A new Forrester report reckons that business spending on Web 2.0 software will rise to a value of $4.6 billion as the promise of what it can deliver increases.
The key drivers for Web 2.0 in business is that it will allow businesses to communicate with customers better and improve employee collaboration.
But the key question is who pays for Web 2.0 in the enterprise? Three challenges await: IT shops are wary of what they perceive as insecure, consumer-grade technology; ad-supported Web 2.0 tools on the consumer side have set “free” as a starting point; and Web 2.0 technologies enter a crowded space dominated by legacy software investments.
A final point is that improving communication requires a culture of working practices already geared towards collaboration and listening to the customer. Technology alone doesn’t enable this, but this is just the way Web 2.0 software could be sold to a business.
So before your manager decides to ‘get down with the kids’ with the latest Web 2.0 ware, ask him; are we geared as an organisation to deliver Web 2.0 in the first place?
