http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news.asp Innovation in the News summarizes the latest business news stories about innovation and creativity, and provides you with convenient links to the full stories elsewhere on the Web. en-us http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2889 Computer Active (June 30, 2008) - If you have ever wished for a more visual way of organising ideas than simple lists, mind mapping could be the answer. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2890 IdeaConnection.com (June 30, 2008) - Creating an environment that enables, indeed, encourages creativity and innovation on a continuous basis is the only business strategy for success. Even the most innovative firms are not able to fully use their innovation capacity. So why not collaborate across industries and with other businesses for mutual benefits and long term survival? http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2891 BUSINESSWIRE (July 1, 2008) - In The Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work, authors Scott Anthony, Mark Johnson, Joseph Sinfield, and Elizabeth Altman take the subject to the next level: implementation. They explain how organizations across a wide range of industries can create this crucial capability for unlocking disruption's transformational power. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2886 BUSINESSWIRE (June 24, 2008) - Strategyn announces the first in a series of new courses being offered to individuals and product development teams. The course, entitled "Generating Ideas for Growth," provides new and powerful theory and tools that make it possible for companies to effectively structure and sequence their ideation, collaboration, and brainstorming activities. In addition, this course offers a concrete methodology for integrating TRIZ creativity triggers into a systematic approach to innovation. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2887 MarketWire (June 25, 2008) - InnoCentive, Inc., the global innovation marketplace, today unveiled its new ONRAMP program (Open iNnovation Rapid Adoption Methods and Practices). ONRAMP is a suite of upfront and ongoing professional services and technical resources, designed to help Seeker companies adopt prize based open innovation rapidly and successfully within their organizations. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2888 EarthTimes.org (June 25, 2008) - ideaPoint, an emerging leader in web software applications that enable Open Innovation business models, today announced the launch of its flagship product, ideaPoint Innovation Portal, a fully integrated web application that connects inventors with organizations to streamline the development of new commercial technologies. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2885 McKinsey Quarterly (June 2008) - The Internet and new social-networking technologies are allowing companies and their customers to interact with unprecedented levels of richness. Some leading organizations are using this opportunity to draw customers into the heart of the product development process. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2884 MacWorld.com (June 17, 2008) - CS Odessa on Tuesday announced the release of ConceptDraw Office, a new business productivity software suite for Mac OS X and Windows. It costs $499. ConceptDraw Office is designed to help users in business environments manage projects, capture ideas, organize processes and keep track of communications and resource management. It comprises three main individual components: ConceptDraw Mindmap, ConceptDraw Project, and ConceptDraw Pro. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2882 LifeHack (June 12, 2008) - Bill Gates recently said, "We are in an economic downturn but an innovation upturn." Most people are focusing on the downturn and the dangers it poses rather than on the opportunity for innovation. Most businesses are restructuring and streamlining their operations. How can you maximize your chances in the change maelstrom? One way is to take a positive approach to change and to be seen as an innovative go getter who will help make the reorganization a success. Here's how. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2883 News.com.au (June 16, 2008) - Companies embracing User Innovation, or "crowdsourcing," through network channels are finding if you give customers an inch they can give back a mile. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2881 TradingMarkets (June 17, 2008) - Mindjet today announced Mindjet Connect, an all-new software as a service (SaaS) platform that helps people achieve breakthrough insight into their work by visually tying together all of the ideas, information and people related to any project or plan. Available today, it extends the capabilities of MindManager. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2880 BUSINESSWIRE (June 12, 2008) - Strategyn is proud to announce the formation of an alliance with the PQR Group, an international consulting and training firm specializing in the application of TRIZ principles. TRIZ-based creativity triggers have been developed to help companies devise new product platforms, business models, and feature sets. Coursework has also been developed for individuals and product development teams to learn how to use the new tools to devise breakthrough solutions. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2878 TrainingZone (June 2008) - Can some clever training coax creativity and innovation out of even the most unlikely candidates? http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2879 IndustryWeek (July 1, 2008) - General Mills' open innovation initiative celebrated its one-year anniversary in May, and the food company is pleased with its progress. http://www.innovationtools.com/news/news-detail.asp?NewsID=2877 Xconomy.com (June 10, 2008) - When shareholder activists like Carl Icahn start banging on a company's front door, threatening to rally investors to help them take over the company, it naturally gives management headaches. But what effect does it have on a company's ability to innovate?