How to Get the Most Value from Social Computing for Business with Microsoft
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 Ho w t o Get t h e Mo st Valu e f r o m Social Com p u t in g for Business w it h Micr o so f t Author: Alina Fu Published: June 2008 2 The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. © 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, SQL Server, Windows SharePoint Services, Office SharePoint Server, and Active Directory are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. 3 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 4 Who Should Read this Paper? .............................................................................................. 5 Social Computing Overview ..................................................................................................... 5 Why Enterprises Adopt Social Computing ................................................................................ 6 Value of Social Computing to Enterprises ............................................................................. 6 Benefits of Social Computing to IT .................................................................................... 7 Usage Scenarios of Enterprise 2.0 Technologies .................................................................. 7 Personal Sites .................................................................................................................. 8 People Profiles.................................................................................................................. 8 People Search .................................................................................................................. 9 Discussion Forums ........................................................................................................... 9 Wikis ................................................................................................................................. 9 Blogs .............................................................................................................................. 10 Really Simple Syndication (RSS) .................................................................................... 10 Real-Time Communication (Instant Messaging) .............................................................. 10 Mashup Solutions ........................................................................................................... 11 Podcasting ...................................................................................................................... 11 How Social Computing with SharePoint Solves Business Problems ....................................... 11 Windows SharePoint Server 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 as Social Computing Platforms .......................................................................................................... 12 Real World Applications of Social Computing .................................................................. 13 Miami-Dade County School District.............................................................................. 13 Accenture .................................................................................................................... 14 My Sites.......................................................................................................................... 15 People Profiles................................................................................................................ 18 Team Sites ..................................................................................................................... 21 People and Expertise Search .......................................................................................... 21 Social Networking Web Parts .......................................................................................... 23 Discussion Forums ......................................................................................................... 23 Wikis ............................................................................................................................... 25 Blogs .............................................................................................................................. 26 Really Simple Syndication (RSS) .................................................................................... 27 Tight Integration with Real-Time Presence Communication ............................................. 28 Mashup Solutions ........................................................................................................... 28 Podcasting ...................................................................................................................... 30 Microsoft’s Main Differentiators ........................................................................................... 31 Integrated Social Computing Tools on a Single Platform ................................................. 32 Consistent User Experience in a Rich Development Environment ................................... 32 Faster Time to Market at a Lower Cost with Security and Governance Control ................ 33 IT Benefits .......................................................................................................................... 34 Stable Base Platforms..................................................................................................... 34 Ease of Management ...................................................................................................... 34 Scalability ....................................................................................................................... 35 Multiple Portal Options .................................................................................................... 35 Ease of Customization .................................................................................................... 35 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 36 4 Executive Summary Social computing is a term with many meanings. We refer to social computing as the natural evolution of collaboration, a shift of focus from content to a focus on people. The power of social computing lies with the users and the communities. Organizations obtain business value from the experiences and ideas produced through the use of these collaboration technologies that are modeled after natural social behavior. The common term for such technologies is Web 2.0. For Web 2.0 technologies that apply to the enterprise setting, the derived connotation is Enterprise Web 2.0, or, for short, Enterprise 2.0. These technologies help facilitate social interaction and enable valuable information to be gathered, analyzed, and shared broadly. More specifically, these technologies provide users with the ability to: Establish a richer identity that extends beyond their HR information. Create content and collaborate seamlessly with colleagues both inside and outside the immediate organization. Find subject matter experts and form social networks with colleagues. Develop, amend, and publish static and dynamic content easily. Search for resources based on social distance or relevance. Social computing has proved immensely successful over the last few years for consumers on the Internet. Sites such as Facebook have taken the development of peer groups beyond demographic and geographical boundaries, and community solutions such as Wikipedia have created a collaborative encyclopedia which is often referenced as a major resource for information. The adoption of social computing by the business world has been slower, often because of concerns over security and privacy. However, social computing has certainly gained traction and adoption among enterprises over the last year. In order for social computing to be successful in the business context, the technologies must align well to a user's normal working patterns. For instance, similar to the way people network at a social event, where we move from