
If the business doesn't see the value in Information Architecture then describing the benefits in terms of persuasion would be more helpful than talking about usability. When discussing usability you have to explain why it helps the user and why helping the user helps the business. Putting it in terms of persuasion goes straight to business goals. Some businesses may not appreciate how much their needs and customer needs align and this skips having to convince them otherwise.
Design with Intent
This isn't strictly about IA but the article above linked to it and I found it interesting. It's a set of cards with patterns for influencing behavior through design. It says that the Architectural Lens section "can also be applied in interaction and product design, even in software or services". I think I can find an example for each.
Angles
The example given is the sloping top on cigarette bins which prevent people from leaving trash on the lid. This might be stretching it but my example is timeouts for login forms. You don't want users to accidentally leave their login information in a form if they leave without actually submitting it.
Converging & Diverging
This is done on websites all the time with different logins for different types of users: Students vs Teachers, Business vs Consumer banking, and so forth. Business web sites also make sure that you'll end up on the page to purchase their product/service whether you decided to view the demo, view a feature list, or read reviews. All those paths lead to a "Buy Now" page.
Conveyor belts
The web site equivalent would be Quick Links.
Feature deletion
This one is self-explanatory.
Hiding things
Many web sites will put some settings in an Advanced Features section to prevent users from accidentally breaking things.
Mazes
While you shouldn't make your site a maze (unless that's the point) you probably won't get to the free version of a service or product without first seeing the benefits of the paid version.
Pave the cowpaths
Finding the paths users usually follow and making those paths easier is in the definition of Information Architecture.
Positioning
Same as above.
Roadblock
Many of our clients are required by their auditors to warn their users about any link that takes them away from their web site. We sometimes call them speed bumps. For example, take a look at First American Bank and Trust and see what happens if you click on any of the logos at the bottom of the page.
Segmentation & spacing
Monthly upload limits on free accounts, like the free accounts on Flickr.
Simplicity
IA is all about making the most important tasks simple. 1-click ordering on Amazon would be an example of this.
The Information Architecture Institute has three definitions for information architecture. For this post this one is the most useful: The art and science of structuring and classifying web sites, intranets and all other organizational information repositories to help people find and manage information.
It's the job of an Information Architect to make sure that the information is arranged and labeled in a web site in a way that makes sense. This refers not just to information on individual pages but to where those pages are located in relation to each other. For example, a bank web site might put checking and savings information on separate pages but could have those pages grouped together under the heading of Deposit Information.
This job is important because if done poorly (or not at all) then visitors to the site won't be able to find what they're looking for. If you have a favorite website that you've never had to use the search engine on then thank the person who took on the role of Information Architect.
Persuasive Information Architecture
So I was looking for a site with some tips for IA. I expected to be writing about findability and/or usability but then I found this: Persuasion and Information Architecture: 5 tips
Even though IA is about organization, usability, and helping the user do what they want it can also help the business get the user to think and do what they want. What's key is that many of the rules for helping the user and helping the business overlap. While there are times where they will conflict, user and business goals are often the same. I want to buy a book from Amazon and Amazon wants me to buy a book.
Amazon prefers that I buy the Kindle and buy Kindle books instead of paperbacks which means that it shows up first in the left hand menu but the site doesn't prevent me from finding other kinds of books. The conflict does not have to be a deal breaker.
If the business doesn't see the value in Information Architecture then describing the benefits in terms of persuasion would be more helpful than talking about usability. When discussing usability you have to explain why it helps the user and why helping the user helps the business. Putting it in terms of persuasion goes straight to business goals. Some businesses may not appreciate how much their needs and customer needs align and this skips having to convince them otherwise.
Design with Intent
This isn't strictly about IA but the article above linked to it and I found it interesting. It's a set of cards with patterns for influencing behavior through design. It says that the Architectural Lens section "can also be applied in interaction and product design, even in software or services". I think I can find an example for each.
Angles
The example given is the sloping top on cigarette bins which prevent people from leaving trash on the lid. This might be stretching it but my example is timeouts for login forms. You don't want users to accidentally leave their login information in a form if they leave without actually submitting it.
Converging & Diverging
This is done on websites all the time with different logins for different types of users: Students vs Teachers, Business vs Consumer banking, and so forth. Business web sites also make sure that you'll end up on the page to purchase their product/service whether you decided to view the demo, view a feature list, or read reviews. All those paths lead to a "Buy Now" page.
