Less Than Free

At a recent meeting with a CEO of a really hot company in the enterprise search sector, I asked whether he perceived Google as a risk to their business model.  This blog is a great case study demonstrating the disruptive power of Google.  This is not a David and Goliath story.  In disrupting the online mapping industry, it is taking on two multi billion dollar incumbents. 

Google Redefines Disruption

Social Media within the Enterprise

I don't know anyone who is using the newest forms of social media; certainly nobody over the age of 40.  Under 40's that I know that have used Twitter, have tested it, found that they have no use for it and then ignored it.

This is set to change.  Within 18 months I predict that many of us will be using Twitter, or a similar service.  Not to organise our social lives, but to help us work more efficiently.  Even in a small office it is sometimes difficult to keep up with what everyone is doing; which deals have closed, which are struggling to close, what we are working on.

I share this view with Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com who is integrating Twitter style functionality within its core product.  We work in 'real-time', but few enterprise software applications are designed to work with us this way.

Here it is in his own words:

http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/24/the-facebook-imperative/