Posts Tagged 'social software'

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Social Networking with the Elite

Published December 24, 2007 Uncategorized 3 Comments
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BusinessWeek.com published last month a special report, titled Social Networking with the Elite. With the growing popularity of social sites such as Facebook, Linked-In, not to mention the whopping millions of MySpace, the alternatives have started to appear. Private-by-invitation-only-closed communities, that consciously discriminate members are here. Some are private by firewall, other by pure discrimination. BusinessWeek lists, among others, A-Space, aSmallWorld, INMobile.org, Diamond Lounge, Behance Network and my personal favorite ModelsHotel.com (guess why it’s a closed network…;-).

The first private site in the slide show really surprised me – A-Space. This CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) internal site, launching these days, is for members of the CIA and other US intelligence agencies. Yes, only spooks like Mulder and Scally, and maybe some guys from Heroes are allowed to enter. Now, seriously, the purpose of A-Space is to use collaborative “social software”—not all that different from features found on Facebook, Wikipedia, and social bookmarking site del.icio.us—to share intelligence reports more rapidly across agencies.

Reuters Spaces is another example of how social software can do wonders for your business. Reuters, much like IBM, are considered early adapters – they’ve deployed reporters in Second Life, and now opened up Spaces, a private network for Hedge Funds Executives.

Wow !! As an advocate of social software in general and social software for the business in particular – great news. Now we have more example and best practices of why social networking is important to the business. If the CIA has realized the potential of sharing information and expertise internally, I guess they see some added value in it, wouldn’t you agree?

Getting Into Social Software

Published December 22, 2007 Uncategorized Closed
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The Lotus Connections guys have published an interesting article over at ibm.com/lotus, titled ‘Getting Into Social Software… Take the experience of IBM‘. The piece explains how Lotus Connections services (Profiles, Blogs, Communities, Activities and Dogear) are used internally at IBM, thus making IBMers’ life easier and helping us be more productive and collaborative.

For instance, my good friend Luis Suarez, tells about his blogging experience, and how it helped him extend his network (that’s how I met Luis, through his blog):
“I have been in the company for 10 years,” says Suarez. “In the almost four years I’ve been using blogs I’ve gotten to know two to three times the number of people I knew in the six years when I wasn’t blogging, even though I’ve gone from working in the office surrounded by colleagues to working at home in the middle of nowhere.”

IBM also announced this week of a new asset available for Lotus Connections – Atlas. Atlas adds visualization tools to social networks at works, thus allowing for a more convenient way of representing your community.

Links:
Getting Into Social Software… Take the experience of IBM [ibm.com/lotus]
IBM’s Atlas adds visualization tools into to social networks at work [ComputerWorld]
Atlas for Lotus Connections [ibm.com/lotus]
IBM Atlas [The Connections Blog]

Your 200 words on social networking in 2008

Published December 17, 2007 Uncategorized Closed
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Much has been said recently about social networking and social software and I even read some predictions (Gartner ITxpo) for 2008 saying social networking will hit the business by storm, and the sooner you acknowledge it, the better.

In the spirit of UGC, I decided to open up my blog (or this post actually), and hear what you have to say about social networking in 2008. In a nutshell, I’m interested in your predictions, your input, your take, on social networking.
Which social networking site will rule 2008? Will you join a(nother) social network in 2008? How many social networks are you signed into now? Will this trend impact your workplace? Do you want this trend to enter your workplace? In what format – internal, external or both?

2 things to consider (and agreeing by commenting) before you start writing:

  • I may reuse your opinion in the future (edited or full, with proper credits of course)
  • KIS (keep it simple) – 200 words or less. I won’t start counting of course, but do your best. What’s 200 words you ask? This post is just under 200. You can count.

Thanks.

Social software and Shimon Peres

Published December 13, 2007 Uncategorized Closed
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Shimon Peres, Israel’s President, visited Haifa Research Lab (HRL) this week, along with Meir Nissensohn, IBM Israel General Manager. Mr. Peres demonstrated excellent knowledge in internet and social networks, as several researchers presented their work in the field of business implications of social networks. Then Mr. Peres discussed in Arabic with Aya Soffer, using IBM’s MASTOR, a two-way, free form speech translator that assists human communication using natural spoken language for people who do not share a common language. The speech translator is in use in Iraq by humanitarian services, to improve communication with the local population.
Mr. Peres concluded his visit by driving ‘the virtual car’ (pictured above), a new driving simulator that enables social communication between cars on the road – to decrease accidents and improve road safety.

Links:
ibm.com (Hebrew): President Peres visits IBM Haifa Research Lab
ThePeople.com (Hebrew): Presidential Visit

In the picture below (from left to right): Mr. Shimon Peres, Israeli President, Dr. Aya Soffer, HRL (both sitting), Yossi Shoval, Media Relations Mgr. and Mr. Meir Nissensohn, GM, IBM Israel (far right).

Web 2.0 for Executives – a dream or a nightmare?

Published September 26, 2007 Uncategorized Closed
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There was an interesting event earlier this week at The Recanati Alumni of Tel Aviv University, under the title of Web 2.0: Dream or Nightmare for Executives.
The panel included some heavyweights of the local IT arena, led by Meir Brand, CEO Google Israel, Guy Rolnik, co-Founder of TheMarker.com and Ranit Zexer, CTO, Matrix.
My friend Sagi Chemetz from BlinkIT moderated the panel.

The overall conclusion from the event is that most businesses are still facing difficulties in building a suitable web presence, and already are hammered by Web 2.0 services, that are coming mainly from the bottom up.

Although I was unable to attend, I totally agree with the above conclusion, and here’s why:
Many businesses I visit are still facing some very Web 1.0 problems, such as building up a proper website, maintaining an updated content, connecting employees/customers/partners to that content – all while reducing costs and increasing revenue of course. When I tell them IBM has Web 2.0 tools and services they can utilize today – it’s just too much.
They are in the 2nd or 3rd floor, while the IT arena is at 5th and even 6th floor. Most companies want to advance in little steps, and that’s understandable, but the current environment is changing, fast. Change in inevitable, and in order to survive in this competitive global market, you must stay ahead of the group.
You must initiate, not re-act. You have to embrace innovation (I know it’s such an ‘old’ buzz word, but I have to use it) if you want to stay in the race. You have to increase collaboration in your business, both inside and out, in order to leverage innovation.

Web 2.0 tools/technologies/services may be frightening to some, but they are actually catalysts for growth. Real time collaboration, such as Lotus Sametime, allows one to be more effective in ones work. It allows you to communicate faster, and get the answer you need now – not later.
Team work is also an important attribute, and a business must provide its employees with powerful tools for effective team collaboration. Lotus Quickr does just that, with an eye-catching user interface and the ability for every employee to create virtual places, in 3 steps.
These are only 2 examples, but there are plenty others.

I can understand executives who are taking a step back and shaking their head sideways upon hearing Web 2.0, effective collaboration or increased team work. But, at the same time, I try to explain the past, present and future of this industry – collaboration and social software already dominate the consumer side – it’s time to leverage these tools into the corporate world as well. Not next year – now, today, right now.

Photo under license from iStockphoto.com

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Mobile & Media Consultant. I help startup companies launch products to the consumer market. Reach out: dvir.reznik [at] gmail.com
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This is my personal blog. The postings here do not represent the thoughts, intentions, plans or strategies of my past employers or of my clients. It is solely my opinion.