From Web 2.0 to Enterprise 2.0

We talk about Web 2.0 every minute of every day it seems. Now the business world is adapting it to work for them and they've called it Enterprise 2.0.

Web 2.0 is all about empowering people to use the internet to express their opinions, share their knowledge and connect with people. It is visible in every blog, wiki, and social networking application out there. But what about the enterprise? Can this Web 2.0 functionality be used by a company to grow their business? Yes, it can. And they call it Enterprise 2.0.

The best definition of Enterprise 2.0 I could find comes from Andrew McAfee an Associate Professor from the Harvard Business School:

Enterprise 2.0 is the use of emergent social software platforms within companies, or between companies and their partners or customers.

So it's about taking those tools and technologies we use on the web (like blogs, wikis, social networks, tagging and folksonomies) in-house and using them to enable employees, customers or partners to contribute and share information to support the business. It's about creating communities to share and grow that information to help the business become better at what it really wants to do - make money.

It's about empowerment for three groups: customers, employees and partners. It's a smart move for a business to involve their customers at this level. Customers can provide feedback, help each other and provide insight and idea for improvements. Employees and partners will have a platform to openly share ideas, information and they will have simple methods for collaboration.

There's software on the market today to help create an Enterprise 2.0 for a business: Microsoft SharePoint, HiveLive, Awareness, Communispace - all have service offerings.

I like the idea of Enterprise 2.0, of what it can mean. But I also know from experience that it needs to be implemented with careful consideration and marketed accordingly. If it's done right, it's a gold mine. Done wrong - it's a disaster waiting to happen.