We are in need.
Hundreds of new platforms, tools, sites, etc… are available to both the public and the enterprise every day. And all of these are marketed as Web 2.0 or Enterprise 2.0. But do we really need all these?
Well, yes, we need it. But we need to bring some sanity to this madness. I think that Web 2.0 for the Enterprise will increase tremendously when we have a platform that brings together the various services of Web 2.0. Of course, only those services that makes sense for the enterprise such as: Search, discussion boards, collaboration (wikis), collective intelligence (wiki/blogs), Contact Management. We also need to converge these services into a single platform that includes the typical Mail and Calendar services and Instant Messaging, and VoIP. Only then we will have a truly integrated collaborative platform.
Integrating Web 2.0 and typical Enterprise Services in the typical Organization introduce a different challenge that integrating these in the consumer space. Enterprises move a little slower and are always looking for a business case. I believe a compelling reason to adopt a comprehensive integrated collaborative platform is “competitive advantage”.
I am starting to see frameworks that will provide a concrete implementation to a strategic roadmap. This will provide a good platform for solution development and thus some clarity on “how” the enterprise can get “there”.
Now I turn it over to you. What do you think will be the catalyst for Web 2.0 adoption in the enterprise?
I think that Wiki’s, Blogs, Discussion boards, search are knowledge sharing which is great, and in the non-enterprise space that is really dominant. However in the enterprise, decision making and decision making processes are more important. Lack of tools and capabilities around “web 2.0″ decision making using groups are preventing broader adoption. It is not enough for the knowledge to exist, it must be acted upon and enterprise still isn’t comfortable with people reading, independently making decisions and acting.
I agree, in the enterprise the information must enable the users to better decision making. But if what we create are silos of information This is where mashups come in. Also this is where IBM’s DAMIA and MS Astoria project will assist in the process by providing access to structured and unstructured data. The value is in the inforamation. Tim O’Reily argues that part of Web 2.0 is that data is the “Intel inside” of the next generation of computer applications.
BI, including Data Analytics solutions that implement some of the concepts of Web 2.0 (collaboration) and the technology (AJAX, mashups, RIA, etc…
will be available in the near future. Today we can see some of that when these vendors make available desktop and their new web versions of their dashbords, performance management and scorecard solutions.