Web 2.0: paradigm shift for enterprises

Broadly put, Web 2.0 is a paradigm shift in the way the Internet is used. It involves a more open approach to the Internet, and user-generated content in particular, such as blogs, podcasts, social media and special-interest review sites. The report highlights the ways in which companies and institutions can use Web 2.0 technologies to change how they do IT and hence run their businesses.

“Technology vendors and industry commentators have been appending the ‘2.0' suffix to all manner of enterprise products and domains over the last year or so in an attempt to signify something new, innovative and user-focused”, says Richard Edwards, information management practice director at Butler Group and co-author of the report. “But the term ‘Web 2.0' still remains the touchstone of the IT industry.”

The social forces driving change in the consumer computing world are also impacting the way business gets done

Butler Group believes that social software, collaboration, and real-time communications are now pivotal parts of the Enterprise Web 2.0 story, and that these in turn are acting as conduits for new cultural ideas and practices.

“The ideas, concepts, tools, and technologies behind consumer-oriented social networking software are being re-shaped and re-modelled for enterprise use,” says Mike Thompson, Butler Group's business process management practice director and contributor to the report.

Enterprise Web 2.0 focuses a great deal of attention on the user's ‘experience' or ‘joy of use' - something of a novelty in enterprise IT these days

Rob Hailstone, Software Infrastructure Practice Director at Butler Group, explains that “Enterprise Web 2.0 is underpinned by the broader concept of Enterprise 2.0 - a paradigm shift relating to service oriented architecture (SOA) and IT virtualisation.”

In some circles, the terms ‘Enterprise Web 2.0' and ‘Enterprise 2.0' are used interchangeably to describe the application of Web 2.0 ideas and technologies in the enterprise; however, Butler Group analysts believe that a clear distinction exists between the use of these two terms, and that this differentiation is important to maintain, as it enables more meaningful discussions to be had when examining the future role of IT within the business.

The failure to consider the impact of social enhancement technology on the performance of the enterprise is a big mistake

This in-depth report looks at the business issues that are forcing IT management to re-evaluate their strategies, and it explores some of the common trends that are emerging across a range of sectors and industries.

“The management of customer, employee, partner, and stakeholder relationships is vital for all organisations”, says Mark Blowers, Enterprise Architectures Practice Director at Butler Group. “The social aspects of Web 2.0 are mirrored in the corporate world of Enterprise Web 2.0. Workforce mobility and changing communication patterns are two more trends that are driving change at the infrastructure layer. As such, unified communication and collaboration requirements are an important part of Enterprise 2.0 strategies.”

Continued developments in Web browser technology have led to new Rich Internet Applications that offer Windows-like performance and behaviour

“It is clearly a mistake to think that Web 2.0 is all about technology, and likewise Enterprise Web 2.0; but it is also a mistake to dismiss the technology altogether”, says Michael Azoff, senior research analyst at Butler Group and a major contributor to the report. “Selecting and implementing enterprise social software solutions, next-generation collaboration solutions, and Rich Internet Applications requires careful thought, consideration, and planning.”

Edwards sums-up Butler Group's view: “The driving force behind every aspect of Enterprise Web 2.0 is the experience of the end user, whether that be employee, customer, partner or stakeholder. This means that all organisations must reassess their IT strategies in view of this clear and distinct shift in direction.”

• Written for both IT and business managers, Butler Group's report Enterprise Web 2.0 examines the ‘consumerisation' of corporate IT, and offers business decision-makers a range of options and insights that can be used to harness the momentum associated with Web 2.0. The report draws on two years of research by the company's analysts, and covers all aspects of IT related to Enterprise Web 2.0, including: IT management; service provisioning; information and knowledge management; communications and collaboration; convergence; enterprise mobility; software development; and architectures and models.