Social Networks Not Ready for Business? - Page 2

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The new generation

Some analysts argue that companies that don't embrace Web 2.0 and social networking tools could risk attracting top level talent to their ranks.

Majid Abai, CEO of online community tools provider Pringo, agrees. "I don't see how you can get around it, these are the tools this generation is growing up with," said Abai. "Going back a few years, if you didn't have email you were considered a backwards organization."

But it may not be distinct social networking products and services that win the enterprise. Abai envisions social-networking functions built into well-established business software categories such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications, enabling colleagues to collaborate more easily and share knowledge on certain topics or customers.

He also thinks organizations will incorporate social-networking capabilities into their intranets to enhance internal communication between employees as well as external communication with partners.

IDC analyst Caroline Dangson said it's really up to each business to decide how fast and to what extent it wants to hop on the social networking bandwagon.

"People have expectations on the consumer side that comments shouldn't be prevented from being posted," Dangston told InternetNews.com. "But businesses clearly require a higher level of security and moderation."

One size does not fit all

With budgetary and security concerns, just how and when social networking creeps into the enterprise is likely to vary by company and perhaps even industry.

Socialtext's Mayfield also points out it's not just a question of consumer-type social networking migrating to business, but developments specifically tailored to enterprise needs.

He notes two examples his company is working on. One is a kind of micro-blogging or Twitter-like tool designed for the enterprise and the other is SocialCalc, a "social spreadsheet" being developed with Dan Bricklin, co-creator of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program for personal computers.

Maybe these are exactly the kind of innovations that Otellini the business executive – not the chip guy -- is really hoping to see in the business world of Web 2.0.