The technology problems can be overcome, but there are cultural problems too. People have not yet grasped the huge change that using a workspace portal involves. A few years ago knowledge workers and managers worked with writing pads, a diary, a Rolodex, documents, a calculator and so on, spread over the desk for easy reference. Navigation was either instant or erratic, as we scrabbled among the papers, but it didn't interrupt the thought processes. Now people are expected to work with everything compressed through a small screen.
Navigation requires enough concentration to interrupt the chain of thought.
My instincts tell me that many of us need multiple 'virtual' screens, including synchronised Bluetooth devices, that will display more information at the same time for easy reference. They would allow us to navigate just by moving our eyes and to drag information between screens. Unless firms give serious thought to the cultural implications of portals, they could waste time and money. Users may find printouts, windows task bars and browser favourites a simpler way of working. A portal may promise to put information at your fingertips, but there is a danger that the only winners will be the screen manufacturers.