Conveyor belts
The web site equivalent would be Quick Links.
Feature deletion
This one is self-explanatory.
Hiding things
Many web sites will put some settings in an Advanced Features section to prevent users from accidentally breaking things.
Mazes
While you shouldn't make your site a maze (unless that's the point) you probably won't get to the free version of a service or product without first seeing the benefits of the paid version.
Pave the cowpaths
Finding the paths users usually follow and making those paths easier is in the definition of Information Architecture.
Positioning
Same as above.
Roadblock
Many of our clients are required by their auditors to warn their users about any link that takes them away from their web site. We sometimes call them speed bumps. For example, take a look at First American Bank and Trust and see what happens if you click on any of the logos at the bottom of the page.
Segmentation & spacing
Monthly upload limits on free accounts, like the free accounts on Flickr.
Simplicity
IA is all about making the most important tasks simple. 1-click ordering on Amazon would be an example of this.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Fall 2010 - Week 1: Interact with Web Standards Chapter Summary
Chapter 5 – Writing for the Web
The chapter begins with how people read websites and how that differs from how people read printed media. We're told what bad and good web writing does with a brief description of SEO. The chapter then gives us a list of tools to organize and style content. A list of web writing tips and tips for keeping the content updated finish the chapter.The Writer
Writing for the web is trickier than you might think. It requires having multiple skills: the ability to write creatively and on technical subjects, organize content into categories from multiple sources, balance user needs and business goals, and so on. A successful web writer must understand what the user wants and how they will use the web site.The User
People do not use web sites the same way that they read books. Users go to a site to do specific tasks. They scan pages for relevant information and will leave if they can't find it quickly. Visually impaired users do the same with the aid of special tools. The user will also interact with a site via tools like forms or chat if available.The Content
The content should be "useful, usable, engaging, and findable". The text should be descriptive but not wordy; personable, but not sloppy. The style should be consistent. It should aid findability for both users and search engines without sacrificing readability. Whatever is most important to the user should be easiest to find on the page.The Tools
There are several things a web writer should use:- Copy deck – All of the text for the web site
- Content audit/inventory – A list of all the web pages in a site, their URLs, and any notes about its current state
- Style guide – Describes how the text should look, its tone, voice, etc.
- Wireframes – A layout of the web page
- Sitemap – The hierarchy of all of the web pages in the site
The Tips
Erin Anderson lists ten tips for writing for the web. Start with the conclusion. Begin sentences with verbs. Be brief but be specific. Keep the sentence structure simple. Make the text easy to scan by breaking up text into short paragraphs and lists. Use short, concise headings. Headings and links should be accurate. Have the content reviewed by someone knowledgeable. Get writing hints from other good web sites.
Keep the content updated by scheduling regular audits and updates. Put people in charge of the content for specific pages or sections.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Spring 2010 - Week 16: Getting IT Done - ITIL
ITIL - Internet Technology Infrastructure Library
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a set of recommendations for managing IT. While it's focus is on IT services it also covers IT development and operations.
The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, a part of the UK Government, created ITIL back in the 1980s. (As such, ITIL and IT Infrastructure Library are trademarks of the UK's Office of Coporate Governance, formerly the CCTA.) Originally a set of 40 manuals the ITIL has been updated twice: once into a set of 8 manuals for version 2.0 and again in 2007 with a set of five core manuals for version 3.0.
Each manual focuses on a particular aspect of IT which is then broken down into multiple sections. For example:
The Service Desk
With the prevalence of technology at home and in the work place many people have had to ask for help from a help desk or service desk before. ITIL recommends that the service desk handle requests using only one point of contact (at my place of employment we call it "one neck to choke"), one point of entry, and one point of exit.
It's easy to see how doing so accomplishes the next ITIL of making things easier for the customer: They only need to contact one person or department to get help. Instead of being told to contact a different department or to send the request in a different manner the person in contact with the customer is the one who routes it to the correct department. ITIL also recommends keeping the customer updated on progress instead of simply waiting until there is a resolution to communicate again with the customer.
There are also recommendations for data integrity and streamlining communications. Data integrity is necessary for databases. It's easier to maintain information if it is always referenced in the same way. At best time is simply wasted in multiple searches to get all of the relevant data but at worst the database end up completely unusable. Streamlining communications is important internally, to get requests moved and managed as easily as possible, and externally, in further aid of making things easier for the consumer.
