As I sat down to write this inaugural blog entry, it struck me that I have not read many first blog entries, so I wasn’t quite sure of the etiquette. Do I introduce myself, or just jump right into some weighty topic as if I’ve been writing for years. I checked around and found a few interesting  “firsts”. On 20 January 2009, Macon Phillips posted the first entry to the WhiteHouse.gov blog and briefly introduced himself and outlined key priorities for the Administration’s new media efforts. I’ve read Steve Johnson’s product marketing articles for years, so I looked back to see that he jumped right in to content with his first post. ConnectedCOPS.net lists several blogs and I particularly like the introduction Detective Chief Inspector Mark Payne from the West Midlands Police in the UK introduced his blog by stating, “Communication is the cornerstone of policing.”

Given that there doesn’t appear to be a universal standard, I’ll start by way of a brief introduction. I’m Chriss Knisley and I’ve been at i2 for nearly five years now in a number of positions. Currently, I’m the product line manager for our COPLINK solution suite. I’m a computer scientist by education, but have always focused on understanding users’ needs and finding technology solutions to meet them. I love working with the law enforcement, intelligence and defense (and defence) communities where it is easy to see the difference our customers make in the world.

I plan to use this space to talk about some of the major challenges I see our customers facing over the next few years, and some of the exciting trends in software to meet those challenges. I hope you’ll engage and post comments, challenge me when you disagree and let me know when you agree.

It is an exciting time to be in the law enforcement and intelligence analysis business. The amount of information readily available to identify patterns and trends to stop bad things from happening and catch the bad guys is staggering, and continues to grow. The techniques and tools to acquire that information and analyze it to make better decisions are constantly adapting, and the ways of communicating and sharing the results of analysis and investigations continue to advance. We’re continuing to advance our tools, check out our CEO’s presentation at our recent User Conference and let me know what you think of how we’re working to help you meet those challenges.

Please feel free to post comments and introduce yourself here or on the i2 Group Facebook page. I am always available via email at chriss.knisley@i2group.com and twitter @cknisley44.