I’m still not sure I like all this ‘2.0’ nomenclature. Apart from anything else, it’s just too broad to really capture what people think they mean by it. Others think they know what they mean by it, but nobody else does. And those that know what people think they mean by it, are generally thinking something completely opposite to what people thought they knew they were thinking about it, if you know what I mean.
Imagine if the mainframe had been considered computing 1.0. That would have made midrange machines like the VAX described as 2.0, distributed servers like Unix boxes called 3.0, Windows NT would have ushered in 4.0 and thin server architectures from Citrix et al no doubt would be 5.0.
The whole Linux shout would probably have been 6.0 and now that we get to virtualisation of servers, storage and desktops, that would probably be known as 7.0.
The point is, the World Wide Web was only originated by Tim Berners Lee in 1989. Yet already we are to believe that we need a Web 2.0, or even as some are suggesting, 3.0.
Anyway I am equally unconvinced that there is any such thing as ‘Enterprise 2.0.’ Yet a whole conference called just that just ran in Boston last week, attracting attendees from far and wide to hear what Enterprise 2.0 is all about.
Anyway, whether I think the concept is based in reality is perhaps a moot point. But for those who didn’t make it along to Enterprise 2.0, here is a summary of the “top learnings” from the conference, according to David Spark and snipped from his blog [Click continue reading for more on this blog entry.]
So, according to David Spark, these are the top learnings from Enterprise 2.0:
+ Young people entering the workforce communicate with Web 2.0 tools. They want more than just email.
+ Cloud computing is an easy way to launch a service and scale, but it’s far from being a true utility like electricity.
+ To innovate, you need to harness the wisdom of your network. First start with your staff and then move to partners and your audience.
+ When you create a collaborate Enterprise 2.0 space, TRUST your audience. Release the desire to control. Don’t control. Even the CIA recommends this.
+ Change management. Adoption requires evangelism and constant reminders and associating Web 2.0 tools with everything you’re doing.
+ Don’t just deploy social media for the sake of deploying social media. Develop a strategic business rationale.
+ There are tons of companies that offer business social networking solutions. Some are trying to offer everything, and some are just trying to solve a single problem.
+ Allow people to engage with your company outside of your .com business address. Let them engage with your brand where they already like to go, like Facebook, MySpace, etc.
Most of these make sense to me. But then, distributed computing made sense without calling it computing 2.0. Read more from David and other Enterprise 2.0 bloggers at http://www.enterprise2blog.com/