As ITIL has become more and more popular as a standard for managing IT, more people have gone into the business of ITIL itself.
Consulting Firms
There are multiple consulting companies offering their expertise on the ITIL. One of these companies is The Drapeau Group, LLC.
The tagline on TDG’s site is, “Achieve ITIL Maturity, Avoid Broken Promises”. They claim that they stand apart from other firms by having consultants who are both IT process experts and technically adept, using a different charging model where they do not bill 8 hours a day, and only selling advice not hardware or software. They also focus on what they consider to be the most important parts of the Service Support and Service Delivery parts of the ITIL rather than trying to apply all of it as is.
TDG offers the following services:
There are client testimonials on the site as well, the most well known likely being CheckFree(now Fiserv). If you’ve ever received or paid a bill online through your bank chances are good you were using their services. (You can run a search on just the state at the site in the link to see all the financial institutions that use Fiserv.) TDG worked with CheckFree to investigate ITIL and non-ITIL processes and, when CheckFree decided to use ITIL Service Management processes, helped them through the multi-phased deployment.
Software
ITIL Foundations maintains lists of programs related to ITIL in four different categories. In "Help Desk and Support Desk Software Tools" they recommend ServiceDesk Plus. ServiceDesk Plus is used to manage IT service requests from start to finish:
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a set of recommendations for managing IT. While it's focus is on IT services it also covers IT development and operations.
The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, a part of the UK Government, created ITIL back in the 1980s. (As such, ITIL and IT Infrastructure Library are trademarks of the UK's Office of Coporate Governance, formerly the CCTA.) Originally a set of 40 manuals the ITIL has been updated twice: once into a set of 8 manuals for version 2.0 and again in 2007 with a set of five core manuals for version 3.0.
Each manual focuses on a particular aspect of IT which is then broken down into multiple sections. For example:
The Service Desk
With the prevalence of technology at home and in the work place many people have had to ask for help from a help desk or service desk before. ITIL recommends that the service desk handle requests using only one point of contact (at my place of employment we call it "one neck to choke"), one point of entry, and one point of exit.
It's easy to see how doing so accomplishes the next ITIL of making things easier for the customer: They only need to contact one person or department to get help. Instead of being told to contact a different department or to send the request in a different manner the person in contact with the customer is the one who routes it to the correct department. ITIL also recommends keeping the customer updated on progress instead of simply waiting until there is a resolution to communicate again with the customer.
There are also recommendations for data integrity and streamlining communications. Data integrity is necessary for databases. It's easier to maintain information if it is always referenced in the same way. At best time is simply wasted in multiple searches to get all of the relevant data but at worst the database end up completely unusable. Streamlining communications is important internally, to get requests moved and managed as easily as possible, and externally, in further aid of making things easier for the consumer.
As ITIL has become more and more popular as a standard for managing IT, more people have gone into the business of ITIL itself.
Consulting Firms
There are multiple consulting companies offering their expertise on the ITIL. One of these companies is The Drapeau Group, LLC.
The tagline on TDG’s site is, “Achieve ITIL Maturity, Avoid Broken Promises”. They claim that they stand apart from other firms by having consultants who are both IT process experts and technically adept, using a different charging model where they do not bill 8 hours a day, and only selling advice not hardware or software. They also focus on what they consider to be the most important parts of the Service Support and Service Delivery parts of the ITIL rather than trying to apply all of it as is.
TDG offers the following services:
- ITIL Maturity Assesment
- Service Support Implementation
- Service Delivery Implementation
- ITIL Training
- ITIL workshops
- ITSM for SME Business
- ITIL Tools Review
- Metrics Assessment
There are client testimonials on the site as well, the most well known likely being CheckFree(now Fiserv). If you’ve ever received or paid a bill online through your bank chances are good you were using their services. (You can run a search on just the state at the site in the link to see all the financial institutions that use Fiserv.) TDG worked with CheckFree to investigate ITIL and non-ITIL processes and, when CheckFree decided to use ITIL Service Management processes, helped them through the multi-phased deployment.
