Field of Dreams... Believe it or not, the San Francisco Giants want to enhance your baseball experience by offering WiFi (wireless) connectivity to the Internet. I'm not making this up. Fans can now attend the game physically AND on their laptop surf the Giant's Digital Dugout, a "portal" that centralizes diverse information sources -- like video, statistics, schedules and other games. (Wired.com, Apr. 28, 2004)

That image of a Digital Dugout as a central repository of disparate information struck me last week, as I talked with Thom Robertson about Vornado Realty Trust. (Previous to last October, Robertson served as CIO.) Robertson witnessed the rapid expansion of Vornado over the last eight years with the completion of more than $6.8 billion of acquisitions and investments primarily in New York and Washington, D.C.

Post 9-11, as the market became more volatile, according to Robertson, up-to-date portfolio data became more urgent. Previously, developing budgeting projections at Vornado might have required "a staff of 50-75 financial people coordinated with dozens of operational people and leasing professionals." Now this had to be done much more quickly, and so Vornado embarked on a three-year program to build a new centralized system.

One of the primary software tools that Robertson selected was Planimetron's MyPropidex.com, which Vornado's leasing group used to track its inventory control system and CAD drawings. Now this information easily flows into a centralized reporting system where it combines with data extracted from PeopleSoft (JD Edwards), Timberline and IBS (Integrated Business Systems).

Does your company have its own "Digital Dugout"? If so, what's the most critical information produced by it? If not, what information would you like to see?

--Peter Pike