Software
ITIL Foundations maintains lists of programs related to ITIL in four different categories. In "Help Desk and Support Desk Software Tools" they recommend ServiceDesk Plus. ServiceDesk Plus is used to manage IT service requests from start to finish:
- An end user who has an IT problem creates a 'ticket' requesting help
The ticket can be created multiple ways: e-mail, phone, API, web, even a Network Failure can create a ticket - SDP then applies business rules to the ticket
Rules can be added to have certain events or alerts occur based on the type of incident, SLA, etc. - The SLA is verified
The Service Level Agreement in this case refers to the amount of time for the incident to be resolved. - The due date is set
- The ticket is then sent to the appropriate group
- A technician within that group works on the problem specified in the ticket
- The end user is notified of the solution of the problem
SDP can be set up to give the end user notifications in the mean time.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Spring 2010 - Week 4: Micrsoft Oslo
Before we get into this week's topic I am going to offer a few links for anyone who doesn't know what BPMN is. Last semester I decided to write this blog so that anyone who might stumble across it could read it and have some idea of what I was talking about. Since I'm going to make a comparison I need to explain what it is first.
BPMN stands for Business Process Modeling Notation and is used to describe business processes via a graphical flowchart. It was created so that people at every level of an organization could read and understand what a process is supposed to do and accomplish before it is implemented. (That flowchart at the end of week one's post is an example.)
BPMN is the standard for describing business processes.
Wikipedia page for BPMN
FAQ page by the Business Processes Managment Initiative
Which brings us to this week's topic, Microsoft Oslo.
Turns out that "Oslo" is a codename for what Microsoft is currently calling SQL Server Modeling CTP (Community Technology Preview) and is part of a larger project called Dynamic IT. SQL Server Modeling will be included in the next edition of SQL Server. (ZDNet article about the Oslo announcement in November 2009 for the name change and it's inclusion in SQL Server)
Olso started as a larger project but is now comprised of a visual tool, code named Quadrant, for specifying views of the data, a language, code named M, for modeling data, and SQL Server Modeling Services, a database for shared, common domain models.
So while both BPMN and Olso are about modeling and have the same goal of speeding up development, Olso is about the data not the process. I'm not clear on whether they want all levels of an organization to be able to use the M language or not.
Here's three videos of SQL Server Modeling being used by Rockford Lhotka. In the first video he creates the object 'Customer' and uses the file describing that object to generate a form. The titles of the other two are good descriptions of what they're about but anyone who just wants to know what SQL Server Modeling should watch the first one.
This is kind of an aside but I question the neutrality of the Wikipedia article on Olso. It shouldn't say, "set of tools that make it easier", it should say, "set of tools intended to make it easier". Even if you put aside the need for neutrality they don't have any numbers to back that statement up with because it isn't available to the general public yet.
BPMN stands for Business Process Modeling Notation and is used to describe business processes via a graphical flowchart. It was created so that people at every level of an organization could read and understand what a process is supposed to do and accomplish before it is implemented. (That flowchart at the end of week one's post is an example.)
BPMN is the standard for describing business processes.
Wikipedia page for BPMN
FAQ page by the Business Processes Managment Initiative
Which brings us to this week's topic, Microsoft Oslo.
Turns out that "Oslo" is a codename for what Microsoft is currently calling SQL Server Modeling CTP (Community Technology Preview) and is part of a larger project called Dynamic IT. SQL Server Modeling will be included in the next edition of SQL Server. (ZDNet article about the Oslo announcement in November 2009 for the name change and it's inclusion in SQL Server)
Olso started as a larger project but is now comprised of a visual tool, code named Quadrant, for specifying views of the data, a language, code named M, for modeling data, and SQL Server Modeling Services, a database for shared, common domain models.
So while both BPMN and Olso are about modeling and have the same goal of speeding up development, Olso is about the data not the process. I'm not clear on whether they want all levels of an organization to be able to use the M language or not.
Here's three videos of SQL Server Modeling being used by Rockford Lhotka. In the first video he creates the object 'Customer' and uses the file describing that object to generate a form. The titles of the other two are good descriptions of what they're about but anyone who just wants to know what SQL Server Modeling should watch the first one.
This is kind of an aside but I question the neutrality of the Wikipedia article on Olso. It shouldn't say, "set of tools that make it easier", it should say, "set of tools intended to make it easier". Even if you put aside the need for neutrality they don't have any numbers to back that statement up with because it isn't available to the general public yet.
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